CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 198, 23 August 1870, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

NOT SURPRISING. To the Editor op the Nelson Evening Mail . Sir, — I was noway surprised at "Paterfatnilis" in inveighing the respected Mr. Grorrie's horses coming down the valley, as I think it most likely he cannot afford to keep one himself ; but if he and the boys he mentions to be in danger, would not pitch stones at the horses they would come as quietly along as I do myself. Yours, &c, Gokkie's Old Cow.

Referring to the contract for the new line of telegraph through the continent of Australia, a Victorian contemporary remarks : — The pluck shown in. constructing the Pacific Railway across the American, continent elicited the admiration of the world. The same Anglo-Saxon spirit exists in the Southern hemisphere. South. Australia has entered upon the •work of runuing a telegraph line through the continent with an energy and a fearlessness which challenges our admiration. Leichardt doubtless perished in these inland wilds ; explorer after explorer has been defeated after endeavoring to solve their mysteries. Sturt and Stuart, who dashed at them in one direction, were driven back; Gregory, Hunt, and the adventurers from Western Australia, where every other settler is an explorer, have been repulsed in another. South Australia reckons that linesmen can go were overlanders cannot, and contracts in perfect confidence for the telegraph posts — twenty to the mile — to be erected, and the line fixed within the date specified by the British Cable Company, under heavy penalties, on a track yet to be pointed out by the Government exploring party. Even the Americans knew their way across the comment, but Stuart's last hurried raid in to Aruheira's Land gives the Adelaide people all the information they possess — ■ their little all — of the north-western portion of our island continent. Yet the contractors tender unhesitatingly, find sureties, and are themselves men of mark. This is the true colonial spirit — the spirit of Napoleon, when he exclaimed, "Tear that beast of a word 'impossible 3 out of the dictionary." Effects <?f Excessive Drinking. — An inquest has been held at Ne wing ton. Butts, London, on the body of Mr. Brisco Price, aged 53, a retired surgeon. The deceased, who resided with his nephew and niece, at Cramptou-street, was found deid about 6 o'clock on Saturday morning lying upon the floor of his bedroom, surrounded by a large pool of blood, which bad flowed from an extensive wouud in his throat, and had saturated the carpet. Dr. Williams was immediately called in, but deceased expired shortly after from exhaustion. It was impossible to restore him, he having completely severed the liirynx and all the art-ries with a very sharp instrument found by his side, which is known as a scappel, is used in dissection, and formed part of a case of instruments belonging to deceased. He had left no writing accounting for the rash act, uor had he previously expressed any intention of destroying himself, but he had for many years given way to habits of intemperance, in the indulgence of which, wit.h the exception of a small portion he paid for his board and lodging, he enpended an income of £212 a year, which he received quarterly, and so rapidly that the whole was generally spent in three weeks after receipt ; indeed, withiu a few days he spent no less than £l in a day upon brandy. Latterly he seemed inclined to delirium tremens, was attacked with a fit, and became imbued with delusions that men were following him about for debts, although he owed nothing, paying everything honorably. He was a remarkably fine-lookiug man, well known in the locality for his amiable and gentlemanly demeanor. The jury returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity, brought on by excessive drinking of ardent spirits."