EXTRACTS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1195, 21 July 1874, Page 4

EXTRACTS.

JTEW CALEDONIA. The schooner Dauntless has arrived from New Caledonia. She reports the schooner Mary Stewart a total wreck at the New Hebrides, and her crew rescued in an open boat at sea by the Dauntless and taken to Noumea. Admiral Eibout has arrived at Noumea. His mission is to inquire into the escape of Rochefort. All Communists will bo removed to the Isle of Pines and another .to bo selected. Bate man has been sent to France to fulfil his term of imprisonment. The convict executioner has been murdered by one of the convicts ; the murderer was afterwards guillotined. Duels are prevalent on the island; three took place on the 20th of June, one ;between L'Dovarenue and Duillerau, of the Gendarmes, when the latter was killed. Termission was at first given by the 1 Governor, who attended the funeral aud addressed the soldiers upon upholding their honor even at the cost of life. lAIPROTED SCENIC APPARATUS. In the Alta California of April 25, we find the following on the subject of stage scenery and machinery :—■ Henry F. Parsons, of this city, has patented a plan by which the scenery and machinery of a theatre are rendered fire-proof, aud the entire working of the same is placed directly under the control of a prompter. The scenery, flats, wings, borders, and, in fact, the drop-curtain, if necessary, are manufactured of fine wire cloth. The frames of the flats and, wings arc made of angle iron, by -Jin., No 10 iron. The meshes of the wire cloth are ready, with a preliminary coat of paint, which gives a beautiful and uniform surface, far better fitted for the operations of the seenic artist than any ever produced on canvas scenery • and this surface is . permanent, the colors can be washed off, and the flats are ready for another picture, and never becomes clogged and rough as does canvas. The machinery is composed entirely of metal. A lever on the prompt side of the stage is the baais of the motion of the machinery for working the stage. A small friction wheel attached to each fly, andwith a wire running from each friction wheel to prompter, the same being numbered, he can raise or lower the flies without any other assistance. The drop-curtain is also raised and lowered by a friction wheel placed underneath the stage, to which is attached a sixteenth nozzle, leading from the main pipe. In presenting a spectacular play, as many as 15 or 20 person are required to work the stage. By Parson's system three can do the same work in less time and with Jess noise, and with absolute precision. TICIIEORNIA. Those who wish for an interesting souvenir of the late monster trial will do well, says the Athenanim, to secure a copy of some 100 pages, put in evidence by the prosecution, and entitled " Letters and Documents, written by the Claimant." In these letters we have in brief, not only a history of the fraud, but also a singularly happy and complete picture of the impostor himself. Indeed, as a study in abnormal ethics, they are something sui generis. In them are to be found the references to " Wapping" as " a very respectable place ;" to " that scamp Bowker," aud " his tricks ;" to " the blessed Maria ;' to the defendants fondness for " small" pork ;" to tho •■" pore follows" who made their affidavits" so very " strong ;" to the " auormous intress" which the defendant had to pav, and which was to " play the deuce" with him when he came " into prouissen ;" to the " timper of Mary, and the " sluvenly, ways" of .Rosa, and most of the gems of Mr Hawkins' speech. An article upon their " Beauties" will shortly appsar in one of the monthly magazines. The " Tichborne number" of the Graphic, the letter-press of which, by the way, was written by Mr Moy Thomas, is said to have attained a sale of over 200,000 copies. WORDS. A well-educated person in England, who has been at a public school and at the university, who reads his Bible, his Shakespeare, the papers, and all the books in Mudie's Library, seldoTii uses more the 0000 or 4000 words in actual conversation. Accurate thinkers and close rcasoners, who avoid vague and general .expressions, and wait till they find the word that exactly fits their meaning, employ a larger stock ; and eloquent speakers rise to a command of 10,000. The Hebrew Testament says all that it has to say with 5642 words ; Milton's works are built up with 8000 ; and Shakespeare, who probably displayed a greater variety of expression that any writer in any language, produced all his play with about 15,000 words.

A chiropodist announces on his cards that ho has " removed corns from several of the- crowned heads of Europe." These may be termed corns in higK places.

The latest trick of the frequent boyis to chalk an envelope ou the door-sill, in the evening, aiid then ring the bell.

:It is impossible to pick up the letter. A Dutch Congressmen remarked : ; ,( Ven I vas elected I thought I vould ! find dem all Solomons down' li6re ; but I found dere vas some as pick fools here as miueself." A New Orleans juryman was asked by the Judge if he ever read the paper. Ho replied : " Yes, yer honor ; but if you'll let mo go this time I'll never do so any more." In a recent advertisement of a business establishment for sale, it was said " Death is the only reason for the proprietor's leaving.' Hcf didn't need any additional reason. Mrs Partington says slio gets up every morning at the shrill carrion of the chandelier. A Blighted Being : Aunt—'' Well, Mabel, don't cry : if Eliza is going, you will have another." Mabel—" No 1 shall never have another nurse—l'll marry young." - A jeweller advertises that he has some precious stones for disposal, adding that " they sparkle like the tear.sjof a young widow." It is remarked by a would-be philosopher that some people are wise one day aul otherwise the next. An iron will, a silver voice, plenty of brass, and a modicum of tin, win golden opinions. - Christmas is written Xmas. With some the word has the appearance of XX and even XXX-mas. " Speech is silver, but silence golden." Hence the expression " hush money." Summing up Spiritualistic Seances. —Medium-. Tedium. People who must draw the Line somewhere.—'Anglers. Scientific. Leather, chemically considered, is the ox-hide of beef. ■What length ought a lady's petticoat to be ?—A little above two feet. Man respires, aspires, conspires, and expires.