AUXILIARY PHiE BRIGADE DINNER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 233, 30 October 1876, Page 4

AUXILIARY PHiE BRIGADE DINNER.

The annual dinner of the above Brigade took place at their Hall, the Port, on Friday evening. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair, supported on the right by Captain Orarrard of the Auxiliary Brigade, and on the left by Captain Lightfoot of the Parent Brigade. The room was profusely decorated with flags and evergreens, which gave it a very pretty appearance The catering had been entrusted to Mrs Hamilton, and it was got up in excellent style, reflecting no little credit on that lady, it was to be regretted that there was such a small muster of members, of the Brigade, almost one-third being absent. ° After full justice had been done to the good things provided, the usual loyal and patriotic toasts were gone through. < The Chairman then gave the toast of ' His Excellency the Governor," remarking that if ever that gentleman thought fit to visit Aelson again he.woulclbe made welcome. Song—" The Wonderful Crocodile."— Mr Akersten. The Chairman proposed "The Members of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives." The session had been protracted owing to the obstructions offered by some of the members of tlie Lower House. Several measures had been brought forward which he believed would prove beneficial to the whole of the colony." Song—" Blue-tailed Ply."— Mr Duckett. Mr Bannebr gave the toast of the " Army, ■Navy, and Volunteers," It was unnecessary for him to say much, for he would only travel over old ground. He would couple \ the toast with tbe name of Mr Duckett, an old soldier who had smelt powder on the heights of Balaclava. Mr Duckett responded for the Army by singing the " Red, White, and Blue." Mr W. Simpson [replied on behalf of the Navy aud Volunteers. [Next in importance to the Pire Brigade as a volunteer body was the Naval Brigade. He had heard it remarked that since the placing of the " infants " of the Naval Brigade on the Boulder Bank residents at the port had slept much sounder. In proportion to the population he believed that the volunteer force in New Zealand was quite equal to, if not better than, the force in the old country. Song — "The true-born Englishman."— Captain Garrard. Mr Moor proposed the health of tbe Mayor and City Council. They were a body that had always done their best to administer the public estate, and, considering the very limited amount of funds at their disposal, had done great things. Song—" Yankee Varieties," Mr Pilkington. His Worship tbe Mayor thanked those present for the mamier in which they had drunk the last. The Council had hitherto worked energetically, and be hoped tbe day v/as far distant when they would receive payment. It would be a bad job when they got any pay for their services. A more energetic body of men than the present Council could not exist, and no trouble seemed to be too great for them. Mr Akersten proposed "The Parent Brigade." In a few eulogistic words he said it was a good thing that a body of men could be got together, ready to sacrifice time aud pleasure for the purpose of putting out fires. He regretted that differences of opinion had lately existed between the two Brigades, but hoped that they would pull together. Captain Lightfoot returned thanks. As the last speaker remarked, differences of opinion did exist between the two companies and no one regretted it more thau be did. The bad feeling was not between the officers, but among two or three of the mien, but if ever a fire broke out, that would be cast aside and both Brigades would pull harmoniously together. He hoped that next year when the annual dinners came round the two Brigades would be together. Captain Lightfoot proposed the " Town and Trade of Nelson." it was rather a bad toast at any time to propose. At the present time things were rather dull, owing perhaps to the very little money Nelson had got from the General Government, but she bad always kept herself above water, aud perhaps would come out best in the long run. Mr Akersten responded. He briefly referred to the advantages Nelson possessed as a shipping port, which no other place in the colony could boast of. He also touched upon the enormous wealth that was lying at Massacre Bay, and which only required money to develope it. Nelson was destined to fill a high place in New Zealand aud he hoped the day was not far distant. Song — "Bonnie Dundee " — Mr Bannebr. Captain Garrard, in a few felicitous sentences proposed the health of " the Ladies," which Air Simpson, as the only single man present, responded to in appropriate words. Song— "When the kye comes hame." — Mr Nicholls. Captain Lightfoot gave the toast of the {( Auxiliary Pire Brigade." They had always turned up at a fire in town very quickly considering the long distance they had to travel. Captain Garrard, in responding, referred briefly to the purposes for which they had been banded together, and hoped that they would continue to be supported by the City Council, and Insurance offices, and others. Song— "Alarch Away"— His Worship the Mayor. Several other toasts were proposed and respondedto, but the limited space at our disposal will not permit us to refer to them. During the evening several capital songs were sung, accompanied by Air Oakey wlio presided at the piano with his usual felicity. The company broke up about midnight by singing "Auld Lang Syne," and " God save the Queen," after having spent a most pleasant evening. Thero is said to be much talk in American scientific circles about the Keely motor. Mr Keely, a working man, declares that by means of a machine which he has invented he can, without the use of fuel, and by merely turning a handle, generate outof water a vapour so much more powerful than steam that witb a gallon of water he can drive a heavy train from Philadelphia to San Francisco; and with a hogshead he could impel a Cunard steamer from Liverpool to New York against a continuous westerly gale. The inventor, it is stated, has induced Mr Collier, a patent solicitor, to examine into the matter, who was so struck with what he saw that he got a s^n'ifi'.' raMn l 0 examine it. Both agitaj thai Keely -id actually produce e_.tr_or.iiu_i y results, but ihey could not tell how ihes_rcßultß were obsained. Tne Chief Engineer of the Uoited Stales Wavy, who wituesseii theexpt-ri ment was tqualiy assumed that the .thing was actually done, but equally at a loss to exulaiu the doing ot it. Mr Collier then formed a company iv New Yoik. A small capital for cairyin^ out the preliminary experiments wt.t laised. Mr Keely is said to have refused to receive a cent until the worL it.ci bee*- thoroughly couvinced of the reality of his invention, and until patents have been secured in every country. Well done, Keely J

In sentencing a prisoner at Gloucester Assizes, Mr Justice Grove said that intemperance had destroyed large numbers of people, and at its present rate of increase would in time destroy tbe country itself. He characterised aa rubbish the cry of "robbing a poor man of of his beer," and held that intoxicating drink was totally uncessary. The Jeioish Chronicle states that Mr SimoD, of Bradford is engaged in the noble experiment of establishing, at hia own expense, a convalescent home for . those whose means are limited, but who can yet afford to pay a small sum for their maintenance while staying in such an institution. A Jump at a Conclusion.—Geraldine : "You sha'ot be my aunt: you shall be my sister." Aunt Anne : "No. I am your papa's Bister, and so I must be your aunt." Geraldine (after a pause): " Then, was papa my uncle before he was married?" — Punch. The Late Hot Weather.— Traveller (bedtime, thermometer 100 0 I) : " Waiter, go' sh'ch a thing as a warm-iu'-pan ?" Waiter (astounded) : " A warming-pan, sir!" Traveller: "And 'got any ice ? " Waiter : " Ice, sir ? Yessir ! " Traveiller : " Then teli 'chamb'maid to run a pan of ice through my bed, and let mo have my candle. I'll turn in ! "—Punch. A correspondent of the London Live Stock Journal writes : — " I have this year tried the plan of hatching hens' eggs with turkeys, and find it an admirable one, Iv fact, it has quenched a longing I entertained to possess an incubator, and in future I hope always to use the foolish birds that will bring out brood after brood of chicks, and far from tiring of the confinement, \ eeem only too well pleased when they find a fresh nest full of eggs, and grow fat and glossy as well. Not so foolish, perhaps, after all; ior the weather was very cold, and I fed them well and kept them Bnug and warm. I set them early iv January, and kept them sitting for over three mouths. I removed the chi.keDS at. once on being hatched, aod have biou^ht thera al! up (about 130) under one of Mrs Chtshire's artificial mothers. "Admirable" mothers I think they should be called, and I hope while I rear chickens never to uee any other. My first broods proved to be fully ihree-fourths pullets. Up to April 24, ihoujih very severe weather, I ouly loss 6tven out of very nearly 100 chicks " Thb Charivari recently had a caricjiture iv which a iurious-looking Bashi-Ba_ouk is represented in the act of claaviug a o-.bild in twain with an uplifted sword. Aooiher child lies flat on the ground just beneath. In the distance a pole, or lance, is beiog driven through some one else on the ground by another Bushi Bazouk. Europe is looking on quite calmly, and has a pair of spectacles in her right hand, which she holds behind her. Beneath are the words: — "My dear madam, it is really time for you to put on your glaeses." A clever American has patented a noveity in playing - cards. Io the " Globe Pack," as it is called, tho cards are round, which gives an increased indestructibility and an ease in handling, shuffling, and dealing, such ac is now to be attained only by long practice. Besides this, the number of' colors has been increased to four, printed as follows:—" Hearts, red; diamonds, yellow; clubs, green; spades, black, Ihus rendering the suits more easily discernible ; and in addition the rim of each card has near its edge a number of numerals, printed in the proper color, so that without seeing the rest of the card ite suit and value are known at once. Liverpool has just welcomed a hero | of one cf those useless acts of daring which human nature occasionally breaks out into, and against which it is hard to cay anything, evincing as they do a great deal of those admirable qualit:_B, pluck and determination. A Dane named Alfred Johnsen has just performed a solitary voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat named the Centennial, twenty feet long; she is decked over, and carries one mast, and could set a mainsail, two jibs, and a Bquaresail. Johnsen left Gloucester, Massachuasets, on the 18th of June, and arrived at Liverpool on the 21st of August. The voyage does not appear to have been a very pleasent trip. In addition to haviug all his provisions spoiled by sea water, he was once capsized in a heavy gale, and remained dinging to the bottom of the boat for twenty minutes, when another seastruck her, and he succeeded in righting her. The average run during the voyage he estimates at seventy miles a day. In reply to the question whether he would like to repeat the experiment, he said that "he had had about enough of it." This remark is about the most sensible thing in the whole proceeding.