OMNIUM GATHERUM

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 28

OMNIUM GATHERUM-

At lieighton Buzzard, a grocer, who had attempted to lengthen a pony's leg by means of a nigh shoe, was fined £5 and costs for cruelty. The Christian religion recently found a, itrong defender in a North Island Maori, who had been converted from Te Whitism. A '^ The yields both, of grain and hops in the Motueka district, Nelson, have been splendid this season, but the prices ruling do not give satisfaction to producers. While taking evidence in connection with a batch of old-age pensions a.t Auckland, Mr Brabant discovered that many of the claimants were possessed of both income and accumulated wealth. There are at present 45 patients in the Napier District Hospital, and the whole of the wards are full for the first time on record. 'Worse still, the hosoital contains no fewer than 26 typhoid fever cases. The portraits of tlwf Lord Chief Justice (Lord Russell of Killowen), attired in his JHdicial robes, which is being painted by Mr Sargeant, R.A., will be- ready for exhibition at the Royal Academy in May. Parliament will probably be asked next session for a > Tote to provide* separate accomodatioa at Wellington for tee Railway- and Agricultural departments to take t'^em out of the Government buildings. The Gosport magistrates lately dismissed & police summons against a doctor who rode , & bicycle on the footpath, on the ground that ; a medical man called to an urgent case had a legal right to take the shortest way. A nest of speciments weighing about ISOoz, ' .and estimated to coniam £400 worth of gola, was discovered lit. the New Normanby mine (Victoria) in stopes between 100 ft and 1000 ft It vela, on the Indicator line of reef. The Grey" River Argus says: —"There is some probability that a few Dunedin gold " mining speculators will shortly pay a visit to this district with the object of inquiring into the chance 3of the dredging industry." Three of our Taieri farmers, Messrs W. Blackie, Jamee Patrick, and S. Young leave this district next Monday- on a trip to the Home country. They expect to be about five months away from New Zealand. —Advocate, was ridiculing the Maori's new reiigion, saying it was an exploded idea and fit only for women and children. The Maori replied: "It's all very well for you to talk, but if it .was not for the religion you ;<vo running down you would have made my dinner to-day." The Medical Commission appointed to inquire into the cauees of the severe epidemics of typhoid in the American camps duriner the war report that the disease was undoubtedly spread by flies, and had it not been for these Jittle pests there would have been but a few isolated ca6es. They are willing to stake their reputations upon these conclusions. The Wairoa Guardian says: —"Races were held at Kihitu the other day, the nomination, fees as well as the stakes being a modest box of matches, the rider's fee three boxes, whilst the winner of the slake drew five boxes. It is contemplated to hold an oat 6 meeting tocr, ■when owners of budding Carbines expect to secure enough horsefeed for the season. The Gazette contains the Government's appointees to the Clutha River Board, under ** Tlve Olutha River Board Empowering Act, ■ ."1898," as under: —John Crawford Anderrfon, of Stirling, and Daniel Stewart, of Balclutha. The other members of the board are: Jas. Robs Mitchell, elected by the Clutha County Council; Jas. Rutherford, elected by the Bruce County Council; Jas. Sim, elected by the Tuapeka County Council. In four hours recently a Paris Court granted 294 divorces —a. little over a divorce a minute. 'All tho parties received Slate assistance' in their- caseß, so that their divorces cost them nothing. Now it seems that an effort has been made to balance matters, as in the little village of Plaugaesel the other day 32 marriages were celebrated at one stroke by the priest of the pariah church. The Jersey States, at a late sitting, adopted the preamble of a bill, the object of which is to prohibit the sale of tobacco to juveniles under the age of 16 years as being harmful to their health. The text of the bill itself was, however, referred to a special committee, to bo reintroduced in a more practical form. "Vendors would have been liable, to a maximum fine of £5 or eight days' imprisonment. Professor Wesserman, of Berlin, believes he has found a cure for pneumonia. He inoculated rabbits with the bacillus, and with the serum thus obtained inoculated mice infected with pneumonia. After many experiments ho discovered that it-was the red marrow of bones in which the production of anti-toxin took place. The most promising discovery, says -the London Daily News, is that red marrow taken from a human subject dead jrom pneumonia and used as serum will cura mice infected with that disease. The advance of woman towards tTie -uttermost back-seat of creation is significantly illustrated in tho following advertisement taken from the Beverley Guardian: —"Wanted, a Man who cam do plain cooking to act as General Servant; all washing given out: must • have character for sobriety; comfortable home." It is only part of a general movement repeatedly predicted, as what would happen if men did not brace themselves up. but weakly allowed those bifurcated garments, once the privilege of their sex, to alip from them. Several of our contemporaries have bepn much exercised over the Maori name of a township —" Taumatahakatangihangakoauau" —(says the Taranaki News), but up to the present none have made an attempt to give its meaning. " Taumata " means the brow of a lull of edge of a cliff: " haka," a dance; *' tangihanga," the sounding of-an instrument, etc.; and "koauau" an ancient Maori flute. A Maori scholar therefore says the long word (there is no need for us to repeat it) means *' The dance which took place on the brow o/ a hill (or edge of a cliff), and which was accompanied by-the playing of a flute." At the volunteer Easter encampment near Blenheim most of tho field manoeuvres were performed by tlue men without their tunics on, through tho very hot weather that prevailed. The attack formation was gone through twice with ball ammunition at canvas targets, representino; the different arms of the service of an opposing force, and tho hits were afterwards counted, a very creditRbl^ percentage having been gained. Colonel Pitt wired to the Commandant of the Forces that the whole of the corps offered their services for Samoa if required, and ho himself was prepared to accompany ihem. The employees of Mewra A. and J. M'Farlane met on Thursday night, to say f9rewell lo Mr D. Munro, one of their number, who is leaving Dunedin lo take up ?- position at Alexandra, and advantage was taken of the occasion to present him with a travelling bag as ", 'souvenir of his connection with- them. Mr Dick, in making the presentation, spoke in high terms of the manner in which Mr Munro had performed hie duties, and also to the harmonious way in which he had'worked with his fellow-employees. Mr Baxter also

spoice in me same strain, jixr ivumro suicaDiy - replied. Mr George A. Simmers, M.A., headmaster of the Ashburton Boys' High School, who has been appointed out of 17 applicants for "the headmastership of the Timaru High School, ranks A 7 in the -New Zealand Education department. He began his scholastic career in 1872 as a pupil teacher in the Otepopo main district school, and his university .'course at Dunedin in 1884-. He passed his B.A. degree in 1886, and in 1887 passed his M.A. degree with first-class honours in physical science. Of ten classes attended ho obtained first-class pass in eight, and gained the first prize in six of them. He acted for three as assistant to Professor Shand in the physics laboratory, and took scieHce for his honours examination; and .had since successfully taught 'the subjects * for the B.A. examination. Whilst acting as tutor in the Dunedin Training College his pupils won four firsts, four seconds, and three thirds, in six examinations for the Education department's prizes for"" D " science.