General News.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4647, 26 November 1883, Page 2

General News.

: There are 13 savings banks at present in Victoria, and, 70.0C0 people have a little more than, a million and three: quarters sterling lying at interest in them. There are 11,000 more depositors this year than last, and 22,000 more than in 1881. While the number of depositors has so largely increased, the total amount of deposits has very considerably diminished. The aver> age amount per head is now only £25 as against an average of £33 per head last year. This change is brought about, by the larger, amounts being withdrawn to I a greater extent, and the smaller depositors increasing. An extraordinary sheepshearing ._, feat is reported by the Temora Star as having been performed by a man named Michael Hurley, a native of Tasmania, during the present season at Warri station. During an ordinary day-s, work the man shore 40 hoggets in one hour and" 50 minutes, and 40 ewes in one hour and 25 minutes, finishing with a tally, of 210 sheep in all. Some interesting facts j regarding the; origin of words are given ; in a * recent^ article in the Geelong Grammar School Quarterly. We take one or two instances. The word " blackguard "-comes from the rude times when the king 3of England, iv making a royal .progress through, the realm, were accompanied by a retinae of cooks, scullions, and other menials named the "■ black guards "of the king from their grimy faces. The sign " Goat and Com-' passes,'-' to be found on many an English inn, is derived from the Puritan times when texts of Scripture were even affixed to public houses. " God encompasseth ' us," has, by a curious corruption, been metamorphised into " Goat and compasses." A word in yery common use, " salary," has a history of its" own. The Roman governor of a conquered province —at all events in the earlier times—had no direct emolument for his services. /The provincials, however, were obliged to afford supplies for the table of the governor and his retinue frumentum in cettum. Salt, of course, was one of the articles which had to be supplied in kind, and it,. under the form of " salariuni," gave its name (sal) to the rest. In process of ' time, a payment in money was probably substituted.for this payment in kind, and so " salarium'' came to mean any payment in return for service. There-is now no doubt (says •' St James Gazette ") that President Arthur narrowly escaped capture during his recent visit to ~ Montana. An fnformer has revealed to the United"Statesauthorities that,6s > armed and well-mounted then led by five Indiaps, assembled at a small village on the frontiers of Dacota, and started i thence for Yellowstone Park, with the intention of their lying in wait forthj&S President and his escort. The conspirators were of .opinion that if they could kidnap v General Arthur, and carry him off into the fastness of the Rocky Mountains, they could safely defy the" Government, and detain the prisoner until his friends, or the Union, or both combined, should . agree to ransom him |; and they... would; probably have succeeded in their scheme and obtained half a million doUarsfpr their prize if the president's plans= had nbtlbeen changed at the last moment. Troops wera sent in pursuit of the desperadoes, but as soon as the members of the band realised that the expedition was destined to be fruitless they separated and all traces of them were then speedly lost.