MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2558, 1 December 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

(l-'ROM Ol'll OWN UOItHKSI'ON'DEXT.)

""Mad noii !'' has been tho sensational cry in town during (lie week, and bus shared tho public attention with the forthcoming racing season, the break in tho cable, tho seamen's strike, tho death of tho wealthy Anglo-Chinaman, Mr Kong Moug, and the other various memorabilia that have transpired sinco I last wrote. A certain Mr Qnilter had a dog, which hu asserts wont stark, raving mad, and had to bo shot. Of course, up to now, as all my readers aro aware, hydrophobic has been unknown in our favoured l.md, iind the statement that a case of it has occurred has filled tho miuds of the timoiMiis with all sorts of horrible fears and misgivings. It does not secin quite plain, however, whether tho dog had an acuto fit of distemper, or hydrophobic, f-omo of the veterinary exports inserting that it was nothing more than theformer, though the owner (who has had experience in rabies) solemnly declares it was a ease of hydrophobia and nothing else. Anyhow, tho case is an ugly owe at bi'st, aud Melbourne folks me becoming quito frightened even of tho most harmless puppies. Several old maids of my acquniiitiinco have promptly discarded their canine pot", mid tho police have now a divided duty to perform in keeping a wary and watchful eyo for mad dogs as well as burglars and larrikins. If, with Mr Quitter's canine, it was a case of "mad dog," it will certainly prove an awful thing for the colonies. If there is, or has been, one case of hydrophobia, there will be more, for it spreads fearfully, and would soon overrun the continent. Ours is essentially a dog country, and it would prove a terrible scourge ; but I feel convinced myself that the dreaded case will eventually prove to be merely one of acute distemper—a very iliffereut tiling to hydrophobia. As some vet. writes anent the matter, " Such sensational reports are more calculated to produce a state of mental hydrophobia in nervous human subjects than anything else," so it is to be hoped nothing further will transpire about it. "Mad dog !" exclaimed a fri-.-nd of mine, talking over tho matter, "Good Heavens! that would bo too much. The two great curses then nf the colonies would be—rabies and rabbit?." There is a humorous side of t'.ie matter, serious as it is. Since the report of the first case, mad dogs have been discovered without end. It is strange how some people follow a lead. No sooner was the case of Mr Quitter's do'j, made public, than innumerable letters appeared re mid (logs seen, killed, shot, or cured in Melbourne. One man wroto to tho Herald to say he saw one ; another that his father once shot one ; a third that his cousin's son-in-law'h brother onco owned the maddest mad do;,' that ever went demented, indeed, it is growing into quite a joke amongst pressmen, and 1 know one journalist win growls horribly, ami then nil's " mini dog !" in your ear for a joke. However, we have hoc yet hcird the last of tho matter, and I sincerely hopo it will, in tho oiul, turn out to have baun a mere cry of. " Wolf !"

I suppose a good many of my raiders !.uvo heard at cmo time or another of Mr Kons' M«-ng, tho rich Chinese merchant-, who has for over thirty years been a wellknown and respected resident of tills city. Ho died last Wednesday, to tho deep regret of all who knew him—and that meant nearly nil Melbourne, In face, of the recent proceedings re, Chinese immigrant*, his death is remarkable as drawing puolie attention to what tho better ohis* Chinamen are. and can be. Ho was an iduonted and superior man, and grow rich in tho good conduct of a lucrative busiiiCH-". He was in no .■•ensc of the term graspinir, seu.jiial, avaricious, or crafty— as all his countrymen are vulgarly supposed to bo; on tho contrary ho was a man of lofty character, benevolent, simple in his tastes, and fond of study, lie would have matin im ideal liritinn, as lie was an idoil Chinaman, and ho leaves behind him a mum and reputation to be proud of. Ho married a colonial girl, !ind leaves behind him a largo family well provided for. His hospitality was proverbial in Melbourne and tho best people were on terms of intimacy with him. I myself knew him well, and thousrh I never visited his house often mot him and liad a cordial few words with him. Kequioscut ! say I of {rood old Kon.cr Menjj. May ho have reached a still more Flowery Laud than his own. There is a story told of him, which, I think, greatly redounds to his credit. He whs driving homo one night in his private cab, when he was hailed by two swells. Willi his usual kindness he ordered his man to stop and take thorn in. The uijrht being dark, and seeing a Chinaman in front, unci they thought they would have somo fun, and commenced in the usual stylo of "John, no savco." Poor Kong stood it for somo time good-humouredly, but then, to their astonishment tho supposed heathen Chinee addressed them as follows: —"Gentlemen, I am not familiar with KusHch slang, but if you cannot upeak your own language correctly, I shall lio happy to converse with you iu French, Hiudostauee or Malay. I beg to inform you that this is my private cab, which I stopped for tho accommodation, as I thought, of gentleman. I see I made a mistake, so I will thiinkyon to alight and leavo mo alone.' , Ouo cm imagine tho di.stioufiture of the ma-hiTs as they got down. It was a .splendid l-'.-sm iu politeness, ami i hope wa.-i not loi'ov.'n away. I u:*i not guiiu; t'i wrib , anything about IVrliamussir in ihi-s letter, because the pro-cte-lings in tin; llouso have been of tho Kiine ciiuMc'ii- a;i related iu my hist wjt.k's li'iOiili ;i!ion. Wrangling, personalhi.Ts, rovvJyi.-Jir,, and stonewalling have b.-en tilt; order of the day—-and n ght too —the Electoral Jiill being the cause and origin of it all. Little or no actual Lmiiissa 11.13 been done, so I prefer to wait until I can record something definite, and iu the meantime shall only deal with more interesting topics. Of course tho piece do resistance of Melbourne gossip just now is the Cup, which will be run now in a little over a week. Everybody is racing mad, and the whole talk of the town is horses, handicaps, weights, wagers, and odds. But I reserve all this for next week, when it will come in more i/propus. I can tell you something more flattering to Melbourne, and that is this. That well-known refuge for the unfortunate, the Melbourne Hospital, has long being languishing under a load of debt, its liability being no less than £10,000. A fortnight ago a subscription-list was opened for donations to liquidate the debt, and by all that's charitable, the whole amount was collected. Surely Melbourne is not so awfully bad after all, when it responds so nobly to the cull of charity. It was a grand initiation for the Hospital Sunday work, and was reili'cted strangely thereon, for, within £VOO, the Sunday's collections totted up to the same amount, £10,000, being nearly £3000 more than last year.