MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1282, 10 August 1883, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

A story is told at Home which, had it beenJoldJi Jew nionthsj&j^^ bably have been claimed as the original of one of the scenes in "lolanthe," wherein the Queen of the Fairies is made to marry the sentry at Westminster Palace. A grenadier on guard at Somerset House, London, was recently standing in the gateway, when a lady of mature age, but still attractive and richly dressed accosted him with handsome eulogies of his martial figure and warm approval of the style in which he protected his Qeen and country in the great dynamite crisis. Private Thotaas Atkins was naturally surprised at this, but his surprise grew when the lady offered him her hand as a reward for his valiant vigilance. The tender was liberally made and took point from the fifty-pound note the fair enthusiast reached forth. Before the flattered sentinel could act on this strango proposal, the policeman oil duty interposed with a brutal command to move on and not annoy the sentry. The lady obeyed with graceful courtesies and wafted kisses at the grenadier till she turned the corner out of sight. Every afternon this, then unknown spinster presented herself, and went through the same form minus the fifty-pound note. She simply entered the gateway, stoad opposite the sentry, regarded him with an expression of rapture, addressed him with gestures of ecsticy assured him of undyiug attachment, and then passed away, flinging back sweet kisses flow her fingers nails. As the sentry was changed every day, the lady's passion was clearly regimental rather then individual. It has since been found thafc she is of high family connection, the sister of a gentleman well. known in society, who died recently, leaviug her a large fortune. She is allowed to pursue her harmless passion, and a crowd assembles daily to see the transit of Venus across the march of Mars. An article in the ' New York Irish World.' headed "Dauiel Curley's Murder," comments upon the '• brave death of the patriot and hero." In another part of the paper, under the heading "The Martyr's Friend," an appeal is made. The writer says : — "It is the duty of the Irish people to provide for the family of every man. who dies, or exists in a living death for Ireland. We propose sending one thousand dollars to Joe Brady's mother, one thousand dollars to Dan Curley's wife, and one thousand dollars to the families of every one of those men who have been either murdered in the name of the law, or sent to penal servitude without having pleaded guilty. This money we want at once. (Signed) Patrick Ford." A terrible disaster is reported from Honolulu Bay, Sandwich Islands, which seems to have escaped the vigilant eye of Eeuter. During a grand ball on board her Majesty's warship Royal Albert, in the harbour of Honolulu, prior to the 3rd May, the. gum of the vessel having been placed on one side to give increased room for dancing, a heavy gale sprang up which caused the vessel to keel over, and out of 300 merry-makers, 263 were drowned. A peculiar incident occurred recently at Chicago. In a store in that city the building is lighted by the electric light. When the store was crowded with people the light was suddenly turned off, and all were left in utter darkness. As rapidly as possible the gas-jets were lighted, and an investigation was made, when, under the dynamo there stood a rat, with one leg raised up as if to take another step. He had leapt on one of the copper con-, ductors underneath the brush, and on stepping on the other closed the current, so that it passed through its body, killing him instantly, the rat remaining fixed to the spot. The official returns give the value of the tobacco consumed in France in 1882 at 365,500,000 francs. Cigars show a total of 60,500,000 francs; cigarettes, 16,000,000 ; and chewing tobacco, 9,000,000. The heaviest amount, 278,000,000 francs, was for ordinary smoking tobacco. A missionary from the Island of Peru, in the Samoan group, writes that there is not a heathen left. Missionary labourers were commenced there only 11 years ago. During this time the whole island has been evangelised ; churches, chaples, missionhouses have been built at their own expense, and they are now supporting their own pastors and contributing to, the society that sent them pastors and teachers. "Eouoir on rats."— Clears out rats, mice, roadies, flics, ants, bed-bugs, booties ii..^ets, skunks, jack-r.ibbits, .-••ophfj-s. 7-id. Prnp^ists. Moses, Hoes a:ul Co.. Sydney, Goneiv.,l Agents.

Speaking of immigration, however, reminds me that the stream of people from Europe needsno enlargement from muddy sources. During May last 99,631 immigrants arrived in this country, ■while 18,000 arrived in Canada in June. An appropriation of 15,000d013 has teen made^ by the Dominion Parliament in aid of an immigrant depot similar to that at Coast Garden. During the summer months there will be a . great inHux of people to America from Europe. The low rate of passage and rapid transit necessarily encourage emigration to this Continent. New Zealand is too far away for much spontaneous emigration to it, and it is greatly to the credit of your Home agents that so many people embark for your shores. Direct steam communication will do much to stimulate immigration. But whatever you do, set. your faces resolutely against pauper immigrants under any pretence whatever. They are undesirable in any ] caseC I should remark here that although the Dominion of Canada got an addition of 18,000 this month from Europe, it sent 59,372 of its people to the United States in the last 11 months. Every year about 60,000 -'Canadians settle in this country. I met a family recently from Halifax, ISTova gfeotia, who have settled in California. They were glad to get away, and describe the condition of that town and the maiitime provinces generally as deplorable since federation and the -adoption of a protective tariff. Business is all but ruined, and the young people, losing heart, are emigrating to the- States. Even iv Canada West there is no progress, the pi-ovince of ■Ontario having barely held its own in during the past five years. "''^Writing upon the Nelson tragedy, the Timaru Herald says that the crime at the Lyell for which Davidson was -condemned was " one of the worst cases " <of manslaughter that ever came before a tjourt, and Davidson was proved to b"6 a ruffian of the most dangerous type. Yet, in the face of all these facts, he was treated in the goal as if he were a harmless creature who had had the misfortune to get into a scrape. He was •employed as cook, entrusted with knives and a tamahawk, and actully let loose to perambulate the goal premises ungarded. It would have been a matter for astonishment if he had not taken the first convenient opportunity for perpetrating some deed of bloodshed. 'Thex-e are, ye presume, regulations in "force in prisons for the proper custody of convicts undergoing penal servitude for violent crimes — regulations, we 'mean, of so strict and imperative a character that they cannot be suspended, at the will of the gaoler or warders, in favour of any prisoner who happens to "be quite and docile in. his demeanour. 3f so, t]ie au thorites of the Nelson gaol must be held directly responsible for iihis horrid catastrophe, the only alleviating circumstance of which is the jgood behaviour of the gaoler and his "wife when brought face to face with the murderer. Had they shown less courage or self-possession their own lives in all probability would literally have been left under the control of a desperate convict, and there is na saying what the consequences might have been." We know Hop Bitters are above and t>eyonil all as a nutritious} tonic and curative. Head thoroughly the Mothbl Swan's Wobm Syeup. — Infallible, tasteless, harmless, cathartic ; for feverishness, restlessness, worms, ■constipation. Is. at druggists. Moses, Moss & Co., Sydney, General Agents.