AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2660, 29 September 1881, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Three thousand school children of Benalla and friends lately had a picnic on the scene of the Kelly gang capture. Mr W. Gumming, of Mount Fyans, the other day lost his stud ram Duke, for which he had some months before refused an offer of 1,500 guineas. The Adelaide Steamship Company intend to order from England two steamers of 1,000 tons each, to be capable of steaming at the rate of 16 knots an hour, and making the journey between Adelaide and Melbourne in 31 hours.

Attempts were made recently to speak from Sydney to Melbourne by telephone. Only very faint sounds of the voice could be heard, but perfectly audible speech was transmitted between Melbourne and A 1 bury, a distance of 200 miles. The Australian Diamond Drill Company is putting down bores in several parts of the country. At Gosford, a town about 50 miles north of Sydney, a seam of coal was passed through which is said to be from 4ft. 6in. to sft. in thickness.

The total value of cereal exports from South Australia for the first eight months of the year is £1,035,508, showing a decrease in the same period of the year 1880 of £858,354. A Chinaman named Sammy Ah Lee was fined £IOO by the Rocky Mouth Bench, New South Wales, for carrying on an illicit still on his premises in the Grafton district. He had only made a few gallons of spirits, but his preparations were complete for carrying on extensive operations.

A man named William Bignell, who was committed for trial by the Sydney city coroner on a charge of manslaughter for neglecting to supply his wife with proper nourishment, the evidence showing that he had given her brandy instead of food, died a day or two afterwards in Darlinghurst Gaol of delirium tremens.

A large number of business and scientific men attended the meeting of the Melbourne Milk Supply Company on September 5, for the purpose of testing some preserved milk prepared by the company. Amongst those present were Messrs Bosisto, M.L.A., C. R. Blackett, and W. Johnson, Government analyst. It seemed to be the general opinion of the assemblage that the local product was equal if not superior to the imported article.

The Western Meat Preserving Company at its Colac works, during the season recently ended, dealt with 174,360 pairs of rabbits, averaging 8303 pairs or 16,606 single rabbits weekly for the working season. About a dozen regular regular carters were employed bringing in the daily supplies, besides occasional odd lots by individual catchers, and fully 200 persons were continuously trapping rabbits for the Colac factory. These, with the carters, and men and boys employed in the factory, will represent upwards of 300 persons deriving a direct living from rabbits in the Colac district.

Intense excitement has been caused by the reported discovery at Upper Temora of an immensely rich reef, which is estimated to yield IOOOoz to the ton. It appears that Periman and party had taken up an abandoned claim on the road at Upper Temora, alongside Harris’ Hotel, and in a trench at the depth of nine inches had unearthed the grandest stone ever seen in Temora. It is even averred never to have been equalled at Gympie in its palmiest days. One piece was crushed, and yielded 7oz lOdwt, and the remaining 201 b weight of stone taken from the leader is nearly all gold. The ground has been covered up, and is now watched

by the shareholders, who are camped on it.

A prize fight between two women took place at Dawe's battery, Sydney Harbor, which the police interrupted, capturing both combatants, who were let off with the lenient fine of 40s at the Water Police Court;