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Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1581, 14 December 1885, Page 2

Mr Manson, teacher of the Pudman Creek puhlic school (New South Wales) hail a narrow escape from a sudden and terrible death, on the night of the 10th November. lie accompanied a friend to tho Yass railway station, a distance of 20 miles, ami aft or seeing him off retraced his stops homewards, leading the horse his friend had ridden. Not knowing of the approach of the express, and being unabla to hear it owing to the strongwind blowing, he proceeded to cross the railway, when, to his surprise, he saw the train dash round the curve, only 200 yards distant. He instantly dismounted and endeavored to the horses oft the lino : hnt m vain. Both horses were killed ; one cut m pieces. So close was Mi* Manson to the train, that the whip was caught from his hand by the engine. The driver seeing it, put back the train to see what had occurred. The guard warmly congratulated Mr Manson on his wonderful escape. In the town of Vitabella, province of Castellon, Spain, a couple of %yell-to do people were recently married, and celebrated the event with a grand dinner. All who ate of that dinner, including the bride and bridegroom, and the poor, among whom the remains of the feast were distributed, were suddenly seized with symptoms ot poisoning. No fewer than seventeen died, and over sixty were m a critical condition. From a local paper, it appears that the father of the bride owed a small sum of money, which he would not or could not pay. The creditor went to see him just as the dinner was being prepared and threw some poison into one of the dishes. The Chinese are said to make varnish by beating together fresh blood with quick lime, which is extensively used as a coating for wooden articles, whic'i they wish to make completely water-tight. Even baskets of straw used for the trans Dortation of oils are made fit for the purpose by means of this varnish. Pasteboard coated with it becomes, both m appearance and firmness, like wood. Articles requiring to be absolutely impervious are varnished twice, or at most three times, by the Chinese. Messrs Stevens and Gorton's stock sale at Bulls takes place to-morrow at 1 p.m. Judging from tho entries, there should be a successful sale. A Woolwich correspondent of the Daily News vouches for the fact that there is an old man employed as night porter at the workhouse, Plumstead. who has not been to bed for nearly seven years. He sometimes dozes m his chair at the lodge-gate, but i« seldom undisturbed for half an hour at a time, and the longest sleep lie his had m the seyen years is said to iiave been one stretch of three hours. He is 74 years of age, but quite active and m capital health ; he is never off dutv,'oxcept »rhen he takes a day's holiday ; but after concluding his night-watch at the gate ha goes on a d*u*-watch as assistant porter at the workhouse, and does this double task without relief or change for months together. Our local cricketers have discovered a happy knack of making money by going m for sheep-farming. They purchase store sheep, fatten them on the grass of the cricket ground, and then run them m to the Burnside market. We are informed that thoy hive cleared about £10 this season already. The sheep nibble the grass close, and save the expense of paying a man wages for cutting it. We should like to hear of the Cricket Club : that can " rub this out." — Taieri Advo- \ cate. 1