MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 53, 15 July 1878, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Boston Journal of March 30, prints this queer story : " A current nofo in Tuesday's Journal contained v query concorning tho uso mudo of the millions of old stamps colleotcd. A correspondent is prompted by the question to inform tho pnhlio of h prnctioo which prevnils in convents and other Catholic institotions in this country, and is almost unknown to those outside their walls. All cancelled stamps are saved and sent to missionaries of tho faith in China, who buy with thoso worthless scraps of papor, infants who would othorwiso bo destroyed, in nocord* anco with the custom of tho moro dogr »dod Chinese. Tho many colored stumps nro used for tho decoration of walls, &<s,bv tho rnpenioiw Orientals, and are valued so I highly thot 100 of them will buy a baby I whoso parents havo doomed it to deal' » Tho little om s thus purchased nregathore>t into asylums, and roaro i iv accordance with tho laws nnd custom* of Christian civilisation, If I wore a member of the peerage (ro« I marks a contributor to an Knglish papor) I should' (eel it my bounden duly, out of |i rcgurd to tho order to which I bolonged rto do something for Viscountess Kmgs« R»nd. A vico>intrßs making shirts at twopence each, assisted by a nicco who aho l»rai«»R mnntlcs. in order to kcop thorn from Htarvation, is a scandal which tho nobility for their own sukoa ought to put nn end to. Tho grant from tho JUoynl Hoitnty Fund will produce an annuity ol about £tO for her ladyship, nnd, with hor »hin making, sh« may be able to keep body and soul together y but an her hulyship in nboiit eiuh'y yours of age, she cannot hope to make shins much Sonuor. Surely a low noblemen and ladies could easily subscribe enough to i»ako tho poor Vinnounfcess- coinfuPtablo for the remainder of her day*. A tramw y rtir in whidi <romprcs«cd t\r is tho molire power has be?.') proved during some motrtlis on the IHi« between Oouibevoio and l'i»oaus. and the Uound Point in tho Cliamps-Klymro.-t. This car Ijbs room for 30 passenizors is served by a conductor, and a mechanician who has cntiro charge c:f the machinery, which with n number of iron tubes W nil pi-njodt hot ween tho wheels, under tho floor, whero it oeejS'ons no inconvenienco to anyone, A powerful air-pump at the start* inu station fomes air enough info (ho iron tubes fcr the journey to and from, nnd ■ the car trnvels'-mnothly ami without niso or smoke, und cm be f»r,oppfd ar.d started more readily than a horse car. Mr Mt>* karaski, tho inrcnior ol tin* (?ar, has been thanked by Iho society for having solyed tho problem o-f a locoinotfvo which oiin be uhcl Tn crowded s i reels. Of cour-o there nre rrp.diancoß for remrlating ihe preisnro of trVo mjr, nnrd 1 for preventing the deposit ofhoarfroMt in tho tubes, consequent on rapid 1 expansion ol air ? but for a description of these we must refer to tho J/Ullotin published by tho society, With ri»ci>rd to flying machines, shvh n« ojsdinmge,. inves'.igators n' 4 o slowly developing fcho fncts ns to iho principle of ffight. M. Talin, of Paris, has so far sucoeodod inn his bountiful silk'winged modols as vevy nearly to Approximate* to tho wing motion of a pigeon. He uses compressedi nfr m*« a motivo power. It is decided thnt long narrow wings aro best, and the latest model- will ftfi a load equalling its- own- weight. M. Talin he* lieves thnt ho- will even reach a formula which will sliow defftutaly how many foot pounds pet* second uro^ nocessary to fiy a given weight. Sinoo tho wnr,,say» an<oxoftnngo, Franco has not been devoting all hor energies to strengthening tho military power of the country. Tho developments of agriculture «ct afoot witlr- libornl'ity by Iho- IVo* Kmporor hsvo been followed* up closely by tho contitrv. Tn no partf of Europe is agricultural education moro earnestly taught Hian in Franco ; in no cminfry i» »» tastoforngricuUnral pursuits morosvstem* atioally dovelopod in tho young. Tho in* struotions issued to villngo ns well as town schoolmas o-t am :— First, aim at fitting your pupils for oitiz-ms ;: nest, imbue them with a In9to for rural pursuits ; above all, obiitomto that growing evil, tho tendency of farmors's <ns to loavo tho country for tiro town. Docided success has followed thoso procopts in tho village schools. Tho practico Micro is for tho teacher to road, ojepound. and experiment in a familiar mnmior with tho rudiments of agricultural operations; thoro aro special sohools whoro tho science can bo followed up. Successful teachers recoivo bonuses-from tho Genoral Government nnd in many oases fr^m local sociotics. Tho testing ot soods is bcooming a special avocation of tho school teachers,. ami 1 spcoimens of improved fowls, pigeons, nnd rabbits flew in upon thorn. Thegirl's in tho country schools nro taught t/hoir dopartmonb of the life of tho , facmhouso, tho dairy, cooking, account . keeping, rules of hoalth &o, It is from [ sucn«Bourcos that tho oxtraordiaary vitality of Franco is making itsolf felt, nnd tho country is bocoming wealthy in mon nnd'tnatorial lo an ojctracrdinarj^ doffrco.. Judging by tho Agrictural Department roports that roach us, tho Franco of to« day is aotually proud of hor agricultural advanoemenfe May it long continuo so. A^ soam of coal of excellent qiu mty TifsM' Intoly boon divcovored in tho Eliotralo Coal-field, Kiiitnngata district. On being . tostcd by a blacksmith, it provod to bo ' suilnblo for welding purposes. A man madoabet that ho would rido c tho fly-wheel in a saw-mill, and as his widow paid the hot, sho remarked,' 'William was a kind husband, but ho did not ] Icdow much about fly-wheels.' Tho othor day a man in Now York died so suddenly that tho body was almost . Bold before thedistruotod nndgriol'<strickcn relatives found tho will. Afior a boy. is v tired out booing, potatoes -

n-xliinjT seems to n's 1 him moro thnn dig over n t'e\r »qu,uv ro.ls ol grccnswy I in sem-h of bait. Tn« ' Tcmukit Trailer,' winch fltf months ;ig<> passed unconditionally mi tho hands of Mr J, J . l/tling, hns cense publication, and it is likely that it w> bo allowed to rest forever in pence. A any rate wo ( Ashbnrtou M-iil) hear tli' tho plant is to be removed to another nn«of tho colony for tho purpose of »Uriin another newspaper. Writing on Kducrttion iho Tnhl" Says—* Now in reference to the above, \t havo to say in tho first plaoo that lh. state is not crtll<fl upon to tench at nl ! teaching is not ono of i fr» functions ; unr. tho most tlmt can bo legitimately *m>. for it is that it con insist on parent* <■ I Hunting tlioir cliildroi to such ft p^r that thoy shall not remain 'in n simo ■ ignorance dangerous to tho community Juigland encourairos and helps denomin ntionnl schools, and gives aitf front ( .uh!i lunds to moro than 16\030 de.nomin;i tional schools. Lately ftho GofOi-nmen and Legislature eiMcied a lnw r unfit t wliioh seoiilnr schools hreve boon cstu!)lighod. I3irt these st'ctrlar adrools wero not intended, not uro tfrey jrarntitted Ui supersede or oven crmpctc with Iho denominational schools, tin? establishment «»f secular schools is not permitted. And even in distriels where s»etrlar schools nro established. Iho Government ni<l;« denominational schools already established and to be established. Verily the season appronchcth when tho clutch of the small hoy shall ravish ami devastate the rino of Uro tomnto whilo vet it is immature ; nnd it shall come to 1 pass that Jhw insatiate tooth of the smiill boy shall 1 eviscerate mud consumo tho fruit thereof whilo yet it w lilcened' uno tho crnss of the vnlloy. But the humblo tomnto nwlreth roorry all tho more iv its sloeve, and hoi, loth cmnmuniou Wi'U itself and chuckloth, vis* 1 Of a truth v Knlsomintfd peritoncil cannot nave Mice' whereby tho yerifiiui'ion is fu'fiUed, though it listeth not tho why, and tlxr eoronor's jury wot not that which slo>v him and in this wise the lowly vegetable gottolh hunk on the lad.