AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 95, 19 October 1910, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

'A WATTEAU FOR MELBOURNE ART GALLERY. The National Gallery of Victoria has become possessed of, through the Felton bequest, a most important painting, a delicious little example of Watteau, of exquisite quality (writes the Argus London correspondent). It is called "Les Jaloux ("Jealousy"). It is a typical Watteau subject, one of the incomparable "Fetes galants" of the great French master. On the low wall of a terrace, overlooking a wooded valley, sit four figures. A troubadour, in a marvellously rendered costume of silk striped with bine and white and shot with rose pink, sits next to a lady who, guitar in hand, is dressed in yellowish brown. Her neighbour is a Pierrot, or Gille, in the usual white clothes ; while with her hand on his shoulder is a second lady, in a dress which is composed- of a cherry-col-oured bodice and bright blue skirt. At her feet lie a tambourine and a fool's cap and bells. Her attitude or her conversation evidently enrage two cavaliers, half-hidden by the boughs behind them, and whose angry gestures give the title to the picture. The painting, which comes from the private collection of Prince de Wagram, has been quite unknown to two or three generations, and is the picture which, according to Mariette (the earliest biographer of Watteau) gained the artist admission into the French Academy of Painting in 1712. Scotin's engraving of it has always been known, but the picture itself, according to Edmond de Goncourt, disappeared in 1786, three years before the French Revolution, to turn up in the possession of Prince do Wagram. A VICTORIAN AVIATOR. A young Victorian aeronaut, Mr. 'j R. Duigan, a son of Mr. J. C. Duigan, of Ivanhoe, made a successful flight at Spring Plains Station, Mia Mia (Victoria) as was recently announced by cable. Mr. Duigan has had a thorough training as an electrical engineer at Finsbury Electrical College, London, and has for some months been spending his spare time in the construction of a biplane at Mia Mia. The aeroplane is 35 feet long and 25 feet wide, and is driven, by a 25 horse power engine, with a propeller 8 feet 6 inches long. It is controlled by side planes, and has a number of small inventions which Mr. Duigan states, are «ot to be found in the machines of the old world. Mr. Duigan has several times succeeded in flying short distances, but his flight yesterday was much his best. He- flew easily for about 250 yards, and in. an ecstatic telegram he sent to his parent* stated he felt "as if he could do anything with it." Mr. Duigan has been experimenting, says the Age, over some rough ground near the Mia Ilia Creek, afod so far has had no accidents ol anything approaching a serious nature. He reached an altitude of 100 feet. SELLING OF THE SNARK. After lying in Sydney Harbour for a year and seven months, Jack London's yacht, the Snark, has been sold. She is to end her days as an island trader (say 3 Sydney Sun). It is said that the Snark, although only a little-, ship, cost the famous novelist about £6000 to build and fit out. She had just been begun when the earthquake wrecked San Francisco, and more than one builder had a hand in her construction. She was serviceably equipped, and in her Jack London essayed a round-the-world voyage from San Francisco, but only got as far as the Solomon Islands', when he decided, for health reasons, to abandon the cruise. The vessel was subsequently brought on to Sydney, arriving on 3rd March, 1909. Her new owners have requisitioned a shipbuilder, through whom they have bought the vessel, to alter the whole of the interior and convert her into a comfortable trader. Although the yacht cost her original owner so much, it is understood that the price paid for her did hot reach four figures. "TAIT" TRAINS. The carriage construction department of the Newport (Melbourne) workshops is now busy with the production of new suburban sliding door trains of the "Tait" type. Four trains of six cars each will take the roads when the new summer time-table is introduced on Ist December. With the "Tait" train now running, they will make a good group of modern trains, such as all our suburban/ lines should be stocked with (says the Argus). Three of the trains will be put on the St. Kilda line, and two on the Port Melbourne line. By Ist February next the department will have three more "Tait" trains on the lines, making a total of eight in all. It is intended to place at least two of the February group on. the Caulfield line. A " DOMAIN " POLITICIAN. The Chinese lanterns of "the- only Jones," the Independent Democrat, for King, fluttered in the cold breeze at the top of Yurong-street, Sydney, and the only Jones fluttered with them. He spoke to a great crowd along the lines of his two previous- addresses, says the Sun. He explained how he would have acted in regard to the coal strike had ho been Premier, and promised that the release of Peter Bowling would be a corollary of his election. He criticised Domain orators, and said that he never visited there now. A plump lady in a gem hat with a very high, tight, voice, took him to j task over this statement. "Gam," she piped, "I seen yer there. Yer had a Sun over yer keepin' yer warm." This upset Mr. Jones, and he closed his address a few minutes later. The running was taken up by Mr. Bloggs (who was introduced by Mr. Bliggs). Mr. Bloggs wore a heavy slouch hat, and the collar of his top coat reached his chin. "Mr. Jones has tried very hard," he opened. "He tells me, indeed, that this is his ninth time. Well, you know, a cat has nine lives. (Laughter.) This may be Mr. Jones's ninth life. (Laughter.) I don't predict anything, however. (Laughter.) You have heard that Mr. Wade is denned, and that the next Government will be a Wade-Jones coalition. That is not so. It will be a Jones Government — he will be "Wade" and found not wanting. (Laughter.) Now, Mr. Jones said he has been a teetotaller for forty-three years. I believe him — (laughter) — and so would you if you came up here. (Laughter.) Mr. Jones says ho is in favour of opening up the land — and he will not- put a tax on grave-diggers. (Laughter.) You have all heard the story of Robert Bruce and the spider which tried to climb the wall nin6 times. Well, Mr. Jones is going to be the Robert Bruce this time — no, the spider, because he will climb the political wall, and on Friday, when the poll is turned up, you will, find that Mr. Jones's pre- 1

vious record has been broken — one way)' or the other. (Laughter.) I don't care, and Mr. Jones don't care, because if ha doesn't win this time- he will win nexti time, or in years, and years, and years, and years. (Laughter.) But with all his faults we lovo him still. (Laughter.} You are all sorts. You have all tried to pick a winner. Well, Mr. Jones is a sure thing. He is going to back him-, self for the Political Stakes. But to make sure back him both ways. (Laughter.) "Now," he said, concluding, "you have heard this ' great orator — the modern Cicero— (laugl-ter)— the future Premier. (Laughter.) All those who are in favour of his candidature show their hands. It was a unanimous vote. The electors rejected air. Jones lasfc week. MINOR POET: MAJOR CRIMINAL, Peter Voight, who was sentenced to aj veaxs imprisonment for larceny at the General Sessions, Melbourne, recently? made a pathetic plea for leniency in pleading guilty. "I'm a bit of a versifier, a sort of minor poet, he said, "I wrote a lot of things in gaol, but when I tried to dispose of my work I could not. I took them to, editors of weekly newspapers and magazines, but they did not appreciate raw talent. Ihey said it was very good stuff, but that there was no market for it. One editor gave me 2s on account of r-poem,-or rather some verses, not going into his newspaper, and another gave me, good advice only. I wrote some jingle about football matches the other Saturday. Ido not like to degrade the poet'^ art, but my circumstances were pressing so I intended to get 1000 or so copies struck off, and sell them in small shopa in town. I met a friend and tried to borrow a few shillings for printing them, but he only shouted me drinks, and I became careless. A saw a number of boots in a vehicle, and on the spur of the moment I forgot all about the verses and took the boots. (Laughter ; 7. do not, of course, pretend to be a great writer, but I have written a number of romances, and hoped to do something with them, but my talent has not been appreciated. Bo lenient with me, and when I come out of gaol I will be off to India." Voight, who is better known as "Froggy," admitted 18 previous convictions, the last being one of five years which he had completed only a few dayi before he stole the boots. Hie biggest attempt in crime was an endeavour to loot the Bank of New South Wales in Gollins-street of a quarter of a million of money about six years ago. Voighb didn't bother about safe-breaking by electricity or forged orders, or personation, after the manner of his namesake in Kopenick. His methods are more direct,, He simply walked into the banking chamber one afternoon, clambered over the partition of the receiving teller, and proceeded to grab as many bundles of notes as he could reach. He had both arms full, and was making a dash for the door when several athletic clerks bore down on him and overwhelmed him by force of nunjbers. On that occasion he was given a year's imprisonment. Voight is one of the most picturesque criminals in Melbourne.