OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2728, 27 June 1906, Page 3

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Many ladies are employed as bank cashiers in Finland.

A paper chimney, 50ft high, and fireproof, is a curiosity to be seen at Breslau, Germany. In Great Britain a billion is a million millions— 1,000,000,000,000; but in America a l-illion is a thousand millions — 1,000,000,000. To rieet the cost of living the Manawatu County Council has decided that roadmen shall receive an increased wage to 7s per -*day. A seven-year-old boy named Booth, residing at Wyan. near Casino (Now S»uth Wales), . iva-s so -badly gored by a cow that he died some hours later. A Peterborough labourer who slipped in his yard and struck his head against a stone was strangled by his collar as he lay stunned on the ground. Eleven years after the settlement of the Whaiigamomona, it is still neces?a.ry to pack the mails in, the road being practically impassable for wheels. The New War Office in London contains 600 rooms and two miles and a-half of corridors. Its bricks number 26,500,000, besides I 26,000 tons of Portland stone. - "In the early days of the diggings at Hokitika," said Police Sergeant O'Malley to a reporter, "there were no less than 108 hotels in Bevell street, Hokitika." The Victorian gold yield for May was ' 61.4450z gross, equal to 55,081 fine ; the value being £240,031. The total since January 1 shows an increase of 26,6630z over the corresponding five months of last year. Spain has greater mineral resources than any other country in Europe, including non, copper, zinc, silver, antimony, quicksilver, lead, and gypsum. A Napier gentleman of philanthropic instincts has again signalised the shortest day in the year (June 21) by donating five tons of coal to the poor of the town in ix hundred lots of lewt each. — Telegraph. The only venomous bird known is the " death-bird " of New Guinea. Its bit© causes intense pain in every part of th« body. lo=s of sight, com ulsions, and finally death. " I may say as mailman, I shall have to stop unless something is done to the track soon, as I am afraid of losing my horse and also getting lost myself." A wail from a back-blocks settler to the Patea County • Council. A tombstone has just been erected m the West Hampstead Cemetery over ihe grave of Mrs Louisa Day. the inscription on which, including a \erse of poetry, is in shorthand. Orange blossom is usually adopted for ' the bridal wreath in England, but Germany uses myrtle, Italy white loses, Spain red roses, Greece vine leaves, and Bohemia rosemary. Trade in Melbourne continues healthy, and is still expanding. The turnover shows a considerable improvement on the 1905 figures. The outlook is certainly very satisfactory. Advice has been received that at the Colonial Products Exhibitions at St. George's Hall, Liverpool, S- Kirkpatrick and Co. won the gold medal for preserved fruits and jams, etc. One of the Athenic's immigrants, accompanied by his wife and two very young children, landed at Wellington on Monday la^t absolutely penniless — not even the price of a postage etamp. The " Vierdeziliterabgabeagitationskom1 missiondelegiertenversammlungspetition Society has bees formed at Berne to coin-

(bat the proposal of cafe proprietors to increase the price of beer. ; Melbourne's fir't ice-skating rink was | open<?d on the 10th inst. at Prince's I bridge, and it attracted a largo number of * people. The new venture is tnown as the j Glaciarium, and £40,000 has been put into j Mr Bent (Premier of Victoria) has given I permission lo a Japanese gentleman to ex- ■ I penment on an allotment adjoining -the J Murray in rice-growing. The gentleman in j j question thinks he can raise a ton per •'acre. j A man named Baldwin, employed as doorkeeper at the Opera House, Welling- j ton. was seized with a paralytic stroke | whilst on duty on Monday night. He was taken to the hospital in a serious condition. Mr T. Ronayne, general manager of the New Zealand railways, has made certain adjustments in the division of receipts from the Grey-Brunner railway which will result in an increase in the Greymouth Harbour Board's revenue of about £3000 per annum. The Government Staiiatician estimates the Yictoiian wool clip for 1905-6 at 64.177.8711b. The estimated quantity of wool stripped from Victorian skins was 3,938.9351b. and that on Victorian skins exported. 7 621,4971b, or a grand total of 75,738,3031b. The most damaging testimony against tea comes from tea-tasters employed by the wholesale tea houses. Some of these are compelled to take long rests from their vocation that they may recover from the banoful effects of the tea taken into their systems. Joseph Mills, a sheep-farmer and collier, of Dtan Forest, was summoned for allowing sheep to stray. He did not appear, but was represented by a blank cheque and a. note asking the magistrate to " Kindly j write out your own requirements, and oblige." The cheque was filled in for 2s. It is said, on the high authority of a celebrated American medical journal, that although the Chinese people live in a germeaturated eo:l they are singularly free from typhoid fever and other diseases of which water is the medium of communication. This condition is attributed to the universal custom of copious tea-drinking. Despite bad weather fair progress is being made on the Tokonui section of the Seaward Bush railway. At the present time about 70 men are employed. The Southland News has good authority For stating that the Government intends to push on with this -work energetically during the coming spring and summer. The Nelson Colonist states that a eatisfaetors agreement has been arrived at between the Nelson branch of the Medical Association and the Motueka friendly societies. The dispute, which was ventilated at the Friendly Societies' Conference, was in respect to the alleged " boycott " of a lodge doctor by other medical men. Complaints have been received (save ihe Dunstan Time*) that a considerable amount of petty pilfering is taking place at the Omakau railway yards, consignees having suffered losses when their goods have been deposited outside of the buildings. Even bags of coal and similar heavy articles have ' a mysterious habit of disappearing under cover of the darkness. Arrangements are being made by the Tasmanian Education- Department for the medical examination of 1000 school chil<lren in Hobart. The idea is to test their eyesight and general physical condition. The examination will be conducted by Dr Elkington and one of the hospital doctors, and one of the teachers will be specially trained to assist the medical men. Luminous paint is being used in several of the Belgian trains with a view to illuminating the carriages that are not in the ordinary way supplied with lamps while they are passing through tunnels in the daytime. The whole of the upper part of , tho interior of the car is covered, and ! omits enough light to make reading a possibihtv. ' Light fingered gentry have been making further \isita to the Chinamen's gardens at the north of Milton (says tho Mirror). On Saturday night the Chinese suffered the loss of one case of ginger, half-a-dozen cauliflowers, bunches of carrots, a pumpkin weiching 301b, a pie melon weighing 201b, about a hundredweight of onions, and portion of the contents of a swag. There are now nine cases of typhoid fever in Blenheim. Dr Bennett noted the significant fact (->ays the Marlborough Press) that all the cases date from the last race meeting at Riverlands, and all the patients went to the races. The catering has been found to be above suspicion. The water supply is suspected, and is being very carefully examined and analysed. The Napier Telegraph states that llr Bernard Chambers, Te Ma-ta, has put down another 50 acreß of vineyard with the intention of producing table grapes and going extensively into the win© industry. It is possible brandy will be mad© at Te Mats in the near future. There are at .present quite 140 acres of land in the Te Mata district under intense culture. The Free Press (Balclutha) understands that the route which the Catlins railway will take to reach Tahakopa has been practically, settle^ U is ksaiYtt afi Unh-

son's route. After leaving Table Hill tho line will run down the ridge on the lefthand side of the M'Lennan River, crossing that stream about half-a-mile from its junction with the Tahakopa, and continue up the lower Rimu Block to iite Valley. When Palmerston North was nrst founded the Rev. J. Paterson purchased a half-acre section there, which he thought would be useful as a church site. The Presbytery, however, differed, and did not care to pay the £20 which the land cost, so Mr Paterson disposed of it privately. On a recent visit to Palmerston Mr Paterson inquired the present value of the old purchase, and was informed that it was worth £6000! The half-acre purchased for £20 in "the seventies" was situated in the square. A peculiar phenomenon is observable in. the office of the Metropolitan Club just now (says Wednesday's Wanganui Chronicle). On the top of the safe have been placed a larce Biblo and an atlas, the one lying on the other. The shadow thrown by a gas lamp on these articles is a lifolike profile of the late Mr Seddon. This wonderful likeness was a source of much interest during- the past two evenings. The Bible referred to is an object of interest. It is bound in cow hide, is of very large - size, and was published id 1765. A private letter • received in Westporfcfrnm Hongkong-. <'at*>d 30th April, reports" -he arrival there a fortnight previously of AIV Alexander Hamilton; who- is travelling in the East in the interests ,of the Westport Coal Company. From Hongkong he proceeded to Japan. The -wTiter of the letter thinks the- chances o£ working up a fcal trade 'n Hongkong are '•ather remote. Tho great competition would como from Japanese coal, which sells on an average from steamer's side at about 22s per ton. Westcort coal, the correspondent thinks, would never compete at the figure, even, allowing for it being a very superior coal. Mr Hamilton's prospects of business were considered to be better outside Hongkong. Mr George Clark, of Tautuku, informs the Clutha Free Press that tho sawmilling industry in that place is about to take a decided forward movement. A company composed of influential Dunedin gentlemen is at present negotiating for the purchase of the- mills worked" /by. I?raz-er Broe. Should the sale eventuate it -is ihe ■com- - pany's intention to spend £10,000 in putting in an up-ro-daie plant, tfnd also to build two scows to: carry the milled timber from Tautuku to ."XJunediri. Other sowmillers from Southland and elsewhere havo been making inquiries as to the area^ o£ I milling timber available in the locality, and it is also stated' thai tho Government has authorised an expenditure of £300 for the purpose of snagging tho Tautuku River I and building a jetty at its mouth. There h room for 20 sawmills at Tautuku, and if these wero established _ «nd cheap water ! carriage available •he district would boom.