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Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 1, Issue 53, 10 December 1886, Page 4

The Hastings burgesses have, by u majority of 10H votes, decided iu favor of the loan for drainage purposes. Said Dr Amelia Whitfield; Let us add a few words on the sponge bath, the form ol bathing wnere tlie water is applied to the surface through ;he medium of cloth or sponge no psrt of the body being plunged into tho water. The practice of systematic daily sponge bathing is one going untold bon.-fits io the follower. I.eta (sreon. not over strong, snbject to fn quant eoldsfrom Iha slightest axposmw, the victim of chronic catarrh, sore throat, ■kc., adopt the practice of taking a sponge hath every morning; beginning with tepid water in a warm room mot hot), and fob lowing the sponging with friction, which w ill produce a warm glow over the skin; anil take a five minutes brisk walk in the open air. See if you do not return with a good appetite for breakfast. After having used tepid water for a few mornings, lower the temperature of the bath until cold water can he borne with inpunity.

A Mr Dixon writes a very earnest letter to the Canterbury Times in which ho refers to the presence of the Californian thistle »is u j;ra\o calamity, a pest compared with which the rabbit nuisance is insignificant: a pest, which, if once allowed to establish itself, will mean gradual ruin to ull connected with htrmmjf. The same writer says that £lO a piece for the utter destruction of every Californian thistle iu Canterbury would be a cheap get oil for the Colony. Mr Dixon urges the immediate appointment of inspectors who shall see that proper and eliicient means are taken for the era diet ion of the plants. It is not well-cared-for farms that the damage w ill come from, but waste iunds, roadsides, and river-be ls, from which the thistles would rapidly spread. Those of our farmer* who know that the thistle lias reached their luuds should take warning in time.

A German newspujier gives some statistics as to the railway enterprise of the world. At the end ol IHX4 the aggregate mileage w as 230,700. of which there were in Europe 117,004 lull. in Asia, 12,757, iii Africa 4.07 b, m America 148,738, and in Australia 7,483 miles. Of the total mileage not less than 00 per cent, is in English-speaking countries. Aur.tralia boastß ol the largest amount of railway accommodation in proportion to the population, an I tin Enited States and Canada come next. The cost of constructing these railways is estimated at £4,800,000,000 and has been highest in Great Britain, where it umounts to £.71,11*8 per mile, as against £21,737 in Belgium, £21,038 m Eranee, £21,041 in Germany iSt ate railways), £20,885 (?) in Australia, £10.113 iu Russia, mid £12,0.70 in tue Culled States.

Io prevent a horse from jumping fences, O. R. Gleason recommends : ” IVrliup- no single habit of an animal gives rise to greater annoyance, or is the cause ol mure damage on a farm, than this trick of jumping fences, iu consequence of which tin- horse lias tube kept in the stable and los s the benefit of pasturing. When wo consider the ease with which tins vice can be prevented, and the advantage to both horse and owner, it seems strange that tiie following simple device is not more generally utilised ;—A surcingle is placed around the body of the horse, with a ring directly under him. A strap is then fastened around eueh foreleg below tne knee close to the ankle, and a short strap or rope fastened in the strap around the off foreleg, passed through the ring m tho surcingle, drawn moderately tight, and fastened to the strap around the nigh forefoot. When this is on the horse can move only one leg at a time, yet he can walk, lie down or get tip, but he cannot put both legs forward at once, consequently ho is uimblu to run or jump. Auckland Weekly News.

Recently a publican at Albury named Davev mysteriously disappeared. Search was made for lum in ull directions, but no tidings could be heard of him. Eventually, a clairvoyant was consulted over the mystery at n private seance. The clairvoyant declared that Davey was struck by a man over tho right ear; that Davey tell senseless, and was dragged to the river and thrown in ; that the body stuck in a snag in the bend of a river; and and the w oman living in a hut a quarter of a mile from the public-house knew the name of the murderer. She called him "Bob.” Particular* of the interview with the clairvoyant were soul to the Albury police, and a search was instituted in the river with the result that two or three days afterwards the bojy was actually found some little distance down the river, with the throat cut from ear to car. A crossed cheque lor some £2OO, and 10s in silver were found ou poor Davey .* persou, but £l3 in notes, winch he was known to have had just before he wus missed were gone. Evidently it was a case of murder and robbery. An open verdict was returned at tile inquest.