WEEKLY WHISPERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXIV, Issue 248, 20 October 1900, Page 2

WEEKLY WHISPERS.

If there's a hole m a' your coats, I rede ye, tent V it. A duel's among ye lakin' notes, And, faith, hell prent it. — Bubns " When you do a thing, do it thoroughly " is the motto of the Nelson water cart. That is to say, it is no use merely sprinkling the streets, so a flood is turned on through (he perforations which do duty for " roses." s-poopendyko remarked the other day, as he scraped the inud off hie bicycle with a spade, that the "roses" of Nelson watercarts are misnamed, as they should be called cauhflo wees. They don't sprinkle— they overwhelm, in a torrent-like downpour, all within their reach, and they make mote mud than a day's rain— at least, so the cyclist declares. Tha carts were first used after the Great Flood in Noah's time, and were sold a bargain to the Early Settlers who came over to Nelson from Asia Minor in the Sudden Jerk. Why it is necessary to maintain the fiction that the water from the carts passes through certain perforations ia beyond comprehension. The perforations are like Paddy's socks, more hole and patch than stocking, and it would really save time if the hydrants were merely turned on and alloivod to run. As a consequence, it is commonly admitted among cyclists that a mudguard is more necessary in Nelson in dry weather than ia rain. * * $ However, the object of these remarks is to draw attention to the fact that if some of the water wasted in the heart of Nelson were distributed over the Port roads, many people might be induced to build and property might go up in value. In one instance at least I know this to be the case. An excellent residence., an ornament to the locality, has been erected ; but its worth is greatly reduced by the discomfort of dust, and as a consequence other buildings in the vicinity are not likely to go up. If the watercart visited the Port regularly, however, conditions would be materially altered. It is worth the Council's wtiile to look into this matter, and also to get some proper perforations for the carts to replace the useless things which now merely make mud and waste water. * # # Acetylene is going to do great things for human comfort, and it is already doing a lot. A little while ago it was associated in men's miuds with explosions, and occasionally even now one hear3 of an accident, generally to someone who has gone fooling with it by way of experiment. But " Mofussilite •' has come to a fixed conclusion that, with the most ordinary care and also the same ordinary wisdom of selection in the lamps as would be exercised in the purchase of kerosene lamps, there is less danger from acetylene generated in a holder from solid carbide than from kerosene. This was borne into one's mind when ho first got an acetylene bicycle lamp. On charging and lighting, owing to lack of knowledge on the part of the lighter, the whole kaboodlo burst into fiame at about five different points, and it looked very alarming. A breath, however, put it all out. If it had been a kerosene lamp there would have been endless troublo and mess, if indeed no actual danger. * » * For years the writer, with eyesight spoilt by the electric light ra the days when green shades were not properly adjusted, has been worrying around for a reading lamp that would gi ve at the samo time a bright and soft light, and not cost too much for gas or oil. He has tried kerosene, candles, coal gas. But the whole three run into too much hard cash every iveek, and when you get a light sufficiently strong to read o' nights with comfort you feel in your sub consciousness that you are paying a pretty good price for it. * # * At last an acetylene miner's lamp— one should, say a miner's acetylene lamp, I suppose—was fixed up with an opal globe and a wide broad green paper shade over all ; and since then there has been joy in the household and the heart. Ths light is at least thrice that of the most thirsty kerosene-devouring modern and portable Argaud at less than one-third the cost. Thus, ivith carbide at b'd the lb, ono burns not more than a pound a week, whereas ;the consumption of kerosene was at least a pint a night, or, in round figures, (3J a week, as against 14d or 15d. As to coal gas, the difference in the light and cost may not be great; but then, one can't.carry about gas lamp.orplaceitjusfc wnere he likes, or leave it burning with the comforting assurance that even if he did notreturn till morning only the quantityjof gas represented by the charge in the holder could be consumed -value, the seventh part of sixpence. Yes ; the discoverer of acetylene, and the man who applied it to portable lamps, were benefactors of their species. After a month's trial, " Mofusailite " feels justified in recommending all readers and students whose eyes are weak or weary to try a properiy-made acetylene lamp thoronghly shaded. There is some bother, with not a little smell, in the daily cleansing [and recharging of the carbide-holder. But so is there in the cleaning and filling of kerosene lamps; and of the two tho acetylene has far less odour and no smoke at all when burning, and no dirty charred wick to trim. * # * May " Mofussilito " ask, in all humility, whether certain owners of private carriages out of town, or certain cab-dn vers of pairs in town, own the roads of Nelson and district? Several complaints have been made of lato of private carriages of the "flash" variety insistiag on using the sidetracks on the metalled portions of the Wakapuaka road, crowding cyclists on to the banks, while it is a common practice of CRb-drirers to come along at a rattling pace rouud corners on their wrong side. The Cyclists' Union was formed partly to bo on the watch for "road hogs," genteel or otherwise, and if the Union won't take action individuals may do so, by laying an information some day for breaches ot bylaws and rules of the road. Tlmelf.issortivoness—iu other words "cool cheek "—of sonid owners of private carriages on the Wakapuaka road is very marked, but it may have to be takon down a peg. Even if certain people came over in the first four shiploads, they don't own New Zealand In a democratic country everybody has equal rights to give and receive consideration, whether he be the owner of a palatial residence and funds in the bank, or a shop assistant out for his Wednesday half-holiday. It is hoped this gentle hint will be sufficient. * * * To tho terrors of the wild and ivoolly West Coast (North Island) cow on the way to sacrifice on the Wakapuaka road muat now be added tho unhallowed dead and much less recent animal of the same species stranded on the mudflat. There are two of 'era — cows or what not but distinctly, painfully, obviously, dead, lying at judicious intervals so as to ensure a continuation of high odour. Hoiv they got there one doesn't know ; but they are far more harmful than the fly m the amber, which is the type of a mysterious and unexplainable happening. # # » In regard to the pigs which ate the children's picnic luncheon at Bichmond the representative of the bereaved ones a little girl of la, writes under date 19th instant .— " To ' Mofnssilite.'-Dear SirIn reference to the pignic at Richmond which had the doleful ending described in Thursday eveuing's paper, the owner of the pigs wishes to state that they had four legs, none of the two-legged ones being in the vicinity. Compensation will bo made by the owner. So far none of the pigs have died as the result of ovorfeodingand eating lollies and the paper : they were wrapped in, in spite of the

A DB ouliar custom of the Chinese is related by "former United States Minister Wnrmaana have I itherto been ignorant, A °SS to not regarded as a grandfather fa the Celestial Bropre until hia son becomes a father- Tne ?»oumßtances in wbioh tbi« bit of information was vouobsafed if as in'imately personal. Li Hung Chang went one day to tiler his congratulation on the Minister faecom ni» a grandfather. The latter remarked that Li knew he bad been a grandfaihe for nwoy jearß, his daughter having had tivo children . Li replied he was aware of that, but the daughter's children did not count in China, as no man was considered a prnndf ether until his son's wife had children., # # # The appended from an exchange gi u <•' a certain significance toMaxPemberto'* serial " Pro Patria," now running in t - -Windsor" :-" Francois evidently arm ing on an extensive scale. Besides large importations of English steam coal mto France, unusually heavy imports of ir o ore are being made inio that com try. The ore comes largely 'from Spain, and, as is the case with the coal, the imports are tarwfcw excess of ordinary supplies, it the ports of Calais and Dunkirk in particular this trade has been very heavy, and nne steamers are employed in it, too c.rgoes being usually 5001) tons each steamer. The iron ore is discharged into railway trucks and conveyed into the interior ot Franco. Itß destination is stated to tie chiefly the Creusot and Schneider works for the manufacture of artillery." * * • 4. school teacher, famed for making excursions whenever lie had a holiday, asked one of his boys the definition ot the word " pilgrim.' 1 " A pilgrim, answered the bov, "is a roan who travels from place to place." "I do that; said the teacher ; "am I a pilgrim/ . Iho answer came; "No, sir; a pilgrim la a good man."j # The Landlord: "You don't seem to care for it. Most folks like our beer " Oh, I dunno ! Wofs it made of ? " Well, malt and hops, I suppose.' "Nuthmelße?" "No, nothing else." "No water?" "Oh, yes, of course: I iorgot the water." " No, by gum ! you didn t." Owing to his brusqueness, Colonel Oirujeda, the military instructor of the boy King of Spain, has lost his post, and has been transferred to a small garrison in Andalusia. Not loug ago, Alfonso the Thirteenth, accompanied by his friends, sons of nobles, ivent to the Koyal country house on the border of Manzanares. The King left during the drill-hour, and Cirujeda, bnrning with anger, sought his pupil everywhere. On learning from the Quaen that tho little King had gone to play in the country, Cirujeda indignanlly exclaimed, " I think they want to make a shepherd of the King, instead of a soldier." On the following day he T-as ordered by the Minister of War to change his residence. *• -,-■ * General John Watts d6 Peyster, ivho declares that the earth is fixed in space and who laughs at those who hold to the Copernican theory of the solar system, is one of the most distinguished veterans of the American Civil War. Formerly he was a military expert of international fame. In his old age- ho is now seventy-

nine— ho has turnod his 'aitent ; on to astronomy, and h:is just transacted a lectuie ot a Berlin professor, Professor Schoepfl'er, who proves to the General's satisfaction that Kepler, Newton, Copernicus, and all their folloivors are in gross error when they assert that the earth mores arouud the sun or upon its own axis. r * * Here is something worth knowing abeut the pelargonium j and probably the common or garden \ariety of the plant, the geranium, .vhich grows almost wild in Nelson, will do just as well: -That fell complaint, dysentery, haß left such ravages in the army at the front, says the " Sun," that the army surgeons have tiied the Kaffir euro. It consists, says the ■' Physician and Surgeon," of a decoction of tho root of the pelargonium, or geranium. There are upwards of lot) different kinds of mid geranium in South Africa, and each seems equally efficacious in cutting short an attack of dysentery. The Kaffirs ant Zulus simply chow the geranium root, but a more elegant preparation is made by boiling the root in milk Ouo or tivo tabJespoonfulri are given every t'vo hours till all symptoms of dysentery have disappeared, 'lho result is jjoueinlly attained in from 30 to IS hours, and so far, no failures have been recorded from this method of treatment. * * * A writer on se > bnliiug sjjs cold water rspidjy extracts heat f r oni the bo y, at tbeeame ime contracting the blood Vtssels of the skin, and driving the bloud to the internal organs, ei gurgi g the lungs with blooJ. A \i c -orjns I eart scon overcom this obstruction l.y increase I faction, till' thus products gie.ner licit ; bu; ibis increasod action awinot be piolonge'l iudefiuiwly, and smuer or later the hoarl fails, dop:ess'd bv tho rapid 1. si of beat (rum the body. T/io sw mmer is tb> n liable to faiut, in which case he sinks help--1 esly-, and death may eusucm a few moments. ' MoFussium

A.M. P.M. Saturday Oct. 20 ... 7'9 T3O Sunday Oct. 21 ... 8-1 8-13 Monday Oct. 22 ... 8-31 Soo