AUCKLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 17 August 1893, Page 14

AUCKLAND NEWS NOTES.

AN INTEBESTING EXPEBIMBNT,

An interesting experiment is shortly to be made at the Onehanga Ironworks by Mr W. R. Fellows, who claims to b8 able to manufacture wrought iron direct from ironsand without the process of puddling as formerly understood. He has had considerable experience about ironworks, and by trade is a furnace, maker. Mr Fellows is now building a large furnace, and hopes to be able to give the new idea a thorough trial in the course of a week or two.

ME CADMAN'S VICTOBY.

At Mr Cadman's meeting with his committee and supporters he said the contest itself had been the greatest he had ever fought in his life, and he especially desired to thank his old supporters and friends and the young colonials for the prominent help they had given him. He said his personal character had baen seriously assailed, and he had endeavoured to clear it. It appeared to him that the whole contest had been brought about by his 6imply stating the truth in the witness box, and had he chosen to make any statement he liked bo one could have contradicted it. He felt satisfied now that the electors knew he had simply spoken the plain truth. In respect to his candidature, Mr Cadman. said that had he chosen to ask the Premier and bis colleagues to support him as a Government candidate they would at once have done this ; but he had told thorn he would run the contest on his own merits. Mr Cadman said he had received between 60 and 70 congratulatory telegrams that day. One from the Premier read : "You will receive a hearty welcome from self and friends. Best wishes."'

Augu.t 9.

THE AUSTEIAN WABSHIP.

The Austrian warship Saida sailed to-day for Noumea, the Solomon Islands, and other places on an extended cruise. During her stay in port many scientific observations have been made. A party of officers visited the Hot Lake district, and express themselves as being extremely pleased with what they saw, although the weather was so bad that they had to cut short their visit and return by bteamer via Tauranga. On the last visit of the frigate to this port one of the deck officers was taken ill and had to be left behind in the Auckland Hospital, where he afterwards died, and was buried at Waikomiti. His comrades have brought all the way from Austria a cross to be erected on his grave.

MONUMENTS FOB TONGA.

A monumental stonemason, Mr Jas. Buchanan, has been entrusted by the Tongan Government with the construction of two marble monuments which they intend erecting in memory of the late King George of Tonga. They are tasteful in design, and will cost nearly £900. The designs show that the main monument is to be 25ft high, the base being in Timaru bluestone and a neat pedestal in Italian marble. The second monument is a lion rampant, in Italian marble, on a bluestone base 12ft high.

THE GUSIFIELDS.

A gumdigger, who arrived in town from the neighbourhood of Dargaville, states that the men on the gumfields have been for some time past doing very badly. Owing to the continuous wet weather, the majority of them have not been able to put in more than half a dozen days' digging during the last two months. Of

course those who have nothing to fall back upon are in a Bad plight, but storekeepers, who naturally desire to keep as many as Jiossible on the fields in their neighbourhood, in most cases allow these men to run bills in the hope of better times. The average per man of three camps in the neighbourhood where he was working was only 17a 6d-per week for the last three months. In his opinion no ordinary whare could keep ,out some of the heavy rains experienced recently. The price of provisions is enormous. The Austrians, who work hard enough to knock the heart out of almost any Englishman, make in some cases as much as £2 10a per week after paying for their provisions.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY A GIRL. Edith May George, 17 years, employed as nursegirl by Mr Bleater Lewis, batcher, dissolved 31 match heads in a teaspoonful of milk and drank the same to-day. Upon being questioned, the unhappy young girl confessed she .had attempted to poison herself and gave as a reason for the same that she was not good enough to live. There is every reason to believe the girl is suffering from religious mania. She was in the habit of attending the Helping Hand Mission and Salvation Army services, and of late she has expressed great concern upon her eternal salvation. The girl's mother states that last night the girl upon returning home to her residence in Hobson street, she refused to go to bed, but sat reading her B.ble and saying prayers. Although repeatedly urged to desist, she still continued stopping up until late in the night. At the time the girl committed suicide in Onehunga by eating matches, Miss George said that was what she would do also if people were to talk about her. She has been sent to the hospital in a precarious condition.

August 14. BETUBN OF BISHOP JULIUS.

Bishop Julias, of Christchurch, returned to the colony to-day by the Ruahine. The Rev. Canon M'Murray, of St. Mary's proCathedral, Farnell, went off in a launch to welcome him on arrival. Among those on the [wharf to meet the bishop was the Yen. Archdeacon Dudley. Bishop Julias visited England mainly for the benefit of his health, and, judging from his appearance, has benefited considerably by his tour. In conversation', Bishop Julius said that the Anglican Church at Home is going into a great deal more social work than it did formerly. The work was of a character not understood in these colonies, as it was directed towards the amelioration of' the condition of the masses. Such social work might follow in this colony, but not in the near future, as the necessity for it was the natural 'outcome of the congregation of large masses of population in the great cities of the old country. It was not until centres of population became more congested in these colonies that such social work by the church would be called into existence.

The bishop has been promised very consider* able decorations for Christchurch Cathedral by a lady in England. Bishop Julius expressed regret that his stay in Auckland would be very short, as he wished to go south by the Takapuna. This crushed the hopes of thoße who had expeoted him to wait for the Ruahine, and anticipated that.he might consent to deliver a public address on his visit to England. Bishop Julius, however, felt it incumbent on him to get to Christchurch as soon as possible. He is accompanied by his wife and two daughters, who are in excellent health. As the departure of the Takapuna for the south was -delayed until 9 o'clock this evening Bishop Julius did not proceed straight to Onehunga, as he at first intended, but was driven to .BJBhopsconrt, Farnell, where he remained for some hours the guest of Bishop Cowie. Full advantage -was taken of the extra hours' grace to allow Bishop Julius to see as much as possible of Auckland and its suburbs and to make the ascent of Mount Hden.

THE EDEN SEAT.

Certain electors of the Eden district have approached Mr W. Shepherd Allen, of Annaqdale, on the subject of his contesting the Eden seat at the forthcoming election. Writjng to a friend in Auckland Mr Allen says he should not like' to oppose Mr Mitchelson. He should not like to see Mr Mitchelson out of the House or to oppose any leading politician, for there were certain men of both parties who, in order that all great questions might be properly argued, it was desirable should be in the House. . .

Artificial legs and arms were in use in Egypt as early as 700 B.C. They were made by the priests, who were the physicians of that early time. -<