OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Volume 26, Issue 2419, 26 July 1900, Page 2

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Frank Lamb, a law clerk, was run over and killed by a train at Perth on June 28. Mr John Hart, formerly of the 17th Lancers, who went through the Zulu- campaign in 1879, has died in the Newcastle Hospital. An oldorly man, John Mumo, a labourer, committed suicide at Goulburn by shooting himself with a revolver! A pathetic letter to his 'wife was found on his body. William Hand was ramming a dynamite charge in a quarry at Green Mount (West Australia), when it exploded, killing him immediately. He leaves a widow and family. Under the will of the late Mrs Mary Ann Clarey, of South Melbourne, the Victorian Asylum and School for the Blind will benefit to the extent of Government debentures e&tirnatsd at £5500.

Tho Postmaster-gener-al of Queensland has received a telegram from Rowen. stating that a kanaka member of the crew of the cutter liaaie Jardine reports that Edward Nelson, the master, fell overboard and was drown-ed. _ A petition is being circuit) ted, and widely signed, asking the Minister of Railways to have a flag station, for convenience of passengers only, placed somewhere in the neighbourhood of the rear of the Council Chambers at Oamaru.

Speaking at a banquet given by. the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce, the Premier of West Australia said that the pastoralists and agriculturists of 'that colony had just experienced the best season they had known for 20 years. A memorial service to the soldiers fromthe Willoughby district (N.S.WV) who have fallen in the war was held- at Chatswood Park, and attended by 1200 troops and about 5000 spectators. Seven residents went to the front, and three have died.

Edgar William Perkins has secured a.verdict for £150 damages against J. E. Bashforcl and Charles Spears for an sssault said to have taken place in Bashford's hotel, Katoomba, where Spears had charged him with putting his arm round his wife's waist. Plaintiff is a commercial traveller. , At the annual meeting of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Natives' Association, the president (Mr O'Brien) stated that, instead of having 1000 good members on. the I books, as anticipated, there were only 300 paying members, and the subscriptions received were quite inadequate. • At the Williamstown (Melbourne) rifle butts last weok S. Cubbage, a marker, was serioiisly injured by spalshes from a bullet, which inflicted a nasty wound in tho head. The operation of trepanning was performed at the hospital, but Cubba°e, though conscious, has one side of his body paralysedAccording to the Nelson Colonist, it is the intention of the pupils of the Nelson Boys' College to erect a memorial tablet in respect to the memory of Private Poole, second New Zealand contingent, and Gunner Moeller, New Zealand HotchkiES Battery, both old collegians, rrho have succumbed to disease in the South African campaign. An engineer, Samuel Grant, belonging to the Canadian mail steamer Aorangi, met with a shocking death at Sydney. He was engaged repairing a pump, and part of it was hoislod up about 30ft, when the hook suddenly broke, andoilie block, weighing about 301b, came down on Grant, smashing his head. He died soon afterwards.

On the eve' of his departure from Kawarau station for Dunedin, Mr A. L. Brydone was (says the Cromwell Times) the recipient of a handsome gold albert and pendant from the hands on the station. Mr Scott, in making the presentation, spoke in glowing terms cf Mr Brydone's management, and hoped his future would be a prosperous one. Mr Brydone suitably replied. The Chilian coal mines, opened in 3855, seem to be quite pleasant places to work in. The ssam of coal runs from the coasilme under the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and the tunnels are so clean that one could walk through them in a. dress suit. They are lighted by ..electricity, and rides may be had for a mile under the ocean on an electric car at a speed of_ 20 miles an hour. The mines form a catacomb of well-lighted passages under the water.

With reference to a paiß graph in last week's issue stating that Mr F. L. Grahom is retiring from the position of manager of the Waikouaiti dairy factory, the secretary of the* Waikouaiti Dairy Factory Company informs us that Mr Graham still retains the chief oversight and management of the factory, but, owing to increasing infirmity, his son William has been appointed assistant manager. The directors hope to retain the services of Mr Graham, sen., for some time yet. The Rev. Mr Fairmaid and Mrd Fairmaid were tendered a welcome social at South Taieri on Thuraday evening la^t {*ays the Taieri Advocate), when about ]60 persons were present. During the evening speeches were delivered by the Rev. Messrs T. Paulin, J. Kirkland, Scorgie, and Fairmaid, and Messrs J. R. Shore and W. Munroe. The lastnamed speaker presented Mr Fairmaid with an armchair ps a token of welcome,, and trusted that the recipient would bo long spared to use it. Information has been received in Sydney that the collieries of Japan, from which the coal supply of the East has for some veers been principally drawn, have been closed down by order of the Japanese Government. The failure of this source of suuply must exorcise a great influence on the Newcastle trade. As a matter of fact, within tho past fortnight there has been an extraordinary demand for tonnage for carrying coal from Newcastle to tho Eaft, and any eliss of vessel would be chartered for the business.

Personally, Mr Kruger is not a generous individual, despite his great wealth. At the time of the dread nil dynamite explosion in Johannesburg a, few years ago the Uitlandcr firms subscribed a magnificent total not far short of eighty Hum&and pounds to alleviate the distress of families whose bread-winners were killed. All the victims were either poor Boers, natives, or Chinamen ; literally not one Englishman suffered. Mr Kiuger was asked for a 'subscription, and promised twenty-five pounds. Hia name was put down on the subscription list for that sum, but, despite continual dunning on the part of the secretary, the subscription v/cn never forthcoming.

Tho Roy. Father Delany, who was recently, transferred from the Catholic Church at Lawrenco to South Dunedin, was the guest of his Jate parishioners on Monday evening (says' the Tuapeka Tinier), when the attendance was large, including a considerable number of members of other denominations. Mr B. Hart pie&ided, and apologised for Ihe absence of the Rev. Fathers Coffey and Oleary, who were unable to attend. A farewell address from the Catholic? of Tuapeka to the Rev. Father Delany was read by Mr J. J. Woods, who also presented the guest with a well-filled purse of sovereigns. Mr Woods stated that tho rev. gentleman was the first native ordained by the late Bishop Moran. Addresses wero also delivered by the Very Rev. Monseignor O'Leaiy, the "Very Rev. Father O'Neill, and the Rev. Father Geary, the lastnamed being Father Delany's successor at liawrencet