INTERCOLONIAL EXTRACTS.

Southland Times, Issue 1204, 1 February 1870, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL EXTRACTS.

Whether the weather in Ballarat has anything to do with it or not, remarks the Ararat Advertiser, We cannot tell, but certain it is that that town ia now turning out more lunatics than all the rest of the colony. "Within the last ten days no fewer than fifteen persons suffering from insanity have been admitted into the Ararat Lunatic Asylum from Ballarat, a special coach having to be put on for their accommodation. Perhaps the real secret is that in the goldfields metropolis the late festive season haa been kept in too jovial a manner, and it is just possible that the thrist produced by the hot weather was allayed by liquor of a questionable quality. This, in a very large number of cases, will be found to be the real origin of temporary, if not confirmed, insanity. Intelligent application of capital to the quartz reefs of Bendigo, has made Sandhurst the most steadily prosperous town in the goldfields. During the last six months the yield of the Bendigo reefs has averaged 5000oz a week. The value of the machinery has increased from £356,990 at the close of 1868, to £370,000. The average yield of gold during the first quarter of 1869, was 9dwt. 7.44gr. per ton, while during the three mon ths terminating with the end of December, the average return was 10|dwt. to the ton. The Melbourne correspondent of a contemporary gives [the following example of Ballarat enterprise : — " I learn that the proprietors of the Ballarat Star are about to present to their subscribers a large and carefully executed view of Ballarat, engraved in England at a cost of nearly £300, from a drawing by Von Guerard, the well-known colonial artist. The picture measures 38 by 18 inches, a size which it is stated has only been exceeded in a wood engraving on three previous occasions in England. The London agent of the Star states that the preparing of the wood occupied three weeks, the drawing on the wood one month, and the engraving one month. A history of Ballarat from the earliest time to the present year will accompany the engraving." Fofsomß iyears past ajwar-f-intended as an exterminating ohe^— has been waged on many stations in the Western District against the rabbits, writes the Geelong journal. Mr William Robertson, of Colac, to clear his valuable property of this destructive pest, has not only destroyed hundreds of thousands of them, but has filled up the wombat holes that they had taken possession of, and has had his stone walls so constructed that a rabbit cannot find a hole of sufficient size to effect an entrance and obtain a lodgment, and by keeping a large pack of hounds, and hunting them frequently, few rabbits are now to be found on his estate. But on other stations in that locality, where the same incessant war has not been carried on, they -have increased to an extent that became so painfully alarming that active measures had to be taken to lesson the ravages of this now destructive animal by employing anumber of men to destroy them. At first they received 10s. per 100, with rations and ammunition, and as the rabbits became I less numerous the remuneration of the rabbiters was raised to 15s. The returns ! from a station in the Western District, for the quarter ending 31st December, have just sent? in, when the number of rabbits killed and paid for was 102,816, and the attendant expenses amounted to £591 for three months. We understand, says the Star, that the long promised temperance tale, " Emily Graham, or the Dawning of Light," by a Ballarat authoress, is now passing through the press, and will shortly appear. The new book will be of crown octavo size, and comprise some 400 pages. On Thursday evening, 12th ult., Mr Naylar, editor of the c Glowworm,' the organ of the spiritualists, delivered a lecture on " spiritism " in the Mechanics Institute, Melbourne. The drift of the new system may be judged from the declaration of its 'Apostle that he rejected thelncarnation and the miracles, believed the doctrine of the atonement "absurd and illogical," and that oar Saviour was only a " spiritist." . The challenge of Harris, the champion of Australia, to run the world for £100 at each of the following distances, viz., 100 yards, 150 yards, 200 yards, 300 I yards, and 450 yards— or £500 in all, has j been accepted by Frank Hewitt, the champion runner of England. The races will take place on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Saturday and Monday, the sth and 7th March. The Munro Mercury relates that a servant girl was caught eaves dropping in a small apartment adjoining the lodgeroom during a late meeting of the Freemasons of Cooma. The brethren have resolved that she shall be made a mason. The Ballarat Star says :— We Were lately shown a sample of English barley from the farm of Mr Eobert Dunn, at Philip Island. The grain is considered to be very fine, and unequalled by any in the colony for malting purposes. We are informed by a gentleman who lately visited the island that this barley would yield from 40 to 45 bushels to the acre. He states that the crops were all up to expectation, and that the cultivation areas will be considerably increased next year. A very melancholy event is recorded by the Bendigo Advertiser. On the 10th mat., some boys were bathing in the dam of the Telegraph Company, when one of them sank in deep water. The father of the lad, hearing of the occurrence, rushed frantically to the dam, and dived in search of the body. He succeeded in bringing it to the bank, but was almost exhausted. The boy was found to be quite dead, and the poor father himself on being taken home died soon afterwards.

tinder the heading: of a " local poeV the editor of the Albwry Banner draw* attention to " gome beautiful lines by Epsilon," which it says " prove that the dia* trict is not without its own worthy disciples of the divine art of poesy.' v The following are the lines in question* as thejf appear in the Banner :• — AX EXPERIENCE. *Tis long since I beheld her face, Her features radiant still can tfacfr^ Ethereal form— 30 fall of grae» Each took — so full of lovo. jDeath — dread destroyer — no* has cast In happier land her lot — at last To dreamfi of joy she softly passed— Of joy in Heaven above. ilemoraeless death ! why didst thou la/ On her thy icy hand of clay, From me to hear her far away— 1 'Though brighter be her lot. Happy it is— -to think — to feelEach earthly smile does but reveal , An endless, heavenly state of weal— - Life's trials forgot. Brightly the sun will onward roll — tfpward — till, sinking to his goal. Eadiant he dies-^can this console ■ Youth's dreams so rudely riven ? Brightly the idol shines its day, And slowly, brightly sinks away, Never again to shed its ray \ Never ? Hope whispera Heaven ! Earth's brightest stars thnß shine-^ then did Eeign shortly in a clouded sky-=-In silv'ry sheen— then modestly— - Softly their.course.they soay. . ..^ _ : Ah \ Natures brifihte' st forum decay. No one can Death's command gainsay ; All — all must pass his narrow way. % Shall I e'er reach the brighter shore ? Shall I e'er clasp the loved one more f A glance at the verses will shotir that they form an acrostic, and the editor has " written himself down an ass," the ac* rostic reading, " The editor of the Albury Banner is ail ass." "We have heard of a rather amusing circumstance in connection with the New Tear's Day festivities at the hospital, which we give on the authority of one of? the patients who has just been discharged. It appears that the merry-making was not altogether a teetotal one, and although 1 we are not aware that any of the patients really exceeded the bounds of prudence, still the unaccustomed stimulant rendered some of them rather thirsty the following morning. Great, therefore, was their joy when the resident surgeon visited the wards and said — "I've no doubt* my lads, that many of you have rather hofc coppsrs this morning, and will be none the worse for a hair of the dog that bifc you, so if any of you feel disposed for a drink you had better come to my room.'* A second request was quite unnecessary, and almost all who were able at once went to the doctor's apartment, where only one at a time was admitted ; a large tumbler was handed to the first, who thirstily drank it off, whett to his horror he discovered that instead of what he had fondly hoped was gin and water, he had drank a strong dose of Epsom salts. After a few splutters he retired, and in a whisper informed the next man that it was " splendid." Number two, after? wishing the doctor many Happy New Tears, tossed off his dose in an equally expeditious manner as number one, and with like results, informing number three that it was "the real stingo." Thus the whole of the expectant crowd were treated, none of course feeling disposed to acquaint the next man of how he had been sold, and no one divulging the affair till they met in the wai*d, when each commiserated the other with many a melancholy grin. — Ararat Advertiser*