YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 117, 17 May 1878, Page 2

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

This Association was inaugurated last night bv a tea meeting in the Society's rooms, when over 450 persons sat down to a good substantial tea, many of the tables being supplied and presided oTer by ladies who took an interest in tne movement. After the tea, which passed off very pleasautly, a public meeting wai held in the Provincial Hall (kiadly placed at the disposal of the Association by the Colonial Secretary), and the Rev. Mr Rouse, of Richmond, was voted to the chair. The meeting was opened by singing by the Evangelistic choir, and a prayer offered up by the Rev. S. Ironside, of Victoria. The Chairman, in his opening remarks, expressed his pleasure at being present at the opening meeting ef such an Association, though to be in the chair was a position in which he very unexpectedly found himself, in fact, he had hoped to seat himself in a quiet corner, and to enjoy listening to the excellent speeches he felt sure would be made, without speaking himself. Ho hoped j

the Association would be thecommencement of a movement having for its end the depositing of the last public-house signboard in a museum. Mr. \Y. Price, the Hon. Secretary, after reading letters from the Bishop of Nelson, the Ven Archdeacon Thorpe, and the Rev. Mr Hamilton, expressing their regret at being unable to attend, "made a statement explanatory of the object and aim of the Association, and then read the articles of the constitution, which provides for the spiritual, intellectual, and social improvement of the members, the annual subscription being 10s for tqose over 18 years of age, and 5s for those under. The Itev. j. Beckentiam was gliid to find that there was some little opposition to the formation of the Association, as it would be like the passing cloud which made the sunshine all the brighter afterwards, and so this Association would, on account of the opposition, Shine out more brightly and clearly before the world, and he hoped that uot only Nelson, but all New Zealand would feel the good effects of the Nelson Y.M.CA. A friend of his thought Nelson was only good for fiuding wives for gentlemen in other parts of the colon}' ; only let them be Christian wives, and their influence would be very great. In his opinion, prevention was better than cure, and this Association was established to prevent young men forming evil habits and getting into bad company by providing a comfortable place to go to, where they could read the papers and good books, i and be free from all evil influences. He j concluded by announcing that the collection amounted to over £7. The l*ev Mr Ironside congratulated himself upon having arrived in Nelson in time for that meeting. Beautiful, healthy, happy Nelson. He knew of no place in the wide world so lovely as Nelson, where he had spent six of the happiest years of his life. ' All that it waufced was that which they had i now formed, a Young Men's Christian Association. Every city of any size had one. • Melbourne and Sydney had their splendid buildings, Auckland and Wellington had their Y.M.C.A.'s, and soon it would be difficult to find a town without such an institution. He regretted the absence of the Bishop of Nelson, and thought his Lordship would not have lowered his episcopal dignity j one iota by presiding at such a meeting, but rather have added to it, and ho hoped some little bird would let his Lordship know this opinion of him. JThe good lady of the Bishop of Melbourne thought it not beunath her dignity to lay the foundation stono of the splendid premises of the Y.M.CA. there, nor did his Lordship think that he was any the worse for being present on that occasion, but the reverse. H« concluded by ;wishing the Association every success, and hoped that its progress would be upward, onward, heavenward. On the invitation of the Rev J. Beckenham j£2B in sums of from 5s to £2 were promised towards securing the rooms now temporarily occupied by the Association, making the total receipts of the day nearly £60. Votes of thanks to Mr Stantou for lending the organ and to | the chairman closed the proceedingg. By some mistake votes of thanks to the ladies and friends who helped to make the meeting a success by their contributions and by their presence and sympathy, and to the choir for the prominent; and pleasing part they took in the proceedings were forgotten, but the Committee desire to express their gratitude, aad trust that the omission to express it at the public meeting will be pardoned.

The Taraiiaki News says :— Mr B. Short, the agent of the Australian Mutual Provident Society has left for the North, after effecting 175 insurances, involving an aggregate sum of £50,000. Norway will send to the Paris Exhibition some fish skins tanned for gloves, eelskins prepared for harness, shark skins over tea feet long aud three feet wide ; and whale skins nearly sixty feet Jong, for driving bands A schooner was two days out from one of the South Sea Islands when a sailor wcut up to shift the gaff topsail tack over. He had reached the doubling: of tbe main mast when he discovered coiled around it a huge auake. The man scudded along to the peak halyard, followed at a more leisurely pace by the reptile. Ono of the mates, seeing the man's danger, seized a piece of wire rope, ran up the rigging, and attacking tha reptile in the rear succeeded in killing it. It measured over 12ft long. With regard to the English fleet being expected to enter the Dardanelles, the correspondent of the Melbourne Argus wrote from Constantinople prior to the entry:— "A vast crowd waited for them, and some ardent spirits who had mounnted to the top of the Galata Tower declared that they could see the ships approaching. As the dav wore on and no fleet appeared rumors of disaster was spread. It was said that the forts had driven the fleet back with the loss of two ships. At length the Levant Herald brought out another supplement, and then the poor admiral of the port and the consular official* went home crestfallen and took off the garments of state in which they had waited through the weary day. Next day the walls of Pera and Stamboul were literally placarded with the following notice : — Lost. Between Besika and Constantinople. A Bbitisii Fleet I A handsome reward will be given to any one who will find this lleet and bring it home ! Your readers will understand that under these circumstances the English residents are in rather an unfortunate position. They are pelted with jokes and chaff, and are half wild under the ridicule that has been cast upon them.' Lord Beaconsfield is watching the varying phases of the eastern question with an acutely personal interest, writes Mayjair, It is no secret that the Premier has longdesired to retire from office. It was only at the personal solicitation of the Queen that he modified his determination, taken at the end of the season of 1876, and continued to hold office while seeking the benefit of the calmer atmosphere and the earlier hours at the House of Lords. The arrangement was recognised as temporary, and was in furtherance of a determination to " see the Eastern question through." The Eastern questern has since then branched out in various surprising directions. But the Premier in steadfast to his determination, aud now looks forward to the issue of the comiDg Congress as a mile-stone, after passing which he may sit down and rest. As far as personal inclination is concerned, he would gladly seek immediate relief from the burden of office, which just now falls with unusual weight upon him, owing to the departure of his alter ego, Mr Corry (His Lordship's private secretary). But of course he cannot resign while his policy is still unfulfilled. He is looking forward to the splendid hope of closing his political career contenporaneously with what he regards a3 the only possible settlement of the ! Eastern question. San Francisco, the capital of California, which in 1815 was a village with only 100 inhabitants, contained a population of 150,000 ten years ago, and in 1872 the census showed that it numbered 178,275 souls. Four years later, upon March 1, 1876, the population had j increased to 301,020, which was at the rate of 30,686 per annum during the four years. ! It is estimated that at the present date San < Francisco contains at least 330,000 inhabitants. The number of Chinese living in : San Francisco has risen to 42,000 so I that the white population of the city is rather ! less tfcan 290,000.

■ A, little girl suffering from the miinips de dares that she " feels as though a headache had slipped down into her neck." The German Government has taken up the subject of perambulators, and is dealing actively with the question. It has approached tt, however, from an hygienic point of view. Perambulators are popular iu Berlin, but a remarkable mortality has occurred, or at least a delicacy, among the children who use them Medical men took up the subject, and the Board of Public Health, ordered au inquiry. The age and the color turned out to be a matter of some importance Perambulators with us are generally dark green, or brown, or maroea. In Germany the fashionable color is light grey, and the stuff is almost invariably American cloth. V> r hen this grey eloth was subjected to analysis it was found to be hearily impregnated with lead. More than 42 per cent of its whole weight was lead, and on burning a little bit of the stuff it rolled off ia drops The cause of death or delicacy was no longer a matter of doubt The commissioners, however, continued their investigation, and ascertained when the cloth is new the danger is least. It i» only when wind or weather detaches the outer surface or skin of the cloth that the poison begins to act. Then it becomes very active; for it both enters the lungs with the air that is inhaled, and it fills the pores of the skin by settling on the face and hands in an impalpable dust. On the river Ganges (says a military journalist) there are many quicksands, and, during our expedition, a somewhat distressing scene happened. An elephant incautiously cama within the vortex of one; first one foot sank, tb.6n another; and, iu endeavoring to extricate himself, matters became worse; no portion of either of his legs was at last visible, and the by-standers had given up the poor animal as lost Being, fortunately, unusually powerful, he several times, with what appeared to be almost supernatural strength, drew a foot from the closely-clinging earth, and placed it where, by sounding with his trunk, he found the most solidity; not until the third time did the ground bear his pressure, wheu he gradually released himself. During the whole period of his troubles his cries were exceedingly dolorous, and might have been heard a couple of miles ; his grunt, when they were at an end, was equally indicative of satisfaction. The internal application of a bottle of strong spirits soon dissipated his trembling and restored his equanimity. Many unfortunate elephants are lost in these treacherous sands, when large quantities of grass or branches of trees are not at hand to form an available support for them. After a certain time the poor beast becomes powerless, and the owner can only look with sorrow at the gradual disappearance of his noble animal, and lament the pecuniary loss he thereby suffers, for all human aid is futile. They have been known to be twelve hours before entirely sinking.