MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1389, 18 April 1884, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Mrs Langtry's management in America has adopted a thrte-sheet poster, at the top of which is emblazoned the crest and coat of arms of the Prince of Wales.

Paper wheels, paper ties, and paper rails are a few of the uses of paper ; but the most noteworthy experiment is a steam launch, built for the Westinghouse Machine Company, which has a sheathing of paper three-eights of an inch think, whiuh is strong enough to repel a revolver bullet fired at a distant of 4 feet. A paper vessel, with a " hull" of the same thickness as that of the launch, was kept in the water for eight months, and though without paint or other protection, remained without a sign of moisture inside, or any evidence of disintegration.

In a contest over a will a certain witness was giving his evidence as to

disposition of the testator. " Was ho good natured ?" asked the attorney. "Not altogether." Was he cross, then ?' " Well, yes, rather, in places." " How cross was he 1 Give us an example of his disposition." " Well, sir, he was that cross that when he called up the cows at milking time it made the milk sour." " That's enough. Stand

down,"

An American spiritualist, named Bastian, gave a seance at the Imperial Palace, Vienna, on February 12th, at the invitation of the- Grown Prince Budulph and Archduke John. Bastian summoned the spirits from a room adjoining the Exhibition Hall, whereupon a tall figure, very sepulchral, clad in mourning appeared before the fearstricken speptators. Suddenly the Crown Prince pulled a string closing a secret door to the entrance, when the spirit, who was Bas ian himself, made frantic but vain efforts to escape, amid the laughter of the assemblage. Bastian was expelled from the city.

Nearly all London is built on leasehold land, and at the end of a certain time the land on which the buildings are erected, as also the buildings themselves, becomes the property of the ground landlord.

It having been found that the regulation sword of the mounted branches is all too heavy for the British cavalry soldier of the present day, it is in contemplation to issue soon a much lighter weapon.

It appears almost incredible that in Paris no fewer than 80,000 women find their living by making artificial flowers. At present a great number of these -flower- makers are out of work, owing partly to flowers being out of fashion, and partly to the euorraous competition in England, Germany, Switzerland, and America, which increases with every season. No country, however, can compete with France in elegance, delicacy, and taste, although the flowers are generally made after French models.

An inquest was held in January at Belfast, Ireland, on the body of a person for many years known as John Coulter, but who, on dying from the result of injuries accidentally received, was discovered to be a woman. For 12 years she had worked in male attire as a labourer at Belfast quays : and 29 years ago she got married in Dungannoh to a .woman* who was examined at the inquest, and deposed that the deceased was her husband, and they had been separated for the past six years on account of the drinking habits of the deceased.

Wife (to husband) — , 1 want you to give John a good scolding this morning dear.' Husband — 'A good scolding 1 Why, ray dear, I have no fault to find with John. Isn't he a good, faithful servant?" Wife — ' Yes, he is a good enough servant and all that, but I want him to beat a lot of carpet, and he wout't do it half hard enough if- lie is not right mad.'

She was an immensely stout woman, and, stepping upon the scales, playfully requested the grocer to weigh her. As he adjusted the weights he remarked that she weighed 190 pounds, which proved to be her exact weight. ' How did you come to guess it ?' she asked. '1 am used to guessing at weights. I weighed hogs for five years in Cincinnati.'

Krupp, the noted guhmaker of Essen, has just taken out a patent on a flatheaded artillery projectile. The pointed projectiles, as is well known, are apt to deflect when striking iron plates or water at certain angles. The new projectile, slightly tapering at the butt, will not only pierce the plates all the more easily, but it is also calculated to hit the ironclads below the water-line. In order that the resistance of the air against the flattened head may not impede the celerity of the projectile, the latter is provided with a pointed tin cap, filled with grease, which cap drops off on striking the object. .

'Any. man with ordinary capacity for work in him' (writes the • Vagabond in the ' Argus,) ' can enjoy life in Melbourne with far less exertion than if in London, New York or San Francisco. What can these cities gives us which we have not here ? Every taste can be suited. We have good libraries, newspapers, clubs, theatres, concerts, churches, and chapels galore, the Salvation Army, and the Blue Ribbpn Society. Robertson and Mullen supply us with the latest magazines and the works of Zola or Max O'Rell. The triumvirate or Smythe import the newest English plays, the greatest English actresses, and best English actors. -Sample instructs us in horse taming. Periodically a duke or an earl visits us, and we worship him. We have seen the greatest war correspondent of the age. We can listen to Rita and Radcliffe, and shall shortly hear George Agustus Sala, the prince of living journalists and best public speaker since the days of Charles Dickens. If • all drinks are sixpence,' so much the better — the impecunious imbibe less. As one getting into the vale of years, who has gone to and fro on the face of the earth, aud known the cities and the men thereof, I say emphatically that Melbourne is good enough foi me ? T

There is no doubt that public opinion is against the Ministry. The strongest whilom supporters of Major Atkinson now either damn him and his followers with faint praise, or openly condemn his policy and administration. Major Atkinson has raanagedto makehimself ridiculous. lie committed a serious blunder when he went philandering thYough the Colony with his National Insurance scheme. Some people contend that the Premier really believes in his borrowed plan for making people happy. But we are inclined to think that his discussion of it was a mere pretext, and arose from a desire to got the public to turn thti:-

eyes from too close an inspection of his time-serving policy, the mal-adminis-tration of nearly every Government department. However that may be, the Major blundered and is about to pay the penalty for his mistake. — 'West Coast Times, '

Says « Atticus ' in the Melbourne ' Leader ' :— As the Blue Ribben Army is now the rage I can't do better than relate an anecdote appropos of their beneficial operations It was related to me as authentic and it certainly has a flavor of truth about it. A commercial traveller, having become a teetotaller, was determined to relinquish the habit of asking cabmen to join him in a liquor. On leaving the hotel one morning lie espied a cabby who somewhat ostentatiously displayed a piece of blue ribbon attached to the handle of his whip. ' This is the man for my money,' observed the bagman, and the cab was immediately hailed. Having got in his traps, bethought he would not appear moan, so he asked cabby to havfc a drink, and to his surprise the Jehu yielded a wiUing assent. ' But,' said the traveller, 'what about that,' pointing to the blue rib cd. • Sir, would you really believe me," urged the cabby, " a gentlemai? never asked me to drink untU I put oa the ribbon, and bedad ever since I did so every fare offers to shout, and I never objects."

The Auckland Herald, in an article on the Dr Parry case says : " Most people will be inclined to regard the sentence as altogether too lenient. It is totally inadequate <to the heinous nature of the offeuce. Suppose a drunken cabman were, by his reckless and careless driving, to cause the death of his fare or to run over a woman in the street and kill her, it is inconceivable that any judge would be found to believe a sentenoe of four months' imprisonment without bard labour a sufficiently severe punishment Why a distinction should be made in the case of a medical wan who kills his patient by gross incompetence induced by drink or anything else, we fail to understand. In such a case the punishment, if anything,' should be greater. In this particular case tbe circumstances as disclosed are as.badaa they well could be."

There is an exodus of medical men from Melbourne just at present', notableamong those about to depart being Mr E. M. James, who will accompany the vice regal party, and Mr T. N. Fitzgerald, one of our most skilful gurgeous. Dr Fitzgerald is held in high repute among his brethren of the profession, and was tendered last week acomplimentary banquet, when his health was proposed in happy terms l>y his Excellency. The leports ia.tho Press state that the proceedings were marked by the utmost cordiality, but are discreetly silent about a littleepisode which brought the occasion of rejoicing to an unseemly close. One irtscible lifctlo doctor was interruptt'ci while reading an address from a medical society to Dr. Fitzgerald, and became so wroth that he indulged in language more forcible than polite. Some retorts were made and then various threatening raoveraeutß of the arms, which were not calculated to give to the onlooker a very high opinion of the knowledge possessed or the noble art. There was no great barm done except to the harmony of the evening, but this was absolutely destroyed.