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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 468, 17 June 1890, Page 3

The following story sounds too good to be true. Mr St. John Wontner had a call once from a man whom he knew slightly—a company promoter. He pointed out an article in one of the financial papers, in which it was asserted in the frankest possible terms that he was a rogue. " This infernal editor,’- he said, “ has called me a swindler. Can’t I make him prove it?” ” Well, yes,” replied Mr Wontner, thoughtfully, “I believe you could,—but I wouldn’t it I were you.”

The Waipawa Mail says:—The postal note is very often found to be a great convenience, but its uses are not even yet thoroughly understood, as the following will show. A lady residing not very far from the Norsewood settlement received a demand for county rates, and consulted with a friend as to the best means of forwarding the money to Wai pawa. She was advised to send the amount by postal note. The note was duly procured, and as duly put away in a safe place, and no more thought of the matter until the defaulters’ list was published, when a gentleman who represented that particular place in the Council called her attention to the fact that her rates were unpaid. The good lady said her rates were paid, and she had the receipt at home, and on being asked to produce the receipt, she hurried off and returning put down the postal note with an air of triumph. It is needless to inform our readers that the good lady imagined that the money had been sent through the post office, and that the note was a receipt showing that the money hud been so sent. After enjoying a hearty laugh, the gentleman explained, and the note was sent on, and in due course the lady's name was transferred from the defaulter's to the voter’s list. Next time the lady desires to send money by postal note she will know how to set about it.

Mr Stanley’s successful exploit in penetrating South-West Africa to the dominions of the Mahdi is apparently to have imitators. There is now a project on foot for sending an expedition from Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, West Africa, and eventually penetrate the great unknown country to Khartoum. The new exploration is to be undertaken by a company which is now being formed in England, and which has already secured exclusive concessions from the Liberian Government. The explorers will start from Monrovia to Boporah, open up the country between Liberia and the Niger, and then cross over with an expedition which is to negotiate with the tribes of the interior, and eventually come out at the Bed Sea. Considering that the part of the country which the expedition will traverse is of itself larger than the whole of tbe United States, ths undertaking must be a gigantic one. The pioneers of the scheme, who have been to Liberia and obtained the concessions above referred to, say the minera wealtholtheoountfy is immense and will

epay the explorers handsomely for their efforts. Another exploration party, organised by an English company, is to start from Sierra Leone in the beginning of next September. This company is to develop the resources of the interior of the Sierra Leone settlement. The expedition vzill comprise experts in botany, mineralogy and agriculture Communications are at the present time passing between the promoters of the company and the Colonial Office, and it is expected that a great development of trade between England and West Africa will result