GLEANINGS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1387, 24 May 1881, Page 3

GLEANINGS.

A property at the oorner of Elizabeth and Collins-streets brought £550 per foot. The New Zealand correspondent of the Federal Australian states that Sir George Grey enjoys an income of £10,000 a year, In consequence of the numerous fires that have occurred in the Wuitaki distiict l.itely, mounted patrols have been sent out at nights, in the Oamaru section, by the police. The Oddfellows of Invercargill presented Dr Cotterell, who is leaving the district, with a complimentary address. Dr Cotterell has been connected with the Invercargill Oddfellows for eight and a half years. The luapeka paper has been told rather a good story in connection with the collecting of papers for the recent census. The sub-enumerator, while on his rounds, had occasion to call at a Chinaman's hut, and in filling up the paper, put the question — ''What is your rel'gious belief? Are you a Christian or a follower of Confucius ?" John replied — "No, no. Me Freethinker ; all same as Mister Stout. You savee ?" Kitchen Garden.— Preparations for forcing should be made where (supplies of rhubarb, sea-kalp, and asparagus are wanted early. Where frames are available they can be filled with stable manure leaves, and other light vegetable refuse which has been thrown into a heap for I fermentation. When this has become sweet it can be placed in the frames and left for a few days to allow the hoat to n^e. By placing roots of asparagus, seakale, and rhubarb upon this with a little. soil among them, root fibres will soon be thrown out and the ciowns -will begin to start in a few days. In the absence of frames the fermenting material can be formed into a bed and the roots placed upon it, some rough boards being used to defend them from the weather and light. As a matter of interest to the gieafc engineering establishments of the country I may tfive from official but unpublished sources the amounts intended to be spent by the great railways on new eugines and rolling- stock in the half-year now current. The Great Noifchern Railway Company estimates that it-) expenditure for new engines and rolling stock will be £40,000 ; the London and North Western Railway purposes spending £81,818, the NorthEastern £100,000, the Lancashire and Yorkshire £164,000, and the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshiie £35,000. The sum to be spent by the railways traversing mineral districts is remarkable, and the total shows that there will be briskness at the great engineering works foi the whole of the current half-year. — • Manchester Guardian. The following- story is told of a twostorey brick, house, in the suburbs of Boston, whose doors and windows are nailed up, and which has never been occupied: — "Nearly eighty years ago a young- man built it for his bride, intending to mortgage it and pay for it gradually, as his worldly goooN increased, to all of which she agreed. When the wedding day was appointed, the trousseau ready, and the house finished, he took the lady out from Boston to inspect it. After going over the house he presented her with a deed of it for a wedding gift. Knowing his circumstances she was astonished that he had actually paid for it. He explained thaf buying a ticket in a lottery, he had drawn the first prize, which just covered the cost of the, house. The Puritan maiden protested she would not take a house obtained by gambling, and refused the deed. His arguments were of no avail ; she remained obdurate. When they left the house he locked the door and threw the key into the brook near by. The nerft bay he boarded Uj>the windowp, and only the spiders and mice have ever occupied it. The man never married ; he became rich, but is a wanderer on the face of the earth. The woman never married — she is still living poor and an invalid." Those who hunger after official life should seek to become .citizens of ( Grunden, a Swiss commune in the Canton of Valais. True, it is very small, and has but a scanty population, 1 some 29 human beings in all, including women and children. But it possesses the right for which Irishmen and Boors equally cla- 1 mour in vain— that of self-government — and as government cannot be carried •on 1 without human agency, all the adult male population are provided for in one berth or another. One gentleman acts as' president ; another is chief and |only ad-, ministrator ; athird-di^ohargeß the ( entire duties of police. The military; force comprises three individuals/who fortunately' 1 have to serve • there v j;irae „in.. the Federal army, or one would no r doubt be commander-in-chief and the other Secretai'y for War, and the 'third "oufr 1 only general. 1 ' 1 The remaining three 1 members of the adult "male population are on the retired list, ' having faithfully 'discharged 1 in their time < the highest 'duties of' State.' Thus, all 'the men—there are" only niqe of "them-^eifcher 'belong; to,' or, have been members' of ,l the. .Official world, a state of things which would not be paralleled, we, imaging either at t Monaco or Andorrp. ,Jts.governmental I niaohinery, seema .open;*: to,,' one pbjectjpnjihowever.i. In case of the poh<u*'tiain&to ,a jnap-rj-its r only man — who Would suppress the force ?' The administrator, might, notjbo ftblft; : the,. president opnjd tW^pely^t^ja^ejrspna) part ixu jßuch jpndiggificfd (proceedings)? &lf g 3 aiwjnighfc^eij^^jat fa^trgfcj&g, " t^} »s nope that no- Rabagai will ever arise in, 'happy Grupdon.MjtOM.instiJi/, wicked nofciW,sutQ '$ f sss<r 6i r 7, iljtf | l olicf.V-/.