WESLEYAN CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 138, 11 June 1874, Page 2

WESLEYAN CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.

The anniversary of the Wesleyan Church in Nelson was celebrated on Tuesday evening by a tea and public meeting. The chair was taken by tho Rev. T. Buddie, who gave an interesting nod comprehensive sketch of the state of tbe Church during the present year. The meeting was also addressed by the Revs. D. Dolamore, W. Kaall, W. B. Marten, and Mr Boase, M.P.C., and during the evening the choir gang several pieces with great faste. The following report was read by Mr J. T. Smith, tbe secretary : — The trustees of the church have pleasure in again meeting the congregation ta review the proceedings of another year, and report their present position Ihe church pn perty has during the year been considerably improved. A verandah has been added to the parsonage, which was greatly needed, and which has materially increased the comfort and improvei the appearance of the dwelling. Gas has been introduced into the church, which is a great improvement on the old style of kerosine lamps, and though it will increase ihe cost of lighting it will also increase the comfort of the congregation. The removal of the old pulpit and gallery and the erection of a platform and rostrum in the rects*, with commnnion place proper for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, are all improvements in the church which will add t>> the comfort of both minister and people, and it is hoped will be approved of by all. The new arrangements for the choir will also add to their comfort, and place them in a bitter position to lead the service of song in the congregation. Of course these alterations and improvements have involved the trustees in considerable expenditure, but they were fe't to be necessary to make the internal arrangements of the bouse of God more complete and better adapted to aid the cervices of the sanctuary Other improvements have been contemplated. The increase of Sabbath scholars necessitates the addition of c ass rooms to the present school building; and the building itself requires considerable repairs to make it at all comfortable during the winter months. These matters hive been under consideration, but it was found lhat the expense of carrying them out would be greater than the trustees felt warranted in incurring at present. They hope to be able in time to meet the wants of the Sabbath school. The trustees take this opportunity of tendering their thanks to the members of tbe congregation for the assistance that has been afforded them, and also to the clHr for their valuable aid in leading the psalmody in the public services. We are pleased to note also a perceptible improvement in the collection of pew rents; there are 191 sittings let at an annual rental of £113 13s, and £100 of this will have been received by the end ot the present month. The balance-sheet showed receipts amounting to £114 7s 4d, of which £105 was raised by pew rents, and £6 19s by Sabbath and public meeting collections. The expenditure was £106 14s 9d.

An Auckland paper says: — " Whatever may be the opinion of tho public of the policy of the Government, there is one real advance for which they are entitled to unqualified praise. We allude to the extent of roadway which has been opened throughout the North Island east and west. It is at tbis moment easy to ride from Auckland to Wellington without obstruction, aDd when one or two wide creeks shall have been bridged, without the least risk. This work has been mainly performed by tbe Armed Constnbulary and natives. It would, we think, be desirable to compile 'by authority ' a map shewing these roads. At present, except within the limits of each province, very few people know anything about them." A correspondent in the English Methodist gives the following remedy for curing rheumatic gout, of which he had long been a sufferer. He insulated his bedstead from tbe floor, by placing underneath each post a broken-off bottom of a glass bottle. He says the effect was magical, that he had not been free from rheumatic gout for fifteen years, and that he began to improve immediately after the application of the insulators. A trial of a special express train with Pullman's sleeping-car attached, made on the Midland railway on March 17, demonstrated the astounding fact tbat trains can be run with safety at the rate of seventy-five miles an hour. The train was timed very fast to see if the sleeping cars shook about; and the trial was from Derby to London, St. Pancras. The engine had tho steam brake, and the cars and tender had the new air brake, which is now fitted to all Midland trains. The car-brake will stop a heavy express of twenty-five carriages running seventy-five miles an hour, in 290 yards. The distance from Derby to London is 120. miles. It is all on the block system, and all trains were shunted for this special express. Tbe exact distance of 129 miles was run in 142 minutes, but this does not show the actual Bpeed, as three stops and three starts took six minutes, and speed was reduced to twenty-five miles an hour over thirteen junctions, which each took a good minute — leaving the time as 123 minutes for 129 miles, which averages over a mile a minute all the way. In one case on a level piece of line seventeen miles was run in 13 mios 18secs, which averages about seventy-five miles an hour, and twenty miles was run in 19mins. The cars ran as steady as tables at seventy-five miles an hour. The driving wheels of the engine were 6ft B£in. Four wars have cost the English Government within the last fifteen years, upward of Jt516,000,000 sterling. The Persian expedition cost £900,000. The outlay on the Chinese war amounted to £6,114,000. Then the New Zealand war, which did not extend beyond the year 1866, was covered by £765,000 • and the Abyssynian war entailed the expenditure of £8,000,000 or £9,000,000. Oow it is estimated that the Ashantee war will cost about £4,000,000.

WONDERS OF INDIAN JUGGLERY. Jugglery is an amusement of which all Oriental nations nr« extremely fond. So numerous and various aro the feats practised by the performers in this line that Indian jugglery is famous the world over, and their wonderful dexterity in all matters requiring unusual sleight-of-hand has passed into nn universal proverb. A visit to tho house of a wealthy Hindoo, on the occasion of his son's marriage gave rae su opportunity of witnessing some of their rarest feats in this line. A bronze bnsin of clear water, which we had the privilege of examining, was placed on a stand; and though, when we thrust in our hands, there was found nothing but the water, iv a little while a magnificient lotus or waterlily sprang up therein, and lo! its huge blossoms, pink-hued aod fragrant, .were before us — mammoth flowers, eighteen inches in diameter. The spectators were in ecstacy. Young and old, even the natives, who had seen all the wonders before, clapped their hands with delight; only the magician himself was reticent. Presently he held up a piece of yellow tissue paper perhaps siinches square, and after turning it round and round in various positions, he formed of it quite a natural-looking butterfly in his open palm, and so arranged two wax lights as to allow bim to wave a fan rapidly between them without affecting the flame, and then, by a gentle motion over tbe insect, he started it into apparent life. First it moved slowly towards the fau, as if testing its powers of locomotion, then tripped li»htly along the edge, and fiually bore away, wheeling and dipping to a vase of flowers that stood near, tben floating away in very wantonness, and presently returning, lighting and coquetting among the daiuty blossoms like a tbing of life, the wings fairly quivering with excitement. Just then a mate was supplied to the lonely excursionist by the same magic power that had given tho first its frail being, and together the fairy tourists set forth on their travels. Eouud and round they wheeled and floated, but always within the charmed circle about the conjuror's head, sometime* kissing his cheeks and lips, together or singly lighting on the outspread fan, or returning to the flowers, then flirting or coquetting with each other, putting their tiny heads together in mutual caresses, and shaking their gauzy wings with all the pretty airs and graces of live flirts,. The scene ended by the magician taking a small pearl box out of bis bosom, openiog it, and holding it towards the butterflies. They seemed to observe tbe downy cotton with which tbo box was liDod, and in circling curves they moved towards it, and crouched down with wings still outspread upon the dainty couch prepared forthem. The juggler closed the box at once, and as he did co we saw seated upon the top a live canary that carolled forth sweet songs until its little throat seemed ready to split, as if striving to compensate for the departure of our butterfly favorites. Suddenly tbe song of joy was changed into piercing notes that betokened horror or alarm, and we saw at the conjuror's feet a deadly cobra coiled as if to spring, and with its glaring eyes fixed upon the bird, tbat seemed spell-bound to the Bpot, either too frightened or fascinated to move. The man waited until the snake was in the act of springing, and then, with a few words spoken in low, musical tones, and a gentle droning movement of his hand, he seemed to throw the cobra into the same trance-like state that the bird had evinced, while the latter roused up and flaw eagerly into the juggler's bosom, which had been opened for its reception. From this same capacious receptacle, apparently unexhausted in its resources, was drawn out another cobra, aod after allowing them lime to make each other's acquaintance, sometimes exciting tbem to anger, and again soothing to quietude by his soft words and droning motions, the juggler wrapped them around bis neck and arms, and stood with exultant pride, allowing tbem to touch his nose, the tip of his tongue, and in one instance, the pupil of his eye, with their vibrating tongues. But all the while he held a small lute in his hand, and when words seemed to fail he played a few notes on the instrument, which soon reduced the reptiles to a state of quiescence. After performing various daring feats with them, to show the audience tbat the snakes had in no way been mutilated, he threw a large chicken between them. Both struck at it, and it died in about five minutes. — American paper. , - 1 —