OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 10

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

The profits- of the late V.R.C. Spring meeting are expected t o reach £11,000. It has been computed that a holiday to the railway employees of West Australia costs the colony £1812. The cash value of postal notes issued in Victoria during October for " sweep " purposes was nearly £14-,000. A.-Cowan, who has won. £1250 in a sweep on the Melbourne Cup, is a labourer employed at the Bungalow, Gisborne. The Timaru Herald learns that some sheep belonging to Mr G. J. Dennistoun, of Peel Forest, were killed by lightning in the violent storms which raged over South Canterbury on Tuesday last. According to the Tapanui Courier, the Heriot railway extension is going ahead by leaps and bounds. The first load of sleepers was emptied at Dunrobin last week for the Moa Flat route. The tallest man in the Denniston Volunteer [ Corps is Mr George Learmonth, 6ft 7in ; his brother James comes next, 6ft 3^m, and two more tied at 6ft 2in. The average height is sft 9in, and chest measurement 38in. James Finn, a retired farmer, living at St. Kilda (Melbourne), whose body was taken out of the Yarra, left the following note in his hat: — "My wife has drove me to this. You will find this inside the lining of my hat." Mr J. Vigor Brown has sent Home for a Scottish Standard, which he intends present- , ing to the town of Napier. This will be very appropriate, as a Union Jack*"and an Irish flag have recently been donated to the town. Whilst bird-nesting at Sailor's Gully, near Bendigo, a lad named John Maslin fell down an old shaft, 90ft deep, and fractured his Skull. The operation of trepanning was performed, but the lad died a couple of hours afterwards. Some years ago an experiment was made in using burnt papa as metal in several portions of tho Alfredton district. A recent visitor to the locality informs the Wairarapa Star that the papa has set well, and has .made a good, serviceable road. Amongst the improvements at Rarotonga suggested by Lieutenant-colonel Gudgeon, British' Resident, is the establishment of a hotel for the convenience of visitors. The Colonel is convinced that in time to come Rarotonga will be a favourite holiday resort for New Zealauders. • Last week there were nine bankruptcies in the colony — an M.H.R., Auckland; two flaxmillers, Wanganui ; a contractor, Palmerston North; a housekeeper, at Blenheim; a dentist, at Christchurch ; a stonemason, at Oamaru; a miner, at Maerewhcnua; and a butcher, at Port Chalmers. The Opotiki Guardian understands there is a probability of the sulphur deposits on White Island again being worked, and of the establishment of reduction, works for refining the ore at Ohiwa, the late holders of "the island having transferred their interests to a company or syndicate. There is a Native in Masterton whose support of the present Government is very strong. Speaking to a friend recently, he irreverently said : '' Mr Seddon the good man ; he better than God : God say work cix days a week, Mr Seddon say work five days and a-half. Good man Mr Seddon, % link." The export of Tasmanian timber appears to i have increosed greatly of late. A shipment of immense piles was sent to England last year for Admiralty ivorks at Dover, and that it proved satisfactory is attested to by the fact that similar orders have been placed in Tasmania this year. An the outcome of ' the movement among certain office-bearers of the Otago Church to provides additional scholarships, the Outlook ' hears that Knox Church office-bearers are gowg to jjdiipjm'jihjfi ol £50 I«r. Jhxeo

years. This is very gratifying, and should ' encourage their brethren in. other congregations. Eleven escapees from New Caledonia, who ' landed on the Queensland coast about. three months ago, were extradited on November 9. With one exception, all had .been convicted of capital offences, but some had been at liberty several years, having been fugitives ; from justice in the French possessions before making their escape. The exhibition of the two largest children in ths world at the Manawatu A. and P. show created no small interest among "the public, and during the day the tent must have been visited by nearly 3000 people. All who saw the children were; agreed that the photographs shown of them did not give an adequate idea as to their "enormous size. The Napier correspondent of the Waipawa Mail writes :— A- local sport, who never allows the sweeps on the big handicaps on the other j side to go by unnoticed, purchased £5 worth j of tickets in the 5s sweep on the Gaulfield \ Cup, and was fortunate enough to draw a ' prize for £100, another for £20, and a thirdfor £10, as well as two starters— a rather good ' investment. * ] The Ariadne, the largest English sailing ; yacht in the, world, .arrived in Pgr±> Jackson on November 10, after a cruise round the ■ world. The vessel carries 13,000 square feet of canvas/ She is owijed "by,Mr T: G. Eefry, well known' in Australia "jas an explorer, "and lias a party of guests', who embarked al Southampton. The vessel will remain over the Commonwealth celebrations, and will take part in the' yachting manoeuvres. j Mr L. Mathieson, of Mataura, has received ; (sajrs the Gore Standard) a letter from his ' brother, Trooper J. H. Mathieson, who left ; New Zealand at the beginning of the war and ; joined one of the colonial regiments at the ' front. Writing under date September 20, ' Trooper Mathieson states that he was j wounded in the leg by a bullet at Hickman's \ Poort on September 10, and at the time of . writing he was progressing favourably in the Pretoria Hospital. According to the Free Press, Mr Gibb, the teacher at Six-mile School, beyond Waikawa, is an enthusiastic ornithologist and naturalist, and his house resembles a miniature museum. His collection was further increased on the 9th inst. by the finding the leg bone of a moa at Papatowai, Catlins district, under a huge totara tree. The bone was from 18in*to 2ft long, and was protruding from the earth when discovered. Mr Gibb estimates it to' have lain there upwards of 200 years. The Maritzburg correspondent of the Cape Times telegraphed on October 8: — "A loyal Dutchman named Hatting, residing near Frere, has made a graceful offer to Lord and Lady Roberts. The remains of Lieutenant Roberts lie on this man's farm, and he offers to make over to the parents of -the deceased officer two acres of land, round the grave. Mr Hatting is one of tlie very few Natal Dutch who refused to join the enemy when they appeared, in the neighbourhood. A youth had. a narrow e3cape^frora drowning m East Gore on Sunday afternoon while proceeding on horseback to tlie country. He essayed to cross a small creek, which, owing to the river being in flood, was of a considerable depth. The youth had no knowledge of the steep clay banks of the creek,. and the horse got stuck in the mud. Had it not been for the prompt assistance of eye-witnesses, who extricated horse and rider from their perilous position by ropes, both would probably have been drowned. A plant has been discovered in Nicaragua which appears to be charged Avith electricity. If one of its branches is touched with the naked hand a distinct shock is felt, similar to ihat produced by a battery. Its influence upon a magnetic needle- is noticeable at a distance of half a, dozen yards, "and- as one gets nearer the plant this influence increases, while, if the instrument is placed in tlie centre of the bush, it will assume a gteady circular .movement. The intensity. of the phenomenon seems to depend entirely upon the time -of day. * - A large meeting of Natives of the Waikato and Ngatimaniapoto tribes is to be opened on I Decembei 4th at Tauwhare, in the Waikato,, I in order to discuss the boundaries of the proposed Waikalo Council district in connection with the new Native Lands Administration Act. It is understood that the Government will fall in with the idea of keeping the Taupo district quite separate from the Waikato and the King- Country division, and the object" of the forthcoming meeting- is to try and come to some arrangement by which the lands of the Waikato Kingites and the Ngalimaniapoto people will be placed under the control of tlie i one council. j Among the lower orders of Tokio there i exists a curious phaee of evcry-day life. Many men and women who sub'sisL by. manual labour find themselves constantly without sufficient funds to buy dinners. They can ' pay for breakfast, but money .to get dinner is wanting. It is their habit, then, to put some of their cooking utensils in pawn, thus obtaining means lo jpay for their dinner, and lylien

1 they receive their day.'s wage in the evening they are able to redeem the pledged articles, and also to procure their supper" that night "and their breakfast and bath the following morning. The day before the Governor's visit to Orepuki two residents from the Emerald Islewere discussing the event. One remarked ; that he would have the honour of shaking his Excellency by the hand when he arrived. The other observed that such an act would be an unpardonable breach of the rules of propriety; but he persisted that he would carry out his purpos.e, and did, winning the wager of £1 impending on the issue. The discomfited one has different ideas now on the subject, gained from the fact that' pn "'arrival his Excellency was Tcept busy for "a time shaking hands in friendly greeting. The Wairarapa North County Council (says the Star) "is in a bit of a fix. "Under the Mas- ; lerton County , v Act a new set of councillors is to^be appointed this month, and the-pre= .sent council ceases to exist. A number of ' the ratepayers want the interest on theirI loans reduced." The present council cannot ■ make and confirm the necessary special order, ! and "the new council will not be elected in : time 'to put the order through by February, | 'b.eforef^which date the loans must be re- " j adjusted. It is probable, therefore, that the I change in the .periods of, loans will' not' be made .before, next year.—e-JDn. other respects the ratepayers are inconvenienced. No one can reflect on tlie subject "of hereditary transmission of -disease without being struck by the great question which it involves. The parent, of Eeveral children at length dies, at a certain age, of some particular disease — say, pulmonary consumption ; all the children appear to be quite "Healthy, perhaps even robust. They grow up into men and women, whose form and endowments of body and mind leave nothing to be desired, and yet all thes6 children, in uninterrupted succession, each of them, as he or she attains a certain age, or thereabout, die of the disease which proved fatal to the parent. By what means is this deadly influence thus transmitted? How is it that the fatal flaw in the life — " the rift within the lute "" — makes no sign of its presence, perhaps, for a quarter of a century ; interferes in no way, for many years, with the full vigour of life and health • and then, in spite of every precaution,. springs up and rapidly kills? In what direction is a solution of this mysterious: problem to b© sought ? , A. serious case, .in which a revolverfigured prominently, came before Mr C. C. ' Kettle at Wanganui on the 13th inst. for adjudication. The plaintiff, was the borough, ranger (Mr Wall)," who asked that a contractor named D. Malone be bound over to keep the peace on account of "having thrown a stone at him and threatening^ him. A crossaction Avas laid by Malone against Wall for assault. The evidence, as is usual in such eases, was very contradictory. Wall's evidence stated that Malone recently threatened him with a stone, and said: "I'll lay wait for you some night, and put you out of the way." On the night of the 7th inst. a missile was tnrown at Wall, and immediately afterwards Malone appeared from near a hedge and threatened him, but Wall pulled out a revolver and covered him, thus preventing him from throwing the missile. Wall admitted that he carried the weapon because he was frightened by the Malones and another person. » The defence was a flat denial of all the actions alleged by the plaintiff. His Worship convicted Malone of assault, and ordered him to come up for sentence when called upon, and also to enter into a bond of £25 and find a surety of a like amount fo£his good behaviour.