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Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1271, 14 May 1883, Page 2

Owing! to pressure of electioneering letter of'Mr H. Currie, and other contributions, until Wednesday next. Mr E. 'Wakefield addressed a monster meeting of the electors in the Oddfellow's Hall, on evening last, MrH. G. Hankin presiding. The candidate spoke for upw&rds of two hours, and the enthusiasm'of the attendance was quite unprecedented. He said that the contest had now* reached a stage when for all practical faurposes it was unnecessary to enter upon political topics. He had already had the pleasure of addressing two crowded meetings at lieefton, and had dealtf at each pretty fully with questions of ijpublic policy, and affairs of local interest, jand it would therefore be unnecessary <f or him to refer further to them. Before leaving this branch of the subject he desired to say, however, that if elected he would |iot only be prepared but would take it asja kindness, for any individual elector in* the district to communicate either by s letter or telegram, upon any matter, eiiher of local or colonial interest. He would.be accessible at all times to the communities either of the public body, or of the electors individually, and he could assure them, that so far from regarding it as a diy duly to give his strictest attention to all such matters, he would regard it as a pleasure, and in this respect he hoped he would not be spared. The present contest would be in many respects a memorable one for this part of the colony The agitation now going on in Canterbury in favor of railway communication between the Ea3l and West Coasts had ripened to a stage, when it became of the very highest importance that it should receive a substantial mark of approval on the part of the people on this side of the Grange, and this object could be best ser^d -by- establishing iii bur representative; sV\ close bond of union between Canterbury and the West Coast. As a Canterbury man, and one who fully realised; the Importance of the railway, he would be abls if returned, to render the most signaliJßervices to the agitation at the present j-sime, and in saying this he need only ad&that his very best energies would be dented to the work. He referred to tho'lxtension of the railway up from Greymjjfjith to Reef ton as a work that should k£ put in hand immediately, and, if returi }d, he would take care that the Goverrira 'ht were brought to understand at ohc< ijhii determination, and that' of the people $| tholnangahuaon this head He referred jjfja variety of other, topics, and concludt ijone of the most powerful, brilliant, and convincing political addresses ever listened ;6 hi this part of the Colony, by expr<3ssiu| ; a deep and earnest hope that the electors would to-day free themj selves from all personal feelings, and give their votes .$ 'the candidate whom they honestly and| conscientiously believed to be the beat Inan. The tumult of cheers and applause which followed the candidate's closing sentence was something extraordinary^ and the enthusiasm of the audience wa£ boundless. Hats were tossed to the Veiling, and people rose from their seat in an ecstacy of admiration and excitement whioh was perfectly astonishing. A resolution of confidence in the candidate was moved by Mr Morris Levy, and seconded by Mr G. Wise, and on being put to the meeting fully 300 hands were held up in its favor, and not a single one against. This was the signal for another prolonged burst of applause, which shook the very building to its foundation. Mr. Wakefield acknowledged the_^compliment iv a suitable maiiner," and the proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the chair. A railway conductot who has been describing in the Philadelphia Press the different behaviour of some notable persouages on the cars, says :— " Oscar Wilde was more bother than all. the women who ever rode on s a railway, car. lie had an idea that he was the greatest man that America had ever seen, and he put on more airs than if he had been the Czar of Russia, the Prince of Spain, and the Emperor of Germany all in one. Would you believe it, he paid the porter of the sleeping-car to tell people at the stations along the line wherever the train stopped that Oscar Wilde was in the car. He wouldn't drink water out of the glass at the cooler, but sipped it out of a silver and gold mug ho carried with him, and he'd sit with the tips of his fingers pressed together and looked up at the roof of the car as if he was about to offer up a prayer. Herbert Spencer was the most restless traveller I ever saw." The Government intend lighting the Christchurch Tailway station by electricity. A trial was made on Saturday niirnt with one "Gulchcr" light, and judging from

! the effect produced by the single lamp, the resuit should be in every way satisfactory when the five lights, each of I 2300-candlo power, are fixed in position." A man in Glasgow recently laid a wager that he would woo, win, aod marry a young lady who, with his companions, he had just seen arrive at the hotel where lie was living. He introduced himself to the damsel, she smiled upon his suit, a minister was called in, and they were married within an hour. The wager, of no considerable amount, was handed over to the bridegroom, who left with his bride the following day. It was afterwards discovered that the couple had long been man and wife, and that they had been travelling about playing the same trick, at various hotels.