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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 188, 31 July 1876, Page 4

One Californian settler Bent out one thousand pounds of silk coooons to the Exhibition. A candidate for local board honors recently (says the Standard) stated that being able to drive a team of bullocks was the best qualification for a commissionership and that no man should be on a board who had not experience in this art. "One of the favorite occupations of the humbler clssses at Bradford on Sunday is, it seems, gambling-," remarks the Pall Mall Gazette, Feb. 16, "and they have devised a novel and ingenious method of risking their money, which does credit to their inventive genius. On Sunday morning last two police detectives, who were on the watch for public gamblers, observed about 20 men who had stationed themselves on the banks of the stream running through the town. After looking about to see that no one was near to interfere with their amusement, each produced some splinters of wood from his pocket, one of which he threw into the stream. After a dead silence for a few seconds there arose a wild clamour of excitement as the splinters made their way down the stream. Shouts of 'two to one on raine,' 'Six to four on mine/ 'A hundred to eighty-five pints on mine,' broke the silence of the Sabbath morn os one splinter headed another in the race. A certain mark having at last been reached by one splinter, the settling took place on the spot; copper and even silver changing hands with great rapidity. The officers at once pounced down upon the gamblers, who, od bejpg charged before a magistrate, were sentenced each to pay 10s and costs. They acknowledged the fact of an interesting race having taken place, and also admitted that the ownerof the winning splinter received a penny from every loser. In some respects this splinterracing is an improvement on horse racing, aa it would be difficult, if not impossible, to 'nobble" a splinter." Your so-called practical joke, says the San Francisco yews Letter, is generally a piece ol vulgar, silly meanness. Last Sunday it was noticed that exactly twelve of our prominent ministers failed to officiate at their post, and this without due notice in advance. Several of the churches were closed, and at the rest tbe services were conducted by assistants and deputies. The reason for this has just come to light. A wicked and worldly young lady (whoso name we hold in reserve) was sufficiently inspired by the enemy of man and religion to write a note to paoh of these dozen pastors, late on the Saturday previous. These missives were all on tinted and perfumed paper, and ■ written in the big, slanting hand peculiar to nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand ladies iv this country. They each contained the ominous line: "All is discovered fly!" Nine of the dozen went out of the towa oa the same ferry-boat, and the rest are supposed to be at Los Angles orPescadero. How long will thoughtless people give unnecessary pain to others, just to gratify a coarse aud perverted idea of humor?