OMNIUM GATHERUM. THE COUNTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 28

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

THE COUNTRY.

The Winter Show entries are a record.

The Masterton fish hatcheries cost the Wellington Acclimatisation Society from £500 to £600 a year to maintain.

A resident of Pahiatua killed a pig of enormous dimensions, and when weighed it turned the scales at 4141b.

A Christchurch. commission agent cleared £1000 in two hours by a Smart church property deal the other day. Philip Bremner is gazetted as registrar of marriages and of births and deaths, and also vaccination inspector, for the district of Hyde.

A human skull was found on the Napier beach the other day by a lad. It is believed to belong to one of the unfortunate men drowned in the flood of 1897.

Several cases of diphtheria occurred at the Sumner Deaf and Dumb School, and the patients were removed to the hospital. The slight outbreak has not interfered with the work of the school.

The North Canterbury Education Board have called on a school committee under their jurisdiction to refund a sum of £1 which they, had given from their incidental fund in aid of the school's annual picnic. Mr Caudwell, for many years a leading man in Messrs Sutton and Sons' seed firm at Reading, committed suicido by blowing out his brains. He married his second wife, who had been his housekeeper for three years, only the previous morning. The Rev. A. Dewdney, who, for the past i-even years, has laboured largely in the interests of temperance in the North Otago district, was, on the eve oi- his departure from Oamaru, presented with an illuminated address and a purse of sovereigns.

It is announced that at a meeting of the Nelson branch of the Licensed Victuallers' Association it was resolved " not to discontinue Sunday trading," whatever (says a local paper) that may mean, seeing that the l»-w already prohibits it.

The Mail says that a private telegram received in Oamaru states that Mr W. Hart, who, with a son of the Hon. G. Jones, is running a paper at Hastings, 'had his right arm caught and fractured in the printing machine on Saturday.

Another rich chute of ore is reported to have been struck in the famous Waihi mine, in the Auckland district. It has been decided to add 50 stampers to the company's battery at Waikino, increasing the crushing power to 190 head. So thick was tho fog in Auckland Harbour a few nights ago*that the North Shore ferry steamer Britannia lost her bearings, and after steaming by guesswork the captain found himself off Calliope dock, instead of the Devonport wharf. " They ought to bo both whipped," was the remark of Mr Has elden, S.M. at Wellington (says the Post), when the parties in an affiliation case came before him. Mr Wilford said it was the fourth similar case in which ho had been engaged within a. week, and the average age of the parties was about 18. Captain Hyde, of the H Battery, Nelson, Ins completed his fifty-fourth year of military service. He enlisted in 1845, and with the exception of six months occupied by the voyage out from Home, he has been in service either as a regular or as a volunteer officer ever since.

It may surprise many people who have made the journey from Cliridlcliurch to Dunedin by rail to learn that tho Ohertsey Btation, 378 ft above the sea level, is the highest station on the line. Droraore and Mihiwalca tie for second place with an elevation of 373ffc, while Rakaia, the scene of the fatality of March 11, comes third with 348 ft of altitude.

The Sydney Bulletin says: — "According to postal officials, Maoriland's contribution to ' Tatt's ' sweeps is materially decreasing. And no wonder. People grow sick of drawing horsed that never start merely because drawers will not conciliate the owner of the prad, the trainer, the jockey, the lad that lead the 'oas round the paddock, and the cat tliat sleeps in the prad's loose-box."

Tho Inangahua Herald is responsible for the statement that a well-known coastal medico expressed the opinion quite recently tliat the severe foggy weather experienced in Reefton during the winter months is accountable for many of the ills which human flesh is heir to, and that early rising on such mornings was instrumental in developing rases of lunacy, kleptomania, and other like diseases.

I/adisa visiting Dunedin should see the immense range of winter goods at T. Ross's. Warm winter capes at 6s lid, 8s 6d, 10s 6d, aud 12s 9d up. Tailor-made jackets, 8s lid, 10b 6d, 12s 9d, and 15s 6d up. Hundreds of real fur necklets from Is 3d, Is lid, 2s lid, 3s 6d, and 4s 6d up. Superior kid gloves, dome fasteners, worth 3s 6d — slightly spotted for Is oil. New corsets ; now stockings ; new macintoshes at T. Ross's, direct importer.....

A novelty in this colony .has been erected near the Ashley Pobl Office, to which office many come from long distances on horeeback. It consists of a mounting stone with steps to it, so that a lady may draw her horse alongside it, and mount into the saddle without difficulty. The substantial nature of the work appeara to suggest that it is not expected the bicycle will displace the horse at Ashley for some time" at any rate.

Charles Woolett, who was killed in the Brunner mine a few days ago, had on the preceding Saturday bought goods to the value of 20s at a drapery establishment in Greymouth, leneivine from the firm with tho re-

ceipt a free insurance policy lor £100. Th| policy held good for 14- days, and was therefore in force when the unfortunate man met his death. The widow will by the expenditure of this 20b with the firm in question re-* ceive £100 cash.

Letters In order to bo tn time for the iuue sneeeeding t»« <tgr onwkieh they are written mult reach Cunedin by TUESDAT STQHT'3 MAIL.