AROUND DUNEDIN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5108, 20 August 1895, Page 3

AROUND DUNEDIN.

[I)Y " SCOTCH MIST."] ( You will be surprised I'm sure to i hear we are very disappointed with Mr Frederic Villiors tho great artist ] and war correspondent's lectures. 1 As I know you dearly love details I will try and describe his first appearance on the Dunedin stage, at the Princess Theatre. Arraying ourselves in our prettiest opera cloaks we determined to go early and amuse ourselves watchisg all the fashionables arrive, as we heard every seat was booked. The Theatre was packed; all the volunteers in tho district must- haye mustered for the occasion. Not till a quarter past eight did the veteran : of nine campaigns appear in front of the white sheet. He was dressed in , a most artistic and picturesque campaigning knickerbockcr suit of a mouse coloured cloth ; high I,ice-up boots; in his waist band lie carried a revolver and knife, and strapped across his back were his field-classes etc. He is quite a young-looking man ; about 40 years of age; of a grand physique, but he wears his moustache in an extraordinary manner, I expect it is the very latest mode, so for the benefit of the young men in the Wairarapa I will tell you. The moustache is very long, and by tke aid of cosmetic, or some other sticky perfumery, it is greased to such an extent that tho ends appear like two horns, and instead of being allowed to stand out on either side of tho cheek they are turned up inwards in a most deft manner, almost reachthe bridge of the nose, Mr Villiers commenced his lecture by apologising for appearing in his old campaigning suit (which, by-tho-bye, had never been in any campaign, being bran new from a ■ Melbonnio tailor) as it was more iii . keeping with what he had to say, than tho orthodox dress suit-so he ventured to put it on. Then several pictures were thrown on the sheet, First the red envelopes that war artists are always obliged to use. Then ho gave us an account of the various processes which their drawings went through before the public 1 looked on them in the different illustrated papers. Such views as the " Wood-pecker," etc,, etc., were shown, and most of the pictures wo have all seen years ago in the Graphic. The few shown of the Japs and Chinese wore very weak, some quite blurred, not having been developed properly. Not one anecdote did 1 lie tell us. He is certainly an artist in every sense of the word, and he must liaye a great wealth of knowledge stored up in his brain, but he simply has not the gift of imparting it to others,, Only on two occasions did he do justice to himself when lie was describing the battle at Plevna, and the capture of Port Arthur. The i last two lectures were not well at- 1 tended at all, We certainly had one good laugh ' at his expense. He had been speaking fot about two minutes telling us of the exposures he had been subjected to, and stopping suddenly lie said, "If you will excuse me just one moment, ladies and gentlemen, I feel ra—tlier cold [(rubbing his hands in invisible soap) I think I'd better put on my overcoat," tbero was a perfect roar of laughter as he disappeared to get his coat.. " rather a come down for a hero of nino campaigns," remarked an old soldier, " that he can't stand an hour and a half with a good warm suit on, in a packed theatre, without having to go and get his coat," .Mr Hawcis gave a lecture on Garibaldi, the same week, and spoko for two hours and a-half, and then his audience did not weary under , tho spell of his magnetic oratory, and he took off Mr Villiers very effectively. A very sad occurrence happened yesterday, when Miss Frances Hilda .Fishor, aged 19 years, daughter of Mr Fisher, Inspector and Director of the Standard Insurance Company, was accidentally killed. It appears a small party of young ladies accompanied Miss Fisher and her brother on a fcrning expedition in the Woodhaugh Valley, on tho load to the reservoir, when a huge boulder camo bounding down the precipitous bank on the sido of the road. Before the boulder

reached them it broke in two the larger half striking Miss Fisher and knocking her down, the ribs in the region of the heart being crushed in, death being instantaneous. The merry young party were panicetricken, and to make matters worse, they were a considerable distance from any house from whence to obtain help. Quito a gloom has been cast over the district that such a bright young life should have me'.' with su6h a sudden and awful death, and unfortunately- Mr Fisher, her father, is away in Melbourne. A public meeting was held last night by the Prohibitionists to con--1 sider the Bills of Mr Seddon and Mr McNabrelativo to the liquor traffic. 1 There were about 400 mon present 1 and 30 ladies in the gallery. I suppose the smallness of the number of ladies who attended was on account ofsixpenco charged them, the men being admitted free. I think it 1 would have been better to have 1 charged the hoodlums and larrikins 1 sixpence,as some one of them brought I a bottle of of asafcotida and uncorked it in tho centre of the audience, so that tho majority had to leayo the hall , to get fresh air. These abominable , rowdy tricks are getting almost i unbearable. I can't think why thoy . aro not dealt with more severely. Quite an epidemic of clothessnatching has set in. Everyone is . complaining of their washing being stolen off the lines even before it is dark, clergymen's clothes line not even being sacred, II The Roy, J. Richards, of Selwyn College, had his lines stripped, and the thjoves left him without one suin j" plice for Sunday. The police soem unable to trace thieves of this kind. To-niglit tho Gaolio Society are holding their Mtli anniversary ball, . and there will be, no doubt, a great , gathering of clans. A concert pre--5» cedes the ball, in which songs are 5j sung in Gaelic, and addresses ave On also given in the same tongqe. Squally weather is the present order of the day, with hail, sleet anil rain showers, by way of variety,

OUEKN VIOTOMA'S OPINION ON j SMOKING, \ Queon Victoria and the Earl of „ Ilosebcty are both of the opinion that ' smoking ia most decidedly healthy for—{bo Treasury. Tho duty on tobacco brought in ovor 10 millions to the English Government last year, It may ba taken for granted that Frossard's Cavour contributed largely towards this sum.—Advt,