Odds and Ends.

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 3

Odds and Ends.

w— It is said that the Marquis of Lome is engaged upon a Hew metrical version of the Psalms of David, set to popular hymn tones in various metres. The Waikato Swamp Company are now commencing operations on an extensive ■cmte in reclaiming land. There are, it would seem, no fewer than thrae^ Scotch clergymen who write threevolume romances under assumed names. With the expiration of the last of the sewing-machine patents in America, prices drop at once 50 per cent. The cost of a machine that has sold 'for $70 is said to be only 1 about $15. Dr Cuyler, a well-known clergyman of New York, says that during the thirtyone years of his ministry he has preached 4800 sermon's. Mr "Wheatleigh leaves California to go to Australia, where he will produce several plays which are new to the Antipodeaus, and which are his exclusive property. , t Mr Spurgeon saya :—": — " I look upon the law permitting the sale of wine and spirits at the grocer's -as one of the most mischievous pieces of modern legislation. " tS subscription has been started in Gernukiy for the purpose of erecting a statue to Prince. Bismarck on the summit of the Hartz Mountain. Public Opinion of May 12th observes :« — " By this evening, Mr Byron's comedy of ' Our Boys' will have reached its 75Qth night at the "Vaudeville." On a recent Sunday at Hokitika, a clergyman, "in an able discourse," condemned' the prevailing indulgence in sweeps on racing events. The '"Foreign Classics for English Readers," edited by Mrs Oliphant, promise to. the public a series of very interesting biographical and critioal works. The Crown Hotel, Rattray street, Dunedip, has. been purchased by Mr P. Kelicher for over £6000. Ex-President Grant is cheered at the English theatres, banqueted by magnates,' loaded with hearty greetings and cordial handshakings, and all this with a sincerity and a good will which admits of no doubt whatever: '". ■ The heaviness of insurance rates in Wellington,, where premiums are considerably lower than rule here, is attracting* attention., , M, Hyacinthe Loyson is living very quietly in Paris ; Madame Loyson is teaching young girls; and their household 1 is very simply and economically arranged. The public of Kumara have already raised" £2sß for the widow of the man' Codney, who was killed by the recent accident in a mining claim. In point of numbers, the subjects of Queen Victoria and the children of "Uncle Sam" are becoming equalised. New York City, which has a population of 1,000,000, supports 5700 drinking saloons," or one to every 175 inhabitants. In the Sandwich Islands are 242 schools wi&r7755 scholars, who are educated in the native and English languages, Government'expending £8000 annually in support of them. ' Trie Deutsche Illustrirte Gewerbezeitung proposes the general use of what may be called //.postal card ink," for messages which are sent on such cards. The trial of the Rev. John Miller for heresy, before the New Brunswick Presbytery at Trenton, New Jersey, closed with his suspension from the -ministry of the Presbyterian Church until he should recant his errors. Two husband's a month, says a Wellington paper, are sent to gaol there for illtreating their wives. Something to be famous for. The insurance of war risks has been taken afall rates from 2s 6d to, twenty guineas per cent., the latter on steamers from America laden with war material for Turkey. Mr M. D. Conway says, in the Cincinnati Commercial, that some dismay was caused by Professor Jowett's having Mr and Mrs Lewes (George Eliot) as his guests . at Oxford. * British trade profited largely by the American troubles, as well as by the contest between France and Germany. But %*here is nothing to be gained from the Tight between Russia and Turkey. We notice that certain writers are now beginning to use the word Euraryan to designate the European branch of the Aryan family. "In the wildest days of the tie-back mania," writes Olive Logan from London, " there never was such a tightness as now prevails in what is called the eelskin dress." Good will yet come of this Chinese trouble, if it should be the means of establishing the principle that Australian interests must not be sacrificed to Imperial arrangements with foreign Powers. The Grand Trunk Company in America is having a number of grain cars built, which, are largely composed of steel. These caw, it is said, weigh six tons only, and carry 18 tons. California salmon trout ova have been successfully hatched out in the Sandwich Islands. The third volume of " Supernatural Religion " is announced for immediate publication, and will complete the work. The Acts of the Apostles is dealt with at much length. Mr Robert Stout, M.H.R., has been having a controversy with the Otago Daily Times, and as in the ca3e of the gentleman who hitched himself in with a team of mules, has got considerably the j Worst pf it.

The population of Honolulu consists of I over 14,000 souls. 10,000 of these are aboriginal Hawaiians, 1200 are half-castes, 700 Chinese, 550 Americans, and 400 British. The Nelson Board of Education has resolved to recommend the various School Committees to establish the system of Penny Savings Banks in the schools. Speaking at Pennington, Lancashire, I the other day, the Bishop of Manchester said that there are 120 sects of Christians in England at the present time. i One of the London dailies offered Captain Burnaby, the author of "A Ride to Khiva," his own price for a seiies of signed letters on the War in the East. Captain Burnaby was, however, unable to entertain the handsome offer. The last party of immigrants from New York to Sydney, under the auspices of the Government of New South Wales, has sailed, the £12,000 appropriated to establish the enterprise being entirely exhausted. Philanthropy has been the constant pretext with Russia for wars during which human nature was outraged by the cruelties which were perpetrated. If water, holding poison in suspension, is thrown into ordinary drains, it will become the agent for distributing disease. This is a very grave consideration. Disinfecting, properly so called, is not a precaution commonly carried out. The billiard match for $1000 and the championship, threß ball French carom, at New York, between Joseph Dion and William Sexton, was won by the latter. The score stood 600 to 442. i The last patent on American sewingmachines has expired, and it is expected that the price will be but half of that which has been their cost hitherto. The dealers of Philadelphia sold April and May corn to the extent of 1,500,000 bushels or more, afc about 55 cents, and they are now engaged in trying to buy the corn at 70 cents. It is said that the author of Ecce Homo is the author of the remarkable series of articles on "Natural Religion" which have been published in Macmillau's Magazine. "The Campbells are coming," is a popular air with the bands of Turkish regiments, Campbell Pasha being on the staff of ' the Commander-in-Chief. M'Cullum More for ever ! It is said that while~l6 ounces of morning's milk will yield but half an ounce of butter, about double the quantity can be obtained from the evening's milk. India has now began to cut out China as the supplier of tea. In 1875, the import of China tea to Great Britain ceased to augment, iwhile that of the Indian product represented the whole increase. Fears are expressed that the Presbyterian and other Protestant missionaries may be greatly disturbed by the military movements in Eastern Turkey. Mrs H. B. Stowe says that no one person is described in " Uncle Tom's Cabin " aa in biography. Traits and incidents of various people are combined. A Training School for Nurses is about to be opened in the New York Hospital. Applicants must be between the ages of 20 and 35, strong, healthy, have a fair English education, and bring certificates of good character. A Swiss society have sent a number of watches to be given to the Pope for presentation to the missionaries. Mra Frances Eleanor Trollope, the author of the delightful novels, "Black Spirits and White " and " A Charming Fellow," is the wife of Mr T. Adolphus Trollope. The "genteel" classes should be qualifying their children to follow the pursuits of productive industry instead of allowing them to be actuated by the smaller ambition # of living without manual labour. Besides the 40 delegates who will represent the Presbyterian General Assembly of the United States at the Pan-Presbyterian Council in Edinburgh, 30 corresponding members have been appointed. The Duchess of Edinburgh attended on April 29, in the Russian Church, London, a special service, during which prayers were offered for the success of the Russian j army. A harvest fpstival took place at Holy Trinity Church, Alumny, Australia, and a most impressive service was first held by the Rev. Leslie Smith, incumbent of the parish. Of the public school domain of Texas j there are said to be 20,000,000 acres now in or to go into the market for the next eight or ten years, at the minimum price I of §150 per acre, which will make a school fund of §30,000,000. The Chinese Government now favours home-made steamboats for inland navigation, and there will soon be a demand for schooners and sloops of European and American patterns. The Prince of Wales has been paying a well-timed visit to Paris, which cannot fail to strengthen the whole3ome accord which at present exists between the English and French Governments. Under the title of " Our Unseen Enemies " Dr Jamieson relates in a popular manner the results of the latest investigations with respect to the true cause of zymotic diseases. The Gallery of Geographical Chart 3in the V atican Palace has been selected for the exhibition of the Jubilee gifts presented to the Pope. They number considerably over 1000. Elizabeth C. Clapbam is the name of the young woman, a daughter of a Scottish advocate, who wrote Mr Sankey's famous hymn, " The Ninety and Nine." ,

Mr Moody's meetings in Boston closed May 6, having continued nearly 14 weeks. During the time he preached 100 times and Mr Sankey sung 300 times. Dr Jamieson points out the frightful reproductiveness of the disease germs which find their nidus in the human system under certain morbid conditions. A self-recording instrument for giving the velocity of railroad trains has been invented by Dato, of Cassel, which during a trial for & year has proved itself perfectly accurate and reliable. The Czar has available for service in European Turkey about 550,000 men, with 244 batteries of artillery, or 1884 guns. Mr Henry Harpur, of Kennington, who died recently, left the dividends of £100 in the Three per Cents, to a person "so long as his young black cat shall live." The restaurants of Honolulu are conducted by Celestials exclusively, and they furnish the cooks that are required for the service of private families. It is stated by a Roman journal that the Italian Ministry has resolved to suppress Republican and Internationalist associations in the country.