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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 184, 4 August 1881, Page 2

A copy of Dr. Bailer's ''Birda of New Zealand " was sold in London the other day for £20. There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether Lord Beaconsfield— Benjamin Disraeli—died a Christian or a Jew. After much reflection on the subject, a thoughtful contemporary arrives at the conclusion that while the Earl of Beaconsfield undoubtedly died a Christian, Benjamin Disraeli, in all probability, died a Jew, Nine years ago Fannie Smith, a little girl, on her death bed, placed in the hands of the Rev. Samuel A. Mutchmore,of Philadelphia, 4d015,, and asked him to build " a church for poor people like us." The clergyman resolved that the girl's dying wish should be carried out, and has succeeded in erecting a massive stone church, costing 60,000 dols., the money having been given by persons who had become interested in the story of the dying girl's bequest. It is stated that the Grand Duke Michael possesses estates in the province of Pultova exceeding 150,000 acres, and yielding a net iucoma of £40,000 a year. This gam is largely due to the exertions of a model German steward, who pays the farm labourers fifteen copecks for working fifteen hours a day, or at the rate of one copeck per hour. The value of a rouble just now being twenty-five pence, this represents exactly a farthing an hour, or 3|d a day. No wonder Nihilism is rife among the Grand Duke'a starving farm labourers, and that the ■toward has to be protected wherever he goes by Cosiacks and police. ' A correspondent in a communication to the Daily News, encloses a letter from a gentleman who accompanied the sons of the Prince of Wales on their recent visit to Cetewayo. In his account of the visit this gentleman writes :—" With the two young princes he was more direct. After the usual formal courtesies and change of photographs, the two boys rose and expressed a wish to see Cetewayo's wives. 'Stay, my children,' said the ex-King, with a dignified wave of the hand, ' I have a word to say. Do you see that picture ?' pointing to a print of the Queen. • I think much when I look on that. You are the grandsons of that lady . I wish you to give her a message from me. I have been long down here ; no one has yet told me what wrong I have committed, nor given me an opportunity of answering for mj conduct. I do not know that I ever committed any wrong against the English. Yet they have taken me prisoner, and keep me here, and give no reasons. Tell your grandmother this, and say that when the war is over (the war in the Transvaal) I wou'.d ask her to let me visit England." A gathuriug of old identities lately took place at the leading hotel in Newcastle on the occasion of «• pension day." There were three veterans present whose ages were 91, 74, and 69 years respectively. The first of these old warriors fought under the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo, and was one of the few remaining survivors who were present at the memorable meeting of the Doka and Blucher. ' A gentleman who had to take the census in " a large public institution "—a workhouse apparently— in Lancashire, reJatss that one man, whose occupation he inquired, described himself as a loafer. Asked for a definition of the term, he gave the folio ring: "A fellow who lives upon everybody else, and who lives better than anyone eI&Q."

Attempts are being made to induce the Messrs'.' Brogden to go. on with the Otago Central Railway, upon the terms propo£e# % the Government. Among the gentlemen proposed as candidates for election- as members of the Dunedin Jockey Club lately,- was the .Chinese merchant, Sew Hoy There is an " artist " physician in New York whose specialty is extracting the red bloom from topers' noses and making them ot a virgin whiteness. He finds plenty of pntrons. fn view of the increasing demand , for Accident Insurance in New Zealand, the Directors of the N. Z. Accident Insurance Company have decided to publish tables for partial, in addition to total disablement, for a small extra preminm,so that for every scratch, break, sprain, bruise, pinch, tear, or any external iiijury of ever so slight a character, so as to in any way inconvenience a policy holder from following his usual avocation with as much ease aa he did prior to such injury, compensation equivalent to extent of injury and premium paid, will be given by the Company. When it is Considered tbat a larger number of accidents happen in New Zealand than in any part of the world, the usefulness of the Company should commend itself to all.