Notes and Events.

Manawatu Herald, 23 February 1892, Page 2

Notes and Events.

An article in the United Service Magazine has an extract from the diary of an eye-witness of the civil war in Chili. The writer is a lady named Constance Eaglestone. She tells of a disaster of which we have not before heard, though it occurred in February. Iquique and Pisagua were connected by railway, and • the rival forces held either end of the line. By chance each party selected the same day for making the attack. The line curved through hilly ground; ■ Balmaceda's officer saw the other train coming. He removed his men and some of his stores, and when the. other train was near enough he put steam full on his own engine, jumped;, off, and witnessed with satisfaction the success of bis horrible device, a When the disaster was complete, and the air filled with the groans and shrieks of the survivors, the President's officer threw his cavalry on the mangled, bleeding men who tried to escape, and on a few unhurt, who were endeavouring to rescue from the wreck the dead or dying. The cavalry did their work well, and the President had so many enemies the fewer. Such is civil war in the nineteenth century. .

.The principal London theatres, it is said, will soon be " on tap " in.'all parts of the Metropolis. You drop a sixpence or a shilling in. a a\ot f \A ,and then by means of a telephony - you listen for five or ten minutes as the case may be to the latest thing in comic opera, or whatever you are interested in. A Company, known as the "Compagnie dv Theatrophone," are already, supplying Paiis and its environs in this way with comedy, farce and ronmantic drama, as well as operatic productions. Already it has a thousand subscribers some residing as far as fifteen miles away fioin the centre of the city. Bo far from damaging the theatres, it is stated that the result seems rather . to he an increase in the managerial receipts. A veiy successful trial of the instruments' was made at the Savoy Theatre during the performance of the '\Nantcli Girl' recently, so that it is; quite, ,-i possible that before long the " tbeatrophone " will be an established institution in England, as it alreapy seems to bo across the Channel. —Canterbury Press.

A correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes : —-You have more than once remarked *'tha|bj the ' point of an observation, lies in its application. A case in. point : $.ffslltf<; r Governor's banquet I had VlW'i Government supporter on < ray light - and a fierce Government opponent' on my left. Both of them vocifer- + ously applauded the Governed- *e-^ ference to the plausible demagogues who climb on the shoulders of the working man, &c. Somewhat puzzled that both should be ; so 'egt^giouaiy delighted, I whispered to my righthand neighbour, " Who's^fad hfttingW at ?" " Why, Fish', 1 of course." Turning to my left-hand l<^tf &▼&&£! whispered, " Who's he hitting at ?" " Stout ! "Who else do you Bupposp ?"