LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 154, 28 May 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Zealand Shipping Company have beeu advised by cable that the s.s. Tongariro arrived (all well) at Rio Janeiro on Saturday last, having passed through Magellan Straits, and made a quick run of 21 days from Lytteltou. She left again for Plymouth on Sunday. It is stated by men well versed m matters pertaining to pastoral pursuits that about 10,000,000 sheep have been Jost m Queensland and New South Wnles through the effects of drought. Sheep are likely to be high priced this winter. A steamer has sailed from New York loaded with agricultural tools and cottou and woollen goods for the coining exhibition m the Corean capital. She went by way of Suez, and the melancholy confession is made that she will be the first American steamer that has ever taken a cargo throngh this canal. The present editor of the Wanganui Chronicle, who will shortly occupy the fame position m the Wellington morning paper, is advertising m the Wanganui papers for three or four first-class walking sticks of New Zealand woods. He is evidently preparing for eventualities m his new sphere. A meeting of the Acclimatization Society will be held on Friday next at 3 o 'clock at which the principal business will be to consider the advisability of introducing trout ova this season. A reward of £100 has been offered by the Wellington Underwriters' Association for the discovery of the person who attempted to burn down the Arcade. One morning recently the Secretary to the Association received a letter from a boy claiming the reward, on the ground that he was the first to give the alarm. He has not yet received the £100. A telegram from Kingston, Ontario, to the Toronto Mail, tells this story :— " A resident of Collinsby objected to a man paying his respects to his danghter, and set a large rat-trap at the spot tyjr which the lover would surely pass Tne parent wasnot aware that his wife, was visiting when he set (ho trap, About 10 o'clock at night he was aroused by the screams of his wife, who had one of her feet caught m the trap, but she was released by the lover, who was m the parlour at the time, before the husband arrived. The young man is now a welcome visitor at the house." The engagement of the Duke de Morny to the eldest Miss Rothschild is announced. The duke is well known as a dissipated scapegrace. This is the young lady who was at one time engaged to James Gorton Bennet, the proprietor of the biggest newspaper m the world. Mr Croesus (to Mrs C, as they go home from the dinner party). — Well, after the ladies left, we had coffee m cups that, so help me! did't hold two teaspoousful, an' I told old What's-his-name that give the dinner that folks called me mean, but I never cut things down to such a dashed fine poiut as that. At a depot for the sale of frozen meat m Landport, near Portsmouth, England, tho proprietor commenced m December, 1883, with two sheep per week, and the demand has so increased that he now disposes of over five hundred per week. Mr Willis' shop m Wanganui is to be lighted by electricity ou Saturday. The jockey Cahill, who was so badly injured at the Wanganui races it? now m a more conscious state, and the symptoms are altogether more favourable. Feilding is looking up. According to tho local paper a' quarter acre section of laud, situated m Fergusson-street, has changed hands for the sum of £400, or at the rate of £3200 perc acre. St. John's Church, Brisbane, is m a state of hubbub. The churchwardens refused to pay the washerwomen 26s for washing surplices. The rector got hold of the collection money and paid it himself. The bishop and churchwardens declare that such a course is illegal, and there is the old gentleman to pay over the business. From an American exchange, we learn that immense quantities of artifical butter are manufactured and sold m the States. Of 30 samples purchased m New York and Brooklyn only -ten were found to be pure butter. The others were butteriue and oleomargarine, the constituents of which preparations are inferior butter, suet, oil, milk, and lard. The imitations are said to be far superior m appearance and flavor to much genuine butter of poor quality. In one case a Detriot gentleman congratulated his host upon the unusual excellence of tho butter set before him, and was greatly surprised to learn that it was manufactured at a butterine establishment. In Geraldine County, the Road Boards give 3d a dozen for small bird's eggs. Our Board the other day reported havinS paid for and destroyed no less than 8500 dozen of eggs. The drought is not yet over on the other side. At Wilcannia a well has been let to a squatter at £100 a week.the lessee to pay the expense of raising the water. Chaff is 25s a bag, flour from 70s to 80s a bag, and potatoes lOd per lb. The Daily Times' Wellington correspondent says that Sir Julius Yogel has engaged rooms m Thorndon for the session, intending to prosecute his claim against Government for £6250, being one-eigth per cent, commission for services m connection with the floating o± the five-million loan. It is asserted that the horse epidemic m Queensland is caused by insect life m chaff, especially m lucerne. The heat of the stomach increases the size and ! activity of tho insects, which then irritate the membrane of the small intestine, and cause paralysis of the abdominal muscles and death. It has been recommended that the chaff be scalded an hour before it is used. The Bishop of Liverpool, stated that there was no likelihood of Uie different schools m the church giving way to each other, and that unless the God of Mercy interposed, the church could not long subsist, but must go to pieces and perish. He could not see the approaching death of such a grand old church as the Reformed Church of England without deep sorrow. A worthy parson (who is a little too ready to employ the langnage o£ the pulpit m every day conversation) was driving m his buggy to hold a service when ho was hailed by a man on horseback, " Have you come far along the road ?" His Reverence—" Oh, yes — some thirty miles." " Well, did you see any horses on the road ? I'm looking for lost horses." " I did not see any horses." said tho little parson, impressively, " and, m fact, friend, I ara myself seeking lost sheep." The bushman stared at the parson's coat, then at the buggy, and ejaculated, " Oh that bo hanjed for a yarn," as he rode off, incredulous.