News Items.

Colonist, Volume XXXV, Issue 7207, 11 March 1892, Page 4

News Items.

A soldieb in France was suspected of stealing money, but there was no actual evidence against him. Soon after he was taken iil and died, and a post mortem examination revealed the fact that he had swallowed no fewer than 21 20-franc pieces. A Pabisian electrician has succeeded in forcing violets by the aid of his battery, and recently sent a bunch of these fledglings, only four hours old, to the ex-Empress Eugenic. A man whose home was in Boston was cast away at sea. His wife, supposing he was dead, married again. After a lapse of seven years he returned to his wife, to find her mated to another. He took matters very quietly, and patiently waited for his successor to die. .This he did a short time since, and the husband and wife have just been formally remarried. An incident of the late railway collision in India is reported. A native living at Uahore started to join his wife in Multan, and she at the same time left Multan to join her husband, neither being aware of the other's intention. They travelled in the two trains which collided. After the smash, from which they both escaped unhurt, they recognised each other, and were heard saying how lucky it was that the accident had happened, as otherwise they would have missed one another. The Rev. J. McNeiJ, rrior to undertaking in Scotland a year's evangelistic work in conjunction with Messrs Moody and Sankey, preached his valedictory sermon at the Regent Square Chapel, London, fie made special reference to his three years' pastorate, and said if they helped the Lord as li tie as they helped the minister they were not of much account. They need not come to the prayer meeting and whine for the Lord to send another man after Bis own heart, if they were going to treat him as they had treated the men who had always had rule over them. The famous English cyclist, Mr M. A. Holbien, commenced cycling io 1888, and in the following yeaf he rode 100 miles ia 6hrs 18mins lOsecs, and 324 miles in 24hrs. In 1890 he rode 100 miles in shrs 54mins 2secs, and 336| mi'es in 24hrs. In 1891 he rode from Bordeaux to Paris, 360 miles, in 2?hrs 52mins 15secs. P. Beeson, brother of the winner of the Kyneton to Melbourne road race, a distance of 50 miles, won the Mile Handicap for safeties held on the Exhibition track, Melbourne recently. He covered the mile in 2mins 25 d-osecs from his mark, and won by 2£ lengths. The meeting was attended by nearly 7000 persons. There is a etory told of President Hayes in connection with the appointments made to nil the vacancies in the United States Army. A gentleman was extremely anxious to hava the eon of a warm friend designated for one of the vaoancies. He called upon the President and maSe known bis request, urging with foroa, "his father ia a distinguished ex-army officer, bis great grandfather was a gallant soldier in the army, and his great-great-graud-father was an officer in ths navy during the Revolutionary War." AU of a 3ndden the President said, " and tbie young man'b father, grand-father, and even a remote grandfather, have all been officers of the United States ? " " Yes," came the reply. •• Well," replied the President, with a merry jhuokle, "don'fc you think it about iime that someone in tbat family earned a living for himself? " In the course of an article showing ;he freaks of nomenclature, the ' Ausralasian' states that horses have been jailed upon (o bear such terribly mpronounceable titles as "iiunonyaareenyha," " Oarthagithough," and ' Heauotontimommenos." In regard to tho rapid increase of iphides, the following calculation has )een made : — The first aphides hatch i'om eggs when the leaves first break n spring. They are all females, and jive being to young females at the :ate of one for each two minutes after ihe fourth day. These again give jirth at the same rate after four days —all females till near the end of the ieason, when a few males appear, then he females begin to deposit eggs in iuitable places for next spring. Then iupposing each female lives twentybur hours, the question is, how many -phides will be alive at the end of a nonth, supposing sufficient food is yithin. their reach ? The ' Timaru Herald ' says :— -A rout that would probably sca!o l£lb vas seen to tackle a crayfish In the Paumatakaha creek, wbioh runs brough the Arowhenna township ; uad turhicg the fish over began to feed •aits spawr. "OADBDKY S COCOA, A perfect load, ~Hcalth.

One of London's most popular preaohers— The Rev E. A Stuart, M.A., Vioar of St. James', Bolloway— has sustained an unfortunate accident under peculiar eirenmstanoes He had garbed himself in the guise of " Father Christmas "at a children's party, and the flowing bearcLwbioh befits the character accidently caught fire, seriously injuring his face and eyes. In a life of Leech just published Mr W. E. Frith details- an amusing encounter between a landscape painter named Leitch and the Queen, which bliows Her Majesty to possess a very happy wit. The story goes one day, io the course of a lesson, the Queen let her pencil fall to the ground. Both ! master and pupil stooped to pick it up ; and, to the horror of Lei; oh, there was a collision— the master's head struck that of the Eoyal pupil ; and, before he could stammer an apology, the Qneen said smiling : " Well, Mr Leitch, if we bring our heads together ia this way, I ought to improve rapidlj." The Kumara ' Times y considers "it is just as well the Westland County has dismissed its employees." The net revenue the ' Times ' estimates at £4000, whilst fully £7000 is required to work the County, which will have " to live down to its income." The Kuuiara ' Times ' says that, as an instance of the " pecuniary embarrassment," as Mr Micawber would call it, of the local bodies, none is bo striking as the Borough Council passing £1 on account oi the usual auditing fees. of £10. GOOD MORNING Have you used PEAR'S SOAP