ONE THING AND ANOTHER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 356, 22 February 1881, Page 2

ONE THING AND ANOTHER.

Collated from our Exchanges . A new system of fishing with a line has been invented by a German. This invention was exhibited at the Berlin Fishery Exhibition, and excited considerable curiosity ; it consists of a small ssiff, which can be directed without a noise to any part of the water by means of a wheel apparatus worked by a magnet. When the boat has arrived at the required place it anchors itself, whilst the line, with the hook attached, drops into the water. The little skiff contains a battery and an electro-magnet, which are so arranged that the slightest bite made by the fish closes the circuit. Immediately, with the rapidity of lightning by means of an electro-magnet, the line, hook, and fish are jerked up, and a small bell warns the fisherman that the fish is caught.

“Wait till to-morrow” is not a bad proverb, as is fairly illustrated in a tale that comes from Rome. A young man nomed Moritti, a tailor by trade, having been sent to prison on some charge of fraud, his sweetheart called upon the police magistrate and tremblingly inquired what would be his ultimate fate. The magistrate instigated by a little piece of malice, so it is said by the girl’s mother— calmly replied that prolonged detention, covering so many years, would surely be the sentence of the culprit. His answer had such an eflect that the girl sank into despair and poisoned herself forthwith. Almost immediately after, her lover, having been proved innocent, was released from gaol. Bui the tragedy that had occurred was too much for him, and he resolved to join his devoted admirer, and put an end to his own existence. A couple of lives in a woild inhabited by twelve hundred million people are, perhaps, no great sacrifice when reasons exist for their being surrendered. Yet two needless suicides constitute a very strong warning to these in trouble to bide their time.

The following particulars of the Central Queensland Meat Export Company are from a recent exchange : —’“The Company are in communication (with reasonable prospects of, success) with a large steam company having about a dozen vessels of large tonnage, and having in view the concluding of an arrangement by which our Company will guarantee them so many tons of meat per month. They are also negociating for a site on the Fitzroy, directly opposite Lake’s Creek works, to which the Government are willing, if inducement offers, to run the railway ; also treating for the purchase of the Lake’s Creek works, for the purpose of preserving all the inferior portions of beef ; and they have sent Home instructions to Mr William Archer to inquire into and thoroughly examine the different patents for freezing machines, so as to give reliable information as to which is the best for our climate and purchase, irrespective of particular owners or patentees. The subscribed capital is already over £35,000, and altogether the prospects of this, the youngest of the Freezing Companies, are good, and, we believe, in good hands. The Giffard

machine is much condemned, and npt likely to be a success.” The Manawatu limes records the’ decease on Friday morning, February. 4, of Mrs Gray, the grandmother of .the secretary to the Post and Telegraph 'Department. The deceased lady was born at Port Gower, Sunderlandshire, in the year 1783, and,.was consequently years oldi; at the tirifce of her %ath. Longevity has been a distinguishing feature of the late Mrs. Gray’s family. Her father lived to be 110 years old ; her mother died at the age of 100 years ; and one of her brothers reached the age of 90 ; whilst she, the last of her family, has been gathered to her rest at the ripe age of 98.

Just after the Cup race (says a WelFngton contemporary), Mr Solomon Levy found a bag full of money (including a quantity of notes and gold) on the grand stand. He at once handed over the treasure to the stewards. We have hot heard to whom the money belonged, but it was supposed that the bag was left ,on the stand either by an official or a bookmaker during the excitement of the race. It was fortunate that it fell into such honest hands.

The Melbourne Argus, in a critical notice of New Zealand pictures at the Melbourne Exhibition, concludes as follows “To,all appearance, Mr Gully is likely to.become the founder of a distinctive school of water-color artists in New Zealand, who will find in its magnificent scenery endless inspiration and an inexhaustible supply of subjects; but those who wish to tread in Jhis footsteps would do well to obey the old maxim, Festina lente.”

A colored banker, much alarmed by the failure of several other banks iu Ins neighborhood, dosed his own establishment. A man knocked at th,e barred door. “Who’s dar 1” cried th,e banker. “ Open the door,” called the man, “Dis bank’s closed,” remarked the banker. “ Don't care whether the bank’a closed or not,” cried the stranger ; “ I left a pair of new boots here yesterday, and I want them.” Presently the door was thrust partially open and one boot poshed out, with the remark “We is only payin’ 50 cents on the dollar to-day.”