INTERCOLONIAL EXTRACTS.

Southland Times, Issue 1247, 6 May 1870, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL EXTRACTS.

The Ballarat Star reports that £5100 has been subscribed during the last three years by the Welsh congregation of Sebastopol towards the liquid ition of the church debt. The aboriginal cricketer, Mullagh, has partially recovered from his late severe illness. The present scarcity of oysters has caused attention to be drawn to the probability of a supply being procurable from the old oyster beds in Corio Bay, which have not been tried fora number of years. About fifteen or sixteen years ago dredging for oysters was carried on to a very larg* aad profitable extent there, and it is extremely jikely that steps for the renewal of operations will very Bhortly be taken. ' The "Wedderburn correspondent of the j Inglewood Advertiser writes : — Two gentlemen riding from Inglewood to Wedderburn on Sunday last, when about 1 five miles from the latter place, observed an animal feeding along the edge of the scrub, which seemed somewhat different to the denizens of the forests in this country, and, being anxious to know what it really was, they, rode cautiously until they got within twenty-five yards of it, when, to their astonishment, it turned out to be a beautiful stag, with four or five antlers on each horn. The Inglewood Advertiser reports a new rush to the cement ranges about four miles east of Wedderburn, on the old road leading from Wedderburn to Mount Korong. The prospectors — Messrs Brown and France — washed a load of washdirt, which yielded 2oz. 16dwt. The sinking is from 10ft. to 12ft. ; there being four feet of cement. The rush has been named the Craigie Lea Diggings, being half-a-mile east of Mr Steel's estate of that name ; and is about three and a half miles from any other diggings. On Saturday the prospectors applied to register a prospecting claim. The idea of presenting a testimonial to Mr G-rant, the Minister of Lands under previous McCulloch administrations, has been again revived. Some scoundrels in Geelong have (says the c Age ') been lately indulging in the detestable crime of writing threatening letters to respectable young females on whom, in colonial parlance, they may happen to " have a down." Numbers of these missives, all more or less^ of an intimidating nature, are being daily sent by the post. The following ha« been very properly handed to the police, so that the author of the dastardly production may if possible be discovered and brought to justice: — "Jane Dick, I write to you these few lines to inform you that you have few weeks too live on this ear earth, so you had better say your prayew and horder your coffin. Hoping you will excuse this, I ham your very obedent Barvfent to command. A pistol or a nock on the head will do it." Addressed to " Jane Dick, Mr Whale, draper, 110 and 112 Moorabool street, Geelong. Very private." The Ballarat Star reports that the mammas and papas resident at and around Clunes have shown themselves not utterly devoid of modest and proper feeling in setting their faces against the proposed baby-show. We learn from the Guardian that the prizes announced to be given by means of a baby show were not awarded, no competitors in this branch of native industry having been entered. According to the Telegraph, v a woman named M'Bwen created quite a icene in the Prahran Police Court lately. She had summoned her husband for non-mainte-nance of herself and child. He was brought down on warrant from Ballarat, and appeared before the Court. The woman, however, was in a state of intoxication, and after playing various pranks—going up on the bench to show the magistrates some letters, &c. — she electrified the court by dashing the infant child at the feet of her husband, and in good melodramatic style, telling him to take ! charge, as " she would none of it." The I magistrates sentenced her to twenty-four I hours' imprisonment for contempt of j court, when she became very violent, and | it took about six constables to remove her. The man, who is stated to be a quiet, steady fellow, was discharged." The Geelong Advertiser complains of the meanness of certain persons who put bad and defaced coin into the contribution boxes at the various churches on Sundays. The local paper reports that mosquitoes have appeared in large numbers this seaj son, for nearly the first time that troublesome insect has been known in Yass. i AMr Cook, a professional billiard player is said by the London Spectator to have worked a revolution in the manufacture of billiard-tables. It is of house to play with him, or anybody like him, for he can invariably pocket the red ball at the first stroke, and on one occasion did so 394 times in succession. Skill like that reduces billiards to a single stroke, and it has therefore been decided at a conference of players and table-makers to put the " spot an inch nearer to the top cushion, reduce the width of the pockets from 3|in. to 3in., to square the corners, and increase the diameter of the balls to 2 l-16in. Would it not have been simpler and easier to alter the rules, and forbid more than one " spot stroke " in succession. The Chicago Journal says: — George M'Lean, a Scotchman, living in Norwitch, Connecticut, is the owner of a remarkable cow. She dropped a calf two months ago, which was killed at twenty-six days old, weighing 180 pounds. Since then he has used a quart of new milk in his family each day, and from what remained has made fourteen pounds of butter a week for the last four weeks. She has meal twice a day, gives two common milk pails full, and sometimes a two-quart tin pail full besides, at a milking, is 7 years old, and is a cross between a Durham and an Ayrshire.