MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 6 May 1881, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

1 Some idea of tho extent of Australian cheep farms may be gathered from the fact that Sir Samuel Wilson has re" cently sold one of his pastoral estates for ten yearly payments of £50,000 The ' run ' comprises about 3,000,000 acres of land, carrying about a quarter of a million of sheep and several hundred head of cattle and horses. The station was bought five years ago for less than £100,000 but since then over 1300 miles of wire fencing having been erected, and, as the lease is direct JIQPk the Crown, the value of the property* wHI steaaily incregM, especi* al'y if the effort to export fresh meat in carcase is successful. By the foot mail comes news that the French, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Austrian, and Greek government have prohibited the importation of* American pork. This is no doubt on account of the pork in question being infected, as some say to the exteDd of 8 per cent with the terrible trichina spiarlis. When su«h meat is eaten by a man, the parasites escape in the alimentary canal and produce myriads of ova, from which proceed innumerable young trichina. * Each of them,' says a Home paper writing on the subject. ' is furnished with a sharp extremity by means of which it can perforate all the soft tissues of the body and the whole brood soon start upon their travel?, their ultimate odject being to arrive at muscle, in, which they may become encapsuled, until, by being again swallowed, they repeat the history of their race. The migration of the worms riddle the walls of the alimentary canal, the muscles, and the intervening structures with countless tracks of perforation ; and the whole process may be described as the infliction of an enormous wound made up, so to speak, of millions of wounds which would indivi* dually have been unnoticed.' It appears that England continues to take American pork; perhaps relying on her extraordinary freedom from the disease. Certainly until 1871, no Bi'ngle instance of trichina disease had been observed by English physicians in actual practice, Many instances had been recorded of the parasites being found in a post morten examination, but no suspicion of trichinosis had been extertained during life. The outbreak in 1871 was confined to three persons and no cases hive so far as we remember, been heard of since. Notwithstanding the raforms promised by the Emperor Alexander 111., great dissatisfaction still exists in Russia. Serious riots have been caused by the Moscow students, which have been suppressed by the police after a good deal of trouble. An American paper has the following amusing bur-esque of Mr Archibald Forbes' style: Mr Forbes in replying to the toast of the English Press : — " Mr Chairman — I am Mr Archibald Forbe*. I have been everywhere. I have done everything. lam a very smart fellow. lam not to be outdone. I know the Emperor of China. I know the King of the Cannibal Islrnds. I am intimately bcxuainted with the Grand Llama. I have lived with the Shah of Persia. I am the dearest friend of the Emperor of Russia.' The report comes abruptly to an end with the editorial remark : 1 Here out sorts of I's gave ouf. Here is a novelty taken from the advertising columns of the Tork Clipper, offering a rare chance to the showy members of the barmaid per* suasion:—* Adam Forepeugh, pro* prietor of the largest Show in the world, desires to secure ttie services for forty weeks in the coming spring and summer of the Handsomest Woman Living. To that end he ' offers a premium of £2000, payable in pro rata weekly instalments, to the lady contestant who shall be adjudged the most beautiful candidate. All applicants must forward photographs and full address. All communications strickly confidential, The fortunate lady will be required to appear daily in a great pageant, and, as beauty and Eot talent is required, good looks alono will secure the prze. No personal applications or interviews will be granted, no letters answered. No Photographs returned. The extract which is going tho rounds of <hs New Zealand papers as to the incomes and pavings of United States' Presidents is founded on a confusion between pounds sterliug

and dollars. Paragragh should, there* fore, read ad follows, and will show the spoils of office in the States are not nearly so large as represented :— All of the recent Presidents of the United States are said to have saved money. Me Lincoln is spoken of ar having laid by over £10,000. Jobnstou saved £23,000. The salary in their time was only <£5,000, while it is now £10,000. Grant is genearlly a ipposed to have saved about £10,000, He only had the increased salary for & short part of bis term, Mr Hayes is supposed to lived on £2000 a year, which will make bis savings £32,000 at the close of his term> The Homan Catholics are about to esfablisd a mission at New Guinea, the* Rev. Dr. Cani baring already left Cook! own for that purpose. At a meeting of Irishmen held at Newcastle to discuss the new Land Bill Mr Paraell, who was the principal speakef) after referring to the Bill wnich has been introduced to the House, said Mr Gladestone had made a bona fide attempt to settle the land question. In connection with the Chinese immigration, a very amusing incident occurred in one of our suburbs a few inontbs ago. The mayor of one of our suburbs, was a prominent opponent to the introduction of Chinese. Owing to his official position, he was asked to take tie chair at a concert in his borough, and in that position announced to the audience each item on the programme. One item was the song ' Alas those Chimes/ and when this bad been reached, the worthy mayor, under, the disadvantages of a somewhat dim light and a not less dim education, struggled with the title for a few seconds, and then announced that the next song was ' Blast those Chin neese.'