NEWS IN BRIEF

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 4258, 17 July 1895, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

A Gisborne man was fined the other day £20 (the maximum penalty) for having executed a transfer of shares without the name of the purchaser being written in ink at the time of execution.

There were 18,536 periodicals of all classes published in 1891. In the same year were produced 44,316,804 gallons of whisky, 12,260,821 of alcohol, 24,306,905 of wines 1,784,312 of rum, and 30,021,079 barrels o . beer. — ' New York Sun.'

Although Melbourne has suffered severelj from the depreciation in real property, like effects do not seem to have been experienced in all parts of Victoria. The executors of the Rev. Drßackhous, lately R.C. Dean of Bendigo, who died in September, 1882, applied to the Supreme Court to be allowed commission upon the income from the interest invested by them. The testator left real property w the district valued at £59,357, whicli at that time produced £1,115 per annum. In 1885, however, the rents had increased to £2,864, and in 1894 to £3,479 ; while the annual income derived from the investment of the accumulations, which was less than £100 in 1885, rose to £2,356 in 1894, and is steadily increasing. By the will the rents and profits are to be accumulated for twenty years, after which the income is to be applied to "religious and useful purposes " The application was referred to the Full Court on a question of law.

The surveying ship H.M.S. Penguin, en the voyage from Sydney, laid a cour se for Auckland, soundings being taken all the way across until within forty miles of Manukau Heads. The soundings taken give a depth of between 2,000 and 3,000 fat hems, the shallowest being about 1,700 fathoms as the New Zealand coast was approached. " Breathes there a man with soul so dead , ' etc. The latest instance of pride of nationality coming under our notice is that of a tawny person who appeared in court as a witness the other morning. He was referr ed to in the case as an "Assyrian." Later in the day he bailed up an astonished memb er of the staff with : "Look here. How dare you call me ' Assyrian.' Me no — Assyrian ; me (proudly and fiercely) Afghan." — ' Southland News. 1

It is reported (says the Auckland ' Herald ') that Captain M 'Liver, an old Aucklander, is claiming to be the heir of Lord Clyde. The claimant's name is Colin Campbe 11 M 'Liver.

.Consumption is supposed to have carried ofLa number of ostriches at the London Zoo of lftte.

A man named Dempsey died at Silverton (S.A.) after taking some pills supplied by a Melbourne herbalist for the cure of asthma.

A completely-fitted meteorological station has been established on the .State farm at Levin.

The railway revenue of Victoria has dropped £2,700 a week this year. That the wily Maori can be guilty of extortion when a suitable opportunity presents itself was evidenced (says the *~Wanganui Herald') during the hearing of the case brought by the bushfellers against the Natives. Part of the contract was that the Natives were to supply the " tucker," the amount being deducted from the money due to the bushmen. The men, who were without money or food, were entirely in the hands of the Maoris, who made them pay exorbitant rates ; — Soap, Is 6d per bar ; candles, Is (id per lb ; flour, 17s cwt ; sugar, 16s per bag ; mutton, 3Ad per lb ; and matches (paper box), 3d per box. We may mention that the contract was within easy distance of road and river.

During 1894 64 out of the 130 men in the colony who died from old age had turned fourscore, while 71 of the 124 females who joined the majority had also turned 80. Five of the women "were over 90 years, but only one man attained that great age. A monster pig, of the Yorkshire breed, weighing no less than 7771 b dressed, has been shown at Mercer, in the Waikato district.

An American clergyman before going to church placed in one of his pockets some pieces of bread poisoned with strychnine for the purpose of destroying the English sparrows which infested his garden ; in another pocket a few lumps of sugar with which he was in the habit of clearing his throat during the sermon. He had placed his hand in the wrong pocket, swallowed the poison before he discovered his mistake, and died in the pulpit. ~The Maori chief Hakaria, who died the other day at Opunake, undertook service in the Royal Navy when a young man, but, tiring of restraint, got his discharge. For many years he followed whaling, and during his travels had tried his luck at the Californian diggings.

A visitor to Muriwai to see the stranded whales on the west coast picked up 800oz of ambergris. The find is valued at £2,000.