THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 15, 1861.] DUNEDIN, MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1868.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23883, 10 August 1939, Page 3

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 15, 1861.] DUNEDIN, MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1868.

SEVENTY-ONE YEARS AGO

The influence of railway progress upon the agricultural interests of the Colonies •is strikingly illustrated in late intelligence from New South Wales. Till very lately, that Colony has relied almost entirely upon foreign countries for its supplies of, breadstuffs. Now, however, a different state of things is likely to prevail. The "Sydney Empire" of the 17th ultimo says:—"lt is generally known that since the Western and Southern lines of railway have been extended to Mount Victoria and to Sutton Forest respectively, and a low scale of charges has taken the place of the former almost prohibitory rates, considerable quantities of wheat and flour have been sent to Sydney from the Western and Southern interior. Few, however, will be prepared to learn the extent to which Sydney has been indebted for the staff of life during the last few months to our own country settlers and millers. . . ." . :•: -. The floods on the West Coast have done great damage in many places. The "Grey River Argus" of the 25th ult, thus describes the damage done to the Greymouth tramway:—Throughout the whole of the past week the weather has been wretched in the extreme—nothing but a succession of gales,of wind and pelting rain from nearly every point of the compass. The natural consequence of this state of things is, that every stream is now swollen Into a river, and every river is in full flood, running bank and bank to the sea.' Last evening'we: were in. the unenviable position of being cut off from all communicationv with the outer world, either by steamer, coach, or telegraph. The wires were down; the coach, after proceeding as far as, the Teremakau,, had, for the last two days, to bring, back its passengers: the Hokitika conveyance not being, able to get through; and the flooded state of the river prevented the tugs .Venturing out to tender the Alhambra: ■and as a necessary consequence, all communication with the up-country districtsihas been cut off,: . By the-Wellington, which arrived on Friday evening, were received three brace of live • pheasants from the Auckland Province.- The birds are in fine condition arid are in the possession of Mr Pqdsori, at ; Port Chalmers.'; The gentleman who writes "Under the Verandah" in the Melbourne "Leader" asks:—"What think you of L 3900 for a ship .of say 2600 tons? Who wouldn't be a ship-ownei when, big ships are going arbegging in that fashion ? .Thirty shillings a ton for a Melbourne and Liverpool liner I Ships, like, racehorses, wear out and break down, and as they can't be put to the drawing of dung-carts or the feeding of hounds, they are sold (probably in damaged condition) to be huge teagoing coffins for the watery interment of a few hundred Irish or German emigrants. The good old ship. White Star, late of the white Star Line, has been sold out of the line for L 3900! She may be cheap, but, on. the other hand, she may not." < The following joke appeared in a recent English paper:—"The Moorhouse tunnel, opening up the fertile plains of the Canterbury settlement in Australia, is 2,838 yards long, and cost L 105,000. It affords, it is believed, the first instance where a complete section of an extinct volcano has been opened out:"