BREVITIES.

Kaikoura Star, Volume I, Issue 71, 5 July 1881, Page 4

BREVITIES.

C>ve-i)N Wheeler, of the Union Steam Shipj. Company's service is said to be the nautical champion, in these waters, at Thf. London and North-Western Company m: tain the astonishing amount of

no less than 10,000 miles of rail. The capital embarked in this vast aggregate amounts to no less a sum than £ 100,000,000, whilst its average weekly receipts fall little, short of £200.000. The company annually carry nearly 50,000,000 passengers and between 30,000,000 and 40,000,000 tons of merchandise and minerals, in the conveyance of which their trains run 2d,t00.u00 miles, while there are employed WndUfnw of 40,000 men. # aTFrench ne wspaper states that if a little Ahloride of lime be placed on the soil, r-JBfcce, and insects will at once desert Plant ’ay be easily protected ’dHKnsect plagues by simply brushing stems with a weak solution of

■-. of lime, and it has often been no'that the patch that has been treated way remains free from grubs, while ,11 if-unprotected beds around are literal ¥ devastated. Fruit trees may be gaur<k4 from their attacks by attaching to the sterns pieces of tow smeared with a mix.ture of chloride of lime, and ants and grub* then in succesion will rapidly vacate tbsir; position. I hotelkeeper, residing in the thirsty of Hay, New South Wales, had a 00, whose perch was usually in the zlf this hotel there was a brisk bar tod occasionally a dozen of thirsty would pep in and call for drinks atseously On such occasions the n was in the habit of saying “ one at gentlemen ; don’t rush a fellow.” ay the cockatoo was missing from i his perch, and the owner, upon going in ! search of him, found him in an adjacent paddock, surrounded by a flock of crows, who seemed bent on his destruction. The owner arrived only in time to caress poor cocky just before he died, and to hear him feebly exclaim, “ one at a time, gentlemen ; don ' fellow.” Tf • ople of Aberdeen have for- \ med e r e to raise a fund for the i widows Idren of the men of the 'ik • rs killed in the Afghan I This is as it should be, ; . Gordon Highlanders are esA lt was re * SaR Duchess ” ’ * J- < ’f ' , s? b< ’;v:i_her and took . dm., thus, as it i-were, kissing th fIHMV On the spot j where this oreunow stands a > r ‘e statue of the“ last Duke of Gordon.” he last stay of the 92nd in Aberofficers received permission to - to tne inscription, “ And first Colonel i of the 92nd Highlanders.”

Ma Carlyle's severest critic, and a C’it’c of his own school, says the St. James's Gazette, was the old parish roadman at Ecclefechan. “ Been a long time in the neighbourhood ?” asked an American traveller on the outlook for a sight of the sage. “ Been here a’ me days, sir.” “ Then y.’u’ll know the Carlyles ?” “ Weel that! A ken the whole o’ them. There was, let me see,” s he said, leaning on his shovel and pondering, “ there was, Jock, he was a kind j' throughither sort o’ chap, a doctor, biij pot a bad fellow Jock —he's deid, mon.”

“ And there was Thomas,” said the eneagerly. “ Oh, ay, of coorse, there's Tam, a useless munstruck chap, tiisj writes books and talks havers. Tam sta».' ufiaistly up in London. There’s naSttjing in Tam ; but, mon, there's Jamie, °'v® in the ewlands—there’s a chap for She'.' the mon o’ that family. Jamie tnjJrmiir swine market tiiiu :>ny ither farmerin the pairish.” A IVullington correspondent furnishes Chronicle with the following iu|flestiug tit bit, which we are assured. !9 Mbuine in every particular:—“A few .Ago the manager of one of the \Velwas requested by His Exto call on him re Government Sod forthwith proceeded to House. The banker in quesaßMklfe 11 u s,,ia, ii beer in his own estfii' stood not upon formalities, but, his card, walked in withannounced. His Excellency at tfe was busy writing in his study, and, iks he paid not the slightest attention tjtkd jtSfeor the banker coughed several ttau : At last His Exce'leney looked up, siernly surveying the intruder, asked vVi'f - i not introduced ?’ ‘ Oh,’ sai|| 1 . jjaiiker, ‘I gave my card.’ But jMitt s/tare-mot introduced,’ retorted HisExceile.ljy. j The banker wiped his spectacles, and U.-J& vexed tone rejoined ‘ For the filtu?!-, your Excellency, any banking busiiesS had better be conducted at the bank' His Excellency did not care to CgnTisue the dialogue, and the interview is said o have terminated somewhat abruptly.”