MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Issue 79, 6 September 1878, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

— . 1 1 If thoro is any truth in tlio popular im« nroasion that tlio ' l>«or drinking Vthon will never bo boat,' an nooount wlnnu hns iiist boon isauod by the Statistical Departinont of tho custom Houso is of poouliar intotoat. This paper givos tho number Of

harrola of boor exported from the United . kingdom, tho doolarod value, and the placo to which thoy woro oxported, from tho Ist October, 1876, «o tho Ist of Ootobor, 1877- It appears from the ro- I port that Russia took from m 2475 barrels of boor ; whoroas Wnllachia ond Maldavia only took one. European Turkey however, is put down at 569 barrels, and Asiatic Turkey at 200 barrels. Ono barrol only was sent to tho Austrian territories ; 81,128 barrels wont to tho British possessions in 3o«th Africa ; Germany had 7564 barrels j France, 11,166 barrols : Italy, 210 barrols, British India consumed a largo amount of boer from tho mother country, tho continental territories taking 132 024 barrols ; tho Straits Sottlomonts, 7226 barrels ; and Coylon, 8811 barrel^. Tho Auatrnlian colonios woro also largo import tors, Wost Australia taking 6331 barrels ; 1 flouth Australia, 9216 barrels ; Victoria ] 30,210 barrels ; New South Wales, 30,528 } barrels ; Queensland, 16,647 barrels : . Tasmania, 772 barrels, and Now Zealand J 0720 barrels, of a declared valuo of ( £4,0,083. Tho United Statos aro down in tho account for 17,526 barrels. Tlieso and other foreign ond colonial customers woro supplied during tho twolvomonth ' with a totnl of 472,342 barrels of British I boor, at a declared valuo of £1,018,886, Upwards of 20,000 telephones aro now in operation in tho United Stages, the larger number being Ihoso which aro licensed I y Professor 8011. Id Newport. Rhodo lslau^thero aro 56 telephones in ono circuit, and a general conversation rony bo carried on over tho wholo town r with on.se. In Boston there aro already 300 telephones .connected with the central office, besides a vast numbor of pmnto instruments.' A fatal accidont (says tho Lnncot) has just occurred at tlio Beaufort Hospital in Franco (Maine-ct-Loire). A patient named Aurndenu, suddenly precipitated himsolt on n sister vrhilo showas bringing him his meal. Seizing tho knifo, he struck her with tho blade. A ra»n who enmo to tho rescue received a blow on the faco wbioh ontirely destroyed his eyo. The madman now rested a momont, and this onportunity was seized to evneualo tho ward. The patients wero conveyed to tho chapel. When tho madman perceived, however, thnt he was alone, his fury returned, and ho contrived to forco his way iuto the women's ward. Horo ho struck out right and loft, stabbed ouo patient to tho heart, killing her on tho spot ; ho cut the throat of a second, and severely wounded a third in tho head. There is no knowing how much longer this massaoro migbt have continued but for tlio timely arrival of some cendarmo 9 , who, after considerable difficulty, succeeded in capturing tho madman. It is an ill wind, howovor, whioh blows no ono any good. Ono of the patients suffering from paralysis was so terrified that s>he jumped out of bod and walkod out of tho ward. An action for breach of pr^miso, in which damages wero laid at £2000, tho plaintiff bring a Miss Nellie Baptio, of Edinburgh and tho defondnnt a successful gold mino owner, James Bowdon Ross, of Townsvillo, has resulted in n compromise, tho young lady accepting £300. A correspondence had boon kept up from tho gold* Golds, and when Mr Ross camo homo, with tho intontion or marrying his engagod. ho loft his speoimensof gold quartz with her, bu f went ofFwith an old ilnmc» named Truofitt. Jlinc ilia lachrymae.