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Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 106, 8 January 1881, Page 2

Tdtqenotts Pen 3. — The latest product of New Zealand is wooden quill pens, so to speak. At least a Tarannki paper vouches for it as follows :—" We have had forwarded to ou" offic* by Mr W. RT M'GtanHsrte « sample of pnns mvi-'lp out af the common fern smlk, which are quite equal to quill pens and far mow lasting, beanies no having the propen=ity to splutter. Mr iVTOonngle informs us by letter that a pen of the description he sends was m use and stood the test of the Sentry Hill G-ooda Sheds work for a j*riod of six month* ; and they *f

the only pens m use there at the present time. Having written this paragraph with one of them, we must admit that for quiok rough writing they are better than either steel or quill pens, and for persons m the bush should be invaluable, because they have any amount of wear m them." A WOKDBBPXXB JIJME:.- L Here i§ something for the imitation of our athletes :— At the late athletic sports m Camck«onSuir, Mr P. Davin, the celebrated Irish athlete, jumped 6ft 2iin, the. jump having I beejj_mgaA«red from tbe centre of _the bar to the ground, the bar having been tested; with a spirit level. This is an unparelled featj and-exceeds-by -lin Mr Davin> great jump at Kilkenny, of 6ft liin. . Tbiai 3T 'Jubt Db^badbd.— His Honor Mr Justice Moleswprfii expresses m rather plain terms his disapprobation of the verdict of a jury returned m • the Melbourne Criminal Court m tub ease of two. yoyng men named Leish and Phipps, charged with the assault and robbery m company of a Chinaman, at Hotham,- on the 4th istant. The evidence for the prosecution was .very, strong. Witnesses testified to seeing the offence and keeping the prisoners: who were identified, m view until they were overtaken by the police, after a pursuit of five hours, and placed m custody. . His Honor directed the jury to stand upon the facts of the case, and when they returned with " Not Guilty," he exclaimed, m surprise, " What, no rob* bery ?" To this the foreman replied, ." No sir," whereupon His Honor, with' evident indignation, said, " I. must express my.distinct disaprobation of the verdict. If the principle witness had been a European instead of a Chinamarij-the verdict would have been different. As it is, it is a positive disgrace to the country." • An Inoidbnt o> thb Commxtnb.— ln a recent number of our Parisian contemporary, the Citoyen, appeared the following account, by an " Eye-witness," of a comic •pisode m the terrible tragedy of the Commune:—"'Twas on the 26th May^ 1871. The Tuileries, the Palace of Justice,' and the Hotel de Ville were wrapped m flames... -At Montmartre and m the Batignolles mitrailleuses were dealing death and destructibn. Almost beside myself with excitement and horror, I had contrived to reach the Champs Elyse'es. Thence I huiried onwards, along the right bank t of* the Seine. Suddenly so. strange a sight offered itself to my gaze that for a moment I deemed* myself dreaming. Some sixty odd people were sitting ; tran- ; quilly by the river side calmly "angling. ' Several. cartloads of damaged bacon had been shot into the Seine at that particular spot, and shoals of fish had gathered round it, offering and easy prey to the angler's skill,". It has always been regarded a3 a Phenomenon: of history that Nero should have; fiddled his favorite tunes while.lmperial Rome was burning ; but even the cold-bloodedness of that cynical performance pales before the sangfroid of the piscatorial Parisians Who placidly fished for gudgeon dace m the bloodr red waters of the Seine, while fair Lutetia was m flames and the oannon of the Yenaillais were ttmnding at her gates. Such an accurrence goes far to prove that some strange affinity of temperament must exist between tbe finny creatures that seem so unsusceptible of emotion, and those whose solitary pastime appears to be .the capture of beings as cold blooded as themselves.