MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 25 February 1881, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Mr Chirnßide, the well-known squatter, of Wem'bee Pork, Victoria, haj been sending all the bands employed on bis uo-country stations to Melbourne, with their wives 2nd families, for the purpose of visiting the Exhibition. All are allowed ten days in town, and all expenses are paid, The New Zealand Shipping Company announce their fleet of grain ships for the coming season. It numbers no less than eighteen iron ships, with a capacity of 30,000 tons* The rate of freight on wheat has been fixed at s(k Fmily Soldene's troupe lost its wardrobe one day. One of the Call hoys needed a handkerchief and purloined it But a gentleman in the audience donated a white necktie, and the troupe appeared as usual. Two bicyclists went from Sydney to Temora — 263 miles — in ten days. Some practised gold-diggers from Australia, says the Bombay G.izette, bave arrived at Madras, and are to be sent up at once to work in the Kolar ' goldfield. A superintendent, for the same mines is also expected from Australia. A window named Smith, recently murdered her two chiliren by throwing tbpm out cf a window into the street, a depth of between 40 and GO feet. The Chinese labor agitation on the Pac fie Coast is frightening the Chinese. The steamer Oceanic, which sa : led * from San Francisco for Hong, recently, had 850 Chinese on broad. That old yiolins occasionally fetch very high prices is a matter of notoriety, and the increase in value of these instruments during recent years ia truly extraordinary. A few years a^o two or three hundred pounds was a high price to give for a violin, but only a short time since a riolio fetched £500, and now Messrs Mahillon, of Brussels, announce a violin, * Antonius Stradivarius Creff.onenisis' of 1736, at the extraordinary price of 22,500fr , or Dine hundred pounds sterling. Thpy will probably get it. for tho vendors guarantee its genuineness, and the violin is unique of its sort For ifc seems likely .that this is the very instrument mentioned by Fetis as having been made by the veteran and s ; gaed ot the age of ninety-two. Qu

the violin mentioned by Felia. Antonio Slradivarius had himself written bis age, * Anno a? atnj 22.' and this is icdeed the only clue we have to it. Mr Abbey, the manager of Booth's Theatre, has communit-ated to an interviewer full particulars of the •results of the Bernhardt season' in New* York, From his point of view they have been highly satisfactory. Middle Bernhardt played twentyfour nights, an(f the receipts amounted to a total of £20 000. The highest taking on any one nigh*. 'Was £1127 on her first appearance *a America, the lowest £580, when '.The Sphicx' was performed for the first time. Mr Pyke, M.Hll, is at the Otago Central Railway again. His latest move has been to induce the Vincent County to agree to the following resolution;—' tfhat. with the view of v presenting to Parlirmenc next session . afar ana impartial statement of (1) tbe public betifit to be derived ffom the construction of Otage Central commission consiting of three disinter*, ested gentlemen willing to act be appointed to inspect the country corncommanded by the line to take evidence' aDd to furnish a report ; the counties tr Vincent, Manjotblo, andTaieri to nominate each one member of such commission.'.