MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2549, 10 November 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

(t'ROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The of tho week has been furnished by " cit. of fair renown"—Mr. Cγ. R, Taylor, who has electrified us all by publicly announcing that he will give the immense sum of £50,000 for the purpose of endowing a Congregational college in connection with the Melbourne University, if a similar sum is

raised in Melbourne to supplement it.

Fifty thousand pounds is truly a magnificent sum, and none of our princely philanthropists have hitherto ventured so far. " I wish to give this sum," said Mr Taylor, " as a memento of the twentysix years I have resided in Melbourne,

and as an acknowledgment of my share in the prosperity of the country." And all honor to him for it, siy I ; for it is the gift of one leaving our shoros probably for ever. Mr. Taylor goes to England very shortly, where it is his intention (as I stated previously), to contest a Welsh constituency ; so that it cannot be for honor or fame that he makes this munificent offer, for the country he goes to will barely hear of it, aud most certainly, not being benefited in any way by it, will not bear it iu grateful rememrrance as we here in Melbourne will. I feel sanguine that the Congregational body will be able to collect the sum necessary to supplement Mr Taylor's bequest, for they are an extremely wealthy body, and already £10,000 has been promised by other members. It will be a good day for Melbourne when the new college is established, with its additions of grammar schools for boys and high school for girls, for every educational establishment added to tho city is a distinct and undeniable gain for the present and a promise for the future.

Mr Taylor, who is a millionaire in the true sense of the word, made every penny of his money in land, and during the last three or four years. He is a plain, uu-pretentions-looking man, but with a nerve of iron and the daring speculation of a Rothschild. Some idea of his immense ■wealth may be gained when he can aifoid to donate £50,000 for a charitable purpose. But he is far and away not the richest man in Melbourne ; there are at least ten men wealthier than he, though none more generous. There is a story going about the town of one millionaire worth his hundred thousand or so, who lor ten years was never known to give a penny away in charity. At last, the representations made to him were so strong, that h» subscribed a five-pound note. A week afterwards a long outstanding debt of £10 that he had given up as hopeless, came unexpectedly in. " There's something in it after all, I do beliove." thought the old miser to liimself. "It brings me luck, sure enough," so after a great deal of hesitation ho steeltd himself into the painful sacrifice of subscribing £100 to the Women's Hospital. Unfortunately, no stroke of luck followed on this virtuous action. He waited patiently for a week—two weeks—a, month—then sternly buttoned up his pockets, and has never been known to give a penny since.

The news of of another break in the cable comes aa it very unpleasant item, considering that it ia barely a few weeks since we suffered from the like evil before. But, as with the coal strike, we have to bear it as beat we can, showing, as publicly as we may our soreness at the shameful neglect of the authorities who allow the rotten old cables to bo repaired and repaired until they will not actually hold together. In town I hear of a projected company to lay one between here and America, and I hope the plan will be carried out before very long, for we seem to be at the mercy of this one company, who sacrifice our interests in order to put dividends into the shareholders' pockets. 1 hear, too, the matter is to be ventilated in Parliament, so we may hope for some change before long.

Now that the vexed question of the football premiership has been decided, cricket is coming to tho front—and very glad I am of it, and I hope it will have a good time. Last season it was practically dead, and a terribly disturbing element turned up in to frequent visits of intercolonial and international teams. Two English teams arrived ; the sixth Australian eleven was formed, and everything in consequence—club matches and local games—was lost sight of. This season, however, cricket should be singularly pre-eminent. There arc no visiting English teams to upset local engagements, and the return of thfi Australian eleven, though with its feathers drooping, will give clubs a chance of pitting themselves against them, and seeing if •' o::r boys" have learnt anything in England. Good luck to the noble game then, ami a prosperous season. A term or two's good solid play and practise niny give, into our hands ajjain tho supremacy of the world, which truly iu tliM , : latter times we have lost.

Ou Wednesday last a cablegram from home announced the death of Professor H. M. Andrew, of the Melbourne University, and all intellectual Melbourne is sincerely mourning the untimely demise of this brilliant scholar and gentleman, cut off in the very prime and heyday of life. I knew him well, a flue, stalwart, handsome man, a profound scholar, and an excellent instructor—a man who had given his whole life to study and thought. As one of the most prominent workers in our University, he was a well-known and popular figure at all official functions, as a lover of bellcs-lellrcs, and as a savant he had almost a world-wide reputation. His early education was obtained in Melbourne where he took his B. A. and M. A. degrees; but afterwards he went home, and graduated at Cambridge. He came out again, succeeded to the head-mastership of Wesley College, took to lecturing at the University, was appointed one of the Council, and eventually became wholly identified with that institution. Alas ! his was a brilliant life cut short, he was but 44 when he died. I mourn him as a friend, and I am sure there are hundreds of our younaer members here who owe more to him than they can well express, for his untiring zeal and interest in all educational matters.

But a word as to the theatres—always a subject of interest to me—before concluding. There is nothing very new just now in town, but we have a cheering prospect of good things to come. Martin with his new Italian Opera co;flßauy next Saturday, and by music-loving Melbourne, this ie looked forward so as a great treat. Then we are to have a London success in " Captain Swift," the work of a young Sydney genius, who went home, sans money, sans friends, sans influence, but with the ,play that was immediately accepted and took London by storm. It dealt with the adventures of a ci-dcuant Queenland bushranger in London, and is extremely thrilling and sensational. Just now at the Royal we arc having a play called "Handsaoro3s the Sea." which is attracting large crowds, as part of the action takes place on board a P. and O. steamer and in Sydney Harbor. It is gre at rub bish, but having an Australian flavour about it, takes very well. I hear the receipts for six nights were close on £1800, not a bad week's work by any means, of which Charles Warner, the London actor who is settling in Melbourne take 3 £600. I wish I were he, Brouhg

and Boucicault are giving us light come dies at the Bijou, and Fergus Hume's übiquitous ''Hansom Cab Mystery" puts in an erratic appearance every now and again, and the3e at present aie ail the entertainments worthy of mention in town.