NOTES FROM NELSON.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 255, 9 January 1886, Page 2

NOTES FROM NELSON.

- ♦ (from our own correspondent.) The police in Nelson are a fair avera£< i lot as compared with their fellow guardian: I or the peace in other parts of the colony , but times being dull, spending mono* scarce, and the blue ribbon fashionable J there has not been an opportunity fo | developing their astuteness for a Ion; ' time. It is very disheartening for ai

Inspector, two sergeants, a detective, and ■even rank-and-file, besides supernulieraries such as bailiffs, to be wasting ilieir sweetness on the desert air, week itter week, and not have even a chickenmatcher 011 which to exercise their latest powers of subtlety, and promptitude of iction. However, a few weeks ago, hope nspired their manly breasts ; there was a prospect of a terrible tragedy being unearthed, and the wildest excitement prevailed at the depot ; there was a general nmiishing up of armour, and preparations )f other kinds made to enable the k foorce" to eclipse all former efforts, llie circnmstances which gave rise to this mwonteu excitement were somewhat as ollows: — Some month previously a natron in one of the country districts jave birth to a stillborn child, the nedical man gave the necessary certificate, and the undertaker placed the body a very puny one) in a box, and buried it mder a tree in the nearest cemetry. Of course there was no funeral, but when, a ew months afterwards, a farmer in the leighborhood made arrangements with he cemetry trustees to cut the crop of hay Irora the sacred acre, he was surprised at sticking the end of his scythe into somehing wooden under the surface. lu•estig itiou with the aid of a spade, repealed a small casket, and he and his leighbors at once jumped to the conclusion hat they had struck a plant of buried measure ; further investigation, by prizing )ff the lid, disclosed the tiny remains of lie infant; and then the buried treasure heory was at once exchanged for one of ghastly murder. Communications were speedily opened with the police auihorities, and the suspicious remains were •emoved with all due solemnity and secrecy to the depot. When there, the :hief and his satellites, with bated breatj' lirew out various conjectures, morg f sapient, as to the cause, manner, tin. >bject of the atrocity, and finally cP n a couple of doctors to hold a r nortem. In the mean time, ot nembers of the " foorce " had b£ vigorously looking up evidence in tl leighborhood of the assumed crime, ai luring the day the father of the victi: md the undertaker visited the polic station, showed the certificate and usei some withering and sarcastic language ;owards the conservators of law and )rder. These gentlemen seeing what a nare's nest they had discovered, then •equested the proprietor of the casket to ;ake it back home and bury it again leeper this time to prevent f' ;akes, but he didn't see it. police that as they had ;o town, and created could take the dar md bury it theny ;he fond hopes of ;ion, temporarily >ur gallant bluec ;o giVand. The holidays are past and gone,<&ft<il people generally seem to be glad they are >ver. The examination at the public schools have led to the usual amount of ;usto as to the strides we are making in lie direction of " educating the masses," is the fashionable slang has it for teaching )ur boys and girls that house labour is something to turn their pragmatical uosas lp at. The ambition ot the coming man md woman is not as it used to be. One )f the first maxims impressed upon my nind was that the " man who causes ,wo blades of grass to grow where one ?rew before was a benefactor to his 'ace," which I take it means that we mght, as tar as possible, to become a lation of producers. I suppose the education of the masses, or the march of ntellect, or whatever is the fancy name 'or the present system has altered the old deas, for it seems to me that any occujation which has no hard work attached 0 it, is the object in life of the rising generation. Government billets are of course the most sought for, no matte:low miserable the pittance, and the :adet who can cram enough useless ilassics and 'ologies iuto his head to pass lie civil service examination and obtain in appointment, is looked upon by his issociates as oue of Fortune's favorites. ' think nothing is more sad than to see he bone and sinew growing up iu our mdst despising honest labour, and strainng after employment at which they will lot be under the disagreeable necessity of ioiling their educated hands and irren'oachable clothes. As a matter of fact, 1 great deal of useless knowledge is taught, nore especially at the higher schools. So doubt there is some little advantage 0 a youth to have a fair knowledge of classics, but to my mind the time would )e tar more profitably spent in acquiring 1 really solid knowledge of his mother ongue, and the ordinary knowledge rejuired by everyday men in everyday ii'e. I only judge bv my own knowledge >f the teaching which prevailed in the ligher schools a quarter of a century ago, ml still prevails, and I think it prelosterous to cram a boy with Greek and leave him ignorant of how ,o work out a calculation ot the increase >f compound interest on a mortgage, because the chances are that he will, in ifter life, have to lace the sum if ha elects o remain in the colony, whilst the Greek vill not be of any practical value to him n after life. But about the holidays. It is customary it the higher schools to have a party at lie breaking-up, and this festive custom ,vas duly observed as the seminaries on lie last occasion, and at the swell young adies school there was a ball and supper ;o which high-toned relatives and friends tvere invited. Somewhow the girls, in ilie exuberance of their spirits, had beer father too demonstrative to the invitee young gentlemen to please the matron md were packed off supperless to tliei rooms. Naturally the gallant feelings o the youths were shocked by this barbarity

and by a code of signals established communication between the footpatii and the upstairs dormitories with the view of supplying ambrosia and nectar bv means ot a clothesline and basket. This little arrangement worked admirably for a time, and the prisoners had nearly satistied the pangs of hunger, when there appeared on the scene an ogre and ogress, i-i the shape of the head mistress and a high municipal dignitary, who were enjoying the cool air and taking a moonlight walk and conversing confidentially on the lamentable depravity of the rising generation. Whilst passing under 0110 of the dormitory windows, their discourse was checked by the sudden crash of the clothesbasket on the head of the lady; the denizens of the upper floor conjecturing that the parties below were their friends with a further supply 01 comestibles and billet doux. Then came explanations and threats of exemplary punishment; which being made at the end of a term did not have a very depressing effect on those who were about to return home ; but upon those who were fated to remain during the holidays a most singular infliction has fallen. It has been customary to march the school to service at Christ Church, where, if the scene is not lively, their is at least plenty of company, and new dresses to talk about afterwards. But now, the?e wiv<" and mothers of the future ar<= promenaded in the of* solitudes of Bis 1 * penance for (' takingoof 1f f1 for tlv"