MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 257, 23 January 1886, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

The Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, Wellington, is about to change hands, Mr Scott, the Lite manager of the Bruarer Coal Company, hiving pu<chafed the lease from Mr 11. Gt lmer A few parties ot miners (cays the West Coast Times) a e out prospecting the Arahura river in the direction of Brjwning Pass and towards the Taipo. The weather is very favorable for prospecting, and we hope soon to hear satisfactory reports from tbat quarter. The cause of Mrs Sala'a death was an internal annd she died under an operation in Melbourne Mr and Mrs Sala had been married 23 tears.

Koughly calculated, the losse3 of the settlers by bush fires iu the neighborhood of Mount Egmout are estimated at £IO,OOO. The Timaru Herald sys that through the Oiari being partially dried up, trout and other tish are lung lotting in the dry parts of the river bed, and iu the pojls the fish are so crowded together that they cannot live touch longer. The Orari has not been bo low for the last twenty two years The news which reaches us from Canterbury leaves little room to doubt that with the ether troubles looming ahead for the Colony the evil of a failure ot the harvest must be added We read that in many places in Canterbury, and notably in 'iimaru, the tang drought has been very disastrous* to the grain crop, so much eo tint many of the farmers reali.-ing the im« possibility of the siunted crops ripening in time to save, have already begun to cut them down for straw. Jn many localities the growth is so backward that not a single ear has yet been formed upon the oats and wheat. The failure of the crops caunot fail to intensify the depression already so loudly complained of, and add further burdens to the conditions of life during the advancing winter It will al-o be seen by our cablegrams that the deficiency in the harvests is not likely to be confined to New Zealand, the drought haviug also proved very injurious in many farming districts in Australia. The new Ministry just formed by Sir John Eobertson in New South Wales includes an old Nelsonian in the person of Mr Jacob Ganard, who takes the portfolio of Min : ster for Public Works. Mr Garrard is a brother of Mr Joseph Garrard, of the fort, and some years ago served his apprenticeship with the late Mr Wakeford, of Nelson, as an engineer. Lieutenant Greely, of the American IVar Expedition, ceifvered 'ately an address to an agricultural society at Pittsfield, in Massachusetts, in which he mentioned that during his Arctic exploration he had passed through a district in which there wero numerous wild sheep, having large heads, great horns like oxen, and tails resembling those of horses. Their fleece was ol the finest and thickest wocl, almost surpassing that of the merino. He observed that in New England there were often complaints of the difficulties ot saving the lives of delicate beasts during a severe winter; aud he was of opinion that it would be well worth while to make an experiment in ac climatization with those polar sheep, which thrive in a region where there is no shelter for them against the rigours of the Arctic winter. "In Siam the cats have tSeir tails banged." In this country the aim is to bang their heads, but the bootjack sometimes flies wide of the mark. — Norriatcwc Herald. The Athnta Constitution \eU the world how to eat wat»rmelon, but entirely neglects to explain whether the fanner keeps a dog or not-De troit Free Press. A Pittsburg, Pa., lady who owus eight or teu bouses gets tipsy in the streets. Think of th s ye men who only have to find one house.—tfurliugton Free Press. Somebody who has tried it says it takes more courage to rise belore sun-up than it does to wear new boots—Chicago Ledger. When you spil l soup on the table cloth, set your tunbleron it while your wife is not looking, aud trust to Providence for the thereafter. A Chicago woman who wanted to commit suicide but didn't want it to hurt much, wrapped her finger in a rag and pounded it with a hammer.— Detroit Free Pr< ss. A Rochester has this startling annoui.cement in his shop ; " Ladies' shortcoming* made uu and arranged" What au immense nuxi r ess tie must have en hand.—New Yoik Graphic. " Ah ! it's woman's mission to make fools ot men,' sighed a languid top. "And how vexed we are," said a brigl.t v eyed feminine present, rt to find that nature so oltc-n lon stalled us."