MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1511, 18 February 1885, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

On the last journey from Scotland the ' Queen travelled in a new saloon, which is fitted up lik« a luxurious drawing-room, tlte hanging and fur nataw*. being of bine silk. It contains several sofas and easy chairs, and imraefonjT taU^a for reading, 01 wrUiag, or working ; and the springs are so good that the motion of tb« traSnWFT6if3§lJ?*S€r discerned, ever wh«»»»ge(ing atX nyer forty mil* mi hour. /-Th* <*rriag« »»i«;htcH »> y 8 but bei^thjmfniioQght the -tighi

would be too strong, and thftVJibe *tmQßpo«re < would become t fctJwPf ," «n her favorite shaded lamps were used , in<te*cL •.■,.-■■ ■ '. *'■» ™'' A Sandhurst mgiftte tells a good story. On the occasion of his election *• fl&jrbV he received fi'6nia;nWiglf bouring ' townshjp a telegram — " Congratulations! We are diiufcing your health ?" Upon tb« best ,of terns witl» himself and.»every body else, *** replied, " Many thanks 1 Drink away !" the reply to* this, did't dome onrtl he presently visited his ■congratulatory friends, »«nt i|b was agubslUotiaf oue— a bill for refreshments, the total of.wbiob was expressod by two rather formidable figures. It may I>e interesting to many of your readers to know that Mr Michael bavin, one, qf the moat distinguislied, and in many respects ablest^ leader* of the Irish Nationalist pwty, is uUout to visit yoa. He goes b>i a' Ibeturing tdifrr to the Australasian Colonies and to the United States. Through I nam«,bim after reference, %q the explosion at London British, it i 3 not -front suppos ing tliat bfa aympathitiea with these peculiar methods for" winning Irish independence. In common with all the real leaders "'of the movement, he strongly feels the fol|/pf them, apnt from . their Vwi^e^niefß, He, has, speedy . . shown. : |be valae lie sets on English isywipthjr a*< a means to win feoir.e government for Iretondr*rtd bas had wdnderfu! sflcceas iii organising Radical ' feeling in England in: his favour by his lectures. He is a remarkable man, as w«?U in his hj'storv as in his character, and in the present advanoe of public thought in r«lation to tlie possession of -laud, his views are singnlarly taking- with the masses. One of the electrical comicalities, says the Scientific Amgriea.r, of the Philadelphia Exhibition > was the illuminated colored gentlemen who politely distributed cards to the astonished Visitors. The Edison Company conceived the idea of so locating one of their lamps that it could be seen by all, and to do thia most effectually, they placed it upon* -helmet surroundingthe head of this colored party. Two wires led from the lamp under Ins jacket, down each leg, and terminated in copper discs fastened to his boot heels. Squares of copper of a suitable size for him to stand naturally upon were placed at intervals in the floor, and where electrically cbhtiected with the dyitamo. So, wrtii each heel in contact with a plate, he was enabled to make and break the circuit leading to bis lamp, the movement required being so light an not to attract attention ; ajid 'bia bauds" bemg free to handle tlm cards. Ma*iV nervous people were startled by the sudden flashing of the light,- and *& grear, were 1 the crowds that continually surrounded tbi« individual that he was frequently obliged to change his quarters in order to k^ep the passage open. At R ( further? improvement it was the intention to place copper slips under a carpet and provide the heels with sh*rp points, so that each step would be illuminated. This simple exhibition led many folks from the rural district** to unique as to the cost of such an appliance, as it was just the thing they wanted " to carry around the house." Some of th« features ;>f the Astor wedding are thus described : — Tlie ceremony took place in the art gallery and the ballroom, the walls of which were covered by £400,000 worth of plain tings. The bride and gro«>»n stood between pillars of rosns ten feet .high. The whol« interior ofthehonsi was covered with the choicest roses, orchids, lillies, violets, and rare ferns, over 10,000 roses were needed. The expense for flowers ran into thousands of pounds. Refreshments were served from a table set with the famous Astor silver service, worth £15,000. There were two orchestras, of ten pieces each. The presents displayed in one room showed a wonderful variety of gold and silver articles worth £ 0,000. The members of the family almost all gave valuable diamonds. The bride's father gave a house on Fifth Avenue and £4000 a year. The bridegroom's father furnished the house at a coast of £40,000 more. Eight bridesmaids and ußhers proceeded th« bride, who followed on the arm of her f ether. She ! wore a wite satin dress, the creation of Worth. It had a court train. The front band was embroidered with silver with cU-signs, and draped with point lace. A pleasent innovation was introduced — a quadrille by the ushers and bridesmaids, Boxes containing cake wer« distributed among them. Two chain rings made of gold links were inclosed, which prizes were drawn by two of the party. Shortly before the company dispersed the bride appeared in a travelling dress of dark grey cloth. As the young couple went down the steps, slippers and rice were thrown after them. An amusing speech on Scotchmen was delivered l>y Prefessor Blackie at Ihe dinner of St Andrew Society, of Manchester. He said that he had looked up information about St Andrew. There was not much to know, but in the 18th chapter of the Book of Euseltius' Ecclesiastical History they found Sfc Andrew converted the Scythians. Scyth, Souith, Scot, were exactly the same words. [Laughter.] St Andrew therefore was the ci inverter of the Scuiths or Scots in that part of the world. [Laughter.] The S^ots in all old historical books were Celts, not Saxons, therefore St Andrew must have known (iaelic, and preached in that language. [Laughter.] He (the Professor] held that to I* more certain than what a modern poet hadAsaid, that Adam and Eve were married in Gaelic hy the Prayer Book, "which was divinely iiistituated at thai time. [Load , laughter.] Tlie n^xi thing he learned about St. Andrew t" was that he conmlefl the people fron

4 feeding upon human flesh — [laughter' ! — for ever since the Scottish people had fed trpon an'mal food chiefly in 1 the glorious and divine form of the \ haggis. [Renewed laughter ] As to , the Scotch being essentially a Celt, no doubt there might now be more Sooti of Saxon than Celtic blood ; bnt h* maintained that the. virtue a)) came from the Celts and not from the Saxons, [Laughter.] When they kindled a fire they not only put the coal and wood, bat bring a spark and that set it all aflame. The fire, the inspiration, the genius of the Scotch people came from the Celtic element. [Laughter.] The Scotch were perfectly willing to allow that perhaps the finest typo — the mostaristorratic type — that ever walked on the globe was the first rate Englishman; but all Englishmen were not? first rate, perhaps only very few. [Laughter.] Taking tha world over, the Stotchraau was the superior animal. If he had less of the dignity, he had more force, and fire and working power, and this was a working world. He had a strong feeling on this subject because there was a great deal of Anglication going on, especially in Edinburgh. Glasgow was held to hea more Scottish town than Edinburgh. Against this Anglication he should protest to the end. Little Scotland would not bend the knee to big England because it was big. [Laughter] He approved of the pro pnsal to erect a statnte of Burns in Manchester, Bums' mission was to put the poetry of Scotland into the highest place in the lyrical poetry of the world. Scotchman owed him a debt of gratitude. He wonld not subscribe to a monument to Lord Byron, who whs a brilliant blackguard, that was all. [Laughter.] Skinny Men.— " Wells' Health Renewer, " restores health and vigor cures Dysppesia, Impotence, Debility, At druggists. Kempthorn*, Prosser, k Co., Agents, Christchifch. ONE BOX OF CLARKE'S B 41 PILLS in warranted to cure all discharges from the Urinary Organs, in either sex (acquired <»r constitutional), Gravel, and Pains in the Back. Guaranteed free from Mercury. Sold in Boxes. 4». 6d each, by all Chemists and Patent. Medicine Vendors : Sole Proprietors. The Lincoln and Mim,ANp Counties Druo Co., Lincoln, England. Wholesale of all the Wholesale Houses.