THE Thames Advertiser. Favour to none: fear of none; justice to all. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,1894, NOTES AND GLEANINGS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVI, Issue 7918, 12 September 1894, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. Favour to none: fear of none; justice to all. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,1894, NOTES AND GLEANINGS.

communicating with mars. A few years ago tho scientific mind of; Europe wont wild over a project for storting communication with the people on tho planet Mars, Peculiar signs had been noticed on the face of that orb, which were supposed to be signals that) the Marsmen wanted a little friendly chat, and as a matter of common courtesy, it was said to bo our duty to reply The planet seemed to be winking in a confidential way at something, and in our fatuous vanity wo immediately concluded that it must be at us. Many schemes were mooted for returning tho compliment;, but none of them came to anything. At all events no one succeeded in starting an intelligible conversation, and at last the matter dropped Now someone discovers that the planet has no atmosphere, wherefore it is concluded that it has no inhabitants. Here the phenomenal egotism of the microbe man breaks out again. Because he can't live without keeping his own lungs full of oxygon he imagines that no one else can, If there iu a man on Mars he has. probably discovered that the earth has.an atmosphere, and no doubt concludes that it can't be inhabited, as it is enveloped in a noxious gas, which if it got into whatever does duty for lungs ap his way would cause instant death. Just as a microbe in one drop of water might theorise about the impossibility of any aniraalcuto existing in another.

A SINGULAR CRIME, . . We notice by Sydney files to hand, that two oifcizons of Bathursfc have been carted off in the local 'Black Maria, , or by some equivalent process, removed to a dungeon cell for a month and for two weeks, respectively, The crime is tho vorytame and inadequate one of not paying the gas bill when ordered to do so. Bathurst it appears, has two soperate gasworks, one a private and the other a municipal concern, but it is away back in tho dark ages in some things, The bill which gives tho municipality power to sot a poljcoman on a. man who cannot pay according to the meter, and lug him , off to gaol like a burglar, is worthy to, have been written by the glimmer of a mediaeval rushlight. But it does esist. ' consequent upoa its provisions two persons n': v 0 b ?? n aubjeotod to treatment that is popularly $W%l. io b ° ft P; plicablo only to those guilty, .° r SUPFIF to be guilty, of criminal offences. There is no more criminality about being unabto to pay for gas than about being unable to pay for potatoes or boots—in fact at the rates which are charged for it in sorao places there is considerably less, because it is almost made a matter of compulsion by tho vendors. To arm the Batlmret municipality with a power which private individuals must not possess was a mistake. And to exercise this powor as they have done will probably provo to be also a mistako which will mako the opposition gas persons smile.

A PIECE OP HYPOCRISY. What a characteristic pioco of hypocrisy that is whioh compels English shippers of war material to China and Japan to sond it by way of South America, so as to avoid tho imputation of soiling weapons to tho barbarian belligerents. That is a thing foreign to civilised British settlement, and hkewiao contrary to tho provisions of tho "Foreign Enlistment Act." But while objecting to soil China a t»un now that war is actually raging, in peace time there is no scruple about enpplymg that or any othor power with as many battle ships as it chooses to pay for, so as to havo thorn ready beforehand, Most of the Ohinoso and Jawmosn floots have boon built in England, yob it is now unlawfnl to soil onn of Min ships a marling spike That, is, unions it is dolivorod in roundabout way pm-medium of some low South American State, which does not euro what tho world thinks so long as its own turn is sorvod.

The Bank of Now Zealand has shipped to Auckland eight boxes of gold containing 76560z5.

An official report submittod to tho Vienna Government on Australian frozen meat, recently imported thuie, recommends that largerquautites should bo imported, as its excellence is beyond doubt.

The case against James Beard is expected to come before the Supreme Court to-day or to-morrow. There are five cases yefc to be heard, and Beard's case has been placed at the bottom of the list.

The deepest gold-bearing quartz in Australia hae just been pierced in the New Chum Railway claim at Bendi«o A reef has been met with at a depth of 3,800 ft, and tho stone is of the right sort §o far as appearances go.

Sensational gold Rods are being made at the Guinias, South America, The richest field is a possession disputed between Holland and Brazil, but meanwhile tho miners are flocking in, though tho country is difficult, the climate oppressive, and the natives in opposition.

A Southern Charitable Aid Board obtained an order against a young husband for the support of his wife and child, Accompanying the first weekly contribution tho secretary to the Board received the following memo: "Would you kindly let me know :if you can, what tho child is—whether a boy or a girl, - as I would like to know,"

The building trade all over the Australian Colonies seems to be in a rery bad state. Tho latest returns for July state that in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, it is very bad, and in some of the smaller towns of the Australian colonies it h deplorable. In Auckland the stale of the trade is described as slack; in Christchurch deplorable; in Dunediu, very quiet; Invercargill, very dull; Timaru, slack ; Wellington, very bad and quiet.

At the Pollen Street Lecture Hall tonight a very attractive entertainment will bo rendered bv the teachers and scholars of the Baptist Sunday School, assisted by a contingent of our local talent, tho object , being to pay off the debt incurred when several class rooms were recently built. An exceptional feature will be a number of action songs recently given in Auckland with great success, whilst the other portion of the programme is above the average. Tbe low price of 6d will bo charged for admission, and it is confidently expected that there will be a large attendance.

The Hobart police recently made a raid on a so-called night-school for boys, carried on by a Mrs Gordon, and succeeded in arresting nine youths, whoso ages varied from 14 to 19, on a cliargo of gambling. A number of others managed to not away. The woman was also arrested . The methods of gambling chiefly resorted to were by cards, dice, and tho "race game." These appliances, with about 10s in bronze, were taken possession of by the police. The occupant of tlw house is a widow, and the landlord a policeman. A charge of 3d was made for admission to the "night school," which has bean in existence for a long time,

Mining matters in the Kuaotunu and Coromandel districts have revived somewhat lately, and the prospects have become considerably brighter, The Great Mercury at Kuaotunu has resumed operations, and put on several men, and the number employed will be increased almost immediately. The Try Fluke had 4000Z3 of gold for last month, and the mine is looking fairly well, The machinery for tho Kapai is being erected, though rather slowly. Splendid returns of gold are being obtained at Coromandel, and as deep mining operations are being prosecuted in tho Kapanga Company's property, it is to be sincerely hoped that excellent results will be obtained.

The Rev. John MoNeil is making his mission boom in Melbourne—in fact it is about the only boom the Melbournites have got at present The titles of his addresses are rathor quaint" David in the Dumps," "David in the Blues," and " David suffering from General Depression." It reminds one ofMursell's 30 years ago, •' Fire!" " Attention!" •' Love's Labor Lost," and " a Get* ting Upstairs." Mr McNeill is not sweet on the Prodigal Son. In one of his recent addresses he ; says that that young man was a sorb of Juggins, Ho started out to " see life," and all he cot for his money was" an.extensive knowledge of the pig business!" Canon Tucker, of Truro, England, is at present on a mission in Melbourne and, taking a leaf out of General Booth's book, he sallies forth into the streets of a night with his coworkers, headed by the "big drum." With all the sneers cast at the Salvation I Army's methods, it is amusing to see many of their ways adopted tp get hold of the masses.

" Marry in haste and repent at leisure' is an old adage, which it might be well for yoang ladies to carefully tre£? uro .i A nobble example of the evil results attendant on indiscreet impetuosity came to light a few days ago. A young lady, the possessor of many charms and well-known in Dunedin— especially among the Jewish community, of which she was a member,—met with a distinguished foreign-looking gentleman apparently posessed of wealth, after a few days both declared in the passionate language of love tho mutual affection they bore each other. Taking advantage of the facilities afforded by a paternal Government—the young lady deeming it unnecessary to go through tho formality of '.informing her mamma of tho important step she was about to take—the two betook themselves to tho registry office, and after they were joined iniho bonds of wedlock they proceeded to Christ church to enjoy their honeyimoon. This, however, proved of short duration, for the bridegroom, who had declared himself to bo a commercial traveller of the highest staudin?, ran out of funds, and to replenish his purse stole a bicycle. Justice swift and sure overtook him, and on being arralnged bofovo tho Court it was elicited that his namo was not that under which ho had been married, but whs of a distinctly Hibernian origin, and that he was employed in Dunedin for some considerable time in a grocer's shop. Ho wns admitted to probation. Tho irate parent of the crestfallen young lady rushed off to Christchurch by the Tarawora, caught the Flora tho following 'nftornoon, and on Saturday morning hor unhappy dauchtor was once more iu tho bosom of hor family.