The Evening Star MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1887

Evening Star, Issue 7160, 14 March 1887, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1887

We are requested to state that Lady Jervois will be at home to receive visitors to-morrow (Tuesday),. 15th, from 4 to 5 p.m. The Hon. W. H. Reynolds left Wellington this afternoon for Dunedin. Messrs MacMahnn and Leitch claim LI.OOO damages from tho 'Evening Post' and the Press Association.

Mr E. H. Carew presided at the Port Chalmers Police Court on Saturday, and gave judgment with costs in tho following cases:—F. Hedgcr v. B. De Lautour, LI lis; G. W. Mason v. W. Robinson, LI ss. The Auckland riflemen received quite an ovation on their return home. Captains White (champion) and Little, Gunner Parslow, and Colonel Mahon, accompanied by the Mayor, were driven through the city in a carriage drawn by four greys, and preceded by bands of music. Queen street was gaily decorated with bunting.

The certificate of the Australasian Kbyal Humane Society has been awarded to Alfred Wade, who rescued his father When he was attacked by a bull at Wangarei in Kovembor last. The gold medal was awarded to James Marshall, who, at great peril, extinguished a fuse in a mine at Long Gully, Sandhurst, and rescued two men. A special meeting of magistrates was recently held at Liverpool to consider whether any effectivo steps oo.uld be taken to diminish the mischief arising from the publication in the newspapers of the detailed evidence of divorce cases. On the motion of Mr S. Smith, M.P., seconded by Mr Raffles, it was rcsolvod—" That this meeting of the magistrates for the city of Liverpool, having been specially convened by the Mayor to consider the injury done to public morals by the publication of detailed reports of divorce cases, is of opinion that it is desirable that the publication of such details should be forbidden by law, and that the same rule should be applied to all cases of an indecent character."

A fire broke out shortly before seven o'clock last evening In a five-roomed wooden dwelling-house in King street, owned by Mr F. Frew and occupied by Mr William Fraßer, traveller. Two passers-by seeing flames through the bedroom window forced their way in, and found that the bedclothes and curtains of a toilet-table were on fire. With a few buckets of water they managed to extinguish the flames, and the damage dona does not exceed L 5. Mr Fraser was unirisured, but the house is insured for L 250 in tho Northern Insurance office. Mr and Mrs Fraser were out at the time that the fire occurred, but had left a girl of thirteen at home in charge of five young children. No fire or light had been used in the room by Mr or Mrs Fraser prior to their leaving the house, bnt it is surmised that one of the children may have gone into the room with a light and accidentally set the bedclothes on fire.

About 6,000 firemen took part in tho torchlight procession at Melbourne on the 24th ult., and the spectacle was the finest ever witnessed in the colonies. Some of the contests were very exciting, particularly that with the hose, for which the Chiltern and Geelong brigades twice made a dead heat of it, the former ultimately winning in 59sec. Next year's demonstration is to be held at Geelong. At the conference of delegates Superindendent Manghcr referred to remarks Captain Hannah, of Ballarat, had made in reference to demonstrations, which he had characterised as useless, and moved "That this meeting affirms that the annual demonstrations are of great value in developing tho practical usefulness of the fire brigade services of the Colonies, and would view with the utmost dissatisfaction any attempt to do any other than improve it. Captain Hannah said he had been laboring under a false imputation, and desired to explain what ho really did say. Whilst speaking to his own brigade he remarked that demonstrations in the past had been failures, and he hoped they would be discontinued. He had no idea that his remarks would have gone outßide his own brigade, or he would have further explained himself at the time. The fire brigades' demonstrations held during the last ten years had been failures. He spoke as they affected his own brigade. They had for demonstration purposes three-thread couplings, which were carefully put aside during fires. A special hose-reel was treated in the same manner. A great deal of practice was indulged in for demonstrations, which he looked upon as being undesirable. That was because tho competitions, favored specially trained men, instead of giving equal chances for tho display of purely practical work. The " running element '■ should be done away with, and new ideas of a practical character should be evolved in connection with demonstration programmes. The resolution was agreed to unanimously, and a committer (to act with four members chosen by the fire brigades of the other oolonies) charged with the duty of giving effect to it,

James Nelson, of Whiteman's Valley, was received into the "Wellington Hospital yesterday suffering from spinal injuries, and lies in a critical condition.

The Public Works Department has accepted the tender of Kincaid, M'Queen, and Co. (L 697) for the supply of fifty sets of points and twenty pairs of switches. As an instance of English generosity and newspaper enterprise, we may mention that the 'Daily Telegraph' Lifeboat Fund reached Lfc.OOO, which has just been handed to the Mayor of Southbridge. / George Rowse and Douglas Black, two lads, while out in a sailing boat yesterday afternoon, had a narrow escape from being drowned. When beating down the harbor on the Peninsula side a sudden squall struck j the boat, which capsised. The lads succeeded in hanging on to the boat until they were seen by Mr Turnbull, jun., who, with the assistance of a dairyman named Johnston, put off in a boat and brought them ashore. In a paper recently read before the Berlin Geographical Society oil China by Herr A. Henning, a good authority, it was affirmed that China's population is really much less than is believed. Though the towns are crowded, country is waste and deserted. At Pekin, he thinks, the number of inhabitants, instead of amounting to millions, is at most 500,000 souls. Tientsin, the population of which is given at 950,000, has probably only 70,000 or 80,000. At the Auckland Police Court to-day Hugh Gibson, an ex-pugilist, who has figured prominently of late at the gatherings of the local branch of the Salvationists, was fined LlO and costs, or three months' imprisonment, and ordered to find sureties of of LIOO to keep the peace for twelve months, for creating a disturbance at Army meetings. His was a very bad case of lapse, as, when drunk, he took possession of the meeting, scaring those present by offering to fight all and sundry, and " going for" the officers in true pugilistic style. However, he is likely to be better employed for many months to come. That the "Mikado" has thoroughly hit the tasto of the Dunedin theatre-going public unquestionable fact. On Saturday the fourth representation of the operetta was witnessed by an unusually large house, the lower portions being inconveniently crowded, while every seat in the circle from which anything like a view of the stage was obtainable was filled. The audience, it goes almost without saying, were in a highly favorable mood, and bent on hearing as much of the tuneful music as was possible without exaotmg too much from the performers. Several encores were demanded, and, as usual, the duet with Nanki-Poo was given a third time. By reason of these repetitions the performance was somewhat lengthened, but nobody grumbled thereat. To-night, when tine box-plan gives indications of another full house, the Marquis and Marchioness of Huntly will be present. We do not know what the arrangements of the management are, but, judging by appearances, we should say that it will suit to postpone the production of "lolanthe" while the " Mikado " pleases so greatly.

Irish Rifles' ball on Thursday.

Tho admissions to the Dunedin Bospltal last week were nineteen, and there were an equal number of discharges. On Saturday there remained ninety-seven inmates. There were three deaths (Edward Kavenaball, William Richardson, and Edgar Ivens) during tho week.

The Cavcrsham branch of the Sixpenny Clothing Club desire us to notify an omission In their annual report. A truck (five tons) of coal was given by Mr James Freeman, of Abbotsford, and the whole of the coal-distributing throughout the year was gratuitously done by Mr Hodgson, of Kensington. Mr J. Braithwaito has ju<>t imported from Home a complete set of artists' material in the shape, of a mahogany stand with innumerable drawers and corners for tho variouH requisite appliances. Tlio stand is a most compact piece of workmanship, and apart from its undoubted intrinsic value, will make a nice ornament in any studio. Every artist should possess himself of one. The designers are Messrs Winsor and Newton, of London.

A largely-attended meeting of millers and millworkera was held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Saturday (Mr M'Donald in tho chair), when a deputation from the Operative Bakers' Association waited on them with a view of getting their co-operation with tlio picnic they propose holding at Mosgicl on Easter Monday. A deputation from tho bakers and millers was appointed to wait on tho master-millers, with a view of obtaining a holiday. It has been determined to celebrate the installation of Past Arch Bro. A. Morrison into the office of District President of No. 19 District, U.A.0.D., by a social gathering either in his own lodge at Cavcrsham or in Dunedin. The representatives to tha Grand Lodge meeting in Melbou'ne (Bros. Morrison and Bowden) arrive at tlio whffrf by tho Waihora on Tuesday morning, and will attend the Linden lodge meeting at Roslyn in tho evening to give a report of the Grand Lodge proceedings. Flower Sunday was held at the Lyceum last night, when tliorc was a large attendance of visitors. Trie stage portion of the building was tastefully decorated, and presented the app-ar-ance of a tea-garden, with the necessary tables, etc. The decorations reflected not a little credit on tluse who had charge of the department. Messrs Stone and Rutherford were the speakers, the former's remarks in speaking of the Queen's Jubilee being entirely Republican. The same gentleman read a few extracts from a speech by Charles Bradlaugh in the House of Commons in reference to the pension and civil list in the Old Country.

A meeting of the ex-High School Boys' Club was held in the library of the High Sehool on Saturday evefling; Dr Belcher In the chair, and about fifty "old boys" being presett. The report and balance-sheet showed a small credit. Toe following were elected office-bearers for thts furient year: President, Dr Belcher (c;e officio) ; vioo-presidents, G. M. Thomsan, W., D. M.lne, F. Sutling, and B. E. Morrison; committee, Messrs R. Austin, Borrows, Drabble, \. A. Finch. Halliwell, H. Martin, Alexander Morris, J. Morris, J. R. Montgomery, A. Robm, B. R. Smith, and J. B Thomsen ; hon. secretary, C. Gillies; hon. treasurer, 0. Brent, It was decided to hold an annual dinner on the anniversary of the founding ot tho school, when a football match will be played. The gymnastic class in connection with the Club opens this evening.

Patents have been applied for as follows: John Good, of Brooklyn, for improvements in machinery for spinning hemp and other fibrous materials; Charles M'Queen, of Dunedin, fcr a machine for crushing quartz, cement, etc.; C. and T. Doney, Hastings, for an improved machine for driving well tubes and piles; Henry Campbell, of London, for improvements in apparatus for making wooden boxes; James Little, of Woodend, for " Little's patent harrow tine "; Clement Kind and J. It. King, of Christchurch, f.r stamping or drawing metals into any other shape than flat; J. M. Mackay, of Auckland, for "M'Kay's patent bank cheque"; W. Gilbert, of Dunedin, for " Gilberts stereotomy process"; G. t'olifct, of Hastings, for " Solitt's automatic well-sinking machine"; T. Goodfellow and J. Sinden, of Waipa, for " the Alexandra cultivator"; C. A. Dearborn, of New York, for improvements in sewing machines; R. M. Vanes, of Dunedin, for a method of applying the olectric current to the human body for curative purposes.