The Brisbane Courier Wednesday 16 April 1879 Page 2

8/11/2019 The Brisbane Courier Wednesday 16 April 1879 Page 2

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The Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 16 April 1879, page 2

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article882295

SThe

Sesbana

tnv(m,

PUBLISHED

DAILY.

Wednesday,

April

16,

1879.

The

Rockhampton

Press

and

people

are

determined

to

fight

hard

for

the

continua-1

tion of their railway, at

any

cost to

the

country.

We

have

before

us

copies

of

the

Bulletin

and

Argus

dealing

-with

the

subject,

and

we

publish

in

another

column

a

second

letter

from

Air.

Archer

in

defence

of

his

previous

communication.

Space

could

not

be

found

for

detailed

replies

to

the various

attacks

on our

proposal

for

a

trans-continental

line,

and

we

must

be

con-

tent

to

notice

mainly

the

points

at

which

they

converge.

The

Pres3 writers

declaim

against the

concentration

of

the

resources

of

the

country

on a

work

which wl

greatly

benefit Brisbane

and

the

southern

part

of

the

colony,

and

they

join

with

Mr.

Archer

in deploring

the

unhappy

fate

of

the

dwellers

in the

interior,

who

will

have

to

pay

a

higher freight

on

goods

sent

via

Brisbane

than

they

would

be

charged on

them

if

forwarded

by

direct

lines

from

Rockhampton

or

Townsville.

It

is

really

wonderful how

difficult

it

is

to

make

people

understand

what

they

do

not

like.

We

venture to

believe

that

none

of

our

readera

in

this

part

of

the

colony

have

ever

understood

that

wa wish

to

con-

centrate the

resources

of

tho

colony

on

our

project.

On the

contrary,

we

have

protested,

and do

protest

most

strenuously,

against the

concentration

of

the

re-

sources

of

the

colony on

any

such

work

as a

trunk

line

penetrating

the

interior.

While

claiming

for

our

project

the

title

of

a

national

work,

because

it

will

benefit

directly

the

great

majority,

and

indirectly

all

the

people

in

the

colony,

and

becauso

it

will

greatly

raise

the

position

of

Queensland

in

the

Aus-

tralian

group

of

colonies,

yet wo

admit

that

the

benefit

will be

unequally

shared.

All

the

railways

now prujected,

or

in

course of construction,

put

together

will

only

benefit

directly

a

moiety

of the

population,

and

although

wo

claim

for

ours

that,

alone,

it will

do

as

much,

and

more,

for the

general

prosperity

as

the

whole

of them,

yet

wo

maintain

that

it

would

not

be

right

to

do

any

such

thing

as our

Bockhampton

critics

impute to

us.

On

no

railway

or

group

of

trunk

lines

should

tho

re-

sources

of the

colony be concentrated,

and

sources

of the

colony be

concentrated,

and

that

is

one

reason

why

we

object

to

tho

con-

tinuation

of the

trunk

lines

as

now

pro-

jected.

They

will

concentrate

the

whole

financial

strength

of the

colony,

and,

we

very

much

fear,

overtask

it.

Every

penny

that the

colony

can

borrow

on

the

general

credit

will

bo

consumed

in

pushing

them

forward.

For

years

they

will

hang

like

a

millstone

round

our

neck,

a

dead

weight

crushing

down

our

hopes

of

progress.

We

seek

to

lighten

that

burden,

not

to

add

to

it.

Wo

ask

for

no

money

for

our

project

;

we

desire

not

to

trench

on

the

borrow-

ing

power

of

the

colony,

but,

without

taking a

penny

of loan

money,

to

add

largely

to

the

security

on which

loans

can

be

raised.

Our

opponents

are

fighting

for

that

which

they

wrongly

accuse

us

of

desiring

:

the

concentration

of

all

the

re-

sources

of

the

colony

on

works

in

which

thoy

and

they

alone

are

interested

;

we

deny

their

right to grow

fat

at

the

risk of

starving

Queensland.

Tho

Bulletin

declares

that

the

question

of

land

grants

vertus

loans

may

bo

sot

aside,

as

it

has

no

doubt

the

system

might

be

applied

with

equal

facility

to

tho

three

trunk

lines.

We

maintain

that

this

question

cannot

be

set

aside,

it is

the

vital

point

of the

con-

troversy.

If

tho

land

grant

system

can

be

applied

to

tho

extension

of

the

Rock-

hampton

and

Townsville

lines,

our

objec-

tion

to them

will

be

completely

answered

;

we

shall

say

no more.

Wo

maintain

that

it

is

not

fair

to

burden

the

whole

colony

with

the interest

on

a

huge

debt incurred

for

works

in

which

most

colonists

havo no

direct

interest

whatever

;

and

it

is

becauso

we

are

point-

ing

out

a

way by

which

the interior

can

be

pierced

without

being

unjust

to

tho

coast

settlements

that

we

urge

it

on

the

public

attention.

The

Bulletin

goes

on

:

We

need

not

resort

to

the

land

grant

system

while

our

Government

can

borrow

at

5

per

cent

all

the

money

it

requires

for

lailways

into

the

interior.

Thero

is

something

almost

sublime

in

the

self-asser-

tion

of

Rockhampton

politicians.

From

Mr.

Archer

downwards,

they

coolly

assumo

that

if

a

project

does

not

suit

the

local

in-

terests

of

their

town-however

much itmay

benefit

the

colony

and

most

of the

people

in

if;-it

must,

therefore,

bo

put

aside.

In

reality,

their

argument

comes

to

this

:

- Yes,

by

land

grants

you

can

avoid

burdening the

general

revenue,

but that

plan

need

not

be

resorted

to,

because

the


2/6

plan

need

not

be

resorted

to,

because

the

Government

can

always

borrow

enough

at

5

per

cent

to

serve

our

needs.

As

for

the

people

of the

rest

of

the

colony, who

may

want

some

of

the

loan

expenditure

we

pro

pose

to

absorb,

and who

may

object

to

the

constantly

growing

burden

of interest,

they

are

nothing to us.

You

may

relieve

thom

by

your

plan

;

you may

secure

the

pros-

perity

of the

colony

;

but

you

may

also

take

from

us

a

part

of

the

dray

traffic

we

now

possess,

and that

condemns

your

pre-

tentious

claims.

Few

people

would

imagine

from

tho

attitude

of

our

Rockhampton

critics

what

was the

real

character

of the

work

for

which

they

are

so

strenuously contending.

In

projecting

a

railway

in this

colony

to

be

made

by

loans

raised

on

the

general

credit,

it

is

generally

at

least

attempted

to

be

shown

that

it will

render accessible

country

fit

for

settlement.

We take from

a

recent

issue

ef

the

Bulletin the follow-

ing

graphic sketch

of

the

route

to be

pur-

sued

by

the

Rockhampton

line

from

Emerald

Downs

to

Barcaldine.

At

the

present

terminus,

our

contemporary

says

there

is

about

a

hundred

square

miles

of

black

soil,

and

as

we

hear

of

no more

on

the

road

we

may

presume

that

none

exists.

It

is,

however,

easy

railway-making

country

to

theDrummond

Range,

in

which

a

favor-

able

gap

is

reported.

From

there

to

Barcal-

dine

the

country

is

nearly

level,

with

slightundulations.

Unfortunately

about

100

mile3

of

this

distance,

however,

is

what

ia

called

The

Desert.

The

soil

is

a

deep

sandy

loam

;

the

country

is

lightly

timbered,

ia

well

grassed,

and

spiJii/ex

flourishes

upon

it.

It has

its

drawbacks,

however,

in

a

scarcity

of

water,

and

the

existence

of

patches

of

a

virulent

poison

plant.

We positively

assure

our readers

that

this

picture

of the

country

to

be

opened

up

by

the

Rock-

hampton

railway,

at

their

cost,

is

none

of

ours.

It

appears

in

a

Bulletin

article

written

to

urge

the rapid

construc-

tion

of

the

line,

aa

the description

of

a

gentleman

-who has travelled

over

it

[the

country

on

the

route]

and

is

compe-

tent

to

form a trustworthy opinion.

When

we

add

that

the

Bulletin

thinks

that

the

desert

would

bo

very

suit-

able

for

the

growth

of

maize

and possibly

wheat,

as

well

as

fruit

tree?

and

vegetables,

it

will

be

seen that

our

contemporary

has

at

least

the

courage

of

ita

opinions.

We

despair

of

converting

it

to

our

views

on

the

subject

of

railway

construction,

but

we

shall

await

with

some

curiosity

a

further

description

of those

advantages

of

the

Rockhampton

extension

which

are

to

in-

duce

the

bulk

of

Queensland

settlers

to

prefer

paying

interest

on

the

cost out

of

general

revenue

to

accepting

our

plan

for

reaching

the interior

by

the alienation

of

a

portion

of

the

public

estate

which,

at

an

outside

calculation,

is

yielding

a

rental

so

small that

its

absence could

not

per-

ceptibly

affect

the

Treasurer s

returns.

Messrs.

Benjamin

Babbidqe,

W. J. F.

Cookaley,

and

John

Arthur

O Keefe

were

yester-

day

nominated

aa candidates

to

represent

the

North

Ward

in

the

Muuicipil

Council,

mee

Sir.

Hubbard,

resigned.

All

the candidates are

old

residents,

and

well

known

in Brisbane as taking

a

lively

interest

in

public

affaira.

The

addresses

of

Messrs.

Babbidge

and

Cooksloy

have

appeared

in the Courier,

and

the

former

especially

is

very

full

and

comprehensive

in the

exposition

of

his

views

on

matters municipal.

It

will

be seen

by

advertisement

appearing

in

this

issue,

that

it

is

in

contemplation to

give a

novel

and

interesting

exhibition

in

tho

old

School

of Arts

some

time

during the

coming

week.

The

date

will

be

duly

noticed.

It

is

to

assist

the

maintenance

of

the Convalescent

and

Benevolent

Home,

and

to

contribute

in fairly

establishing

a

most

commendable

enterprise

at

present

in

its

infancy.

We

understand

that

many

rare

articles

have

already

been

promisedi

including

a

Bword

formerly

owned

by

Lord

Nelson.

Anyone possessing

any

curio or other

article

of

interest

is

respectfully

solicited

to

lend

it

for

the

occasion.

We

trust

this

charitable

object

will

commend

itself

to

public

favor,

espe-

cially

Beeing

that

the

proposed

exhibition

is

cal-

culated

to

combine

instruction

with

interest.

The

weather

in

Brisbane

yeBterday

was

cool,

and

generally

fine,

although

a slight

shower

or

two

fell

during

the

afternoon.

The

official

re-

ports

for

the

twenty-four hours

ended at

9

o clock

that

morning

show

that

fine

weather

continued

throughout

the

southern

portion

of

the

colony,

from

the

coast

to

the

most

westerly

stations,

while

the

prevailing

wind

was

south-easterly.

The

same

remarks apply

to

the

central

division,

as

shown by

reports from Springsure, Clermont,

and

Aramac

On the

coast

fine

weather

and

south-easterly

winds

were

also

general as

far

north

as

Bowen,

but

at

Townsville

it

was cloudy,

and

at

Cooktown

raining.

There

are

no

reports

from Junction

Creek

or

Normanton

;

but

at

Georgetown

the

rain was

very

light,

not

more

than

0 03in.

Yesterday

afternoon,

as an

old man

named

Edward

Gordon,

who

resides

in

Russell

street,

South Brisbane,

was

walking

up

Queen

Btreet,

a

cab

came

in

contact

with

him


3/6

Btreet,

a

cab

came

in

contact

with

him

and

knocked

him

down.

The

driver

of

the

cab

proceeded

without

taking

auy

heed

of

the injured

man,

who

lay

insensible

in

the

street until

he

was

rescued

from

his

dangerous

position

by

the

police.

Bo

WS9

taken

by

tho

constable

to the

residence

of

Dr.

Purcell,

and his

injuries

were

examined and

pronounced

as

not

dangerous,

whereupon

he

waa

removed

to

his

home

in

the

police

van.

Last

night

Married

Life

was

repeated

at

the theatre

to

a not

very

good

house,

the

counter

attraction

of

the

circus having

taken

many

plea-

sure-seekers

elsewhere.

The

piece was

as

well

ucted as

on the

last

occasion

it

-was

presented,

and

A

Regular

Fix,

by

which

it

was

preceded,

caused

much

merriment,

To-night

Little

Em ly

B

announced,

and

on

Friday

Mr.

Emory

takes

his benefit.

Tub

circus

last night

was well

attended,

and

the

performauco

received

the same

expressions

of

approval as

on

the

previous

night.

The tumbliug

is

very

clever,

there being

many

feats

of agility

and strength that

could

not

well

be

surpassed.

But the

most mirth-provoking

performance

is

the clown s

butterfly

hunting,

his

every

gesture

being

a clever

piece

of

pantomime,

the

effect

of

which

is

ludicrous

in the

extreme.

The

jump-

ing from

the bar

is

clever,

and the

distance

traversed over horses

and

mon

rather

astonish-

ing.

To-day

there

is

a

day

performance,

of

which

pooplo

with

families

will

doubtloss

avail

themselves.

The

court

for

the

revision

of the

jury list,

Moreton

district,

sat yesterday,

and the revision

of

the

list

was

proceeded

with

as

far

as

the

letter

L,

when

the

court

adjourned

until

this

morning.

Pbkhaps the

Rosewood

will

add

a

littlo

to

its

reputation

a

an

agricultural

district

if

we

men-

tion

four

water

melons,

weighing

no

less

than

1421b.,

which

wore

grown

by

Mr.

Mark

Bensley,

a

well-known

farmer

there,

and

sent

as

a

present

to

the

member,

who

says

he

is

prepared

to

prove

that

no electorate

in

tho

colony

can

produco

Buch

men

and

melons

as

the

Rosewood.

As the Bris-

bane

market

is

at

present

devoid

of

melons,

it

would

be well

if

Mr. Bensley

forwarded

a con-

signment

of

those

ponderous

cueurbitacea

to test

their

commercial

value.

A

Nkw

Caledonia

correspondent

of

the

Evening

Newt

stated

recently

that

Admiral

Thom

had

just

left

Noumea

to

take

possession

of

the

New

Hebrides

group

of

islands

in

the

name

of the

French

Rep

iblic.

We

shall

soon

know

whether

this

is

fact,

but

there

seems

to

have

been

a

premonition

in

various

quarters

that

a

premonition

in

various

quarters

that

thi

French

contemplated

such

a

step.

It

was

spoken

of

at

a

recent

missionary

meeting

in

Sydney

as

very

probable

and

equally

undesirable,

and

Sir

George

Grey

has

addressed

a

memoran-

dum

to

the

Secretary

of

itate

in reply

to

a

despatch

of the

Utter

on

the subject

of the

New

Hebrides,

and

takes

(says

the IFiWinofoii

Even-

ing

Pott)

the

opportunity

of again

urging

upon

the

Home

Government

his

views

as

to

the

policy

which

should

be

pursued

with

reference

to the

islands

of the

Pacific

After

referring

to

the

great

natural

advantages

of

New

Zealand,

and

ita

prospecta

of

becoming

a

great

commercial

and

maritime

country,

the

Premier

urges

that

if it

is

worth

the

while

of

Great

Britain to

go

to

a

great

expense

to render

life

and

property

s cure

in

Cyprus,

and

to establish

good

govern-

ment

there,

surely

it is

much

more

worth

the

while

of

Australia

and

New

Zealand

to

take

care

that

life

and

property

are

secure

in the

most

fertile

of the islands

of

the

Pacific-where

there

are

many

Cypruses-and

that

good Governments

are

established

in

them.

A

correspondent

writes:- The EasterBports

held

in

Mr.

Lucock s

paddock,

Oxley,

were

very

numerously

attended-not

less

than

300

visitors

being

present.

The day

was

cool and

fine,

and

the

excellent

arrangements

of

the

stewards

Messrs.

Lucock,

G.

Grenier,

J.

Noland,

and Mr.

Treasurer

M Donald-made

the

whole

day

a

most

enjoyable

one.

The following

is

a

full

and

cor-

rect

report

of

all

the

events

(fourteen

in

number)

:

-100

yards race

for boys

of

10

years,

prize

5b.,

W.

Davies.

Maiden

race,

150

yards,

boys

under

10,

10s.,

F. Pratten.

All-comers

race,

150

yards,

10s.,

T.

Prattan.

Throwing

stone,

1st

prize

15s

,

W. Sinamon

;

2nd,

5s.,

J.

Noland.

All-comers

handicap,

150

yards,

15s.,

F.

Prattan.

Running

high

jump,

1st

prize

7s.

6d.,

J.

Berry

;

2

jd,

2s.

6d.,

C. Hassell.

Hop,

step,

and

leap,

10s.,

T.

Prattan. Three-legged

race,

10s.,

A.

Radcliffe

and

F.

Prattan.

High

j

ump

with

poles,

10s.,

W.

Has-

sell

and

J.

Berry

tied.

Sack

race,

10a.,

W. Lyons.

Race

for

all

boya under

l8

years,

150 yards,

1st

prize

5s.,

H.

Hale

; 2nd,

4s.,

W.

Davidson.

Race

for

boys of

10

years

or

under,

150 yards,

1st

prize

5s.,

Paul

M Donald

;

2nd,

2a.

Gd.,

JameB

Grenier.

Several

other

impromptu

events

fol-

lowed.

The

jumping

of

young

Tom

Prattan,

a

native

of

thia

district,

was

splendid,

and

a

chal-

lenge

with

Maculcoigh,

of Brisbane,

was

made

for

him to

come

off

in a

month.

The

report

of the

state

of

the

Lunatic

Asylum,

Woogaroo,

for

the

week

ending

April

13,

is

as

follows

:-In the

house

at

last

report,

23-1

males

181

females;

since

admitted,

2 males,

2 females

;

discharged, 1

male

;

died, on

the

ith

instant,

of phthisis

pulmonalis,

1

male

patient,

aged

27

years-and

on the

9th,

1

female

patient,

of

pneumonia,

aged

23

years

;

in

Ips-

wich

Branch

Asylum,

50

males

;

total,

46S.

At

the

sittings

of the

Petty Debts

Court

yes-

terday,

before

the police-magistrate

and Messrs.

W.

H. Kent,

T.

Illidge,

and

T.

F.

Merry,

JJ.P.,

the

adjourned

case

of

Helen

Duggel

v.

David

M llwroth,

claim

I83.,

wages

due, was

heard.

Mr.

Swanwick

appeared

on

behalf

of

the

plaintiff

and Mr.


4/6

on

of

the

plaintiff

and Mr.

Blakeney

appeared

for

the

defendant.

In

this

case the

plaintiff

asserted

that

she

served

the

defendant

for

two

weeks,

at

9s.

per

week,

as

general

Bervant,

and

the

defendant

dismissed

her

at

the

end

of that

time

and

refused to

pay

her

wages.

The

defendant

contended

that he

did

not

dismiss

the

plaintiff;

she

left

of her

own

accord, aud ho

therefore

refuaed

to

pay

her

wages,

After

the hearing

of evidence,

the

bench

ultimately

gave

a verdict

in

favor

of the

plaintiff,

with

costs.

We

(D.

D.

Gazette)

leam

that on

the night

of

the

26th March

a

cash-box

belonging to

Lans-

downe

station,

Warrego

district,

was

Btolen,

con-

taining

cash

and

cheques

to

the

amount

of

640.

We have

not

heard

of

anyone

having

been

arrested

for

the robbery.

The storekeeper

locked

up

the

store

doors

as

usual

when

he

left

in ~the

evening,

but

on

his

return

on

the

following

morning

he discovered

that

the

window

of the

office

had

been

broken,

and

the

cash-box

taken.

This

is

the

first

station

robbery

we

have

heard

of

out

there,

but

Bhould

not

be

surprised

to

hear

of

others,

as

working

mon

cannot

get

employment.

It

would

be

advisable

for

station-owners to

secure

then

premises.

Hundreds

of

men

are

travelling

look-

ing

for

work,

and no

Bi gus

appear

at

present

of

their

obtaining

it.

We

quote

from

the

Toowoomba

Chronicle

the

following

additional

particulars

respecting

the

late

head

master

of the

Toowoomba

Grammar

School:- The

late

Mr.

John

Mackintosh

waa

born

in Scotland

in

183G,

and was

the third

son

of

Colonel D.

Mackintosh

of the

42nd

High-

landers.

He was educated

at

the

Edinburgh

University,

and

very

early

gave

indications

of the

talent

and

ability

which

distinguished

his

acade-

mical career.

At

tho

age

of 19

he took

high

honors

in

classics

and

mathematics

with

his

M.A.

degree.

In

1864 he was

selected,

in Scotland,

to

be senior

mathematical

master of

the

Scotch

College,

Melbourne, and from

there he

was

appointed

head

master

of the

Flinders-street

National

School

at

Geelong-a

scholastic

insti-

tution

assimilated

to

the

grammar

Bchools

of

the

present

day.

His

abilities

as

a teacher

were

now widely

known,

and on

the

Rev.

George

M Arthur-the

present

head

master

of King s

School,

Parramatta-startingthe

Macquarie

Fields

Grammar

School,

he

selected

Mr.

Macintosh

as

mathematical

master-a position

he

filled

with

marked

success.

On

Camden

College

being

estab-

lished he

became

its

first

head-master,

and

held

the

position

for twelve

years.

When the

Too-

woomba

Grammar

School

W08

completed

in

1876,

the

trustees

invited

applications

for the

head

mastership

from

all

the

colonies.

From

a large

number

of

applicants Mr.

Mackintosh

was

chosen,

and he

commenced his

duties in

1877.

How

well

he

succeeded

in

the

difficult

position

he occu-

pied, the

last

senior

examination

at

the

Sydney

University

abundantly

testified.

..

The

funeral

took

place on

Monday

afternoon

with

all

the solemnity

due

to

the

occasion.

The

body

had been

taken

to

St.

James

Church

on

the

pre-

vious

evening,

and

at

2 o clock

the

solemn

tolling

of

the

funeral knell

annouueed

that

the

obse-

quies

had commenced.

The

first

portion

of the

Church

of

England

burial

service

was

read

by

the

Rev. Thomas

Abraham,

the

coffin

rest-

ing

on

trestles

in

the

main

aisle.

On the

lid

were

two

beautiful

wreaths

and

a cro53

of

white

flowers

and

ferns,

a

last

tribute

of

respect

from

his

Excellency

the

Governor

and Miss

Kennedy.

At the

closo

of

tbe

service

the

coffin

was

placed

At the

closo

of

tbe

service

the

coffin

was

placed

in

the hoarse,

and

the

procession

moved

slowly

to

the

cemetery,

led

by

the

Grammar

School

boys

;

then

the

hearse,

the

chief

mourners,

and

a

long

traiu

of

vehicles

and

horsemen,

all

bearing

testimony

to

the

high

reaped

the

deceased

gen-

tleman

was held

in.

The

head-masters

of

the

Brisbane

and

Ipswich

Grammar

Schools-Mr.

Roe

and Mr.

Cameron-were

present

at

the

funeral,

a

fitting

tribute

to

the scholarly

gentle-

man

whose

melancholy

death

13

Buch

a

serious

loss

to

this

community.

On

arriving

at

the

cemetery

the

concluding

portion of

tho burial

service was

read,

and the

coffin

deposited

in

its

last

resting place. Nearly

all

present

gave

a

last

look

at

the

grave

of

the

departed,

and then

the

earth closed

for

ever

over one

of

the best

and

kindest

of

mon,

and

one whoso

km

will

be felt

and

regretted

for

a

long

time

to

come. .

Reader,

have

you

ever

taken

man s

life .

Aa no

one

is

expected

to

answer

incriminatory

questions this

one

may

savor

of unfairness, but

we would

have

you

know

that

between

man

and

his

oditor

ia

a confidence as

sacred as

that

of the

confoBsionaL

Therefore

we

repeat,

have

you

ever

taken

a

man s

life

?

Pending

the

harrow,

ing

answers

we

may

expect

to this

appeal,

we

will

show

a

beautiful

confidence

in

our

readers

generosity

and

unbosom

ourselves

with

fear-

less

candor.

We

ourself

have

lately

attempted

the

awful

act

and

failed,

and

are therefore

in

a position

to analyse

the

feelings

of

the

criminal

who,

having

nursed

a

dreadful

purpose

in

his

bosom,

attempts

to

carry

it

swiftly

and

stealthily

into

effect.

It

may

lower

the

estimate

some

beaevolent

people

have

formed

of

human

nature to be told that

at

present

our

pre-

dominant feeling

is

remorse-at

our

failure.

We

were

pledged

to succeed

; our

reputation

to

some

extent

was

at

Btake

;

we

felt

us

De Quincey

amateur

in

murder

must have

felt

when

con-

fronting

the

Manheim

baker

and admiring

the

chalky

expanse

of throat

to which he

was

de-

termined

to

become

a

customer

;

and

now

the

escape

of our

victim

without

even

receiving

a

stroke from

us

ia

a

maddening thought.

The

facts

are

these

:

It

being

necessary

for

the

public

weal

that

this

man s

life

should

be

taken,

we,

as a

loyalservant

of

thepublic,

cheerfully

undertookthe

task.

Our

inner

consciousness

acquitted

us

of

any

motive

in

sympathy

with

the

stealthy

assassin,

a

sense

of public

duty,

and

no

personal animosity,

alone

prompting

ua

to

the

direful

deed.

We

were

proud, indeed, in

ranking

the victim

as

one

of our

personal

friends,

but in

our

official

capacity

of

public

executioner

we

felt

it

in-

cumbent on

us

to

trample on

the

rights

of friend-

ship.

Presidents,

we

said

to

ourself,

have been

sacrificed

before

now

;

and

we

thought

of

Abraham

Lincoln

as

with

set

teeth

and

fell

purpose

we

sharpened

our

pencil

and sought

our

man.

He was

at

his

club,

thoughtlessly

con-

suming

the

harmless

necessary

cat

in

the

form

of

sausage,

and as

we

passed

the

window we

grimly

thought

how be

would

allow

the

un

swallowed

piece

to

bulge

in

his

cheek,

could

he

but

guess

the

nearness

of

his

executioner.

We

let

him

dine

and then

weut

for

him

straight.

Note-


5/6

him

dine

and then

weut

for

him

straight.

Note-

book

and

pencil in

hand

we

told

him

our

pur-

pose.

We

had

come to

take

his

life,

and

resis-

tance

was hopeless.

He

blenched

a

little,

and

begged

to

be

left

alone,

but

by

this

all

mercy

had

died

out

of

our

heart,

and

we

ruthlessly

dotted

down

his

age,

and the

fact

of

his

being

born

in Ireland.

Although

a

considerably

heavier

man

than

ourself,

we

had

trusted

a good

deal

to

the

surprise

to

aid

us

in

effecting

our

purpose,

and had

never

calculated

upon the baffling

defence

adopted

by

our

adversary.

Laughing

at

our

importunity,

he

informed

us

that

he

remem-

bered

nothing

remarkable

about

his

youth

beyond

being

considerably

whipped

at school

;

that

he

had

come

to

the

Downs

in

1847,

and

to

Parlia-

ment

in

1863,

and

any

other

details

he

fancied

we

should

find

in

HanBard.

We

felt

at

once

that

he

was

too

much

for

us,

as,

cased

in an

armor

of

good-nature,

he

declared

that

political

events

he

had

helped

to

shape had slipped

from

his

memory

like

water

from

a

duck s

back.

So

ho

escaped us.

But

let

him

beware.

The

Damoclesian

sword

still

hang3 over the

PresU

dential

chair.

We

only

await

a convenient

peg

on

which

to

hang

the

elaborate

biography

we

have

since

prepared.

He had

better

give

us a

chance,

or

we

may be

tempted

to

have him

violently

dealt

with,

with

the

object

of

utilising

our

notes

for

obituary

purposes.- Speciilities,

in

the

Ten

thousand

fat

Bheep

have

left

Greendale

sta-

tion,

Barcoo

river

;

they

are

the

property

of

the

New

Zealand

Land

Company,

and

are

en

route

for

Melbourne,

in

charge

of

Mr.

Armstrong.

It

is

reported

that

10,000

fat

Bheep were

to

leave

a

station

in the

Barcoo

district

(Lorne,

we

fancy,

but

our

informant

has

not spelt the

name

dis-

tinctly).

They

are the

property of a

Melbourne

firm,

and

a

drover

from

that

town

ia

in

charge.

10,000

store

sheep

from

Bindango,

en

route

for

the

Flinders,

have

passed

Lansdowne station.

They

are

in

charge

of

Mr.

Harding,

and

it

is

sup-

posed they

are

meant

to

stock

new

country.

Another fat

sheep

mob

of

12,000

have

left

Nive

Downs.

They

are

the

property

of the Australian

and Scottish

Investment

Company,

and are en

route

for

Melbourne,

in

charge of

Mr.

Sauar.

iUjUUU

tat

sheep

from

Angelala

station

are

travel-

ling

to

Melbourne

in

charge

of

Air.

M Tyne.

They

are in

splendid

condition.-D.

D.

Gazette.

Writixq

on April

4,

the

Noumea

correspon-

dent

of

the

Evening

News

says

:- I

returned

last

night

from

my

tour,

inspecting

the

mines

of

the

island.

I have

visited

the

copper,

chrome,

cobalt, nickel,

and

gold

mines.

I

am

preparing

an

important

report

which

I

will

forward

next

mail

for

insertion

in

your

journals.

The

Bulado

is

keeping

up

its

reputation,

3400

ton3 of ore,

including

shipments

by

the Pactole,

left

the

mine

since the

1st

January

of

this

year.

Gold

has

been

found

on

Mr.

Austin s

station.

At

Tchio,

Captaiu

Hoskiugs

has

ready

1350

tous

of

12

per

cent

nickel

ore,

awaiting the

arrival

if

pack

horses

to

pack

to

the

tramway

;

205

tona

have

arrived

at

the

smelting

works in

Noumea.

You

will

be

surprised

to

learn

in

Sydney

that

Ad-

miral Petit-Thouars,

of

the

Victorieuse,

has

gone

in

the

Saigou

man-of-war

to

take

the

new

Hebrides

group.

I told

you

when

in

Sydney,

at

the

time the

Victorieuse

arrived,

this was

on the

cards.

France

is

following

suit.

Lord

Beacons-

field

played

the

first

card in

Cyprus

;

trump

after

trick.

France has

won

with

;

trump

after

trick.

France has

won

with Rhodes,

and

led

off

with

New

Hebrides.

At

the

banquet

given

at

Oakleigh

to

celebrate

railway

extension

to

Gippsland,

Mr.

Woods

con-

cluded

his

speech

as

follows,

amidst

great

ap-

plause

:-

He

said he

could

not

look

upon

the

remains

of

that

feast

without

thinking

of

the

Thames

and

the

sufferiugs

of

hundreds of

thousands

of people

in

Eoglaud. Let

them

moke a bridge over

the

ocean-(loud

cheers)

and

ask those

people

to

come

to

this

colony

(cheers)-and

share

with us

the

wonderful

wealth of

which

we were

the

possessors.

We

had

here

bread

enough,

beef

enough,

and

potatoes

enough,

and

the

well-dressed

people

were

so

well

off

that

they

could

scarcely

do

anything

but

growl.

Let

them

invite

those

people

to

come

out

here

in

tens

of

thousands.

With

the

means

at

their

disposal

they

could

easily

put

idle

hands

and

idle

teeth

to

work.

He

was

quite

satisfied

that

if

that

was

done

in

a

liberal

spirit,

if

they

held

out

the

right

hand

of fellowship,

if

they

would

make

this

country

sufficiently

attrac-

tive

and

help

those people

by

means

of a

good

ocean

steam service

that would not cost

much

a

service

without

any of the

transhipment

which

the

present

one

was

subject

to-the

over-

taxed millions

of

Europe would come

and

help

to

mako the

country

a

worthy

part

of that

Greater

Britain of

which they

had

heard,

and

as

glorious

as

the

mother-country

from

which

they

sprang.

Mark

Twain has

recently

invented

a

patent

scrap-book.

The

Printers

Circular,

published in

Philadelphia,

in reviewing

it

says

:- This

able

work

of the

great

American

humorist

ia

no joke,

It

is

just

what

it

pretends

to

be-a

patent

scrap

book

; and

well

worthy

it is

of

a

patent,

being

in

every

way

a

desirable,

convenient, and

handsome

scrap-book.

Being

a

self-paster,

ia

is

always

I

ready

for

use,

without

any

necessity

for

using

paste and bruah. We

append

Twain s

own

esti-

mate

of

his

ingenious

scrap-book

;-

My

Dear

Slot,-I

have invented

and

patented

a new

scrap-book,

not to

make

money

out

of

it,

but

to

economise the profanity

of this

country. You

know

that

when the

average

maa

wants

to

pui

something

in his

scrap-book ho

can t

find

his

paste-then

he

swears

;

or,

if

he

finds

it,

it

dried so hard

that

it

is

only

fi.4

to eat-then he

swears

;

if

he uses

mucilage

it

mingles

with 4he

ink,

and

next

year

he

can t read

his

Bcrap

the

result

is.

barrels

and

barrels

of

profaaity.

This

can

all

be

saved

and

devoted

to

othe?

irri-

tating

things,

where

it

will

do

more

real

and

lasting

good,

Bimply

by

substituting

my

self

pasting

scrap-book

for

the old-fashioned

one. If

Messrs.

Slot,

Woodman,

and Co. wish

to

publish

this

scrap-book of mine,

I

shall be

willing.

You

see

by

the

above

paragraph

that

it

is

a sound

moral

work,

and

this

will

commend

it

to

editors

and

clergymen,

and

in

fact

to

all

right feeling

people.

If

you

want

testimonials

I

can

get

them,

and

of

the best

sort,

and

from the best

people.

One

of the

most

refined

and

cultivated

young

ladies

in

Hartford

(daughter

of

a

clergy-

man)

told

me

herself,

with grateful

tears

aUnding

in

her

eyes,

that

since

she

began

using

my

scrap

book

she

has

not

sworn

a

Bingle

oath,


6/6

Documents

The Brisbane Courier Wednesday 16 April 1879 Page 2