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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 132, 4 June 1879, Page 2

A certain hotel in town narrowly escaped being burned a few evenings ago, (says the Post). It appears that a convivial party of three were refreshing themselves in the barparlor, when one of them thought he saw a fly in his whisky, ahd threw it on the fire. The consequence was that iv about a second the whole room was in a blaze, and the persons present were rushing about in a confused manner trying to save their whiskers and their eyes. They managed to protect their eyes, but their whiskers and hair suffered considerably. The room was iv danger for a short time, but fortunately the fire was extinguished before much damage was done. The men say they will not be there when whisky is thrown into the fire again. The Inangahua Herald says that the road south of the Saddle towards Squaretown, "'is so rough as actually to shake the sealing-wax off the mail-bags." This certainly must be a rough road to travel. " Bridget," said a lady to her cook, "you can bring up the tomatoes undressed, when my husband comes home to dinner." When dinner was served, to the astonishment of the gentleman and the horror of her mistress, Bridget appeared with the tomatoes in her bare feet, and nothing on but a solitary abbreviated garment of the most primitive description. « What on earth do you mean?" gasped the lady. « What do I mane," cried Bridget; "and shure, mann, ye tould me to sarve the tomaters uudressed; but divil another stitch will I take off, if I lave my place this blissed minute." A Napier telegram says:— Mr M. B. Miller reports the sale of Mr M. J. G. Kfcross's Motuotaraia station, 14,600 acres, freehold, with 16,000 sheep, 200 cattle, and plant, for £40,000 sterling to Mr William Saunders, of Otego; | J

The New Zealcfakr of Saturday says .—A j vast crowd of people assembled at the Basin ] Reserve last eveuing to witness the novelty of football played with the aid of the electric light. There must have been at least two thousand persous, aSults and juveniles, on the ground, and the fence round the whole reserve was thickly fringed with a multitude of spectators, evidently impressed with the idea that from cuonocraic considerations distance lent enchantment to the view. The apparatus for efe-play of the light was fixed in the centre of the stand, and the light was generated on the ground floor, the motive power being given by a steam engine afc the rear of the building. The experiment as a first attempt may be considered fairly successful. The light was displayed from one bttrner Only, and for a time was erratic in its tendency, blazing in dassaling brilliancy for a minute or two and then suddenly disappearing. However, after a good many baulks, a fairly steady light was obtained, and the play commenced, and was carried on vigorously with occasional intermissions as the ' light flrent out again. The effect, when the light was at its best,- was extremely good, wherever the rays were brought to bear by the rotatory motion of tfae reflector the whole scene was lighted up as if by a sublimed sunshine, bright colors being intensified, aud every fan and detail of building structure brought oufc in clear relief. Even far up on the hills, at the back of the College it was quite possible, when the full rays of the light were shed in that direction, to discern the green hue of the herbage there. Quite certain.-— A poor son of the Emerald Isle applied for employment to an avaricious hunks, who told him he employed no Irishmen, " For the last died on my hands, and I was forced to bury him at my own charge." " Ah, your honor," said Pat, brightening up, " and is that all ? Then you'll Rive me the place, for sure I can get a certificate that I never dted in the employ of any master I iver served." The Irishman's poser. — In a jovial company each asked a question. If it was answered the questioner had to pay a forfeit ; or, if he could not answer it himself, he paid a forfeit. An Irishman' 3 question was, " How does the little ground squirrel dig his hole without showing any dirt about the entrance ?" When the rest all gave it up, Pat said, " Sure, do you see, he begins at the other end of the hole." One of the resfc exclaimed, " But how does he get there ?" " Ah," said Pat, <• that's your question ; can you answer it yourself ?" At a recent sitting of the Hokitika Borough Council a letter was received from 27 repectable citizens aad ratepayers, calling special notice to the large number of applications for publicans' licenses in that district, and asking the Council to make such representations to the Licensing Bench as would induce the limitation of issue of licenses to those hotelkeepers only who can (in addition to good repute) provide the necessary accommodation for travellers in the way of beds, meals &o. It so happens that the Hokitika Council comprises five publicans amongst its eight'membera, and some among them evaded tho responsibility by arguing that it wouM ba interfering with the police if the Council ) made [the required recommendation. It need scarcely be said that these were uot the proprietors of the best hotels in the borough— New Zealander. Mr Sheehan has long been known (says the Auckland Free Lance) for the excellence, if not for the purity, of his songs, and we were not surprised to here that, tempted by the Buceess of Ofcphefie, he tried the effect of one of hts best on tne Kingites. The result, however, proVir-s fchat tbe Native Ministec is not a musician equal to Orpheus, or that the Kingitea are more obdurate than mountains.