The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, OCTOBER 15, 1901. THIS KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 237, 15 October 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, OCTOBER 15, 1901. THIS KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN.

I.x connection ‘'with the mubuliinoe classes now being’ formed in Gisborne it is extremely interesting; to exainiui for a moment the origin and autiipiit; of the tit. John Ambulance Associa tion. Nearly 900 years ago a liospita was established in Jerusalem for tin relief of pilgrims to the Holy City The good oilieos of a hospital in those days were extended to the poor anc needy a? well as the sick. The insti tution was dedicated to St. John tin Charitable, an early Christian bishoj of Alexandria in Egypt, and was founded and supported by some Italian merchants. Its benevolent saved it from destruction by tin Turks, a marvellous testimony to tin broadness and humanity of its man agement. Later on a splendid church was built attached to the hospital, ami was dedicated to St. John the Baptist so the. Ambulance Association can have their choice of Saints, or chain: them both. During the Crusades tin hospital was most valuable for it? services to the sick and wounded, ant was richly endowed by some of the wealthy 'Crusaders. So widely die the fame of the institution spread that several similar institutions were established in various parts of Europe. In IlbS a Crusader was chosen abbot, and the monks combined fighting with nursing. Thou they waxed rich, and had branches and thousands of endowments scattered through every country in Europe. Ultimately the Turks drove them out of Jerusalem, but the lighting Mopitallors managed to establish themselves in Ptolemais, finally losing all footing iu the Holy Laud in L 292. After many shiftings they at last secured Malta, and became known as the Knights of Malta (a title still known amongst us,. Here they set up a little kingdom, but were turned out by Napoleon Bonaparte in 17!U, after a reign of about 2-30 years. The branch of the order iu'England was earned on at St. John’s Priory, Londou, from about the year 1109, and sent many contingents to tight ami nurse iu Palestine. They also passed through many exciting times, and on one occasion the place was burnt, and the head of the order beheaded, during a small rebellion. The premises were rebuilt iu time to bo seized by Henry VTIL, who had an eye to endowments not his own. The order was suppressed and almost died out iu England. The Priory passed into the hands of Court favorites and their successors, and underwent great alterations. Even- j tually most of the premises were de- ' middled, but the fine old gateway, • well-known to many, was suffered ; to remain. Strange to say, we are . indebted to the French branch for ! resuscitating the English branch, in ; 1 SCO, since which date there lias been ; no break. They purchased the old gateway, which contained several ■ rooms, in 1 *72, and thus were once, more established in their ancient pre- j mises. The King, as Prince of Wales, j was the last Grand Prior. The office 1

is now held by the Duke of "lork, Our Governor is the President in New

Zealand. The benefits to suffering humanity, so finely extended by the order, are bej’ond all praise. The convalescent poor are provided with special food and comforts, and are drafted into the country and to the seaside. Numerous cottage hospitals are established. Appliances are stationed in thousands of places for moving wounded persons easily. Numerou* life buoys and stretchers are presented j by.the Society. The general public j who have brainy herds and kind ; hearts are Instructed iu I'irst Aid to the Wounded. Nurses are trained and supplied freely to tho poor. Ambulance corps, consisting of large numbers of trained men and women, attend the battle-fields, in thousands of cases for nominal or no pay, and by their prompt aid relieve the most dreadful sufferings and save the lives

>i thvnt-siir.ds to he restored again to I ■iieiv id bunds and <icpe'n!enis. Their service* are rendered to friend and I foe. The anility to read t prompt and skilled a:d. in eases of accident and . sudden sickness, can he acquired iu- 1 live lectures of about au hour each — j not much to sacrifice for the sake of : humanity. We trust Gisborne wiil 1 five some ..vi nuice of its intelligence i iv taking advantage of tilt* leciuivs . : -tLoul to be ueiivered. We never ; I kuovc lion- soon a little timely assist- ' ance on our part 111.1 v save a valuable | file. __ ' ; Ml tool', of Te Kopua Xutive School, : Waikato, him been transferred to \\ at--1 piro id • 1 A grand classical concert will be given 1 1 in tile Academy ot Music on Thursday . i evening.

Tin* siciUDcr fitiitiv hit Napier for this port at 'o o'clock last c\cuing, and is due her early this inufning. Me.-sfs Stubbs and Go. adverti.-c iota paddock neat the Gauuttvon street footbridge. Further particulars in another | column. Ninety-one thousand norses have been shipped to South Africa during the wav. English bred horses cost A 7 o delivered in South Africa. Argentine only L'df>. Tiie gross takings of the New Zraunnl

Rugby Union in connection with the tour : of this colony recently made by tho New South Wales football team, amounted to : iI.VAI. Persons interested in the formation of a \ choir and Bible class tor the Presbyterian I Church. Patutuhi. are requested to meet j the committee in the Public Hall, Pata- ] tahi. to-morrow evening at half-past j seven. ! The booking yesterday for rho forthcoming Pollard <)pera season constituted • a record, no less than SUO seats being : booked between il a.m. and b p.m. Some ! good seats are yet available, so those who I do not desire to be disappointed should i book early. j Gisborneites will be pleased to hear that Mrs llowie is making rapid strides with ! her musical studies under the well-known

vocalist, Mr Santloy, and that when finished she will be brought before the English public by Mr \ crt, the famed musical agent. bits E. iiallaneo, widow of the late lion. John iiailiutco, arrived from London by the i’aparoa. L-'or tiie last live years Mrs Bailance and her daughter have been in Europe for the benefit of the latter's health. Mrs Baihutce is paying only a living visit to tiie colony, and returns to England shortly. A curate in the Hawke’s Lay dis- ' triel, much devoted to athletics, and especially to cricket, recently created a sensation whilst conducting Lite Sunday morning service. As he closed the Bible after reading a portion of the Scripture, i he said solemnly, and absently, *■ Here i eiideth the second innings.” ; An inquest on the body of the native : woman who was burned to death at Ngakarua on Saturday was held yesterday, but no further particulars beyond wliai lias already appeared in the Timms were elicited, (.'unstable Farmer represented the police at the enquiry, and a verdict of accidental death was returned, j At the Waercnga-a-hika yards on Thursday, Messrs Common, Shelton and Co. ; will oiler Mr Grayson's stud Lincoln ewes. I This will afford breeders an excellent opportunity of obtaining a first-class Hock at a reasonable rate, as we understand the | reserve is a very low one. The ewes are ; directly descended from the flock of the late Mr I’. Donnor, which is a suilicicut guarantee of their quality.

I A pretty strong rumor is in circulation in the lobbies that one of the more recently appointed .Ministers intend to resign. The rumor appears to bo borne out by certain recent occurrences, and so seriously is it regarded that members are even now canvassing as to who the next Minister will be. Probably, however, nothing will be done in the matter till the recess, after which, it is stated, quite a i re-construction of the Ministry will take place.— Post. At the Mutual Improvement- Society last night ihu subject of debate was, “ Is t the tendenev towards concentration in business conducive to the welfare of the I community ” Mr Armstrong took the affirmative, and Mr limes led for the ! negative. Mesdames Fraser and Jones. | and Messrs Macdonald, Grubb, Johnston, Smith. Jjongdill, Harper, Leslie, and J ones • also took part in the debate, which was a really good one. and on a vote being taken . the audience favored the affirmative by a ' small majority. We are requested to remind gentlemen intending to take the Ambulance lectures that the first lecture will be delivered this evening in Townley’s rooms at half-past seven. Gentlemen are requested to attend early in order to enter their names. The subscription for the five lectures has been fixed at os, all of which is spent in connection with the work oi the Association. Ur. Welby Fisher kindly delivers the lectures gratuitously, and Mr Townloy lends the lecture room on the same terms. Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald is to receive a cordial welcome when ho arrives at Wellington. The Gaelic Society has arranged to entertain him at a banquet, and has sent him a cable message welcoming him to these shores. A cablegram has been received in Invercargill from the General stating that he will arrive in Invercargill about the dlst October for a short tour of Xcw Zealand. I luring his stay he will be the guest of the Highland Society, who arc making great preparations for his reception and entertainment. This cablegram is in answer to an invitation sent some time ago. In the course of the performance given by the “ White Mahatma” at the Theatre Koval last evening the replies received from the lady caused a good deal of laughter. One young lady well known in the district, who had written a question asking when she would be married, was informed that the happy event would take place within two years, and that the union would he attended with wealth and happiness, and further that she would live to be over VO years of ago. A returned trooper, who was thinking of his arrears of pay, was inform • i that lie would receive the amount due in less than seven weeks. Another question asked was whet horse would win the Xcw Zeal md Cup the reply being that Hatties xo was tie: only hoi.se the lady could see in liei mind.

There is rep n'te.l to ire mi 11,01,mil mortality this year amongst sboip ovct South (’miterlnry farms (says til" Ohristchurch J’l'cssi. This is attrihutablc in part to the long spoil of dry weather, (luring which tin sic ;n had to eat much dry. and, in a u, , i many cases dirty feed. Added m hk sit: ■ the rain lias cimie, bitterly ,-dd winds have conic with it. which have not been calculated to promote the growth of grass, and thus the sheep have sutiered, in many eases ewes have not sufficient sustenani c to keep themselves, and wherever such is the case the lambs have to suffer. Our Timaru correspondent states that at the present time the outlook is not very promising, but a spell of linewarm weather would very materially iiu prove matters.

This is part o! Mister Dooley's latest dialogue with his " frind Hinuis-y ": “ Th’ Hon, Lord Gin’ral PuntingtonCanew rayports that he captured wan cow, wail duck, wan pound iv hain, two cans iv beans, an’ a baby carredge. Th’ commando escaped. Toe gin’ral learned from the cow, who had been shot, that th' Boers arre in disprate condition, an’ cannot hold out much beivr. I ricommind that th' Hon. Lord Bn/ral T. Pun-tington-Canew be made a look an' receive a gram of wan miilian pound- sterling. He departed f'r borne ymlerdsy. havin’ seen nearly a week iv sand b • hood an' held. How th' Boers stbml up to it. Hinnissay. I niver can tell. I've been coililtin' up their casuities, aid they've 'u- 1 enough cows to keep Armour goiid a veur, Wan iv th’ things a British sojer'l! iave to learn alter this is th’ care iv a cow." •• 1 thought th' war was over, uinyhow." said Hr Ili'misgv. "Well," said Mr Dooley, "if Chicago was as peaceful as South Africa, they'd be a agytation to rayjooce th' polls foorce. Th’ war is over, Hinnissy, butth' English don't know it .yet,”

Mi- P. Maher advertises a tip cl ray for sale. A furnished home ;u \ ietoria Leach, Waikanae. is advertised to let. Jlcsf s Palgety and Co. advertise that \ the position oi storeman tor whien appli- ; rations were invited be them has been ! tilled. i it is a matter for congratulation that 1 the people composing such a procession as was seen in Y\ l ! wgton on W ednesoav ■ ■ presented a spectacle of physical robust- : : ness and cheerfulness not to be excelled in toe world. Titov each bore on their fares the imprint of freedom, the satisfaction of . I having gained a relaxation for something ■ well performed. \Yr believe that if the country showed any signs ol decadence the faces of the masses would show it. if the carping critics are to oe believed the i time is almost ripe for a condition of : affairs opposite to the bright times we ' : have experienced The Labor Day do- : monstration gives the lie direct to the pessimist'. Happy, hearty, and eon- ; : tent -d. New Zealand labor is not wrecked vet. If there are breakers ahead, be sure ; j the skippers will weather them. There are rocks to be removed oO’.tniuK. but ; ■ ] they are truly somewhat small. Who j 1 shall say that' they will give any trouble j to the passengers. -Free Lance.

The Premier appears to have got himself into a dangerous corner over the licensing question isays the Wanganui j Chronicle'. In the interests of the brewers

he wants to increase the facilities lor ■ drinking—but his way is blocked in front by a widespread and rapidly growing pub , lie opinion which it may be disastrous to . him to attempt to force or defy. While 1 behind him, driving him on with relent- j less force, is the whole brewing interest : of the colony, ever threateningly demand-

ing front him the fulfilment of its bargain with him at the hist generai election. In the dilemma the wily Premier hardly knows what to do —but do something he knows he must. In the past he has laughed to himself as he has played olf UuAircwers against the prohibitionists and the prohibitionists against the brewers, and hoodwinked them both-—-but both parties are up to bis game now. and they have hemmed him in a corner, where he

will be forced eventually to declare abso- j lately fur one side or the other or be I trampled upon by both. ' i •lean de .Hindi, the distinguished Hus- j 1 sian military expert, says the United ! l States could speedily starve Europe in the ; 1 event of a great trans-uceanie war. Con- j tinning, he said : " America's future, like j that of Germany, lfifc on the water. Whenever it clashes with a European Power the contest will resolve itself into a • war of commerce. In m.y opinion America will require only a great duel of fast > cruisers in order to terminate hostilities j

speedily in its favor. The United States i can never be dislodged from its position i as the great provider of Europe's neeessi- I - lies of life. The mere defeat of a Euro- ! peat) squadron would bring to the United ; | States little advantage, since it has noth- ; ing to fear from such an assailant. When , American cruisers began systematically to patrol the shores of Europe it would be a matter of weeks or months only when Europe would find it vitally necessary to sue for peace. Europe therefore ha-' legitimate cause for concern at the expansion of the American navy. If you j Americans continue to build first-class cruisers rather than battleships the time will come when Columbia will literally rule the waves.”