MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1264, 27 April 1883, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

— -V- _ The wet windy weather, which made the streets so uncomfortable for passengers on Saturday evening interfered considerably with the trial of the electric lamp at the -premises of Messrs Cunnington and Kent. Instead of having tho light outside, at an elevation which would make the light visible along Colombo street, the exhibitors were oblighed to keep the lamp inside their shop window. A large number of people gathered around at various times, attracted by the novelty of the light, which shone out with great brilliancy. The lamp used is made somewhat after the style of the ."Brush arc light, raid tlie electricity is gene]'-

atcd by means of a powerful dynamoelectric machine on the Gramme pattern — The mot've power was pup plied by the engine belonging to the ti,. m — one of Ransonio and .Sims' threehorse portables. The light was very good, bat bettor adjustment of the machinery employed will be made, and a better result is expected on the next trial. Very great rigidity is requisite in the working parts in order to produce a steady light of au even briliancy. Some idea of the amount of work involved may be gathered from the discription of the machine furnished by the firm. The dynamo consists of a Gramme armature, which is made of 4000 ft of soft iron wire coiled into the form of a hollow cylinder 7in in diameter. This is encircled transversely by insulated copper wire, in sixty coils of 30ffc each, the ends of each coil being connected with a corresponding strip of copper on the commutator. This armature is mounted on a spindle, and revolves rapidly between the poles of a powerful electro -magnet, wound with 1200 ft of insulated copper wire, somewhat larger than that employed in the armature. When the machine is put in motion, electricity is generated in the revolving armature, and is collected from the copper strips of the commutator by two brushes of fine copper wire, passing again through tho encirling wire of the electro-magnet. To this the two leading wires are connected so as to enable the lamp to be included in the circuit. Including the magnet on the lamp there is about four thousand feet of copper wiro , used, which has all been insulated by the ingenious makers. Messrs Cun- , niugton and Kent intend to show the light again on tlie first opportunity. — Christchurch Press. The Auckland publicans are so harried by the police of a Sunday now that the game of Sunday trading is scractly worth the candle. D tiling a shower last Sunday forenoon some six pedestrians made a run for shelter for the lee side of a public house, but they had scarcely get their backs against the weatherboard ing when a couple of shakos protruced round the corner. Tiie police were satisfied when they ascertained that all the people wanted was to keep themselves dry. There are a thousand and one names upon the list of Metropolition Charitable societies, and they have an income among them of -£4,453,000, . which is ever t-o much more than the whole public revenue of Persia. It exceeds tlie income of the Metropolitan Board of Works by a quarter of a million ; double the budget of Greece ; nearly double that of Denmark; Holland only collects from every source, east and west, twice as much ; and Portugal's to.al budget is lower than that of these societies, and Switzerland only raises the third of their returns. One more sign of the times is to b 3 found in a manifesto which has been issued by the working men of San Francisco. It is an esaeoitial y Socialistic document. Its authors boldly declare that they are defrauded of the fruits of their toil, and that if they cannot come by their own by constitutional means they will do so by means of their " clen died fists." Nothing could be more plain-spoken ; and though they refrain from the shocking brutal language to which we are accustomed in the manifestoes of European Socialists, the ; r declaration is as full of violence as it can hold. "We shall respest neither life nor property when they stand as obstacles in the path of human progress ; nor will we shrink from any sacrifice on our own side that may be necessary for the success of our cause." There is a certain calm determination, too, in the words with which they conclude theirjjmanifesto : " The rights we thus demand must be granted or we shall take them." The self-con-fidence of the American character was never better expressed, and yet when we first glanced over the strange do cuincut we could hardly help believing that it was only an example of American humour. We suspect, however, that it is precisely what it pretends to be — au expression of the deep discontent with the relations between capital and labour which is felt by the working classes in many parts of the Great Republic,, and of a determination to have them put to rights in some way or another — if not by fair means, then by foul. They, say that they are legally and systematically robbed of three-fifths of their earnings — that "loafers, masquerading under the name of ' lawyers,' 4 bankers,' 'brokers, 'rum-sellers,' 'capitalists,' 'professional preachers,' and'politicians,' have come to own all tlie wealth that they have produced." AU this seems merely another phase of the la! tour agitation which was begun by Kearney soma years ago — a revo't against the system by which millio laircs are produc d. Tha questio.i of tho distribution of wealth isth'-sb 'n«-

stirred ia new countries a3 well as in the old ; and now that it seems to have taken possession of the minds of the people, there can be little doubt that it will not be allowed to rest ill it finds some kind of solution. It is to be hoped that it will find a peaceful one, but this will depend very much upon the statesmanship of what are called the ruling classes, in the coming years. Without doubt. There's something in this world amis?, Shall be unriddled by-and-bye ; and it is quite as evident that the great producing classes are growing impatient for the long-promised and long-expected unriddling. The portentious accumulation of wealth in a comparatively few hands, which the lastsoyears have witnessed in America and in older countries, has been . i slowly tending towards the disruption of society, in spite of all our constitutional methods of government, our popular education, our political economy—in a word, in spite of all the enlightenment and process of this glorious nineteenth century ; and if the catastrophe — a general convulsive revolution — is to be avoided, it must, to all appearance, be by the use of hitherto untried means. The people are beginning to know their power, and there is nothing more certain than that they will exert it in a forcible manner, for better or worse, ere another, half -century passes away. It may be said, then, that the statesmanship of the civilsed world is again on its trial. 1 Truth ' would very much like to hear what reply the officials at the Admiralty can make to the statements of Captain Watt, of Liverpool, some of which are well worthy of public attention. In 1877 an estimate of £21 ,000 was approved for repairing the Admiralty 'yacht Enchantress (a wooden ' vessel then fourteen years old), although a new iron vessel of the same size could have been built and fitted for ■£30,000. The. total cost of her repairs was £41,0001 The refit of the draining ships Atalanta and Eurydice cost £92,846, although four new iron or composite vessels would have cost litttfrinore,' according to a return obtained last session. Four vessels (Garnet, Opal, Sapphire, and Turquoise) have served one commission of less tnan five years, and require -£140,000 to repair them. Captain Watt concludes with the Nautilus, a wooden training brig of 501 tons, built in 1876 at a cost of £21,250. -The '[ writer built for his own use, in 1881, a sailing vessel of iron, of 1000 tons displacement, of the best description, and fitted with steam gear to work the anchors and cargo, for £7800. Why the country should have paid £13,000 more for a vessel of half the tonnage is a question which requires an answer. We have received the following •curious telegram from Wellington : — " Mr Dwan has telegraphed to the Reefton papers announcing that in consequence of not having received a requistion in the terms of his address he had retired from the contest in favor of Mr E. Shaw." This is something quite novel in the electioneering line. A man intimates to the electors of a certain constituency that if they choose to ask him to become a candidate he is willing to stand the racket of an election. The electors don't want him as their representative and therefore take no notice of his communication. The would be candidate, in consequence uf not receiving a requisition, '* retires from the contest," and states that he does so "in favor " of somebody else. For impudent assurance and unblushing effrontery, the palm must surely he given to Mr Thomas Dwan. Nelson Colonist. If the telegrams in Thursday's papers are true, at last Mr Bradlaugh lias defeated the common informer Clarke. We do not know how many Judges have decided against him. Mr Bradlaugh demurred, stating that Mr Clarke could not sue. This was overruled. He appealed to the Lords Justices. They decided against him. Then he went to trial. He failed. He got a rule nisi, and he succeeded. Then Mr Clarke appealed, and he succeeded. And at last he went to the House of Lords, and now the welcome intelligence has been received thai, notwithstanding the decisiou of at least half a dozen able Judges the House of Lord, has held the objection Mr Bradlaugh raised fatal to the case. This says something for Mr Bradlaugh's legal ability and knowledge. He argued his own case. — ' Echo,' April 14. A telegram in the " Daily News" says : — Minute investigation has shown that it is not necessary to blow np the wreck of the Cimbra. The reports of the mates will secure sufficient depth for the passage, the deck bring 60ft. ! l»elow the level of the sea. Moreover, the wreck contains such au enormous nuinbar of dead holies thai it is considered best to leave them uudi-sturbrd.

The insurance companies will send out another diver to try and save p.irt of the cargo. The following rules should be observed in the care of grindstones : — First — Don't waste the stone running it in water, nor allow it to stand in water when not in use, as this will cause a soft place, and consequent uneven wear. Second — Wet the stone by dropping water on it from a pot suspended above the stone, and stop off the water when not in use. Third Do not allow the stone to get out of round, but true up with a piece of gaspipe or " hacker." Fourth — Do not leave the stone out of doors in the wind and weather, as this hardens it and n:akes it less efiective. Fifth — Clean off all greasy tools before grinding, as grease or fat destroys the grit. Sixth — When you get a stone that suits your purpose, keep a sample of tho grit to send to the dealer, to select by, as in this way you can always secure one that suits. A fashionable young lady of New York visited a cooking school a short time ago, where her attention was equally divided between a new dress worn by an acquaintance and the directions for making cake. Upon returning home she undertook to write down the recipe for making the cake for her mother, and the old lady was paralysed when she read : " Take two pounds of flour, throe rows o^ plaiting round the front, the whites of two eggs cut bias, a pint of milk ruffled round the neck, half a pound of currants with seven yards of bead trimming, grated lemon-peel with Spanish lace fichu ; stir well, and add a semi-fitting paletot with visite sleeves ; butter the pan with Brazilian topas necklace, and garnish with icing and jetted passementerie • bake in a moderately hot oven until the outskirt is tucked from the waist down on either side, and finish with large satin bows." Her mother said she thought these new fangled ideas in cooking ought to be frowned down. Some interesting and extraordinary data have just been compiled respecting the Mississippi. It appears that it boasts no fewer than 55 tributary streams, with a total length of steamboat navigation of 16,571 miles, or two thirds of tho distance around the world, and some 4000 miles more open to navigation by barges. Even this, however, represents but a small amount of the navigation which will follow when the Federal Government has made the contemplated inprovement in the Upper Mississippi, in the ! Minnesota, Wisconsin, or other riverf. Twenty-two States and Territories have a greater or less snare of the navigation, the amount ranging from 70 miles in New York States to 5200 in Louisiana. Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montano, Dakota, and the Indian Territory possess more miles of navigable stream than miles of railroad, all of which are open to everybody who wishes to engage in commerce. Missouri river tributary of the Mississippi, may be navigated a distance of 2127 from the point where it joins the Mississippi. Red River, another great tributary, enters the Mississippi 341 miles above its mouth, Its length is 1200 miles, and steamers of four feet draught can ascend to Sheveport, 830 miles from the mouth of the river. The third largest tributary of the Mississipi is the Arkansas river. Its width varies from 150 to 120. Lar^e vesselscan ascend with ease to 508 miles I from the mouth, while sma ler ones can extend the distance to 884 miles. The Ohio riveris another fine tributary. It is navigable from Pittsburgh, I hiladelphia, to its junctien with the Mississippi at Cairo, Illinois, a distance of 1021 miles. Tho width of tlie river varies from 500 yards to 1400 yards. • The traffic of- the Ohio is enormous, and nearly equal to that . of the mother river, the Mississippi.