LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 207, 29 July 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New York lest nearly £1,000,000 m February by fires. W. G. Grace, though well-known as a cricketer for twenty years, is only 36 yoars of age. Why was Noah the beat broker of ancient times ? He could float more stock than any other man. Cremation is making considerable progress .m England. The London Times advocates a trial of the experiment. Henry Barnes, a five-year-old-boy, m Springht-ld, recently died a terrible death from the effects of eating the peel of half an orauge. A fashionable marriage is shortly to take place m Wellington, the parties being Mr J. S. M. Thomson and Miss Krull. Justin M'Oarlhy, jun;, son of the Irish agitator and historian, is about to be married to Miss Laura Linden, a popular London actress. A French dramatist makes one of his characters m a recent play declare that he is " holding up the trousers of dospair with the braces of hope." It Jis worthy of notice says Wellingtojywper that during Saturday afternoon and Sunday last, two sailing vessels and one steamer from Nowcnstle (N.S.W.), and six steamers from the West Coast of the South Island, arrived m Wellington, earring m the aggregate 5000 tons of coal. A communication from Christchtirch, refers to a possible upset of the St&ntnore eleotion In connection with this matter the Lyttelton Times says ;~-It is rumoured that an attempt will be made to upset the Stanmore eleotion, on the ground that one or two electors voted twice, by registering their votes both at Knightstown and Phillipstown. By latest commercial news by cable the total quantity of wheat afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,510,000 quarters, an increase of 10,000 during tho week. New Zealand mutton, prime quality, has declined by £d per lb, and is now selling atsd. An very ingenious contrivance, called Gray's. patent staple standards, has been invented and patented m this colony by Messrs Reid & Gray, agricultural implement makers, of I^unedin, The standards are extremely simple, and useful m the erection of temporary fences for feeding sheep on turnips, also for fixing barbed wires and wire netting fences. It is certainly the most simple and yet effective of anything of the kind ever brought under our notice. Tho invention consists of a simple slip staple that fits on the posts and confines the wire to its place. It action is instantaneous ; a fence can be erected after the posts are m the ground almost as fast as a man can walk along. We commend the invention to the attention of farmers graziers and others.

Tom White, the champion of the Thames m the days when Englishmen could row, is m the Maryborough f Queensland) Hospital, suffering from drops}'. Professor and Mrs Baldwin, the famous thought renders and spiritism exposers who created some sensation m Sydney about six years ago, hate returned. There are between 400 and 500 young lady boarders at the Conservatory of Music m Boston and there are about 300 pianos under the roof. What a place to get a baby to sleup ! Sir G. M. O'Rorke will probably be reelected without opposition to tho position of Speaker. Mr H».mlin will be opposed tor the chairmanship of comrnittoes by Mr Steward. Shares m the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company, 11s paid, are now quoted iv London at from 12s 6d to 17s 6d. Mr and Mrs C. L. Maclean left Bulls on Saturday for Kaikoura. The good wishes of many m liangitikei and Mauawatu will follow them to their new location. The Otago Daily Times considers that altogether the result of the elections may be considered highly satisfactory, since it offers the prospect of a strong and moderate Government. The Customs Revenue for the quarter ending June 30th,shows a serious falling off on the corresponding quarter for 1883. the figures being £320,304, against £345,500, or at the rate of £100,000 a year. The Annual Meeting of the Wauganui Jockey Club will be held at the Pier Hotel* on Thursday next, at 8 p.m. The returns of revenue collected at the Post Offices throughout the colony, shows a total of £39,100 less than the corresponding quarter of last year. The Waugauui Herald learns that there are at preseut 37 candidates from all parts of the Education District of Wauganui for the Board's scholarships. The examinations are to be hold on Tuesday, the sth of August, iv the Christ Church Schoolroom. One of Wanganui's oldest identities, well-known to all, has requested the Herald to state that on Sunday last he was 65 years of age, his wife 64, and his horse 24. The only infereuce he wishes to be drawn from these facts is that "time flies'" Although the old man admits that " he ain't what he used to be," he says he is determined to see another election before he " bauds m his chips." Miss Frances Power Cobbe (says Truth) begs me to say that she believes the advertisement m the " agony" column of the Times, which we copied m last week's issue, refers to a person of the same name who died m London a few years ago. Miss Cobbe has no v brother George," and her late father, Charles Cobbe, of Newbridge, D.L., left the army early,and never reached any higher grade than that which he bore at Assaye — a lieutenant m the 19th Dragoons.