I MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1838, 11 May 1888, Page 3

I MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

♦- : [BY ODB OWN OOBBESPONDENT.J I am informed by a prominent "Merobfcr of the Houao " that one of the first considerations of Parliament when it raeetn will ba to consider moana for expediting the despatch of public bnaines. New Standing Orders will be tho rule, with the obj.c 1 ; of being able to put a htop to any ■ Buch aceuea as have lately disgraced thla j — but more Hew Sorith Wales — House I Anything that will do that the public will I hall with acclaim. < We are to hava noon, In Melbourne, the moat charming diva, tho mostfascinatiDg woman, the most courageons heroine, and tho clovereßt artist that over graced tho stage. And all thla excellency la rolled into one entity known as M^rio R/Z3, Of course, all the world have heard of her and her doings. She ia queen of tho opera and haa appeared before all the orowned heads and millions of uncrowned onus. After Patti perhaps, and maybe Albanl, ■\ ehe Is the reigning Bt;>r of Italian opera, and we In tbia olty may consider ourselves fortunate to be having the chance of hearing her. B^aidea her powers of rocg too, she ia a true heroine and noblahearted woman all ought to be proud to do honor to her. During the yellow fever panic m New Orleans (as one Instance) her heroism and self-saciiticin^ devotion made her absolutely worshipped, Great Scott ! when a-e the mineral discoveries going to oeaße ? Almost every day brings us fresh news of noma tin or silver find m some ont-of the-way hole. We all know by now about tho silver at Tuena, at Benarabra, at Drake, at'Fairfield, at St Arnaud, and at a hundred and < ne different centres — and now we hear of it being fouud on the Uppor Murray. At this rata we sh»ll &\\ have " siller " and plenty of it, and all Australia will be one vast congeriea of mines. What a country we live m, bal J >aye ! ancl what timea we are having. 1 hope all my readers are making piles ; for while there fa bo muoh money going about — so much mineral Wealth being dlEO'osed, i vjry body should have a good chance. About the best thing m Mr Gillies' Budget speech — whioh. waa mighty dry— waa the information he gave of the receipts of tho Land Department during tha last three' months. Tho eolectore have being toeing the mark splendidly, for though at tho beginning of the year tl.e receipta from land fell oliort of tbe estimates by fifty odd thousand, there is now a surplus of over half a million Victorian farmers are to be congratulated on the way they have stamped up. It showa that the late harvest has been good all round, and that "health and plenty cheer the labouring swain," Long may it bo thus, say we all. The preßont writer Is a modest man, but he cauuot help wishing he was the Mercantile Finance Guarantee and Agency Company — long as it came Is. He wishes he had the handling of ito funds — the making ou v - of ita balance-sheet — the pocketing of its proceeds. It must be a a tremendous concern — as tremendous as its name — for it ia going to increase its capital from one million to five, and that will be the biggest capital of any trading company this Bide tho line An operation that puts Morel Maokenzle m the Bhade waa performed hat week by Dr Fiz^erald, the fame of whioh has already spread almost to tho four enda of the oivilised world. A young fellow m the very heyday of manhood w&o atruok down some twelve months ago by a malignant disease that rendered him blind and doaf, and gave him unbearable agony and almost unheard of Bufferings. It was known to be a brain disease— tumour or I abscess, but the exact spot where the growth was could [not be decided upon. At last, certain ei^ns chowed it must be at tho base of the brain, and to operate on that part where the brain meets the spinal cord meant almost certain death — indeed, it may be said, certain death, for it hid always proved fatal when tritd At last, however, tha agony endured by the poor young fellow was so great that at all hsztrd it waa determined to operate, and Dr Fitzgerald was given the case. The operation took place last week, and bo far ha 3 been successful, the patient getting almost Instantaneous relief, and a great deal of the tumour matter coming away. It Is the first time euoh an operation at the basa.of the brain has been successful m the history of surgery m the world, and the wonderful news has been sent far and wide to every medical congress end centre 'm Europe and America. It ia a triumph indeed, that thoae who can estimate its importance can alone appreciate. Moat cf us Australians love sport, and the P.R. haa ita adherents iv the colonies as much as anywhere else. Bat all this we hr»ve heard about, John Hell Sullivan at homo, and tho various pr'zj fights that have taken place lately, to wit, Bjland and Carroll, Blavln and Lams, .etc., haa had a bad eff ct In one way. It seoms to have incited tho emulation of the gentler sex, and lately Melbourne has been disgraced by the ahaaieful exhibition of Bundry street fights between womeni Thre j or four havo taken plnce m the last fortnight, and it is to be hoped the authorities will put the jjeveltlng practice down with a high— a very high hand. A whlsp&r is going round the high and mighty folks that make up the Government Houße set, that Lady Looh Is thinking of distinguishing this present auspicious year of our Lord, by giving a serieQ of Exhibition dances during the life of the ■ great ahow. They are to be Ia honor of our great Centennial domopalratlon, and of course would include all and uuudry connected with the Exhibition, Tho idea la creating some excitement among our fashionable paople, and the general opinion ia that, like aU that Lady Looh doss, the idea is graceful, notral, and accaptab'e, One would hardly think it possible, but it ia a faot that last weak two boys were charged at the Hawthorn court with robbery from tho person. The Rf;e of the two hardened prisonera wrs 9 and 13 respectively, whilst tha assaulted one rejoiced m tho hoary »nd venerable old a?e of 12. Fs\rcy I hi l - ! It was a regular oaso of " sticking up," the two highwaymen collaring thoir man and rifling hie pockets m "Claude Duval," "Jack Shepherd " stylo. Of course it waa the result of the reading the traEhly blood-aud-thundor porlofihilß boya seem to delight m, but all the oamo tho cpiaode ia disgraceful enough. " Advance Australia | " Indeed, Wo do advance without doubt, when ohi'dreu of 9 and 13 commit highway robbery. Thero is being exhibited m tho window of a well-known piano shop m Elizabeth street an automst o placo player, whioh m both a novelty and a dooided cariosity. It takes tho shape of an ornamental square-looking box, with a row of bent wooden prgs stloking cut eonvdlhing like fingers. The instrument la screwed on to tho piano, and a tune m tbe shape of a perforated cardboard disc, hitched on ' to a peg on U, Thero is a handle at one end, and by turning thia the cardboard diao revolves, and the wooden fingers strike the keys. Of cou^ae tho playing sounda rather meobanioal, bat for danoe music, if the handle is turned evenly, tbe time is perfect. It is not much good for town, but up-country, where players may j be eoaroa at times, thla authomatio piano player will be a groat boon Every shanty, oan now give ita danoea bo long aB they havo some kind of an instrument, one of these novelties, and a boy to turn the ! handle. All the popular airs and tunea of the diy can bo obtained m the disc shape described, and all that la to be done fa to unhitch one when fiuiehed and put on another. When we think of the awful piano banging therfl will be going on all round as a result of thla invention, wa are inclined to Bay with Pope. Oh, Grave ! where la thj< victory ? Oh, Death ! where is tby sting ?