MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 31, 8 February 1878, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Wlocipfdox hnvp had their day, nays (ho Daily Times, rinking has almost be* oom» a thing of the past, and (ho latent novelty is " telephoning." Within the prf.st month or two thoro has boon qirto a man 'm for telephone* in tlie city, rfliopkeepers expose thorn for salo at a modernto oharKo of Gi 6d, with a mutiranfce I lint they are useful, ornnmontai nud evetastiim ; wlnlo small boys and adults tuk« delmht in manufacturing tlio " tolo graph nupersodor *' with empty pill b'»x»s and ooi ton. It hat, hovrrrcr, been lclt to Messrs F rgussoti and Mitchell to bo tlio fiSt to briui? t ho tolophono into praoMeal uso in this city. On Fri.bty \mt by" this* mean* 1 hoir workshop on ono .side of Princes street wiis connected nil h tli»>ir selling establishment on tho other, a oir« cunistiuico which ohviites tho necessity of Roinij from one place to (ho other to ci>m« munieato or Jors with routurd to bu^inois Hiiittors. Tho tolephono used is a very simple contrivance. It consists 'iiorely of two HtnaM ink tins nnd v sulliciont length of thread to ntretch iiorosH t'to .street. It> is made iv tho ful lowing muuucr j— Tlio bottoms are cut off tho ink tins and coverod tightly with parchment. The thread in run through tho centro of the parchmont covering of ono tin to the conct'o of llio other, and ono of tie tins ii placed in each buiMing. All that romaim to bo done k to apeak through tho month of tho other tin, and communication is complete So far tho adoption of tho tolophono is more of an experiment than anything olno, and it will requiro norae ruunipulfttivo and inrontivogonius to malfe it thoroughly uuccoasjful.' While it if

lifted clear of all obstacles it answers capitally ; but when it comes in contact with any pnrt of tlio building it remains dumb. If lliii dilPeulty enn be overcomo there in no reason wliy this new moans ol transmitting iound should not he flenet" ally ndoptcd amonjjst business people. It inexrensiro and fnr more serviceable tl nn the telegraph, which requires on ex«» pert to tran^lato its sound, Tradesmen mitflit have it hid on between their place* of business nnd prirnlo residence*, ond conduct thoir business nfm» from "their nin fireside "r-o convenience which would | not lie sneered at in n wet country like this. The time is not fnr distant when tho telephone will be utilised for such purposes. As it is there is no doubt othors will follow the example set by Messrs Peruusnoii nnd Mitchell. i Wo l<n,rn from an exchnnj?o that the J Funeral Keform Association started by tho United Friendly Societies nt Wellington is msbing rapid progro^s. It is proposed to udopt i ho Victorian rti'cs, under which deceased members mny be buried plainly j nt q <?»>tf of £2 \si, or with c>teh<»nd m\r I for £3 15. Wives of members wi,W bo ! allowed to join tho Association. This ' reform movement, is worthy of genornl i nd>ption throujihnu,t tho Co'pny. 'I bo j cxpcnsivcncsa of lunerols incurred out of a ffllso sentiment of snciiil propriety is iroquontly a Hevero tux upon p or widows at tlio very time when the bread-winner of tho family h>»« been »v, Idenly called iiwjy and thebercmred stand most in nerd of money. In nvtny cases the lust shill-« inu is spout in obedience to the tyranny of cNtablislicd custom, and the lumily is reduced to dcstiuiti v. According to the Intest news from tho Cupe tlio Kl'ifßr insurrection ia virtually over, a telegram announcing that the Guleka triboi* retreating Iroin its territory «nd breaking up. Thm i .evidently also the ouinion of L >rd Caruarvon, wlio met a depu v i »n of jientlomenintero<tcd in the Cape, on I'Yiday week, mid is in accordance wmli detailed accounts extending up to Oot 23, and published >n the Timid. A noie^ouhv fuct, which may hcr> after have Important con.s»qiences, eomos cut in those accounts. 'J no Gilclot* hnvo renchel a at ago of civlUation iv which th«-y are exeep innnlly weak. They 1 have obtrtino'l firearms but not discipline. They therefore have abandoned t»*»ir old method of war, which was the bed Indian method of Ukin* ndvHiilat;o of every shelter, and come out into tho open, a disorderly mob, urmod with ruh, un>ii>l<* to resist a charge, and panic struck by the slightest artillery At present th ret ire, they are not formidsbl . Men wi h «uns however, but without regular discipino, invariably tnko sooner or later to cmHtniefinif either enr hwurk* or stockades, nnd it is when they have reno'te.l ibis, the Kurly British or AJ noil etue, that the Ctpo tribcH will be danueroU''. IMW this the South African I) m nton ought lo hnve a highly trained and well mounto I I.icml force of liorso anility, the one a m before wiiich snvajos. as they emerge ii.to 0 viliMtun), chuu<>* Mlfu.ii. Oommo.loe Vnnderhik'.-t will ia iv Cour\ n'ter nil. It nporara that lv loi't q ulc £20,000.000 wop h of property behind liim, H-.d iiccumibitol i'lo 000.000 of it on Ihh eldest son, <»' whom in Ins li'o he Kpoko with ftri'iily buunr-m contempt— h hnbit h« had nbout most pcoile. The will seems reasonable enough, us the 0 m mo ore provide I for nil bis children ; but the. second son and the ilHUuhrem arc ut*« auitpd, nn I Hying on tho reluctance o American juries t »sunci«>n major ils. th.-y resist fit" 1 nl ot p'obato of th« will. They will, however, compromise for £2,000 000. The? ille«e undue iitfluence, nnd produce as their argument that tho Commodore prci'o'y despised his s^n, j pn-tit of influence which will probably bo too strong even for ft New York jury. Tho lawyer* are however, urcntly delighted, and the reporter nre sketching >.nd interviowinu everybody concerned not always in an appi-ecirt'ory Hpirir. Mr Vanderbilt snift\ und fidizcts. and in a man of nineteen millions tho reporters do not liko that nt all Crisis.— -Tho following h the revolu. fionary prO^rHinmo «>f Mr A. T. Cliirk, \T.L.A , tho " particular triend" o! the Mnistry, ns set forth in his or«nn, the Willitmatown Advortiser, of a luto dnie: — '• There must bo no resign tion— no a'mnitonmcntto the liherti'O o» the people entrusted to their cure, which 'hoy must 1 necessary guard with tlieir lives. No M Cullocli dodges of a'l owing the fiction ronresenting tho minority b in^ cull"! in o power to barter our privileges aw y No disio'ntinn. Tho remedy is in to • hands of tho Fx oa'ive, and let th<MV b« no wavering. The po«v«r of v* to now h»»M and exercised by tho C un«-il rami b w rested ftom thorn onca and for ever. In tho coming srrnggl" 'eMhe bank be the viotims , for vi.'tnnllv t' oyin'fi" Co 'nc\ Let the imhiitr'al olass-'n be spired the triid as much as posiibh', hiiuh we doubt not thov will \v>*r tl c r hnnUn cheerfully ns long ns th"V hto asstircd their loaders nre dctorminrd men. nnl cipablo of enrryin-! t« n successful end tho Herculean task before 'hem. Nexr. Monday (Jan. 7) wo hopo to hear thy money, so-cullrd. in the >«hi»po of h nk i n >ieß will n" b < rocon?nis-v'.. 't >l 1 alone will "o iecoi"ed, nnd that mnwt, b psid into the national Treasury. •ji uM this ir-ssuro bo i-iautfi.'ient. p^y . fftbo j-rL'cs, the ni/iuistrntes, tbe heads of th^ depart* ments, disohargo tho volti"t,«ers, i-lose th,» po>t and telmirnph offl es, stoo tlio riilwftva. nnd prevent fbo re so's dischtirging or recoiving cargo. It that be not enough for Collint strcot, tho police fotcc raiiMfc go, und the l.tst Hbiiling kept to prevent tho inmates of Pent ridge from ■ being It looso on society ; but if they will , have that, no hositatiotinh"uld bo shown"! ho who hesitates is lost. 'I hese wig* ' ;estions carried out nnd fail, the Govern- < m^nt mny fairly lc»vo the rest, to th« ■ poople. They m«y rost assured tbal means will be tnken to cffootually sooaro thoir riuht of aelf-govornment lor all time to come ; and. what is better still, the deadlock will bo determined between the rising und tho sotting of tho sun." — Tho Argus observes :—" Tho ofjoct of tho Ministry is to harass and deploto tho mcroantilo ax we'll «» ovory other clans that cannot bo brought to ackuowlodgo tho bounties of a Borry Government. Every section of the cooiniunily, ovory interest, everything dooout or independent, : or prosperous or strong, is to bo laid low."