Union Literary Society’s Session.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 514, 4 October 1890, Page 3

Union Literary Society’s Session.

The AngHcan Sunday school building was fi led on Thursday evening, when a Conversazione took place on the closing of the current session of the Literary Society. _ The President, (Rev. Canon Fox), in his opening remarks, referred to the work. of the session, which on the whole, he considered had been a very successful one. In looking about for the causes that conduced, to that success they must greatly attribute it to the way in which the ladies had assisted. In the previous session the Society had, it had been said, been overburdened with talent, giving it too heavy a tendency, bnt since then much of the light element had been introduced, the ladies had given their assistance, and gradually many of the young members had been brought out. The Secretary (Mr Mann) read the report, which showed a very successful state of things, mainly due to the part the ladles had taken in the work. The balance sheet showed a credit of £1 9s9d —The report was adopted on the motion of Mr Greenwood, seconded by Mr Gardiner. The election of officers then took place, with the following resultsVice'Preaidents : Messrs DeLautour and Greenwood ; Committee—Mrs Akroyd, Mrs H. Wil isms, Messrs Crawford, Feator, Durlop, Williams, and Gardiner Mr Mann was unanimously elected Secretary and Treasurer, » few. complimentary remarks by the President having a hearty response from the audience. ADDBISd BY trit DK LAUTOUB. Alter the election of officers an opportunity was given to inspect Mr Crawford’s electric machinery, to have a general chat, and to indulge in refreshments, which conld be procured from a tide table. A short lecture was then given by the Bev. H. Williams, dealing with old brasses, used iu earlier days m memory of great warriors and other celebrated characters. Five illustrations ygre also exhibited on the wall, having been taken from the originals by Mr Wi liams himself, with the aid of a piece of shining material used by shoemakers, rubbed over a sheet of paper placed on the fig’ rs A Bong having been sung by Mrs Palairet, the President formally welcomed Mr DeLautour, on his return to the ' district. He spoke in high terms of (be great assistance that gentleman had rendered to the Society, to the Church, and~to him (Mr Fox) personally. He expressed a hope that Mr DeLautonr would ba induced to tell them ' something about his travels. The President's remarks were enthusiastically applauded, and when Mr DeLautour POM to reply he was warm'y cheered. He said that strikes were so much In fashion now that lie was inclined to follow the example but for the reflection that as seen 4n Mew Zealand strikes did not pay, and ■erbaps if ha struck he should Buffer •• for It afterwards. (Laughter.) But he was •ot going to f*ll into the trap laid by the Chairman (laughter), and dwell on all three lays of thought that bad occurred to him dating the past five months, and describe •very pin be had teen lying about in the ooutse of bis travel*. (Laughter.) Travelling was so common place nowadays that •Barybody was on the move, and bentflaiallv (0, too. It was a good thing to get away if one could only manage it—to ehake off the to remove the feeling that this I pan or that one has a down on you. (Laughter.) Anyway travelling did one a lot Of good. It enabled one to see the folly of attempting to do everything in one day. Even in a mere travelling journey there was someeing exhilarating tp one, though be might ' slow mentally. He Jtlmeelf often got pysdit for being quick when that credit was not due to him. The President had spoken of the counsel be bad given that gentleman, but that arose more from tbs rev. gentleman's heart, He (the speaker) require! a lot of pressing to make him overcome bis mental B oth. The speaker referred to the great advantages a traveller had nowadays. The fine steamships’ now literally pnt a girdle pound the world itself in three months, It made one think the world smaller, and yet *beq one set but, it made him think pl the immeasurable universe ot God. when pne was In London, say at the Bank Of New Zealand, cashing bis cheque, if he had the fortune to have one, you may only have to look round and see the face of one of your best friends crossing from the Bank, and whan all around one noticed the faces of Many old friends, ibe world seemed very fatal!, but when one was on that endless track, all above you immeasurable space and the etprnity ot waters spread around you, you began to get a greater idea ot things Divine. After impressing this thought the speaker went on to refer more particularly to the welcome which had been accorded him on his return, for which he felt vpry gratified. By the way in which Mr Fox's remarks were received, and perhaps in some measure by the targe attendance there, he felt that he could without egotism spy thy a great number who would not otherwise have come had eome just out of kindness to himself and family. (Applause,) He felt the more grateful for this expression of kindness, because as a busy man it was his habit of rushing along the street engrossed in thought, perjiaps not for bimseif but to some extent for ptbers, as was in the nature of his business, and at auch times he might go past heedless of those be knew. Tbis might to some seem intentional, but such was far from him—it was a habit, Yet in spite ot that they were all there with their kind glabees, and he must thank them for it. It gave one courage to try and do what was right. He felt that he was entering on a new career ataonget them; it wgs a convenient time to put all other things in the background and sbako them all mentally by the baud, saying that by pulling together they would all help >he district, help each other, and belpall the communities of religious thought and others in the piece. What struck him very much in his travels and which he bad always to some extent felt with shame, was the way in which the country was dis. credited. Just the same when in New geataad one heard Gisborne discredited, when tftey went home they brard New Zealand dismatted. He thought this in a great measure cams from ourselves, that it was first of all in the colony, There were those in the colony who were always afraid that everything was going to burst up, that everything was going to the dogs, that every thing done by tfcos? not of their party was wicked, and all'that eort of thing. All the adverse criticism one met in Bpgland as to our misfortunes, etc., was simply * reflection bock to us of the utterances ot those among us who without thought express things which mean greatest dissatisfaction with our circumstances. So in this community be believed the hard criticisms we had to bear arose from the thoughtlessness with which we often criticised each other. No doubt in some cases these criticisms

were called out by the circumstances tbemaejves. We should try apd uphold fai credit ot the plane—economy of course was necessary—by all pulling together and standing up in a spirit of patriotism for our country. (Cheers,) Wherever he went ba always had to be on the defensive, though he bit out as hard as ever he eould whenever be got the chance. (Applause.) Ho told them of the grand district he lived in, and of its fine surroundings. By pulling together,—looking for the best among ourselves, holding that up as an example and leaving that we could not approve of to take cars ot itself,—the discredit over the district and community would be speedily got rid of. He would do his beat U help them to achieve that end. (Cheers.) THS BLSCTBIC MOTOS. Mr Crawford provided a great gourde of interest with his electric motor, which bad been brought down and fitted up for the occasion. Mr Mann explained what ia known of the great power of electricity, and then Mr Crawford showed the practical working, to the delight of the audience. The electric light displayed was very popular, and the audience got so enthusiastic that the feat of

making sausages was attempted, and in a few minutes a string of them was brought out, with skins on and all. Some shrewd people suspect that there was a joke somewhere, but no one had the gamehess to try imd tolve the mystery, and the sausages were certainly brought out of the machine. Certainly the exhibition excited great interest, and many have been heard to f exprees a regret that they had not attended the gathering. A short description of ibe motor u safe to prove interesting. , sba electric motor shown is easily Con(lnMted) Ebe outer ot field magnet u

formed of thin soft sheet iron twisted into the necessary shape round a block of wood, and having cotton-covered copper wire coiled around it in four places so as to develop two magnets when a current of electricity is passing through this wire. This field magnet is simply fastened to a wooden stand by strips of brass and screws. The armature, or revolving portion, is a little more complex in construction. It is formed by rolling twelve coils of cotton-covered wire around an iron ring at regular intervals. The coils are all joined to each other so that practically they form one continuous coil without any break all round the iron core. A wooden nut is inserted in this with an iron shaft for the bearings. The terminals of each of the twelve ceils are joined to twelve brass screws. The wires from the generatiog battery carry the current of electricity to the heads of those screws, magnetizing the iron core in the centre of the coils, and at the same time another current is passed around the coils on the field magnet, magnetizing it. The magnets act and re act, repel and attract each other with enormous rapidity and force, and the armature revolves at a speed of over 6000 revolutions per minute. The principle on which the motor is built is that of al! the most advanced systems of applying electricity for. mechanical purposes at the present moment, and a very curious and interesting thing hr this, that if the motor is reversed and is driven by power it sends out a current of electricity from itself, and is a dynamo pure untFrimple. Another system of obtaining rotary motion by electricity was shown in an unfinished gyroscope. The force is obtained by making and breaking a current around a magnet, which causes it to attract an armature contained in the lead wheel, and directly the magnet draws the armature toil thecurrent ceases, allowing it to fly past. The current again acts, and it is drawn to the next arm of magnet, and so on until a very great speed is attained. Mr Crawford made a very good battery out of square gin bottles, common sheet zinc, and carbon from the gas works. "A" very powerful current can be obtained from six or seven cells made roughly of these materials. The fluid is composed of one ounce of-sulphuric acid to ten of water, and one ounce of bichromate of potash to every twenty ounces of such fluid. The bichromate will melt in hot water, and the acid should be added slowly when the solution has cooled. Such a battery is good enough to do electroplating, will decompose water, drive a sewing machine, light a three candle incandescent lamp, ring bells, make powerful magnets, and with a vibrating armature give shocks quite sufficient for the meet fastidious. It has the great drawback of requiring frequent renewal and great attention. During the evening Miss Mr and Langford entertained the company with songs, which were much appreciated. Mr Palairet also provided instrumental music.