OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11957, 2 February 1901, Page 12

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Holiday on the occasion of_ the QueenY funeral. ' '

Medical science has reduced the death rata of London in 300 years from 80 per thousand to about 20.

There are 351,000 ostrichos in Cape Colony. ostrich farms, and the birds plucked yield-' 31b of feathers apiece. For buftaio ieather suites and carved sideboards, C. H. Hayward's, 103 George street,-, cannot be beaten....

Lord Roberts has promised to take tha chair at the annual dinner in May next of the Newspaper Press Fund.

The Falkland Islands have 7500 square milea anil only 1992 people. There are 800,000 sheep on the islands.

There are 43 companies of Royal Engineers. A company on war footing numbers 191 men, 60 horses, 16 officers.

The average farm labourer's family in England live on £37 a year, the average mechanic's family spends £60. Paris Exhibition, ±900. — Grand Prize awarded to the Osborne-Columbia reaper and binder.—Cable....

Some of tho machines for making matches which are, u?jd in these days hiake 200 revolutions a minute each, and turn out about 2,'500,000 matches daily. A severe tribal fight took place among the natives of Lagrange Bay (West Australia) on January 17. Twenty blacks were injured, one seriously and mafiy severely. Detective M'lllveney on Tuesday arrested a young man named John R. Corkhill at flipton (says the Mataura Ensign) on six charges of forgery, some dating back as far as July last. It is alleged that tho accused victimised three Gore traders during show week by meaiis of forged cheques. ... New goods just opened at T. Ross's:— Pretty ruffles' in Lisse and washing net, from' 4s lid: new lace ties, 9d, lid,* Is sd, and Is llcl; real point lace ties, 4s 9d to 10s 9d; new sailor hats, from Is 6d; ladies' stylish blouses in muslin, cambric, and silk, from Is lid to 21s; new silk ties, every conceivable shade, Is 3d, Is 6'l, Is 9d, 2s 6d, and 3s 6d. Lovely sunshades in black, black and .white, and shot silk; also, 1500 new umbrellas, ex Waimate, price Is lid to 21s.—At T. Ross's, direct. importer, 130 Princes street.... ;

I | The Winton Record says that three trucks containing 150 Romney rams from Castleroclc passed through Win ton 011 Tuesday en route for the Bluff for shipment to the North Island. The Great Barrjer Reef along the coast of. Australia is about 1500 miles lone, the work of 'coral insects. Sometimes it rises. almost perpendicularly from a depth of 1200 fathoms.' • Trumpeter Johnstone, of Oamarii, a member of the first contingent, brought some inter- •• esting souvenirs home with him. The collection includes the box of cholocate sent by the ' late Queen- Victoria- to all on active service in South Africa, a native necklace, phells of various projectiles, Mauser clips with cartridges, cartridges or various kinds, etc. If you happen to notice something very good in the way of nickel-plating you oan depend upon its being the work of Speedwell Cycle Factory, George street. Now is the time to get your own bike attended to. ...

A curious industry in China is :_tlis manufacture of mock money for offering to thn (load. The pieces aro only half the size- of. the real coins, but the dead are not supposed to know the difference. The dummy coins aro made out of tin, hammered to the thinness of paper, and stamped out to the sizo j required. The Adam's Flat correspondent of the. Bruce Herald states that Mr James O'Connor,.; an old and respected resident, died on Mondaylast, Mr O'Connor was among the first to_ settle at Adam's Flat at the opening of tba ; diggings 30 years ago, and resided there till ■ the time of his death. ... i M'Cormick machines lead in design, woric*; manship, and high quality of material.... ■ • A 10 a.m. delivery within the Town Belt is now being made in connection with tho N.Z. Express Company's " Feighter' parcels ' service.... The Southland Times states that Mrs J.. C. Hunter, who has resided at the Bluff for oyer 30 years, died at that Dort on .Wednesday, night. The deceased ladjr was born in Bel*' fast in 1831, and was married in 1851. cormng : :to Victoria six years later. In 1860 Mr Hun- : ter came to New Zealand, his wife follow in£. him six months later. Mrs Hunter always _ took a very active interest in church matters, • and was connected with the Primitive Method*. iet Church at the Bluff since its erection.. An impudent burglary occurred in Gore on, Sunday night, by which Mr A. Pringle was robbed of some £25. Mr Pringle left his' house about 7 o'clock, and on. returning at. 9 discovered that th© box in his room which contained money had been forced open and about £25 in notes, gold, and silver abstracted, while a number of cheques and other, papers were strewn about the floor. There were two other locked boxes in the room,; but these had not. been disturbed, the thief evidently being aware of the location of Mr Pringle's motley. _ . . M'Cormick machines make agriculture pro*. Stable. They harvest the crops of the world with the least expenditure of -time and money.... A remarkable discovery was! made a few days ago by Dr Fischer, of Adelaide, while, operat-. ing on the nose of a little boy, aged eight, years, whose breathing was affected; The doctor discovered what appeared to be, a large growth in the nostrils, which necessitated surgical attention. An operation was performedand a screw an inch in length was found embedded in the cavity. The metal, which was coated with flesh, had become rusty, but thehead of it was perfect. The boy is now re-: covering from the effects of the operation, and' there is no obstruction to bis breathing. The boy's father thinks the screw had been im-' bedded for five years. At the Christchureh Cycling Club's Jubilee meeting the riders of the Sterling l bicycle .secured 13 firsts, 13 seconds, and two thirds.. The big event of the meeting—the New Zealand Wheel Race—was won by Connell; (Temuka) on a Sterling

Mr Bateman, who lids been stationmaster. at Waipahi for the past nine years, was entertained at a social prioi to his departure (saysthe Gore Standard). There was a large gathering of residents of the township and, surrounding districts. Several gentlemen spoke in complimentary terms-of Mr Bateman's kindness and courtesy to all with whom he had business dealings, and while regretting his departure congratulated him on his promotion. Mr Thomson presented the guest of tho evening with a travelling bag, •rug', and silver-mounted pipe on behalf of the residents of the district, as a token of the respect in which he was held.

Ttie prosperous farmer always has a M'Oormick machine....

With reference to the chrome mine at the | Croixellcs (Nelson), two of tho owners, Messrs Tatton and Jackson, have just returned to Nelson from a visit to Onatea. Bay. (says the Evening Mail), and they report satisfactoryprogress. It has been found that the chrome has made lower down tho hill, thus showing that the run of the lode has been proved! i much more extensive than it was originally | thought to be. At the completion of the tram. lino to the point of carrying tho buckets there I will he 300 torn of pre for shipment by the | first vessel. In regard to the shipment of ore I by the Margaret Galbraith, the stuff arrived i in London at the end of November. A cablegram from Morrison and Co. says that last mail advices stated that the quality of the ore was good, but that owing to the strike of lightermen it had not been possilvv to discharge the cargo. Altogether, the outlook for the Coixelles chrome mine is very bright. \ '

M'Cormick machines are the best in the world. They work the best, Tequire th» least power, and are the most economical' to the user....

A report on the Mokau coal measures has been furnished by Dr Robertson, the salient features of whiclr are published in the Taranaki Herald. Dr Robertson states that the estate," purchased and under offer comprise 12.047' acres, with a frontage of about W miles to the Mokau River, held under lease for 60 years from 1892. On the 4240-acre block several coal seams have been exposed. One seam 7ffc to Bft in thickness has been opened by adits at a height above the river sufficient to permit of the co:ji in the mine trucks being emptied directly into steamer. Onlj - a few acres of this coal seam have been worked. It should underlie the whole 4240 acres and a large portion of the 8)67 acres adjoining. The upper seam, at present being worked, is of excellent quality, and finds a ready sale in the markets of the West Coast, where it commands a high priwj.. The river is navigable by steamers of 200 tons as far as the mines, and vessels of a larger capacity could be few miles away by barges. In concluding his report, Dr Robert-; son says the quantity of coal is inexhaustible,, and the conditions are probably more favourable for easv and profitable working than in any colliery' he has seen in any of the Australiiiii colonies. Morrow. Bassett, and Co. aresole agents in New Zealand for the M'Cormick Harvesting ifachine Company, and the Sterling Bicvcle.... ' In the Invercargill list of those who have qualified for matriculation the name of Ruth Ballard should have been' Ruth Vallance.