The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1888. RABBITS AND RABIES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2825, 17 February 1888, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1888. RABBITS AND RABIES.

M, Pasteur has an old reputation for curing rabies, and a new one for killing rabbits. Which of his two gifts is the more likely to be appreciated by posterity is as yet extremely doubtful. He is an eminent chemist with more than a European reputation. Pasteurism is one 01 the crazes of the present decade, but though the new phenomena of inoculation which have boen revealed by the researches of an eminent French scientist are wonderfully interesting, they are received with a certain amount of doubt by practical men. Since the days of Jenner, who is still worshipped by millions as a benefactor, and denounced by thousands as a false teacher, inoculation has been a recognised practice. Now that the illustrious M. Pasteur has turned his attention to rabbits, people in New Zealand are likely to take a special interest in his method for exterminating these Colonial pests, and the general question of innoculation is worthy of inquiry. As for some years past M. Pasteur lias been experimenting with inoculation for the euro of rabies, and his success or failure in this department may possibly indicate the measure of his skill for dealing with the Babbit nuisance, any record which indicates its value will be of interest. The London correspondent of the Melbourne Age of December 31st writes that it is well that the pernicious practices of inoculation are in this instance so early manifest, " The medical authorities of Austria have recommended that the subvention granted a. year ago to tha Vienna General Hospital to defray the cost of inoculations on the Pasteur system should bo discontinued. They declare that the failures have been so numerous as to discourage competent judges from further supporting the method. This is a very mild way of putting the case of a thorough breakdown. But it is to be feared that there has been something more than failure—there has been the possibility of the absolute doing of. mischief. The latest victim to hydrophobia in England is Lord Doneraile, who, after having been bitten by a pet fox in March last, immediately prooeeded to Paris with his coachman, who had also been bitten, to bo placed under the caro of M. Pasteur. They were looked upon as having been savod from death, but after an interval of five months Lord Bpnerpile exhibited dangerous symptoms, and in five days more he was dead, It will never be known whether lie died from the bite'or from the inoculation of the intensive virus to Which he was subjected. It was only tlw day before his death that the nature pf the jjialjidy was recognised. The previous fatal English case occurred a few weeks before, ai)d although the coachman is stjll free 'from Illness, lie cannot 5 be regarded as out of danp JJje jndisoreet report ,of

lie English commission lias not been approved by medical publio opinion iu! England. The best medical testimony of France is against the system. The deaths from hydrophobia have sensibly increased since it has been in operation, so that it is unlikely that it has saved a single life, whatever it may have done in the opposite direction' The Austrian experience ia typical, and the - system stands condemned before the world." Inoculation has often proved a two-edged weapon even in the vaccination of children. It has apparently been demonstrated to be a sou rce of danger in the treatment of rabies, and it is perhaps very hazardous work to apply it even to rabbits. The experiment now about to bo made down South to destroy rabbits upon a .small island by inoculation will no doubt prove of interest, but any further step than this will be attended with grave risk. Fortunately the rabbit difficulty is not the menaoa to settlers that is was once thought to be. Landowners have discovered that by adopting' judicious systematic methods of extirpation they can keep the pest down at a very moderate coat. In this distriot rabbits after increasing and multiplying for nearly a score of years are now becoming almost scarce. Ten, or even five years ago M. Pasteur's discovery ; would have been accepted almost without question, now it is unlikely to be admitted without a very exhaustive examination Inoculation whether applied to man or beast is pretty well equivalent to b 'ood poisoning, and at the best it ia a sorry alternative.

Mr W, Catt of Carterton has already invited tenders for replacing his burnt shop. / Messrs Minifie Bros, tho now Masterton grocers, have ah attractive price lißfc adverti <od in this issue. An acre of land at Thorndon has just been sold for £3059 10a equal to £l2 a foot frontage to Hobson street.

Owing to want of funds, the Lancaster Park Club, Christchurch, have had to diß pense with the services of \V. frith as their professional bowler.

Government arenot going to experiment with M. Pasteur's rabbit pest remedy ,uutil the Agent-General forwards a report on the subject.

The death is noticed in Sydney of Mrs Creed, widow of one of the Calvert Wesleyan Missionaries to the colony, and long resident at Waikuuaiti, Otugo, and in Wellington. It is found that rabbits have beon making their way from Otagointo Canterbury ncrosß the VVaitaki River over tho Kurow Bridge, which is unprotected against their approach.

Musical circles in this neighborhood will be interested to learn of the safe arrival in Masterton of a number of promising vocalists. Yesterday Dr Hoskin? received from Christchurch a consignment of juvenile froes,,

The Masterton School Committee last evening refused to vote forthe re-election of Messrs Brown and Young, the two members of tho Board who, at the instigation of Mr Hogg, deprived this town by a little ingenious hocus pocus of its second school.

John L. Sullivan has completely wiped out "Buffalo Bill' as a society man m London. The fighting wonder wearo evening dress, and dines with the creme de la creme of the exclusive sot in London. He lives at a Bwell hotel, and rolles in Ll5O per week for exhibiting himself. Shades of Sayers and Heehaa! It is Baid that Mr Robert Hooker was a great loser by the Carterton firn, the insurance on his property next Mr Wood's Auction rooms, and occupied Vy Mr T. 0. Barnard, hiving just previously expired.

The chandelier and its lit lamps at the White Hart Hotel, Carterton, fell with a crash on to the billiard table last Tuesday evening, but fortunately the lamps went out in the fall, and the only damage done was that by spilt kerosino, the cloth suffering very much. It is curious (says the Echo) to note how new words spring into national existence and recognition from time to tune, after tho manner of " boycotting," which rose from the name of a man who who was shunned by his neighbors Tho latest oxample is given by the French, who, noticing that M. Sadi Carnot dropped the name " Sadi," when ho rose to the dignity of the Presidency, now apply the word " sadisine" to evory case where a man who rises desires to " cut 1 ' his old acquaintances, Forgetfulness of frionds will in future be " sadisine,"

The awards for the United Fire Brigades, competition at Christchurchamounfc to £2OB in cash and Lai) 8s in trophies, Twenty eight Brigades from all parts of the colony will be present. Tho following aro tho proposed arrangements for entertaining the visiting firemen:-Sunday-Church parade at the Cathedral. Mon-day-Torchlight procession. TuesdayBoating procession on the river. Wednesday -Water display with the engines; and Friday-Social gathering and preBei.tation of prim

" Have you any-any strawberries ?" she asked as she suddenly entered a boot store in Queen-street. "Not to-day, madam, sorry to say," courteously replied tho proprietor. " Groat Ibcot! but is tho woman crazy !" exclaimed a customer, as she went slowly out, " No, sir, not a bit of it," said the proprietor. " She was down town without her husband knowing it. She saw him en the street and dodged in here to escape meeting lnm, Sho was quite confused, and she asked for strawberries. Happens throe or four times a week, sir, and the poor things are quite excusable."

Tlio Rev. John Dickon, of the Manse, Temuka, has thus written tu the Ohrintohurch Telegraph " The Rev Mr Cairns, of Bulkat, recently of Christchurch. seems dissatisfied because I dared to intimate that New Zealand had not yet reached the state of bein? an earthly paradise . . ■. . . The statements made by me have since been fully verified. Who shall Bay thab horse racing gambling, intemperance, Sabbath desecration, reckless borrowing on the part of the state and on the part of the individual, reckless flling, infidelity, extravagances in religion, lyant qf inble teaching in public sclioolb, and such Mo, referred to by mo are not prevalent. Is the motto of fclio Rev. Sir Cairns-' Preach smooth smooth things, cry peace, peace, where there is no peace ?' Besides, i qualified my statements by saying that in some places in 'the south' these evils were seen ' in a modified form. 1 Moreover, say plainly that I was giving the dark s'djp," Hp tfyeji goes on to add—" I eive nj> interpretation §s fa the trailing of " the Wellington Imps.' He is altogether wrong in his, if what a membei; of the Society himself says be true, that it meanß the Wellington Improvement Society. It is questionable whether a society that meets on Sabbath evenings for drinking, sjrjging pf pr'ofyio song, and such p<y is a;i improvepiept'" fo |jie Imperial city, tho judgment'of the Key. Mr Cains, of Uallayat, notwithstanding.'"

The Mastorton Philharmonic Society rehearses to-night,

The Lyttlefcon Times estimates that tho recent rise in wool represents a gain of to Australasia, •

A man named John Watson was drowned while bathing at Pipiriki, Wanganui, yesterday.' So far as is kuown he has no relatives in the colony.

s A social gathering will be hold, in St. Matthews Bchoolroom, Masterton, on Thursday evening, Bth March, The usual attractivo amusements, inoluding \ music, will be provided; ' A very safe reference to the new Bank of New Zealand one-pound notes is made by a contemporary, which assures its readers that" the new notes will be very popular witlrtho public.

Mr, R. S. Hawkins left by yesterday's train en route for Sydney. It is said that he has in view the editorship there of a paper-one on Freetrade principles,

Ihe funeral of the late Martin O'Brien took place_ yeßterday afternoon, the burial service being conducted by the Rev. Father McKenna, As a last tribute of respect, a large number of friends followed in the procession to the cemetery, O'Brien's mates, from Mr Danaher's contract being all present.

Mr H. 0. Dowman, mail contractor to the Lower Valley, has been bound over to keep the peaco for six months and find securities, hiinselj in £2O and two of £lO eaclij in the case of Lawrie v Dowman, rival coach proprietors, Dowman was also fined £1 and costs for insultine behavior, The cfise was heard yesterday at Fcatherston.

At Lowes and lorns stock sale yesterday in their Masterton yards 3,000 sheep and 170 head of cattle were yarded, and all were sold except two pens of sheep, 100 in each pen. Sheep realised last sale's rates, while cattle showed a decline, and a marked disinclination on tho partof buyers to operate even at the low'or'rates. Fat wethers realised 63 and lis 6d; fat ewes 4s fid to 4s 9d; 3tore wethers 6s Od to 5s 9d; young eweß 4s to 4b lid; breeding ewes, mixed ages, from 2s to 4s, No pigs were forward. Horses unsaleable.

Tho Treasurer of the Maaterton Hospital lies to aoknowleds/e with thanks donations of the sum of SA from James Geagahan, and £9 from James Walsh, the men who were injured by the blasting explosion on Mr Danalier'a contract, The Trustees desire, we are informed, to point out that remarks made at tho last monthly meeting, with reference to patients leaving the institution without paying did not refer to Geagahan and Walsh, as they always signified their intention of contributing,

Men interviewing the Minister of Lands, with a solicitation that the Land Company's Kurow run should be cut up, several Canterbury Bettlers waxed very wroth, and one man said that the demand for land was so great in the district that one settler had taken up a section to which he could only gain access by climbmp a cliff 7(Jft hitjh. The Minister replied that he had come to the conclusion that the areas in which it was proposed to deal with this particular land—namely, from 8000 to 10,000 acres—were quite as small as such a class of laud could be profitably occupied However, he would lay the views ot the deputation before tho Government, and submit to them the question of the tenure under which the Kurow run should be dealt with.

Under the heading "Street Binging" tho London Times publishes the following letter signed " George M. Drought, Streatham, O.W."—"At a season when charity is sometimes misdirected it is better that the public should learn tho following facts, for the truth of which I can vouch. A lady near London was asked lately by-hor coachman for a holiday. As she was going to town sho gave it. In Jiogmit street she observed a man in rags singing. Lookiup again she re cognised her coachman, and heard him telling a'piteous tale of being out of work with a sick wife and eipht children. Next morning, when he came for orders, she taxed him with it, and told him ho must go if he did so again. Ho replied that he would sooner ?ive up his situation than give up singing fn- tho streets, and confessed to having made 8s on that one day."

The editor of London Truth writes:— " One of the military Clubs has sent a circular to other London Clubs, asking tlieni to join in a sort of denunciatory proclamation againstthe Pall Mall Gazette calling upon all persona to eschew that periodical. It is not the Cass Case, or the Endacotfr case, or tlw Linnell case, or any other of the cases in which the Pall Mall has made itself prominent that has aroused the ire of the circularises but the epithet ' fat' applied'to the Prince uf Wales, I cannot sai; that I think that the Pall Mall showed particularly ?<>ud taste in the use of the epithet, although both in Spain and m Dahomey 'fat' is a term of superlative admiration when applied to anyone, Still, I wonder at the Military gentlemen asking all Clubs to join in straining at thiß gnat; though they have a procedent, as Hunt was put in prison for calling George IV. (then Prince Regent) 'a stouti middle-aged Adonis. 1 1 had thought that the world (fat and lean alike) had grown wiser since then, but it would seem that it. or perhaps 1 oupht to say the circularising military Club, has not,"

Our festive Chinaman Mr Too Lone;, has been amusing himself by impounding his own hotßo.. It seems that this disciple of Confucius had been " down town" and upon hia return to the Keiiallstreet Chinese garden he found a horse busy doing the animated roller trick, to the vast injury of his cabbages. Too Long didn't say much, but he thought a good deal, and, with a sad look in Ins eyes, he went up to the offending quadruped, caught it, .-.nd ran it down to the Borough pound, and then, and only then, did this Heathen Cjiuiee venture to breath,e and to congtalulate himself upon his prompt and clever action, But our almond-eyed friend's ]oy was shortlived, for iiuon going to look for his own horse, a grey one, it was nowhere to be found, and John began to think that 6omeone had done unto him as he had been done by. His impressions on this point were quickly removed, but hardly in a satisfactory way, by an urchin who had, with intense delight, witnessed the whole proceeding, informing the gentle. Too Long that his Arab steed had, in his absence, been in the creek, had then rolled and thoroughly disguised itself with dust, and while in this state had, on its owner's return, been unknowingly and unsympathisingly placed in the pound! John did'nfc smile now, nor was lie silent. To say that the small boy beat a retreat would indeed be a mild description of the manner in which, propelled by the aggrieved one's toe, ho, with rocket-like velocity, went over the adjoining fence. Thou camo forth a volley of expressions rivalling in their "damned iteration" the Athanasian creed for which even the combined Ctynegeafld Ejiglish languages could hardly afford sufficient scope. To cut a long story short, our Celestial went down, paid his ten shillings like a man, and now having regained his horse he wonders, with anguish caused by his involuntary contribution to the Borough funds, however he could have got so far out. ' Somehow, when suoli cjiaaatrous results follow it seem§ {hat IJqw Ypara gaieties' and lire! works on the brain, like everything else, jiavo their drawbacks, -

, The thermometer at Mr W, Dougall's read' in the shade at noon to-day 74 degrees, with a slightly falling barometer. Some, good general servants;' young eirls, housekeepers, &c., await engagements at Mrs E. Tayler's registry office. The Masterton Horticultural Society publish to-morrow a mo3t liberal list of Bpecial prizes for their coming autumn show. >

A.shock of earthquako was felt at Mauriceville at about half past seven o'clock this morniii?. Messrs Miller, Booth & Co, the Wei* lington grocers, issue an attractive price list with this issue, everything apparently being at very low prices. . • Three drunk and disorderlies .were dealt with by Mr Von Sturmer, R.M. this morning, viz., Wm. MoMann, Wm. Meredith Brown, and Charles Collier, and they were each lined 10a,' or in default to "do" 48 hours,

In the Bankruptcy estate, of John Kay of Masterton, the liabilities are £l3O 0* 2d, and the assets are £4O. The principal creditors, are Messrs Turnbull, Smith & Co, £59 6s lid, John Harding, (rent) £2O, and M. Caselbertf and Co, ils. All the others are for amounts under ten pounds. None are secured. An endeavor is being aiade to arrange a cricket match between teams representing the Wairarapa and Wellington, to bo played in 'Masterton at about Easter time. 1

■ On the evening of Easter Tuesday next, the cantata known as "The Picnic" will be performed in Masterton, by the choir of St. Matthew's Church, assisted by a number of well-known talonted ladies and gentlemen. _ The proprietor of Te Aro House, Wellington, publishes with this issue an inset showing the unrivalled advantages he can offer his customers in tho way of superior drapery and clothing at the lowest prices.

Yesterday afternoon by a tip-dray accident, at some excavating works on Kent Terrace, Wellington, Denis Sullivan was killed. He has relatives in Masterton, a brother and a brother-in-law, and great regret is felt at the sad acci dent.

Affairs in Europe seem to betaking a darker turn and the latest intelligence says -that Russia is again stopping all freight traffic on her southern railways in order to faciliate the passage ol her troops towards the Austrian frontier, and it is also feared Russia contemplates the seizure of Erzeroum, The "finals" ofthe Tennis Tournament have been postponed from to-day until next Tuesday afternoon. The match Town v. Country will commence punctually at 1 o'clock to-morrow. Tho following represent the country: -Messrs H. Warren, J, Stokes, T. L, Thompson, H; Elder, H, Holmes, and H. G, Williams,

Uwing to a fortunate change of wind yesterdav, no serious damage was done by the Akura bush fires. The Maoris anticipating that the pah would be in danger burnt away the bush that surrounded it, so as to make a clear space and this was partly tho causo of the sinoke and illumination last evening. Tho pretty piece of bush between Mr Burnett's sawmill site and the Mataihiw gate is no,v pretty well annihilated.

A very pleasin? ceremony was performed by the Rev. J, Ward at tho close of the service at the Wesloyan Church, Carterton, lastnight, when he presented avery neat gold watch and chain to Miss Challis the organist of the Church, which had been subscribed for by mombers . of the congregation, as a mark of esteem and for her valued services. The articles were purchased from Mr C, L, Barnard, the local jeweller, Mr Riddle's accommedation house, at lauoru, had a narrow escape from being destroyed by fire on Wednesday evening last Mr Riddle took down a bracket lamp which was alight, to clean away flies from the glass when somehow it dropped and an explosion resulted. Surrounding articles caught alight, and it was only by prompt and vigorous action that the flames were prevented from spreading. The damage trom fire, and water which was applied by the bucket, would amount to about L2O, we understand.

_ A CROSS BABY. Nothing is so conduoivo to a man-s remaining a bachelor as stopping for ono night at tho liouso of a married friend, and being kept avvako for five or six hours by the crying of a cross baby. All cross and crying babies need only Dr Soule's Amenoan Hop Bitters to make them well and smiling, Young man, remember this. '• Traveller."

_ Feesof DoraoES.-Thefeeof doctors is an item that very many porsons are interested in at presont. We believe the schedule for visits is $3.00, which would tax a man confined to his bed for a year, and in need of a daily visit, over §I,OOO a year for medical attendance alone 1 And ono singlo bottle of Dr Soule's American Hop Bitters taken in time would save the SI,OOO and all the year's sickness, "Post."

It was ono of the finest sights ever seen from a mercantile point of view viz., the enormous crush of customers that swarmed over the whole floor space of the spaoious premises of Te Aro House on Saturday last, From mom to late at night eveiy counter was orowded with busy buyers of tho wonderful bargains that were to be obtained'from the Bankrupt stock of A, G. Prico at To Aro Houbo.

Piles of summer dress fabrics, summer prints, mantles, costumes, millinery, underclothing, &0.. were eagerly ransacked, and multitudes of purchases made that must have been intensely gratifying to the fortuuate visitors to the sale of Price's bankrupt stock at Te Aro House.

. bnLii tho purohascis havo oijly just touched the surface,' There are innumerable bargains yet of every description, as each nay we shall bring forward further portions of Pnoe's bankrupt stock at Te Aro House, We would not let it bo thought that only the ladies' special interest had been 0011. suited in the matter of astounding cheapness,, for in our clothing department wo are Bhowing sonjo extraordinary cheap lots in men's, boy's, and youth's olothing, all from the baukrupt stock of A. G. Price, at Te Aro House,

It would be useless to ask tho public to come early in the day, as we find that the fair sex generally study their own conve. nience, and wo can only say, coma when you will. We have a large staff, and will endeavour to serve you well, quickly, and to your advantage, at the sale of Price's bankrupt stock, at Te Aro House,-Advt,