Notes by the Way.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 923, 1 July 1891, Page 2

Notes by the Way.

Some newspaper men are leally a little too sceptical. The Press takes exception to the righteous indignation of the Hon "YV. P. Reeves at being accused of calling his father and many of his intimate friends " social pests." But the Press does more. It not only again accuses the honourable gentleman of snch unfilial conduct, but it adds to the charge proof of the same. The wrath of Mr Reeves reminds us of the gentleman who complained that somebody had called him a liar. " Never mind," said a sympathising friend* " Make him prove it." «Ah ! that's just what he did do 1" The modem soldier is an object of paternal solicitude. Half the titi.e his superiors are busy inventing some deadly arm, and the other half equally busy inventing an effective defence for it. No sooner dots one genius eyolye a gun

which will i_end a ball through every existing kind of armour plating, than another geirins devises a plate which wil! turn the projectile of every known (jun. If this sort of thing goes on nine), longer, warfare will be the realisation of the problem hitherto deemel insoluble— What is the result if an irresistible force meets an immovable body ? The latest addition to scientific war material is a shot resisting cuirass of steel. The armies of Germany, Austria and Italy are to be caparisoned m thiaj and will thus he impregnable m the body at any rate. Tho inventors have bee 11 more successful than a gentleman who anticipated them by over fifty years He also invented a shot proof coat of mail and called on the Duke of Wellington to persuade him to adopt it. The Doke examined it carefully. " Put it on," said Hie Grace. The inventor did so. The Duke calmly loaded a rifle and took deliberate am at the inventors heart at a range of ten feet. But the inventor didn't wait to see if his coat was bullet proof, Oxe doe 3 not usually look for any glimmering of common sense m the reasons given by striking unionists for their action, but the grounds on which the firemen of the Tongariro struck on Monday, assuredly would be hard to beat for pure imbecility. Two firemen assaulted a third. Two to one is the fireman's idea of fair play, apparently — tliat is, the idea of the two. For this they were arrested. Their mates de<manded that the proceedings against them should be stopped. This of course as the matter was m the hands of the police, was impossible, even had the captain been weak enough to comply. Therefore the firemen m a body left the ship. But finding that the captain and the law were not to be bulldozed, the strik ers quickly changed their tune. When they were haled before the Magistrate, they one and all expressed their wil lingness to go back to work. As sending them to gaol wonld have been merely giving the captain great trouble m getting a fresh lot of men, they were allowed to go. And these are the men who, according to the modern demagogue, are the pillar of the Statu, and to whose will everyone else must bow submissive. " The divine Saua. " has been delighting the public of Victoria m a new role — that of a sportswoman, or as she probably would call it a sportwoman. She and various members of her com--, pany are adepts m the use of the fusil, and devote Sunday and Monday to the slaughter of the fauna of Australia. The ladies wear a costume which sounds practical at anyrate, being as it is, an adaptation of the dress of the Russian Moujik. It consists mainly of a long coat, wide trousers, arid high boots, which is eminently workmanlike, if not exactly elegant. Madame Bernhardt is an enthusiastic devotee of the art of small- game shooting, and, according to newspaper repprt, is a fair shot. But what do the Melbourne folk say to Sunday shooting ?