MISCELLANEOUS.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 48, 3 May 1884, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS.

The following interesting account of , the reoent athletic • contest ' between Donald Dinnie and Miller is given in a Sydney exchange :— lt was arranged that each man should choose five feats, and that he who excelled in the majority won the match. Dinnie started by taking a 251b dumb-bell in each hand, and lifting the pair upward from the shoulders at arms-length 31 times in succession. Miller only managed 14, and his opponent scored a pointy Thus early it was apparent, however, that there would be some disputes as to style. Miller kept his legs and body perfectly still, and lifted the weights purely by the strength of his arms, wliile every part of Dinme's frame was in motion, and he obtained his lifting power by bending his knees and back, and then springing erect from his heels. This, although claimed to be an infringement of the American rules on the subject, was allowed in the firsb practice, but disallowed afterwards. Both men then lifted a 1001b. dumb-bell straight above their heads with one hand 10 times in succession, but the point was given to Miller on account of his superior style. In the next feat the Scotch athlete held a 251b dumb-bell in each hand, with the arms extended from the shoulders outward for 18Jsec. ; Miller, who foliowed,only managing 1 3|sec. Miller having increased the weight of his one-arm dumb-bell to 1101b, hoisted it from the shoulder above his head nine times, while Dinnie twice in succession failed at the eighth try, the men being now even with two points each. After a short rest a weight of 1201b was lifted in exactly the same way six times by Miller, and seven times by Dinnie, who was loudly cheered. This point was given to Miller on account of his more legitimate style of lifting, and there could be no doubt that as far as arm strength in pushing a weight upward was concerned he was the superior man, as he lifted the mass of iron without the slightest jerk. Dinnie then rolled out two heavy bells joined together with a bar about 3ft long, the lot weighing 2001b. Catching the bar with both hands, he lifted this above his head seven times in succession, but Miller declined to attempt the feat, to the evident dissatisfaction of the audience. He explained afterwards tha* while in practice during the week he had ricked his back, and that the jerk necessary in this style of practice would have disabled him. Miller having gained the super" ority with the one hand dumb bell kept increasing the weight for the remaining trials, while Dinnie did the same with the two-hand weights, the climax being reached when the Australian lifted 1501b above his head with one hand, and his opponent put up 2401b with both hands. Miller declined throughouttotry this practice, but Dinnie pluckily struggled through the one-arm exercise, although being disqualified in every instance on account of his style. One of the most interesting feats of the night was one in which Dinnio lifted a 2301b dumb-bell above his head with both hands, and afterwards supported it for at least osec with the right arm alone. The result was that each had won at his own practice, and that the match so far was undecided. It was finally arranged that the men should decide it by a trial of onearmlifting, each adopting his own style. Miller accordingly put up 1701b, but Dinnie failed three times in succession, and the match was accordingly wonby the Australian. A monthly steamboat service between Germany and Australia is projected. In Sweden, a" converted actress" is attracting attention by her sermon 3 and speeches. A piece of steel is a good deal like a man — when you get it red hot it loses its temper. The Thames " Star " calls for the suppression of Salvation Army demonstrations as a public nuisance. Mr H. J. Tancred, Chancellor of the University, is dangerously ill at Christchurch. The Maori King, prior to leaving for England, was entertained to breakfast by Quong Tart, a Sydney Chinaman. There are 42 bankrupts under the new Act waiting their discharge at Christcharch. At Lithgow, New South Wales, recently, a girl of 15 years named Bridget Kennedy committed suicide by hanging because of a disagreement with her mother. A four-year-old child named Carr has been found dead on the road near its home in Christchurch, shockingly injured, apparently by a wheel passing over its head. Nothing is known as to how the injury was sustained. Geo. Mitchell, Balclutha, Otago, committed a serious assault on Miss Campbell, a pupil teacher, who had severely punished his daughter at school. For the offence he was fined £5 and costs. A movement is on foot to secure responsible Government for the colony of Western Australia. The farmer that "ran rapidly through his property" wpre a red shirt and had his brindle bull behind him. He who does his best, however little, is always to be distinguished from him who does nothing. While Major Atkinson ■ was in Christchurch he was deputationised by the Chamber of Commerce and othsr bodies on the subject of the railway rates, but declined to make any alteration. I am sure that a man of any common understanding may by culture, care, attention, and labour, make himself whatever he pleases, except a great poet. — Chesterfield. Joseph Henry Green, gunsmith, Christchurch, is believed to have committed suicide. He was found dead in his shop on Saturday afternoon, with two bullet wounds in his head and a revolver by his side. Last month Dr. Annie Clark, of Birmingham, was elected an acting member of the Children's Hospital there, in preference to eight of the most eminent physicians in the town.

must be passing into the hands of fcho labourers. Labour now gets the oyster,' and capital the shell. Auckland, at tho present time, was apparently looking well, bnt that prosperity not so real as it looked. Almost all the great producing industries of the colony wee being strangled by the low value they received for what they produced, when they hnVe to pny snrh Inch wn«ro«* fnr ; producing. Wheat is lower in England than for 20 years, and wool lower tlinn for the past 50 years. It is quite clear that producers must, either get highei prices, pay lower wages, or be ruined. He did not complain of paying too high wages himself ; l»* wanted to make ft profit, but at presoht was unable to do so except to a small extent, and ho wanted to do this by using to the utmost iron and steel diivcted by capable and intelligent men. Thousands of tons of clover, hay, and wheat hail been produced this year and stacked on the estate, and all the labour had been performed by mnchinery. He was very glad to see so many of the men wore the bin* 3 ribbon. The wearer of the blue ribbon was far more likely to find agood master and obtain good pay, than the man who indulged in strong drink. He greath regretted that the wre 1 cited prices now current for all agricultural produce compelled him to announce his intention to discharge the gi eater part of his workmen, ami reduce the operations and outlay on the estate to a minimum. — Mr Firth's address was received with deafening applause, again and again repeated. — Mr Firth proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman, and at the conclusion of the speech a variety of songs and recitations filled up the evening, and so closed a day at Matamata long to be remembered.