MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1229, 5 February 1883, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The London "Times" says:— Wiiat, Mill , thought ouß- ; day «\vtiuld happen -iom^si^Slie •e^iiStion ofall possible combinations of 'iiotes, appears to be the fate that is threatening the English novel ; for the hundreds that come annually from the press do

' little more in these days than repeat each other's feebleness. Yet the novel is, or ought to be, the representative of life, and life, is infinitely ysariod. . Can ,it be that the jj&itlt' lies rather in the fact that the mass of pur novelists are people who write with a light heart and a careless pen, and ' who have neither the knowledge, not the ability, nor the patience to paint life as it is ? Some additional j rules under • The Supreme . Court" 'Act,, . 1882,' are gazetted;.: ; THe following tablo of allowances ., to witnesses has been adopjtedr-^l-rpfessional men, when their evidence as experts is required, per .diem, £ 1 Is tb 4J& 2& ; professional meni "bankers, mercfcawtsy auctioneers, land agents, and other gentleman not specially mentioned, per diem Iss to \£l Is", masters of ships, officers of police of superior grade, farmers clerks shopkeepers, and- storekeepers, per diem 12s; shopmen, journeymen, mechanics petty officers of ships, and officers of police of inferior grade, jierjiiein, 10s; laborers, seamen and police constables per diem, 6s. "To an. interpreter, if engaged for any time not exceeding one hour, 10s 6d ; for every additional hour of fraction of an hour he. mdy be actualy employed beyond ; tttat time, ss ; but not exceeding one day 4>2 2s. Female witnesses at the rate of two-thirds the allowance of male witnesses of corresponding 'rank, Eor witnesses residing beyond three^iniles from the Court, there will be igtyowed i^heir coach, railway or steam bodkfares. '.By railway or steamer second class fares will be allowed for laborers, .•journeyman and mechanics ; aud first olass fares for other witnesses. When. there is no public conveyance there will be allowed for such witness a mileage i*ate not exceeding 9cl per mile one way. They will also be allowed 3s in addUittn •for each night such witnesses are Uft* cessarily detained from their oikn houses, except when travelling by sea. A very circumstantial ghost story is disturbing the mind of New York The editor of the New York World vouches for the good faith of his informant — a professional man of , Jugk.reputft , JPie house iri which the manifestions occur is a newone, and is let,: out in. flats. The following are a few occurrences as told by an eye witness who went' sceptical but soon found that somethings more than ordinary was up. First, of all there was much knocking at the front door. It was watched, open and closed, before' and behind, but the knocking still came, always- in four strokes, sounding like blows struck with : tThefe; of wood. Then camtt betl-rinigirigs 'In all parts of the house. Tappings were heard at the glass of the' Windows, 1 the coats of the "boarders fell down, from the hat rack, each falling a y4rd ap.«*rt, A plush, cover of a round table standing in the hall gracefully floated on to the iloor. A clothes-prop was 1 hurled •Over the tj?E"of , a portiere; the walking, stick* KttCW^'iiitiw- hall werer .'-ffife^ ' iii different directions, a%d/bdft>rc the scared residents had recovered, a leaf from an oak Miningtable was hurled through the hall for SOft, striklhg the wall and ' c6n¥ing to> the g^rid SritK V fdarful' Another tablo took a series of-sonier-sai^lt& . Such . violent goingSHMi .' had such a bad effect upon some of the family that they began to.' tiling of retiring, when- a frightful shtiqlj echoed , tiiroug^oit the whole d weMjngf piercing and evidently com^ngffroni no human throat foilo^^byo'la^'vinsiniiatinjr.'' whistles. In the eveuing t* it" trwd a few nptos in fi.rpeggo, and- was successfulin keepiiig time. and. tune '-.withe. tKe :i»»Wefci>3&», tone^ofiJtheAVhißtte'rwas jsometbinglifco thaVof Ji fbgAoj-n^iat other times like the "blowbgiii the neefcojf «j^ttle." AlHHfi'is said to be a irjathf ul.stfttwn'ent of . facts," syhs^antiated by five witpessos, ..Bevies ofpoli«emen have searched in vain, and a curious English detective has also been "baffled. .- j . .."'.-■' "A firmiof. London^engineers :haye .patented an'invention for extiiigtiisli- . in fires in, theatres. They propose 'jxi so arrange; gas pipes ,a^ Ojrer the .building as to turn them, into water v pipoS a moments npiiee. That .is to say,, by touching a lover the gasis- iQ be forced pu^ and, replaced hy 'ls^/'jsSm wjft pqux down upon •t£e fire! The invgntioQ allows of .tibe water being directed to- any part of the theatre, so; that , behind the footlights, where the. outbreak generally occurs, the ga3 pipes might be turned into water jets, without affecting the light in other parts of the building.