MISCELLANEOUS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 571, 28 March 1873, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Dr. Youl held an inquest, lately in the Melbourne Hospital, on thfc body' of James Leech, aged thirty-one. a groom, and unmarried. The deceased was employed at a livery stable in Little Collins-street, and slept in the hay-loft. He was in the habit of drinking, and sometimes went to bed in the loft drunk. On the previous night, another groom, who also slept in the loft, went up to bed at about half past twelve o’clock, and passed the deceased, who was sober, and made some remark. About six o’clock in the morning, the deceased was found, insensible, lying on the ground, as if he had fallen through the opening in the loft frr putting in hay, /Eglea, in the Australasian, says, with regard to the above : —“A common-place story enough. Yet that man had been the gay companion of the Duke of Beaufort and the Marquis of Hastings, and could trace his descent back to the time of William the Conqueror. Thus gossipped of him an old friend, as we walked together to the railway station 1 Yes, sir ; 1 knew the family well. Came from the same part of Cheshire as myself. Bis right name was Lcehe. The Leches are lords of the manor, coveringfive parisl es, near Tattcn-park —Sir Philip Egerton’s place. His father had iri old time two packs of hounds, fifty hunters in his stables, and mounted fifteen' grooms in livery, and kept open house. A very old family, sir. There have been sixteen John Hurlstone Leches in direct succession (a few Williams, perhaps). They bear three crowns on their coat-of-arms, having entertained a king of France, a king of England, and a king of Scotland. This was not the eldest, but he had a good fortune when he came of ago, and ran through it quick. The late Marquis of Westminster was his guardian. 1 had a letter from his mother inquiring about him a mail or two ago,’ But his blue blood couldn’t save him from dying a dog’s death in a Melbourne stable yard, A sad story !” An amusing case was heard before the magistrates of Southampton on the 2Sth of December. A respectable young man, named Reynard, was charged with loitering in the streets in women’s clothes. A constable proved having seen him on the proceeding night in female attire. Prisoner s defence was that, on Friday night, he was at a Christmas party playing forfeits, and was “ sentenced” Co walk down the main street dressed in women’s clothes, and, being “in for a lark,” he did it. The policeman said prisoner was wearing a woman’s hat, a crinoline, a black silk skirt, and a shawl—clothes which a companion of the prisoner, who was also at the party, said were borrowed from ladies who were taking part in the game of forfeits. The magistrates told the accused he had been guilty of a stupid Christmas frolic, but had been punished enough by being locked up all night, and they therefore discharged him. The New York Tribune says:— “There is an American ass, calling himself Sergeant Bates, who has just been pedestnanizing about England, bearing aloft the- StarSprangled banner. What, as a reasonable being, he did it for we don’t know. What possible good could come of such a travelling exhibition surpasses our comprehension. .11 is not stated tnat the sergeant took up a contribution : that would have been a proceeding too sensible to be in keeping with such a farce. No : the Sergeant simply wanted to make a show of himself, and prove that the American flag could bo carried from John O’Groats to Land's End without personal inqury to the hearer —a truth, we venture to suggest, standing in no need, of demonstration, and of no value whatever when demonstrated. Bates has been toddling about in this mountebank way for several months, and, having reached London and taken up his abode at the Langham Hotel, has written such a foolish letter to the Daily News that, upon reading it, we should have blushed for our country —if we had not long ago lost the power of blushing at all. Ihe propensity of donkeys to write to newspapers is one with which, for our sins, we are intolerably well acquainted. Nine hundred and ninety-nine absurd people address us every day, to our exceeding great botheration, and with no good result, except to diminish the annual Post-office deficit; but nobody ever sent us a more laughably absurd letter than the Sergeant’s to the Nev:s. I remonstrated with a carter in Manchester, the Inst time I was there, and told him to take the hearing rein off, and let his horses get their heads down, and their shoulders to the burden. “Ay, they’d come quick enough down on their knees, they would,” was the answer, and no argument would avail. Now, it came under my observation that a large number of English horses were brought to Glasgow to work for a railway here, and they had all the bearing rein on their arrival. This, however, was an absurdity not to ho tolerated by the Scotch carters, Who saw at once that the animal was tortured, cribbed, and confined in its' action, and half the power of the shoulder for drawing was lost —a splendid power! “ His strength is in the neck,” as the oldscripturo says. Well, the horses had been so long used to it, that they could not work without it; but their new masters were not to be baffled, and the next time I saw the horses, they were working with a sort of modified- bearing rein, as follows A longer strap or rope was used, and fastened to the trams of the cart on each side, forming a much less acute angle than the real “ bearing rein.” and with this contrivance the horses were working.well, and the look of care and misery was gone from their faces. Of course this was only an intermediate stage, and ended very shortly in the new horses working altogether without it. All this was the doing of the Scotch carters themselves, no one interferingwith them.—From “ A Conversation of Certain Friends in Council, in ‘ Good Words.’ ”

The ship Oberon, for Otago, New Zealand, carries about one hundred and twenty thousand eggs of salmon, packed in two hundred and twenty-seven boxes, shipped by Mr. James A. Youl, who believes that, if the Oberon makes the passage in ninety days, he will he successful in their transmission, as he was with those he sent to Tasmania. A strong minded won:an in Detroit made the following gentle reply to a politician who had called at her house to get her husband to go to the poll and vote : —“ No sir, he can’t go! He’s washing now, and he’s got to iron to morrow, and if he wasn't doing anything ho couldn’t go. I run this ’ere house, 1 do, and if auy’s out voted it‘ll he this same Mary Jaue. Holloway’s Ointment and Pills do not belong to any especial and exclusive class of remedies. They seem to conprehend the finest remedial properties of all the great specifics. Thus the Ointment, in cases of eruptive diseases appears not only to remove the external inflammation but to sink deep into the recesses of the system putting out to the last spark, the fires of fever, invigorating the circulation, purifying, the fluids which course through the fleshy fibre, the operation of the Ointment is, we are informed materially assisted by an occasional dose of the Pills. Dr.. Bright’s Phospiiodyne - Multi tudes of people are hopelessly suffering from Debility, Nervous and Liver Complaints, Depression of Spirits, Delusions, Unfitness for Business or Study, Failure of Hearing, Sight, and Memory, Lassitude, Want of Power, &c., whose cases admit of a permanent cure by the new remedy Phospiiodyne (Ozouio Oxygen) which at once allays all irritation and excitement, imparts new energy and life to the enfeebled constitution, and rapidly cures every stage of these hitherto incurable and distressing maladies. Sold by all Chemists and Storekeepers throughout the Colonies, from whom Pharaphlets containing testimonials may bo obtained. Caution.—Be particular to ask for Dr. Bright’s Phosphodyne, as imitations arc abroad ; and avoid purchasing single bottles, the genuine article ng sold in cases only. Science and art.— A striking instance of the immense value a small piece of steel may acquire by the great power of skilled mechanical labor is the balance spring of a watch. From its extreme fineness and delicacy four thousand weigh not more than one ounce, and exceed in value £I,OOO. A most interesting little work, describing the rise and progress of watchmaking, has been published by J. W. Benson, of 25, Old Bond-street, and the City Steam Factory, 5S and CO. Ludgatehill, London. The book, which is profusely illustrated, gives a full description of the various kinds of watches and clocks, with their prices. Mr. Benson, who holds the appointment to the Prince of Wales, has also published a pamphlet on Artistic Gold Jewellery, illustrated with beautiful designs of Bracelets, Broaches, Ear-rings, Lockets, &0., suitable for wedding,birthday and other presents. The phamplets are sent post free for two stamps each, and they cannot he too strongly recommended to those contemplating a purchase, especially to residents in the country or abroad, who are thus enabled to select any article they may require, and have it forwarded with perfect safety.