Untitled

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1784, 21 September 1874, Page 2

A kgetikg- of the Committee appointed at a public meeting to forward the movement for assisting Mr. Maurice Power, who lost his arm through an accident which he met with while employed on the Thames waterworks, will take place at the Pacific Hotel this evening at half-past 7 o'clock. It is intend-d, we believe, to stsrt Mr. Power in some way of business by which he will be enabled to make a living for himself, having been incapacitated by the loss of an arm from foling his usual avocation.

The Bright Smile Company announce tho payment of a dividend of five shillings per share, the transfer books being closed for that purpose from noon of to-morrow until noon of Thursday. To pay this divideat?, We arc informed that the most rigid econqmy has had to bo practiced, which is indeed carried to such an extent that we are driven to advertise gratuitously the payment of the dividend, the managing director declining to ncur the expenditure of a crown to secure the notice appearing in its legitimate place.

At the Academy the attendance in tho pit was good on Saturday night. An excsllent 'programme was performed to tho entire satisfaction of tke audience. "Kan the good for nothing" was produced, and Miss Knight certainly pourtrayed tho character of 2fan to perfection. Messrs Booth, (Jourlay anel Moson also took part in the comedy, and acted well. A large selection ef songs and dances intervened bsfcfteen tbe opening piece and the fare : and the applause accorded was loud and frequent.

Thb Grey-street bridgo, about the construction of which so much local legialative ability was expended, is nearly ; indeed, wholly so, as far ac tho bridge is concerned, the only work remaining being tho laying down and levelling of the metal. This work was very necessary, as the traffic between the townships is extensive. The former construction was not a brilliant: specimen of modern architecture, having a somewhat rustic appearance ; and, in point of fact, a porsam could not travel across that bridge without experiencing a certain amount of uncertainty as to what might be the result of h.s venture. Therefore it is well tVat we havo jho now bridge : aud the money laid out in its making han boon well spent.

The banquet to Mr. J. Sheehan, M.H.E., will take place in the Academy of Music tomorrow evening, Mr. Sheehan having signified his acceptance of the Committee's invitation for that evening. A number of persons from Coroirandel are expected to be present;.

Some distinguished natives bare been expressing their chargin at the conduct, of the Eesident Magistrate of Waaganui, and the bailiff, in sending tvi o chiefs to prieon for debt. The Herald says ;—" This is an old sore, but. one of the grumblers is a powerful rangatira, who threatenod to take the magistrate and the bailiff before the Government for so serious an offence as carrying out the clear provisions of the law with respect to rangatiras. The R.M. said if any pakeha asked for a warrant for the chief's body it would also be granted, when, instead of two chiefs being in durance, thore would be thive. The great chief, upon hearing this, disappeared like morning dow."

The Southland News learns that Mr. Lumgden was on Saturday the victim of a rather smart trick practised by a couple of Chinnnien. On tho: forenoon of that day the Celestials entered his chop, and "with aspect Jjland " represented thai they wished something done to an old glass-faced watch, which onp «f them carried, of tho p«ir could or would speak plain English, nnd it was only after showing them a new hunting watch that Mr. Lmn6den understood they wanted a similar caso put on thfirs Trey wore in a hurry too, and would have it doiio ai once. After a deal of chaffering, ono of the Chinai»en suddenly left, and tha other remained fa? a short time, when ho also departed, taking "with him the apti/ale which was to be altered. Nothing mope waf thought of tho matter *iil Monday, when Mr. Lumgdop misled from ifcs case tha watch ho had been showing t® the poojfus, and, suspacting they knew; *omof'hing of it, ha applied to thp police, who used such expedition that hy ihe following morning tho innooont-lookmgiOi'U's-tial wa3 apprehended on the road to Duncdiu , with the watch in his possession.

| The New York Tribuno snys:—"Tho Princo of Wnlcs made a little speech at tho Koyal Acndcmy dinner tho other day —sv speech kindly anl .'grammatical, but Jittlo mere. Plunge tlio most elcvor pud excellent piece of "royally into the.literary and artistic element, and ho is nearly always .uncomfortable or intensely unnpprcciativo. Said tho Into Austrian Jfimperor gravely to Liuzt, who had been playing boforo him : ' 1 have heard ilirlz, and Tbitlberg, nnd Copin, but I hive novqr seen any one perspire like you.' When Landeeer wont to Portugal { the King sent for him in order to compliment tho grent painter of animato. ' Ah, Sir Edwin,' said Boyally, 'I am glad to see you. lam co fond of boasts. 1" At the E.M. Court this morning tho business consisted of two charges of incapable inebriation, nn.-l ono summons case, in which defendant was charged with the common offence of " allowing " his chimney to. take firo. Ho made some remarks whereby to secure cither a pardon or a reduction in the fine: t his in soldom an effectivo practice, einco it it evident that a man's chimney cannot cntch fire without there being something in it for Iho fire to catch. And this b one of the wiso laws of our laud which provides for tho clean keeping of chimnies, and penalties for the neglect thereof. In the case to day defendant protested that there were certain circumstances which rendered the occurrence very excusable; hut I bur, the chimney hud cuught fire, and remained ou lire until extinguished wns—ho would not attempt to deceive the Court—an urquostionatlo fnct. " Then," Bald His Worship, "ifc is no less an unquestionable fact that you must pay a fine of 10s and costs."

An nudacious trick was lately played bya " sneak thief "at a London Club. Hs entered tho ball without attracting the notice of the porter, and proceeded to empty the pockets of the great coats ho found ranged in tho corridor While selecting a few of the best, he was interrupted by a. member, who, in astonishment, asked what ho was doing. " Oh, this is my regular business," he said ; "I am engaged to clean the gentlomeu's coats in several clubs. I take nil the grease out of their collars." " Indeed," said the gentleman, interested, thinking he had got hold of one ho could turn to account. " How long do you take ? " " Why, I will be back in an hour." "If so, you may as well take mine," said the gentleman, adding his coat, to a .heap, and escorting the " sneak thief" past the porter. " What great conveniences you have in London," remarked this country gentleman to a group of friends. "I have just given my coat to a man I found in tho corridor, who cleans coats for tho club." "To whom did you sny ? " cried two or three. "The iran I found carrying coats out. "Wait—l have bis card." But the knowing ones did not wait,; they hurried out to find the pockets of some greatcoats empty, and other coats altogether gone. .

Let no man. in future (says the Ovens and Murray Advertiser), returning to England from Australia to tnke up property to which he is ju»tly entitled, ever breathe the name "Wagga Wagga." A bricklayer named Scott, well known in Beechworth and the whole of this district for many years, and occasionally in the course of his tradf sojourning in the town which is so intimately connected with the most wonderful claim the world fcas yet heard, was informed some months sgo by letters from England that he had become entitled to considerable property. People, even men, change in twenty years. They get fat, or they get grey, or they grow a beard, or indulge in a moustache, their accents, their language, their manners becoming totally altered, but above all, they may have been in Wagga Wagga. Mr. Scott on his arrival amongst his expectant relatives had unhappily undergone nearly all three changes, especially as ho had grown fat and had boon at Wsgga. He was immediately questioned vis to whether he knew anything of that worldrenowned town, and on answering in tho affirmative, was told he was " only a claimant," and that he must " try it on" elsewhere. In downright earnest Mr. Scott'a identity was challenged, and ho has been obliged to send buck to Australia, for photographs, letters, and other documents and proofs that he is hinv self.

A case in tho E.M. Court on Saturday might bo seized upon by Good Templars as a powerful argument against; the unlimited consumption of the " Fiery Demon " as a beveridge,' er against consumption of the Demon at all, for thit matter. A gentleman of good intentions but weak mind was charged with being a rogue and a vagabond, and wbb convicted thereof. The manner in which he has arrived at so peculiar aud gratifying a distinction in moral worth, is by a proco-js of the law, in which a man has to pass through certain-phase? of character until he claims a right; to the dignified title aforesaid. Tha course, it will ba conceived, commonces with drunkenness, proceeds with idleness and ditto, and concludes with vagabandism. And this is ono of the- many evils which result from drink, or rather, its intemperate use : since ib is an established i'ncfc that liquor hath its virtues, which would meet with acknowledgements from the most steadfast abstainers were all mankind of such a " conformable " character as the virtuous Sarah Gamp, who —as it is known — never tasted, a "sup" 'cept when she "felt so dispoged." The unfortunate indivdusl to whom reference has been ma'-le i 3 one of that class who are perpetually making praiseworthy endeavors to ."get on. tao fquare," but who arc so imperfectly constituted as to never succeed in gutting off tho loose. He his baon bofore the Court a starling number of times, and has on each occasion made such aa honest repentance ns to secure a commutation .of the ucntcncj; but ho reached the climax at laet 5 aud, haying ju.fc emerged from a trifling confinement of two months, committed anoihcr in iacretion, and has roturnod to 1 p'riaou for a period of six months.