MISCELLANEOUS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 85, 25 September 1869, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS.

Five young women have just been admitted into the Louisiana Agricultural College.

The State of Oregon numbers now over 60,000 population. Two G-eorgian negroes lately fought a duel by hitting at each other. Mrs Telverton is still roaming and reading in the South, find when last heard of was at Natchez.

Mrs Dr Walker is still begging for office in Washington. Her last demand was the position of Secretary of Legation to Spain. A fine run was made at a game qf billiards in New York on May 10. The match was between Foster and Snyder. Foster won by a score of 1200 to Snyder's 871 in 31 innings. Best runs Foster, 493 ; Snyder 249.

A man now at San Francisco rides a velocipede on a wire rope twenty -five feet above the ground. The whole is grooved to fit' the wire. He intends shortly to attempt the passage of Niagara Falls in a similar way. The following should be cut out and pasted in a scrap-book : — syd3. wide by 968 yds, long contaras;l acre. 10 yds. wide by 454 yds. long' „ „ 20 yds. wide by 242 yds. long „ „ 40 yds. wide by 121 yds. long „ „ 80 yds. wide by 60|yd3.i long „ „ 70 yds. wide by 69 1-9 yds. long „ „ 220 feet wide by 193 feet long „ „ 440 feet wide by 99 feet long „ „ 110 feet wide by 369 feet long „ „ 60 feet wide by 726 feet long „ „ 120 feet wide by 363 feet long „ „ 240 feefe wide by 181$ feet long „ „

The Tichborne Claims. — This extraordinary and romantic case is now complete in all its details, and the claimant and his numerous friends are only waiting the return of the Australian Commission to go into Court and prove him the rightful heir. We bebelieve that the vessel which picked up Sir Roger at sea off Rio Janeiro, and took him into Melbourne Harbour, has been discovered, and that the mate of the ship admits a clear recollection of having handed the Baronet over the side of the vessel in an exhausted condition. The claimant has been identified by nearly every officer, non-com-missioned officer, and private in his old regiment, the 6th Dragoon Guards, who have seen and conversed with him. Twelve country Magistrates have I sworn to his identity, in addition to the sworn evidence of his mother, and that of three of his cousins. He also holds the sworn evidence of 200 of his former friends, tenants, and servants. Those opposed to him assert that he is a sailor of the name of Arthur Orton, but we understand that such an allegation is wholy unfounded. It cannot be long before the Commission returns, and this singular case will then be brought to an issue. — " Surrey Times."

A Notel Naval Beserve. — "A mania has taken fast hold of Wellington ladies," says the Wellington " Evening Post," which would be highly flattering to the officers of H.M.S. Challenger, if they were not too well accustomed to that sort of thing. We refer to the fashion of ladies assimilating their dress as much as possible to that of the naval officers ; and of wearing in the hair and as ornaments to their dresses, anchors, brass buttons, gold bands, &c. To such a pitch has this mania for naval ' belongings' reached, that not a ball takes place in Wellington now at which at least half a dozen young ladies may not be seen with the chignons tied on the tops of their heads with black ribbons, on which the word ' Challenger' stands out conspicuous in gold letters in front. This seems ticketing themselves with a vengeance, and in a way happily not often seen among English girls. In the day time, as well as in the evening, the naval influence is observable. Take a stroll down the beach, and ten to one the first lady you meet will have on a blue pilot jacket, ornamented with brass buttons, and with gold bands round their wrists. These latter are intended to make her neighbours as wise as herself as to the rank of her naval sweetheart, of her own brevet."

AjIOXg many newspaper jottings from America, we find a sort of challenge to make a good rhyme for the word velocipede. Perhaps it was regarded as a poser, like the word Timbuctoo, submitted to Mr. De Morgan with similar intent. But as the mathematician was not to be baffled by such a problem, so neither were the quaint rhymesters over the water. One response to the challenge ran thus :—: — There was a man on a velocippde, "Who said, I need not give my hoss a feed ; Without oats or hay, It's a cheap thing to keep a velocipede. A more ambitious attempt was the following : — If 'tis a loss, indeed, To give one' 3 hoss a feed, And I can boss a steed Of such a saucy breed, Then sure the hoss I need Is the velocipede.

A Peep at a Galle Hotel. — A correspondent of the " Ceylon Observer" gives the following faithful description of the company to be often met with at the Oriental Hotel, Galle. " The weather-beaten, rugged countenances of a few old Australian colonists of over a score of years' standing, contrast strangely with the driod-up, shrivelled look of the old Indian, or with the fresh rosy colour on youthful cheeks from, home. Young men are there bound for the farthest ports of Cathay, the plains of Bengal, the far North- West, or the sunny or more healthful Austral countries. Passengers who, on the morrow, would be on their way to the uttermost parts of the carth — to Shanghai, Madras, Bombay, New Zealand, Sydney, New Caledonia, Melbourne, or back to Old England, — are for the night gathered ' together as one largo family party, and seem to look and act as such. Here is an old gentleman relating his experiences in Bass's Straits some twenty years ago ; there is another going home after twenty-five years spent (amidst sugar cane latterly) on the alluvial plains of Queensland ; and yet a third discoursing on his life in the Punjab — while doubtless in another corner may be heard crack stories about John Chinaman and the Far East. A sprinkling of redcoats and of officers in the neat uniform of the Peninsular and Oriental Company enliven a scene which is rendered still gayer by a goodly intermixture of the fair sex, who whether from Sydney, Melbourne, or the shores of old England, are all dressed in the height of fashion." •

The special commissioners, appointed by the President to inspect the Pacific Railroad, report that both companies in their immoderate haste to cover as, much ground as possible, have built very imperfectly, and that the trainee will necessarily be dangerous. The American women are going to "Washington with a monster petition, claiming'for themselves the privilege of seats in the Congress. The " Tribune" hopes that the Sergeant-at-Arms will be firm, and, '£ necessary, call upon the commander of the " department for troop?.