TOWN EDITION.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7390, 13 June 1895, Page 3

TOWN EDITION.

THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Sir. Samuel Wilson, who has just died, was a striking example of success in life as a result of energy and sagacity. He left Ballycloughan, County Antrim, in his twentieth year, for Victoria. He was practically without means, being tbe sixth son of a small farmer whose holding barely sufficed to do more than provide him and his family with plain food and plainer clothing. Young Wilson started in Victoria as a miner, and was moderately successful. By this time, an elder brother had become the occupier of an area of Victorian sheep country, upon which he had twenty thousand sheep. The younger Wilson joined his brother, taking service under him as manager of tho run. He learned sheepfarming there, and then, selling out his share of the small ancestral holding in County Antrim, he joined his elder brother as a partner. The two, with what was considered great daring at tbe time, took in hand a stretch of unwatered and barren country known as Longerenong. Younp' Wilson, who had more than the ../;erage allowance of brains, developed the run by means of dams and water channels, and striking success was achieved.

The progress of young Wilson was very rapid then. He took up more waterless country, and made money out of it by dams and other forms of irrigation. To sum up briefly, he made an immense fortune. In his twentyninth year he married the daughter of the Hon. W. Campbell, an Australian politician of not very striking qualities, long since forgotten. In his earlier squatting days Sir Samuel Wilson represented - the Wimmera district of Victoria in the Assembly. In 1875 he was knighted, and thereafter sat till 1880 in the Legislative Council as member for the Western District. Victorians should have a kindly feeling for the deceased squatter, for although he was a little inclined to the disagreable qualities which so frequently distinguish the nouveau riche, he gave thirty-seven thousand pounds for the erection of tho Wilson Hall in connection with the Melbourne University. Since 1885 Sir Samuel Wilson had resided in England, he having purchased Hughendon Manor, formerly the property of the late Lord Beaconsfield. He tried to get returned to the House of Commons for the division of Buckinghamshire, in which Hughendon is situated, but failed. In 1886, however, he was elected to represent Portsmouth, which seat he held till the general election of 1892. He did not then seek re-election.

It is denied that Oscar Wilde is mad. In our opinion he has been insane for years. The majority of men who manifest genius with respect to the emotions are more or less insane, or, to put it in a more scientific way, they display signs of atavism and degeneration. Many of the men who have aided in making the world's history were victims of epilepsy, as was Mahomet, founder of a great religion, and Julius Ca_ar, military leader, statesman, and author. Many men of genius have suffered from spasmodic and choreic movements, notably Lenau, Montesquien, Buffon, Dr Johnson, Santeuil, Thomas, Campbell, Socrates, and Napoleon. Suicide, essentially a symptom of mental disorder, has carried off many a man of genius, including such immortals as Chatterton, Blount, Haydon, Clive, i\nd Lavid. Alcoholism and morphinism are now recognised as evidences of degeneration, and have had as victims Coleridge, Sheridan, Steele, Addison, Hoffman, Charles Lamb, Burns, and many others. In men of genius the moral sense is sometimes obtunded. or absent. Sallust, Seneca, and Bacon were suspected felons ; Rousseau, Byron, Foscola, and Oaresa were grossly immoral ; while Casanova, the gifted mathematician, was a common swindler. The late Paul Verlaine, a gifted French poet, was outside his art a low and sensual brute.

The new Baltic Canal which is to be opened this month is a great work, but it is a fleabite compared with what the Dutch Government proposes to carry out. That is the draining of the Zuyder Zee. It is estimated that this will cost twenty-six million pounds, and that in addition to other advantages to be derived from the scheme the land reclaimed will be worth twentyseven millions. Look at the map of Holland and note the island of Wieringen, which lies, roughly, about halfway between the chief basin of the Zuyder Zee and tho row of islands which are dotted along the sea, to mark out, as it were, the sea-frontier of Holland. This island of Wieringen is to be joined to the land on each side by huge embankments. If the water on the inside of it were merely a huge puddle, it might all be pumped out. But it is 'not merely a puddle. A large river, the Yssel (was that the river that Hamlet wanted to drink up ?) runs into it, and must be provided for. Accordingly, tbe Dutchmen only propose to clip off four great " polders " or reclaimed areas around the edges of the puddle, and to leave the middle as the Ysselnieer, giving its waters an escape by means of locks and sluices in the embankment. The locks will also bo used by ships wanting to come into Holland's new lake. It is calculated that the embankment would take nine years to make, and that the wliolo scheme would not be finished for thirty-three years. Tho reclaimed land will, it is said, be the best in Holland.

In Count Golochosky's speech in tho Austrian Eeichsrath ■ we probably get a clue to Austria's action in arming her troops with repeating rifles. In doing that she takes from her infantry a magnificent weapon in the shape of the Mannlicher, which is a magazine rifle, and can be fired five times in succession for once loading. As the latter is such a good killing tool, and yet is to be replaced by one still better, it is fair to conclude that the " Christian" nations of Europe expect to bo at each other's throats shortly. The reference to the Triple Alliance may mean that Germany, Austria, and Italy aro preparing to join Turkey in order to withstand the advances of Russia in the East. If that be so, we must hope that England is not entangling herself with Russia and France to such an extent as to involve herself in war. This is more particularly to be hoped seeing how persistently Franco attacks England, oven while professing to desire to be allied with her. At any rate, the outlook is serious and disturbing, for does not King Humbert say that " Europe breathes peace ?" That sort of language is usually uttered just before wars tako place. Tho debate, iv tho French Chamber of Deputies, as briefly reported in our cable messages to-day, gives striking corroboration to our remarks in this column yesterday. As we. then pointed out, Monsieur Hanolamx, by inspired articles in tho French Press, referred to tho fact that France still panted to revenge herself upon Germany, and to recover Alsace and Loraino. He piped to the same tune in his speech to the Chamber. "France," ho said, "was proud enough and rich enough not tv fear comparisons, and not to forget Alsace and Loraino." This is apparently the reason why France lias sokl herself to be train-bearer to Russia. 81ie is so proud that spea: 'tig to the Muscovite seems quite a joyous amusement, and so rich that she can afford to raise loans for Chinamen and allow Russia to tako ono percent on the total for her condescension in looking on while it is done. Pride and wealth come in well, do they not, in a confession that Prance has sought alliance

with Russia in order to restore to herself her position as a nation ! The position reminds one of the monkey and the cat and the hot chestnuts.