LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1956, 20 August 1891, Page 18

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Local writers of verse will be interested to learn that Mr O. E. Hugo is collating specimens of colonial poetry from the columns of the various weekly journals with the object of publishing a volume of poems by colonial authors. The work will probably be published in London, but no definite arrangements have been made so far.

The Auckland Herald says that it would be quite an easy matter for the directors of the Union Steamship Company to remove their headquarters to Sydney and so evade the taxation sought to be imposed upon them as a New Zealand company of capitalists. In many respects Sydney-would be more suitable than any New Zealand port, because, owing to the lighter tariff there, many articles necessary for the maintenance of the steamers would be obtainable more cheaply than in this colony. The company would simply have to take their head office to Sydney and to transfer the register of their vessels and the thing would be done. The property of the company would be beyond the reach of those who think it a patriotic duty to tax heavily all companies, and especially all companies who obtain their capital in any proportion from outside the colony. No doubt the company will be unwilling to remove, for they have all their headquarters arrangements perfected at Dunedin. Bat they simply cannot afford to pay exceptional taxation year after year, which could not be imposed upon their rivals in business. This incident must open the eyes of legislators to the fact that they cannot tax capital JHSt as they choose, which seems to be the idea at present. If the Union Company migrated everybody would know of it ; but the private enterprises which may quietly be driven •way by excessive taxation are legion.

Captain Farquhar, of the Northern Company's steamer Clansman, is an old whaler, and his opinion of the reports about the sea serpent' is that what was seen by Mr Eerr is the calf of the hump-backed whale. These juveniles in their play rise on their tails 10ft or 15ft out of the water and then fall back again. He has no doubt the monster observed and supposed to be a sea serpent was the calf of a hump-baoked whale. The peculiar antics of the calf of the hump whale would also give the idea of serpentine motion. Captain Farquhar states that this feature is so well known to whalers that in no instance has one of them ever seen a sea serpent. The old whalemen of Russell, Bay of Islands, are of opinion-that the sea serpent seen by Mr Kerr was a hump-back whale, as they have seen hump-back whales act as described by him on many ocoasions. Such whales have been passing north to south-west for the last three or four months.

On the 12th inst. the " Picturesque Atlas " people sued Mr Lamport, the keeper of an accommodation house at Drummond, for the value of a buggy spirited away from the premises one night while < Lindley Bowerman was staying there. The trap was a hired one, and Bowerman had to pay the owner for it. The argument for the defence was principally that Bowerman had not given the trap into the custody of defendant, bnt unyoked his horse, put it in the stable, and left the baggy on the road on a dark night, and that there was nothing but plaintiff's evidence to show it had ever' arrived on the premises. Judgment was given for the claim, £25 6s, and costs (£6 odd). Curiosity is expressed as to whether the buggy will now turn up in order to save Lamport's loss. The general opinion, however, is that it is in the river, as the district was closely searched for it.

The New Zealand Trade Review in its issue for last week's mail says :— The export of the colony for the quarter ended 30th Jane last reached a total of the estimated value of £2,315,124, as compared with £2,252,958 in the corresponding quarter of last year. In the latter quarter, however, the shipments of specie were of a value of only £150, as against £10,676 in the June quarter of 1890, so that apart from specie the. exports of the latest quarter exceeded those of the June quarter of 1890 by £72,692. A point, however, comes out on an examination of the details of the statement whioh somewhat changes this aspect. The declared value of gold shipped during the quarter was £412,146, as against £207,003 in the corresponding quarter of 1890. During the preceding six months, from Ist October 1890 to 31st 'March 1891, the shipments of gold oply amounted to £289,019. The explanation evidently is that large holders of gold delayed shipment until after the 31st March, from which date, according to the " Gold Duty Abolition Act 1890," the export duty on gold was abolished in the South Island. It would appear therefore that this quarter was by this arrangement increased to the extent of something like £80,000 at the expense of the two preceding quarters.

At a meeting of citizens, under the auspices of the Auckland Libecal Association, AntiPoverty Society, Trades and Labour Council, and Knights of Labour, Mr J. A. Tole presiding on the 13th, the following resolutions were carried:— (l) The meetiDg expressed its confidence in the present Government, and particularly Btrong approval of its taxation proposals in so far as they embody taxation of land values exclusive of improvements, and the ultimate abolition of the property tax in any form; also, with regard to perpetual leasehold, the meeting considers no right to the purchase of the fee simple should be allowed in the tenure. (2) That the true interests of capital are protected and safe-guarded by equitable laws regarding labour, and the proposed legislation of the present Government is founded ou a just conception of the respective right and duties of capital and labour. (3) The meetiDg expresses thanks to Sir G. Grey and the Liberal members for their consistent support of the Ministry in the carrying out of the principle of equal justice for all the inhabitants of New Z saland. An independent motion by Councillor Crowther, condemning the proposed increase in the honorarium and the payment of liabilities at Bellamy's was put. The voting was recorded as equal, but the chairman declared the motion lost.

An Invercargill telegram states that Mr John Ross, father of Mr John Ross, of the firm of Sargood, Son, and Ewen, died at Greenhills, on Wednesday, aged 102 years. He enjoyed good health until recently, but his eyesight had gradually gone until he became blind.

Bather a good story is told of the manner in which a farmer in Natal caused a thief to confess to stealing his tobacco leaf. Suspecting a certain native he requested the headman of the kraal to muster his men. This was done, and on being placed in line the suspected man was placed due north. He then handed the headman a small pocket compass and explain that the needle (or fiuger as the native called it) would always point towards the thief. He placed the compass upon the palm of the headman's hand and told him him to turn it which way he thought fib. After repeated twistings and turnings the headman went up to the suspected man and told him that he must be the thief, as no matter which way the box was turned the finger always pointed

at him, and bo he had better own up. This the native did, and pointed out where he had hid the tobacco leaves. The 'cute farmer's sable neighbours now give him a wide berth.

The rumour which has recently found circulation to the effect that the Premier will himself succeed Sir F. D. Bell as Agent-general has colour given to it by the fact that, as we learn on reliable authority, the health of Mrßallance, although little is said of it and it is not desirable to say much, is in a very precarious state. He may hopelessly break down at any moment — excitement of every kind is forbidden him ; and although he is not ambitious for the Agentgeneralship, his succession to the office might be the best means of his retiring from duties which his medical advisers assure him can only be disharged, in the present state of his health, at the risk of a complete collapse.

The interim dividend declared by the directors of the Westport Coal Company is at the rate of 2£ per cent, for the half-year, and not for the year, as stated yesterday.

Mr J. A. Burnside, architect, has accepted Messrs William Henderson and Co.'s tender for the ereotion of the Burns' memorial to be erected in the Octagon by Mr Robert Chapman. The stone to be used is Port Chalmers, Waikawa, and Mount Somers. The work is to be started immediately, and is expected to be completed about Christmas.

The fossils exhibited at the meeting of the Obago Institute on the 10th were found on the estate of Messrs J. and J. Sutherland, adjacent to the Milburn Company's works, and were by them presented to the museum.

The following Crown lands have been disposed of during the week : — Section 57, block I, Warepa, 16a lr 29p, 30a, W. J. Tounley, village homestead ; section 61, blook I, Warepa, 48a 2r 28p, 20s, H. Sayers, village homestead ; section 14, blook XI, Woodlands, 77a, 17s 6d, to Marion; Y. Calder and James D. Calder, perpetual lease section 5, blook X, Woodlands, 20 acres, 20a' James M'Affey, village homestead.

The Balclntha Free Press records the death of two old residents during the week. Mrs Margaret Moir, widow of the late James Moir, died at Hillend on Monday in her 68th year. Mr Alexander Bruce died at Te Houka on Wednesday, at the early age of 40.

A gallant officer has been taken from us (says a continental contributor to Hearth and Home) by the death, of General Sumpt, the Governor of the Invalides. During the war of 1870 he was terribly mutilated, losing both his arms, and being otherwise very much disfigured. A romantic anecdote has transpired with regard to the deceased general. In July 1870, he became engaged to be married to Mdlle. Velletan. He was then a strikingly handsome man, tall and elegant, with a smiling and amiable face. Before the marriage could take place war broke out, and Sumpt was ordered to the front. When be returned, many long months afterwards, her was but a battered torso of his former self. His face scarred and disfigured, his two arms gone, he presented a pitiable appearance. He at oace proposed to his fiancee to give her back her liberty. Of course, you know the rest. It was the old, old story. No true-hearted woman ever had but; one reply for proposals of this description. Mdlle. Velletan said her love for her betrothed was unchanged, and, if possible, she loved him the more for the bravery which had entailed so much sacrifice. The marriage took place, and proved exceedingly happy. Mdme. Sumpt, who survives her husband, is a granddaughter of Dr Velletan, the [physician of the Great Napoleon.

The last of the grand old race of duellists (writes the London correspondent of the Argus) is dead in the person of Colonel The O'GormanMahoa, M.P. for Carlow. It is odd to read of him in Peel's recently-published correspondence as a dangerous agitator in the year 1826— one of the few leading men whom Peel, then Irish Secretary, thought it might be expedient toselect for prosecution. Mention of The O'GormanMahon runs through the histories and memories of the last 60 years. Much of his time was spent fighting under foreign flags, and great spaces in his life are at present the subject of mere myth. He was 6ft 2in, strikingly handsome, and to the last as straight as an arrow. He had the most beautiful and inimitable manner for friend or foe. A man, who had lost or never known the secret and theory of duelling, once foolishly asked the great duellest how often he had been challenged. "Niyir, sor," he replied in a tone of gentle reproof : " I nivir gave ony gintlemen ocoasion to challenge me"— for in the old days the challenged man was the illbred man. The true gentleman, although jealously defending his own rights, never in word or look or deed infringed on the rights of others. Half a year ago he was minded to send his last challenge, but was dissuaded by his friends. The object of it was to have been Mr Parnell. The old duellist had himself telt the influence of beauty in this and warmer climes, but the O'Shea intrigue was according to all his canons a gross infringement of what was due to his followers by the Irish leader, and if none other would resent it according to the code among gentlemen, the old man with his 90 years upon him was not minded to let the insult pass.

We are informed that another batch of bushmen, 14 in number, were despatched last week from Christchurch to Wellington by the Sslvation Army Labour Bureau, work having been found for them in the Wanganui district. These men were under the charge of Staff-captain Robinson, who will see them safely to their destination. It is proposed to shift the Central Bureau to Wellington, as being a better basis of operations.

An Adelaide cablegram states that rain has fallen in the southern provinces of South Australia, and the drought has broken up.

Recently Bycroft and Co. (N. Z. Dairy Association, Auckland,) sued the Railway Commissioners, claiming £14 for six boxes of butter which were alleged to have been lost while in transit in charge of the defendant. The magistrate gave judgment for plaintiffs, with costs £5 16s 6d. Plaintiffs contended that they handed over at Pukekohe railway station 320 boxes of butter. It came out in evidence that the railway official who took delivery at Pukekohe did not count the boxes, being pressed for time, and having found from previous experience that the deliveries of the firm were correct, but signed for the consignment. At Auckland, it appears, the number was held to be short loaded, and the contention of the Railwaydepartment was that there were six boxes short of the number said to-be loaded up at Pukekohe. The butter was put on board a 'steamer going to Wellington, which also took it as short shipped for transfer to the direct steamer Tongariro. The Railway Commissioners decided to resist the claim, contending that the butter was short delivered. Bycroft and Co. have received account sales from London from their agents of 320 boxes of butter— that is to cay, the sales included the missing six boxes cf butter, showing that the butter reported short at the Auckland railway station aud at the steamer was in reality there all the time. As Bycroft and Co.

have duly received the money from London for the missing butter they have returned the money to the Railway Commissioners the fruit of their verdict, less the legal expenses they have been put to. How the mistake in the enumeration of thb boxes by the Railway department arose is not clear, but there is not the slightest doubt that all the parties in the case acted in perfect good faith and sincerity.

Alexander Dundas, surveyor, of Palmers ton North, who went to Wellington to give evidence at the Supreme Court last month, has not been seen since the 30th ulfc., and his friends are now anxious about him. No trace of him has been found, though the matter has been under investigation for some time.

A curious Custom House dispute is reported Duisburg, in Germany. A high legal official there (says the Daily News) is an ardent collector of butterflies, and sent lately to Holland for specimens. The butterflies arrived safely at Duisberg, but were detained at the Custom House. An inquiry elicited the fact that the Customs officials had come to the conclusion that as butterflies had wings they musb be classed as poultry ! and so be subject to the same duty. It was only after much time and patience had been expended on the part of the entomologist that the authorities finally concluded that butterflies came within the domain of science and art, and were not subject to duty.

Among the last novelties recorded as having been received at the Regent's Park Zoological Gardens are some live examples of the large crested penguin (Endyptes pachyrhynchus) from Foveaux Straits. The society will receive a further consignment of New Zealand birds by the R.M.S. Aorangi, which left Lyttelton on the 7th inßt. Lord Onslow forwarded to the Gar dens a cage of young shags of a very rare species (Phalacrocorax carunculatus) obtained for his Excellency by Captain Fairchild, of the Hinemoa, in Queen Charlotte Sound, where these birds have a breeding place. By the same ship Sir Walter Buller sent a pair of live kiwis, a pair of the rare parrakeet (Platycercas unicolor) from the Antipodes Island (also brought by Captain Fairchild), and three bright-plumaged parrots from Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

Dr Naville, the discoverer of Bubastis and of the Treasure City of Pithom, has just given to the world the results of his work in identifying other cities and districts in Egypt, more especially some connected with the exodus of the Israelites ; and at the end of the month of June he presented these results before one of the largest meetings ever held by the Victoria (Philosophical) Institute. Dr Naville said he had found that Succoth was not a city as some bad supposed, but a district; from a remarkably valuable inscription discovered at Pithom, there was no longer any doubt that it was that Greek Heroopolis, from which, as Strabo, Pliny, Agathemeros, and Artemidorus described, merchant ships sailed to the Arabian Gulf. This fact coincided with the results of modern scientific surveys, which showed that there had been a gradual rising of the land, and that the Red Sea once extended up to the walls of. Pithom ; this must have been the case about 3000 years ago, and Sir William Dawson and the French engineer Linant held that it went even further north. The nexb place noted by Dr Naville was Baal Zephon, and in identifying this he had been aided through some recently discovered papyri which proved that it was not a village or city, but an ancient shrine of Baal and a noted place of pilgrimage. Other places were Migdol and Pi Hahirotb, and here again a papyrus had helped him, it seemed probable that the Serapeum was the Egyptian Maktal or Migdol, and it was greatly to be regretted that a bilingual tablet discovered there a few years ago had been destroyed before being deciphered. The bearing of his identifications was of no small interest to the students of history, both sacred and other.

News has just been received that Mr W. Mill, 8.A., a graduate of the New Zealand University, has successfully passed the final M.B. examination in Edinburgh. Mr Mill spent two years of his medical curriculum at our Ofcago Medical School, and has passed each successive professional examination in Edinburgh as he presented himself.

A concert and ball was held last Friday evening at the Shag Point Hall in aid of the funds of the Dunedin Hospital, and proved a great success. The hall was fairly well filled. During the evening the chairman (Mr W. Williams) made some appropriate remarks referring to the institution, pointing out what a boon it was to the inhabitants. Mr J. Allen (of Dunedin), in a few remarks, expressed his entire sympathy with the object of the entertainment, and moved a vote of thanks to the performers, which was seconded by Mr M'Caffrey. Mr g A. Weston returned thanks on behalf of the performers. The entertainment will result in about £8 being handed over to the funds. The Allandale Coal Company and Messrs Hazlett and Glendining donate a truck of coal each to the fund.

The Daily Telegraph points out an awful blunder that has been made ia connection with the old gunboat Swinger, on the Australian station. It appears that orders were first sent out for the Swinger to be cold ; but the reserve price fixed by the Admiralty, £5000, was not nearly reached — only £3000, indeed, being offered. She was therefore directed to come home, and as she can steam but four knots and a-half under favourable circumstances, she will consume some thousands of pounds' worth of coals on the long journey. Then it is very doubtful, even should she have the good luck to get safely back to England, whether the battered old ship will realise the sum offered for her at Sydney. She left that place on the 10:h of May, and is not due at'Devonport until the 18th of November !

The reason of Colonel Olcott's visit to Australia is (writes the Daily Times Home correspon(7eat\) a rather curious one. A member of the Theosophical Society in Toowoomba (Queensland) left a legacy to him as president of the society. On coming over from India to inquire into the circumstances, the president found that to accept the whole of the legacy would be to act unjustly towards the relatives of the deceased. One of tire tenets of the Theosophists is " to do unto others as you would be done by," and, in accordance with this precept, Colonel Olcott handed back £4000 of the legacy to the family of the tesbator, and retained £1000 for increasing the library of the society.

The inspector of police on Tuesday morning received the following telegram from Invercargill from Messrs Bowerman Bros., the " Picturesque Atlas " agents :: — l! The Fairfax railway station was broken open last night, and £120 worth of books stolen therefrom, thrown into the river, and completely destroyed. Please take steps to find burglars and thieves immediately."

The committee appointed to consider what should be done ia the matter of improving the New River harbour meb on Monday. A proposal to amalgamate the Bluff and New River under one board, also to create a board for the New River alone, was considered impracticable. The committee resolved to recommend the luvercargill Borough Council, who at present manage the

port, to lease the harbour to a syndicate for a term of years under improvement conditions. A syndicate has, through a firm of solicitors, approached the Borough Council on the subject, but their identity has not been disclosed. The subject is of great importance to luvercargill, as the harbour at present does not pay expenses, while several thousauds of pounds of ratepayer!*' money has been spent on ib which should have gone towards town improvements.

The conference between representatives of the Pastoralists and Shearers' Unions is (writes our Melbourne correspondent on the 6th) almost an accomplished fact, and it has been arranged so far by direct correspondence between Mr Whiteley King, secretary of the New South Wales Pastoralists'. Union, and Mr D. Temple, secretary of the Australian Shearers' Union. The Shearers' Union has got over the difficulty of acknewledging freedom of contract by an ingenious change of phraseology, and they now concede to the pastoralists " that nonunionists may work with unionists." To Mr Twomey, secretary of the Shearers' Union at Young, belongs the credit of having originated this phrase, and the conference would have been granted to this branch of the union a fortnight ago if he could have shown the necessary authority to represent his union at such a conference. When Mr Temple took up Mr Twomey's suggestion he asked that nine representatives should be appointed from eaoh side, but the pastoralists prefer that the number should not exceed five, and this has readily been agreed to.

Mr Justice Williams was occupied for some hours on Tuesday in chambers in adjudicating upon claims preferred against the Victoria, the Break o' Day, and the Nenthorn Consolidated Quartz Mining Companies (in liquidation). Mr Hosking appeared on behalf of the official liquidator ; and on behalf of the creditors various counsel were engaged— Messrs Fraser, Sim, Wilkinson, Chapman, Mouat, and Solomon appearing. Some of the proofs of claim were lodged against the separate companies and others against the three companies colleotively as the Nenthorn Battery Board.

A meeting of members of the Prohibition League was held in the large dining hall of the Coffee Palace on Monday evening, when proposals were submitted by the executive for publishing a prohibitionist newspaper for the city and suburbs. Great enthusiasm prevailed, and it was finally resolved to empower the executive to establish a free distribution of at least 5000 throughout the neighbourhood. Financial arrangements to cover this are in process of completion, and if the executive can see any margin they are authorised to increase this number up to 10,000. The secretary (Mr Hatton) drew attention to the position of the Electoral Bill and the amendment thereto by Sir John Hall with reference to the female franchise, concluding by moving that the following resolution be at once forwarded by the chairman to thfe Premier : — " The Dunedin Prohibition League urges that women's franchise be included in Electoral Bill, and passed as early as possible this Bession. Strong feeling in this direction." This was sent on by urgent wire, and the following reply has been received from the Premier by the chairman (Mr Graham) :— " Many thanks for your telegram. Every probability of passing the Women's Franchise Bill this session."

The following is the treatment of cheese prior to shipment recommended by a scientific expert. We are indebted to the local manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company for the information, it having been received from the company's London office: — "There is no way of avoiding damage to cheese on a long voyage, as, for instance, from New Zealand or Australia to England, unless some sort of quarantine is established at the port of shipment. Consignments of such produce ought to be placed in a cool store, the temperature of which should be maintained at 45deg. Fahr. for at least a fortnight before shipment, and should be under such conditions that the cheese can be inspected daily. Then it might be hoped that such cheese as possessed inherent vice might develop unmistakable signs of deterioration previous to close packing on board ship. Cheese possesses in an eminent degree the constituents necessary to set up all kinds of fermentation."

With reference to the cablegram we publish this week about Mr Maxim's flying machine, the London Globe has the following :—" Mr Maxim's experimental flying machine is really a steam kite, 13ft long by 4ft wide, and propelled through the air by a light screw making 2500 revolutions a minute. When properly inclined and the screw going at a certain speed the kite moves horizontally through the atmosphere. With a higher speed it ascends, and with a lower it descends. The inventor is now engaged in building a much larger kite for practical purposes. It will be 110 ft by 40ft wide, and be driven by a screw 18ft in diameter. The power is to be supplied by a petroleum condensing engine weighing 18001b, aud capable of raising 40,0001b of load along with the kite. The estimated weight of the flying machine complete with two engineers on board is 11,8001b; Mr Maxim therefore calculates on being able to carry 10 or 12 tons of freight or passengers through the air.

One of the latest forms for claimants to Native land who have not received portions and are not able to prove that their forefathers were present when the lands were sold is to assert that their progenitors were out whale fishing, and when they came home found the land had been divided without including them in the reckoning. Many of the Natives now ask since the land tax has loomed up and they may some day be taxed that their interest in lands be paid for|in cash. One Maori has calculated that it costs from £50 a year to live, and if all his children had lived till now the same amount would have been needed to maintain thexn. He considered he ought to be paid a proportionate sum that would have been needed to maintain each of them.

The Kelso Presbyterian Church, with seating accommodation for 270 and a vestry sufficiently commodious for a Bible class of 40, was opened for public worship (writes a correspondent) on Sunday last by the Rev. Dr Stuart. He preached cathechetically at 11 o'clock to the children and their friends, and at 3 o'clock to some 400 persons. To the afternoon service the parishioners and thefc friends came from east and west, north and south, some in buggies, some in carts, many on horseback, and many on foot. It was like the tribes coming up to Jerusalem. The doctor was assisted by the Rev. Mr Scorgie, minister of Tapanui, who had only returned from the Home country on the preceding day. The church and surroundings are creditable to the minister, the Rev. Mr Comrie, and his people. We took a look into the common stable and on the horses that were hitched to the paling, and did not see a Rosinante among them. Man and horse, mother and maiden are evidently at home at meal time. Verily there is corn in Eelso and other good thing 6. The collection amounted to £31.

Among the latest novelties in legacies ia the bequest of a French widow lady, who died recently at Pau at the ago of 92. Having been deeply interested in astronomical investigations for many years previous to her demise, the testatrix left in trust to the French

Academy of Soiences a sum of £4000, or 100,000f, to be given to the person, French or foreign, who shall be able within the space of the next 10 years to communicate with one of the stars or planets. Mars is mentioned specially in the will, and it ia stipulated that a reply or message must be received from one of the teaveuly bodies before the award of the prize. By another clause of hoc testament the deceased leaves in trust to the Parri Academy of Medicine a sum of £2000 for an award to the physician who can cure a certain heart disease by the moat simple remedy.

From a recent issue of the Oban Times we learn that Mr Waverley Cameron, editor of that journal, was drowned on the evening of the 4th June. Mr Cameron had gone for a sail to Lismore in a small yacht with Mr Donald Campbell, of Balliveolan; Mr John D. Sutherland, land agent; and Mr Allan F. Macdonald, solicitor. Mr Sutherland had some business to transact at Lismore. Oa making the island, two hours after leaving Oban, that gentleman went ashore at Achnacroish pier. The others tacked about, awaiting his return. The wind was blowing from the north-east in strona gusts, and when at a short distance to the north of the pier and about 200 yards from the shore, the boat was struck by a heavy squall and shipped a large quantity of water. Refusing to answer the helm another heavy wave struck her aft and com« pletely filled her. Seeing that the yacht was sinking the three occupants sprang into the water. The accident was observed by a number of people on shore, who at once set about putting out to the rescue. Two boats were launched, but it took them about 15 minutes to reach the spot. By this time Mr Cameron had disappeared. One of the boatmen jast managed to seize Mr Campbell as he was sinking oub of reach, and Mr Macdonald was picked up almost unconscious. The boat into which they were taken pulled quickly ashore, while the other remained to watch for Mr Cameron. But he was never seen to rise again. Mr Macdonald and Mr Campbell were carried to the nearest house, where Mr Macdonald recovered, but all efforfs to restore Mr Campbell were unavailing. Mr Campbell was the representative of an old Highland family. Mr Waverley Cameron, whose body had not been recovered when the last files of the Oban Times left, was second son of Mr Duncan Cameron, of the well-known firm of Macniven and Cameron, wholesale stationers and pen makers, Edinburgh. He was only 23 years of age, and had been editor and manager of the Oban Times for two years, a position which he filled with an ability and sagacity rare in much older men. The sad event caused a profound sensation in the West Highland capital and the neighbouring districts.

Many of the sheep runs on the hills of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, have been invaded by hordes of mice. The hills have been in many places riddled by them, and large stretches are literally swarming with them. They are much larger than ordinary field mice, approaching almost to the size of fairly-grown rats. To the grass the mice have done almost incalculable injury. They tear the plants up from [the roots, thus rendering further growth impossible. Their existence is attributed to the destruction of the wild birds which prey on such vermin, these birds being mercilessly shot and trapped by the keepers on the ground that they destroy the egga and young of grouse and other game birds.