Untitled

Colonist, Volume XXII, Issue 2605, 25 September 1879, Page 2

<;■ 1 Wreck of the MESSENGEB.-f^lt'.wilLbe.. seen-by ■advertisement in this issue that the hull, .furniture, • and tackle of the barque Messenger will be sold<by Mr Mabin on Saturday next on; account of whom ijj may 'concern. It is probable that the, Lady Barkly \yill leave at 8 o'clock this evening fpr ; the, wreck; taking • • intending purchasers to .view, the ; .same.,,further' ;■ particulars as to the steamer sailing, ,&c, may! be obtainedat the offices of the.New Zealand Insurance Company, Trafalgar street. , . .■ . ]„ Z \ : Young Men's Christian Association.— Theihird lecture "of, the series, was given by tlie; Eev. J. Beokenham in the Provincial Hall lastJfueaday evening, the subject being " ; Thomas .Edward, the -Scottish-Naturalist." ."Owing to the .inclement weather, there were only about 200 persons presentSeveral friends suggested a postponement! butj'afc 1 'so largo a number had gathered,' .tlie' lecturer ■decided not to disappoint them. .The them'ffwaa^j an excellent one,-and was exceedingly interegtrng^F. With the "exception" of lone or two dialogues,'- thm^. whole lecture—occupying an 'hour and a half—was^r delivered .extempore.* It is to' bo hoped that'shprtly / Mr Beokenham'will,be able to'repeat if. under' more favorable',cir'ciimstances," when we' do^not; hesitate to say he'will haye1 a much' larger'company'. '-'■'* Mr Gibbs, M.H.8., did not leavo1 with the other Nelson members by the Taiaroa on''Tuesday if or Wellington. Mr Gibbs had chartereda smalloiitter, the Modest Boy, to bring him'1 to Nelson, "but* the. bad weather of the last few days'prevented;-"their reaching Nelson in time.- They were beatinglnp to Nelson when Captain-Walker called-at JEotara- ' nui yesterday, and he having -been •' seen-from.-tho i cutter, they bore down and went on board, the Lady JBarkly, and'arrived here,'with the-crew of the , wrecked vessel,-a little before midnight. iMrUjibbs proceeds to Wellington by>first opportunity.) v % iWE think the Local Committee iof Education have'acted very wisely in drawing, thei attention of , the Central Board to the site, and state of the.Havenroad School. A more wretched,-filthy,' and unsuitable sito for a school-room, it is j hardly ppssjble to conceive, and it is to be hoped the Central Board will lose no time in taking notice of the Town Committee's'memorandum on this, subject.-^ j-, tl*;r,n jj ■?«■ '! The Juvenile Exhibition a^ Melbourne bids fair 1" to be a grand success. About' fifteen hundred exhibits have already: been entered. .Prizes to the total value of O7er thirteen hundred pounds will be given. Entries will be received to the end of this month,' and all exhibits must be ,for,*ar.ded .before • the 1 last week in' November. 'Mi' C. E. J." -BichaMspn, 5; Collins-street West, Melboui-ne, is the £fecretar^ Are any of our Nelsbn boys or girls Vamtiitiou* enough to send any specimens of their ingenuity ami wU NYeßeesomewe^oittgfroßiCuoeiuu

In another oolumn Mr S. B. Johnson, cabinetmaker, of Collingwood-street, invites inspection by g9ntlemen desirous of obtaining handsome furniture, of a sidoboard which is now in his workihop. For tastefuU* design, and, the surpassing beauty of the wooQs (manuka, totara, and red pine) used in its construction, the sideboard is truly a splendid Bpeciraen of the cabinetmaker's art. Oomplihentaky Dinner. —A number of the friends of Mr John Graham entertained that gentleman at dinner at' the ■Nelson Hotel, on Tuesday evening last. An excellent'repast having been done full justice to, a number of toasts were honored—among them being the health of the guest of the evening, and working men who had been successfulin gaining a seat in Parliament. A number of excellent songs and recitations were given during the evening, and a very pleasant gathering was brought to a close at a late hour. Girls' School, Toi-Toi Valley.—The parents of the pupils attending this School will do well to aid the teachers in cautioning their girls not to go near the back of the School, as a large landslip has taken place, and there are signs of more of the hillside giving way. The Local Committee have ordered a strong fence to be erected immediately, in order to keep the children from going near the treacherous and dangerous ground. „.'', „ „ . Magistrates' Coubt.—Yesterday, before H. E. Curtis, S. Kingdon, and P. Donald, Esqs., J.J.P., Charles Johns was charged with omitting to lead his horse on to the Government Wharf. Sergeant Nash said the defendant,; a boy, had only recently arrived Jui Nelson, and as he was not acquainted witjßHr regulations, he did not wish to press the chJ|r Case dismissed.—Moller v Murphy, action iof£i 13 7f balance' due. Judgment for plantiff with costs.—Max v. Carrol, Mr Arkiuson for the plaintiff cluimed £1110s, balance due, and obtained judgment with costs. The demeanor of Waters throughout the whole of the lengthy inquiry into the Octagon Fire, and oven after his arrest, has been-characterised by an appearance of indifference, he apparently .entertaining full confidence of his ultimate acquittal. When, however, the jury delivered their verdict of incendiarism he was visibly moved and agitated. A sudden palor overspread his countenance, and for a moment or two he hid his face in his hands. He seemed to fully realise the serious position in which he stood, and to acutely feel the gravity of the charge brought against him. On being removed from the room he earnestly solicited that he might not be stared at by the large crowd which patiently waited outside to learn the final result of the inquiry. Throughout the entire proceedings the public have displayed unremitting interest, and at one time quite a dense multitude was gathered about the Octagon Hotel. —Dunedin Herald. Naeeow Escape.—A circumstance .happened on the South express train recently (says the Lyttelton Times) which might have resulted in a serious accident. A young gentleman, who was travelling in the first-class smoking "carriage, stepped out on to the platform, and leant against the moveable iron bar with which every platform is furnished. Suddenly the bar slipped from its socket, and the young fellow was sent with a sudden jerk between the carriages, and for a moment his position was extremely perilous. However, he had a firm hold of one of the iron stanchions, or otherwise he must have certainly fallen between the carriages. Several narrow escapes of this kind have been recorded lately, and it is high time that the railway authorities looked into the matter. A simple catch or fastening could very easily be devised by which the bar could be kept securely in position. A story has been current in Wellington, andwas told in the most circumstantial manner, that Sir G. Grey has asked the Governor to call Messrs Beeves (of the Lyttelton Times), Be.es, Feldwick, and Carriugton to the Upper House, and that the'Governo.v had decline!, on the grounds that as parties_ were evenly balanced, it would be better to wait until the House expressed their opinion. The story, so far as it can be traced, emanated from Sir George Grey's personal friends and supporters, but there is not the slightest foundation for the statement. It is generally supposed the story was circulated as a sort of excuse for Sir George Grey not fulfilling all the promises he made to people to call them to the Upper House. This is not the only story of a like kind, and apparently with a like "object, that has been traced within hailing of the Premier. — Timaru Herald. It Ban Oct.—On the polling day for local M.H.B.'s in Wellington, Messrs Pascoe, the brewers, made use of the occasion for advertising their beer. One of their carts laden with .beer barrels and decorated with placards, on which appeared the words " Vote for Pascoe's Exhibition Ales," was driven through the streets near the polling place by three men dressed as niggers. Elections occasionally bring out some good stories. One told by the Otago Daily Times, is of a certain candidate of the legal profession, who has a reputation for appealing on every posiible opportunity. On one occasion, this peculiarity was remarked on in the presence of a distinguished judicial authority, who promptly replied, " Appeal! why, Blank would appeal against the decrees of Providence, if he could only get someone to ensure his costs!' A DBAMA entitled Murphy Delany, writton by a resident of Invercargill (Mr Hornsby), has been played in that town with great success. Thb Unemployed in Dunedin.—No less than 250 men who are at present out of employment made application at the City Council Chamber on Sept. 18lh, (says the Olago Daily Times), to be em oiled as anxious to take the work it was proposed to offer the unemployed. Of the applicants 142 are married men, having an aggregate of 354 children. Some of these men are very old colonists, several have resided in the Colony for a quarter of a century, and 21 of them have been in the province of Otago for upwards of 13 years. Many.of them have been out ot employment for from three to eeven months. The particulars given' bj some of the applicants for labor are of a etriking character. One of. them stated he bad a wife and seven children to support, that he bad resided in Otago for 25 years, and that he had been unable to obtain remunerative work for the paßt eeven months. Almo3t all trades aro represented in the list, but the great majority of the applicants have described themselves as hborers, although many of them are tradesmen. A meeting of the Works Committee of the Council was held yesterday to deal with these applications, and 76 of the married men with families, who. live in Dunedin proper, were chosen as Uiobo who should be employed by the Corporation. The rate of wages is to be from 53 to 7s per day, and to be fixed at the end of the first week. A Political " Diffebenoe." — A somewhat amusing scene occurred a day.or two ago at a railway station not a hundred miles from Timaru. A f^man meeting upon the platform a friend holdimilar political views to himself, exclaimed that as pleased at their party (Oppositionists) being majority. Upon this a stranger near to hand ■aid, "And what about our party (Grey) being in a majority ?" A few words then passed between tbo two political disputants, when the stranger exclaimed that ha thought any one opposing the Grroy party must he a sweep and a blackguard. The remark not pleasing Ihe friend of the Opposition, he pointedly asked whether tho speaker meant to say that he was a sweep and a blackguard. Tho reply being in tun aOicmative was answered by a blow whioh blackened one of the stranger's eyes. The stranger, however, being of a non-combativo disposition, meekly replied that the blow was excusable, ooming, as it evidently did, " from a man in liquor?" "Do you mean, lir, that 1 am in liquor?" "I do," said the stranger, whereupon blow No. 2 blackened the second eye, and with the blow came the information—" This is from Mr; f living at*—-—." An inspector of police happened to be on the platform, a witness pf this odd scene, and on the stranger gathering tho information as to the identity of his assailant, he requeited tha Inspector to take Mr —— into custody. "The Inspector, however, blandly refused, and remarked ib had served so and so jolly well right. As illustrating the abhorrence in whioh the recent outrage by the Ngatihakos is held by the most influential chiefs (remarks the Thames Advertiser), we may mention that chief Hauaura, the firm friend and ally of Bewi Maniopoto, and a groat warrior of the Upper Waikato, yesterday telegraphed to the Komata chief, Tukukino, via the Thames, his opinion of the orimo in the following emphatic words—-" Do not let your murderers oomo hare, but atop' where they »ro, hut evil fall oa us, wh,o hare nothing to do with

Give a Dog a Bad Name, &o.—A good many suspioious incidents have cropped up in the history of the man Waters, against whom a charge of wilful murder is pending in connection with the horrible destruction of life by,fire in Dunedin. We learn from good authority that, not many,-years ago, he left Tasmania as valet to a young gentleman; named Charley Edwards, who, possessing ample funds, was bonfc on travelling and spending his inheritance. The two went to San Francisco for a lengthened tour, but to the astonishment of Tasmanian acquaintances Waters speedily returned, in the possession of ample funds, though before leaving he was by no means well off, and seemed rather glad to get omploympnt. His explanation was that ho and- hi 3 employer, Edwards, had disagreed, and they had partod, Edwatds proceeding on his travels alona, and he, Waters, speculated his wages in some .mining scrip, which quickly realised him a little fortune. No one could question the truth of the story, but, as our informant states, the young man Edwards has never Bince been heard of.— Neto Zealander. . r The mareßriseis, entered for the Melbourne Oup,Dorby, and Oaks, broke her back aud was killed.— The wife of Mr George Eobertson, the well known publisher, at Melbourne, died suddenly.—ln anticipation of the visit of the Prince of Wales to the colonies, the Victorian Minister for Railways is having a special carriage built for tho use of His Royal Highness, to be constructed entirely of. colonial material. —The brig Shannon collied with "the aohooner Gauntlet in the Yarra, and the latter sank. —At Forbes, Nesv South Wales, three ehildren,-the youngest four years old, and a Bervant' girl, were taken out by a man for a row in a boat which capsizod, and all were drowned but the man.—Nicholas; Bumerley, a publican, residing at North Donilliquin) New South Wales, was stuck up by some men five ] miles from town. They had him tied to a trpa for six hours and then released him, returning his money > and papors.—At Adelaide, Charles Fair, chargd with1' abducting Florence Shaw, a girl aged 17, from motives of gain, she having £300 corning to her when 21, was committed for-trial. The'-prisoner induced the girl to leave her home, and she lived with .him B9 his wife.—George White, of Waterloo Bay,, South Australia, has been committed for trial, charged' with the manslaughter of John Goldinga boy of 15, by striking him, thus.. accelerating death.—Mr Baucicault, proprietor of the Northern Argus at Rookhampton, was fined £50 and costs by the Supreme Court, for publishing oomments on a case while suljuclice. A Postal Card. —There were some mad men in a certain Kentucky post-office a few days ago. A postal card was dropped into the letter-box addressed to the ' .Rev. John Penobscofc, , .' It waa an ordinary card, and the postmaster was an ordinary postmaster. He took it up, glanoed at the address, turnpd it leisurely over and read :—' , , May 2,1879. —You, to whom this card is not addressed, and who, nevertheless, have the cheek to read it, are a contemptible, unprincipled sneak, and a prying, pusillanimous coward. George F. Duncan.' The postmaster laid the card gently down and lounged to the other end of the house, softly whispering ' Nancy Lee ' ' In due time the clerk came upon the card, perused it, and made the neighborhood hideous with the howls of his pet dog, which he kicked in tho ribs. How the card fared with the various route agents through whom it passed it is impossible to say, nor do we know whether it was read by the woman who is postmistress of the office where tho Rev. John Ponobsoot.is supposed to get his mail ; but the report is that on the day it reached there she smashed a bottle of ink on her husband's head, spanked the children all .round, and chewed up ninety-five cents' worth of wax. We cannot be too careful never to write on postal cards anything in the least calculated to wound the sensitive delicacy of the post-office people's feelings. An Ancient Marriage.—lt may^be of interest to know how they arranged marriages a hundred years ago. An old paper has the following descrip' tion bearing upon the subject :—" Married, in June 1760, Mr William Donkin, a considerable farmer of Great Tossin (near Rothbury), in the country of Northumberland, to Miss Eleanor Shotten, an agreeable young gentlewoman of the same place. The entertainment was very grand, there being no less than 120 quarters of lamb, 45 quarters of vsal, 20 quarters of mutton, and a great quantity of beef, twelve hams, with a suitable number of chickens, etc., whioh was concluded with eight half ankers of brandy made into punch, twelve dozen of cider, a great many gallons of wive, and ninety bushels of malt made into beer. The company consisted of 550 ladies and gentlemen, who concluded with the musio of 25 fiddlers and pipers, and the whole wai conducted wich the utmost order and unanimity." Progress.—The steana. tramway between Rome and Tivoli has been inaugurated. The whole population of Tivoli turned out to witness the arrival of the first train, saluting it with unbounded enthusiasm. " A Musician's Trick.—Robert Heller, the lamented musician and magician, was fond of tricks of all kinds. When, some years ago, he was organist of a church in Washington, he used frequently to play, " We Won't Go Home Till Morning " as a voluntary, but he played it in such solemn tempe, and with such exquisitely beautiful and spiritual modulations aud variations, that the congregations thought it must be oneof those inspired "sacre.l compositions' of the masters, like Mozart's inexpressibly grand and tender " Agnus.Dei."