THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY,.APRIL 2, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2855, 9 April 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY,.APRIL 2, 1878.

The appointment of Henry Charles lawlor, Esq., to be Revising Officer for the Electoral Districts of Mongonui and Bay of Islands, Marsden, Bodney, Waitemata, City of Auckland East, City of Auckland West, Parnell, Newton, Town of Onehunga, Eden, Franklin, Waikato, Waipa and Thamei ii gazetted. At about a quarter to eight o'clock last evening a brilliant meteor was seen. It trarersed the. heavens from the northeast to the south-west, when it appeared to burst into a myriad of sparks. Ita transit occupied four or fire seconds. We hare recently had our attention' drawn to the want of care exhibited by painters and others who hare occasion to rest ladders on the newly-laid asphalt parements. The weight of the ladder is sure to make holes in the footpath, especially during hot weather, and it is a difficult matter to repair them. We hare been requested to remind those battery proprietors who hare not yet registered their crushing machines (whether working or not)* that it should hare been done on the first of April. A number of battery owners hare failed to do this. We have recently had the pleasure of inspecting a windmill made for Mr Nicholls, of Pollen street, by Mr Hobt. Stone. It is intended to use it for the twofold ' purpose of sawing wood and cutting chaff. The wheel is composed of four wooden sails, and is kept face to the wind by a small fan wheel working on a large level wheel. The axle of the large wheel is fitted with a short crank, and the power is connected with the first storey of the building on which it is erected by a long rod, "which ■ works sereral wheels for regulating its speed, and a fly-wheel about three feet in diameter. A belt from this latter is connected with a circular saw, which it is estimated will work at the rate of 40 rerolutions per minute. A double action break, by which the mill can be stopped in a second, has also been fitted up. Some little things yet require to be done before it is complete, when it is expected that it will work rery well. The sail wheel is about 40 feet from the ground. A boy named Schofield had a narrow escape from drowning to-day off Curtis' Wharf. It is said he was "playing the wag," so perhaps he will see in his misfortune the accompaniment of wrong doing. Master Schofield was doing the Blondin business on the hand rail of Grahamstown Wh&rf, and getting confidence with success, he essayed to run, when he lost his balance and fell into the water. He managed to reach one of the stringers of the wharf, from which he was fished up half drowned. If he plays truant again during the term of his school days he may not always escape with a mere ducking. A young lad named Donoran was thrown from a horse on Sunday evening and narrowly escaped being killed. He was riding along Mackay street with a basket of tomatoes on his arm, when a young larrikin of the name of Quadri threw a stone at the horse, which made it start. The rider was thrown violently, and for some time it was thought he was killed. He was taken to the Hospital and promptly attended to by Dr. Perston, but it was some time before consciousness was restored, and he is not now fully recovered.. There are a number of young scamps of the Quadri typo who want a tastf of tho " cat." ; We understand that the case Pajne r. Gubb, for £40 damages through the loss of a horse belonging to plaintiff, has been settled out of Court, both parties to pay their own costs. The' contradictory nature of the eridence as to the scene of the accident, etc;, .would make the decision in a court of law a rcry unsatisfactory one, and it is, perhaps, better for both parties that the case should be settled as it is. Pursuant to invitation, about half adozen gentlemen met Mr Sykes,* proprietor of the Auckland Turkish baths, at the Pacific Hotel last night, to consider proposals for giving the Thames district the benefit of this valuable institution by the establishment of a branch. The advisability and practicability of forming a company to carry out the proposal was discussed at some length, but did not meet with much faror. Mr Sykes stated that if he received sufficient encouragement in the way of subscriptions for baths he might be induced to open the establishment; so the gentlemen present agreed to open lists and receive the names of persons willing to subscribe, it being understood that the first subscribers should receive for each guinea subscription tickets for nine baths. Mr Sykes will probably visit the Thames again in a short time to see the result of the canvass to be made. The opening of Turkish baths would be a public boon, and we sincerely trust the project will receive general encouragement, the price proposed to be charged being extremely moderate. The premises formerly o.ecupipd by Dr O'Flaherty will probably be secured jf the project is matured. They are both /commodious mid central. TffE Wellington Evening Chronicle records the introduction of female barbers as follows;—Femnle barbers hare been

introduced by Mr Beck, the proprietor of a hairdressing saloon in Cuba-street. This is a novelty at least. The employment of girls in the same capacity has been known in sister colonies with varying success, but we think it is quite new to New Zealand. Wherefore we may judge that Wellington is going ahead in small matters as well as great. There has been an immense run on the establishment since the " new features " were introduced. Our representative visited the establishment. During his sojourn in the place, no less than five devoted creatures submitted themselves to be lathered by the fair creatures, and scraped : though they hadn't as much hair on their face as would make a wig for a mosquito. It must be said that these barbers possessed charms of no ordinary degree, and the only wonder seemed to be that they could choose such an occupation for the display thereof. The wonder (to the reportorial mind) was not diminished as through a window he watched the frightful attempts made by a scorbutic youth to ogle the pretty girl who was smothering his distorted visage with soap, after the most approved style. We have girls employed in all sorts of pursuits which not long ago were the sole prerogative of men, and really, why not have girls for barbers after all P These who used to like getting their hair cut the old way say the new fashion is much the nicest. A man named John Eyre, arrested at Goromandel while in a state of delirium tremens, died in the lock up on Sunday evening. At the inquest held yesterday a verdict ("says the Auckland Star) was returned of " Died from rupture of the liver from a violent blow." The Bendigo Independent has been at the trouble to make the following interesting calculations in reference to the war indemnity demanded of Turkey: — "In the first place it represents—round numbers being calculated—-one-fourth of the English National Debt. In regard to the English National Debt, it has been proved that there is not enough coined money in the world to pay it off. The amount is £750,000,030. Consequently, to pay the war indemnity required of Turkey at least one-third of the world's coinage will be required. The indemnity represents almost to a fraction four times the amount of gold produced in the Australian continent during the last 25 years. The amount asked for represents according to the value of Bendigo gold, no less than 60,0G0,0C00zg., or, say, the product of our mines for 100 yean to come, calculatsd on the average returns of the goldfield during the past five years. The weight of such a quantity rfould be 1860& tons, or, in other words, a load equal to that which 2000 horses could draw from Sandhurst to Castlemaine in one day. The actuarial mind is lost in calculating such figures; but enough can be gathered from them for us to be thankful tbat we are not Turkey, and that our near neighbors are not the Russians. Calculated on the population of Victoria, it would represent a tax of £250 per head for every man, woman, and child in the colony." A cobbbspondbnt of the Herald supplies the following items from Wellington: Further official changes are decided on. The Marine Department is to be severed from the Customs, and Captain Johnston is to be placed at its head. Mr McKerrow, Assistant-Surveyor General, is also to be Under-Secretary for Crown Lands, Immigration, and Goldfields ; Mr Elliott, Assistant Under-Secretary for Crown Lands and Immigration; and Mr Oliver Wakefield, Assistant Under-Secretary for Goldfields. It is rumoured that there are serjous disagreements between Ministers and Mr Fitzgerald,. the Commissioner«pf Audit. It is also said that when the House meets the Government will support a proposal for a full and fair inquiry into the conduct of the Judges regarding Mr j Barton's case. ;