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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 200, 23 August 1881, Page 3

r ■__»____-____-_______. L , A Grabamstown telegrsm says:— There is a great deal of litigation here iv mining circles jnst now. The Warden has caused 1000 plaints to be laid against original pegger.-out of claims not worked by tbem, so as to decide tbe question of the titles. If Sir William Fox (remarks the Dunedin Star) should prove successful in the resolution he has on the Order Paper forthe prohibition of tbe sale of intoxicating liquors in tbe Parliament buildings, the work of the party whips will be very materially increased, as well as tbeir necessary expenditure. Drawing the public houses all over tbe town previous to a division will prove a troublesome and somewhat costly process, whilst the consideration suggests itself that if certain honorable gentlemen got to noisy over the undeniably excellent tipple of Bellamy's, what may be their state after local whiskey and the marvellous effects of Wellington artists in malt liquors. The ship Rakaia (says the Herald) brought to Auckland an old colonist in the shape of a cow that some months ago was sent to England, on board the ship Wanganui, to supply milk on tbe voyage Home. On the arrival of that vessel at the p-rt of Loudon, the cow was transhipped to the Sakaia, and arrived at this port on the I Oth instant The cow now gives about a pint of milk per diem, and has not suffered from her trip round the world. Sir Stafford Northcote, in addressing the annual meeting of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, remarked that for tbe first time in 4? years tbe name of New Zealand, so dear to tbe missionary heart, did not appear in the records of the society ss deriving any assistance from its funds. Nsw Zealand had become self-sup-porting. _ This statement was received with great satisfaction by the crowded audience. A well-known horse named Lolo, who was disposed of some years Bgo for £100, was purchased oot of the Camden (N.S.W ) pound the other week, with another horse, for tbree shillings. It is the intention of the Australian Mortgage Land and Finance Company, to give a piece of plate, value twenty guineas, for the best merino ram bred in New Zealand, at the forthcoming show of the Agricultural tnd Pafclorai Association in Dunedin. Tbe San Francisco Spirit of tbe Times of a late date says .— " Parties here bave thought of purchasing one or more Australian racehorses, which had shown by their performances that they were worthy of being classed with the good ones of any country, and we unneratand that there has been some correspondence towards consummating so desirable an object, ..... In an early day several mares were brought here from Australia, and now if we can exchange some of our trotters for the blue blood of the Antipodes mutual benefits will follow." A department clerk at Washington wishing to solicit a favor of the chief of bis division, who is as deaf as a post, on being ushered into his presence, said, in very loud tones -. "I am glad, sir, to see that your deafness has almost entirely disappeared." "Hey ? " said the chief, putting his hand to hie hear, at which the clerk yelled out his complimentary sentence at the very top of his voice. The cbief took his hand down from his ear, and pushed a pencil and 'a paper pad over to the clerk, who— his blood being up— wrote : " I am glad, sir. to see that your deafness bas almost entirely disappeared," Tbe chief read it, smiled,- and warmly said : " Thank yon. It bas. And now, my dear yonng friend, what can I do for yon ? " and the favor sought was immediately granted. In a very interesting letter written by the Rev Alexander Reid when on his way to England and published in the " New Zealand Wesleyan," the rev gentleman says of the San Francisco tramway sjstem : "Id all the principal streets tram-cars run, drawn by horses. In four of the longest streets tbe cars are moved by traction engines, which are stationary at one end of tbe line. Tou see the car gliding alon X , up and down the deepest gradients at which no horse or ordinary locomotive wonld look, and the descent of which is a sore trial to unaccustomed and weak nerves and you can discover no motive power In the centre of tbe epace between tbe rails you perceive an iron groove, under which is a wooden box, in which is a wire rope, extending all along the line. This rope is kept in perpetual motion by the engine, distant three and a half miles. The engineer of your car, by moviDg one of these two cranks, which he holds, grips the underground rope in motion, and away you go up the hill, and down the otber side, and along the level, rejoicing like a strong man lunning a race. Isnt' it nice I Don't you feel your humanity ennobled by such a triumph as this ? Now this lady at tbe corner wants to get on ; the engineer simply loosens bold of the rope, by moving one band, and applies tbe break with tbe otbar, and we are still Her ladyship ig sealed, and we are off, like a bird on wing, a ride of three aad a half miles for five cents (2jd).