MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 306, 1 June 1889, Page 4

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

(fbom oub own cobrespondent.')

A. working man’s opinion of Melbourne is given in a Dunedin paper by a man who came from New Zealand to Melbourne some time since to better his position, and a deplorable tale he tells. He evidently labors under the same mistake as a good many others of his class,and feels aggrieved because he cannot obtain work upon his own terms, at his own price, and at the spot that best suits his own convenience. And I cannot help thinking that this has a good deal to do with, and is in a great measure the cause of the agitation of the “ unemployed ” about which we hear so much just now. Our New Zealander describes things in Melbourne as having reached a “frightful pitch'*—poor fellows starving and sleeping in the gardens at night. He says it is ** bad enough when a man is in work, for it takes him ail his time to live. ... He has to pay a rediculons rent. ... It costs him ttia .hilling, a week by tram or train to go and come from his work . . . and it is no place for a working man, and he will never be worth a shilling." Now all this is grossly exaggerated, and much of it is positively untrue. But it will do good in New Zealand if, as it is intended, it deters men from coming here with the expectation of picking up half-sovereigns in the streets of Melbourne. Bather than remain idle, our New Zealander accepted a seven weeks’ job up country, for which ho was paid £3 per week. But his railway fare coat him £2 Ils,, then he was ill a week, not earning the £3; he had to pay £1 a week for his board, and keep up a bouse for hie wife and family in Melbourne. Of course he did not save much, and no wonder. Ho is not surprised that, out of the hundreds who are starving in Melbourne, so auy peahens! their misery by jumping

Our Dunedin friend has fallen into the mistake common to a great many other 1 * now ohums." If ho were dissatisfied with Now Zealand ho should have ascertained what better prospects awaited him la Mob bourne. Ho should also have remembered ‘ oomer cannot always choose either his work, or the spot whore he will works Evea Mahomet muit go to the moun* tain if the mountain would not oome to him* Jh* •*•!•» iif, i better pay, and shorter hours m work, have unfortunately too many attractions for Victorians themselves to leave much Hbow-room in Melbourne to otratutos ths B»wd to this Bit/ on “spec. I™ho 1 ™ho districts are drained to feed the cltft and nspleysM up country can testify how town they suffer in eensequenw, ft Is a •iunigesnt feet that only week an OavsrtiMment appeared from a person who FOfitirtd 100 Chinamen to clear timber, iiJe railway contractor informed the Government that he could take on 800 men at com. It is folly to talk about unemployed and itarvlog men in Melboprne * use loud toeir < M?LY. riq T* ‘be colony for are. whom no, Waters ‘bora always should and' * rse whw * public-lieusee ara° U fka*on n * tB * b,id wort There brsaant? l>’ W *’’ jfTin B mao ott ‘ ol * ork “ thev bra not •tarvi'ig, unless durine (extravagant and thriftless uasu! jlt prosperous times which have , P’wsv*', out which will again return. I see that the late popular putor of Calm's Memorial Church, at East Melbourne, has got into harness at his new work at Brisbane, and is attracting crowded churches, the congregations consisting of all denominations. Bo long as he retains his rare powers of rivetting the attention of his hearers it will always be so. I first stumbled into East Melbourne Church by accident, where a twofold treat awaited me—the preaching of Mr Buchanan, and the organ performance of poor Halstad, The latter had to give up his duties all too soon, but the style of Mr Buchanan drew me there again and again, and I became an almost constant attendant so long as he remained in Melbourne. I. have not entered the Church since he leftHis style of preaching has been described by several critics, but all agree in his wonderful powers of chaining the attention of a congregation upon himself. Ha is not a bit like a parson. Ho has a fine head, keen eyes, a straight nose, a heavy moustache, slightly veiling expressive lips of singular mobility, and a clean shaved well formed chin. He has the air of a lawyer, he once was, before ho became a clergyman. Of the service conducted by him, an able critic says “Of 1 his management of the service, particularly of its close, there must be a word of unrestricted praise, He has evidently bestowed much thought upon the production of sn appropriate finale to his service. Lest it should pe Interrupted or marred, the collection is shifted back into the middle of the service. It is taken before the sermon. After sermou, without interruption of any kind, follow# thi> usual hymn. Then, the congregation still standing, a brief prayer, and instantly on its close, by the choir and people, the dCxology ; then, all still erect, the bcnedlctior,, and the minister immediately makes his exit, and the congregation, momentarily resuming tlieir seats, arp played out j n the usual S?*? stranger notices the extremely hfaeral, unsectarw-,, undogmatic tone of his discourse. It la, Christian, spiritual, popular. I once saw to him that I was totally unprepared tv mw t with such breadth of view, such toiae'.ion, from a Presbyterian minuter. “AX tjut," he rejoined with a tough; yew m.uet remember that it is American, rree.nytoriuuisin,’'

The ladies may be interested to know that two new bonnets are coming into vogue this year, and the men will not be sorry at anything that has a tendency to supersede some of the monstrosities with which women have, during the lust year or two. consented to dis. figure themselves. Bonnet No, 1, is one ol the quaintest and simplest things that has been seen lately, and will suit same people wonderfully well, The face, however, should be delicate, and the hair abundant and pretty. Ths honest la made of rguirrcl.brcwn silk. and is quilted like the inside ol a cloak There are wide, sot*, silk string! which appear ‘O 80 through the bonnet, and across the back ol it. Two squirrels’ tails siaud up i n front, not sewn on, but tied into their uiace by a (iream.poloured ribbon, which is formed Inta a small smart bow just over the front hair Bonnet No. 2, Ij it'• crt w fi bopnot,''in rented f>ya Melbourne milliner. J; should ’became ,s for the use 'd todies ktfending concerts and theatres, and which, fvhen nqt required m head-gear, mtA be conyertefi mto a fan, *