OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 4

OMNIU M GATHERUM.

The mother of Mr George M'Lean, of Hawera, died on March 5 at Coole House, County Kilkenny, Ireland, in her hundredth year. The Tapanui Courier understands that Mr Duncaii Rutherford has donated a school site off his recent purchase of Mca Fiat Estate. A lad aged 15 years, son of J. Cadd, of Kileunda (Victoria), has died through ptomaine poisoning, presumably from eating corned beef. A Melbourne .solicitor named 'William Samuel Dorea has been committed for trial on a charge of misappropriating £932, the ni.or.ey of his client. A boy, nine jears cf a-ge, named Norman Burnell, walking in his sleep at Hannan r B ." (V\<st Australia), climbed over a rail, ( and fell 15it. He was slightly injured only." Very little furniture is used in the bedrooms of Turkish houses.. ' Rarely is a chair seen in any of ' them. A few mats adorn i ho room, and tha bed is stretched^ on the floar. ; **'•«_> William Reitz, a resident of l)usseldorf> ? lias just lost the sight- of, gne eye from injuries caused by a grain "of rick which, was thrown iv his _eye on the day -he wad married. . \ " v . \. -- t ;' , At the inquest on a tat^aY^r 'Wfio died' from- exposure at- Wycombe '(.England), ifc. was stated that he had cot been to bed for nine years. He preferred to sleep in the open. • A tiain load of railway sleepeis was despatched to Kiversdale from Gore on Tuesday afternoon for the first saetion of the Riversdale-Switzers railway. — Southern Sr-andard. The number of tourists visiting the Mount Cook district this season established v a record, and consequently the season has boon the mo-z favourable yet recorded- at the Hermitage. Frances May Makepeace had fcoen engaged for 11 years, and had .dene her lover's washing for seven. Her only reward was £20 damages for breach of promise at the Gloucester Court. On the Bendigo Stook $xohange._on April 5 23,025 diaros were ' sold , in- tE$' room, which is the biggest business Recorded , for ' some years. Big business : was also done outride the rcoja. '- •',•>. The Premier states that the Government Life Insurance Department has had a very good year, and that the "bonuses to be paid on tho general section will be equal to those of last year. The King conferred the Royal Red Cross •upon Sirs Elesuor Alar? Hatch, for her services in nursing' and intending' tIiOSB injured in the ' earthquake" which, occurred at Dharmsala last April. An old woman who applied for relief at the Lambeth Guardians said site* had a kind .daughter, who did not allow her* anysJimg, • but Y/as good enGugh'to keep- up tlio payments for her insurance) policy ! The .rough y.'eathex afc<l consequent high , spas experienced on the beach lately have been greatly to, the benefit of the beachcombers, who are 'reported to be reaping a rich harvest. — Orepuki Advocate. The Waitaki River is phenomenally low (says tho North Qtago Times), and" easy crossings can be made opposite Duntroon and Georgetown. Jt is many years since, tho river had ?o little water in it. All dogs- in England have to wear collars on which the names and addresses of their owners are inscribed. A_"bill is. now before the New York legislature providing for a similar regulation as regards cat3jn New,. York. , , . r . Despatches from missidnaries, mercli'ants, and other European and American residents in China ore generally unanimous in declaiming that there is^no occasion for" the alarming reports recently made of future native risings. _ An eloquent sermon is embodied in a A New South Wales bank-note in the possession of a gentleman in Blenheim. The . note bears on it 6 back ihe following legend: "The last of 10.000. Beware of fast women and slow racehorses. " Tho fore part of the Elginshire, lying off the beach to the south of Timaru. has now collapsed, and the midships portion overhangs for a distance of several feet. It is exy-octe'd that the next heavy sea will leave only the stern risible. At tho annual meeting of the Sco(t:sh Trade Protection Society, held in Edinburgh, Mr Laidlaw Ewing, th<s retiring chairman, stated that since its formation the society had recovered bad ' debts on behalf oE its members, amounting to £1,108,342. A venerable clerk who has j-u-?t died- at Bunjjay had occupied the same desk m a solicitor's office for 65 years. A man who has died at Croydon had- been employed! at a local cloekmaWr's for -over 53 years,' and in that time had made upwards of 5000 clocks. Advocating the improvement of Kelburne Park, Mr C. Wilson remarked *o the Wellington City Council recently that he hoped! (hat tho time would come when the city would have a f:avihon, then have its own municipal band, run ite own kiosk, and have municipal afternoon tea. It is reported (says the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) that a vacany will shortly occur m a prominent position in the office of Registrar of Friendly Societies. The matter has been the subject of much discussion in public service oireles, but no details are yet available. Preparations are already being made in the United States to celebrate with all duehonour the centenary of tho birth of Abraham Lincoln, three years hence. Steps are being taken to purchase the Kentucky farm on which he was born for the purpose , of turning it into a national park. The Rev. Canon Coates, who is to leave Lyttelton this week on a holiday visit to Europe, received a presentation which is rare, if not unique (says the Lyfcfcelton, Times). He is chaplain to the Lytteltoim Gaol, and the prisoners attending the services conducted by him presented him witli an address, very neatly engrossed in, violet ink, and ornamented with creditably drawn vignette pictures — a New Zealand Landscape, with fern tree and flax, an old English church, and a bit of Oriental! scenery, the three being typical "of this colony, which the canon is leaving, and oE the Old Country and the Koijr Land^ which he purposes visiting. The' 4 text "off the address expressed "thankfulness for • - Canon Coates's kindness and good wishes for his future, and expressed appreciatioa of his religious ministrations in tho pithy, sentence: "During tho many years you have expounded the doctrines of our religion you have ennobled our. PQncegtign <>i