Telegraphic Despatches.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 417, 16 December 1874, Page 2

Telegraphic Despatches.

(From our own Correspondent.) Dunedin, December 15. The Committee for the Canterbury cricket match are likely to select the Otago team from among the following names : — Allen, Clark, Gollison, Downes, Fenwiek, Glen. Fulton, Goodby, Kettle, Lambert, Reid, M'Donnell, M'Farlane, Marshall, Meares, Paramor, D. K. Rhodes, H. Rhodes, Samson, Ta'ifc, Turton, and Thomson. The Northern and Southern Escorts arrived in Dunefliii io-clay with the following quantities of gold :—: —

December 16, 30.10 a.m. The ceremony of cutting the first sod of the Peninsula and Ocean Beach Railway will be performed by the Superintendent on Tuesday next. The Luna, with the San Francisco mails, sailed for the South from Wellington yesterday. Wellington, December 15. The " Tribune" defends Mr. Reynolds from the attack of the "New Zealand Times," and says if any member of the Government does his work zealously, it is Mr. Reynolds.

The "Hawkes Bay Times" of the 24ult. says: — A very lady-like cowegpondent, signing herself (?) "Terpsicore" (sic) rate 3 Mr. Fox in that curious paper, the Buller .News, for the Act closing dancing saloons, and "depriving us girls of a livelihood." This is a specimen of her style: — "Can Mr. Fox prevent dancing in houses? No; the nasty, jealous old thing, he can't, and he shan't. And pray, if it is naughty to danco in public, it is not quite as naughty to dance in private ? Drat the nasty old thing, I've no patience with such starched-up, mockmoral old bachelors, and sour old paterfamilias." The chief holder of personal estate in San Francisco is Commodore Vanderbilt, who is estimated at 40,000,000 dollars, the largest part of which is in railway property. He owns enough in the. Connecticut river and New Haven roads to be a director in each, and he also owns the controlling interest in the Central, Hudson, and Lake Shore, besides his stock in Ohio and Mississipi, and other important roads. It was said of George Peabody that he made almost the entire bulk of his enormous wealth after his fiftieth year. I think a Stronger statement can be made of tho Commodore, for he made the largest part of his money since he was sixty— that is, within the last score of years. I suppose that when the war broke out he was not worth 5,000,000 dollars. Tho incessant and enormoTis increase of railroad values, and the collossal extent o£ Lia operations hare brought an increase so stupendous as to remind one of the -old stories of Oriental magic. When the stock of the Central was doubled it added, at least, an additional ten millions to his capital. "His income from the different lines under hid control must be six millions per year. ETe has the cream of the passenger traffic, which he obtained by forming the Sleeping Car Company. This company is simply the Commodore, Webster VVaguer, and a' few other lucky men, who obtained the priveiege of running then: cars and collecting their extra are. The railroad track and the motive power, with all expense of switch-tenders, station agents, &c, is furnished free to this favoured circle, which simply provides a sleeping-car, and collects about 50 dollars per trip. A sleep-ing-car should make 15,000 dollars per year, and the company which the Commodore concontrols runs not less than one hundred. With respect to the Commodore's personal estate, it may be estimated as equal to that of a score of our richest men. A Page in Natural History — \. schoolboy lately handed to his teacher the following characteristic composition: "About Dogs. - Dogs is tisefuller as cats: Mice is afeard of mad cat 3. They bite J em. Dogs follers boys, and catches a hog by the ear. Bogs rarely bite, -i People eat hogs, but not the Jews, as they and all otheranimals as doesn't chew the cud isn't clean ones. Dogs sometimes gits hits with boot-jacks for barking of aites. Sleepy people get mad and throw 'em. Dogs is the best animal for man ; they do more for man than growned hogs or orses, or 1 even gotes, Gotes smell. The end. .

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