LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 194, 14 July 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A purchaser is in want of a team of working bullocks. 4 The date of Mr Greenwood's next visit to Paloierstou is published in pur advertising columns. There has been an extraordinary increase in lunacy in the colony duriug the past year. On the 31st March last, 3,960 deferred payment settlers in the colony were in arrears to the extent of £23,498 6s 3d. The Lytteltou Times says that the 69 cats shown at the Christchurch Cat Show were valued by their owners at £5304 11s, an average of £76 17s 6d each. What do the butchers say to this ?'■ • Human, nature is queer. A mdn who is. not of a very lovable nature was always kind to little children. " When I was a. boy," ho replied, " I was thumped airtl kicked around, and didn't get a kind word or look from one week's end to another, so I know how much children thiuk of kindness." At an auction sale tke other day a marine view was being knocked down at a handsome figure, when a bluff sailor, who had . happeued to wander in, exclaimed, earnestly, "My stars ! if there ain't a vessel drifting on the rocks with a strong breeze blowing off shore." The artist took his word home to re-arran*e the wiud. A letter received from a lady residiug near London, who has received two or three frozen lambs direct from Dunedin, says : — " We are given to. uuderstand that you kill yonr animals in Australia by steaming them, and then freezing, heuce the' ied gravy which runs out when the meat is cooked. We do not like this idea. Is it true?" : This is (says the Star) interesting, as one of the! many .strange notions which prevail at Home about the colonies- and the frozen meat trade. ' A careful and learned observer tejls a ; significant story. It is of four hungry flies and their fate. Desiring to satisfy their craving, one p£ them alighted on a sausage, a second on a bag of flour, and a third on a drop of milk. After a slight repast they all fell dead. The sausage, was colorod with aniline, the flour mixed with plaster of Paris, and the milk contained chalk. The fourth fly, in despair at the sad end of her companions, resolved to commit suicide. With this object she flew upon one of those prepared papers that you damp with water, and pumped vigorously at it for some minutes. But it was of no avail. The "poisoned paper" itself was adulterated ! [ At the last meeting of the SandonCarnarvon Road Board a letter was read from Mr Hoe, secretary to the Mauawatu Road Board, stating that the engineer had estimated the cost of the bridge over the Oroua river, connecting the Longburn and Campbelltown road, to be £1,756. As the plans bad to be in Wellington by the 30th June, the board would be open to receive and act upon any suggestion the Sandon-Carnarvon board injght make as to the beßt means of borrowing the money for erecting the bridge. The Chairman explained that, the matter being urgent, he had replied Ito the letter, recommending the board not to construct a bridge, but to improve the ford. After some conversation, in whicli Warden Sanson dissented from the course ialcen \>y the Chairman, if; was resolved, ? { That all correspondence be laid before the board before replies are sent thereto."