AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1148, 29 November 1873, Page 22

AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

The Adelaide Assembly has decided to uphold Bible reading in schools. The profit of the Melbourne Theatre Royal Proprietary Association for the half-year ending October, was £2241 Is lid.

The Age states that a young man named Horace Wright hired a horse from Mr Garton's livery stables. As he did not return with the horse information was given to the police, and Wright was arrested yesterday near Rosedale, in Gipps Land.

The gas companies in Melbourne appear to be in danger of a wide-spread competition. Mr Duffy, who purchased the patent of an apparatus by means of which gas can he manufactured on a small scale, so that every establishment may in future revel in home-mad 3 gas, has called for tenders for the manufacture of 400 "gas machines" of various sizes.

The Wagga Express relates a wonderful escape from snake bite which occurred to a child of Mr Basil Bennett, residing at Brucedale Park. Mr Bennett was about to start to Wagga, and when he went out to his horse the little girl of two years old followed. He returned to the house for a moment to put on his sptirs, and, upon again going out, found the child standing over a lead-coloured snake of about five feet in length. He immediately seized a paling, and killed the snake where it was lying.

The steamer Ballina, on a late trip to the Clarence River, experienced when between the Solitaires, a violent hailstorm, compelling all hands to seek shelter, and it was only by using the fire buckets as helmets that the ship's course could be attended to. A great number of the hailstones were one aDd a half inch in diameter, and they came down with great force, breaking the compass glasses. Ihe storm lasted twenty minutes, and after it cleared off great numbers of dead birds were passed which must have been killed by the hailstones. The Brisbane Courier states that a boy about nine years of age fell into the river from the A. S. N. Co. 'a wharf, on Monday morning, and an alarm was given at once by some of the bystanders, when no less than four men jumped into the water to the rescue — namely, Captain D. Smith, wharfinger, "William Hartley, steward, and Peter Reilly, fireman of the steamer Queensland, and John Cockerill. The boy sank before the men could reach him, and Reilly dived after* him — the first time without success ; but on going down again he observed the little fellow clinging with a death grasp to a log of wood at the bottom. He was quickly brought to the surface.

The Cargo correspondent of the Western Examiner relates the following maraculous escape from certain death: — "James Neil, who was working upon the flat, having got into the rope to ascend the shaft, which is 200 feet deep, without the rope being spragged, the consequence was the man who was lowering him was unable to stay the velocity with which he was descending. Fortunately, two men who were on the spot spot rushed to his assistance and were enabled to stop the rope within 15 feet of the bottom — thus saving him from certain death. The man who was lowering him, from the violence with which he was dragged along, and the concussions he received, remained insensible for half-an-hour, but, fortunately "beyond the shock and the fright he received no injury. ISfiel was very much cut about the hands and other parts, but, taking everything into consideration, he may consider that he has had a most miraculous escape."

The Dalby Herald reports that a warrant was applied for and granted at the instance of Frederick Baxter, stockman, against William Gordon, manager of Juaudah station, for shooting at him (Baxter) with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. It appears that Baxter and his mates were camped on the road side with several " coachei's," previous to starting mustering some of their cattle running on the Juandah run, when Mr Gordon, accompanied by a stockman and a blackfellow, galloped up and proceeded to arrest them, insisting on taking both them and the " coaciiers " to Juandah, threatening if any assistance was given, he would shoot down either Wild or Baxter. They told him that, if they were doing wrong, he had his legal remedy, and refused to allow him to take either them or the " coachers," whereupon he warned Wild that if he persisted he would shoot him, drawing his revolver at the same time. Baxter, disregarding his threat, attempted to turn the wing of the " coachers," Avhen Gordon, calling him by name, fired, lodging the bullet in £he horse's hip-bone.

The Dispatch states that a prisoner named Charley Innes alias Charley Ashworth, who was fcaken after a chase of over 1000 miles flu # charge of horsestealing, has managed to make good his escape from the Dubbo gaol. The following are the particulars that w-e have "been

enabled to glean. It appears the prisoner Charley was engaged in the kitchen, which is situated in the gaol yard, Con. stable Govers being placed on sentry at the door of the yard, while Constable Biron was acting as sentry over some prisoners who were cutting wood. By some means or other Charley displaced a slab in the rear of the kitchen, which he placed against the wall of the yard (being screened irem view by the kitchen) and by that means managed to get away unobserved. We may further add that the gaoler, Mr Byrne, and Sub -Inspector Grainger were away in Bathurst at the time. Constable Benton and tho black tracker immediately starred in pursuit.

Mr Joules Joubert, the Secretary of the Agricultural Society of New South Wales, writing to the Herald, says : — "By the mail steamer Baroda, a small parcel of ' Italian silk-worm grain' of the very best description has come to hand, addressed to Signor Antonio Spagni. This gentleman has placed them in my hands for distribution. The season being now commencing, aDd in order to save this valuable importation, the Standing Committee have divided the grain between several of our principal sericulturists, who have kindly undertaken to see that the eggs be hatched and the worms raised for ultimate distribution. As this industry is likely to take some extension, it becomes necessary to disseminate as much information as possible on the management of die ' worm.' Tho Council of the Agricultural Society have obtained from the Postmaster-General an order, which we have this week sent to all country post-offices, to place in a conspicuous part of their establishment an illustrated table, containing concise rules for the management of silk- worms."

An accident happened to Mr F. C. Goyder and Mr Thomas Coker — the wellknown bookmakers — says the Age, on their road to the Wyndham races, which might have been attended with most serious consequences. As it is, the former gentleman had one of his legs fractured a little above the ankle joint, while his companion received some contusions on the face and head. When about two or three miles from the Guiding Star Hotel, on the Geelong road, the swingle bar, on which the horses were polled, suddenly became unfastened and slid along the pole, causing the buggy to run on to the horses, which immediately quickened their pace. Mr Goyder did his best to humour them and check their career, which in all probability he would have succeeded in doing, but, as bad luck wouldhaveit, thetracesbecame unfastened and fell to the ground, and the speed of the buggy slackened. The horses then carried the bar back again to the end of the pole, dragging the reins out of Mr Goyder's hands, and teariDgaway at their utmost speed. All this time the buggy was oscillating fearfully, and Mr Goyder seeing a piece of ground ahead thickly studded with boulders, endeavoured to slide out, and in doing so received the fracture alluded to. Mr Coker appears to have been carried some distance, when the buggy suddenly came in contact with a boulder, throwing him forcibly out on his face. Here the horses became detached from the buggy, continuing their career up to the Guiding Star. When sufficiently recovered Mr Coker obtained assistance, and went back to Mr Goyder, who in the meantime had cut off his boot and sock, and partially succeeded in binding up his fractured leg. A drag was then procured, which, after about three hours' jolting, reached his residence, the Victoria Hotel. As to the horses, they were subsequently recovered, and the bug^y is but little the worse for wear. Mr Goyder is progressing favourably.