Local and General.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1005, 22 July 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

The Government have telegraphed Home for a supply of vaccine lymph.

The escort which passed through Clyde last Friday conveyed an unusually large quantity of gold to Dunedin. We learn that cattle-stealing is becoming very prevalent in the Mount Bengor district.

The Ccunty Council will meet for the despatch of business next Wednesday. A copy of the order-paper appears in another column.

The strike amongst the miners at Bendigo has terminated. Some of the strikers have agreed to accept the reduced rate, and nine experienced miners, engaged in Dunedin, passed through Clyde during the week en route for Bendigo. Work at the Alexandra bridge is being pushed ahead as fast as the nature of the work will allow, the building of the turrets on the western pier now going on. In tho course of a week they should be sufficiently high to receive the iron cradles for resting the suspensson wires on. To the enterprise displayed by Mr James Holt in entirely re-construotiug'his hotel of stone, and thus making it not alone an ornament to the town of Clyde but providing a want long felt—viz., a first-class hotel—is duo every credit, and deserves more than a passing word. Outward appearances give a favorable impression, but an inspection of the internal arrangements will more than confirm the first impression.

The new iron steam dredge in course of construction at Alexandra is being put together as quickly as possible. A largo gang of men under the superintendence of Mr McQueen (brother of tho Dunedin ironfounder of that name, and who holds a large interest in the speculation) are kept busily at work. The large boiler is fixed in position between decks. About six weeks should see her ready for hauling into tho stream.

Scott and Co.’s steam-dredgo which was built a short distance below tho Dunstan Hospital, on the Molyneux, is now completed, and at work ; and we learn that her machinery works with tho utmost regularity and precision, reflecting credit on her builder, Mr Scott. The entire cost of the dredge, including machinery, was L 3,000. We understand she is insured in the National for half her cost.

The Blacks ploughing-niatch will come off at Mr Chappie’s, Tiger Hill, on August 12. It is expected to be an ummxed success.

Negotiations are going on now to induce Messrs Brogden and Co. to carry on the continuation of the Otago Central Eailway upon the terms offered by the Government. Messrs Pyke and Brown are taking a leading part in the matter, and have bad several interviews with Mr Alex. Brogden (now in Wellington), and who is favorably impressed with the representations made and documentary evidence and report supplied to him. It will take about L 1,000,000, including what has already been spent, to make the line to Wauaka.

A child about five years of age, the son of Mr John Aris (late of Clyde), received some injuries by falling either against or off the back portion of a tram-car in Dunedin on Friday afternoon. It is believed that he was trying to get on the car when it started, but it may be that he only stumbled and caught hold of it. The child fell to the ground with some violence, and was carried to Dr Murphy’s dispensary in an insensible state. We understand, however, that his injuries are not likely to prove serious. The remarkably good meats, both mutton and beef, the latter especially, that our local Knights of the Cleaver (Messrs Attfield and Welsford) are regaling their customers with is direct evidence of their desire to do justice to their supporters, and further evidence of the benefit of settling the lands. Their shop this morning presents a sight not often seen up-country, both for quantity and quality, and is worth a visit. The cattle killed, though not of the mammoth tribe reported as lately being killed by Messrs Shand and Worth of Dunodin, are however unexceptionally prime in quality, and were raised by Messrs Flaunt ry and McDonald of Ida Valley.

We have received from the Government Printer several batches of Parliamentary papers, including tha Financial Statement, with the abstracts, statements, and tables therein referred to ; also the report of the .Registrar of Friendly societies—a bulky document of 50 pages, the most of them closely set tabulated matter, the whole doubtless being highly interesting and instructive to about in the proportion of one in a thousand of Friendly Society men, but to our mind scarcely interesting enough to the general public to be printed. We have ever gone in for a very general distribution of papers and reports that are annually laid before Parliament, but at the same time we have held to the opinion that there was a line to be drawn, and here it should have ticcu drawn. If we remember rightly, the cost of the Government Printing Office last year exceeded the estimate by some 1,15,000 ; next year a similar, if not even a larger, excess will be experienced if there are many reports similar to the one alluded to heaped into the office.

That energetic and enterprising citizen of Clyde, Mr R. L, Begg, not satisfied with the addition (grocery) that he some time since made to his business, must needs go in for a second one, and one which we are confident will well repay him his trouble and outlay. He has lately received from Dunedin a large and miscellaneous assortment of oleographs, copies of works of art of some of the most celebrated ancient and modern masters, the like of which, to borrow the opinion forcibly expressed of them by a ten-year-old urchin to the author of his being, “ wasn’t hever afore seen in this ’ere town." We can assure our readers that they would not find it a waste of time to pav a visit to Mr Bege’s store to inancct the oleographs, and the ladies especially would derive an hour’s keen enjoyment from an inspection. Mr Begg intends to have the pictures displayed in the towns in and around Vincent County, and dispose of them by art union, consequently there is a treat in store for many of our neighbors. The American orguinette—the latest addition to the list of musical instruments—will be an important and interesting feature of the exhibition.

Excessive heat has recently been experienced both in Europe and America. Still two more cases of small-pox are reported from Sydney. The Clydesdale entire Young Prince of Wales has gone to Melbourne.

It is said that 1,800 persona are suffering from small-pox in tho Loudon hospitals. Thursday week being the anniversary of the French Republic, great rejoicings took place throughout France.

The Chinese quarters in Melbourne are stated to be exceptionally clean, and free from disease.

The owner of the horse Iroquois is said to have won L 400,000 in beta on the English Derby. San Antonio, in Mexico, has been the scene of a second Tay Bridge disaster. Two hundred were killed, and one hundred seriously wounded.

The books in the Public Library, Sydney, as soon as returned are placed in a room and and subjected to the fumes of a powerful disinfectant.

A correspondent of the Oamaru “Mail” suggests that a wattle forest should be planted near Oamaru, with the view of establishing a tannery in the district.

An important discovery of a gold-bearing reef, 9ft thick, at a depth of 1700 ft, was made at Stawell by means of the diamond drill. The discovery is expected to effect a revolution in mining.

A singular dulness and want of interest pervades the whole business of tho session, (says the Parliamentary correspondent of the “Timaru Herald”), and I should not be surprised to see the thing wound up rather suddenly before long. An advertisement in a Sydney paper intimating that a Mrs Baeyertz would conduct service at Stawell, terminated as follow's : “ Persons with coughs and children in arras are accommodated with seats and cushions in the vestry.”

The absence of any defined law on the matter of fencing is likely to bo met this session by the introduction of a measure which will be applicable to the whole of the colony ; or by validating the Provincial Acts and Ordinances.

The inducements held out by the Cape diamond fields appear to have special attractions for police officers, and wo (Dunedin “ Star ”) understand that no fewer than five members of our force have already sent in their resignations, with the intention of proceeding there.

The Chinese have passed a law amongst themselves in N.S.W. that all immigrants from tho Flowery Land shall conform to European customs as far as possible, one of their rules being to dross in clothes similar to those generally worn in English-speaking communities.

Matters in Tunis are becoming more and more mixed. The revolt of the Arabs is spreading, and the arrival of several Turkish war-vessels on the scene further tends to complicate matters. France will possibly have a hard nut to crack if she is to come out of the affair with honor.

At the last Parihaka meeting Hon Pihatna’s wife on entering the village held up on a supplejack L2OO as present for Te Whiti. The prophet in addressing his people enjoined them not to interfere with the constabulary pulling down the fences, as hostilities had passed. At the Wellington Police Court on July 18, John Simpson, keeper of the hulk on board which a boiler exploded, was committed, for trial on the charge that he did knowipgly and wilfully fasten down the safety valve of the boiler. Bail was allowed.

A storekeeper of Balclutha recently shipped a parcel of 21cwt of cheese for the Cape of Good Hone. The result, however, has proved unsatisfactory, the cheese having been found completely rotten. It was carefully packed in air-tight oases, and the fault must have been in the manufacture of the article. In the course of his evidence before the Victorian Police Commission, the Rev. Mr. Gibney—who it will be remembered, made such a brave attempt to rescue the outlaw’s from the burning hotel at Glenrowan—expressed a decided opiition that Dan Kelly and Hart shot themselves ; and, further, that there was not the slightest necessity for firing the Glenrowan Hotel. Some little merriment Iras been caused by the vagaries of the great Local Bodies Convention, which met in Wellington recently, and passed a resolution in favor of a subsidy of £ for £ for new works, the Solons evidently forgetting that tiro Colonial Treasurer last session offered them L 3 for LI. The modesty or the ignorance of these gentlemen is astonishing. They began their deliberations by proposing to restore the tea and sugar duties, and ended with the above idiotic proposal. The following letter was sent to a widow, w'hose husband bad just died, and left herself and a child chargeable to the Parochial Board of a parish in the north:—“ Dear Madam, —Tour husband died yesterday morning at Asylum. If you +hink that you can make a few shillings off bis clothes lot me know and 1 will send them to you. Your best plan is to marry as soon as you can again, if you get a good offer. You are but young yet.— I am, dear madam, yours truly, A. 8., Inspector.”

A correspondent of the “Scientific American” says:—“ Let anyone who has an attack of lockjaw take a small quantity of turpentine, warm it, and pour it on the the wound, no matter where the wound is, and relief will follow ia less than a minute Nothing better can be applied to a severe cut or bruise than cold terpentine ; it will give ogrtain relief almost instantly. Turpentine is also a sovereign remedy for croup. Saturate a piece of flannel with it and place the flannel on the throat and chest, and in every case three or four drops on a lump of sugar may be taken inwardly.”

A GOOD story comes to us from America. A spiritualistic seance was being held, at which it was announced the apii it of Billy Shakespeare would pass through the room. A sceptic took a handful of tacks, and very quietly sprinkled them on the floor. The solemn moment came —a ghostly form entered, and took a noiseless stride forward. There was a slight shiver in the white object, and a muttered noise was heard as a second step followed, not quite so stately, and another muttered ejaculation ; but at the third stride Shakespeare’s disembodied form sat plump down upon the floor, and swore like the British army in Flanders. Tableau.

The “ Lyttelton Times ” has been authorised “to state that a section of the House roiAeaonf-fncr the Onnosition. nrul r Iqn dome personal friends of Sir Julius Vogel on both sides of the House, who feel grieyed at the aspersion thrown on him, have telegraphed to him on the subject, and that the suppressed telegram will be hero for publication in the Press by the mail due in Wellington on August 24. Somewhat similar action has been taken by a private individual with respect to the Governor’s suppressed dispatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the Native question, and a reply conveying a copy of that dispatch is expected by either the October or November mail.”

Toucuino Carlyle, he was another of your over-rated men—a sonr-tempered,self-conceited Scotch body, with a tendency to the imitation of German mannerism, and an eccentric idolatory for brute strength. Ho was an iconoclast, but the biggest graven image of the century was himself. How such egotistical high priests of puff and cynic priggery could have palmed themselves off in their generation as guides and philosophers will be a conundrum to posterity—that is if the generation are any wiser than this. Unluckily for himself, but luckily for those who wished to arrive at the true estimate of his character, Carlyle wrote his “ Bcminiscences.” He gratified his many enemies in this instance not by writing, but by leaving behind him the material for a book. lie it was who advised that Irish patriots should he squelched like rats, and that Governor Eyme, of Jamaica, who had colored men whipped with pianoforte wires, should be honored and prized. His honesty, like his stylo and his loftiness of purpose, was sham—merest glittering, pinchbeck sham.—“ Universe.”

Shoeiiakino is one of tho great industries of Chicago, and some curious facts about this occupation are given in an American paper. Tho number of persons employed in making shoes in Chicago ia about 2,800, including those employed in the 700 stores and small shops. About 1,500 persons are employed in largo factories where the work is performed on the top floors with imperfect and in most cases no ventilation whatever. The wages paid do not average one dollar a day for the year of 365 days. Fo male and child labor is largely employed, and there is a constantly increasing demand for it, as it is cheap. No apprentices are needed or taken. Tho sub-divisions of labor have destroyed the demand for skill that requires long study and practice. Tho wonderful machinery in shoe-making has divided the making of a shoo into sixty-four parts, and tho shoemaker of to-day is only the sixty-fourth part of a whole shoemaker. These divisions of shoe-making have not only destroyed tho apprenticeship system, hut also trade unionism. Tho poverty of the shoemaker is such that he is unable to pay the duos necessary to support such an organisation. Domestic manufacture is now impossible ; while ono dollar a day for men and less than 59 cents for women means chronic pauperism—and this is all they receive.