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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 22, 20 September 1889, Page 7

The latest invention for rapid transit and lhe transportation of mails is being introduced by the Portelectric Company, of New York and Boston. It is tin invention of John G. Williams, of New York, and consists of an elevated railway traok, of a new design, for a car made of magnetised steel, and running upon a single rail. It has been exhibited Jin Boston and explained by Prof. A. B. Dolbear, of Tufts College, who announced that, after a very thorough examination and toting of the discovery, he was certain tint car could be run from New York to Boston a distance of some two hundred and thirty miles, in one hour, He explained that while the new plan will at first be devoted to letter carrying— and by it there can be a mail from city to city several times every forenoon, afternoon, and evening — it will be entirely possible to carry people as well as the mails, and that this will before very long be done.

A correspondent of the Nanohestcr Guardian writes : " The ' going over' of the Rev. L. W. Bownsend, the supeiior of the Oxford University Mission in Calcutta, to the Roman Church was, I bear, a most startling piece of news to the English Church authorities throughout India. It was equally a source of much congratulation to the Romish communion in Calcutta, who have long been endeavouring to gain the same ascendency in Calcutta as they enjoy in Bombay. Mr. Townsend, albiet a shy, retiring man, was a distinct power in the Indian Cburch, and great things were prophesied of him. He was not only a good Sanskrit and Bengali scholar, but was well read In Continental literature of every variety — able to quote in hia writings not only from lhe tatest German thelogical criticism, bat also from the la^t French novel. He carried great weight with edacated non-Christian Hindoos, with whom he 'cultivated the most friendly relationships. His weekly journal, The Epiphany, in th« production, of course, he was much helped by the other ' Oxford Brothers,' was as easily read by the Bengali members of the Brabmo Sanaj as by the Christian commrnity. His departure from the Oxford Mission to another almost antagonistic body will be, it is feared, a greit blow to English Church missions in India, and will have a misleading affect upon tboie amongst whom the Oxford Brothers' been tor ten years working, who are naturally unable to appreciate the fact that in the leading Beliefs of Christianity the Bomish and Anglican Churches aie practically agreed." Probably, adds the Tablet, there are others besides the Bengali baboos who are " unable to appreciate " this correspondent's last-mentioned " fact." By the way, be says nothing of the conversion of the Chief Justice, Sir William Comar Petheram, which must have greatly heightened the imprestsioued produced by Mr. Townsend's reception.