The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY DECEMBER 17, 1908. FRAUDULENT SPIRITISTIC 'MANIFESTATIONS'

New Zealand Tablet, 17 December 1908, Page 21

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY DECEMBER 17, 1908. FRAUDULENT SPIRITISTIC 'MANIFESTATIONS'

HAKESPEABE'S <a quicksand of deceit,' is, to our mind, a fair general description of the phenomena of mediumistic spiritism. We gave, in sufficient detail, our reasons for this belief in a series of editorial articles written by us in 1907.^ Sundry questions put to us since our remarlcSj in our last issue, on ' A Spiritistic Fraud ' move us to say

that we hav,e a keen sense of the clashing orrors and absurdities of those who vainly try to reduce spiritism to an ordered system of teaching. We are, moreover, fully conscious of the mental and moral dangers that threaten men and women — especially those of a morbid, credulous, imaginative, or neurotic temperament — who allow themselves to be brought within the influence of this insidious superstition. Nay, we hold that even men of otherwise strong personality and force of character run no slight risks in dabbling in a business so saturated with imposture, unless they have taken the saving precaution of securing an all-round practical knowledge of the thou-. sand and one sleights and wiles and tricks and stratagems and dodges and ' hanky-panky ' artifices with which the mediumistic profession, is wont to hoodwink and victimise those to whom conjuring is an unknown art.

For Catholics, it seems to us a crowning misfortune that not so much as a solitary one of the many of our ro-roliftionists who arc accepted as authorities on spiritism, lias taken the trouble to acquire a working acquaintance with oven the A B C of the conjuring artifices with which all lint the tiniest fraction of one per cent, of those, occultist

• manifestations ' are brought about. The result is, complete inability on their part to judge soberly, scientifically, -a and Avith authority as to the powers and limits of charlatanry and conjuring in the production of so-called spiritistic phenomena. Side by side -with tliis crowning initial disability, we find, on their part, a general and, very deplorable degree of credulity, an indiscriminating acceptance of appearances at par value, and a dogmatic attribution of the rreter natural to large classes of phenomena which illusionists produce — nay, at times far surpass — every day by the sleights and ruses of their art. Nor are Catholic writers alone in these errors of judgment. Even in cases where men of such eminence as Professor Crookes were concerned, investigation, has — for the same . lack of knowledge of the conjurer's art — been generally' carried on by methods thai; were unscientific, although associated with scientific principles and conducted by scientific men. We need only refer to the galvanometer test on the medium, Mrs. Fay, and Bishop's famous spiritistic ring illusion, which made sucli an impression upon Professors Crookes, Ramsay, and Buchanan, Lord Kelvin, and numbers of others of the foremost scientists of the day. These were considered s and are still cited as, crowning tests of the occult nature of the ' manifestations ' - that occurred. Yet they can be produced any day by a firstclass conjurer, such as were those who performed them under supposedly scientific test conditions.- And, for real ingenuity, they have mot been surpassed, so far as we are aware, by any proven ' manifestation ' by professional mediums since their day.

The typical spiritistic seance represents (as we amply demonstrated in our June-July issues of"1907) a ,gpefit confidence trick. The mediums usually take elaborate precautions against too prying eyes or hands ; they display

a marked unwillingness to submit to serious tests; their 'manifestations' almost invariably take place under the friendly cover of comparative darkness! and, by exhortations, the singing of hymns, and the other "business' of their craft, they create among their audiences'- an atmosphere of nervous expectancy; of morbidity, and of credulous emotionalism which are, -in all the circumstances' of tie case, unfavorable in the last degree to cool arid keen observation, but which, at the same time, constitute one of the real dangers of the -seance. Full many a time have we exposed, to the victims of these cruel forms of deception, the sometimes' crude and clumsy, sometimes clever, ruses of conjuring or 'hanky-panky' with which their eyes and minds' have been led captive. And we have read with deep pain the ponderous dogmatising practised upon Catholic' readers by men' of their own faith who have been, in like manner, innocently imposed upon by. the ways that are dark and the tricks that are vain, for which the heathen Chinee is' 'not alone ' peculiar.' In the books and magazine -and other "articles on the subject of spiritism by Catholic writers we find the ring stance and the galvanometer test commonly, but improperly, appealed to as crucial and scientific and final evidences of the reality and 'honor-bright' of the preternatural character of the manifestations, there produced. - Yet (as remarked above) any really good conjurer could perform the same feats in the same circumstances, and Mr. Maskelyne could probably far surpass them. ■ The most convincing experience of so old and (we may add) almost life-long an observer of spiritistic "seances as "Mir. Trowbridge (related in the October isorth American Review) was a piece of smart conjuring trickery, referred to in some by us in our last issue. This we have many a time performed as an exposure of spiritistic methods, and, to our certain knowledge, it has been in the possession of tlie illusionist fraternity for at least over twenty-one years. It has even impressed so exceptionally able and gifted a writer as our valued friend the editor of the Aye Maria (October number, p. 570). And it is not surprising that such earnest and well-intentioned writers as Mr.- Raupert and Dr. Lapponi should, through their utter lack of even an elementary knowledge of this or any other department of conjuring, attribute to preternatural sources large classes of spiritistic phenomena that were brought about by more or less clever or more or less clumsy sleights and artifices of the illusionist's deceptive craft.

"We set down here at random a few other of the deceitful phenomena of this sort that we find credited to a preternatural origin by a number of Catholic writers: (1) Giving connected answers to secretly written questions enclosed in sealed envelopes or in locked boxes or drawers. (2) Receiving 'spirit messages' in the open day on bits of paper, or on slates, placed upon the table or the floor, while the medium's hands are securely held,- and no one but the medium and his client is in the room. (3)- Receiving, in full daylight, connected answers to questions secretly written on pieces of paper or cardboard placed face downwards on the table and covered over by the writer's hand, or by a book or by any opaque object. (4) Receiving . connected answers to questions, the answers appearing on the inside faces of two common slates that have been carefully washed, tied together, padlocked or sealed. The slates may even be placed entirely beyond the reach of the medium, his hands held, all windows and 'doors securely sealed. (5) A client, bringing /his own slate, securely sealed, visits a medium.- Medium' and visitor clasp each one hand over the table. * With the other hand, they hold the sealed slate under -the table. The noise of writing- is heard upon the slate. "When the noise has ceased a the slate is placed upon the table ; the seals are broken ;L-and .a message" is found on inside of slate. This was, for yearsjone of the cleverest tricks of Slade. (6) A horn, placed beyond the reach of the medium, or of any other person in the room, is sounded. (7) The doors and windows of the medium's . seance parlor are carefully sealed. The medium is surrounded by all the clients or investigators present, who also clasp each others' hands and take such precautions as absolutely to prevent any person in the circle acting as the medium's accomplice. We assume that all present in the apartment are perfectly honest investigators. The lights are turned down. Immediately the

furniture in the room is thrown about, or lifted to the ceiling, clammy hands touch the faces of the visitors or tug at their coats or tweak their noses, unearthly voices are heard round about. And -so on. Then the lights are raised; the scared_ clients survey the disordered apartment ; they find the seals intact ; and, with nerves a-tremble and, perhaps, in some instances minds partly unhinged, they go their separate ways and describe as a portent 1 of preternatural energy or of outright diabolism what Is, from beginning to end, nothing more or less than a cunning and heartless imposture and fraud -by the medium and his < pals.' . The professional conjurer ' looks down' with contempt upon the" methods of this clumsy 'but cunning fraud, which is not for a moment to be compared* for real ' cleverness, with the 'spirit writing' and ' spirit' photography ' illusions o£ our time. Bxit the horse-play" and tie crude energy of the ' manifestations ' described above, occurring in darkness or semi-darkness, naturally present grave perils to impressionable and neurotic subjects. And they have -captured the ready fancy of numerous wellmeaning and' unsuspecting Catholic writers, who have thrown a halo of mystery and of occult- power around a tribe of adventurers and charlatans, and (as we regretfully know) been the means- of sending many a woman; and not a few men, of our faith to the undesirable influences of the seance parlor. . , r

What a simple and childlike faith , most of these writers .place in locks and seals and gummed envelope flaps, and in the presence of detectives at seances, and in the opinions of non-conjurer scientists in regard to spiritistic phenomena! It is very touching. But it is neither scientific nor wise. 'Love laughs at locks and locksmiths all.' That clever wizard who calls himself Houdini ' performs -those most amazing feats which have won for him the name' of 'the handcuff king.' And the smart conjurer defies ordinary policeman's 'bracelets,' has his 'open" sesame' through seal and lock, can iir a moment read the writing that is within the closed envelope without opening the same (so long as the envelope is of any plain and unpatterned color and the writing is not folded in — and he takes care that these conditions favor him). As regards the scientists and the detectives : ' Any conjurer can honestly declare (and we know the opinion of some of the most eminent in the profession) that, where it is a question of detecting the sleiglits of the illusionist, one smart boy of *the ' nipper ' variety is worth more than a wliole barnful of scientists and detectives. For he has a keen eye and be it specially noted that "he disregards r patter,' his attention is not nearly so readily directed away from critical or ' covering ' movements, and he has no .theories or prepossessions to mar his observation. Not that he will detect much, or anything, when a ' clean ' performer occupies the boards. But the chances are greatly loaded .in favor of the ' nipper,' as against the non-conjuring scientist and detective. In mediumistic ' manifestations,' as in certain other tilings, you must set a thief, to catch a thief ; you must set conjurer against conjurer, and the first-class conjurer against the first-class medium. You don't invite a hqrse-shoer, merely because he is a firstclass horse-shoer, to detect the flaws in a city electric installation, nor a uni-lingual English-speaking child to pass a verdict upon a question of Chinese classics. It is, we believe, just as great a folly for a writer, bereft of all knowledge of the' art of conjuring, to dogmatise round about the phenomena of mediumistic spiritism. Nay in its results, the folly may easily be far greater. ."What, for~ instance, do our standard Catholic book-writers and magazine-writers on spiritism know of the means by which the seven typical impostures mentioned in a "previous paragraph are perpetrated? What do they know about the important part played therein T>y deodorised alcohol; by thin, electrically heated wires for dealing, where necessary, with seals; ,by the hundred arts of substitution; by mirrorreading and so-called forehead writing ; by the.jninute and (to the medium's clients) invisible thumb or Anger pencils and pencil-carriers; by caustic trick-pencils; l>y the clever feats of magnetic writing ; by the little . wedges and umbrella-rib pencils for writing messages inside

sealed slates ; by the laughable ruses of toe-writing and the ingenuities of trick shoes and slippers ; by those wonders of clever, construction, trick ' spirit-slates ' ; by the little thimble carrying* false key and colored chalks— the latter to ,-write the ' spirit-message ' in any one of several (usually three) tints selected in advance by the inquirer ; by telescopic -rods and tubes that can be comfortably carried in breast-pocket, hip-pocket, or side of boot; by- stuffed and damped gloves to fit the ends of telescopic rods; by traps (illusion number 5 a"bove.is performed in this way); by 'ghost-whistles/ 'wailers,* luminous paint, and phosphorised oil ; -by. trap-doors, Jbrickpanels, and trick-skirfcing-boards, and sealed trick-doors (really sliding doors), that admit" the 'pals' and accomplices of the medium in the last-mentioned imposture (number 7); and by the numerous other frauds and wiles that we need not enter into here ? More than a generation, ago Houdin, that prince of wizards, performed feats of ' levitating ' a piano and. piano-player — a feat that used to mystify exceedingly the audiences that foregathered in Paris to witness the brilliant performances to which he gave the title of soirees faniastiqucs. And every conjurer, is acquainted with the pin-and-ring method, the pneumatic method, and numerous other mechanical methods of making chairs, small tables, and such-like articles of furniture dissolve their partnership with the floor and follow the fiat, open palm of the performer as it moves upwards towards the ceiling. Jwen in the open day-time many such curious movements might, as every illusionist knows, be so impressed invisibly, by mechanical means, upon heavy articles of furniture, as to convey at first sight the impression -that their performances are ■ purely automatic. The trouble is, that the unskilled and the unwary are too prone to attribute these and sucli-like performance of modern natural magic to preternatural causes — for no better reason than that tlaey do not know or suspect the methods by which they are brought about.

The devil can, of course, get his sable finger into many a pie. But on the grounds of both philosophy and common sense, and in • accordance with a well-knowa principle of Catholic official practice, in regard to events claimed to be miraculous, we must decline to attribute to a preternatural agency, phenomena that not alone may be, but are, constantly produced by natural means. There are current, as we are well aware, numerous grossly exaggerated descriptions (usually second-hand, sometimes the work of excitable or neurotic witnesses) of alleged spiritistic happenings. In all investigation of such stories, you must first catch your haro — you must first be sure of your facts, and sure, moreover, of the full setting of circumstances in which the facts took place. This presents, at times, great and even hopeless difficulties. And herein we find, on the part of the bulk of our Catholic writers, a deplorable prepossession and credulity, and a complete lack of acquaintance with the power of conjuring craft, which render the body of their testimony suspect or useless. We have often expressed. our conviction that, back of the wholesale fraud which permeates modern spiritism, there is a thin — very, very thin and very rare — stratum of the preternatural. But we are decidedly of the opinion that this is to be sought for and found only here and there, very occasionally, and in special circumstances, 'among' th« rank's ,of private investigators, and not at' all in the professional mediumistic side pof this strange cult.

* ■ - We have been urged to place in book form our views on this whole subject, and the grounds thereof; and we have yet hopes of doing so. But the hope seems at times somewhat elusive; for such a work would, among other things, involve for us the personal preparation of hundreds of photographs and numerous line-drawings to illustrate our letterpress; and for' all this and the rest much greater leisure is required than falls to the lot of the editor of a. Catholic paper in these countries. Meantime, however, we raise our voice against the credulity, the lack of necessary knowledge and of' scientific method, and the egaggeration and sensationalism, of sundry pious and well-meaning Catholic writers and preachers on spiritism, to whom mediumistic sleights and cheats are probably as much 'a Hebrew speech ' as they are to the innocent and unsuspecting rustic who witnesses for the first time the mystic

illusions of the Egyptian Hall. , We entertain; the highest respect for thozeal, the good faith,, and the pious motives that actuate these writers.. But we .deplore their precipitancy, first and chiefly on -the score of. sane and sober truth.; secondly, on .the. ground of mischief done and of superstition, fomented, to our .-knowledge, among our coreligionists; and, in,- the third place, on account of the eagerness -with which the flamboyant exaggerations and indiscretions of these, writers (and preachers) are seized by the spiritistic press and exploited in the interests of this superstition. , We cannot away-r.from the conviction that much unintended-^ harm is being done by the misleading and exaggerated idea which they' are. giving, to Catholic readers, both clerical and lay, .as to the source and significance of the typical spiritistic; ,' manifestations.' The latest and most sensational and.most mischievous of all these writings is a .series of Sermons on Modern- Spiritualism, by Father A. V. Millar,' O. S. C. .The. book contains some w'se cautions, mingled, Jiowever, with, storms of fantastical exaggeration and misconception. . . The author was, no doubt, actuated by a_ sincere desire ; to benefit his hearers and readers. But the, best service that he could dp to them would be to suppress his book, call in all the copies that he can gather together, make a good, wholesome " bonfire of them, and preach -and write nothing more about spiritistic phononiena till he has been, for at least twelve months the assiduous pupil of some expert in the illusionist side of this curious superstition.

, ;—:;; — :; m ;, -■ i ~-, ■ , * _ • ttz ~, - „». - not take passengers fYom' Dunedin * for Milton;- -Stirling, Balclutha, and stations on Lawrence and Oatlins River Branches. Train will leave Dunedin for Mosgiel at 11.20 p.m. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25. ? * ■/ The whole of the Train Services Between" Oaniaru and Clinton ■ will be Suspended, -with the following exceirtions : — The Up and Down Mail and Express trains between Dunedin and Christchurch. The Up Mail train leaving Dunedin at 8.0 a.m. will not take passengers for Waitati. '• ' - ' The Down and Up Mail and Express trains between Dunedin and Invercargill. . , , The 8.16 a.m. Dunedin to Oamaru and the 2.30 p\m. Oamtrru to Dunedin. Trains will leave Dunedin- for Port Chalmers , at 9.20 a.m., 2.30 p.m., 4.5 p.m., 8.25 p.m., and 10.30 p.m., returning from Port Chalmers at 10.11 a.m., 3.21 p.m., 5.0 p.m., 9.25 p.m., and 11.15 p.m. The 8.55 a.m. Duncdiii to Clinton, the 6.25 a.m. Clinton to Dunedin, the 2.50 p.m. Clinton to Balclutha, ana the 5.13 p,.m. .Balclutha to Dtmedin. Trains for Cavershain, Mosgiel, and intermediate stations leave Dimedin at 8.55 a.m. and 8.20 p.m. Trains leave.. Mosgiel for Dunedin and intermediate stations s»t 10.19 a.m., 7.36 p.m., and 9.10 p.m. The 7.45 a.m. Dunedin to Clyde and the 8.55 a.m. Clyde to Dunedin. The 6.45 a.m. Lawrence to Milton and the 10.5 a.TU. Milton to Lawrence. " Train will leave Balclutha for Catlins River at "H. 15 a.m., returning, leaving Catlins River a£ 2.20 p.m. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2<3. Holiday Excursion Tickets from Dunedin aud stations north thereof to Palmorston and intermediate stations will not be . available by Up Mail train leaving at 8.0 a.m. Holiday Excursion Tickets from Palmerston and stations south thereof to Dimediri and intermediate stations will not bo available by Down Express and Down Mail trains arriving Duncdiii at 5.13 p.m. and 9.15 p.m. respectively. The Up Mail and Up Express trains leaving Dunedin at 8.0 a.m. and 1.26 p.m. respectively will not take passen-_ gers for Waitati.' An extra express train will leave Dunedin for Palmerston at 9.25 a.m., stopping jat the following stations : — Waitati 10.26 a.m., Seacliff 10.55 a.m., Puketeraki 11.4 a.m., Waikonaiti 11.18 a.m., arriving Palmerston 11.40 aan. An extra express will leave Palmerston for Dunedin at 5.50 p.m., stopping at the following stations: — Waikouaiti 6.12 p.m., Puketeraki 6.30 p.m., Seacliff 6.40 p.m., Waitati 7.2 p.m., arriving Dunedin 8.0 p.m. Trains for Palmerston and intermediate stations will leave Dunedin at 8.16 a.m. and 9.50 a.m.', arriving Palmorston 11.18 a.m. and 12.50 p.m. respectively. Return trains stopping at intermediate stations will leave Palmerston at 4.5 p.m. .and 6.0 p.m., arriving Dunedin at 7.15 p.m. and 8.45 p.m. respectively. The 1.50 p.m. Duncdin T Palmerston-Seaside train will not run. The train usually leaving Dunedin for Palmerston at 4.25 p.m. will not leave until 7,42 p.m. , ... .. „...,. Holiday Excursions Tickets from Duncdiii and stations south thereof to Catlins River and intermediate stations (including Branches) will not bo available by- Down Mail leaving Dunedin at 8.20 a.m. -- ■ i Holiday Excursion Tickets from Catlins River and stations north thereof (including Branches) tb Dunedin and intermediate stations will not be available by the Up Mail train arriving Dunedin at 7.5 p.m. An extra express train will leave Dunedin for Balclutha at 9.5 a.m., Mosgier.9.37 sum^ ''Henley, 10.3 a.m.,Waihola 10.16 a.m., Milton 10.42 a.m., Stirling'll.iS'a.m.,' arriving Balclulha 11.25 a.m. .. This train will connect with Lawrence ;and-.-Cajfcliiis~River-f ßranch, .trains', ,-and -will stop at Caversham and Mosgiel to>»pick vp l> passengers,, and" at Henley, Titri, Waihola, Milton, and Stirling to pick up or set down passengers. An extra express train will " leave Balclutha at 4.30 p.m., arriving Dunedin 6.56 p.m. This train connocts with trains from Catlins River and Lawrence Branches, and with train for Outram. It will stop' at Stirling^ Milton, Waihola, Henley; also Mosgiel to Caversham' (inclusive) to pick up or set down passengers. „ . „„-. The train usually" leaving Dunedin for Clinton at; 8.55" a.m. will not loave till D.40 a'.m: ' - : •>_ _'; Train will leave- Outram for'™Mosgiel at 6.10 p.m., returning leaving 'Mosgiel at -7.10 "p.m., connecting at giel with trains to and from Dunedin. Train will leave Dunedin for Mosgiel at 10.20 p.m.

Trains will leave~ Dunedin for Wingatui Racecourse :at 11.0 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 11.45 a.m., and 12.15 p.m. The 11.30 a.m. and 11.45 a.m. trains will not' stop at intermediate stations." - <- • Trains will leave Wingatui Racecourse for Dunediri-'-at 5.30 plan, and -5.45 p.m. ' The 5.30 p.m. -train will riot stop at intermediate- stations. „- REGATTA AT PORT CHALMERS. Trains will leave Dunedin for Port Chalmers Lower -at 7.9 a.m., 10.15 a.m., H'.IO- a'.ni. J / -12.10 p.m., 1.11 p.in:, 2.30 p.m., 3.30 p.m., 3.50 p.m., 5.15 p.m., 6.15 p.m., 7.34 p.m., 9.20 p.m., 1^.16 p.m., and 11.15 p.m. : - - , ■ Trains will leave Port Chalmers Lower for Dunedin at 7.8 a.m., 8.16 a.m., 11.16 a.m., 1.9 p.m., 2.15 p.nil, 3.50 p.m., 4.30 p.m., 5.3 p.m., 5.35 p.m., 6.15- p.m., 7.0 p.m., 10.15 p.m.;, 11.0 p.m., and 11.55 p.m. " "■ MONDAY, DECEMBER 28. RACES AT WINGATUI. Trains will loave Dunedin for ' Wingatui Racecourse at 11.0 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 11.45 a.m., and 12.15 p.m. The 11.30 a.m. and 11.45 a.m. trains will not stop at intermediate stations. Trains will leave Wingatui Racecourse for Dunedin nt 5.30 p.m. and 5.45 p.m. The 5.30 p.m. train will not stop at intermediate stations. The train usually leaving Dunedin for Palmerston at 4.25 p.m. will leave at 6.15 p.m., Palmerston arrive 9.20 p.m. Train will leave Dunedin for Port Chalmers at 5.55 p.m. SPECIAL NIGHT TRAINS. DUNEDIN-CHRISTCHURCH. THURSDAYS, 24th and 31st DECEMBER.— Dunedia depart 10.45 p.m., Oamaru 2.47 a.m., Christchurch arrive 9.15 a.m. 'on - nday. Will stop at Waitati, Seacliff, Waikouaiti, Palmerston, Hampden, Herbert, and Maheno; also at any station north of Oamaru to allow passengers from south thereof to alight. SUNDAYS, 27th DECEMBER and 3rd JANUARY.— Dunedin depart 8.0 p.m., Oamaru 12.25 a.m., Christchurch arrive 6.25 a.m. on Monday. Will stop" at Waitati, Seacliff, Waikouaiti, Palmerston, Hampden, Herbert, Maheno ; also at any station north of Oamaru to allow passengers from south thereof to alight. CHRISTCHURCH-DUNEDIN. THURSDAYS, 24th and 31st DECEMBER.—Christchurch depart 10.35 p.m., Oamaru 5.0 a.na.7 Dunedin arrive 10.9 a.m. following day. Will stop between Oamaru and Palmerston to set down passengers from north of Oamaru and between Palmerston and Dtmedhi to pick up or set down passengers. SUNDAYS,,. 27th DECEMBER and 3rd JANUARY.— Christchurch depart 8.0 p.m., Oamaru 2.10 a.m., Dunedin arrive 6.10 a.m. on Monday. ' Will stop at Oamaru, Mahono, Hampclorv Hillgrove, Palmerston, Waikouaiti, Pukctoraki, Seacliff, Warrington, Waitati, and" Purakaiiui to . pick up or sot down passengers; also at any station south of Oamaru to allow passengers from north thereof to alight. : '- " DUNEDIN-OAMAB.U. THURSDAY©, 24th "and 31st DECEMBER.— Dunedin dopart 11.15 p.m., Oamaru arrive 4.25 a.m. on Friday. DUNEDIN-IN^ERCARGILL. THURSDAYS, 24th aiid" 31st DECEMBERS— Dunedin , dopart 11.20 p/,.m., Invercargill arrive 6.50 a.m. Friday. .|>^SUNDAYS;^27th DECEMBER and 3rd. JANUARY.— v^t)nnediri' -''depart? 9.0 p.m., Invercargill arrive" 3.50 a.m. Monday. INVERCARGILL-DUNEDIN. . THURSDAYS, 24th and 31st DECEMBER.—lnvercar- ' gill depart 11.30 p.m., Dunedin arrive 6.45 a.m. Friday. v r SUNDAYS, 27th DECEMBER and 3rd JANUARY.r^ Invercargill depart 9.35^, p.m., „ Dunedin arrive 4.5 a.m. jj Mottday. •'- "*> \ f r * ■,' v <f *<> ; Goods and Live Stock Traffic; will be* Suspended ou V2sth?and 26th December j' ajftd on: Ist* and 2nd January. ' For further particulars se& i>oster^ v ai£d handbills, at. all stations. ' ' BY ORDER,