Local news: Mr. G. F. Hodgins proposes putting up a building this spring on the site between his store and the present bank premises. It will be occupied by the bank.

Horsemen are commencing to get their route bills ready for the season. THE EQUITY has already filled three orders of this kind and has others on hand for this week.

Mr. Thomas Fraser who was recently burnt out at Portage du Fort, has received through Inspector J. H. Bromley the amount of his insurance in the Ottawa Fire Ins. Company—$1,600.

The clerks and tradesmen about town are earnestly discussing the early closing problem these days in view of May 1st being only a few days off.

The boys are agitating to have the stores and business places closed at six o’clock sharp every evening during the week except Saturday and the days preceding holidays. With tradesmen, of course, this rule has been pretty generally observed, but in the case of clerks it seems to require a certain amount of annual agitation and working up. The trouble is to get the shop-keepers to agree upon a regular hour and stick to it. If the rule were once firmly established and people became accustomed to the conditions there would be no inconvenience, as everyone would lay out to do their shopping within reasonable hours.

On Thursday last the new interprovincial bridge at Ottawa was tested with four heavy locomotives and ten flat cars loaded with steel rails and stone. This immense weight was allowed to stand on the long centre span which was only depressed a couple of inches.

The test was considered highly satisfactory. Gatineau passenger trains will run into central depot over the bridge this week.