OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2493, 25 December 1901, Page 4

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

There are 57 prohibited persons in Wanganui. Mrs Fannin has been appointed to the Masterton Benei olont Trust. A shipyard at Ominato, Japan, still in operation, was established over 1900 years ago. Since the 9th of November the Vincent County Council has bought 25,000 small birds' eggs. Mr F. S. Canning has been appointed deputy-regietrar of births, marriages, and deaths for the Tapanui district. Messrs P. Shaw, H. M 'Master, and William Harrington have boen appointed trustees for the Ratanni Public Cemetery. The residents of Clyde are petitioning the Postmaster-general to institute a daily mail gei'vice between theii township and Dunedin. An Auckland paper states that the prospects of developing a large gximfield at Matakana Island are reported to be very encouraging. The residents of Inglewood, Opunake, aud Feilding arc rnxious that the Postmastergeneral should open the new post oilices in their respective towns. At Invercargill on Wednesday two boys, 12 years of age, convicted of stealing money and a toy pistol respectively, were committed to the Industrial School. An agitation is on foot at Fortrose to get the railway to that township, and a public meeting is to be held on December 30, when Mr M'Nab, M.H.R., will be present. The Government are making inquiries in Timaru for a large supply oE mounted infantry overcoats, to be ready by the middle of January. This looks like business. — Herald. A correspondent of the Western Star says that at the present rate of progress it will take many years before the Orepuki-Waiau railway will be of any benefit to the Waiau district. The following is the constitution of the Owaka Domain Board, at gazetted : — Messrs John Craig, A. C. Saunders, W. R. M'Phee, A. C. Campbell, a«id H Tobin. Miss M'Lean, principal of the Wellington Girls' High School, acUocates that in the case of young and growing girls time should be taken from pianoforte practice and devoted to merry, open-air exercises. Less than a quarter of an acre of ground sold at auction on the outskirts of Hokitika brought £65. This (the West Coast Times' says) is an indication that townspeople have faith in the future prosperity of the district.' The Eiffel Tower is to be eclipsed by a gigantic globe, which will be the sensation at the forthcoming World's Fair to be held in St. Louis, I T .S.A. It is to be 700 ft in height, and will contain a roof-garden, theatre, circus rings, and an observation tower. It is alleged that the Bruce County ranger, while taking cattle from the Fairfax district to the pound, was forcibly stopped. The County Coxmcil (says the Herald) intends taking legal action against those alleged to be concerned at the next .sitting of the SM. Court. We are inclined to think that the name of "Mr J. H. Stevens (now of Haweia)," mentioned by Sir J. G. Ward as one of Gore's earliest postmasters, should have been substituted by Air J. H Stephens (now engaged 111 evangelistic, work, and living in Dunedin). — Wyndham Herald. The Westinghouse brake is being fitted to all new cars turned out from Addmgton Workshops, and the old cars are also being fitted with the brakes as rapidly as possible. The C'hristchureh-Dunedin express will be tho first complete train on tins section to , have the brake ou euj^ine aud all cdxr' ] wp\

An invalid railway carriage, with all neeesi sary conveniences, has just been built at the workshops -at Newmarket (Auckland) . - -In oases where "a person is too seriously hurt j to be lifted from his stretcher, the panelling I in the side can be swung open, and the j stretcher and injured person lifted bodily into the car. A remarkable horse has just been placed on the retired list. It belongs to Dr W. J. Dawes, J.P., of Longton, Staffordshire. During the 17jf years of its useful life it has travelled in the course of its daily round of visits to patients a distance of 75,000 miles, or equal to a journey three time* round the world. A Sydney paper considers that a plague epidemic costing 500 lives would be a cheap price to pay for thorough sanitary reform in the city, which would prevent at least that number of deaths per year from other diseases. Only about 10 per cent, of the houses are, it is said, connected with the city sewerage system. The Wyndham Herald has been informed that very rapid progress is being made with the survey and laying off the levels of the Seaward Bush railway extension. When the present rout© has been fully tested the different surveys will be compared and a decision arrived at as to the best way for the railway to proceed. The Okato School trouble has, says the Taranaki Herald, reached another stage. It is stated that c«e of the settlers who has children attending the school intends to serve a writ for £1000 damages on Mr J. M. M'Callum, tfie chairman of the school committee, on the ground that the chairman, by closing the school, interfered with his children's education. The estates of the following deceased persons in Otago have been placed under the charge of the Public Trustee for management : — James Black, jun.. Owaka ; George Cole, St Kiida ; John Flannery, Arrowtown ; F. W. D. Forbes, Dunedin ; John Meyer. Alexandra ; L. J. M'Keohnie, Dunedin; John M'Naughton, Balclutha ; John Thompson, Wyndham. A large number of Maoris (says a northern paper) have asked the Native Minister that they be allowed to go to South Africa with the eighth contmgent. "The British," they virtually say, "have made a mess of it; let us go and put things right." The policy of the Imperial authorities, however, is against the Maoris taking part in tae war, and the offers cannot be accepted. A remarkable history is attached to a farm 1 at Dreyerton, near Masterton (says the Maiiawatu Standard). It was formerly owned by the late 'Mr Millar, who, .vhilst in possession, lost his first wife. He sold it to aMr Lunan, who also lost his wife whilst in j occupation. Buying the property back, Mr Millar himself met with a fatal accident, and now his son has been wounded in an accident. After consideration of an offer made by the insurance company to advance £4-00 to the Bruce County Council in connection with the recent destruction by fire of the j county chambers, a committee of the council carried the following resolution- — "That the council claims the full insurance on the building, or that the company be asked to reinstate the building to the satisfaction of Mr James Hislop. architect, Dunedin. Some of the London silversmiths (accoiding to the Daily Graphic) are making a speciality of malting up shells and pompoms, turning the»e deadly missiles into useful objects for the home. Some of the shells are mounted as gongs, and the tone is said to be excellent. Others are made into lamps, clocks, wine-coolers, or piano candlesticks. The name of the battle from whence the owner obtained the thell is /""*"■*!' m fig en£r d\ed ucou the S.QDJU

Among the small fruits which has not been many years before the public, but which | deserves more attention than it has yet received (.'ays the Auckland Herald), is one known as the Logan "berry. This peculiar fruit i& &aid to be a direct cross between, th© raspberry and one of the varieties of blackberries. It fruits abundantly, and produces not only large-sized berries, but grow 9 them in large clusters. This new berry is ploasant to eat, and is said to make a verysuperior class of jam. Mr A. J. Park, patent and trade mark agent, Manse street, Dunedin (authorised by New Zealand Government), supplies the following list of New Zealand applications for patents gazetted on the 12th inst. :—Auckland : P. Ranigan, stonecutter ; R. Duffm, rat-trap; R. Murray, acetylene gas generator ; D. Hyauiason, boiler ; W. Brain, accumulator ; E. Slater, cutting tool ; A. M'Leod, game ; T. Farrar, window-fastener. Canterbury: IM'Failane and Cook, water-raea cleaner; Andrews and Beaven, ehaffcutter apparatus ; E. Rawnsley, seedsower. Otago : A. Gibson, brand; F. W. Payne, driving dredges ; R. Hawcridge, clothes peg ; O. Watt, brand ; I. Pearson, trap ; C. Leader, spraying machine; R. Dunne, mitre-cutting. Southland : Rasmussen and Hagerty, pneumatic hub ; J. Pomeroy, hat-fastener. Wei- - hngton : C. Cooze, acetylene gas generator j S?' le; & - :Lan » le y> aerator; Cotterill and M Intyre, signal ; Atkinson aud A«-h-worth, advertising; T. Ballinger, skylight. Westland : S. Mills, commode. .All ques- - tions relating to patents and trade marks may be addressed to A. J. Park, patent agent, Manse street, Dunedin ; 53 Esk street, . Invercargill; or 208 Hereford street, Christchurch. ..