AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 238, 21 January 1888, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Sydney, January 16. The activity in mining circle?, both here and at Melbourne, confcimies,|liut the price of shares is receding. *

Sydney, January l?.\' x ' Seriotts busH fires have been ragingin the country districts, causing • great damage to property. The loss iv sheep is also very great. It ' is believed that a womkn has been burned to death.

Sydney, January 18. Further reports are to hand 'regarding the destructive bush fires ttiat are ravaging some of the country districts of New South Wales. At Albury, on the frontier, the destruction of property has been very extensive, and many farmers have been ruined. An immense area of crops has been burned, and the fire is still burning.

Sydney, January 18, A man whilst attempting to drive in a buggy through theflames at Albury, in which a bush fire was raging, was overtaken by the flames, and perished. The harvest prospects of the Northern Districts are excellent. The weather is very hot, but favourable to the wheat crop, which is now nearly all cut. The grain is fine, and the best obtained for years. If the weather holds good for another three weeks, it is estimated that the yield $ will supply all colonial wants j and should this be accomplished, it will be the first occasion in the history of the colony.

Sydney, January 18. ' Work at the Newcastle coal mines is slack, and wages are depressed, owing to the competition of the southern mines. Through the death of Mr Frederick J. Gibbs, member for Newtown, another protectionist iight is imminent. , i >: Two cases ofc sunstroke occurred here to-day. The weather is ver^ hot

Melbourne, January 13. A murder, surrounded with circumstances of a most painful character, is reported from Kerang, a post town of Gunbower, about 195 miles to theuorthwest of the metropolis, A man named Clancy was beating his son, when the latter's sister remonstrated with him. The father at once turned on the girl, and threatened to kill her. She ran for protection to an elder brother, aged 25, who seized a gun tnd j fired twice at his father, the shpt£ taking effect, and the wounds proving fatal. The son who had fired the shots at, once sought medical aid on behalf of his fatherland also informed the polite authorities of what had happened, when he was at once arrested on a charge of murder. Clanrcyy the young man who shot his father at Kerang under painful circumstances, has been committed for trial.

Melbourne," January 16. ~ The officers of the Rabbit Departi ment are opposed to the experiments proposed by M. Pasteur.

: Melbourne, January 17. j Le +^r3 from Paris , state that M. Pasteui U satisfied that chicken cholera 13 the best means of eradicating .rabbits, and that he intends "to send a consignment of microbes to the Australian Governments, with instructions for its use. M. Pasteur states that the inoculation requires the greatest care, and the rabbits only live a few hours. The microbes are fatal to hares and opossums, but will not harm sheep or kangaroos, ' \, Her Majesty the Queen has approved of the appointment ofj Mr Charles Ryan as Turkish Consul at Melbourne.

Melbourne, January 18. Swan, the pedestrian,, attempted to commit suicide to-dajr by taking poison. He is now in the hospital The cause of thB rash act is attributed to the death of his sweetheart having affected, his mind.

Brisbane, January 12. A hundred and sixty men are gathering rubies at Alice Springs. Many othors are working on rich gold. The tramway from Silverton to Broken Hill was opened to-day, and a large number excursionists were i carried, including the Duke of Man-, Chester. Twa youths named Ross and Rintz, of respectable parents, were found shot a* sundown yesterday, at . NortluTool-, burra station. From,' the positipn of the bodies, Jfc is, supposed that sjntz accidentally killed Ross, and then.iiC desperation shot himself. Tfo 4 boy# web schoolmates, and 'were spending "tlie, nolidayjj together. , - ,o ; ; . -J \,;|lurttr, ex-Mayor' of Nor^^Rpc^i | hampton, hfks been dd^micted^or jisf t i"ois this charge pf ;,?T^amoHnfcsinv4U^4M|lHi^j6ojl)OoJ ; ,?T^amoHnfc$inv4U^4M|lHi^j60jl)O0J