The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 22, 26 January 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1874.

Wb understand that the Hon. Mr Yogel is likely to pay a visit to Nelson shortly, We see by the Barkly's time-table that she intends running; from Golden Bay and Motueka to Nelson, for the purpose of conveying passengers to the fete on the anniversary of the province. Perseverance Company. — The half-yearly meeting of shareholders will he held at the Odd-Fellows' Hall, this evening at 8 o'clock. Provincial Council. — The 24th session of the Provincial Council will be opened at noon to-morrow. Me3srs Guinness, Ivesa, Boase, and Corbett, M.P.C.'s, arrived by the Wallace yesterday, and Mr Gibbs by the Lady Barkly on Thursday last. All the Coast members are now in Nelson with the exception of Mr Fisher, Nelson and Foxhill Railway. — We are informed that a communication has been received from the Hon. Mr. Richardson, the Minister of Public Works, stating that tenders for the .construction of the Nelson and Stoke portion of the line will be called for in about a fortnight. We have been requested by one of the carpenters, who was present at the meeting on Friday night to correct a slight error that unintentionally crept into our report of the proceedings. We made use of the word "strike" which it appears is scarcely applicable, as our informant assures us that there has been no hesitation on the part of the masters to accede to the wishes of the men. We would suggest that' for the future if any meetings of a similar kind are held where reporters are not supposed to be present, it would be more satisfactory to all parties, including those connected with the press, if some authentic account were forwarded to the newspapers, whereby all mistakes would be avoided. Fire. — Once again the fire-bells sounded the alarm at an early hour this morning. This time it was no isolated house that was on fire, but one surrounded by the large and handsome buildings on the east side of Trafalgarstreet, Mr Josephs, the hairdresser, being the sufferer. The fire, which broke out in the back part of the building where the baths were situated, must have been burning for some time before it was'discovered, as the alarm was not given until the flames were seen bursting out through the iron roof and had gained complete mastery over that portion of the house. The hose from the pillar at the cab stand was first obtained and attached to the plug near Mr Stanton's but it was scarcely long enough to be effective. By the time the members of the brigade arrived with all their appliances the whole building was enveloped in flames, but two branches were speedily brought to bear in front and one in the rear, and as the fire was subdued the men followed up their victory and worked their way into the house and saved what was not already destroyed. Mr Milner's shop was at one time in great danger as three aide-windows lookiDg out in the direction of the fire were broken by the heat, and a splash of water was occasionally necessary to prevent the fire obtaining an entrance. The window frame in front was also severely scorched, and one of the fine plate glaBS panes was cracked by the intense heat, even though protected by an irou shutter. The Masonic Hotel, a large brick building to the south, was very fortunately uninjured, for it was uninsured. Mr Joseph, who was absent from town, having gone to Motueka on Sunday morning, was insured in the Norwich Union, the building for £100,

and tbe stock for a like amount. This is the second time he has been burnt out on the same site. We canript conclude. our report ofthe fire without mentioning the splendid, way in which the members of the brigade behaved, nnd the excellent discipline which prevails among them. Indeed, it attracted the attention and excited the admiration of several strangers who were present, and who are loud in their praise of tbe conduct of a volunteer body to whom the town is largely indebted for the security it enjoys from aoy extensive conflagration. Bonus for Colonial Industries. —The * Gezette ' of Wednesday last contains a list of persons who have given notice of their intention to claim the bonus offered by Government for the manufacture of pig iron and of sugar from beetroot. Among the former we find " the manager Collingwood Coal Company," *' the Para Para Coal and Iron Company ;" and " Magnus Manßon, Motupipi." A dinner, to wbich about eighty sat down, was given to Mr O'Conor at Westport on Thursday last. The Hokitika Fire Brigade have resolved on Btarting a drum and fife band, and have sent to Melbourne an order for the necessary instruments. As nn instance of the scarcity of labor in other provinces, we may mention that Mr Brogden's manager went on board the Alhambra at Wellington, and offered to engage 100 of the Chinese at 9s per day. The offer was refused. Mr Field has exhibited to us some very superior samples of coal taken from the seam at tbe north side of the Ngakawhao ; the coal is much brighter than that coming from the Albion Company's mine ; it burns well, but does not cake as fast as the other. We also saw a fine sample of fire stone and clay out of which Mr Field hag had some bricks made, which he is sending to Nelson to be burnt. We are much deceived if the bricks do not turn out a very fair sample. — ' Buller News,' January 23. Reports from the Lyell speak in high terms of the prospects of the Monte Christo claim. The present crushing of 150 tons of stone from the flat leader recently opened up, and now being crushed at Carroll and Cairn's battery, is expected to yield at least 5 ozs to the ton. The trading prospects of Westport are improving, and the rumor thereof has quickly spread. It is said that several coastal mercantile firms purnose opening branch establishments at Westport at an early date, and other commercial men in a smaller but perhaps not less useful line of business, are also looking to Westport as a desirable place of settlement.—- " Times." In reporting a temperance entertainment recently given at Auckland, the local ** Star ' says : — " Several songs and recitations were given by juveniles, and the nigger song, c Cheer up, Sam, don't let your spirits go down,' created a burst of applause, and seemed to banish seriousness from every face. The lad wbb loudly encored. Mr Carr (the chairman) at length brought bis gratfied audience back to a due state of solemnity, and administered a severe rebuke to the lad on the impropriety of singing such a song as ' Cheer up ' in a Temparance Hall, which should be devoted entirely to purer melodies, suoh as ' Pretty darlings, go to bed,' and the 'Crystal Bpring.'" We hear that action will shortly be taken at Beefton, to arrange a District Race Meeting, to be held at Easter next. A large number of gentlemen have promised their warmest co-opera-tion, and it is believed that from £500 to £700 can be raised for the purpose; The Auckland 'Star* does not appear to entertain a very high opinion of the Local Harbor Board. In commenting upon the late visit of Mr Moriarty, the. New South Wales Government Harbor Engineer, for the purpose of selecting a site for a dock, our contemporary says:— -If he is a man of nous, and he must be from the honorable position he has won in Australia, he will soon see that he is in the land of log-rolling. He may have previously thought he knew something, but a little information and a little observation will show him that in tbis land of much government the rolling of logs is reduced to a science: and that of all our log-rolling institutions our local Harbor Board is the worst. from itß inception it has been " claw me, claw thee," and being independent of popular opinion its members have rolled each other's logs with a shamelessness surpassing belief. Mr Moriarty haa to satisfy these, and if he succeeds he will deserve praise for his ability whatever we may say for his rectitude. We trust, however, that he will not deem us impertinent if we respectfuily remind him that the interests of the whole people are in his hands, and nbove and beyond the fee which will come to him from that people's money we pray that he will think of the interests of that people despite of the powerful influences of the harpies who are looking to his viqifc.' to ' bring tbem carrion. Heretofore the harbor questions have been guided towards solution sole'y by self - interest. Now Mr Moriarty is called in to save the members of tbe Board from themselves, and to decide for the general Weal. The following is the text of the address presented by the Otago Freemasons to Captain Jaquemart and the officers of the French man-of-war La Vire: — The Freemasons of Otago can-

not allow you to leave the Province without testifying to you the esteem with which they regard your noble conduct in so kindly rendering assistance to the unfortunate shipwrecked passengers of the Furat. To succour and relieve the distressed is the impulse of every true and noble mind, and we rejoice to find that you are actuated by such unselfish and humane principles, which especially recommend themselves to us, as we regard charity and benevolence chief among the ornaments of our institution. True to our principle of universal brotherhood, you hesitated not to avail yourselves of tho opportunity of assisting those who were alien to you in blood and country, and most generally set an example worthy of admiration. On behalf of our unfortunate countrymen, and in the name of all our craft, we cordially thank you, and beg you to receive this expression of our sincere regard.

" Snyder," writing in the Auckland ' Herald,' thus discourses : — The " girl question" has cropped up again, and this time the wail is from lavercargill. A writer wishes to know if there is not something else we can bring our daughters up to tban making tbem domestic servants, baby-hawkers, barmaids, nursery governesses, or household, drudges — the last two being synonymous. Why, the being who asks such a question is only a one-idea man, and is hardly worth answering. There are openings too numerous to mention for girls, with the highest remuneration attached to them. 1 propose apprenticing my eldest daughter to the business of a spirit-rapper. It's one of the best money-making affairs going, and, as soon as she has acquired the art, which, by throwing your morals to the windß, is learned in almost no time, she shall start on her own account and settle a handsome annuity on me for the remainder of my days. There's the tight rope business, which takes a girl no loDger to arrive at than it does to cut out a dress and put it together, when by the use of large printed bills styling her Madamoiselle something in French, she's good for £20 a week and a benefit whenever she likes to ask for it. ■ There are, too, grand openings for female lecturers who will go in for women's rights, or free love, or marriages in duplicate or triplicate, with the right of divorce upon demand at sight. Make a girl a " phenomenon," call her Signora Zellitini, the Boneless Beauty, orjtheJAvalauche, and she's good for any number of lucrative engagements from managers and theatrical agents. Female preachers would take just at present as a novelty, especially if they would only come out in Bloomer costume. If to this they add good black hair they would do extraordinary superfine. There's the study of surgery, fortunetelling, clairvoyance, the invention of a new style of dress, such as will admit of the largest display of figure at the cost of the smallest amount possible of drapery. The female nigger business would be a novelty, and the flying trapeze is good for ever so long yet, for ever so many girls. All that parents have got to do is to back their girls to do something that girls very seldom do, and to do which they have merely got to throw aside their modesty as they would an old skirt that's not in the fashion . This is the tendency of the female age; and a woman now will make as much in a week by walking a tight-rope and beating a drum as a chief justice gets in a month. The wash-tub might in the long run end more satisfactorily, so might the nursery, or the kitchen; but what girl is going to blacken shoes or brighten pots, when she can be the " Flying Whirlwind," and do the "Leap for Life?"

A funny little misunderstanding, which elicited an expression of extreme lonhommie on the part of his Lxcellency the Governor, occurred, says the ' Daily Times ' on board the steamer Goldeh Age on Saturday. The steamer had been engaged to convey the Governor and those who were with him, including the Hon the Premier and Mrs Yogel, and his Honor the Superintendent, on board the Mikado, and the Custom House boat was ordered to attend the steamer to take the party from the one vessel to the" other. Now the name of one of the crew of the Golden Age happened to be James FergUßßon, and when the Custom House boat ranged alongside, the coxswain sung out, " Hi, Jimmy Fergusson, catch hold of this painter." Much to the confusion of the coxswain the response to his call came from an unexpected quarter; the Governor heard the cry, coupled with his own familiar cognomen, and casting ceremony to the winds rushed to the side of tbe steamer and seized the proffered rope, and then recovering himself without an effort, he quietly handed it to his abashed namesake who was standing at his elbow.

In commenting on the recent defeat of the A. E. eleven by the Vfcctorians the ' Sydney Morning Herald ' has the following! — " All sorts of rumors have been in circulation acoounting for the one-innings defeat of the Englishmen. Some have said that the professional players sold the mateh — that there was a want of temperance also among them. I merely allude to these reports to state that I do not think the slightest credit is to be given to them. Jupp, who enjoys a very high reputation in England as a professional player, was hooded by a portion of the crowd when he retired for Q, and -vyas mqch cu.t up at the treatment. He said that in the whole of his career he had never before met with suph a reception. However it wag only a Bpjg.ll punQrity that indulged in such a senseless proceeding."

Three new sawmills are being erected at Pelorus Sound. When they are completed the total value of the sawmills in that locality will be about £57,000, The President of the United States has, according to the Colorado papers, had a lucky windfall. When he was in that State an enthusiastic admirer, in shaking hands one night in his hotel, slipped into his hand a deed conveying to Ulysses S. Grant au undivided halfinterest in a silver mining lode, situated in Clear Creek County. The President accepted it with bis usual courtesy, and probably went home without having given his new silver mine any very serious consideration. But now it tutns out that his partner — that 13, the, to biro, unknown individual who owns the other half — has been digging in the mine, and has struck "an uncommonly paying lead." It is said that in comparison with the owner of this lead Dives was in abject want, and the fellows in the "Thousand and One Nights " were beggars. For 50 feet, as far as it has been explored, tbe " pay streak " is from 12 inches to 4 feet in width, mostly of gray copper aod brittle silver, and wonderfully rich. One assay showed a coio value of 19,380 dollars to the ton, and the number of ton b is as the leaves in Vallambrosa. There is a clear vein of wealth in sight where the President can put his hand on it, aud nobody knows to what internal depths or widths the lead may extend. Lord Elcho suggests that in order to discover whether the Devastation is seaworthy we should take her out to sea, take her crew from her, batten ber down, turn her adrift in a gale of wind and soe how she would behave. "If she stood that test," added bis lordship, " she would stand anything." We do trust that, in a matter of such national importance, the Admiralty will not be satisfied with such trival, experiments. The Devastation cannot have been properly tested until we have seen her coal stores on fire, blown up Her boilers, broken down her engines off a lee shore, smashed her armor with a patent nitro-glycerine gun-cotton torpedo, run her on a sunken reef, nnd had a mutiny on board. And even after all tbis, it is doubtful whether we could thoroughly depend upon her until we have sunk her in the blue water to test her power of coming to the surface again. If she remains long under the control of the present Admiralty no doubt she will now and again be subjected to some, if not all, of these trials. Most of our ironclads are, with varying results. —■* Daily News .' The London * Daily. Telegraph ' of October 12 devotes a leader to the story of poor Marr, whose heroic conduct and death in connection with the pilot schooner Rip, off Queenscliff, created so great a sensation. It says at the conclusion : — The generous Victorians have made a handsome subscription for the widows and children of the pilot, the cook, and the steward, gathering as much as £4000. James Marr was a single man ; so they are going to put up a memorial tablet of him in the Sailors' Home, Melbourne; and if ever the name of a true-hearted Englishman was cut upon marble, it will be his. It is such deeds as this — at once simple but sublime— which take the terror from the grave, and show how unconquerable and immortal the spirit of mau really is. Contempt of death is not very difficult in theory, or when the nerves have time to brace themselves, or when the excitement of battle and of heroic effort prevent the realisation of mortal peril. But to be dashed from aloft into the dreadful billows, and — rolling there with no chance of escape except at the price of the chance of others — to see the right thing to do, and to say, *"■ Do it," while cold death drags at you and furious waves almost choke you trying to say the fearless word — this was about as hard a trial of manhood as ever was met and gloriously borne. We will not say " Peace to him," 1 for what but peace could ever befall a soul so dutiful and staunch? He added new lustre to the land that bred him and the language which he spoke. A Methodist parson, somewhat eccentric and an excellent singer, said to a portion of the congregation ,'who always spoil the melody: — "Brothers and sisters, I wish those of you who can't sing would wait until you get to the celestial regions before you try." The hint was a great success.'