MISCELLANEOUS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 256, 30 January 1874, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

Private advices received in Auckland per last mail stale that the Imperial Government were considering the propriety of stationing in New Zealand, tor short terms, regiments leaving India" for other climes, except that such an arrangement would result in a great saving of army expenditure.

Moving Bog in County Galwat— Great Destruction of Crops.—On Saturday night, intelligence'reached Tuam that a great portion ot the bog at Belwell, near Dunmore, had shifted, owing to' the recent heavy rains, on to some lowlands adjoining, causing great destruction to potato, corn, hay,' and other 'crops.' ' Two houses are said to have been overwhelmed and 300 acres' of prime pasture l land'are now covered over with bog. No, lives have been lost. An Awful"Calamity.—That the writings of Charles -Dickens' excited as much interest and enthusiasm "in the United States as in England is an acknowle'dged fact. Some of his most demoted and sincere admirers were to be Jfound among-tlie American pubUc. An amusing trait of one of these is related By Miss Kate Field, an accomplished American lecturer, Not many months after the' sudden' - decease of' her, idol, Mrs. ■Jones's sister died. Owing to the illness of this sister's husband, whom • she was obliged'to nurse, Mrs.'Jones could not .'attend the funeral, and on the return of the' other members of the familyj they/ found ; her ."reading in-a tearful voice to, the",sick ■and-bereaved man'.' Was it'the .Bible? No; v "Pickwick." And as a relative"ap• proaches the'bed, -Mrs.' Jones burst'into : tears, exclaiming,' "The saddest part o it all is" to think that 1 dear. Sarah, died before I, had finished .reading /Martin Chuzzlewit;' and that now she'll never never know how it ends ' O, it is too bad"! —• Echo.' '" " ."'."'•

. The Hon. Mr. Vogel has written to Mr. Macandrew,. Superintendent of Otago that, when'the labor, market is better supplied, it is proposed to establish labor ex-;, change offices on, the American plan, and suggests the appointment of. unpaid boards .in various parts of the country, composed of ladies and gentlemen, who will- give their services - gratuitously in the reception of immigrants, giving then friendly aid and counsel. . On Saturday last, a miner named Thomas' Thornton was." found dead ' in" Sheep's Head, Gully,' Waitahuna.'" An inquest was held the same day by Warden Carew and a jury. From the ' "evidence it appeared that the "'body, was found at'the foot of the bank of the dam, a rope being round the neck. The' noose wasfqUite loose, the rope: being'unattached to any ■ other' object, 'and ' the''neck "was broken. "The deceased was known to be subject to melancholy fits,' and it is generally believed "he had committed suicide. The jury returned a verdict of found dead. - . •" ■ ■ ■ v "■ ■; ,■

v Old Friends.—A ' number 'of 'old residents assembled at 'Wain's' Hotel/ last Week, -to welcome'Mr/John Lowry,'who first arrived in Otago 22 years ago. •' For a'very" long time' pa'st/Mr. 'Lowry has been engaged in squatting' "pursuits in Victoria, and his return to Duriedin a day two or since was taken advantage oflasteveh--ing, to reassure him of the continued good wishes of, many, old acquaintances. He was entertained at a supper at the' above mentioned hotel. Mr. T. Baird occupied the vice-chair. The company consisted chiefly of " Calder folks','" the exceptions being old shipmates.of the guest. Among ' the other gentlemen, present were—Messrs. ,W. Sanderson, Stoddart (Green Island), and T. Birch.- The toasts proposed were interspersed with some excellent songs'- by Messrs. Baird, Birch, Grey, and others. —'Star.' ■ ' ■' •

The Rev. Jackson Smith will conduct the service at the English Church as usual on Sunday morning, the' 25th "instant, and Mr. Stratford in the evening. Owing to the early departure of the latter gentleman from the district; he will be under the' necessity • of relinquishing- his' position as.' lay-reader, which he has held for so long a. period. This will necessitate some' 1 "change in the services, but it has not yet been decided in what ■ this will ■ consist. -We are sure those who have been in the habit of hearing Mr.' Stratford, will'in common with the Rev: J. Smith, whose place he has so ably filled on the' Sunday evenings, much regret his removal to ;the Mount Ida district. His services also in connection with the Sunday School, with Mrs. Stratford's, have been such that we greatly fear that no one can be found to fill their place. It would never do for the school to be closed, just as it is getting on so nicely ; and" we hope those who feel .an interest in the matter will give their assistance in so useful a cause. What is our loss, however, it is satisfactory to know will be a gain to the district where he is going and he will be duly .appreciated.— ' Arrow Observer.'