MISCELLANEOUS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 570, 21 March 1873, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

A Canal to connect the Tennessee river with the Atlantic Ocean at Savannah, Ga., is proposed, in furtherance of which tie projectors desire Government aid to the extent of 13,000,000b Whew. The following appears in a leading -west of England journal:—“ Wanted, fora small famly in the country a good general servant Liberal wages. The use of a largo fruit and flower garden, and a pianoforte. Followers and every Sunday out. Dogs kept for plates and dishes, and cats for breakages and a Charwoman to do the work. Apply, &c., now who can wonder at the Servant imposture” in the Colonies when such very lucratine situations are to be obtained at home ? it is quite true that we appear to pay exorbitant wagesj but where are ’ the servants. On Wednesday a very remarkable entertainment in its way was given by Sir Sydney Waterlow the Lord Mayor, in the Egyptian hall of the Mansion house. The Chief Magistrate of ths City invited the whole of his relations, 210 in number, to dins with him, and 186 of them accepted the invitation and were present on the occasion. His father, now in his 83rd year, had the peculiar gratification of dining at the same table with his 13 sons and daughters, 49 grandchildren and 14 greatgrandchildren. The Ltrd Mayor was supported by his four sons four daughters, his four brothers and six sisters, 17 nephew's, 22 nieces 29 cousins and one grandson. On the other hand, the Lady Mayoress was surrounded by her step mother, four brothers three sisters, 12 nephews 12 nieces and 41 cousins. A charge was made on Monday, at the Worship street police-eonrt, London, again a milkseller for adulterating “the article,” as it was called, which he sold to tiro retailers. It did not appear that anything was put into the said “article but “Simpson,” or iu other words “clean water.” The forem in of the accused appears to have greatly amused the Court by his evidence. He said they had 75 cows on the premises and “lots of pumps.” Another dairyman said he millted the cows himself and added “SimpBin” at discretion. The defendant conten ded that the addition of water was no “adulteration,” and the summons was dism’ssod. On Wednesday morning a woman, known as Clara Burton, but whose real iname is Harriet Buswell. and who is supposed to have beenban actress at the Alhambra, was murdered at her lodgiug, 12, Great Coram street, London. The murderer is supposed to be a German,|who accompanied her home on Tuesday. The victim’s throat had beeu cut twice. All that the murderer is known to have obtained as the price of his crime is one shilling. No weapon was found. The murderer must have been in the room several hours with the dead body. Poitovin, who had been condemned for having betrayed a body of Fraucs-Tireuvs. belonging to his locality, to the Prussians, was executed at Vincennes on Monday morning. When informed, at six o’clock, that his last hour had come, he replied: ‘ ‘lt is good; I expected it.” Five or six hundred people had collected about the artillery butts. On reaching the wooden post, Poitevin. Two second afterwards, twelve rifls flashed simultaneous y, and stretched the condemned man on the ground, writhed in agony till the coup de grace had been given. The Paris police have expelled the young lady who came from England bearing the romantic name of Cora Pearl, and who helped M, Alexandra Duval to sp mi bis eight hundred millions of francs. When this gentleman’s supplies of money suddenly stopped the lady refused to receive him any longer, and this refusal led him to force himself into her presence and to shoot himself in a manner which it is believed will not prove fatal. The story is a vulgar one enough, and is only interesting because it shows a rather singular aspect of French life. • In a lelter of “ The Loafer in the Stro to the Canterbury Press, the writer thus discourses : “ ’Tis a glorious charter, deny it who can. That’s breathed in the words I’m an Englishman.” Just so. I often feel like that. Wo are a great and glorious race—we Englishmen. I try to feel like one sometimes—like a proper one you know. I can drink with a man and call him “ old felloiv,” and ask after his wife and kids, and laugh at him (behind his back, of course) the next minute. I ran smile sweetly when men, for whom 1 don’t care two screws about, are abusin r my best friend, and never say a word in his defence. Above all, I ran applaud the man who assigns selfish motives to the moat disinterested actions, and who makes it a point to run down all men who occupy a better position than himself. I can take part in this sort of thing as well as most manly Britons, and feel, as we all do, better after it; but I cannot go the length some fellows do. I cannot persuade myself that we are such fine fellows after all. As humbugs we do shine, One quarter of our population live by humbugging the other three, and we are thus virtuous and happy; but I can’t think we are a model for the .whole world. I think we fancy ourselves -ever so much too much, without any cause whatever of doing so. Such is my opinion, but I can’t help respecting the patriotic credulity of men who think otherwise. 1 I have heard in my time some extraordinary statements made by men about their native lands, but few to equal the assertion of a gentleman in Oamaru the other day. In replying to gome toast, he made the ■following remark— “Not only were the sons of Caledonia abl“ to defend their country against the invader for seventeen centuries, but * they might claim to hav6 given civilisation to all Europe. ” I’m an an adopted Scot myself, you know, but this gentleman slm-a a ha’o over Caledonia, that’s not a tailor’s fit you know. ‘ I should like that speaker. 1 feel 1 should.

Tho Admiralty-it is said, intends to supply the China and Singapore, stations with coals from Australia. At Ballarat a man has Been sent to gaol for fourteen days,, because, having found a parse, he denied having it. The fellow failed to see the justice of the sentence. At a sales of Greyhounds lit sly hsli at Aldridges, St Martins Lane, Eighty'seven animals were sold, seventy six of which were young saplings. The total amount realised was 1,71-1 guineas, one I first seasons greyhound fetching 130 guineas. The boot and shoemakers of London have challenged the hoot and shoemakers of Paris as to which can turn out tho best quality of work in tI)C shortest possible time The challenge is for 1001 and the decision will rest with a committee composed of Englishmen and Frenchmen for that purpose The challenge was given by the leading workmen of tho bootmakers of this country through Si Crispin their organ and was occopied by the Moniteer ile la Couloanerie, the mouthpiece of the French workman. The discovery of a diamond of enormous weight is reported from the Cape. It is said to be of 288 carats, in colour a light yellow shape good, though slightly flawed on the surface. The actual value of this brilliant remains to bo proved, and much may depend on the opinion of home experts in weight it surpasses all known stones. The great Russian diamond weighs only 193 carats, and the Pit diamond only 136. The Koh-i-noor was originally enormous—Boo carats—but was “cut down” by a Venetian jeweller to 279 carats which was its weight when exhibited in London in 1851 at the Great Exhibition. It was re-cut the next year, and now weighs 1021 carats. This is the manner in which a Californian skipping reporter notes the arrival of two or three coasters : “ The commerce of Sacramento is developing to unprecedented proportions. On one day this week three schooners from the port of San Francisco and two scores from Marysville arrived imparting to the water front an air of unwonted bussle and activity. The roar of traffic, the crashing of loaded teams, the cries of their excited drivers, the screams of struggling horses, mingling with frenzied shrieks of the steam whistle, swept in widening circles from the busy city till they broke in hoarse murmurs upon the slopes of the distant Sierras, and the blue foothills of the Cdast Range.” To this is appended a footnote by tho editor, with the following terse remark.—“ Drunk again— Ed.” Not only is it true that meat is twice a nice it nicely divided, but also a joint properly carved will go nearly twice as far as another of similar size and weight clumsily cut up ; and every careful housewife and true economist will do the best to master the art of carving as soon as possible. Not only will she bo: taking the best means to avoid waste, but she will also get the credit of keeping a well-appointed table; for, oven whore thore'is little to serve, if it is well cooked anil carved, well served, and neatly put on " the table, a simile dish is preferable to a profusion of ill-prepared. Even in so small n matter as cutting a slice of broad, a loaf always cut straight and even, will go much farther than one hacked and hewn irregularly or in' all directions, and it is palatable to the last'piece, so that there is no excuse for leaving odds and ends .—Household Guide. A Conshohocken father, with a marriageable daughter, finding it impossible to keep the beaux from the house, introduced a musical-box which plays “ Home, Sweet Home,” at 10 o’clock p.m. He thougkt the young men would take the hint and leave at that hour—and so they did for two nights onlj-. The third night a second musical-box might have been seen in that house, placed there by the daughter—a much larger instrument than No. 1, anil emitting more powerful sounds. At ten o’clock, when No. 1 machine commenced to grind out “ Homo, Sweet Home,” the No. 2 box simultaneously struck up “We won’t Go Homo Till Morning,” completely drowning the music of the first. And tho young men took that hint too, and didn’t go home till morning. This father hasn’t as much music in his soul as formerly. The American I‘Girl of the Period” is hard to beat.