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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3666, 14 April 1883, Page 2

Residents on the liills are oohiplaiil'lg at the erratic manner iv Avhich they arc'served Avith Avater. Before the attention of the authorities was concentrated on the highlevel reservoir residents supplied from the old reservoir had little to complain of; .but lately, hoAvever, if they get two days supply iv a week they reckon themselves fortU_&te\ -

The Hastings District School Committee has nominated Mr D. Guy for the vacant seat on tho Education Board. OAvners of guns, it seems, require to be reminded that the shooting season does not begin till May 1. Last Sunday a feAv young men amused themselves by shooting snipe, and snipe are included amongst nativ. ~ - game. Messrs Smyth and AA r illianis ha\*e received samples of " chromoalmanacs" for 188-1, which are some of the best we remember seeing-. The illustrations are copies of pictures that have been exhibited in the Royal Academy, and as works of art are Avorth possessing. The samples comprise thirty-six hcav desig*ns. Those who are engaged in trade, and Avho advertise by means of presentation almanacs, should make their selections early to ensure the arrival of their orders by Christmas. From Mahia we learn that nothing has yet been done by the authorities in the matter of re-establishing the statu quo ante at Mahia as regards the public pound—in other Avords, that no attempt to punish the natives a\*lio broke open the pound ou the 19th ultimo, and rescued a number of horses therefrom. AVo understand that this is partly due to the aggrieved persons themselves—Messrs Glenuy and Beudall, the impounder and the poundkeeper. Informations should at once have been laid, Avhen the police would have taken the matter up ; as it is, nothing is likely to be done until this step is taken, or until Captain Preece returns. AA r e trust that representations will be made to the proper authorities to have a policeman stationed at the Maliia. —Guardian. A serious accident occurred on the AVellesley road yesterday Aveek, which by some means has not been made public. On the day referred to John Branby, the drayman of Mr Rob Johns' brewery, was driving the horse and cart out of the breAvery yard. In the cart were tAvo hogsheads of beer, and Branby was seated also in the cart. Proceeding a short distance along- the road, the edge of the roadway broke beneath the Avheels, and the horse, cart, and everything capsized. Branby escaped miraculously Avith his life, but laid crushed by a hogshead, the weight of AA*hich on his leg prevented him from niOA-ing. Assistance arrived from the breAvery, and he Avas con- -x veyed to his house, and Dr. de Lisle Avas summoned to attend him. Since then Branby has been confined to his bed, and Aye understand an action for damages is to be brought against the Corporation. AYe lurpe this action will be taken. The. manner in which Wcllesley road has been rendered dangerous by ridiculous and consequently wasteful expenditure of money calls for the severest censure. Miss Jennie Lee's dramatic company arrived in Napier to-day per Rotomahana from Wellington, and Avill open at the Theatre Royal to-night for a short season of six performances. It is, perhaps, hardly necessary for us to remiud our readers, after Avhat has already appeared in those columns, that iv the opening piece, "Jo," they as ill have the opportunity of witnessing what has been described as "ono of the most wonderful and peifect pieces of emotional acting that they arc ever likely to behold." The marvellous truth, poAver, and pathos of Miss Leo's representation of the central figure, the figure of the play, before Avhich all others pale and diminish, are said to be indescribable. It was of this drama that Professor Blackie, of the Edinburgh University, said, "Let them (the clergy) go and see it—a sermon iv tho shape of a play on the grace of sacred pity as jiowei-fiil as is tlia.fc of ££ __ea.7i" on. Cltri.-ati;irL forgiveness—and if they return from that exquisite performance with dry eyes they Avill haA*e good reason, instead of slandering play actors, to look into their oavii spiritual state, and Aveighty cause to apprehend that their hearts may be as hard as their brains are soft" {i.e., Avhen they write and speak of the sinfulness of AA"itnessing a stage representation.) One of the good signs of tho times is that Avorking men are very generally acquiring little freehold properties of their own, says tho Auckland Herald. Some of the agents tells us that the present demands considerably exceed the supply ; and if we add to this the fact that immense sums are being accumulated in the Savings Bank, we cannot help commending the good sense of the Avorking classes. Evidently many of them are making hay while the suu shines. It is a somewhat remarkable fact and should attract the attention of the colonial press that Avhcreas the all-powerful Times constantly publishes ecstatic leaders about the desirability of faimers, etc., emigrating to Canada, and the far west of the United States, it never happens that the advantages of Australia or New Zealand are indicated. If antipodean topics are touched on at aT the tone taken up seems carping. In fact, the Times seldom honours that part of the world in' its leading columns at all, save to discount the advantages of a noAv loan or query the rcsot-vces of the colonies. The following is taken from an English paper of a recent date received by the last mail:—" A gentleman, about 50 j-ears of age, Avas found dead yesterday in a Plymouth hotel. He had given the name of James Harris, but was otherwise unknown. In his bag was fouud ..273 in gold. It is ascertained that he lately come Home from New Zealand, Avhere ho had been for 20 years, and amassed considerable property. He returned to England to see his sister, avlio Avas ill at Exter, and had since died, and purposed goiug back shortly, but intended first to procure a Avifc. He suffered from palpitation of the heart, to Avhich his death is presumably attributable." An exchange remarks: —' ( The importance of farmers reading their newspapers at the present time cannot be too easily recognised. -"■ A Christchurch paper reports that a gentleman of the agricultural persuasion made this d-scovery a few days ago. Coin ; *.ig into toAvu to sell his wheat, he offered his all at 3s Bd. It Avas of course taken, and then as a matter of course, the favmer made his Avay to some field of Bacchus, where agriculturists do congregate, to celebrate his good fortune. There he learnt that he had only neglected one little simple thing. He had not read his paper, which Avas ready to tell him not to take less than four shillings. Ho AA'ent home a sadder and wiser man." The AVelliiigtonPost says:—" AVith rcferdnee to the San Francisco mail contract, it is learned from Sydney that a notice of motion has been tabled in the Ncav South AVales Parliament condemning the granting of any subsidy to a San Francisco line. Should this be" carried, and Ncav Zealand left alone to undertake the renewal of the nitil contract, it would necessarily involve a somcAvhat formidable augmentation of the cost. At present wepav £32,300, and Ncav South AVales .£IO,OOO of the total subsidy of £73,000, but the postages received reduce our net contribution to about £5000. If, however, New South AVales backs out, we < shall probably have to add her £40,000 to the cost of the service, and very little hope is cntertaiued of the United States granting any aid this year. A AVellington paper of March 30 says:— Mr George, ex-chairman of the Chamber vi Commerce, commented yesterday ufter- X noon upon the "extraordinary action of the GoA'cinmeut in causing to be sold by public auction, at Gs per gallon, the Avhiskey seized from the illicit still at Porirua." He pointed out that a quantity of bad A\*luskey Avas thus placed on the market by the Government on Avhich the honest trader Avould lie compelled to pay a duty of Ms, besides the cost of the spirit. In this instance, ho said, certainly " someone had blundered," and if such a course were continued, it Avould be necessary for the Chamber to takesome action in the matter. The seizure of a large still in the Manawatu, he added, implied that the inducement to this class of crime was so great as to lead to the inoa Itablc conclusion that the duty on spirits was iioav raised beyond a safe limit. A German eontcmporaiy describes a composition manufactured at Stargard, Pomerania, Avhich has been employed with success for several years on the Berlin RailAvay for topping Avails, and especially in cases Avhere it is required to be impermeable to water. This substance is composed of coal tar, to which a quantity of clay, asphalt, resin, litharge, and sand is added. In short, it is a kind of arlific-al asphalt, ■with the difference that it is applied cold, like cement. AVell laid, it is very tenacious, Ifed cflMMy resists the Aveather. To apply [this mortar you begin by well drying the covered, and after having Prcancd it you first put ou a layer of hot varnish beldw the tar. The mortar (cold) is then laid on -with a trowel, not very / thick. If the surface to be covered is largo another layer of A-a-mish is put on, and some sand sprinklejj. over il. It is said that neither rain nor frost can penetrate this, and it lasts for an iudeiiuite period. TifO co.t ib very s%b.t.

The regular army of Russia amounts to 1,597,000 men, 25_",000 horses, and 3,370 cannons. The irre-?ular troops number 153,000 men, 135,000 horses, and 192 cannons. The reseiwe includes 275,500 men, 9,850 horses, and 210 cannons. The "•arri-oii of the frontier fortresses contain 275 500 men. The total forces of Russia ~—~ show, therefore, the following figures:— 2,302,000 men, 426,150 horses, and 3,772 cannons (field and fortress artillery.) From a gazette notice in a Calcutta neAvspaper it appears that in 1882 more than 18,000 persons were killed by snakes in India, and over 2000 persons by wild animals, while nearly 40,000 head of cattle were destroyed in a similar manner. A continual Avar is waged by the natives against these destroyers, and large sums of money are disbursed by GoA*ernment annually iv rewards for their destruction. Of the AA*ild animals the tigers are the most to be dreaded, and of tho number killed by Avild an'mals more than one-half fell victims to these denizens of the jungle. It appears (says tho United Service Gazette) that the Austrian military authorities have iioav decided to employ a neAV instrument of war on an extensive scale. The iuveiitk-it of Lieut. Zuboivitz will probably prove the most deadly engine of modern warfare. It is about the size of an ordinary Shell, only much lighter, and it requires no special technical kiimvledge to manipulate. It is proof against the Aveather, and can be used under "water. Its adoption by the Austrian army is apparently based on the advantages it offers for blocking mountain defiles, covering a retreat, and reinforcing positions occupied prior to or during a battle. It is eminently well calculated to throAv panic in the ranks of half-civilised troops, and Avill henceforth have to be reckoned with in all strategic conceptions. A San Francisco laAvyer fell in love Avith Adelaide Neilson, and Avas taken behind the scenes for an introduction after Miss Neilson, as "Juliet," should come down from the balcony scene. AVith her eyes moist with affection's tears, her voice trembling, and her bosom heaA*ing with young love's emotion, sheAvas bidding farewell to "Romeo." The laAvyer loved her madly as she rose from her kneeling position ; was more than ever enamoured as she leaned against the window casing; and ' glared at her until she stepped inside, grabbed her train in one hand and her handkerchief in the other, and bIeAV her nose with great A'iolcnce. AVhen the snorts had subsided she opened her beautiful lips to remark, '' Oh, b 1 this beastly climate. I wish my nose was tin-lined." This was too great a shock to his feelings. He stopped back and out. —Reminiscences of the Stage. One result of the British occupation of Cyprus, according to an American has been to revolutionise the status of Turkish Avomen in the island. The emancipated Turkish Avoman, he says, is only to be found in Cyprus, but she has_ been emancipated so rapidly that, in his opinion, the harem system will not long survive in Egypt or any other country Avhere a British garrison is stationed. Iv Cyprus, according to his account, the Moslem Avoman ''has openly thrown off the yoke, and claimed her independence—and with a vengeance, too. Turkish husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends are frantic AA-ith despair at tho turn affairs have taken, and should a Turk come here from any other part of Islam he would not bclieA-e his oivn eyes." The avonien go about unveiled, walk arm-in-arm AA-ith the infidel, give coffee parties to Englishmen, attend cafes, chantants, and, iv some cases, haA'c even taken to drinking. Tei-haps (observes the Pall Mall Gazette) the greatest rehabilitation of modern times has been seen in the Lancet, iv which the character of plum-pudding, so long and so bitterly accused of dyspeptic tendencies, has been completely vindicated. If ever there has been a belief inculcated in the rising generation, it has been this supreme distrust of plum pudding of being the root of all juvenile ills about the end of December. But iioav all this is SAvept aAvay. Life, which became almost hopeless if one read the medical papers, is about to htiA'e a new joy infused into it. " Middle-aged prejudice," says the Lancet, "is unusually severe against plum-pudding ? yet this article is highly efficient food, yielding a force equivalent te 250 foot-tons. It is also an admirable vehicle for the administration of fat, an article of diet usually objected to by children." And yet some of us have spent many a dreary Christmas in a full belief of its malignant influence. Is there any real love of music in England? 'asks a London paper). Writing to the *' Musical RevicAv," a " Gentleman of Position and Experience" roundly asserts that nobody cares for music in England, except the Germans aa*lio have settled in or-.-midst. The so-called " cultured classes" who frequent the Monday popular concerts aa-ouM applaud the Great Vance just as loudly as high-class music if the exigencies of polite society would allovi' it. He has watched the faces of the public while a symphony of Beethoven's or a quartette of Brahms" Avas being played, and he has "shuddered at the utter inanity of most of the physiognomies." In fact, according to this" sturdy pessimist, the Englishman seems to be able to appreciate no music above the level of the street, The editor of the " Musical RcA-it-AV" makes a gallant attempt to refute the heresies of his correspondent ; but even he admits that " the ordinary run of professionals are utterly indifferent to the higher and more general aspects of their art." If the professionals arc in such a parlous state, Avhat can be hoped from the amateurs :■* Intelligence A\-hich throws a startling li<>-ht upon thejraimficatioiis of the Nihilist .conspiracy in Russia lately reached St. Petersburg from Validimir, in the government of Volhynia. It appears that seA-eral persons occupying high social and official positions in the district have recently received a number of threatening letters si,"iicd by the " Socialist Committee." One of these documents Avas addressed to no less a. person than the Governor himself, imcl threatened him with death unless he forAvarded a sum of 3000 roubles to a place named by a certain day. A trustAvorthy person was sent to the appointed spot, which was carefully watched by a strong "body of subordinate officials. At midnight the mysterious author of the letter made his appearance to receive the money, and Avas recognised by the Avatchers, to their utter bewilderment, as tho chief of police. He Avas instantly arrested, and remains iv .striel confinement. On examination it Avas found that his Avriting corresponded with those of the threatening letters. Tho affair has caused an immense and by no means pleasant sensation, particularly in official circles. Mr Oscar AVildo has returned from America to England, full of anecdotes and in the best humour Avith both sides of the Atlantic, only greatly amused Avith tho i>ractices of Avesteru journalists, avlio in interviewing him took all he said for gospel, CA*en when he was amusing himself at their expense by "draAA'ing a long boAV." He says he never ventured to be seen paying any public attention to a lady after his disdiscovery that a merely polite rencontre Avas chronicled next day by the daily press as a "matrimonial negotiation," aud that an afternoon tea or a a isit te the theatre proclaimed him at once a destined '' Boned ; ct,'' This prophet of the .Esthetics appears in London dressed as for a fancy ball, much in the costume of the last century. He Avore yesterdayAvhcn I saAvhim a chocolatebroAvn coat, closely buttoned up in front Avith handsome steel buttons, hiAvn nifties round his wrists, and trousers of the colour of his coat, made peculiarly tight to the knee, and then falling loosely over the foot. His hair is still long, his face fresh aud healthylooking, and lie has made lots of money by liis lectures, and sold his little book for a thousand pounds. He is a clever felloAV, for he has knoAvn exactly how to humour a popular erase, and to make (he most of it; even Avhilst seeing all the absurdity of his position far more clearly than any of his deluded admirers. He says the Americans expected him to be a poor, Aveak, puny creatine, with feeble airs and graces, but win v he appeared as he is, a tall, strong, powerful young man, who has all along been almost noting his part, they listened to what he had to say, and treated him Avith respect: so he returns to his old haunts avcll satisfied, and Avill probably no v." take te. some more serious Avork in life than' querading. - - Country residents requiring patent ' or* proprietary medicines, toilet requisites)" fancy goods of any description, stationery, kc, ivill best consult their oavii interests by calling at Professor Moore's establishment, AVaipaAva, where there is a large and woll assorted stock to choose from. On hand Coutts' acetic acid, the noted cure for rheuwatjsaa, neuralgia, all uei'vou- com-

plaints; an unfailing remedy requiring outAvard application only.—[Advt.] To avoid all mistakes, ask for AVolfe's Schnapps, will live in the history of curative science as long as the human frame is subject to natural diseases. —[Adv..]