TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8677, 29 December 1893, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The new goldfield at CoolExperiences gardie is furnishing its at quota both of the tragedy Coolgardie. and.romance which seem to he inseparable from goldmining. The scarcity of water has been, responsible for a good many exciting incidents, besides those referred to by our correspondent it to-d_y_ issue. On one occasion, we learn iron, a writer in the Age, a number of swagsmen were congregated round what is called a soak —little better than a wayside puddle. Some horsemen came up, but the fluid was too precious "for watering animals and the swagsmen refused to let them have any. The horsemen dug on their own account and struck water. The swagsmen, jealous of' the new supply, came upon them, and demanded drink. The horsemen drew their revolvers, and prepared to defend their well. Thereupon the swagsmen also produced their arms, and for a time ib looked as if there would be bloodshed, although in the end it was averted. This fierce struggle for water reminds one of the Biblical stories of the quarrels of Eastern herdsmen over the possession of the precious wells of water. As already reported, at Coolgardie a 501b bag of flour, valued at 22s 6d, was given for three pints of water, and 10s was given for two pints. Other-curious facts are reported. When the stampede took place at. Frost's, owing to there being next to no gold to be found there, the men endeavoured to disencumber themselves as much as possible of -all impediments. They took their tools and provisions to the storekeepers, endeavouring to sell them. These 'cute people, however, would not buy. They waited until, in their" scare and haste, the poor miners began to throw their things away. Then they took possession of all i they could pick up on the cheap. The miners soon became alive to this game, and then was witnessed a strange thing. The swagsmen whoproposed to return got together at Siberia, and proceeded to build a big fire. Upon this they piled aU their tools and surplus provisions, and consumed all that was destructible. They knocked big holes in their new dishes and drove picks through their tins of meat before committing them to the flames. Thus were the too greedy storekeeper- baulked. . But along the line of march the road was strewn with discarded stores and trappings. " If you were in want of a swag on the homeward track,'' says the writer from whom we have been quoting, •* all you had to do was to pick up one which someone had thrown away. One poor fellow arrived back at. Coolgardie

having only his under-pants and jersey on. He had to throw everything else to the winds, and walked forty miles of the seventy-five without tasting a drop of water, while the thermometer was over 100 in the shade." Such are the hardships which me_ are content to undergo on the chance of getting possession of a little red earth !

Strasge to aay there is ono Unwilling office of high distinction Recipients of and honour which people Honour. seem to avoid instead of courting. We refer to the exalted position of Sheriffs of Counties of England and Wales. It is undoubtedly a very high office, but there ia a good deal of truth in the statement of an English contemporary that its chief glory and privilege is that it carries the right to entertain Her Majesty's Judges when on circuit, and generally to go to a great deal of trouble and expense -without any appreciable reward. The ceremony of nominating the Sheriffs took place as usual this year on '■ the morrow of St. Martin," in the Lord Chief Justice's Court. It is always invested with much that is quaint and gorgeous. The Chancellor of the Exchequer in gold embroidered velvet cloak presided, and there were also present- two other Cabinet Ministers, and five of her Majesty's Judges, to say nothing of the Queen's Remembrancer. The office of Sheriff is one which a man must take if nominated thereto, unless those potent personages choose to let him off. When the list of eligible persons waa read out it is almost literally true that with one consent they began to make excuse. They were not, however, let off, except for very 'good reason. One gentleman who had heart disease, and who, not unreasonably, feared that the strain of being Sheriff might induce syncope, was excused. Another gentleman, Mr Charles T. Scott, of Leicestershire, was not so fortunate. Se protested that he was only the trustee of the estate of Lady Agnes Scott, and not the owner, and he pleaded that his own private income waa not sufficient. "He omits to mention," grimly observed the Chancellor of the Exchequer, "that if he ia only the trustee he is also the husband of Lady Agnes Scott." This gentleman's name went up first on the list. Mr Montagu Compton Roberts, of Monmouth, wrote a pathetic letter, setting forth that he did not come into his late father's estates for some time, and that he waa only twenty-seven yeara of age and unmarried. Sir William Harcourt —"That disqualification _iay be removed." Mr Blackham, of Northampton, pleaded that he had only fifty-two acres of freehold and £2500 a year allowed him by his mother. That, Lord Kimberley said, was not enough for a Sheriff, so he was excused. There is an easy way of making this high and honourable office more popular. Cut off the expenses connected with it., aud attach a, salary, even a small one, to the post. There will then be no lack of willing candidates for the position.

The recent "coal war" in Peat England has revealed one in curious fact among others. London. There are a number of people

in London who regularly use peat as fuel. During the recent scarcity of coal the peat merchants were rushed off their legs with orders. Many of these had to be refused, for of course the regular customers had to be considered first. "If we could only have foreseen it," the representative of one great firm is reported by the Daily News as bemoaning, to which, of course, the natural reply was that there were a good many folks who would have liked a "tip in time." "Yes," was the answer, "we thought we did foresee one strike, and we provided accordingly ; but it didn't come off, and at the end of the season we had our stock left on our hands." After a certain time, we are told, -peat fuel deteriorates. It becomes light and spongy, and lasts no time. On the other hand, freshly-cut, undried peat is of no use for fuel. It is usual to cut it and stack it in the spring for the following winter, and a further supply for the latter part of the winter is cut in the middle of summer. But who are the Londoners who go in for this kind of fuel 1 Are they emigrants from the Highlands, the mountains of Wales, the plains of Dartmoor, or the Emerald Isle, still faithful to the fuel Which warmed them in their native wilds ? Or are they aristocratic epicures, anxious to reproduce in Belgravia the genial, glow and grateful fragrance which still linger among the pleasent memories of their shooting expeditions ? If so the hope is vain. Connoisseurs will admit that peat makes the ideal fire, but to enjoy the kindly aroma to the full there must be a very important adjunct — the moorland breeze or the keen mountain air.