Mail News.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 11 March 1882, Page 7

Mail News.

The Edison and Maxim light haß just been used for the first time in a London churchnamely, in St. James', Westmoreland street. Three clear-glass lamps hang under three arches separating the side aisle and vestry, over the altar is a strong Maxim, and two others in the pulpit are enclosed in milk-white globes. The light is brilliant, soft, and steady ' —more steady than any gasv No onecan help feeling that in these steady lamps, burning in 1 ' vacuo, neither giving out heat nor using up' air - —easily stored and carried, and perfectly soft, 1 and, let us add, safe.-r-we have the light of the future for all crowded buildings. The Northern ■ railway companies are adopting it, and in a few days the Paris and Lyons train is to be' lighted by the same society, the revolutions'of • the train's own wheels being skilfully utilised to produce the electricity, free of all further cost.

At the meeting of the Sheffield Town C,oun r iV cil recently^ attention 'was called to ,the fact; ' • that on the occasion of the recenb fire in' Gell street, when a child was burnt to death/ thya' - fire-escape was stopped three times on the way -' to the scene of the fire by the lowness of tha ' telegraph and telephone- wires. Alderman ' Wood, the chairman of the Watch Committee, said there was a delay of a minute or two on each occasion, the escape having to be lowered ' . to pass under the wireß, The Council agreed that all telegraph and telephone-wires must bo raised at least 35 feet from the ground, so as to enable the fire-escape to travel in any'part of the borough without hindrance.

During the festival of the Secret Order of the Knights of Pythias, at Shanesville, Ohio, a few days ago, the floor of the hall in which tha , members of the society were assembled gave way, and 200 people were precipitated to the ' floor below. Twelve of them were killed, and many more injured. The building subsequently took fire, several persons were burnt in the ruins, and 40 persons were injured, some being' badly burned. It is stated that the Russian Budget for 1880' shows a deficit of 98,000,000 roubles, patt of which has been covered by the issue, of 30,000,000 roubles in paper money. The expedition to Central Asia and the preparations for war against China figure for 267,000,000, and tha , fortifications in the military district of Warsaw for'7oo,ooo roubles. It is said that the Princess Louise is compil* ing a work relating to her Canadian experi* ences, and that the work will be illustrated by a royal hand. The Princess Beatrice's birth- ' day book has already become such a success. ■ that a work from any member of the royal family would be sure to be welcome. Whether these interesting details of Canadian life will , make their appearance in a complete form, or whether they will be published in a serial* is , doubtful. ' ' ••,'•' , Mr Bradlaugh, M.P., speaking at,Accringf« ton the other evening, said hia' motion in favour . of an inquiry into perpetual pensions'h'ad'been , so favourably received by the country that already 1012 petitions,' representing'.' 27s,ooo/ ' signatures, had been presented to Parliament-^* a larger, number than had ever supported^ *& \ independent member, in any similar motion; If the money paid in pensions had been invested at the usual interest paid to Government stock, it would have-amouftted t0£4,000,000. £& a-fanoy ball' near Brighton a" young lady, had the ' incredibly bad taste to -appear as. a clergymaft^in^rplice^hoodj'Btble, and bands'.' The genei'ar effect,, wnen the 1 young lady engaged in" d&ncing, was rather singular. . ' ( An acquisition td evening dress— when the ' wearer.has pretty arms and neck— ar&Tjifds/or- '", dovps perched ori the neck or 'shoulder-strap^ ; !; ttiepe are fastened in such a manner that they look as' if they had stopped in their flight' to, . find a resting-place and had been imprisoned there. Jewel-eyed spiders and scorpions also' \ occupy the same on the fair wearer., : ' Of Americans m England, Mr Winans is by ' * far,, the most lavishly expensive. He pays' £10,000 for deer forests in Scotland, and m London lives in. a palatial abode oh Carltoti House Terrace. His neighbour there is Mr ' Russell Sturgis, of Baring Brothers; who also lives very handsomely and exercises a splen- ,- did and most refined hospitality. Mr Sturgis has besides a charming retreat a few miles from London. Sir Curtis Lampson, the only '* American citizen who has received hereditary ' honours from the British Crown, has a fine ' house in Eaton square, where for 'years Mr. Peabody lived with hr He also ' Owns ad'

y -. elightful country seat near Brighton, and has a forest— for he is devoted to deer-stalking— in Scotland. It is curious to note how much more Anglicised the American long resident in 'London becomes than does his British brother settled in America become America: nised. Those children, for instance,' of Mr Russell Sturgis and Sir Curtis Lampson who have been bred in England, look upon it as entirely their home.' The sons haveWn sent to schools and colleges there, and there formed their life friendships'. The daughters marry Englishmen. Mr Russell Sturgia* daughter married the eldest son of the late Sir Hamilton Seymour ; Miss Lampson is the wife of Mr Locker, well known for his. vers de -societe, whose mother was Lady Augusta Stanley^ sister. Affluent English people, settled in America are, with their children, frequent '", visitors to the Old Country, but Americans living in England become very rare visitors to Amerioa after once they have settled down here. The following are the particulars of a most atrocious murder which nas just been committed near Mullingar :— Three women named Croughan— a widow, 80^ years old, and her, two daughters — lived alone in a farmhouse about a mile from Mullingar, the workhouse of which town they supplied with milk* Early one morning, while the servant-boy was absent delivering the milk, a stranger entered the house and fired at the mother, who, with one of her daughters, was preparing breakfast. The shot missed, and th& two women ran to the bedroom, where the second daughter also was, and fastened the door* The stranger burst' through the #oor, and fired several more shots,. • killing on.© of the daughters and dangerously WQimcttog the other. She now lies in a critical condition in the hospital. Several reasons ara assigned for the outrage. One is that a man named Walsh had had a quarrel with Mrs Croughan about the possession of land, and had threatened her and her daughters. Another report says that the wanaea were suspected of giving information tf« the police. The other day an Irish landlord started aft the head ojf a. considerable body of police to distrain for long overdue arrears of rent. The " secret, of. this visitation had leaked out, and not a, stogie head of cattle or other portable property could be found. On entering the last' house'bn, the list, however, there stood a little ' donkey, with. t its hindquarters towards the door, and on its fail there was fixed a big placard, bearing the defiant legend, " s No ■ rent !"

The D/uke of Sutherland is extending his deer forests— a socially: suicidal policy. He has turned, his sheepf arm of Loohmver, Sutherland,' ' ' ' carrying 10,000 sheep, into a deer forest, andi '.' it i& stated that the farm of Coraar, in , Strath V "' gJasMsafcotobe. given; qy® \q (few ftßttftt'"