MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6784, 16 February 1884, Page 4

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) January 28, 1884. The most remarkable characteristic of the year that has just closed waß the number - and disastrous effects of the earthquakes ; this year seems likely to be noticeable for its fires. On no day since the commencement of the year have the newspapers failed to chronicle a conflagration, and many of them have been of alarming extent. These disasters have not been confined to the city, but have occurred in all parts of the colony, the wheat-growing districts especially having suffered severely. A peculiar case has engaged the attention of the Courts lately arising out of a fire. By some unexplained means the crops of a farmer named Fairie caught fire, and the flames spread rapidly and threatened the crops of an adjoining farmer named Laird, %vho suggested that a Btrip of intervening grass should be burnt off to arrest the progress of the flames. The suggestion was acted upon, but the result was that the fire purposely commenced ignited Laird's standing grain, which was desroyed, and an action for damages against i'airt wag instituted. The decision of the Court was that Fairie was liable and a verdict was given accordingly, but leave to appeal was granted. Contractors have Btrange ways of computing. Not long Bince the Government invited tenders for certains works, the departmental estimate for which was £400 ; the lowest tender was £500, and the others ranged up to JEISOO. The Minister, following the maxim of cutting his coat according to the cloth at his disposal, reduced the extent of several portions of the work to bring it within the amount of money he had available, and in the curtailed form the work was readvertised, and fresh tenders were invited. The same contractors tendered again, but instead of reducing their prices they actually increased them. The following Bhould be of interest to New Zealand sheepfarmers :— "The rabbiters in New South Wales- are improving on the practices, of the same class in Victoria. Being paid so much per scalp, they scalp the iiving rabbit and turn him .loose on the chance of his living and breeding again. A week's tally of one rabbiter is quoted as '14 cats, 13 rabbits, and H iguanas,' both cats and iguanas being, deadly foes of the rabbit. The Minister of Mineß in New South Wales has had a letter forwarded to him by a squatter, Mr David Crystal, of Mulurula, in which he states that the mongoose on his run ' are doing splendid work, and my only trouble is that I have not more of them.' " New Zealand appears to be attracting a desirable class of immigrants ! The police recently arrested a man named William Jackson, a farmer, on board the steamer John Elder* - It appears that Jackson, who was a second cabin passenger by that vessel, previous to leaving England Bold all his property and deserted his wife. She by some means became apprised of his intention to go to Australia, and finding out the veasel he was to sail by joined her at Liverpool. He himself subsequently came on board at Gravesend. Upon their meeting he paid a steerage passage for her, but on arrival in Port Ph'llip Bay he turned her adrift without a penny. It is said that he intended to go to New Zealand. Upon being searched in the lock-up a bag containing £777 18s 7d was found in his possession. Sir George Grey is about to visit this city. Ifc is a remarkable fact that, though Sir George is an ex-Governor and an old colonisb, he has never yet seen Melbourne nor the Sydney harbor. I A little stranger who put in an appearance last week had an unpleasant location for his birthplace, and one of which he will not be proud. His mother was confined in two senses of the word in the city watch-house, and in one of the prison cells Bhe gave biith to° a child. It is alleged that she was previously taken to the Lying-in Hospital, where she was not admitted, the authorities there stating that her case was not of immediate necessity. The birth of the child took place at about three o'clock on Saturday morning, a few hours after her incarceration. A girl who was taken to the Sandhurst Hospital recently in a fainting fit which came upon her while she was at a Salvation Army meeting, gave the following account of an alleged trance .vision to the representative of Ihe Sendigo Advertiser : — "Sometime after the. faint came over me I did not remember anything, but after a time I saw a beautiful bright light, and as I was lying down an angel appeared to me. On looking round I saw something like a dark tunnel — like a railway tunnel — about a quarter of a mile in length. There I thought I stood on a balance, and was asked which side I would go to. On the one hand was a great dark pit, in which there was white fire, and showers of fire like hail. I could Bee people there as plainly as I can see you sitting before me. On the other side heaven was opened to me, and I could hardly look at it for the brightness of the light. In it were people wearing crowns and harps, with the Saviour in the midst, robed .in a beautiful dress resembling a surplice. It looked prettier than white. I Dever saw anything so white. The Saviour was beckoning me to come to Him. I also thought I saw my mother there beckoning to me. My mother has since .then visited me at the hospital. The angel whioh appeared to me said I have some mighty work to perform. I could hear the screams of the people iv the pit, and see tears running down the Saviour's face. I cannot teil all that I did Bee. There were some beautiful things which I cannot describe. On the following morning (Monday) I was better, and left the hospital. I felt very nervous, however, and had to re-enter the institution on Tuesday. I have taken several fits since, but have not lost consciousness. I have been visited by Lieut. Muritz since my first attack. I was subject to , fits, but never experienced so severe a one previously." It was up the country that a distinguished and popular baronet and his lady were travelling with a party of friends, when they arrived at a well known hostelry in the mountains, where they decided to stop and feed the horses. While waiting they came to the conclusion that it would be a good opportunity for dinner, and the servants were ordered to bring but. the cold turkeys, jellies, &c, and lay the tables in the public-house. The drag was unloaded, the cloth laid, and the provisions displayed in tempting profusion, backed up by an army of goldtopped bottles, when, just as the guestß were about to sit down, a vision of youth and beauty, in the shape of an indignant landlady, intervened between them and happiness. She was never so much insulted in her own house as for guests to provide for themselves in her licensed house, as if heir cookery wasn't good enough for the likes of them, and her wines not fit for such bloated aristocrats. All the remonstrance in the world was of no avail, the landlady didn't care for the titled lady, but forced the friendly party to relinquish their dinner, which was already set before their eyes, and restrict themselves 'to' the homely fare and the champagne from the cellars of a bush hotel. . „ ■ „. ....■'■ "Never milk while the • cow .ideating," is the advice of a - bucolic contemporary. Judging from the character ; of much ;.of the milk that comes-to the /market, it would be more tojth&pp'ißt peyer'to milk while the cow is 'drinking., V ,\ : : '- ,\ -': Here is an instance, of , the innocence of country buujpkws.' '.* The* Jother day a raw bußhm^riightly.the£Forse forjiqupr^qt, into an u^c*ountry, -train, leading; by the hand a blus^gfemile^ 1 faking hisstaiid in f ull^yjewj^of eyerybocly, he r exclaimed, . Mrs Muggini. Ain't ehe a daisy_P „ lie

proudly exhibited his prize to the amused passengers through, a fifty-mile ride, with an exemplification of the enticements he had i used to win her. Arrived at their destination the happy pair alighted. Again the happy groom announced, " Ladies and gentlemen, my wife. Ain't she a darling ?" Bystanders and passengers united in greeting them with cheers and the waving of handkerchiefs. A still more peculiar display of love was recently made in a suburban Police Court, of all places in the world. The father of a young girl objected to her receiving the addresses of a young man, so she quitted her home and went to reside with the parents of the object of her choice until arrangements were completed for their marriage. The father, however, had her arrested on a warrant charging her with being an idle person having no visible means of support. The young man appeared in the witness box, and with much blushing, but no hesitation, said he loved and was willing to marry the girl, and that he had induced her to leave her father's home because Bhe was ill-treated and badly clothed. The Bench took the lover's view of the case, and dismissed the charge. A little amusement was created in a suburban Police Court last week, when it was found that a summons had been endorsed by the constable who executed the service — "Served upon Miss , his intended wife, at his residence, street." It was explained to the policeman that the law recognised no such relationship.