LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1098, 18 August 1880, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Of the inventing of machines for the cleansing of linen which shall save woman's labor, and lessen the horrors of " washing day," thefs has been no end. For two hundred years men have gone on inventing new kinds of apparatus, eaoh inventor thinking he had hit upon the right one, until women, metaphorically, of course, have thrown the machine in their teeth, and have pronounoed it no good. One invention we saw some time ago which beyond dispute thoroughly cleansed the linen, but in doing so brought it from the receiver in rags. Another invention did not in the least injure the clothes, but at the same time they came out of the suds smudged and rather dirtier than when they went in. Probably man has racked his inventive faculties to bring out the thing so much wanted quite as much as ever Newton did before he discovered the laws of gravitation or the undulating theory of. light. But the discovery has at last been made, and women will bless the name of the inventor ,to the last hour of her life. Washing day will in the future become a pleasure and a delight. Something indeed to look forward to as the coming of an agreeable sensation. Here is a copy of a letter we received, from a young lady which will describe the machine in all the beauty and loveliness of its simplicity — Sir, — When my dad brought home something in his hand which 1 could not make out, and asked what it was, he said, "why, my love, that i 3 a washing machine." It was a tube about eighteen inches long, with an iron stand at the bottom. How will that bit of a thing do a day's washing ? I asked, and then he explained its principles, and I understood it at once. I quite longed for washing day, and when it came I merely put the bit of a tube with its stand on the copper as directed, placed the soiled clothes all round it, set the fire going below, and then while the clothes were washing themselves by this artful contrivance I had tune to play three new songs on. the piano, read two chapters of Trollope's, put up my back hair, darn a pair of st— k— gs, and fixed the trimmings on my dress for Friday night's ball. When I had completed these arrangements, behold the week's washing had come to a close. The linen turned out beautifully white without demanding the least rubbing and having been thrown into a tub of clean cold water, they were ready for the line, for folding, mangling, starching, ironing, and wearing. For the love I bear my sex, and for the hatred we, who are not rich, have for a washing day, I ask you, Mr. Editor, to print this my message to you — Maby. Our readers will perceive we have acceded to young Mary's request. This machine, which has been shown us, is simplicity itself. It is not much bigger than one might put in a good-sized coat pocket. The principle is, that when the water in the copper comes to the boil, steam and water are forced up the tube, and falls in a hot shower of spray on the linen thoroughly drenching and cleansing it by the' selfacting operation. The inventors, Braidson & Forster, of Auckland, are the patentees ; fthe cost is a few shillings'. It cannot i-possibly wear out, and Messrs Graham & Co., of Gisborne are. the agents. With girls and women whose duties lie in the direction of washing clothes, it is considered a domestic millennium, the invention of. the age. Almost as good as a good •Msband ; but perhaps not quite. There was no business of any kind at the Police Court this morning.

Tenders for repairs to the Kaiparo Road, close to-morrow at noon. On the 15th September, three of the Borough Councillors will retire in the order of their rotation. These are Messrs. Whinray, Clayton and Morgan, all three good men. Therefore if they stand for reelection, we see no reason why any opposition should be offered. They are well up ia the -work of •**»«* Council, o.n<l they have its business at their fingers' end. It may perhaps be thought that an infusion of new blood may be beneficial, and so there may be the probability of a contest. There will be very little encouragement for traders to form permanent footpaths in front of their business premises, when they learn that Mr. Adair, after spending £75 on an asphalte pavement; has received from the Borough Council a cheque fqr £6 9s 7£d. The ha'penny shows with what minuteness the Council works its calculations. An outrage of a most cruel and malicious character was perpetrated on the Marquis of Bradford's estate (Ireland) recently. During the absence of the gamekeepers some persons went to the coops, where nearly a thousand young pheasants were confined, and killed about 700 of the birds. Each coop was opened, and the birds taken out and evidently squeezed to death. The report of the Commissioners appointed to investigate the circumstances connected with the death of the prisoner John Wilson, in the Invercargill Gaol, about which so much has been heard, jwas sent into the Governor. The Commissioners (Messrs. A. C. Strode, R.M., and J. L. Simpson, R.M.) repprt- that although .the deceased prisoner had been entered on the books as a malingerer, he was not treated as one, or forced to work when he complained of illness, but received kindly and considerate treatment throughout, both from the officers of the gaol and the medical officer ; that while it is possible had he complained earlier his life might have been somewhat prolonged, it could not have been saved. The return of the crops for the colony for the present year has been published, their compilation having commenced some three months ago, and they are as follow : — Wheat, 7,610,012 bushels Oats, 12,062,607 bushels. Barley, 1,751,432 bushels. Total, 21,424,051 bushels. The increase in wheat as compared with last year is 1,532,408 bushels ; in oats, 8,697,022 bushels and in barley, 1,041,657 bushels. Of potatoes we have this year a crop of 113,523 tons, being an increase of 83,303 tons upon last, year's crop. The total acreage under crop this year was 913,764 acres, not including grass, which is an increase of 94,319 acres upon last year. Altogether there has been a very large increase in the agricultural interest. What a pity that prices have not been in keeping with the enortnous yields of harvest ! •;■:.-. A religious monomaniac, named John Tyler, has been arrested at Hamilton. He is under the belief that he can perform miraculous cures on the sick, and that he is being persecuted for so doing. He arrived in Auckland in February last from Napier, and has written letters to the Government of New Zealand and Victoria, and to the Queen, asking for protection. A copy of his letter sent to the Qteen was found on him, dated from Mantwatu.