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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 58, 8 March 1879, Page 2

A Liverpool firm is reported to have purchased a steamer for the purpose of importing live pigs from America. The vessel is being fitted up to hold over 2,000 pigs, as as cattle. The largest farm in the world is probably that which haa just been purchased by a New York joint-stock company in Northern New Mexico. It covers 250,000 acres and will be used for cattle and sheep raising! A good start has already been made with 5000 improved American cattle and 15 000 merino sheep. A speciea of Colorado beetle has made its appearance in South Russia, and during the last few weeks has destroyed more thau five million roubles' worth of corn. A new sort of social scandal has turned up m England. A lady of rank in London undertook to pay a tradesman's hill by presenting his wife at Court, an honor of which she was most ambitious. At the last moment the Lord Chamberlain found out who she was and refused to receive her. The lady says she performed her part of the condition. The tradesman has sued for bis bill. The late Major Whyte-Melville had (the Alhenmum says) a few days before his death placed in the hands of his publishers the manuscript of a new three-Volume novel.

It has been predicted by some philosophic uietists that dogs will yet become favourite food in civilisation. They contend that the dog is not only very palatable but thafc he is nourishing and entirely wholesome, and thafj when young and tender, he cannot be distinguished from the best mntton. The manufacture of jewellery from pure blood of the ox is flourishing in Germany. The blood is dried, reduced to a powder, and then moulded and polished. The ornaments thus produced are capable of high polish. At the recent wedding of Major Atwood of the United States army, now stationed at San Antonio, Texas, to the daughter of Richard King of St. Louis, " the cattle king of the west," the bride's father presented the bridegroom with the characteristic but rather awkward gift of 80,000 head of cattle. t)r. Schlieinann, says the London Truik,is again in luck. More earrings, more bracelets have turned up to hi 3 fortunate shovel. He has lately unearthed five separate treasures, each composed of numerous bracelets, earrings and lumps of gold. His latest " find " is a bronze vessel, in which were some bronze axes, as well a3 some silver ornaments ; the bulk of the contents, bowever, consisted of gold earrings, bracelets, beads and bars of gold' Many of the ornaments are very graceful in shape and of fine workmanship. A version of the real Solomontic story is to be found in China. As in the Hebrew tale, two women bad each of them an infant, one of which died by misadventure, the bereaved mother claiming the surviving child. The official before whom they came did not suggest so cruel a measure as division of the infant, but simply ordered tbafc it should be handed to a domestic in his yamen, to be brought up for official life. He rightly surmised that the real mother would gladly accept so good a chance for her offspring, while the pretended mother, who only wanted the child in order to dispose of it, would demur. Judgment was accordingly given in favor of the tearful acceptor of the proposition, and the story, which is alleged to be historical, is widely believed . The oil-producers of the Bradford county, Pa., district proposes to meet the enormous monopoly which controls the railroads and demands a rebate of one dollar a barrel on all oil shipped, bp laying a pipe line to sloop navigation on the Susquehanna river. The line will be of wrought iron, six inches in diameter, and will have a capacity of 8,090 barrels per day. The line.is to be constructed at once, and, if successful, will prove an effective blow at the Standard monopoly. The force of jealousy could no further go than in the recent case of a physician's wife in Pittsburgh. He had been in professional attendance upon a young lady during her last illness, and upon the occasion of her funeral was one of the guests. His wife was also present, and as the friends were about to take their last look at the dead girl's face, she created a decided sensation by rushing up to the coffin, excitedly declaring that her husband had loved the dead woman, and threaten to scratch his eyes out if he dared go near the body. She was forcibly ejected from the house. flight of a director of the Glasgow City Bauk is a startling incident, and has caused much comment. But there are many people who will find excuses for his conduct. I remember, a great many years ago now, a disaster of a character similar to the Glasgow Bank failure, although not of such magnitude, occurred. A director was called upon to forfeit everything he possessed towards satisfying the claims upon the fallen concern. " Then," said he, turning to the opposing counsel , " you deprive me of everything but my walking-stick; perhaps you would like to have that also " But they graciously allowed him to retain it, and he walked out of Court leaning on it for support. And support it turned out, in more senses than one; for, being hollow, the wily director had stuffed it with bank notes, to the tune of £30,000.— Mail.