POISONED SUGAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 24, 28 January 1870, Page 2

POISONED SUGAR.

Mr. J. B. Wardell (representing the Victorian Sugar Company, Melbourne,) has been sent to Wellington to investigate and clear up the mystery of the Company's poisoned sugar, of which our readers have had previous accounts. The result of this inquiry and analysis is published in the form of a letter to the editor of the Independent. Our space will not allow us to reprint the correspondence; but we think it due to the Company, whose trade must have suffered much in consequence, to give the gist of it: — Mr. Wardell says that having ascertained as far as possible, that no poison, either wilful or accidental, could possibly have been mixed with the sugar on the Melbourne side, he proceeded to inspect the bags which were being returned to Melbourne by their agents, Messrs. W. M. Bannatyne and Co., and found that the two bags, one of which caused symptoms of poisoning in various families, and the other, which was the one that had been opened afc the Convent (part of five bags sent there) contained sugar much staiued and discolored, being perfectly browu in many cases, and also bearing a very strong metallic smell at once perceptible, and so altogether different from the third bag, which was taken from one of the unopened packages lying on the wharf that it led him to suppose that the sugar had come in contact with, or received something quite foreign to its manufacture, either in Wellington or on board the steamer, by which it was sent from Melbourne. On further inquiry, and in company with the Inspector of Police, and other gentlemen, he found that Messrs. Levein & Co., had received per same steamer (Rangitoto) twenty cases of carbolic sheep dip composition, and that some of them bore signs of leakage, and on the cases and floor of the store were stains of the same color as those on the sugar bags, the contents of which has had such an unfortunate effect onseveral people Empty packages, two pieces of gunny bags, scrapings of the wooden and tin cases containing the carbolic sheep dip Composition, samples of stained and unstained sugar were then sent to Mr. Skey, the Government Analyst, with a request that he would examine and report upon them, with a view to publication. The following is the analysis : — la. Sugar from an unopened bag from the immediate neighborhood ot a stain (see No. 2). This is much discolored and contains a large quantity of arsenic. lb. Sugar taken at a distance from stain, scarcely discolored at all — contains minute traces of arsenic. 2. Portions of stained — contain much arsenic. 3. Scrapings from tin — contain much arsenic. 4. Piece of gunny bag, from Mr. Yates, contains much arsenic. 5. Sugar — could not detect arsenic. (Signed) Wm. Skey. He had heard nothing definite of the reported poisoning at Oamaru, and the case at Waikouiti was found to arise from some material penetrating a bag af Mauritious sugar, a leakage either on the dray or on board the steamer, from one of the cases containing composition ; and in the Dunedin case, the child had died from natural causes. It however shows the necessity of using the greatest caution in storing and forwarding carbolic sheep dip composition, as from ignorance of the deadly character of the stuff, even yet more painful results m^ take place.

Two little girls, the children of Mr. R. W. Daniels, Queenstown, Otago, have had a narrow escape from being poisoned by eating tutu berries. The prompt administration of an emetic, it is said, alone averted fatal consequences. Maryborough Timber Trade. — The Havelock correspondent of the Press, writing on New- Year's Day, says: — " The demand for sawn timber is daily increasing, and the mills are working long hours to keep up the supply. The Havelock mill has shipped during the last three months about 450,000 feet of timber; and Messrs. Brownlie and Co., since commencing operations at their new mill on the 25th October, have shipped close on 300,000 feet, besides having many thousand feet on hand. A large quantity has also been shipped from Mr. Farnall's mill in the Kaituna. Mr. Brownlie's new mill is well worthy a visit, as it is almost impossible to give a description that would convey but a small idea of the extensive machinery."

One of the largest Sunday Schools in San Francisco is composed of Chinese children. At a recent church collection for missions, in America, the preacher feelingly said, "My good brethren, let me caution those of you who put in buttons not to break off the eye. It spoils them for use/ The Plans of the Auckland Floating Dock are being rapidly pushed forward, and as soon as they have been completed aud approved of, (he work will be proceeded with. £10,000 has already been subscribed. Cheese Making. — An American cheese maker, milking twenty-six cows, commenced feeding with green corn on the last day of July, last year, from an acre in drills. In September he omitted the corn for four days, and the result was a diminution of fifty-two pounds of milk a day. The corn-feeding was again resumed, and in four days the cows gave their customary quantity of milk. Tim Great Eastern. — The sayiDg that " everything has its use," was never more magnificently illustrated than by the Great Eastern. For years after that giantess was launched with so much difficulty, disaster appeared to dog her; she scalded her stokers, blew up her own cabins, ran aground, failed as a passenger ship, failed as a merchantman, ruined two or three sets of proprietors, and was generally pronounced a colossal mistake. But her day arrived along with submariue telegraphy ; and now she has become a sort of terrestial machine — a ship of the planet — without whose aid it is not possible to carry and lay a deep-sea cable. Since she has thus found out her proper mission, folk have found out also what a splendid piece of shipbuilder's craft the vast vessel is. The Great Eastern is in reality one of the handsomest and handiest sea-ships afloat, and does all her duty well, whether you load her with an extra 10,000 tons or not. She never pitches, while she rolls but slightly, and in a most stately way, to a heavy cross sea. As she now lies in the Medway, with a tropical suit of bright white paint, and the Indian Telegraph Cable aboard, she is at last, as her worst calumniators must own, an absolute success. Business, in fact, come3 in upon her faster than she can transact it ; for having just laid the French Atlantic cable, she is now off to deposit the Indian line, and she will then return immediately to lower the Malta and Falmouth wires into the sea bottom. Everything points to the fact that instead of disregarding Brunei's grand lines, we must rather build larger and steadier ships than even the Great Eastern — at the same time*constructing docks, harbors and other appliances to match these crafts of the future. The great steamship has demonstrated one fact among many others — namely that we could build an island of iron and wood, and cruise about from latitute to latitude with invalids ; or navigate the oeean with huge and motionless floating hotels, the passengers in which need never know that they are at sea unless they chose to look out of the upper-deck windows. Physical and Mental Exercise. — In a well-written article on the advan- " tages of combining manly exercise with hard study, the Ballarat Courier supplies the following examples of eminent men who have successfully united the two: — "Professor Wilson was the best jumper of his day in Scotland, and could bear as much fatigue as a Highland gamekeeper. Bishop Selwyn rowed in the first eightoared race against Oxford, and when first in New Zealand could outswim a Maori in his own waters. The late master of Trinity, Dr. Whewell, when an undergraduate, headed the University men in a ' great town and gown row, and beat the enemy's best bruiser, a gigantic bargee, in a fair stand-up fight. Lord Derby was great in field sports, and traditions of Palmerstou's prowess still linger in schoolboys' memories. Thackeray's nose * was broken at the Charter House by Archdeacon Hare. Chitty, now famous at the Chancery bar, was a double first at Oxford, rowed stroke in the University boat, and kept wicket for the University eleven. Macnaghten was senior classic and Chancellor's medalist at Cambridge, ' and won the diamond sculls at Henley, Years before, the Hon. George Denman - performed two similar feats. But the list is already long enough. Rejoice, then, young Victoria, in your, lusty youth, but forget not to exercise the brain with v the same assiduity that you are wont to do with the muscles."

The Southern Cross, of the 14th, says : *— Some time ago a leading article appeared in this journal advocating an efficient system of female immigration. We pointed out that a large and increasing demand existed for female servants, and indeed that, at the rate at which the male population was then flowing into the Province, there would soon be a scarcity of marriageable young women. To show how well founded were our remarks, we may state that we were informed yesterday by Messrs. Mitchell and Co. that they have applications on their books for more than 50 female servants, at weekly wage amounting in some cases to as much as £1. Truly these are glorious times for that class whom Artemus Ward calls " the feemail tyrants in our homes." The lucky diggers appear to have married off all the eligible servant girls, and, in spite of the fabulous prices that are being offered, it is dfficult to obtain a clean, industrious housemaid. A shipload of respectable young women would be a perfect godseud just now, and would be certain to obtain remunerative situations, not hampered by any of those restrictions so distasteful to housemaids, as for instance, " no followers allowed."