OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11397, 14 April 1899, Page 8

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

! Between 40,000 and 50,000 people attended the show at Sydney on March 31, establishing a record for attendance. , '

The South Australian Premier intends to force through a bill establishing household suffrage for the 'Legislative Council. . There is a movement on foot in Temuka to establish an amateur operatic company in that township..

A Mouteie resident brought into Kelson.* clay or. two. ago, a ton of honey, a load which he claims to be unique so far as that. town, is concerned. , ": ..

The Rev. W. A. Sinclair stated in a sermon, the other Sunday, that there were morn churches in, Auckland than in any other cit;' of New Zealand. ■ ,

It was stated at Goulburn, New South Wales, 'recently, thai the Eailway 'Commissioners lost thousands of pounds , ;yearly through ."ticket scalping." ,' ...:','

' An old man who was picked up drunk .by the Hobart police, the other day, had^ £4- ZOa in gold on him, and bank deposit receipts to the amount 0f,£1060.. . : '. .

A large number of bushf ellers are leaving the Dannevirke and Norsewood districts for Poverty Bay, where a considerable area of land is being cleared. • . '

Do you need a lamp, bell, or anything required on a bicycle? If so, go for best value to W. : A. Scott's, Speedwell Factory, 155 George street... , ! .' ... ■;

A fair indication of the improved condi; tiori of trade in Palmerston is claimed to'be shown by the fact that the interest in one of' the hotels, • sold a little over a. year'ago for £1300, has'recently been purchased at £2000. ! :■..•.■■ (

The police rajded a Chinese shop at Wanganui last week, resulting in an extensive find of Chinese brandy and whisky. The wily Chinaman first of ■ all produced some bottles of treacle, and when the liquor was found, declared it to be " medicine. '

A black man, who gave his name aa Bennett Parera, who has been practising as a " quack " medico at Pipiriki, has been sentenced to a month's hard labour in the Wanganui gaol, oh a charge arising out of the death of an infant at that place. . , :.

• The body of the late Mr Patrick, who was drowned in the Molyneux at the Hartley and Riley dredge, was recovered between Clyde and Alexandra on Saturday by the crew of the Matau dredge. The funeral took place at Clyde on Sunday. ,' ", ■'. '".

The Pahiatua Herald says: —"Mr Cook, who: is acting as relieving stationmaster at Pahiatua, is one of the few half-caste Maoris who have aspired to a position of control in the public service. His commanding and gentlemanly, bearing should have the effect of pushing him to a high position in'-th'e railway department." , ,

?A. H. Logan, of Duneqin, formerly of .Wellington, has filed his1 schedule in bankruptcy. In his statement of causes of bankruptcy, he sets out that he had been compelled to file in consequence of the issue_ by the Wellington magistrate of an immediate payment order for £5 odd to the Evening Press Company. Since the report of that had appeared in the papers he had other summonses taken out against him, and threats had also been made that others would be issued. He filed in Wellington because all his creditors were there. Most of them had been quite willing to wait for a settlement of their accounts, and it was only-a small section that had taken up a harassing attitude in regard to their claims. He left Wellington in July) 1898, and since then his earnings had hot been more than £3 10s per week on'ah average/ out of which he had to pay the cost of removal to; Dunedin.:

, A few days ago, Some new caves were discovered, in the Burragorang district. New South Wales, on the Kowmong River. .A small opening was observed1 in a vast reef of limestone, which can be traced foi 'miles, towering hundreds of feet high. Entrance was effected, and the party discovered a caye of surpassing beauty, exceeding those=yet discovered in grandeur and magnificence,'if not in magnitude, and described as truly wonderful. The < cave was named by the ■ explorers ■"The Onslow,"'in honour of a popular local family. 'Mount Colong. where the caves exist, is a distance of under SO miles from Camden (nearest'route), and there are good roads fortho greater part of the distance. ' ■

Up to the present date (says the Tapamii Courier) this season' deer stalkers have experienced the poorest time since licences were first issued. Occasional stags have been on view hitherto'from almost the opening day, but this season not a buck has been grassed with a head worth exhibiting. Stags are pronounced to be particularly scarce on this sule of the .mountain, and it is presumed all the good heads will have to come from the back forests in future. Several parties will be.in camp during the coming week, when no doubt kills will be more numerous. -"'Splicers " have increased wonderfully, since being protected, and hinds are getting more numerous. ■ • ■>

Rolled Oats.—All consumers say that Harbaw ay's are the best and cheapest. in' the market—slb bags, Is; 21b packets, 6d each. Of all grocers.... ■

Mr George A. Simmers, M.A.. headmasifer of the Ashburton Boys' High School, who has been appointed out of 17 applicants for the headmastership of the Timaru High. School, ranks A 7 in the New Zealand Education department, i He began his scholastic career in'lß72 as a'pupil teachei in the Otepo'po main district school, and .his university course at Dunedin in 1884-. He.passed his B.A. degree in 1886, and in 1887 passed his M.A. degree with first-class honours in physical science. Of ten1 classes attended he obtained first-class pass in eight, and gained the ■ first prize in six of them. He acted for threesessions as assistant to Professor Shand in the physics laboratory, and took science for his honours examination; and had since successfully taught the subjects for the B.A. Whilst acting as tutor in the Dunedin Training College his pupils won four firsts, four seconds, and three thirds,'in six examinations for the_ Education department's prizes for " D " science.