GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1172, 19 August 1885, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

A new cart has been invented in India which is so nicely balanced that when going down a hill a turn of the crank raises the shafts, and with them the horse, who is then suspended in mid air, taking a rest till level ground is once more reached. If the horse attempts to run awry the friendly crank is once more brought into requisitson, and the recalcitrant quadruped moves its legs between heaven and earth. This is what St Paul calls " beating the air"

In the Blue Book respecting the Afghan frontier dispute, issued recently, there is a despatch from Colonel Alikhanoff to the Afghan General, Ghaus-ud-din Khan, which contains some rather uncomplimentary remarks expressed in very straightforward language. Colonel Alikhahoff says that from noon till evening he had been looking out for the General, who, however, was afraid to come, and that hi 3 promißP thus "became a lie." " I waited for three hours," he adds," but you did not come. You became a liar." The General replies with equal bluntness. "Your acts," he says, "were all like those of robbers. Your Government is a great one, but your acts are like the thieves." The General concludes by declaring in reference to the statement made by Colonel Alikhanoff, that it was not proper for a Government official " to say a lie."

The following anecdote, illustrative of the rage for "bargains," is told by the Auckland "Herald": — A local draper says he neglected to purchase at Owen and Graham's sale, and his customers were disgusted. Seeing that they were determined to have salvage stock, he employed his assistant in carrying to a warehouse at the rear of the shop all the goods that were considered unsaleable, and that had lain on the shelves for months in some instances . Heaping these up in a shed, he had a fire kindled, and after seeing that the goods were thoroughly smoked, he deluged the pile with water. "Salvage Stock" was the war-cry next day, and within a week he had sold 70 per cent, of the goods at double the price he had been asking previously. While carrying on work at the quarries at Otago Heads a large cave was recently discovered, which should prove of some interest to geologists and others interested in such matters. It was reached from another cave which is well known to those who have visited the works, and was discovered quite by accident. There was no entrance observable, the breaking down of some stuff having shown the opening ; and it contained a quantity of shingle similar to that on the Oamaru and Timaru beaches, as also pieces of timber of various kinds in a good state of preservation. The cave having been hermetically sealed, and at a considorable elevation from the beach, some points of interest are presented for the consideration of our local savans. There is also a further interesting subject for study, in the shape of a well of pure fresh water which has been sunk close to the beach. The water is perfectly fresh, and is under the level of the sea water at high tide, and only a few feet distant. It has proved a great boon, as prior to its discovery good water for the use of the prisoners had been unobtainable within easy reach. — <• Daily Times."

The curious fact that a cross between two different genera of grain is possible appears to have been proved by the agricultural editor of the " Rural New Yorker," his efforts in thatdirection having resulted in a hybrid between rye ana wheat. A head of Armstrong wheat — a beardless, hardy, prolific variety — was selected for the mother. The anthers were removed while they wete perfectly green, and the head covered for several days, when pollen from rye was applied to the stigmas three days in succession, the head being covered after each operation. Ten grains formed, and were planted in September. Nine of these grains s;er- \ minated and matured, some early, some medium, and some late. During their early growth there was little, if any, difference in the appearance of the plants ; but when the heads appeared it became apparent that the nine plants were all different, and some of them, though differing from each other, resembled rye as much as wheat. At maturity one of the plants presented grain of a translucent amber color, the chaff being brown and partially bearded. Another plant had white chaff and a dark colored grain, little larger than rye, while still another closely ; resembled the mother plant. One plant produced a distinct grain, being neither wheat nor rye, and as different from either as wheat is from rye or rye from wheat. The experimenter proposes to plant this hybrid grainy hoping that another Beason may develop a grain combining the beat qualities of both wheat and rye. The Auckland "Star" sayß:— Some people are always having slices of good luck cut for them by Fortune, and some deserve these slices. Such a one is an old

resident of Auckland and the Thames goldfield, when the latter was is its palmiest days of poshing prosperity, bat who, some years ago, left here for New South Wales. Nearly everyone remembers, or should remember O'Connor, the European who, when old Te Hiri drew | a definite ankati line at Ohinemuri, which he would not let the pahefca gold prospector pass, succeeded in becoming not only the friend, but the resident and confidential adviser of the Maori chief. Well* Mr O'Connor, as has been said, went away from here to New South Wales finally about twelve months ago, and was at once attracted by the reports as to the auriferous and argentiferous character of the country at Port Darwin, in North Australia. Determined to see for himself, and being an old and experienced miner, he went North, and spent several months in the Port Darwin district, and as a, result, discovered some very valuable, silver-bearing lodes, which he immediately took up, so far as the mining laws of South Australia, on whose territory Port Darwin is situated, would permit. A syndicate of Australian capitalists having satisfied themselves of the genuineness of Mr O'Connor's discoveries, have thrown in their lot with him, and a fortnight ago he left Sydney again for Port Darwin, where he will carry on active operations, backed by a powerful company. The voracity of the eel has just received another proof (says a Wairarapa exchange). While several members of the Acclimatisation. Society were dragging for trout for the breeding ponds, in the stream close to Renall'a mill, an eel weighing 18|lbs was netted. On being opened, considerable quantities of feathers, bones of ducks, &c, were found in it. A resident on the banks of the creek states that during the last year or two he has lost a large number of ducks in a mysterious fashion, but what puzzled him I the most was, that some of them would occasionally turn up minus one or both feet. That the damage was done by an eel never occurred to him till after the culprit was caught. Says "Puff," in the Wellington " Press "r—What's old Pyke up to about this chap Meigs? Who is this wellknown Harry Meigs ? Dunno, sonny, — bub V. P.'s dy, sir, devilish sly I He knows a hawk from a handsaw, I can tell you! Not a handsaw, stupid — hearnshaw, a kind of a hawk. Oh, don't tell Pyke that ! He'll jump down your throat if you do ! Talking about rhinoceroses, I'm told Home could enlighten the House a bit about Harry Meigs's little antics in Peru ! What, Captain Home, the Sergeant-at -Arras ? Yes, — that's the double-barrelled officer ! Why doesn't somebody move that the Sergeant-at-Arms be examined at the Bar of the House ? What about the mace ? No, — about the nut-Me(i)gs ! My word you're spicy to-day, old julep ! What with the Brogdens and that fellow Neilson alias so-and-so, and now this Harry Meigs, Yogel will have got us into some nice company, won't he ?

Did you ever try to realise the real magnitude of the matter which upset the Gladstone Government, and may upset the peace of the world? It was beer — that is a great matter ; but it was not an attempt to stop the beer or to force it into the bodies of unwilling drinkers. It was a shilling a barrel tax upon beer— one I shilling upon 36 gallons, one-third of a penny per gallon, a quantity that could never be levied on the customer, a tax 1 that must fall upon the publican and the brewer. And this was the rock upon which the whole current of diplomacy was split. How strange it may sound to the ears of the next generation ! Because our fathers would not pay one shilling a barrel on beer, they kicked out the ono old pilot who could have pulled them through without war and without loss. They kicked up the dust again with Russia, they fought Russia, and they beat Russia, of course ; and for the luxury of that beating we have to pay interest now upon an increase to the national debt of £500,000,000!— " Pedlar" in "Sydney Mail." Hartmann, the Nihilist, states that out of 3000 men and women personally known to himself among the many thousands who were enrolled in the ranks of the Russian conspirators, between 1876 and 1878, nearly all have been killed or sentenced to hard labor in the mines of Siberia. He knows of only two men who are still at large. Speaking of the hopes and plans of the Nihilist he says: "They will not loose anything through a war with England or any other power. In the first place, a war will overthrow the financial credit of the Russian Government, and it would become bankrupt. There would be universal discontent, and absolutism would be overthrown, not simply by a a mall class but by the people themselves. That is why it would be silly to kill the Czar at present. He will kill himself." According to the same petson who professes to be well informed as to what is going on in St. Petersburg, and is in correspondence with the Nihilist officers in the army, one of the reasons which has been urging the Russian Government towards a war in Asia is .to enable it to get rid of some troublesome regiments— those whose officers are known to hold, or are suspected of entertaining, subversive opinions, and are therefore viewed with distrust, if not with apprehension, as likely under certain circumstances, to take the lead in a military revolution. A memorandum of the estimated cost of governmeut of the British territory in New Guinea has been submitted for the consideration of the Australian Governments by General Scratchley, who indicates the scheme he proposed to carry out on his arrival in New Guinea. He first proposes to visit the various places on the coast, and the establishment of stations from which to administer the government, after putting himself in communication with the Natives. Port Moresby and South Cape are favourably reported on. He proposes to ; haVe a steamer costing £18,000, a schobner; and whaleboats, but does not intend erecting buildings at present. He suggests the preliminary outlay should be met wtfh a loan of £20,000, without interest, by the Australian Governments, and also points that £20,000 a-year will be required to meet the expense of Government. He proposes to repay the loan when the financial condition of the new territory admits of it. Mr Service informed .General Scratchley that until the Imperial Government indicate the proportion of the expenditure for the new territory, they are willing to bear, he cannot commit the Colony to any expenditure beyond its share of £15,000 ' a year already agreed upon. He will not consider the proposed capital fund until he is communicated with by the Home Government. An impossible foat for a female pedestrian is to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours past 1000 millinery establishments displaying the latest style of hats and bynnets.

It is announced in the last issue of the Government " Gazette " that section 1, block xxrv, town of Roxburgh, has been reserved as a site for a reservoir. FBOH s Wellington telegram we loam that the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr Arthur, Chief Surveyor of Otago, will be filled by Mr C. W. Adams, geodeaical surveyor, at one time surveying in tb.it district, and at present residing in Wellington. The attention of our Beaumont readers is called to the entertainment in aid of the Hospital and Benevolent Institution funds, which will be held there on Friday night. As the object is eminently a worthy one, it is to be hoped that there will be a good attendance at the affair. . Messrs Goyek and Taxlob, Inspectors, commenced the annual, examination of the Lawrence District High School on Monday, and finished yesterday. There were 181 pupils presented for examination, and of these 176 passed, representing a percentage of 97. Mr Goyen - examines in object-lessons,, and methods of teaching (pupil-teachers only) to-day, and Mr Taylor examines the Blue Spur school. , . , - School inspectors are somstimes inclined t o embellish their school reports with amusing and incongruous answers given by mystified urchins undergoing the annual inspectorial inquisition; but an instance of the kind which occurred in Canterbury recently eclipses most similar experiences. According to the " Press," at a school inspection in the Ashburton district, a history class was asked who waß tho present Governor of New Sealand, and a youngster staggered the inspector by replying — ' * Joe Ivess, tir." The Wakanui election was evidently etill green in that boy's memory. Thb "Times," in its notice of the " Gordon Diary," remarks :— " It is almost unnecessary to say that just as General Gordon shower! by his military and administrative skill and foresight that there was no falling off in hit capacity as a leader of men, 1 so does this diary prove that he retained to the last the incisiveness of style and the power to unmask the true facts which were always^ among his most .striking; characteristics. No one will read these pages without feeling his admiration increase for the brave man who, when he could easily have escaped, stood firm at the post of duty, and it is inevitable that those who were less single-minded in their devotion to the national interests will suffer in reputation both among their contemporaries and at the hands of posterity, by comparison with the soldier who held Khartoum against the Mahdi, and whose first thought to the very end wai how he could best preserve the honor of England. ' Every line is of almost thrilling interest." The political situation at Wellington is be* coming every day more involved, and every fresh development reveals greater disorganization among the, parties, of which there appear to be no definite number in the House. A no-confidence motion has been impending for so long that by this time the Government must have come to regard it pretty much as a myth. To-day, Major Atkinson has been hurriedly sent for to lead the Opposition ; tomorrow, Mr Ormond is the acknowledged leader ; and anon Mr Montgomery agrees to step into the breach if Mr Macandrew will join with him. The truth appears to be that there are too many leaders of parties in the House, and that until there is a little more cohesion among the indefinite particles, as Mr Pyke would put it, the Government are pretty safe to continue in office even if their policy is kept out. The latest and most remarkable i amor is to the effect that a number of doubtful members have promised to vote with the Government conditionally upon Sir Julius Vcgel promising to resign on receipt of the £6,200 claimed by him. This may be and probably is merely a canard ; but if the great wizard of finance could be persuaded to take himself off from the Colony for all time, six thousand odd would be a cheap price to pay to get rid of him.