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Evening Star, Issue 3278, 22 August 1873, Page 2

The Telegraph Department intend to employ female operators, but the experiment is to be confined to one or two of the head offices.

Lunacy appears to be alarmingly on the increase in Victoria. The number of lunatics in that Colony at the end of December, 1871. was 2037, when in 1861, it was only 702. In 1871 they were one in 362 of the total; and in 1861, only one in 771. The municipality of Lawrence is setting us an example. It has borrowed L 2,00!) at six per cent, interest, for the purpose of erecting a town hall, and intends to commence building operations at once. The want of a suitable town hall in Dunedin is much felt. It is notified in the last number of the New Zealand Gazette that John M‘Galium has been appointed hon, lieutenant, and John Eustace hon. sub.-lieutenant in the North Dunedin Cadet Company. Captain John Orkney has been appointed deputy harbor-master at Dunedin. Here is another instance of the American style of composition which the Auckland papers are adopting. The Crons is describing an accident: —“ Last night a man who was much troubled with corns on bis ft\et ran forward to meet wbat he took to be a portable emporium for saveloys ; but it unfortunately turned out to be Mr Dornwell’s traction engine ; and the near hind wheel (weighing 47 tons 26cwt sqr and lilb) having passed over his instep, he has felt no more corns on that foot ever since.”

It may not be generally known that her Majesty is the patroness of Craft Masonry, biit the fact was announced by the Rriuce of Wales at his installation as Grand Master of the Knights Templars, in April last After the repast, bis Royal Highness, in giving the first toast, namely, “The health of her Majesty the Queen,” said, “in eennection with the toast ho had to make an agreeable announcement. They were all aware that the Queen was the patroness of Craft Masonry, and he had her Majesty’s permission to state now that she would bo the patroness of their order,” that is, of the Knights Templars. Did anybody ever hear of the lied Jacks Friendly Society? We (Post) confess to ignorance on the subject until, in a Greymouth paper, we lately met with a notice of the celebration of the third anniversary of the foundation of the society. They cele-

brated this event by a ball, and had. it seems, a Professor Joseph to get up the decorations, and the reporter mentions the efforts of •*George the !’ook,” as well as those of “ the Musician,” in eulogistic terms. One member, in replying to the toast of “The Ladies,” remarked “that very few of us would be here to-night, or in fact anywhere else, were it not for the ladies. ” ft would be interesting to know something more about the tied Jacks.

Ten pounds damage for putting cowhongc down one’s back w*s the nature of a case heard before Mr Fitzgerald, R.M., at Hokitika the other day. AMr Robert Whale and a Mr Robert Walker were at a public meeting together, and the latter took hold of the other’s collar, remark ng that the. coat he was wearing was not lit for the weather, aud immediately Whale foit an intolerable itching, which only got worse on scratching or rubbing the part, and he had to go to a doctor for relief. Walker denied that he put any stuff on Whale, but refused to be sworn. Mr Fitzgerald said, though Walker might be guiltless of the act imputed to him, it was clear he knew who did it, and accordingly judgment was given for L2 and costs.

In the Tasmanian House of Assembly, we learn from the Ilohnrt Town Mercury. Sir U. Officer, in a discussion on the vote for the maintenance of the salmon ponds, still expressed himself confident of there being salmon in the Derwent, but said that even if not the success that had attended the acclimatisation of the salmon trout was worth all the money exp.nded. They were regarded in 1- nglaud as the more delicate fish of the two, and two salmon trout would live where one salmon would not. The hon. gentleman also stated that it was now an ascertained •act that neither here nor in C difornia would the salmon rise to fly or artificial bait, and that they could only be caught by the net. and up to the present they had not been able to get a net successfully across the Derwent. Mr Douglas suggested ibe opening up of the river for six months, so as to allow fishermen an opportunity of trying their luck to Oitch a salmon.

The only case heard at the City Pol o; Court this morning, was a charge of assault and of making use of profane language, laid by Ah Poe against Archibald Leckie. Mr E. Cook appeared for complainant. The facts as gleaned from complainant’s evidence were, tlir.t as he was going home, accompanied by another Chinaman, about two o’clock on Sunday morning, and conversing in their own lingue, defendant aecoste i them using violent language ; the witness stated “ that although ho had been here for six years, no Englishman had used such words to him, and he did not wish to repeat them.” A short time afterwards defendant struck him, but he ran away when the policeman came up to them. The charge of making use of obscene language was dis missed, with costs, 'i be Bench stated that had the quarrel been between two Englishmen they might have been more lenient in tue matter, bit as the complainants were foreigners, the decision of the Court was that defendant be fined 20s for the assault, 2k professional costs, 10s costs of interpreter, and 5s costs of Court, or in default, forty eight hours’ imprisonment. Messrs A. J. Burns and J. Black, J.P.’s, were the presiding justices.

In view of the periodically recurring panics on the subject of small-pox, the following extract from the letters of an eminent Italian naturalist, Signor 0. Beccari, now travelling in the Eastern Archipelago, where the disease is very prevalent, may not be without interest. Dating from the island of Aru (near the N.E. coast of New Guinea), on 24th February last, Signor Beccari writes : “Here I have had the small pox, a mild at tack, although the pustules have been abun dant. It has not presented the ordinary phases of the disease, in consequence of the enormous quantity of quinine (chinina) which I have taken. Quinine is here the recognised remedy for small-pox, taken in strong doses of from 60 to 100 grains (English). Not only does it diminish the virulence of the disease and render it innocuous, but it arrests it altogether, giving place to a simple eruption which comes to suppuration easily and without inconvenience. Smallpox has made great ravages in these islands, but in Amboyna, where the Dutch Government have taken stringent means for its sup pression by vaccination, out of 300 patients received into hospital only two have died ; all the rest have been cured by quinine. A hint for our physicians.”

The Pioneer Lodge, 1.0.0. F., will celebrate their eleventh anniversary by a soiree and ball in St. George’s Hall, on Tuesday evening next. The share list of the Greymonth Coal Mining Company will close at 2 p.m. to-morrow. The shares have been rapidly taken up, and from the news to hand by telegraph there is every prospect of success.