Misscellaneous Items.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1468, 30 September 1885, Page 4

Mi sscellaneous Items.

According to a recent report on t.'ie Alberta district of the Canadian NorthWest geologists have determined the entire district to he one vast coal field, containing an undeterminable quantity of coal which underlies a soil of great foitility. Of the hundred thousand square miles \vhu:h comprise the area of the district of Alberta, fully 50,000 are specially' adapted to the raising of stock, being, m other words, grazing lands. The greater portion of theso pasturage lands lie south of the Bow lliver, but practical ranchmen, who are engaged m the business m the district, who have , travelled as far north as the Peace River m Athabasca, have declared ihe country for the whole distance along the base of the Rocky Mountains' well adapted to the raising of cows and sheep. , We are always m these days trying to . .separate the two :we want one man to be always thinking, and another man to alw«ys ho working, and we call onoa jjpsritleman and the other an operative; "*~ whereas, the workman ought often to be thinking, and the thinker often to be working, and both should be gentlemen m the best sense. As it is wb make both ungentle, the one envying, the other despising his brother, and the mass of society is made of morbid thinkers and miserable workers.— John Buskin. Advices received by the late mail confirm the report ihat Mrs Langtry lias made up her mind after another American tour, to visit Antf ralia and New Zealand. It also said that Mary Anderson's Australian tour is now a positive certainty. The Era officially announces that she leaves England immediately on a tour through the United States and round the world. Sarah Bernhardl, who pays a visit to the" Brazils next winter, it is further stated, his received tempting offers from J. C. Williamson for a short trip round the Australias. Two litigious young, counter-jumpers came before the "Resident Magistrate on Tuesday morning (says the YVanganui Herald.) One of the rairrn<?n named Johnston, sued tiie other, Hartnett, for damage done to a hat, valued at 14s 6d The defendant pleaded time both himself and his opponent were '" Infants," and that therefore the case must be dismissed. His Worship asked both parties as to whether they wore "infants" and ascertaining that they were, advised them to fro homo to their mothers, and off they went enjoying the joke. A draper's assistant m Christchnrch last Saturday lost a roll of notes amounting to £90 m the street, and was fortunate enough to find m the evening paper an advertisement of the. finding of them next to the announcement of bis loss. ■ The Chancellor of the Exchequer, aays the Pictorial World, vyishes to be known m future as Sir Michael Beach. He has requested some of his friends — as a personal favor— not to add the name of Hicks. Sly Reynolds going to spiflicate the Evening Press for saying he'd had too much soda water on Sunday morning! Says it was'n't soda water! Claims £1000 damages! He is a Scotchman and there was'n't a surgeon ready wh"n he read his evening paper !■ — Puff m the Evening Press. We (Star) have to acknowledge receipt of post card, bearing the Palmerston postal mark. The sender has omitted to write his message on the back; or even to attach his signature, so we remain m ignorance of his wishes or intentions. A rumor comes from Mackenzie Country that what is believed to answer to the description of a " taniwha "— that mysterious amphibian which the Maoris have, ever since tho Europeans first came to New Zealand, held still existed m some of the lakes— was recently seen on the border ot Lake Pukaki. It appears several shepherds were firing tussocks close to the edge of the lake at dusk, when they observed a large black object, which they at srst took to be a boat keel upwards. On approaching it, however, it made a snd<hn dash for the lake, m the waters of which it dissapearpd. The names of the men who witnessed the occurrence have been handed to a Southern pappr as vouchers for its truth. The last place a taniwha is reported to have been seen wns m the Wairarnpn Lake, m the Wellington provincial district. ' : Them am 25 lighthouses m New Zealand, five of stone, five of iron, and th« remainder of timber, the cost of erection bfifn« £150,895 11s Bd, and the cost of supplying and keeping up of which during the past financial year waR £14,813 6s Bd. During the same period the casualties among shipping on or near the coist of the Colony were as follows:— 30 steamers, of '3578 tons, met with accidents, four of which became total wrecks ; the loss of life, however, was small, being only two. Thirty-three sailing vessels, of 5944 tons (of which 13 were totally lost) were more or less damaged, involving a loss of 40 lives, making the total loss m this respc-ct of 48 prrsons It is said that the natives are deter-min-'.l to make all they can out of (he construction of the ("Mitral railway. For Mr O'U'i-Mi'H camp <>f 40 acres near th*> BirejrF lh'- work Ih-v r-«ju*r« a rent of £5" ;>'•!• >i!i:in*ii !»■!• ' fn-f" hlro £5 for evi-ry tn;i- r quired 'nr h^BTing.