The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1714, 1 July 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1874.

Ws are requested to intimate to the members of the Tkames Mutual Improvement Class that the weekly meeting will take place this evening at the Mechanics' Institute Hall. The subject for debate is "Monarchical Versus Republican Government." Visitors ■ are admittod free.

The Naval Brigade fired for the big gun prize yesterday evening from the beach opposite their Hall. The gu'js were in charge of Petty Officers Brown (No. 1) and Thomas (No. 2) and the prize (£10) was won by the latter. Lieut. A. D. Bennett was in charge of the firing party, Sergeant Major Grant acted as scorer, and Major Cooper as umpire. Wb (Wanganui Herald) learn that the Ancient Independent order of British Tern-

plan intend starting a new Lodge in Wanganui very shortly. It will be based on an improved principle, Dr Samuels the D.M.W.Gk O.T. for New Zealand, having received in-

stxuctions, together with a full supply of Books, Charters &c, from the most worthy Grand Lodge, nee ssary for the same. A sufficient number of gentlemen having already signified their willingness to join the order; we. wish the new Lodge every prosperity. If we remember aright no less than two Lodges of this order had a concurrent existence at one time in Wanganui. Why did (hey take their departure, and what is the special cause of their return ?

Me. Wilkib Cor.iiNS, the celebrated author, in a letter just received (says the Age)' by a gentleman in Melbourne, states it to be bis intention to arrange for ratuyning by Way of A ustralia after his next sojourn in the United States, which he will soon be revisiting, for the purpose of giving » second series of readings.

The Wanganui Herald relates that "a still more curious phenomenon than the 'fly in amber,' may be seen at. the shop of Mr. Willi», Victoria Avenue. In a piece of kauri gum a spider and its eggs are carefully preserved. Many years ago the exuding gum took a spider in its toils as effectually as ever Master Spider took his fly, and the gum hardening around him the curiosity has been handed down."

The Pantascope of a Tour through America was exhibited last night to a middling house, and the entertainment received well merited applause. Mr. Frank Verten was very happy in his, selection*, many of which, although heard before, are invested with new interest by the rendering of Mr. Verten, who excels as a negro delineator as much as he does in singing really good tenor solos. Mr. Bachelder intends exhibiting the Pantascope on Saturday afternoon for the benefit of schools and families.

The Ballarat Star says:—" It is rather surprising to see to what extremes Borne clergymen are going nowadays: The other day Mis» Farr, arising young vocali&t, and the leading singer in the choir of the Dawsonstreet Baptist Church, received a polite note from the Bey. Mr. Grant, pastor of the church, to the effect that if she persisted in singing on the stage at the Mechanics' Institute ihe would have to leave the church. Miss Farr, greatly to her credit, has accepted the alternative, and has left the choir." From a later issue we learn that a meeting of the, church committee had been held and a resolution proposed censuring the rev.: pastor, but no seconder was found, and the proposition fell through.

It is the practice of some journals (says the Wallaroo Time*) to introduce to their news columns announcements drawing attention to the establishment of new arrivals in business. The following is a neat thing of the kind from the Maryborough (Qd) Chronicle :—" Mr. Eansley, a resident of some fourteen years' standing in Kockhampton, has removed to Maryborough, attracted by the superior field offered by our town. He has commenced business in Wharf-street as an undertaker, aud his stock-in-trade includes a handsome hearse and two mourning coaches. The ostrich feathers which wave over the dear departed, are enough to make one almost envy the passenger. Our reporter declined to try the accommodation inside the hearse, although pressed to do so."

A coeonee'S jury has at last found a mining manager guilty of neglect. The Bendigo Advertiser of June 4th says :—" The accident at Koch's Pioneer Crushing and Drainage Company's mine on the 2nd instant, by which Edwin Kemp, a miner working by contract in the claim, was injured to such an extent that he died a few days aftervrards, was the subject of enquiry by Dr Pounds, the district coroner, yesterday. The evidence showed that deceased, while crossing the shaft on a two-inch slab, was precipitated to the bottom by the slab breaking j the glabfhad evidently been previously broken by the cage coming down on it heavily, the slab having been used as a rest for the cage. The enquiry lasted from ten o'clock yesterday morning till halfpast one o'clock this morning; and tha jury, after consulting an hour, gave a verdict that the underground manager, Thomas Eynon, was greatly to blame for not putting stronger slabs across the shaft, as he had done since the accident. The general manager, Mr J. A. Lewis, was exonerated from blame."

" Diamomd Fields Mail Coaches (Cobb and Co., Limited) ; Freeman Cobb, Esq., General Manager." This is the heading of a prospectus in the Empire newspaper just received by the Californian mail. Freeman Cobb is the veritable man whose name in the coaching world of Victoria has long been a houshold word. He was the founder of "Cobb and Co." in this Colony, and although he remained here little more than two or three years, the name was continued ever since, and is known as the title of one of the most efficient cos clung firms in the world. We believe that out of the many hundreds of thousands of passengers who have travelled in Cobb and Co.'s coaches, there is no single instance of a passenger having been killed. Some drivers have lost their lives, and of course there have been some injuries to passengers from accidents, but none fatal.—Ballarat Star.

A singtctiab circumstance on board the ship Lufra, from London, is noted in an Adelaide gapor just to hand. A large portion of the cargo was found irretrievably damaged by sea-water, and upon examination of the held it was found that the rats had eaten through the hull, there being a hole as large as a duck egg just above the water line. Every time, therefore, that the vessel canted over on that side on her passage, sea-water must have poured through in a great volume. When the veßsel was in 37 S. latitude, and on the starboard tack, it was discovered by the pumps that the ship was making water fast, as much as a hundred tons having been shipped in what then appeared to be a rays • terious manner. It is said had the Lufra fallen in with tempestuous weather, it wouLd have been impossible to keep her afloat.

The following letter appeared iii the Wangaiiui Herald of June 13th :—" Sir, —Permit me to ask you to do me an act of justice. I believe you are aware that for somo years, ia the Auckland and Thames Leader, Tlie Tomahawk, the Thames Times, and Thames Evening Star, I wrote articles, stories, and a kind of gossip under the title of " The Intelligent Tagrant." Any merit there may be in the title, or any merit there may have been in the writings (and I do not say there is or was any) should be mine. I see some one in the Wanganui Chronicle has now taken up a title under which I still write, as witness the Bruce Herald. Since I am pretty certain that some one is Mr. 0. O. Montroae, who knows well that the title (such as it is) is mine, I ask you to publish the explanation I have made, because there are a good many people who know the old heading, and who might think I was contributing to the Chronicl^f I may say I think Mr. Montrose might have picked out some other heading for his writings, us I know him to be a man of excessive originality,—indeed hi* powers in the fictional lineurc immense. I am &c, John M. Perrlor. Bruce Herald Office, Milton, Tokoniairiro, May 28, 1874." ■■

The prevalence of .gnrotting in Sydney has led to thß revival of an invention first brought into notice in London muny years ago. The Sydney Morning Herald says :■—" The last neat thing in the way of collars is a steel collar with spikes, a sample of which^inade for his own use—bas been sent us by Mr. John Russell. Wo have not tried it on, but if it is comfortable to the wearer it would certainly be a caution to night prowlers who are too fond of putting their arms round gentlemen's nocks.' Wo hope there will be no necessity for the fashion of wearing them to becomo general, but if .they should become gentlemen's wear, garotters will look twice before hugging once." ' '■ :

The following address, together with a handsome present, was recently presented to a lelegraph operator in Ballarat by his fellow officers, the occasion being thb marriage of the presentee:—We, your fellow officers have much pleasure in avuiling ourselves of this opportunity to offer our sincere congratulations upon your change of " circuit," and, in doing bo, we'ask you to accept of this small token as an acknowledgment of our kind feelings. Having " snitched " yourself on to another " line," we .trust you will not " insulate " from eld office " connections," but will allow us to continue to share in that same fellowship hitherto enjoyed. We hope the " line " you have recently taken will long continue "uninterrupted," be one on which there will be few "breaks," no "contentions for circuit," a relay of happiness.requiring no "adjustment," and may there always, exist between the "magnet" and "armature" the strongest " attraction," for which no ." key " may be necessary to destroy.