Local News: The water in the Ottawa River which has been at a remarkably high mark all season, began to lower very rapidly last week.

Mr. Calvin Morrison’s team had a lively run on the west end of Main Street on Saturday evening last, but happily without doing serious damage, although they ran into a conveyance of Mr. John Horner, who was driving into town at the time.

The picnic held at Otter Lake Thursday in aid of St. Jame’s church was all that could be desired. The day was glorious and the receipts were handsome.

Mr. Willie Knox is spending part of his vacation in Norway Bay with his father, Rev. W. Knox. He, with a party of beach-burgers, are camping on the Rocher Fendu.

Mr. W.J. Hammond of South Onslow returned from the Klondike last week. He made the homeward trip from Dawson in 21 days. W.J. says things are exceedingly quiet in Dawson. Hundreds of men are out of work and wages have been reduced to $4.20 and $5.00 per day. It is evidently not all sunshine in the Klondike.

Eight people are dead and four seriously injured as the result of a wreck on the Canada Atlantic Railway at a place called St. Polycarpe on Wednesday morning last.

Messrs. Smart and Smith are making preparations for the erection of a large structure to be used for exhibiting and storing the several lines of goods they are handling. The building will be of brick and will occupy the site directly opposite the Russell House.

The Presbyterian congregation of Bristol held their annual picnic at Norway Bay on Thursday last. There was a very large attendance and so far as we can learn, the day was most enjoyably spent, ending with a social in the evening.

Mr. Wm. Clarke Jr., of Moorhead, arrived at the Otter Lake House Saturday with a party of young gentlemen from Ottawa who have come up for a few days’ fishing.

The Queen’s speech at the prorogation of parliament, Mr. Chamberlain’s words in the House of Commons, and the ordering of the Grenadier Guards and three more batteries of artillery to Natal, whose frontiers adjoin those of the Transvaal, are serious matters, all indicating that the South African situation is far from being settled.

The fourth session of the eighth parliament of Canada prorogued on Friday afternoon last. Next to the memorable session of 1885, that which just closed was the longest in the history of the country; but according to the records, it was considerably more talkative than that of 1885.