MISCELLANEOUS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 237, 26 May 1874, Page 7

MISCELLANEOUS.

The latest story about the Asia immigrants is that four of them were Loudon prizefighters. Mr H. Gordon, the well-known basso, leaves the Carindini Company at Sydney, and intends proceeding to Europe to study under the best masters there. In the Provincial Council yesterday, Mr Wilson stated that he thought it a public duty of the owners of newspapers to publish the advertisements from the Gazette on the subjects of rewards for convictions free of cost. Mr De Lautour, in reply to Mr Wilson’s suggestion, said he thought it just as much a matter of public duty for a tailor to furnish free of cost a pair of trousers to the first Highlander he met without them.— Daily Times.

At the banquet given the other day in Dunedin to Mr A. J. Burns, His Honor the Superintendent, while proposing the toast of the evening, said “He would take this opportunity of travelling a little out of the direct course, and give his humble opinion respecting the class of immigrants they were getting. (Hear, hear, and applause.) They would be much better without immigrants at all than the class they were getting—(hear, hear, and applause—much better to depend upon our own resources. (Cries of Oh, and laughter.) Yes, he would say that they would be better to depend upon their home production—(continued laughter)—the native manufacture, though it might be but slow work, than the shoddy devil-dust they were getting. (Loud laughter and applause.)” A very curious complication occurred at the Kilmore Race Meeting, Victoria, on Easter Monday. It was generally expected that Victorian would be the only starter, and consequently nearly all the treble-event bets commenced with his name. It turned out that the race was a walk-over for this horse, but, as he broke his back at the first hurdle, and the judge gave it as no race, the question arose as to how the bets stood. The backers of the horse declared it was a walk-over, coming to the post was enough in a jumping race to claim the stakes; while on the other hand those who gave the odds were positive that, as Victorian had not got over the course, he had lost the race. It was urged if a horse cannot get round, how can he win a race ? But the Grand National Rule, which applies also to hurdle races, is—“ If a horse be weighed for, mounted, and proceed to the starting post, and no competitor appear, he shall be considered the winner.” Therefore, Victorian is a winner, although he broke his back. It really seems as if misfortune is inherent to some people, that more than a fair share of that trouble which we are taught to believe is man’s portion devolves upon them. Many singular cases of the kind have come under our notice from time to time, but not one perhaps, more striking than the case of a fine little boy, whose name we suppress for many reasons. The lad had long been afflicted with total blindness, and bore the great sorrow with singular fortitude, and, with philosophy rare in one so young, looked inwardly for and found that light which was denied him in the outer world. He turned his attention to music, and was rapidly attaining considerable proficiency in the art of violinplaying, when what would appear to have been a mandate of inexorable fate, crushed him to the earth with another blow. One day last week, he was assisting to split some wood, and was feeling if the wedge were in the rent, when, not noticing the little fellow’s position, the lad who was wielding the maul brought it down heavily on the wedge head and crushed the other’s hand—the left. Medical assistance was at once called in, and it was found that the middle finger was badly broken between tho knuckle and the first joint, and the hand much bruised besides. Amputation, although recommended, was not then resorted to, in compliance with the boy’s piteous entreaties to save his finger for the sake of his violin; but although postponed, it had to be resorted to on Saturday, when the lad was unwittingly placed under the influence of chloroform and the finger removed at the knuckle joint. Truly does this .case present a sad instance of accumulated pusfortune.—Daily Times.

The Maryborough Advertiser relates the following account of a passage from Rockhampton to Gooktown in the barque Thomas Brown: —“Endeavour River, Tuesday, February 10, 1874. We have had an awful passage. Before leaving the bay a few of us, seeing the crowded and unsafe state of the ship, entered a protest at the Port Office against her proceeding to sea; but the only redress we had was in the shape of about a dozen police being sent down with their staves to keep us in order. The sea on the bar was awful, the horses being knocked from one end of the stalls to the other ; and before the pilot left us some of them broke through, and were lying one on top of the other. Before we were out forty-eight hours all the horses in the hold were adrift, fighting and kicking, and to save the vessel the hatches were put on, and the poor things were suffocated, the cries and groans being awful to listen to ; but it lasted a very short time. In about a quarter of an hour they were quiet ; and when in the morning we looked down among them a sight was seen impossible to describe. Seventy-six horses lying dead, some with their bowels torn out, others with their eyes kicked out; some with lumps of flesh half torn from their ribs and thighs—for they must have fought like dogs ; and in some places they were lying four and five deep, one on top of the other. Owing to the storm that was raging, nothing could bo done towards their removal till next day, and by that time they were in a state of putrefaction.”