JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4831, 21 September 1894, Page 2

JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON

(By Our Own Correspondent,)

•Tk Municipal Elections. Comments on the Councillors.—Smtchbitck Balk mys,~A romance of a Swikhbach. Tnesfay. The Municipal elections have resulted as they should have done. The opponents to tho drainago scheme havo been snuffed out of existence, mid only those ■' soundon the gooso" havo been elected. The young man who was so triumphantly returned at the head of the poll for Thomdon-Mv J. Myers-is tho energetic individual who was mainly instrumental in bringing back to New Zealand, and to justice, an erstwhile resident of your town, one Anderson by name. Should Mr Myers display as much acumen over city affairs as he did over the absconding bankrupt, he should leavo apood record behind him when his tim'o is up.. Mr J. Myers is a son of Mr Judah Myers, glass and Chinawaro importer, and he is wellknown as Secretary of the United Hunt Club which lie has managed with conspicuous success during b's tenure of ollicc.

Tlio election for Lambtou Ward, although there wero only two candidates, was quite interesting from tho fact that one of thccandidatcs.MrM.P. Cameron, was known ■; to be tho nominee of tho Kennedy Macdonald '• party, That old and tried favorite, Mr Willeston, however, came home first past the post an easy winner. Mr Cameron is the gentleman who recently married a daughter of the Hon, J. McKenzie, and in addition to local there .was a good deal of political feeling imported into the contest for somo unknown reason. The elections for Cook and Te Aro Wards resulted in the return of tho retiring councillors, Messrs Eraser and Barber, who were undoubtedly the best of tlio bunch out in those Wards, ' ," ■"

Shortly the public of Welhngton will be able to disport itself upon a switchback raihvay,andl have no doubt much amusement will be gained therefrom, and the proprietors should rake inmany shekels as tho result of their enterprise, Tho switchback which it is proposed to erect will not bo on tho lines of the ordinary contrivance—such as was to be seen at the Dunedin Exhibition, for in-stance-but will bo more liko what is known in the United States as a. "roller coaster." Doubtless many of your readers have not heard of, far less seen, a" switchback," to say notliing of that awful contrivance of human ingenuity known as a ''roller coaster." A switchback railway proper consists of several cars running on rails up and doyvit stcen grades, which arc ascended and descended with lightning rapidity, The descent is the worst,for the sensation is most peculiar and for all the world you feel as if your soul was going to part company with'your, body as you fly down the grades, up steep ascent aud down another again till you reach thosummit.Tliesensationisindescribablo and must bo felt to be understood. Tho impetus is given to the cars by starting them from tho top of a high structure and tho impetus thus gained is suicient to carry you along the whole line up and down till you reach tho other cud.

A "roller coaster" is worse, far worse, Iu this the car ascends and descends a'kiu'd of gigantic spiral stnircaso with extraordinary velocity, so quickly indeed, that one shudders to think what would happen if tlio car was suddenly to run off tlio rails. I'onco had a rido on ono of these contrivances in San Francisco and I don't want a second experience. The motion was so rapid that one could not possibly sco anything and one's only thought was to clutch wildly on to the hand rail and resign himself i.to fate, which was felt was hound to conio iu tlio shape of a smash up, It is something after the" roller coaster" Iprineiplo upon wliich tlio Wellington switchback is to bo constructed, and I wish the Wellington people joy of it. The hauling machinery, and the cars are now being constructed, and by Christinas I am told tho switchback will he in full operation, Your residents who como to town for the holidays about that time Trill thus bo enabled to enjoy themselves,

Talking about switchbacks reminds mo of how if callow youth was" taken down" at one of the recent exhibitions at Earlscourt, London. Tlio youth in question thought ho would like a rido on flic switchback. Well, he got into the car and sat just in front of a strikingly handsome girl who was most elegantly dressed and looked altogether like a fasliion plate. Tlio young lady, who seemed to be unattonded was protesting her nervousness and fear of falling off. The youth, impressed by her comeliness, gallantly offered to holdhcr congratulatiugkimself upon the ehanco of holding such a fair burden iu ( his arms. The young lady demurely said no, for if he did how was he to hold on himself P Slio thereupon suggested that she should put her arms round his waist and hold on till the end of the journey.. The youth, notliing loth, consented and the car started off on its mad career amidst the usual accompaniments of yells and shrieks from the passengers, [ male and female. _ Having reached the lend-of the exciting journey tho passengers were crowding to get out of the cars, thoyouthturacdtohclphisfairconipanion to alight also, but no found to his surprise that she had suddenly disappeared,' which he thought strange, for one so uerrousandhelpless. Tho mystery was explained a little later when he felt for his watch to see tho time, for tlio fair unknown, during that fervent cmbrace had quietly annexed the watch and chain and in the confusion had silently stolen away,