The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 238, 8 October 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1870.

New Fire Bell. — By the Tararua this morning, there arrived from Melbourne, to the order of the Fire Brigade, a new and powerful bell, which will be erected at the engine house, it beipg the intention of the brigade to remove the one that is there at present to the port. It will be seen by advertisement that the new bell will be rung for trial at 6 o'clock on Monday evening, so that no alarm need be felt when its tones are heard. May it be long ere they are sounded in giving the alarm. Nelson and Cobden Railway. — The Anglo Australian in London writes : — The proposed Nelson and Cobden Railway, New Zealand, has been the subject of negotiation here during the past month. I understand that Mr. Brogden, C.E., has entertained the undertaking, and conditionally agreed to send out a staff to survey the country required for the line ; but it is possible that the Continental war now raging may interfere with the project. The New Zealand Commissioners have energetically busied themselves in the matter. Mr. Brogden agreed to accept payment for the construction of the line in land. Heller's Wonders is certainly a most appropriate name for the performance we ihad the pleasure of witnessing last night. From the time Mr Heller first appeared on the stage to the time of our leaving the the Room we were kept in a perfect maze, and, indeed, were not without some slight sensation of nervousness at being in the immediate vicinity of a man who seemed able to compel all things, whether animate |or inanimate, toobey his bidding. Canaries appeared and disappeared at his word of command, handkerchiefs behaved in a manner that was eccentric in the extreme, cards performed the most comical antics, unlimited punch, blazing hot, was served out from an empty bowl, and as for the coin of the realm-well, we most earnestly wish that Mr. Heller, iustead of Mr. Yogel, were Colonial Treasurer, for, unlike the latter, he ' not only sees golden visions floating before him, but is able to grasp them and to snatch from empty space theaolid coin which ;he exhibits to his admiring and envious audience. Of his pianoforte playing we hardly know whereto find terms sufficiently laudatory. Nothing approaching to it has ever been heard iv Nelsou before, and we are uncertain which to admire most, the wonderful manipulation of the octaves in the Fantasia on La Sonnambula, or the brilliant execution of some of the vibrato passages in the Last Rose of Summer. We shall attempt no description of this part of the performance, nor shall we endeavor to explain the mystery of supernatural vision, in which an assistant, who is placed on the stage with his eyes blindfolded, and his back to the audience, tells in the most unhesitating manner the names and descriptions of articles which are handed to Mr. Heller by the people in the body of the room. We must not omit to mention a marked feature in the performance, namely, the pleasant, humorous talk which accompanies all the tricks, and fully answers its purpose of distracting the attention of the audience. Before concluding our notice we are compelled to say that considerable dissatisfaction was expressed at the arrangements with regard to the reserved seats, many people who came late confident of finding their places kept for them, being obliged to stand, but we are informed that this arose from a mistake with regard to the entrance door and will not occur again. We folly expect to find to-night a repetition of the densely crowded audience of last evening.