LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 97, 2 April 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A drunkard who was arrested m Auckland waa found to have £692 m cash and secarities m his pockets. The Waneanui Herald says that the highest price realised for wheat on the ' Coast this season was obtained by a gen» tleman of Rangitikei, who has accepted an offer of 4s 6d. The Longhurst petition which con« tamed 3270 signatures, and was 70 feet m length. The speakers included Messrs Dwan, Cooper, and Hutchison. The New Zealand Shipping Company have received telegraphic advices of the sailing of the s.s. British Queen for WeU lington. Taking hei passage at 50 days, she may be looked for about the 13th of May. Nothing has yet transpired regarding" the appointment of a successor to Mr John ELnowles as TTnder-secrectary for Public Works, although the matter is said to have been discussed m Cabinet,

Mr Bentley wishes us to inform " Citizen" through our columns that he proposes convening a public meeting at an early date, at which to submit certain pro- 1 posals with regard to the inauguration of a ■ fire bripade. We trust the public will take this necessary matter up with warmth. We learn that a new Dailding is about beine erected for occupation by Messrs Hallenstein,of the N-Z. Clothing Factory, | m the site between Mr Rowley's barber shop, and the Exchange Buildings, m the Square. The building is to have a handsome front elevation, and will be a worthy addition to the other buildings m the Squnre. Mr Waldergrave owns the land. The cremation furnace at Gotha celebrated its fourth anniversary on Dec. 9. by burning its hundredth, subject. 0* these burnt offerings seventy-five were men and twenty-five women, while as to religion, sixty-six were Protestants, twentyeight Catholics, and bix Jews. It is probable (says the Auckland Herald) that at no period hitherto m the history- of the colony has there been a concurrence of circumstances all pointing to the coming prosperity of this portion of New Zealand. The '• Lake County Press" says that one of the farms on the Crown terrace has yielded 150 bushels lo the acre. In cutting this crop the machine could not be used m the ordinary way* It had to cut along the side and return idle, then go into the crop again. This was not the only difficulty, for there was not actual room to stnok the sheaves. The straw was about five feet six inches long, and the ears one foot long. The Mataura Ensign states that George Ruttbula, the last of the Ruapuke natives resident on Stewart Island, and a white 1 man named were drowned the other day near Ruapuke, owing to a sud« den squall striking and upsetting their ' boat. The Medical Press relates that at Chester, England, an inquest was held over the body of a man who had been more or less drunk for forty consecutive years He, his wife, and his son had been m the babit of drinking the droppings of various •tap-houses m the town — a beverage which they purchased for about a shilling a gallon. It is a curious fact that the only night he had been sober for many years ,- was that upon which he died. Mr Milner Stephens, the magnetic healer, is now m Dunedin. Mr Stephens threatens the Oamaru Mail with a libel action m consequence of the paper having termed termed him an " impostor," and asks the proprietor to insert an apology and three columns of testimonials. George Jones declines to do any such thing. A machine for counting sheep has been invented and put m operation m Cali* j f ornia. It is placed man opening of the fence, and registers every sheep that passes it. It is calculated that 28,369 persons are employed m the work of carrying on the Government of Ireland exclusive of soldierß and police' We (Waikato Times) are sorry to have to report that Mr Firth has suffered considerable loss through, the interruptions to his harvest operations, caused by the late wet weather. There are still some 700 acres of wheat standing which cannot be now saved, while much of thai already cut was greatly damaged. Mr Firth's loss will amount to several thousand pounds, as the crop was an exceptionally heavy one. Writing of *' boons to men," says the Asian Sporting Paper, what greater boon can there be for human beings than the Cola nuts, of which we are told that " they snpoort the strength, allay inordinate ap« petite, assauge thirst, and promote diges« tion." If once brought into general use, they will probably do more to stop drunkenness than all the teetotal societies nnd blue ribbon armies put together. Swallowing a single nut ground up and made into paste with water or spirit, takes away all signs of intoxication within half-an-hour, whilst, if the nut is simply chewed, a great disinclination is felt for all drink. The Australian Megical Gazette writes dolefully about the bad teeth of the people of Sydney, attributing this to the fact that they use what is practically rain water for drinking and culinary purposes, m which the silica required for the formation of teeth is a- wanting. The difficulty, however, seems to lie deeper than that. Bad teeth, indeed, seem to be a defect of 19th century civilization, as they seem to be now the rule everywhere. Mr John Bennie, evidently contemplates bop-growing on a huge scale, for we (Wauj. anui Chronicle) hear that he has entered into a contract with Mr J."H. Ash worth, of Taonui, to cut 8000 poles. An English mail will be despatched by the sS. British King, which sails from Lyttelton for London direct on Wednesday next, and is expected to reach Lona don m45 days. The mail will be cons veyed from Wellington on Wednesday. Letters should be specially marked " British Kinsr."