MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 736, 19 August 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

The constant strain upon Dr. Somervtlle's energies caused him to break down a short time ago, and he was obliged to refrain wholly from work fur some weeks, but he is now better.

According to the latest newspapers from the United States. Mr. Moody, the evangelist, is suffering from over-strain, and it is said that his nervous system has received a shock which will necessitate rest for some time to come.

Lord Salisbury, the new Foreign Secretary, through a marriage which displeased his father, was doomed to earn his living for some time as a journalist. This has made a useful man of him. The Chief Justice of Victoria ha 3 ruled that it is illegal for tradesmen to combine to increase the price of any article of consumption, as such combination is calculated to damnify the public. How does this interest brewers, baker 3, milkmen, &c. ?

Mr. E. G. Stericker ha 3 disposed of his property, consisting of 490 acres of land, situated a few mites south of Timaru, to Mr. Joynt. solicitor, of Christchurch, for L2O per acre. This is but another striking proof of the high value land in this neighborhood is fetching at the present time

The Rev. George Giltillan, whose death was telegraphed lately, is better known as a writer than as a divine. His ; ' Literary Portraits," originally c-ntributol to the Dumfries Herald, brought him into notice; and their replication as a '* Gallery "f Lite.ary Portrait!* " was very popular. H • wrote the ■•-••face to Nichols's cheap edition of tht; Bnnsh poets, and is the author of numerous works, including " Trie (Sards of rh- Bii•!••/' " Scottish Covenanters," '"The Fatherhood of God," - Modern H-roes," ami " A Life of Sir Walter Scott." He w.13 sixty-five years of

A New Zealand lady, at present visiting England, thus writes to a lady friend in Auckland :—" The dres3 at Home is most extraordinary. High art is the rage, and everyone nrear3 dresses of a sort of cross between dressing-gowns and riding-habits —moat of them a sort of bronze or dirty green, with streams of curry yellow, like salad-dressing, meandering down the back and front—hats, jackets, and gloves to match—high choky long-sleeved dresses. At night with long mittens, hair scraped off the face in a tight knob at the back, poke-bonnets, brimless chimney-pot hats —and everybody looks just like everybody elae."

The Bradford Corporation have accepted the tender of Mr. Steuart, of Manchester, offering L 10,359 per annum for seven years for the ammoniacal liquor produced at the Bradford gas works during that period from Jttlv Ist. There were several tenders, the highest being 10.GOO. The price paid under the expiring contract has been LSOO per annum during the past 10 year*. Tlie holder of this contract w;is among the competitor.' for the n<-w contract, ami his tender was not LSOO a-year but LBOOO ! The discover}* in the liquor of a certain chemical substance used in aniline dyes has greatly enhanced its value. The Taranaki News has the following description of an implement, invented by Mr. H. Williams, a resident of the district. The machine, which is expected to dig and bag three acres of potatoes per ! diem, consists of a rectangular framework running ■ : whe. '*. and drawn by three horses abreast. In front of the machine, and similarly situated to the cow catcher of a i'iC"in.!';w ••limine, ts an iron scoot>, of t'~ - ( ioiighahares and a pan ; eo**ii>;-i»>d. This --->'>p, as the machine 'is drawn, enters rh-- earth and scoops up two ro-s of r>ota*o(.i ard the earth with ■which t'lev 'ir- *■' *ered and surrounded. As the mac.line advances the potatoes and earth are f 1 >rced up the incline of the scoop into a revolving cylinder of wirework, which occupies the central and principal portion of the framework of the machine. Here the potatoes are screened, i and by vanes composed of Blips of sheetiron, which act within the cylinder like the blades of an archimedian screw, they are led through the cylinder to a series of endless buckets, which receive them, lift them over a horizontal shaft, and empty them at the back of the machine into bags fixed to receive them. The machine is of a very promising character, and if found successful, will save a large amount of labor, and will thoroughly aerate and pulverise the land on which it is made to grow.