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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 44, 1 May 1862, Page 3

A Peek Wok king as a Blacksmith.—The London correspondent of the Manchester Gua, - dian states that the Lord Ockham (son of the Earl of Lovelace, and grandson of the poet Byron), has for some time past been at Woolwich Arsenal as a smith at weekly wages. The writer says : “The young nobleman in question ran away from school at an early age, was missing for several years, in spite of large rewards offered for him bound himself apprentice aboard a coaster, underwent much hardship in this miserable position of cabin boy aboard a north country collier; was even at one time reduced to the work-house at a little town in L orkshire; and, finally, when discovered by his relatives, preferred to win his bread by the work of his hands as a bolt-maker at Woolwich Arsenal, where ho is still, or was very recently working. He often, while in this employment, walked up to Lord Byron’s seat, near Ham, and remained over Sunday, his day of leisure, as his guest, but always was careful to return to Woolwich in time to begin his work on Monday Morning. I may add, that, though I have not seen him at work in the arsenal, a near relative of my own has seen him on the trudge from Woolwich to Ham—a fine stout, handsome, young man —in a blue peajacket, long boots, and a wide-awake, with a short pipe stuck through the band. There may be eccentricity in this conduct of ,the young nobleman, but I do not believe there is anything either of excess or irregularity in his conduct, or anything discreditable in his motives.” By the death of Lady Byron, who was Baroness of Wentworth in her own right, that barony desends to Lord Ockham, who is, therefore, now actiu lly a member of the House of Peers. The New Marvel in Telegraphy.—The electric telegraph is now completed between New \ ork and San Francisco, across the continent of America, and there can be no doubt that it will be soon extended from California to British Columbia. The Russian Government has already made arrangements for a telegraphic communication between St. Petersburg and the sea of Japan. In a short time the Russian wires will stretch to Eastern Siberia, and from thence into Russian America, whore they will almost join the New \ ork telegraph to British North-Western America. The length ol telegraph wire between England and the United States, through Northern Europe, Asia, and America, will be about 13,000 miles. The whole ot this will be above ground, except the deep sea cables in the British Channel, and in Behring Straits, the latter being only thirty miles in width. The charge at present for short telegrams is at the rate of about 50s. per 300 miles, and instantaneous communication can bo effected between stations nearly 4000 miles asunder. Some idea, therefore, can be formed of the expense and time of sending a message from London to the Atlantic seaboard of North America by the north easterly route. The expense now voluntarily incurred by conveying early commercial intelligence is shown by the fact of the British merchants running clippers for that purpose between the most northerly Chinese ports ‘and Shanghai, the terminus of our mail communication in the Yellow Sea. Should it be found impossible to lay down a cable along the bed of the Atlantic, the marvels of science and the necessities of commerce will probably be displayed by England communicating, almost instantaneously, with the United States by way of the Himalaya and Rocky Mountains.— Weekly Dispatch. Result op Newspaper Training.—Let mo remark for the satisfaction of young men who may bo tempted or compelled to cultivate letters as a profession, that there is no sillier prejudice than that which narrow-minded persons entertain against a connection with the newspaper press. My own experience justifies me in saying that I consider such an occupation as more wholesome, bracing and conducive to the development of mental power than any other kind of literary training. Dexterity, clear perception, skilful arrangement, and nervous expression are the qualities most valued in a journalist; and these, I venture to assert, cannot bo attained by brooding over sentimental verses or inditing metaphysical discourses, or indeed in any other way than by constant and assiduous practice. It has been alleged that this kind of writing is apt to deteriorate style and to induce slovenly habits of composition. ’ I reply that this work, from its very nature, demands a rigid abstinence from verbosity, obscurity, and tinsel oanament; that the stylo must be so perspicuous as at once to convey the distinct idea to the reader without subjecting him to the pain of reporusal: whilst, on the other hand, it must be so pointed and terse as to attract and rivet his attention. I do not know where, at the present day, one can find a better specimens of pure English composition than those which appear in the columns of the newspaper press ; and, though these may bo called in one sense ephemeral, since their interest passes away with the memory of the events to which they refer, they nevertheless exercise a deep and lasting influence on the thought and culture of the age. Those who remember what country papers were some fivc-and-twonty years ago cannot fail to be struck with the immensity of the improvement which has been made.— Blackwood's Mayazino. When a pickpocket pulls at your watch, tell him plainly that you have no time to spare.