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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 305, 26 December 1874, Page 2

I A facetious writer in (he Chrietcburch Press in one of his recent contributions says : — There's a kindhearted old gentleman lives — well I forget where—but not in Chmtchurch anyhow. He lends money. He can't help it, he says. He likes it. He makes a rule never to ask more than forty per cent, and that only to personal friends. He makes money out of his business as n rule. He has a loss now and then. I'm goiog to tell you of one of them. He was sitting in his office when an old dried-up man about seventyflve year* of age came in and said he had just got £500 left him and, bein^ a childless orphan, he said he didn't expect he could last much longer, and had lost interest in things generally. The lender of money said he thought he might pive him a hundred a year for his £500, and this closed the bargain. Now moat people would have played fair, and died after a couple of years' comfort, but this dear old cripple did>therwiee. It ia now fifteen years since he bought his annuity, and he still lives. Year after year does this meek, childless old man walk into the office of the money lender and draw his cheque, and then that money lender prances round the room, and blesses the man who invented annuities, and Ihrowa Jedgera aboat, and makes it lively for his clerk, and the meek old lonely orphan goes away down slreet, and feels every year more and more that he has not lived in vain." It is to be feared says the Lyttellon Times, that the price of wheat will be low after next harvest, as the wheat crop appears to be almost universally

good this year, England wiJI not require to import nearly so much aa she has done For several years previously. We hear from reliable sources that in South Australia they are expecting fourteen bushels per acre, *vhich, it may be remarked, is about double their average yield. &l)ould theso expectations be realised, South Australia will export about 200,000 tons. Making due allowance for the somewhat sanguine temperament of -our Auslialian neighbours, we think there is little chance of the price of wheat being high during the ensuing year. Hut Canterbury farmers have more than one string to their bow, and they must console themselves with the thought that if the price of wheat is likely to be low, there is every probability of oata selling at remunerative rates. Tbe results achieved by advertising are wonderful. You never see a man who has commenced advertising in real earnest leave cff. It i a only by putting his claims prominently and persistently before tbe public that'an advertisement can hope to succeed. We have known some wonderful things done by advertisements, but cannot say that so striking an instance of the power of an advertisement ever came under our notice as the one we are about to relate. The American paper from which we quote saya:— "A family in Florida lost a little boy, nod advertised for him in a daily paper. That very afternoon an alligator crawled up out of the swamp and died on the front door step. In hia stomach were found a handful of red hair, some hone buttons, a pair of boot heels, a glasa alley, a pair of check pants, and a paper collar, and the newspaper contaiuing the advertisement. Of course the announcement did if." Late telegrams from England hay? mentioned the sailing of a Steamer named tbo Osyth from London (which she left on tbe. Sib of November), for Melbourne. This vessel is a new fullpowered screw steamer, of 3600 tons register, and engines of 500 horsepower, capable of working up to 2500 h.p. She belongs to the Orient line, and is deecribed os being the moat powerful steamer ever placed in the Australian trade. She is expected to solve the problem of a forty-five days' voyage from the Thames to Hobson's Bay. The members of the scientific expedition on board H.M.S. Challenger appear to have been anything but delighted with either the climate or the people of Wellington, if the Standard's correspondent on board ia lo be trusted. Writing from Levuka under date Ist August, he says, after mentioning their departure from Port Nicholson : "It was with but little regret that we left the shores of New S^alaod, it being at this time of year (midwinter) a bleak, stormy, inhospitable place, void of amusements, and the residents showiDg but little of the hospitality and kindness we baj so recently experienced in Sydney." DuriDg the recent spell of fine weather good progress has bsen made in the railway works. On the Pakihia between Sergeant's Hill and Fairdown the two gangs of men working from either end at cutting aud grading the line, have now very nearly met, and that portion of tbe work completed, the only heavy work remaining will be the unfinished portion of the Sergeant's Hill cutting and the bridge across the Orawaiti. At the former, two shifts of men Gil up the time from 4 a m. lo 10 p.m. daily, and are making good progress, although some weeks will elapse before they get through the bill and slope off the " batter" on either side of the cutting to the necessary grade. So far the cutting has been through easily wrought drift, free from boulders or oth.Br obstructions. A layer of likely looking wash has been struck, giving the color of gold, and aa the drift is getting firmer as the cutting proceeds it is thought not impossible that payable dirt may be found. In such case the Sergeant's Hill Terrace will quickly get more turning over, as payable ground in that locality would suit-many, . — Times. Those marvellous French journalists have discovered a fact about the English people which quite escaped the notice of M. Tame when he was amongst them. Read our Parisian friend's little paragraph : — " The thing in England mo9t calculated to shock the foreigner is the unseemly manner in which funerals are conducted. The corpse is placed in a long black coach, aod upon the roof of this ride the friends and relations, their legs swing* ing in the air. When the burial service is over, the friends remount this coach and ride home again, laugh- , j Q gj joking, and evoking cigars. This is the habit even amongst the best, classes of English society." Of courße our bewildered friend has taken the mutea aud undertakers' men for "friends of the deceased." It does not matter much to us, only in France they quite believe if, and givo their shoulders an extra shrug when they mutter, " Oh, ces Anglais ! " Forward and loquacious youth : "By Jove, you know, upon my word, now —if I were to see a ghost, you know, I should be a chattering idiot for the rest of my life." Ingenious maiden (dreamily); "Have you seen a ghost?" (For remainder of News see fourth page.)

' r Alluding to Sullivan the murderer, the Otago^. Daily Times of the 17th instant, says:— We have ii now on the beat testimony that Sullivan is in Aua- : tralia. A New Zealand gentleman recognised him in Sydney while standing on the quay watching the passengers by the Paramatta, from London, land. He-saw one of ..them whom he was certain was Sullivan. Sullivan had set up for a dog fancier, having brought out a lot of Jogs and canaries with him. Sullivan, being known to this rrau, did not attempt to deny his identity, and apparently felt sore that he would not be "peached" upon to the police there. His discoverer, though puzzled lor a time with the appearance of Sullivan's whiskers and hair, was never for & moment doubtful that the face before' him was that of the Maungatapu murderer, Sullivan. Ho was well dressed, and managed to look greatly different to when on trial. The following week Sullivan was recognised by the same gentleman in Melbourne. His make-up then also was excellent. Each, time it was at the theatres, except the time on the quay, that he was recognised* He seemed to have plenty of money. He stated that the defectives in London so tracked him about that he had no rest, and that therefore he intended to make his way to the Australian Colonies once more, though he might stay in them only for a short time. The following extraordinary advertisement in the interest of Church > funds, appeared in a late issue of the Hawaiian' Gazette 1— " Ice Cream Festival and Promenade Concert. There will be given an entertain men t, . at the Hawaiian Hotel, on Tuesday evening, November 24, for the purpose of raising funds to purchase a new organ for the Bethel Church. In connection with the Ice Cream Festival, there will be the additional attractions of music aod tableaux. Doors open at seven to commence at half-past seven o'clock. Admission — one dollar ; children half-price. Per order of the committee." . Id a speech recently delivered in Toronto, the Governor- General of Canada, Lord Dofferio, referred to 0 .discussion on board ship when he was • ! going to Canada, and the case of the man who had "the misfortune to have too maoy children." Baiog celled upon in my torn to address the company, I alluded to this phrase, which had ' grated harshly on my ears, and remarked that perhaps no better idea could be given of the difference betweeu the old country and their new home than by the fact that whereas in England a , straggling man might be over- weighted in the battle of life by a numerous : family, in the land to which they were ; going a man could scarcely have too many children. Upon, which I was greeted with an approving thump on the back by a stalwart young emigrant, who cried oat, "Right you are, air! That's what Yvq been telling Emily/