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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 61, 12 March 1874, Page 2

A Profitable Coalmine. — At "the twentieth half-yearly meeting of tbe Waratah Coal Company, the balance sheet showed at credit of profit and loss account, £36,941 9j 7d, which it was proposed to apply as under —viz., 1. In writing off the book value of the mine, £8627 16s Bd, 2. In paying a dividend at tb.9 rate of 70s per share, £5000. 3. In returning to the shareholders another £l per share towards replacement of capital, £10,000 — leaving a balance of undivided profit of £13.313 13 lid. Total, £36,941 9s 7d. 1380 acres of land adjoining the 1280 previously purchaeed have been secured for the company, whose landed property now consistß of 3739 acreß, 1829 of which are freehold, and the remaining 1810 leasehold. A shaft has already been sunk on the block of 2663 acres, and at a depth of 267 ft a seam of good workable coal, 10ft thick, has been found. Preparations are [ being made to connect this land with the company's railway; A third locomotive and a steam collier have also been ordered from England. A steam dredge has also been constructed to deepen the chunnel between Newcastle and Port Waratah, and the directors propose the erection of another jetty and- staith in order to meet the increased trnde of the company, — Newcastle (N.S.W.) Chronicle An English paper received by last mail says:-— At a meeting at Leamington of tbe Executive Committee of the National Agricultural Laborers' Union, Mr Arch stated that in a few weeks Mr Leggett, secretary of the Oxford district, would accompany a party of 500 emigrants from England to New Zealand. A goßsiper in the Melbourne Town and Country Journal relates a good story:— Did you ever hear of such effrontery? A young gentleman, who is the son of a very rich . Melbourne merchant, bad the cheek to tell his father the other day that he wanted to marry a governess. Considering that lus parent had married his own cook, it didnotseemtotheyouththafe there were rocks ahead. But he was mistaken. " Marry the governess," cried the old gentleman in a rage; "I'd sooner see you run away with a barmaid!" "But isn't it better to marry a governess than a cook ?" retorted tbe son rather severely. "• No fear," was the reply, " the one would save you a lot of money, the other would make you spend it." What true ideas of economy! . Bismarck and " His Majesty." — The struggle between the German Government and the Catholics is not altogether devoid of humorous incidents.

"On a daik night recently," says an exchange, "an artist surreptitiously > ornamented a wall in one of the German cities with a mammoth drawing/ of a cathedral; around it was a rope/t which Bismarck was represented tugging away with all his might, while his Satanic Majesty stands by curiously v regarding his efforts. The interpretation was furnißbeJ in the following dialogue printed beneath : — His Majesty—' What are you doing there ? ' Bismarck— 'l am going to pull down the Church.' His Majesty — * Oh, indeed ! You are going to pull down the Church J And how long do you think it will take you ? ' Bismarck— 'About three or four years.' His Majesty— • Indeed ! Well, I have been at the same job these 1800 years, and have not accomplished it yet. If you do it in three or four years, I will resign my office in your favor.' " A gentleman going down the river on a steamer, the engine of which was upon the deck, he wanted to see the working of the machinery. Near him stooJ a man apparently bent upon the same object. In a few moments a squeaking noise was heard on the opposite side of the engine. Seizing the oil-can — a gigantic one, by the way — the engineer sought out the dry spot and to prevent further noise of that kind, liberally applied the contents of the can to every joint. All went on well for awhile when the squeaking was / heard in another direction. The oiling process was repeated and quickly repeated, but as the engineer was coming quietly towards the spot occupied by the gentleman and the stranger, he detected the true cause of the difficulty. The stranger waß a ventriloquist. Walking up straight before him, he seized the astonished joker by the nape of the neck, and emptied the contents of the can down his back "There !" said he, " I don't believe that old engine will equak again."