Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Wanganui Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5235, 13 December 1883, Page 2

Members of the Wanganui Rifles are informed that at the parade to-night they mast wear Glengarries. Sir George Grey is invited to deliver addresses in Melbourne and Sydney on .Federation and Annexation. Orangemen believe there is "imminent danger" of Roman Catholicism becoming " the dominant power in New Zealand." The actual succession of Marwood's office has passed to Bartholomew Binns, a foreman platelayer in the employ of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company! Cauestrini, a French scientist, has cut off tho heads of flies, ants, grasshoppers, and butterflies, and observed that decapitated insects retain their sensibility for a very long time. Flies calmly rubbed their bodies with their legs, and behaved as if nothing unusual had happened. Butterflies continued to fly for eighteen days, and grasshoppors kicked thirteen days after being decapitated . Members of the City Rifles who have failed to qualify for capitation are informed that they can parade with the Wanganui Rifles at their parade called for this evening ; at a special daylight parade of their own company, on Monday evening next a 6 halfpast 6, or at any of the Government parades of the Naval Brigade held during the month. The members not qualifying as efficients will be required -to make up the amount of their capitation . While the average American of wealth makes a speciality of racers or trotting h»rses, the English moneyed man directs his attention to salt water and yachts. The yachting hobby has especially grown very popular in Great Britain of late years. 20 years ago there were only 30 British steam yachts in existence. To-day they number 470, one third of which average 400 tons burden. The aggregate value of this sporting navy i 3 over £2,200,000. Our attention has been directed to a paragraph which appeared in our morning contemporary in reference to some ' ' unsavory localities " on the Quay from Mr Bell's bakery establishment to the corner of "Wicksteed Street, which states that the back yards and rights-of-way are in a filthy condition. The residents of the locality were deservedly annoyed at such a statement, and immediately sent for the Inspector of Nuisances, who went over the premises, and informs us that they are perfectly clean, that there is no nuisance whatever. The managing committee of the Wanganui Harmonic Society have fixed upon Thursday next, the 20th, as the day for holding the annual Christmas concert, when Mozart's Twelfth Mass and selections from the Messiah will be given. It has been decided that the concert shall be an extra complimentary one for the benefit of honorary members, in addition to the four in the twelve months as provided for in the rules. The society are practising assiduously to give the mass as perfect as possible, rehearsals being held twic« a week. An extra practice has been arranged for to-night, and as large an attendance as possible is requested. Intending passengers by the Stormbird will be pleased to learn that she will be under the charge of officers well-known on this line, and whose faces have been familiar at this port for some years past. Captain Doile (late of the Go-Ahead) will have command, and he will have Mr W. S. Pope (late of the Huia) as his chief officer, the second mate being Mr Nicholas Hammond. Mr Watson, who is well-known here, is the chief engineer, and Mr Sirnmonds tho second engineer. Mr Walsh, the popular steward of the Huia, will act as chief steward of the Stormbird ; and with such an able staff the travelling public may rely on every courtesy and comfort. The Timaru Herald says :—": — " Poor Mr Blair. He has had things pretty well his own way with Middle Island Railway works for the last tea years or so, and all he does not know about them is not worth learning. It must be rather trying to him, therefore, first to be ordered about by Mr Mitchelson — who has never been in the Middle Island — and then to be made a fool of by having it published abroad that he has ' misunderstood his instructions. 9 On the other hand, it must be a novel and pleasing sensation to the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce to find the Minister of Public Works accounting to them for his actions, and throwing over the highest officers of his department in order to avert their righteous indignation." A Sydney paper says : — Australian Eleven the Fourth will be banded together immediately after the intercolonial cricket match at Melbourne, and we understand the opening event of the preliminary Colonial tour prior to their departure to England will be against a combined team on the M.C.C. ground on New Year's Day and the following days. If it is true that Murdoch, Horan, Garret, and Spofforth have declined to go to England, it is possible that a good match may be arranged between the Australian Eleven and a combined team ; but if Murdoch aud Spofforth are not available for the combined matches I fear the contests will be very one-sided. So far as is known at present, A Bannerman is the only one from the colony who will be one of the band. Nothing is known as to Spofforth's intentions, but the public all say, " He's sure to go." An unusual occurrence took place in the residence of Mr G. Lefaivre, No. 21 Richmond Square, during the hours before dawn the other morning, says the Montreal Gazette. Being awakened from sleep by the screams of one of his children, a little girl three years old, Mr Lefaivre went into the child's room to ascertain the cause, and found an enormous rat perched on the little one's forehead, apparently eating iuto it. When the father attempted to drive the animal away it attacked him and tried to bite hi 3 legs, but was finally driven off. When Mr Lefaivre proceeded to render assistance to the little girl, he found that the rat had made a terrible wound on her brow, and, having parted one of the veins had been sucking the blood. A little child residing next door to Mr Lefaivre was bitten by a rat no less than five times during the past week, and in each case the rat showed fight before being driven away. One sweep promoter in Melbourne succeeded in filling no leas than 16 sweeps between May 1 and November 5 of the present year, and as each sweep has 2000 subecribera at £1 each, no less than £32,000 was invested, out of which the promoter retained 10 per cent., or £3200, which may be regarded as fair remuneration for his trouble. The Age states that tickets are applied for from all portions of Australia, and a great many places outside as well ; China, Colombia, Fiji, Siugapore, and the Straits Settlements all contribute largely to swell the proceeds, and it was only recently an application came from Canada from a levanting New Zealand sweep promoter for five tickets, which were duly forwarded, but a small measure of retributive justice was meted out to him, inasmuch as he did not draw a horse. Those who Buffer from asthma will be glad to learn (says a contemporary) that Dr Feris, of Brest, has invented an elastic respirator, by means of which important relief i 3 afforded to the afflicted. The difficulty of respiring in the case of the asthmatic i 3 due to the lung having lost a, portion of its elasticity, so that, after having been opened by the effort 3of the muscles, it does not resume completely its original position. The inspiration is followed by an insufficient expiration ; the air thus rests in the cells of the lungs, and renders the oxydation of the blood diffiuclt or imperfect. Efforts have been frequently made to force the lung to part with its non-evacuated and vitiated air. Dr Fe*ris, accepting the elasticity of the lung as lost, substitutes for the natural elasticity of the muscles a kind of double spring, acting simultaneously on the back and the chest. The apparatus thus keeps the lung in its normal position. Patients supplied with the springs have been able to mount two flights of stairs where previously they could not ascend any, and to inhale 140 quarts of air where otherwise 82 could with difficulty be inspired. We are sorry to see our pcefcic friend of the Corner Boot Shop under a cloud ; those bills of sale are sharp instruments, and like the Sword of Domocles, suspended over the devoted head only by a hair. We have missed our friend's poetic effusions for some time ; no wonder ; when the wings are clipped the bird can soar no longer. We would recommend our readers to try a pair from the orner Shop, Save money and dispel the cloud.— Ad vt.