OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 28 June 1900, Page 32

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

The North Otago Times states that the frost lies so thick behind hedges and in cuttings in Oamaru that it can be gathered and used aa snowballs are used after a fall of snow.

As showing the severity of the frost in /the Waimate district, the Waimate Times state 3 in a stream through the gorge the ice had to be broken with a hammer on Saturday morning, when it proveel to be 3is thick. That great rarity, a lunar rainbow, waa seen from Napier to the west on Sundaynight about 10 o'clock. The arc was very clearly defined against the clouds, and for some time the remarkable spectacle was distinctly visible.

Mr J. Hessy, of Masterton, has presented, to the local museum two ancient books. One was published in 1792, on the "Elements of Frenoh Conversation " ; the other is an English pronouncing dictionary published about the same date.

Mr Philip Russell, third son of Captain: Kussell. M.H.R., has received a commission, m the militia to qualify for one in the Imperial army, and will be leaving New Zealand by the s.s. Delphic, which sails from Lyttelton on tfce t 23rd inst.— Hastings Standaid. His Excellency the Governor has approved of^the following appointments of volunteer orticer3:— Hampden Rifle Volunteers, David Lsievre, lieutenant; Pa.lmerston South Rifia Volunteers, Duncan Rankin and Robert Kobertson, lieutenants; Otago Hupsars, Frederick Freeman and James Pram, lieutenants;' -bruce Rifies, John M'Clymont, lieutenant. _ Ihe \ l 7akatipu Mail states: — Snow to tha depth of 3in or 4in fell on the hills and in; Qucenstown last Sunday. We have been experiencing winter to the full extent during the lost eight or ten days, with severe frost' night a-nd morning -and the thermometer several degrees below freezing point. Skating has been all the "'rage" during the past v.ceic. Ihe ice is as thick now on the ponda as it has ever been known to be any previous winter. Rivers in some cases have been frozen over.

A ca«e of exceptional cruelty to a horse w>i* before the Magistrate's Court at Akaroa iho ot'.icr day. A constable reported that he had found a horse iied up lo a tree, where ib had been six days without food, with chains hanging on iln Deck. The chains had eaten right to the bone. On the constable remonstrating with tho owner, he was told that the horpe was a bad bruts, and was being punished, concluding by asking the constable to come and pray with him. A fine of £10 and costs was iniiicccd on this fiend 'in human phiipe.

The Southland Daily News states that Mr Job Coulam, storekeeper and postmaster at NokoiPai, passed away on Friday morning afc the age of years. Mr Cculam was one of the oldest and best-known figures in the Nokomai district, whither he went in 1862, having just, arrived from Victoria. He was very successful in business as storekeeper and hofcelkeeper in the early d§,ys, but, since the rush of diggers to the West Coast, Nokomai has drifted lo a comparatively small mining field. Mr Coulam is survived by a widow, but leaves no family..

The greenstone paper-knife subscribed to> by residents in Gore for presentation to Majorgeneral Baden-Powell is lo be forwarded to the hero of IMafcking shortly. Mr W. P. Oraig has made an extremely ornate cashsfc in which the gift is to be enclosed. This is fashioned from pip in rewa-rewa timber (honeysuckle) unvarnished, the beautiful grain of the wood showing lo great advantage. Inside, th-i box is lined with white plush, and the receptacJs will no doubt be as highly prized by the* gallant recipient as the more magnificent article it encloses. — Brssign. The Cromwell Times reports that Mr Benjamin Duhig. an old and respected settler afc Lowburn, died suddenly on Tuesday last. He had been out attending lo some sheep, and Mrs Duhig, who was with him, returned to the house to attend to some duties. After an interval she went out again, going to the place where she had left her husband, and she found him in the same place, lying lifeless. At the inquest a verdict of death from heart disease was returned. Mr Duliig was 57 years of age, and leaves a widow and large family to mourn their losri. Mr M'Elrea, rector of the Ba^clutha High School, let fall some sensible remarks at the recent meeting in connection with district high school fees (says the Free Press). He said, that one of the greatest difficulties he had to contend with was irregularity of attendance. If pupils were irregular in attendance, good work could not be done. Another difficulty, and -this applied to the advanced female pupils, was that some girls were allowed to attend dances and other social diversions before they had left school. Once a girl got initiated into the frivolities of life, she got dissatisfied viith school work, and continued to fe°l dissatisfied until she got away from school.

A number of Messrs A. and J. M'Farlane's employees met on Wednesday evening at the Excelsior Hotel for the purpose of saving fsrewell to one of their number (Mr J. Roscco), who is about to take up a responsible position in Messrs Herbert and Co.'s, Lawrence. Mr J. G. Robertson presided, and during the course of the evening presented Mr E,oscoe with a rug and gold ring. Mr Bushell also, on behalf of some very old friends, presented him with a sovereign ease and match box. Various toasts were honoured, and a musical programme gone through, a very pleasant evening being bi ought to a close by the singing of the National Anthem.

A correspondent writes to the Wanganui Chronicle stating that from American files to hand, he learns that the Rev. C. M. Sheldon, the author of "In His Steps." who undertook to run the Topeka Daily Capital on the lines laid down by him in that celebrated book for one week, made a profit of 5000 dollars out of the paper for that period. He ran the paper from March 10 to March 17, and out of the profits donated 1000 dollars to the Indian famine sufferer?, 1000 dollars to^ the City Detention Hospital, 1000 dollars Christ's Hospital for contagious disease ward, 600 dollars Warburn College, 500 dollars Topeka V.M.0. A.. 300 dollars for drinking fountains, 100 dollars kindergarten association, 150 dollar? Y.W.C.A.. 100 dollars W.C.T.U., 100 dollars Ingieside Jiome, 100 dollars State Temperance Union, and 50 dollars AntiCigarette League. Complete specifications relating to the undermentioned application for letters patent have beeo accepted at the Patents Office, Wellington, as follows : —Arthur Llewellyn Smith, Mornington, and Walter Pearson. Young, Dunedin, an improved feed for seeddrills and similar implements. Provisional specifications have been accepted as under:, Charles Branson, Dunedin, an improved sad-dle-cover ; Edward Collins. Mataura, apparatus for clearing sluice boxes ; John Watt, Mataura, apparatus for breaking up and separating matter from the gold in dredging, sluicing, and such like ; David Wilson, Mataura, apparatus for keeping weeds, etc., clear of the faction pipes of dredges or other machinery ; David Caithness, Maiaura, apparatus for breaking up stiff matter, such as clay, and removing it from ike shoots of. dredges*.