MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10597, 18 February 1896, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

I In the list of officiating ministers for 18S6 appearing in the Gazette, there aro 280 Church ofEoglaud, 10S, Presbyterian Churoh of New i Zealaud and 77 Preabjterian Church of Otago ! and Southland, 134 Roman Catholic, 114 Wes- | leyan Methodist,- 19 Congregational IndepenI dent, 21 Baptist, 29 Primitive Methodist, 14 United Methodist Free Church, 12 Lutheran, 6 Hebrew, 11 Bible Christian, 7 Church o£ Christ, 1 Disciple of Carist, 1 Independent Wealeyan, 1 Catholic Apci3tolic Ohuroh, 1 sßrotnerhood Church (unsectarian), 1 ScaudiI navian Methodiet, 1 Plymouth Brethren, I 1 Student oE Truth, 1 Forward Movement, 1 New Church, and 7 Salvation Aimy. The vital statistics for the past month are :— Births, 100; deathß, 30; marriages, 29. The figures tor the correspending month of last year were:—Births, 130; deaths, 47 i marriages, 29.

The eleventh annual meeting of the New Zealand Medical Association was held in the City Council Chambers on the Ist intt. Or H. Lirtdo Ferguson, president of the association, occupied the chair, and members of the profession from Napier, Wellington, Christchureh, Nelson, and Gceymoutb, together with delegitea the Auckland branch, were present. The whole of the business was trapsacted in council, it having been prearranged that the scientific work which would ordinarily have formed part of the programme should be merged in the proceedings of the Australasian Medical Congress. The register of New Zealaud medical practitioners contains the names of 626, of whom about 108 are marked as having left the colony. The 518 who are still in practice aro equal to one for every 1400 of the population, including adults and children.

' Mi' Poter Roid, of. the Tokatea mine, has a natural curiosity in his possession (says the Coroinandel News) in the form of a 08D. which was found ia the old Tokatea level, at a distance of 2000 ft from the mouth of the tunnel, and at a depth of fully 150 ft from the surface. About a month ago t*o of them were found, but oue got away. The remaining one is still alive, and is a frisky Htble customer ; it is of a different variety from the fishes usually seen in the streams abou^ the Tokatea, having more fins than usual, and is mora like a flying fish. How it got into the tunnel is a mystery, as it could not have nwum in, the spot where it was found being at a higher level than the mouth of the taumel, and tbe water is running out on an incline. Mr Raid intends sending the fish to Auckland for inspection by Mr Cheesemao, curator of the nimeum, in order to have ib determined to what variety it belongs, and also to ascertain if any reasonable theory can be advanced tot its presence in such an unusual place. During the Chriotmas and New Year holidays 50,000 more passengers were carried ou the Government railways than were carried in the corresponding period of the previous year, but owing to the cheap excursion rate* the < revenue from fares wds £2000 less.. In spits of these concessions the railway revenue is fully up to estimate.

Up to date £2773 has been promised for the proposed new Auglican cathedral in Wellington.

In the Clinton Valley this season a peculiar phenomenon presents itself to the visitor. Between Pompolona and MinUro, near tho head of the valley, thsre is evidence (says the Te' Anau correspondent of the Southland Times) of some kind of upheaval or earthquake. - For about two-thirds of a mile the traok has bsen de< stroyed. In soms parts of this the old track cauuot be traced at all. In other parts it cau be traced, but tho ground is &U shaken up and secma quite looee. At two points at least there ia evidence of tho force that has bsen at work. It looks as if a great train of soms explosive had'been laid deep Underground «bd fired. The mass above rising into the air fell back on itself, except where greater energy breaking through hurled stones of all sizes and shapes into the air and scattered them in all dirtotious. The whole space seems to have been thoroughly shaken up. The forest of ribbonwood, much of it over 20ft high, i 3 blown down all in one direction, and a lot of it buried out of sight amongst stones and dibris. It is impossible that this could have been due tothe action oE avalanches or landslips, as the destruction has taken place too far from the base of the mountain, and vegetation on the mountain aide is practically intact. If it has been, as is supposed, the seat of some upheaval, it would be very interesting to have a report on it by some competent geologist, or by someone skilled in seismology, for there has not been any disturb-, ance of this nature so far south as Otago since the settlement of New Zealand, It is suggested that the phenomenon has been produced by the bursting of a wafcsrapoub. At the Dunediri'Burns Clnb'fl annual celebration, on the 25th 'ult., of tbe anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national poet, Mr J. H. Morrison, who, in the absence of the Hon. T. Fergus, w»3 asked to say a few words, made reference to the existence at the present time of war clouds threatening the paaca of Great Britain, and asked that the choir should sing " Rule Britannia," the audience joiaiag in the chorus. The request was cordially received, and was forthwith acted upon, tbe audience rising en masse and assisting in the chorus of the national hymn, the singing Of which, if not remarkably accurate, had at least the marit of being earnest.

The suddenness of the dgpartnre from Duuedin of John Lawson, formerly licensee of the Gridiron Hotel, Prince) street, cannot fail to have attracted the notice of many residents of1 the town. There wore some, indeed, to whom he mentioned his intention of •'.." making the round, trip," but this expression was evidently intended to mislead, for the " round trip " on which he started is sot that which embraces the other colonies in its scope, the fact being that he left for San Francisco by a mail boat just in time to escape arrest on a warrant charging him with wife desertion. A former employes of the hotel which he conducted in Dunedin is supposed to hare eloped with him. Lawson had invested largely in Btok of New Zetland shares and ib is said that it was to evade his liability on these that he has left the colony. >

The registrar's report at the recent Congregational Unioa held at Wellington showed the church membership to be : Otajo, 661 ; Canterbury, 285; Auckland, 573 ; Welling .od, 235 ; the total being an increase of 73 over the previous year. The roll of Sutiday school saholars showed: Otago, 867; Canterbury, 467 : Auckland, 878 ; Wellington, 351;— total, 2583, a decrease'of 226 as compared with the previous year. Last month M estates were placed in the hands of the Public Trustee. Tho principal were!— Robert' Hare, Wellington, £6000; HeDry E. Clark, Danedin, £3500; Duncan M'Neill, Wendonsida, Southland, £1500 ; James S. Manßeld, Palmerston North, £700 ; John L. Sinclair, Auckland, £550; Joseph Robarts, Pakuranga, Auckland, £150; Alfred Tindall, Waharoa, Auckland, £4W; James Moran, Wellington. £400; Thus. W. Dlekson, Richmond, Canterbury, £380; Edmund PilkinstOD, Avondale, Auckland, £305; Richard Smith, Hilton, Canterbury, £290 ; Jamas Dslgetty, Wairnrapa, £280.