Untitled

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 443, 11 October 1877, Page 3

The San Francisco mail closes at the district post offices on Monday, 15th inst. It is rumored that a morning daily paper will soon b>J started in Dunedin.

M-qssr.s. luDffr. and George have been appointed local agents ofthe Union Insurance Company. Tub gross proceeds of the land sales at Gore, which lasted two days, amounted to about £OO,OOO. The competition was brisk, and from £3 to £5 per aero was obtained. Tub English harvest is a general failure, and the wheat is of inferior quality. Australian and New Zealand wheat is bought to mix with English wheat for milling purposes. A smaht shock of earthquake, accompanied by a rumbling noisfl, was experienced in Naseby on 'lhursday evening about ten o'clock. The wave was apparently travelling from north to south.

A ni:\v seim of lignite has been discovered on the east bank of the Eweburn. A lease of rive acres has been granted to Alfred Eyford, the prospector. Thk Chairman of Vincent County Council has had his salary reduced from £4OO to £250 per annum. With a credit balance of between £BOOO and £9OOO, exclusive of any subsidy, we confess we do not see the utility of this cheese-paring policy.

The Homo mails via San Francisco arrived in Auckland on Saturday last. The Hawea, carrying the mails for the South, left Auckland on the same day, and will probably arrive at Port Chalmers on Wednesday or Thursday. Among the novelties promised for New Zealand aro visits from the celebrated General Tom Thumb and his wife (Mis 3 Minnie Warren) aad Major Newell; also, Mr. Levy tho great cornet player, and Lyster's Grand Italian Opera Company. The Cromwell Corporation (writes a correspondent to the ' Times ') is distributing seeds of trees and shrubs gratuitously to the ratepayers as a meaus of beautifying the town thereby. Our recommendation to the Naseby Borough Council is—" Go and do likewise."

Thk Government auctioneer (Mr. It. B. Martin) held a sale of principally situated in the M ount Ida district, at Palmerston on the 27th ult. 1 here was a good attendance of buyers, and land in the Kyeburn Hundred was the main attraction. Mr. John Scott was the purchaser of sections 15 and 16 (200 acres each), block 11., at £270 and £330 respectively. Messrs. Malloch added to their previous purchases by securing 0, block in. (200 acres), for £2ll. In the faco of tho promise made by the Hon. the Minister of Lands some time ago in the House that all land sales in future would be locally advertised, the Waste Lands Board, again adhered to its darling "penny wise and pound foolish" system of meagre publicity.

have never been believers in demonology, witchcraft, spiritualism, or any of those occult sciences which render it possible to enable the spirits of the departed to revisit the "glimpses of the moon, making nudit hideous." But when reports of such supernatural occurrences reach us, we hesitate, not to record them as we hear them, leaving our readers to placo what construction upon them they may please, and give them what amount of crodenco they may in their estimation merit. A repoit of an occurrence of a nature such as that to which we have above alluded was brought to us a few days since, as having veritably occurred to a well-known and highly-esteemed gentleman occupying a public position in Naseby. Tho facts, as reported, are as follows : Preparatory to retiring to his bachelor couch, somewhere about the " witching hours of night," when " churchyards yawn,' &c.,&c, he proceeded, as was his wont, to count his cash before depositing his treasure in the strong box. While engaged in this duty—for duty, be it said, it was—Buddenly an

J unusual noise attracted his attention, and, l looking up, he distinctly Baw a figure of an old man with bald head, and flowing white beard, and with a very palpable wound in the forehead—" ghastly to behold." The gentleman, finding that there existed some reason to suspect the security of his treasure, immediately challenged the intruder, and ru.shed to the mantelpiece to fetch his revolver, determined to defend his property even wich his life. The revolver secured, he returned to where he had observed the figure, but to bis amazement found that it was no longer visible, but had " become air, into which it vanished." Not a little disconcerted at the termination of an affair which at first seemed to savor of the serious, he carefully examined all the locks, bolts, and bars of the establishment, and found all locked, safe, sound, and in good order. Such is the myslerious story which has reached us, in which our friend has a firm belief but upon which he forbears to comment.

Thb Parliamentary conespondent of the ' Daily Timeß ' telegraphed to that journal on Monday last : —"A most amusing acene occurred to-day. The Opposition scouts were out all over the town looking for a Yery Southern member who had not been at his lodgings all night, and was seen last night with two of the Government party. He was at last traced in company with these two to the Assembly Buildings, and information was received that they had half carried, half led, him upstairs. A thorough search was made of every room, and one in a very remote part of the buildings was found locked. An inspection through the keyhole showed some one asleep there. A strong band of Opposition men assembled in the passage, and began calling on their comrade within. At last he replied, and asked to be let out, saj ing he had been locked up while asleep. One of the party went to the member who hadthe.key, told him the prisoner was discovered, and that if he was not let out they would burst the door in. He would not give the key up, and the door was accordingly burst in and the captive member rescued amidst must rejoicing, and he was borne in triumph to the Opposition whip's room, where a good dinner and plenty of aoda water was ready for him aa well as kind friendi to look after him."