NEWS ITEMS.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8364, 27 September 1895, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS.

■•- (From our Latest Exchanges.) The return home of a Blackburn man, after an absence of nearly twenty years, is in some respects a parallel in real life to the romance of 11 Enoch Arden." His wife, thinking him dead, married again, and lived happily until the death, recently, of her second husband. About a month after this event the wanderer returned and found a daughter, whom he had left in the cradle, grown a fine young woman. While he was talking to her the wife appeared, and swooned on seeing her husband. On her recovery mutual explanations led to a reconciliation. One of the shortest men in the Peerage is the Duke of Richmond. He is a great favourite of the Queens but seldom finds time to go to court. Although the racecourse of Goodwood is on his land, and realy belongs to him, he dislikes racing, and regrets, it is said, that he cannot plough up "the prettest course in England." Mb John Bevan, of Hokitika, maintains that there is an enormous stretch of mineral country from Cape Parewell to the confines of Otago, extending from the sea coast to the dividing range, and displaying indications of immense wealth, which has never, except in isolated patches, been explored. Splendid reefs are lying undeveloped, and are likely, under the present system, to remain so until the " crack of doom," unless some chance circumstances should direct the attention of capitalists to their golden treasures. Of course Mr Bevan has a remedy for this state of things. He would not wait for the advent of foreign capital and the formation of public companies. He would have the State take the matter in hand. Although the West Coast is but little known for its sheep growing it will be interesting to those connected with pastoral pursuits to know that the number of sheep is steadily increasing. The latest returns show that there are 57,207 sheep on the Coast, an increase of 5,532 on last r year. ; A certain old Scotch lady was protesting against the resignation of her pastor. The worthy man tasted sweetness in her words, but wishing modestly to comfort her in the thought I that all was not in his departure, bade i her not to worry. " You'll get a bet- ■ ter man after I'm gone." But how | was the fine edge of her compliment taken off by her remonstrating reply, t "Na na ! We've had four pastors al- . ready, and every one's been worse than I the rest!" During a thunder storm last week, an entire horse belonging to Mr Bray, of Makino, was blinded by a flash of lightening. Mr Bray noticed the animal on the following morning was galloping about the paddock in a frantic state, dashing against the stumps and cutting himself in a terrible way. In order to put the unfortunate animal out of pain, he was shot. The « Brunner News * states that a man named Thomas Canning, while cutting a paok traok between Maori Creek and Maori Gully, came across a rich quartz specimen, which is said to have produced 90ozs of gold. The ground in the vicinity is said to be rich auriferous country. A London fog is worse than " a darkness which may be felt, ' for it is loaded with filth. Sanitary engineers have been battling with it for many years, trying to prevent its foul particles from invading the House of Commons. A correspondent of • St. James's Gazette ' thus describes how they succeed in conquering it: — " Outside the fog was so dense that the lights twinkled like half-extin-guished matohes. Inside the House the air was clear and pure, as it is on a starlit night. One who was curious to see the process by which this transformation had been effected, would have been taken downstairs, far be* neath the feet of the unsuspecting members, and shown a vast layer of what looked like cotton wool dragged through the Thames mud and sprinkled with ink. A few hours before it was a mass of virgin white wool, 6in thick, and extending over an area of 800 ft. Through this bed the air from the outside had been driven by the force of a steam fan, and then, purified, allowed to enter the House of Commons. The bed of wool served as a filter, and the filth deposited therein was a startling sight, but one that attested the triumph of the sanitary engineers." A worthy and prosperous Glasgow tradeiman was visiting some friends in London lately, and while with them was invited to a dinner party. Oar friend made himself as agreeable as he could, and after dinner, over the wine and walnuts, grew quite confidential with the gentleman Bitting next to him who chanced to be suffering from a severe oold. By way of showing bis sympathy, oar Glasgow friend remarked, " Mao, that's an awfu* host (i.e., cough) you've got." The host overheard this remark, and naturally took it to himself, and there was a decided coolness between the parties till the Glasgow mana friends explained the Boottish meaning of the word. At Bairosfole (Victoria) a man stood np to his neck in a river for four hoars, the weather being bitterly oold, under the delusion that he had a comet io side him,

A boy's opinion of cats is thus given in form of an essay — in the new novel, ■• Bbc shall Bd Mine " :— " Oa»s has 9 lives, but only wan at a time. If O»ta bad more thin wav life at a time they wood not koo what to do wid thim alt. Waa life at a time is ennf for eny baste, same as men and wimia. Bad bojs thros stones a' Jats, for which they will go to hel, and burn for iver and iver, amen I There was wanst in the swee> town of Kilkiny 2 Cats, and 2 bad bad boys tide theera ialeß together aod Bluog th m aorose a line for divarshion, an they et t aioh other op, an left nothin ony there Tale, for which them 2 bad boys aat to have got 6 monts, bat they didn't. We wanst had a oat in our house, and it bet all ! It wood sleep no where ony on me mudder's ohest. Me madder didn't mind it a bit, beoaze she was usi' to it, bat mo fatbr woodn't stand it at all, an nst to ketch it be the tale and sling it ut iv the bed 20 times a nite.' " Writes a London correspondent : — Wednesday, Augcst 7, was the African 11 field-day " at the Geographical Conference, tnd appropriately enongh, the hero of the hoar, Statin Pasha, was introduced amid cheers, and gave a most interesting and vivid account of his wonderful adventures, whioh includes a reference to the circumstances attending the muider of General Gordon. '• The tiwnwaß besieged. Th© personal valour aod energy of General Gordon wire sprnt in vain in endeavoring to avert the coming calamity. Khartoum fell on January 20, and with it the bravest of its defenders, Genera! Gordon himself, was murdered on the highest etsp3 of bis palace. His head was Bevered from his body, and wss mockingly shown to me as I lay in irons." The ' DunatsD Times ' learns that M-Scra Jorea, M'Laren, and Bruce waßbed up £40 worth of gold for five dayss' work in their chim at Manorburn. Milk suppliers to the Danevirke da ry factory received between £700 and £800 in ready cash for their milk last season. At a sale in London the other day a letter by Dickens realised £12 10s; a Henry VII. shilling selling foi £17 10s. An in'eresting archaeological discovery, according to La Nature, was recently made in Jamaica of a cave containing twenty-four skeletons of the aboriginal Arawaks, a shattered canoe of cedar wood, an arborvitte mortar, and two curious earthenware vessels. When Columbus discovered the island, in 1494, the Arawaks were estimated at about 600,000. On the capture of Jamaica by the English, a century and a-half later, they had completely disappeared. The Baroness Burdett-Coutts thinks that all good fortune would desert her if she parted with a guinea whioh came into the family in a curious way, Mr Coutts, her grandfather, was not particularly careful as to his outward appearance, and one day a benevolent old gentleman, gave him a guinea. One of the best revolver shots ol the day is Lord Cairns ; he is alsc " a nailer " at the running deer at Wimbledon, once the favourite sporl of Lord de Grey. Experiments have been in progress for some time at the works of ar American electric lighting company for the construction of searchlights of sufficient power and quality to illuminate the fall-* of Niagara.. It it proposed to install two 48in lamps oi 100,000 candle-power eaoh, producing an effect similar to the illumination of the Rhine Fall at Schallhausen, thus utilising the great force of Niagara to illuminate its own grandeur. Writing on August 9th a London correspondent states : — A very uneasy feeling prevails among those "in the know " as to the likelihood of the European peace being maintained. Some, indeed, go so far as to assert that an early outbreak of war in Europe is inevitable. Prance is the Power pointed to as the disturbing element. French jealously of Great Britain never ran higher than it does now, and any day some relative trifle may be the match to the magazine, Russia does not desire war at present. There are many reasons which will readily be guessed why it would be inconvenient just now. But France is, as the saying goes, " spoiling for a fight " with somebody, and " perfide Albion " is her particular bete noire of the moment. Let us hope the warlike vaticinations of the prophets of evil may prove false. Nevertheless, it behoves us to be over ready, and New Zealand cannot safely evade this obligation. Let me repeat what I have more than once said before, when war comes it will be as " a bolt from the blue," suddenly, and with no time for preparation. I trust New Zealand will always keep this in view and never allow her swords to become rusty or her defence delapidated." Mb George Westinghouee, the patentee of the renowned brake which bears his name, ha> made over £4,000,000 out of his invention. A fimsT-oLASS rifle Bhot who has killed many a head of big game is Mrs Alan Gardner, who has just published her book oa Bajpootana. The •N. Z. Times ' of September 25tb states —The Self Denial Funds col'eotod by the (Salvation Army Central Division (whioh consiets of 22 towns), amounts to date to a little over £760. The * Auokland Star ' reports that TTclrrl OraVo, ihe well-known temperance advocate, was fined 20s and coats at the Otahahu Police Court on Wednesday for having need insulting language to William McManus, of the Star Hotel. Evidence waß ' given by the complainant that Orabb came to the front of his hotel and need the words *' You are a publican's pup ; go inside and bark from yoor own kennel I" Th* defence was that there waß no intent to inßult the complainant. The Bench expressed regret " that a man of Mr Crabb's popularity Bhould have forgotten hirmelf, and considered euch words and such action of Mr Crabb's detrimental, to the noble cause of temperance." 8m Walter, by Midolothian — La Boala, has won more money in stakes and pursflß|tban any hone ever bred in California, recently topppiog the £24,000. ' Tournament won over £20,000.

More than 1000 years ago, Herodo* toB observed a remarkable custom in Egypt. At a certain season of the year the Egyptians went into the deßert, cot off branches from tbe wild >alm, and, bringing them back to their gardens, waved them over the flowers of the date palm. Why they performed this ceremony they did not know, but they knew that if they neglected it the date crop would be poor or wholly lost. Heroiotus offers the quaint explanation that along with these branches there came from the desert certain flies possessed of a '• vivific virtue," which somehow lent an exuberant fertility to the dates. But the true rationale to the incantation is now explained. Palm trees, 'ike human beings, are male and female. The garden plants, the date bearers, were females, the desert plants were males, and the waving of the branches over the females meant the transferring of the fertilising pollen. Stimulants at the London hospitals are much lesa'used than formerly. At Guy's, for instance, the sum yearly expended on alcoholic liquors for the patients is at the rate of nine shillings a bed. In 1862 it was no less than £8 9s. At the Birmingham Police Court recently a prisoner was brought up to be bailed. An official said to him, " Are you the individual who is to be bailed ?" The prisoner replied, with dignity, " Mister, don't you believe them papers — they tell lies. I'm not a h-individual at all — I'm a brass carster." Lord Esher, the Master of th# Bolls, who is eighty years of age, is the Grand Old Man of the Law. He has all his wits about him, and is still esteemed a splendid judge. An novel b cycle has been patented throughout the prinoipal countries of the world by an ingenious American. It is called tbe " C mpsnion bioycle," and is constructed with two wheel! only, in Undnn form, and is so arranged that two riders sit side by side, eaoh operating a pair of pedals connecting the rear hub with only ordinary cjele chains. Eaoh pereon has a pair of handles to guide tbe wheels, which works automatically, a&d guide as easily as an ordinary bicyole, The whf el weighs from 851 b to 401 b. SPECIAL APPOINTMENT. Psiß3, Soap, Makers to her Magisty ha Queen