VICTORIA.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 9

VICTORIA.

- During the year 1905-6 ths number of children enrolled as attending the ui.ato schools of Victoria was 229,179. The report of the officer in charge of the Leongaitha Labour Colony, which is established on 440 acres of land, states tha^'the mon sent .up from Melbourne during tho year ended 30th Jun3 comprised doctors, chemists, 'solicitors, artisans, and others, and they found occupation in gardening, milking, ploughing and such general farm work as they were able to do. For this they received a .small remuneration besides their keep. 1 Just as the audience was assembling at an entertainmoct at the Royal Princess Theatre, Bendigo, on the 11th inst., an asbestos tire curtain, weighing about I a ton, fell on to the stage. Two weights ■which balanced it were also released. Thoy weighed about half v, ton each, and crashed through the stage, causing considerable alarm amongst tho audience. A sensation occurrence is reported from HealesviUe, Victoria, where a two-year-old trotting colt, by Red Wind, kicked a loaded gun, which was standing putsido tho door of his box on his owner's farm. Tho charge exploded, and took effect in the horse's mouth. The colt was 50 badly injured that ho had to be destroyed. Energy in 1 the detection of adulteration of food and tha, disposal,, of articles unfit for human ' consumption' is being displayed by the authorities ii Melbourne. A few days ago a vendor of ' milk was fined £5 and £4 4s costs, for, disposing of watered milk, and a butcher £10 and costs £2 15s, for selling diseased meat. A cample of some flour from a Melbourne Mill was analysed, and was found to contain from fifty to sixty grubs of the flour-moth. The grub's were about half an inch in length, and wer-e all alive. Tho flour was taken from a parcel intended, for human consumption. -■ - Miss Ada Ward is disheartened at the indifferenco of the psople of Geelong, in I which city she undertook a week's mission. "The Christion people of G?elong," she complains, "aro cold and dead. They want some of the. fire that moved the people of Wales." Beforo sho caihe to Geelong, she continued, she had been told to be brave and courageous, and not let the Geelong people , break her heart, and • the moment she entered tho church she felt something was wrong, and she felt it was a lack of I prayer. 'And she asked, what was the ! good of bringing a ..missioner to the place if they did not help. She had preached -nine years, and had never conduct «<T" meetings from a Sunday to a I Wednesday night with so poor results. Strangs stories are current after every mysterious crime, and the murder ot Mr. Bauer is no exception. Mr. P. E. Stokie, a Nei-arig dairyman, has made an extraordinary statement to tho Colac police. Ho says thai on reading of the murder he remembered ,an incident which took place at Flemington Racecourse, in March last, when the Australian Cup was run., He made a bet on that day, and won. On the following Thursday h-e again attended the races, and a one-legged man approached him, and, after congratulating him on his win, asked him how he got away with the money. Ho replied that ho had placed it in the Commercial Bank. The map then said, "Will you join us? We aYe working up a plan. We want a jeweller to dispose of the goods." Continuing, the man said, "Where did you carry the money you .won? In your breast pocket? That is where diamond merchants -carry their diamonds. You will hear of sensations in Collins-stroct shortly.; so if you want to join us don't say anything. It must lie completed beforo the Grand National, and it will take a knock to do it?" Mi. Stokis said, "What aro you going to do?" The man replied, "If you come and pledge yourself with us I will tall you ; but not otherwise. I am going to Sydney with my pals." Mr. Stokie says that ho subsequently received two or threo letters from Sydney, and he thought their object was to get money from him. The Rev. J. T. Baglin, incumbent of St. John's Church of England, Footscray, late on Sunday evening, 7th inst., had a marvellous escape from a terrible death". Ho had been conducting a service at North Melbourne, and on reaching the railway station at that suburb at 9.48 ho saw from tho top of ' the ramps that the trajn to Footscray was standing at tha platform, and, bag in hand, he dashed down the ramp. His impetus wa6 so great that he was unable to pull up quickly, he ran full tilt into the foremost end of a firet class carriage. The train started just at that moment, and he was thrown with great violence between the carriages. IBs bag, _howevor, swung over the coupling chain, and the reverend gentleman hung on to this chain for his life, while the train was gathering speed on its journey to Footscray. Clasping the chain -with his begioved hands, Mr. Baglin managed to coil hs legs around the same chain, with his head held at an angle under tho foremost carriage. In this difficult posture the tail of his coat was continually catching carriage wheel, thus putting a strain on his fast diminishing strength.. The clergyman .was bleediac_

profusely from a severe wound over th« left eye, but for five long minutes ho succeeded in hanging on in this terribly perilous position, knowing that the lease clip meant instant death. - When th» train stopped at South Kensington, Mr. Baglin, faint and weak* with pain and suspense, managed to clamber, hatless and dishevelled, to the platform, with his overcoat torn to shreds, and his face and head covered with blood. At Footscray Dr. Webb put several stitches in the wound over the left eye, and dressed his bruises and abrasions, which wero numerous. At latest dates, Mr. Baglin was confined to his bod, suffering severely, from shock, but making satisfactory progress towards recovery. A serious explosion of ether took place on the 11th inst. in the dispensary of tho Melbourne Children's Hospital. Mr. W. Gillingh'am, assistant dispenser, was blown through ths window, bub escaped without more eerious injury than a cut hand and the slight singeing of his hair. Six windows and tw,o sky- ' lights were smashed, tho damage being estimated at £45. In the dispensary at the time were Alfred Heath, dispenser, and his two assistants, W. Gillingham and John " Smith. 4t about half-past 4 o'clock Smith was melting some syrup over a gas-stove, when Heath, whose * back was turned, heard a slight report. Glancing round, he saw that the bottle of ether had been "overturned, and that the liquid was escaping. "Turn out tho gay!" ho cried to Smith, but just then the explosion occurred. Gilliug- ' ham, at Heath's warning cry, had run towards the window to moke his cscap'e. The' force of the explosion lifted him of? his feet, hurled him through the window, and landed him on his feet outsid;. Sniith sustained no injury, but one of Heath's thumbs waa dislocated. Ths flames were quickly extinguished, th« nurses assisting in tho work.