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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8412, 11 January 1899, Page 3

Old playgoers will learn with regret of thn dentil of Mr Hnrry Power, n wcHknown comedian, which took place iv a Luiulou hospital some little time ago. Mr TWer, who louk to the stage in Dunedin when quite a youth, was for a long time associated with the late Mr .). L. Hall, playing low comedy parts, Tn Australia he joined Kignold's Company, with which he remained for some time, and made a hit as I'lucHen in " Henry V. 1 ' He afterwards organised a company to visit Xew Zealand, but lie win somewhat unfortunate with his venture. He made his way to England a few years ago. News from Vancouver l>y the .Miowcnv indicates that that town is at present experiencing a "boom," Xew buildings aie at present springing up everywhere, and the place ib being rapidly transformed. One factor in the city's development is the discovery of payable gold in the vicinity of Atlin's Lake! This lake is somewhat vaguely plated, as being between Vancouver' and the Klondyke. and is said to possess much of the wealth with none of the disadvantages of the Yukon Valley. It- is expected that a great number of people Mill visit the new goldfields during the coming spring. The estimates for tho United Wales pension list, including pensions arising from tho war with Spain, are to he presented to Congress. The World averts that the pension roll, as increased by the late war, amounts to lliO,(JtlO,000 dollar*, and points out that the eountiy will lie paying much more to its soldiers in time of "peace than the cost nf the heaviest inilitiirv bmdens of any aimed camp in Kurope". "Vet,'' adds the World, "we are preparing to enter upon a policy of territorial expansion, compared with the cost of which the figures of the little Spanish war will be a trifle."

While popular interest is excited liy the attempt now being made to exclude Austrian immigrants from New Zealand, it may be remarked that, generally speaking, the free British colonies are peopled by a very cosmopolitan collection of races and !' nationalities. A icpresentative ot the '; Melbourne Argus, interested in the subij jeet, took a stroll last Boxing Day along the shores of Port Philip, and noted what he saw there. The members of a Chinese s mission school were feasting at one spot, 1 with a European caterer looking after their f wants ; at another were a number of ' Greeks, receiving refreshments from turhaned Hindus ; and near to these was a picnic party of Salvation Army lads and - lasses, presumably of varied nationality, i' for whom an Irishman and his wife boiled :> the hilly. A number of Germans sang 1 national songs, and the irrepressible Ger--3 man band played dance music for the members of a Scottish society. The Argus man witnessed also, he relates, a game of "kisa in the ring," and the circle included a Chinaman and a negro. A well-known commercial traveller of Dunodin, whose speciality is long-distance swimming, narrowly escaped increasing the heavy list of casualties which have always to he reported after a holiday season. While enjoying a bath on Saturday morning in the neighborhood of Broad Bay the temptation to swim the channel, paobably v, mile across at the point in question, proved too strong to resist. All went well till the centre of the channel was left behind, when presently the crack of a pea-gun began to be followed by an ominous splash in the neighborhood of the swimmer's head. It seems that a Dunedin lawyer of sporting proclivities, accompanied by another "drummer," had been amusing themselves by shooting at a floating bottle, when the swimmer's head was noticed in the channel. Naturally concluding that the object coming towards them was a fish which rose to the surface with the wave, the sportsmen transferred their attention to it, but fortunately the half-dozen shots they fired before discovering that the object was a man proved as wide of the mark as their previous attempts at the bottle had done, and hence the necessity for an inquest was avoided. Next time the swimmer ventures to cross the channel he intends to rig up a miniature flag-pole on his shoulders, and hoist a diminutive Union Jack, in order to avoid possible disagreeable consequences. Dr Cobb, the curate in charge of St. Ethelburga's, Bishopsgate street, has (the London Daily Mail reports) made an innovation in the conduct of certain services in his church, which bid 3 fair to become exceedingly popular. One Sunday, recently, in' place of the usual sermon, Dr Cobb catechised his congregation, anil obtained answers to his questions, which were exceedingly satisfactory on the whole. A Daily Mail representative who saw the rev. gentleman was told the reason of this new departure. "Why I did it," said Dr Cobb, " wa3 because so many of my people take points of religion for granted. They do not know, and often do not trouble to know, the reasons for many of their beliefs. My idea is to teach them to ask themselves intelligently, ' Whydo I believe what I do ?' and to learn what tlie foundations of their religion are based on. One seldom gets an insight into what is at the back of one's congregation's brain, but too often goes on preaching and hoping that out of the truths contained in a torrent ot words just a few will stick. The congregation at St. Ethelburga is composed principally of business people, clerks, and so forth, and a number of ladies. Last Sunday the men were the only ones who gave answers ; the ladies will, I daresay, take a more active part later on. Of course, some of the answers were incorrect ; but on the whole, they showed that interest and care had been in the preparation."