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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 120, 21 May 1879, Page 2

The lady who writes over the signature of Roberts in the Washington GV/^ita/piingently remarks— " Life j 3 short, but extremely various, and it is the female portion of this territorial globe that prevents it from becoming monotonous. A niah can be mean, base, and dishonorable; but a woman, when she starts out in that line, has the inside tracli. I know this to be true, because I am a woman, and- 1 am morally certain thtifc when I start out to be mean and disagreeable, I can bean auy two men liviug." Messrs Short and M'Murdo, rival insurance agents, are now in Wanganui busily engaged in " taking lives." An irate bnt casuistic correspondent of the Wanganui Herald wants to know why the peripatetic agents now pestering the good folks of ;Wanganui are not apprehended. He argues that as the list men on the racecourse were turned off by the police, so should Messrs Short and M'Murdo be cautioned or taken into custody at once. The list men offer 5 to 1 against a certain horse doing a certain thing, that is, winning a race. The agents in question go to a man and say in effect, we offer you so many pounds to one that you will not die before a certain time. The man becomes a particeps cr mini* by accepting the offer and depositing his money, and by keeping the bet alive by renewing the deposit quarterly or yearly as arranged. If the man dies he wins the bet, and his survivors take the money- if he lives to a good old age, the Insurance Company win by receiving from the mau more money than they guarantee to payA most extraordinary freak of nature (says the Moruya Liberal) was related byDr King to several gentlemen, which forms qaite a study for naturalists. Some short time since Mrs King lost her wedding ring whilst mixing up some food for the fowls, and had given up all hopes of finding it. Yesterday morning, whilst partaking of an egg, she felt something hard inside, and upon examination found her ring embedded in the white of the egg. This circumstance is really wonderful, and appears almost in<redible, but as Dr King vouches for its accuracy, we believe it to be true. It is certainly a " nut " we cannot crack, and will form a problem for the scientific to solve. The Governors of the Wellington College (says the /W)have succeeded in staving off for a time the most pressing of their pecuniary difficulties. This has been effected, however, at very heavy expense, and almost by a lucky accident. The sacrifice of a part of the most profitable endowments of the College appeared inevitable, when by a fortunate chance a stranger visited Wellington with a sum of .£30,000 available for remunerative investment. With this gentleman an arrangement was made that he should lend the College Governors £5000 for five years at 10 per cent. In the present condition of the money market no better terms could be obtained, but the transaction practically involves a loss of quite £1000 to the College in the excess of interest which has to be paid. The Wellington Chronicle is responsible for the following :— At a private meeting of creditors in a small estate yesterday, the following colloquy took place :— Chairman to bankrupt : " What are your liabilities ?" Bankrupt : " God only knows" Chairman : " What are your assets ?" Bankrupt : " Nothing." Chairman ; " What proposals have you to make?" "Bankrupt : "None." Chairman : " What did you call us here for? Bankrupt -. " Just to see what you would suggest." The creditors set up a laugh, and the bankrupt joined in it ; and the company adjourned to the Commercial Hotel, where the Chairman shouted " phiz." A meeting of the unemployed was held at Christchurch on Saturday last in front of the new Postoffice. Mr John Lee, better known in Christchurch as " Jack Lee." ascended the pedestal and opened the proceedings by addressing those present as " fellow-workmen." He said the object of the meeting was to devise some means of relief during the present great stagnation which existed. They ought to give everyone to understand that they intended to put their shoulders to the wheel and make that to their advantage which was now to their disadvantage. They ought to assert their rights as men ; they had been brought out to the colony under false pretences at great personal sacrifice. (Hear, hear). Mr Lee then proceeded to decry the Government agents who were drawing their thousands. He said that they must compel the Government to give them work. The best thing they could do would be to select a number of members to get up a petition to the Government, who were bound to find them employment. A man named Charles Clemens next addressed the meeting. They had been told they would get work all the year rouud, but for his part he had got only one month's work since January. If he could have Fs way he would have Sir Julius Yogel strung up by the heels. (A voice : Let him die). He was not fit to let die. The country was fit only for women. There were too many public-houses. If they earned a shilling they spent it there, if they gave the shilling to the women they spent it there too. Why, the women were the ruin of the men. (Applause. A voice : What about Chinamen ?) The speaker : Let them live. They were all sent into the world to do their best, whether red, black, or yellow.— After the speaker had concluded, about a dozen consented to act as a committee. An arrange rnent was made that a meeting should take place on Monday. The people then dispersed. The proceedings were orderly throughout. Two men, says the Sun, were out shooting the other day in South Canterbury; one had a license, the other hadn't. A keeper approached, and the one that had a license ran away. The ranger was a good runner, and an exciting race ensued over about a mile and a half of nice ploughed ground. At last the ranger got up to the runaway. " Now, sir, where's your license ?" It was produced. " Then why the did you run away ? " "Oh, I'm fond of exercise," answered the man; "but don't you think you'd better ask my friend if be has one ? " Lady Customer: "My little boy wishes for a Noah's Ark; have you one ? "—Toyman : "No, mum, no; we've giving up keeping Noah's Harks since the School Board 3 come in; they was considered too Denominational, mum ! " The following new regulation has been made by his Excellency the Governor, under " The Salmon and Trout Act, 1867":— "If any person shall by any means take or catch any salmon in any stream, river or tidal water he shall forthwith return such salmon alive to the stream, river, or tidal water in or from which the same was caught or taken. Any person knowingly and wilfully committing a breach of this regulation shall be liable to forfeit, and pay such sum of money, by way of penalty, not exceeding £100, as the Justices imposing such penalty shall think fit." The Ashburton Mail suggests that owing to the approach of the wet season, the activity