The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 139, 12 June 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1874.

The Lady Bird was wenther-bound yesterday at Wellington, where it was blowing a heavy gale, and consequently will not arrive here until to-morrow morning. Perseverance Company.— At the adjourned meeting of shareholders held last night, it was resolved by a large majority to wind up the Company as speedily ds possible. Educational. — Tho election took place at the Court- House to-day of four membeis to seive on the Local Committee of Education, in tho place of Messrs Wigzell, D. Burns, R. Burn, and Webster, wbo retired, but were eligible /or re-election. The chair was taken by the Rev D. Dolamore. The following nominations were made : — Mr Percy proposed and Mr D. Burns seconded, Mr^Wigzell; Mr Hibble proposed and Mr Cother seconded, Mr D. Burns; Mr G. Blick proposed and. Mr F. Spear seconded, Mr Packer ; Mr Levestam proposed and Mr Smallbone seconded, Mr Webster;,' Mr Dodson proposed and Mr Pollock seconded, Mr R. Burn; Mr Packer proposed and Mr G. Blick seconded, Mr Beihwaite. The show of hands resulted in the reelection of the retiring members, the numbers being:— Wigzell 22, R. Burn 19, D. Burns 18, Webster 15, Befbwaite 7, Packer 4. There was a very small attendance, and very little interest appeared to be taken in tbe proceedings. The late fire in Auckland, according to tbe Herald, has shown the reverse or unfavorable side of corrugated iron, which is now so generally adopted in building. It might have been observed (our contemporary remarks) that corrugated iron, whether for partitions or 6ide walls, or roofing, is even worse than timber. Wood must burn through before the flames can reach beyond, but sheet iron, as soon as it becomes heated, curls up and exposes the contents of n store or room to the full fury of the flames. A fire attended with sad loss of life occurred recently at the residence of Robert Ellis, Bailey-streor, Clunes, Victoria. The dwelling consisted of four rooms and a detached kitchen. At 11 o'clock, Mrs Ellis, servant, and three children retired to bed. The iatber was absent down the town. The girl waa awakened by the children who sleptnyth her. In the excitement and endeavdrto assist Mrs EHw (Jab is sickly) out'-of the house, theXQhildren were forgotten, and the flames gftt^uch mastery over tlh^ujidiDg that all l_ujbsequent endeavors to rescue them were fruitless. The poor children were literally roasted alive. The building being on old structure of wood, burned with great fierceness, and the supply of water was comparatively small. A correspondent of the Independent states that Henare Matua, an influential Maori chief, intends starling a newspaper in the native language at Wellington. The plunt and machinery are on the way. Two thousand pounds have bean subscribed for the purpose, and contributions aruK-still coming, in. From the following it will le s^en that boiler-making is carried od to 1 a great extent in Auckland :— Au immense boiler 25ft long by sft in diameter, constructed by Mr" Yeoman, of that city, for Bull's Battery at the Thames, was brought to the wharf this morning, and at high water rolled off into the water to.be towed to tbe Thames." A Swiss author, Alphonse de Candolle, in a recently published book, says that the growth of the English speaking people ia so rapid in proportion to those who speak other languages that within a century the English-speaking races in the United Kingdom, the Australian Colonies, and the United States will number eight hundred and sixty millions, while tbe German-speaking people will be only one hundred and twenty-four millions, and those speaking ' French will num-bejßfonly about sixty 'minions, or^ one person who speaks Fiench for every twelve or thirteen who speak English throughout the world. It is sincerely to be hoped that during the , 4^ ning oeu^ r V tjje^fforts of our Noah Websters arid Richard Grant Whites will have so far perfected the language that itß educated users may not be dumfounded with its current corruption. Wh take the following* from the* Star :— lt iVjußt*|osßil& 1

that a very important future might be in store for Now Zealand flax by . its application to a purpose which would leave a fair profit, and points to other purposes to which the plant might be practically applied. A company has lately been formed at home with the object of manufacturing telegraph cables. It is understood that the groundwork of their operations is the alleged power of Manilla hemp to resist decomposition or destruction by the influence of sea water. The cable, ! it is said, has simply to be covered ' with gutta-percha, and the gutta-percha with Manilla hemp— a process which should save the most costly part in the expenditure in material in the shape of iron sheathing. We understand that the Commissioner of Telegraphs in this colony has directed that experiment should be tried with New Zealand flax with a view of ascertaining how, as compared with Manil.'a hemp, it is capable of resisting destruction by salt water. Even the great financier, Mr Vogel, ! is sometimes wrong in his calculations, and gets a hint that fate is occasionally | too strong for him. We quote the ! following little romance from a fcountry contemporary : — • 'A good story- comes from Wellington. The hifcn ,*._the Premier last week received a leash- of pheasants from Auckland, Great in pastry as in public works, he designed a pie which should be game to the core. Peter Laing's skill in carrying out great designs is well known. To bim the pheasants were sent, and by bim tho pie was constructed. The hour of consummation and dinner at length arrived. The Premier, with one or two select friends, enjoyed sparingly their fish and soup, and with appetites wetted but not dull were ready for the great work. It looked peculiar, the top was frosted; still there could be no doubt. The pheasants had come from Auckland, and there was the pie. This was no dinner a la Russe. The Premier himself drove home the knife. Could it be ? Alas ! It was but too true. The pie was apple. Certain clerks in Government employ, who sometimes , get a fruit tait from Laing's, enjoyed day a feast ihey had not ordered.'" A Judge of Music— Our neighbor Chubb. (says Max Adeler) has not much of an ear ior music, but he has spent a considerable sum in having his daughter taught how to hammer a piano, and he is proud of her accomplishments. He was talking with us over the fence the other dayj^^en a series of dreadful sounds caroefrom his piano through the open parlor window. Presently Chubb remarked, "D'you hear tbat, Adeler? Just listen to that, will you ? That's what I call music." Then there were a few additional bangs on the instrument, a flourish or two, and then more discordant thumping. "Splendid, isn't it?" said Chubb. ~ Mary Jane's bustin' the musio right out of that machine, you observe. Them's the Strauss waltzes, I believe, she's rastlin' with now. Just listen." We remarked that from the energy displayed, Mary Jane at least seemed to be really in earnest. But whether she was treating Mr Strauss exactly right was an open question. "I don't know nothio' about music, Adeler," observed Chubb, " but I ken tell tbe real thing when I hear it, and I kin sit and hear Mary Jane play them waltzes and the Maiden's Prayer ' until it makes me cry like a child.' We asserted tbat, if she played those compositions as she was doing now, it wonld make anybody cry. A deaf mute would shed tears. ' Listen to that now, will you ? " exclaimed Chubb, as a wild tumult of sound came from the parlor, " Isn't that splendid ? If I didn't know it was Mary Jane a- tear in' around among them waltzes, I'd think it was one of them fellers who play at the concerts. Let's go over anel hear her." We entered the house and sought the parlor. Mary Jane was nowhere to be seen, but, to the infinite disgust of Chubb, there was a red-haired man, with a fist as big a loaf of bread, tuning the piano. Chubb asked ua not to tell anybody, and we won't, 'it is related here in confidence, and must go no further. "There is one good thing about, babies," said a recent traveller; " they never change. We have girls of the> period, men of the world; but the baby is the same self-possessed, fearlesß, laughing, voracious little heathen in all ages and in all countries." The people of Raglan, near Ballarat, have lately been greatly exercised by the occurreuce of several mysterious cases of incendiarism. The last was a Mr Pilcher having his fruit trees cut down, his stack set on fire, and his second son knocked down when attempting to arrest the supposed offender^ and afterwards shot at, two of the bullets having been extracted from the door-post of the stable. The police were communicated with, and the information obtained by them was all through this son, bat no trace could be discovered as to who the perpetrator was. The public had almost forgotten the matter, wben the police discovered some little discrepancies between the stories told by him and by other members of the family ; suspicion waß . aroused and at last fell upon the son in question, who was at once arrested; whereupon he voluntarily coufessed that he was tho author of the whole of the misfortunes his father had been subject to, and no one had assisted him. When questioned as to his motive, he replied he did not know what made him doVit. When arrested at home the father, offered a stout resistance to the police, and would not believe bis son had any hand in the affair, but rather praised

him for his exertions in always being the first to discover when these occurrences took place, calling bim " a little hero," &c. His age is fifteen years. Tbe following story of tbo ruling passion Btrnng in life is told by tbe Ballarat Evening Post: — "A enuke some 3ft. in length bad been killed by some woodcutters in the neighborhood and thrown across a fence, where it was espied by Mrs , who was at once struck with a hoppy thought. Her left arm was bound up in a handkerchief, and securing the dead body of the venomous reptile she rushed into Beaufort, describing how she bad been bitten, but had succeeded in despatching tbo snak". Brandy was at once administered freely as an antidote, and tbis wns repeated at so many hotels in the place that Mrs — — at length subsided by the wayside oblivious to everything. When the trick was discovered general indignation was expressed by those who had so readily administered the 'antidote,' and if tbeir word is to be taken, it will require more thnn the production of a black snake to excite their generosity again." A recent case of garotting in Sydney is thus described by the Sydney Morning Herald : — At about a quarter before 10 o'clock on Tuesday night, Mr Joseph Thompson, of Potts Point, was garotted by two men ae he was walking towards his residence along tbe footpath in Macleay-street, near Orwell-street. The pressure upon the unfortunate gentleman's throat and back was so tight as at once to deprive him ot consciousness. The robbers tbdk bia watch and trinkets, his key?, and his purse, but the articles Jast named were recovered. Mr Thompson hss suffered injuries of a very painful character, and is at present confined to his room; but. it is hoped tbat tbe hurts inflicted will be amenable to medical treatment. It is concluded, from the dexterous and expeditious manner in which the assault was committed, tbat the scoundrels were adepts io this department of crime, and until they are accounted for by the police, people will do well to keep oo the alert. Persons assailed by perpetrators of outrogesof this kind are completely powerlees for defence when once in the grip of an experienced garotter; and as an example of the speed and noiseleesness with which the crime can be carried out, we may mention that in this instance there were persons in Macleny-street, witbin a stone's throw of tbe ecene of tbo scuffle, who had no idea of what was taking place. A Ballarat paper says that a case of some interest to cricketers was heard in the local county court on the 29th ultimo. A lad named Burke sued another named Ward for tho sum of £50, as damages for an accident by which a stick thrown by Ward eo severely injured oue of Burke's eyes ns to destroy its sight. Both boys were concerned in a cricket match, Burke being one of the " iu " side, and Ward a "scout" on the side of the field; and the caße turned upon whether Burke, being one of the " ins." had a right to be in the " play " where be received the injury. Judge Rogers decided that be had no right there, and gave a verdict to defendant. A stolid old farmer talks thus about his sons : — From 16 to 20 tbey knew more than he did; at 25 they knew as much; at 30 Ihey were willing to hear what he bad to say; at 35 they asked his advice; and he thinks when they get to be 40 that they will actually acknowledge that the old man does know something. A sema^rhat singular discovery was accidentally^made recently by a gentleman of Buni^yong. The Ballarat Courier reporlß^hat some time ago he bought at an auction eale of drapery a piece of printed flannel, the embellishment of which consisted of a variety of fruit?, flowers, aud foliage, depicted in flaming colors on the material. Ha had the stnff made into a number of shirts to be worn next to tßejakiu. In course of time he discovered, to bis utter astonishment, tbat the floral decoration of the under garment had transferred •itself on to the form of his own person ,A mild application of soap and water ■was at first employe 1 to remove tbe objectionable adornments ; but these .proving futile, recourse was had to mord stringent measurep, iu the\shape of strbng suds, vigorously appiiejP with a scrubbing brush. But the obnoxious tatooing only showed itself .in higher relief. \ln this dilemma the chemist was consulted, who recommended tho application of acid and alkali and other agents used for discoloration. The excruciating pain caused by. these Experiments was endured witb becom"ingibrXjtude. The result, however, Ws Bcarcferj^com mens wtfte,.- with the |l*Mr inflicted, tne^Qnly afcarant «lvaugained being that thi blue chlnged \o red, and the green to blue. The unfortunate man is now off to Geelong to try what a change of air and sea bathing will do. \ 4t is by no means an imqCfcmon thing to shake a child for-. being naughty but that it is a dangerous and barborous mode of punishment is proved by the following facts, recorded by a Castlemain ..paper : — A child of a\bt>uL two years and a half old waa brougfttMnto the township in an apparently paralysed and certainly dying condition. It seem©* that tho little one was seated at table in her father's bouse, and became a little rebellious; quarrelling with her j- sister about $ plljteF '$he mother interpreted to restore pfeo*?, and punished [ the little two year'ola by a box on the

ear. Tim failing to produco quietness, tbe mother took up tho little thing and shook her smartly. After tbis the child became speechless aud senseless, lying inert, and in a setni-oon3cious condition. As she eiomed powerless and really ill the fnt'ier brought her in to the doctnr, only to learn that the o.Lily was dying from the injury, which had dislocated her ne^k. It ia staled tbat no unusual violence was used, aud the occurrence seems purely accidental. The mother is moet affectionate and attached to her children. A timber-cetter shot a blackfellow on Frazer's Island the other day, and the blacks brought up newß of tbe occurrence. Tho ser^oa'at in aims sent, with commendable promptitude, two constables to enquire into the case, and to arrest the white man. It appeared quite evident that the shooting-.was justifiable, and that the white man fired in defeu'cc ofLhis life, the blackfellow having come- at night to his (Leary's) hu% occupied by his wife and bim. elf, and demanded all the rations in the place. On his refusing, and attempting to shut the door \n tbe black's face, the latter threw his spear at him, pieroing his shirt, and be at once took down bis gun aod fired. Kven then the black made a rush at bim and with one blow of his nulla, bent the barrel and broke the stock of the discharged gun, which its owner raised to parry tbe blow. The black then turned away, and as was afterwards found, dropped and died a short dis.aneo from the but. 'Iho dead blackfellow waa an individual batter k;;own than liked in this neighborhood. He had made several visits to St. Helena for robbery, and on one occasion felled a policeman with bis nulla in the streets of Maryborough. — Queenslander. A very large gathering of ladies and gentlemen assisted, on 19th February, at tho Cannon Street Hotel, at a pleasant expetiment in " testing," principally by consuming, the produce of a new Bervice of meat eupply which promises to give auimal food at greatly less than half the usual prices. On the tables in the Great Hall the company found laid out, cooked in regular form, geese, turkeys, chickens, and the prime parts of lamb, but mutton and beef were not included in tbe menu, because a like '* experiment" hud been made on the previous week regarding those essentials of a food eupply. An abundant «* testing," and more thon tasting was made on the part of the visitors, nil of whom pronounced tbe viands equal to ony to be obtained in tbe English market. The dinner over, a meeting was held, Mr Christie, C.8., occupying the chair. Dr Baxter Lingley then explained that the meat and poultry of which the visitors had partaken, with game which had been '' tested " by tbe directors of the Colonial and Foreign Meat Supply Company, were consigned to that company from the banks of tbe Dauube, where, ho stated, th«-re was such an inexhaustible supply that contracts were offered the company at present prices. The first cost of mutton was 2J a pound, aud its carriage and packing would bring it to 3^i; geese were absut 2s 3d each; turkeys, 2s 91 each; and chickens, 66. each. Trausylvanian honey, too, he said could ba brought here for 8J a pound, aod some excellent produce of Hungarian bees passed sucesefullv tbe most crucial criticism. Mr Schroder answered some questions, and stated that the food was brought in ice, of which there was an abundance in the country where the food was raised, but the mode of package was such that the ice did not come" in contact with the food, which, therefore came to the consumer's hands in condition as if just killed. . lb. the result the meeting testified thai the produce laid before it wns in every way excellent, and thanked the company for the prospect of practically solving the difficult problem as to the means of supplying our huge population witb an abundant supply of food at a cost greatly below the present prices. A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings. — London Times. The " Earl and tbe Doctor" were in everybody's mouth a short while back, in connection witb their work entitled "South Sea Bubbles." The Earl ia now a British Minister, namely. Under Secretary of War. Tbe Spectator writes: — The appointment is a curious one, Lord Pembroke being only twentyfour, having np experrwice of war, and being known chiefly <Jt>y an indiscreet book about the 6a,uth Sea Islands, for which, however, DKKingsl&y^ may be mainly resposible. fire is^however, tbe eldes{ son of Sydney Herbert, is v said to show Jbarked promise of strength, aud is, at all events, as competent as Lord George Hamilton. Mr Disraeli says that youth is genius, and apparently believes it, for next to his selection of men 6f business, the most marked featur^of his Ministry is his desire to pick out boys of promise. We do not know tbat we object. After all, England will want governing thirty years hence, and the fashion of looking on men of fifty as rising youngsters fit for Under Secretaryships is fatal to the creation of any class of statesmen. If Mr Dirsaeli's new men only succeed, the party will have chiefs who can work for a generation. It is not alone as fuel that timber trees are valued for their usefulness. We can no longer find oak for shipbuilding, but teak is a good substitute, and when the teak forests are gone — and they are going fast — some other suitable timber will probably be found. It cannot be doubted, however, that the increased cost of coal will considerably

affect the shipbuilding trade, and the employment of iron will diminish, and timber be more largely employed than ever. This is a matter of immense importance to a maritime nation with such a commerce aa we carry on, for tbe consumption of coal bears direct relation to tho employment of iron, and/ fiscoa! and irou pass out of u.o, there will follow an increased consumption of timber, both for fuel and constructive pui poser. Ic is a question if we conld find in the whole country at the present time sufficient home-grown timber of suitable quality to provide the furnishing of a couple Of Eoglish cathedrals, as we usually Gnd those edifices furnished, with screens^ and pulpits, and stalls of carved oak of finest texture, and apparently imperishable. There are* l innumerable uses for timber tbat admit of no substitute, nnd it, might ranke a sensitive pereon shudder to eee tho extensive employment of Memel blocks/ for pavements in the City of London fit the present time, ond the shipping of sleepers to the Gold Coast, where it is impossible to construct a railway, and tho logs are not needed for firewood., It requires but a fety sears to groar poles, and not^many toAgrow planks, where soil and climate are suitable, and yet there cannot be a" doubt that inall the regions of the earth where human industry aud civilisation havo acquired power to influence the aspect of nature, timber is cousumed at a more rapid rate than it is produced,, and heuce the tendency is towards scarcity. A proper knowledge of the uses of timber would suggest the necessity aod tbe means of its conservation and increns», and the cultivation and diffusion of such knowledge might tend to the averting, or, at least tho mitigating, of disasters tbat appear not only possible but probable, and less distant than a sanguine view of the case would encourage, — Gardener's Magazine. ' A Philadelphia^japper gives an ac-. count of " the champion member -df societies," who " belongs to four hundred and thirty-two organisations of various kinds, and is tbe custodian of one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four signs, grips, and pass-words " There are few thioga ao difficult to acquire as self-possession in addressing I an audience if a man does not happen / to have it naturally; and in this particular case the anxiety of bim who means to mnke au essay as a Parliamentary speaker is indefinitely heightened by tbe knowledge tbat tbe House of Commons is tbe most critical, unsympathetic, and ridicule-loving assembly in tbe world. Here windy rhetoric, and ad captandum appeale, and " bunkum" of al! sorts are detected off-hand by a whole houseful of gentlemen, most of whom are tbomselyes quite capable of using tbe?e orntorial arts wben occasion demnnds. There nre men who would rather ride another Bilaklava charge than face tba laughter of the Lower House; and there are few indeed who meet with that reception ou their first endeavoring to obtain a bearing wbo bave the courage, like Mr Disraeli, to turn upon their assailants and challenge the future to decide between them.-, Ordinarily the position of a member of the House of Commons is, for a considerable time at least, pretty well fixed by his maiden speech, and the occasional is therefore a critical one. — Daily News.