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Manawatu Herald, 19 September 1896, Page 2

The Education Board has granted £10 towards the repairs to the Foxton sohool fenoe. It ia. stated in Palraerston that the Longburn Freezing Works are to bs opened again. , _ King Menelek has commissioned a Belgian engineer to establish a telegraph Bystem throughout Abyssinia. The Maharajah of Vizianagram has offered the Indian Government a lakh of rupees towards the expense of the Indian contingent now at Suakim. Mis Susan Short has been committed for trial al Wellington for the alleged off'.nca of having performed an illegal operation on Henrietta Tattersall. The Duke of Norfolk has decided to acoept the mayoralty of Sheffield for a second time. This reminds us that we shall soon be wanting a Mayor, and who is it to be ? Mr 0. Manz has planted coffee beans this yea* on his property at Hokowhitu. says the ThiitS. The rioil in this part of the town is considered to be favourable for the purpose, and Mr Manz has imported the seed specially from Queensland. From le!ter3 received by the mail we (Taranaki Herald) learn that the attempt to float the New Zealand Iron and Steol Company in London resulted in failure. This was confirmed by a private cab.c received in town on Saturday evening. Large trout are now increasing so much in Lake Itotorua that they are devouring the koura (cray Ssh), manga, and carp in the lake* The ftotoru.a people want to get leave to net and sell tha fish under Ceftain limitations. " Mr Gladstone," says the Westminster Gazette, " loses one of his oldest and moat respected friends by the death of the Hoa. J. E. Fitzgerald, once the foremost statesman and greatest political orator of New Zealand." Mr Rupert Guinness, who won the Diamond Sculls at Henley for the second time this year, which is the raoe entitling the holder to call himself the amateur champion sculler, is the eldest son and heir of Lord Iveagh, better known under his old title of Sir Edward Guinness. The feat of rowing across the Atlantic in an open boat 18ft_*Lons-ka» bo»m acooirr--frttsueo— ny two men named Harbo and Sam.uelson. Ffty-five days were occupied in the passage, the travellers reaching Soilly on Ist Aucu3t, in good health, but somewhat exhausted. Jabez Balfour and Wells, of Monte Carlo notoriety, are both at Portland. Balfour, who has " lost all hU fat," is kept at hard work in the quarries, having been certified fit for first class hard labour. He is downoast. Wells is cheered by being allowed to play the organ. A Jew el op a Father. — Man (to. Mr Levy) : I am sorry to say, sir, that your son has had an accident with his bicycle, and broken his neck. — Mr Levy : Mine gracious! (Anxiously.) Is de bicycle injured ? Mine poy was insured, but de bicycle was not ? Mr George Nye has received the following leyter from Mr Gray, Secretary of the General Po3t Office :— " I have to acknowledge, by direction, the receipt of your petition, undated, with reference to establishing a morning mail service from Foxton to Shannon or Levin. A reply will be sent at an early date." "" National flowers have been adopted in various oountries as follows :— Greece, violet ; Canada, sugarraaple ; Egypt, lotus ; England, rose ; France, fleur-de-lis ; Gormaay, corn flower; Ire and, ehamrock; Italy/ lilyj : Prusiaia, . linden ; Saxony, mignonette; Scotland, thistle ; Spain, pomegranate ; Wales, leek. Captain Russell says our defenoes at present were an. absolute danger to ns in caae of attack, and it would be far better for us to have no pretence at defence at all, for immediately there was an appearance of defence, our towns were liable to be bombarded, which would not be the case if they were undefended. An interesting relic of the past ia Somersetshire has just b ien sold at auotion for £565. This is Nunney Castle, onje a part of the territorial possessions of the ancient De la Mere family and the Earls of gremont. The walls are of great btfength, b«ing 7Jft thick. During the Civil War, in the reign of Charles 1., the ca3tle was garrisoned for the King, and was the soene of many sanguinary conflicts. A novel spectaole was witnessed on 24th July on the Queens Parade at Aldershot, when, in answer to the invitation of the Duke of Connaught, more than 500 military cyclists assembled with their machines. The parade was called with the object of ascertaining the number of oyolista avail* able for field service, and every corps in the district was represented, the proportion of officers being of course very large. Among the boats at the Henley regatta on the Thames this year was a little fleet of skiffs, gigs, and punts, propelled by means of the New Mayne Rudder-motor. The electric rudder-mo.or is quite a new thing in its way. The apparatus can be fixed to any existing craft Amongst the boats there was a captain's gig, 30 feet long, fitted with this motor, and she travelled between 7 and 8 miles an hour. Mr Foster, in further evidence before the Banking Committee, said it was quite on the cards that the whole of the properties o! the Assete Board could be sold to a Byndioate of capitalists who would put money into them, work them and settle them. This included town properties and everything. He believed there was a gentleman in the colony now representing very j large capitalists, who would approach the Board and relieve the colony altogether.

The condition at Melbourne of Commandant Boolh is very critical. Messrs Abraham & Williams hold their Pohaogina etock sale on Tuesday. Mr D. J. Cameron has definitely announced his candidature for the Masterton seat in opposition to Mr Hogg. Robert John Knox, junr., of Turakina, has been committed for trial on a charge of sheep stealing at Mar ton. Our " standing army " was said to be 150 trained gunners for 80 gun*. No allowance for casualties appears to have been made. The Rev. Mr Young will not hold any services in this parish to-morrow, but he will be taking up his residence here some time next week. Lord Brass?y, Governor ot Victoria i speaUng at Horsham, Raid he had formed a deliberate opinion that it was a matter of no concern to Great Britain what Power was master at Conatantinop c. The following tenders for the formation of Beach Road were received by the Borough Council: — James Andrews (accepted), and Symons Bros. For the Avenue, James Andrews and T. Chamberlain tendered. No tender was accepted, the price being considered too high. The Solomon Islands lie 500 mi' 63 east of New Guinea, and stretch 600 mi es south-east in two parallel chains. They are densely wooded, and the mountains in Guada'caner rise 8000 feet in height. The pooplo are constantly at war with one another, are cruel and savage cannibali, wear little or no o'othing, and tatoo their bodies. The United S:atea has no national floral emblem, and it is proposed to adopt the columbine. It grows wild in the reg : on where Columbus was born, as well aa in the Rocky Mountain State. A front view of the flower shows the outline to be a beautiful five-rayed star, emblematio of the stars of the national flag, while the leaf terminates in thirteen lobes, the number of the Btripes as well as of the original States in the Union. While the columbine grows in many colours, three colours— the brilliant red, pure white, and exquisite oerulean blue — are the American varieties of the flower. A single petal of one of the long-ppurred variety is in the shape of a horn of plenty, whi'e the botanical and horticu tural name of the flower is aquilegia, connected with the Latin acquila, an J cage. j