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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2974, 6 October 1882, Page 3

Itapoears to be the custom to hold inquests in the Morgue at Wellington , and naturally enough, jurors grumble.

Captain Hume (late 79th Regiment) Inspector General of Prisons, passed through Timaru to-day by express.

The Zeus, from Newcastle, brings 390 tons of coal for Mr Ebenezer Smith. She will load with grain for Mr W. Evans.

A railway stowaway, a rave bird, planted himself under the seat of a carriage of the express from Dunedin, this morning. At Oamaru he jumped out, but it was perceived that he was not a passenger in the proper sense, and a z"alous policeman made for him. The youth was scon, as the train left Oamaru, to be { oiug at the rate of knots, the constable at his heels. He is believed lobe an escaped prisoner.

Mr Frederic Maccabe, the celeorated character actor, who has been in Australia for some months past, ha< just come in for an unexpected piece of luck. It seems that fiv.; years ago, he gave £SOOO fur some propeity in Leeds, and at the time 1 e was called a fool who was throwing away his money. On Tuesday last he received a cablegram from his lawyer, telling him that he could sell it for £50,000> and asking him for instructions. Mr Maccabe, who is now in Sydney, cabled on Monday last telling the lawyer to sell.

A contemporary draws attention to the peculiar system or mortgaging farms in Switzerland. A farmer may borrow of a dozen men successively, the simple roci-rd in an official book showing their order. If he fails to pay, a successor is found for him by beginning at the bottom of the list of d-btors, and calling, on each in his order to assume all the debts and manage the farm, or step aside and lose his claim.

Mr Buskin, in the concluding paragraphs of his lecture on “Snakes,” touches the modern system of university training. He glances regretfully at the old days when “ the delighted meal of knowledge was not so common ns now,” and when “young people really hungered and thirsted after it.’’ Ho likens the modern system of education to the way the boa constrictor “hitches himself on to his meat —like a coal-sack” till at last says he “ Heaven help us, your university doctors are going at such a rate that it will be all we can do, soon, to know a man from a sausage.”

“ JSgles” in the “ Australasian” says: An Australian distinguishing himself in London by the lavishness of his hospitality is an object of very curious interest to his fellowcolonists. They are waiting to see what will come of it. Many are doubtful of the power of money to achieve a distinguished place in English society, whilst the pessimists say, “See what it has done already.” There are men (I could name a good many) whose liberality always wears the appearance of having a purpose. They forget that they are liable to be judged by petty acts which betray their real disposition. Here is an example. When Alderman M‘Arthur visited Melbourne it was determined to entertain him on the sufficient ground of his _ Parliamentary services to the colonies and his business relations with Australia. One of the honorary secretaries was introduced by Sir John O’Shannassy to the gentleman who is now storming London society with Australian gold, and be sanctioned the placing of his name upon the committee, and undertook to attend. On the day of the dinner he Eseut back his ticket, said he couldn’t be present, but he did not enclose his cheque for two guineas—the price of the pasteboard.