NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2624, 18 August 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Absentee owners of Wairoa (Hawkes Bay) property, arc now many of them, anxious to sell. They are tired of holding “on spec.” The yearly county rates have been well rubbed into them, and produced the desired effect.

The promoters of the Oaniaru Woollen Factory are meeting with very considerable encouragement. Already over 5500 shares have been taken up, and the successfu floating of the company, the “ Mail ” says, is no longer in doubt. According to the Melbourne “Punch” one the members of the Victorian Assembly says that he eats with his knife because he likes it, and it annoys other people to see him doing it. He adds that he isn’t going to sacrifice one single badge of Liberalism to please anybody. The following from a Sydney paper will be news to our footballers:—“lt is said that the outbreak of smallpox at Sydney has scared New Zealand footballers to such an extent that the proposed trip to Australia has been abandoned. Dunedin declined to have anything to do with the trip, not appreciating the idea of going to play three matches in Sydney And one at Newcastle.”

M. Moet, the famous composer of the “brewed enchantment” which bears his name, has recently died at his chateau in Champagne. No higher praise can be given to the famous brand ihan the robust health which M. Moet enjoyed up to the termination of his honorable and useful career. He was a daily consumer of the delicious beverage, and quaffed it until the last day of his life. He died at the age of 82, an encouragement to the lovers of this exhilarating drink to be faithful to the brand.

The South Aus'ralian llegistrar states that Mr J, G. Harney, of East Terrace, has exhibited the model of a machine which he calls “ The Floatiele,” and fox which he intends applying for a patent. It is, in fact, a bicycle to be used on the water. It consists of two zinc tubes 20 feet in length, a foot in diameter in the middle, and tapering to the ends, where they are braced together. In the centre and betcen these tubes is a bicycle, the wheel of which is encased in zinc, to prevent the rider being splashed. The rudder is supported by a stay at one extremity of the “ ffoaticle,” which Mr Harney says could attain the speed of an ordinary four-oared gig.

There are in New South Wales 2800 J.P.’s, or two to every policeman, and one to every fifty families. Epbert Low, a horse trainer, was fined £2 and and costs in Adelaide for selling a ticket in a sweep on the Melbourne Cup. Some children whilst bringing home the cows, near the township of Boort, Victoria, found an 80oz nugget at the foot of a tree.

Mr Alexander liodonow alias Ganz, of watchmaking and Nihilistic notoriety, who swindled no end of newspapers and people in the colonies, was arraigned in Boston (Mass.), on a charge of using the United States Postal Department for fraudulent purposes, and was acquitted through defective evidence.

The South Australians are already in the field for the cultivation of flax. A company for the erection of a mill has been formed, and the South Australian Company has promised a bonus of as much as £IOO for the first 100 tons of flax straw bought by the Company from their tenants. The Company has likewise obtained and distributed a large quantity of seed, and it is estimated that as much as 300 tons of flax will be grown this year

The races for the Walker Whiskey sculling trophy, takes place at Sydney on September 5,7, and 9. The following have entered;—Laycock (two), Reynolds, W. Trickett, Messenger, Edwards, Pearce, Rush, McDonald, Power, Shepherd, I’ridle, Wing, Greenland, audit. W. Edwards.

Railway charges are receiving attention at Home. It has been stated that grain can be brought to the south-ea t of Scotland from New Zealand the same cost per quarter as Scotch corn can be sent by rail from Scotland to the South of England,

Speaking of the projected visit of the All-England Eleven, the-Sydney “Bulletin” says;—“ The names mentioned as probably constituting Mr Liilywhite’s team are well known, but will form an array hardly strong enough for the metropolitan elevens. Selecting five certainties—Peate, Shaw, Barnes, Morley, and Lillywhite—no one of whom can be considered a first-class batsman. the batting power would probably be made up by Ulyseit, f-hrewsbury, Gunn, and Charlwood. After this we get below the standard for our bowling. After a careful analysis, we can see nothing but a 1 doing ’ for them both in Sydney and Melbourne.”

The public arc hereby informed that the Cheap Sale of Drapery, kc., ar J. Strachau’s close positively on the 2Gr«l instant, when the promises will he closed for stocktaking, so as the business can be handed over to Messrs Park k Anderson on Sept. l.ln order to facilitate stocktaking, remnants of all kinds "ill be disposed of extra cheap. Those who hold receipts of purchases of less than £d arc reminded to have them made up to that sum in order to get a ticket for the Gift Art Union to be drawn on 22nd instant, prizes of which arc now on view. —[Advt.]