OMNIUM GATHERUM

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 21

OMNIUM GATHERUM

NEWS. GOSSIP. AND ADS

Part of Blenheim was flooded on Saturday. Two men were fined 10s each and 7s costs at Roxburgh for shooting a swan. Featherston is alleged to have recently produced a mushroom 37in in circumference. During January 257 criminal and 400 civil cases were determined in the inferior courts. The reported retirement of Inspector Pender, of the Wellington force, is authoritatively denied. Mrs Ballance has given her late husband's library to the Wanganui branch of the Women's Political League. Mr Milner Stephen, the faith healer, died alter undergoing a surgical operation for an internal complaint. The Westport Coal Company shipped 2540 tons from Westport last week, and the Mokihmui Company 932 tons. F w m .?^ cember *• 1893 » to January 26, 1894, oW n lfcahu , n * Farmers' Club paid for 705d0z, or 8460, small birds' eggs. During Monday night's storm Mr George Aitken, of Wendon Valley, lost two valuable horses, which were struck by lightning. King Tawhaio has been visiting Auckland, and had a long interview with Sir George Grey one day last week. Tawhaio is now about 68 or 69 years of age. A hut on the Hakateramea station was destroyed by fire last week, making the second It a^ f 2. rtm g hfc - They were insured in the North British Office for £30. Mr J. R. Sinclair, who has been appointed by the Government to a seat on the High Schools Board of Governors, takes the place of the Hon. W. H. Reynolds, M.L.C., on that body. H.M.S. Lizard reports that &he saw a small schooner in the gale, some distance off Westport, labouring heavily with the sea breaking clean over her. She did not know what became of her. Messrs Fyfe and Graham succeeded in scaling the well-known Footstool Peak (9073 ft) on January 31, after a very trying climb of 18 hours. The west coast was visible down the Copeland river. The hospital returns for the past week are : Remaining from previous week, 91; admitted during the week, 14 ; discharged, 13. ; death (William M'lldowio), I;— total remainiu the institution, 91. The Auckland Women's Political League have sent a letter to the " Nineteenth Century " censuring Dr Bakewell's statements ia that magazine, and affirming that the whole of them are wide of the truth. The Lake County Press reports the death of Mr John Henderson, at the age of 77, years. H© came to New South Wales 50 years ago in the second free ship that arrived in that colony. Ho carried on a farm at Pine Hill, near Dunedin, for some years. The House Committee of the Dunedin Hospital acknowledge with thanks the receipt of £38 14s 6d as a donation to the hospital from the Chinese residents of Dunedin and suburbs, received through Messrs Sew Hoy, Kum Goon Lee, On Wah, and Mcc Wah. The consumption of water in Wellington is 5,000,000 gallons in 24 hours, or an average of over 150 gal per head of the population. Unless this undue consumption be checked, it will soon be necessary to incur a very large expenditure to increase the water supply. The Terranora picked up the North Island end of the broken cable on Tuesday, and having buoyed it, returned to anchor for the night in Worser Bay. She started the work of splicing on Wednesday, and the Telegraph department expect communication will be fully restored on Thursday at the latest. Besides the township of M'Kenzie on the Cheviot estate, there is a Mount MacCoinnich (the Minister's name in Gaelic), a Mount Seddon, Mount Ward, Mount Crombie, and Cadman stream. [Phcobe township is named after Miss Seddon, but why the rejected of Christchurch should have his name perpetuated in Mount Sandford is not so clear. The annual report of the collector of customs at Auckland on the revenue and trade of the port for the year ended 31st December 1893 shows that the customs revenue was £870,117, an increase of £9465 ; the imports, £1,487,774, a decrease of £1549 12s ; the value of exports, £1,256,470, an increase of £39,329. The immigration gain for 1893 was 3919 souls. An original sentence was given lately by a magistrate in Missouri. A man who did not know how to read and write, convicted of a slight offence, was sentenced to imprisonment until he had learned to read ; another offender, who had a good education, was sentenced to keep him company until he had taught him to read. After three weeks they were discharged, as they had fulfilled their task to the full satisfaction of the magistrate. The Tablet states that the following appointments were made at the Diocesan Synod : — Diocesan consultors, for three years — Very Rev. J. Mackay (Oamaru), Very Rev. P. O'Leary (Lawrence), Very Rev. J. Sheehan, Ophir, Very Rev. P. Lynch (Dunedin) ; synod examiners, for the ensuing year — Fathers Burke, O'Leary, Walsh, and J. O'Neill ; diocesan inspector of schools, Father Burke. Mrs Daubney, probably the oldest member of the Wesleyan denomination in the old country, died on 12th December at Thornton, near Horncastle, in her 103 rd year. She had been identified with the Wesleyans 90 years. The death is also announced of Mrs Elizabeth Oliveria Prescott in her ninety-second year. She was the eldest granddaughter of Oliver Cromwell, of Che9hunt Park, the last of the Protector's descendants to bear his name. Mr T. M'Fetrich, an Okarito settler, was lost in the bush a few days ago. As evening was coming on, he followed a creek in the hope of striking the river. The creek led into a deep swamp, and, finding that every plunge he teok made his position worse, he remained in water up to his waist all night. He was found at noon the following day by his mates, who had organised a search party. When found he was in a very weak state, and his legs had swollen to twice their natural size. A soiree and service of song, entitled " The River Singers," was given at Brighton Jast Thursday evening for the purpose of raising funds for the Brighton Church. Mr J. Graham acted as conductor and Mr Jos. Allan as organist, while Mr James Howarth gave tha connective readings. A solo was tastefully rendered by Miss Miller, duets were contributed by Misses West and Finnic, and the choruses were rendered in a creditable manner. The entertainment was highly successful, and a substantial sum was realised from it. A rather unique action for maintenance, which had been remanded four months previously, was head at the Huntly Court, Auckland, before Captain Jackson, R.M. A man named Albert Schlinker, brought up his wife, Margaret Schlinker, to endeavour to compel her to maintain him, on the ground that he was destitute and unable to earn his own living. The defendant showed that since the adjournment four months ago plaintiff himself had been working, and obtained 153 per week and his keep during the whole of that period. The magistrate held that, under the aot, Schlinker was not a destitute person, and therefore dis» missed the case,