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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 2
[trade dispatches]
A religious revival is reported from Louisville. Among the notable converts (according to the correspondent of the Inland Printer) are two editors—Col. W. S. Hays, author of Pike County Ballads, and Mr Reuben Dailey, of Jeffersonville, widely known as a disciple of Ingersoll.
Some hot-headed agitators in the Australian colonies—Queensland in particular—are busy sowing seeds that promise an abundant crop of mischief. They are clamoring for separation from Britain, and at the same time involving the colonies in complications with China. An incendiary press has a good deal to answer for. « What will the harvest be? »
The discontinuance of the Auckland Bell will occasion neither surprise nor regret. No surprise, inasmuch as it had shewn the surest sign of swift decline by continually boasting of its rapidly-increasing circulation, and the manner in which it was supplanting its rivals. No regret, for it advocated no principle, shewed no public spirit, and appealed chiefly to the lower instincts of the community. It was clever, vindictive, and remorseless—a literary vitrioleuse. Its promoters have in three years gained a certain amount of experience at a cost of nineteen thousand pounds.
Dr. Fitchett is a leading man among the Dunedin protectionists, At a recent public meeting he said: « If Satan himself had a seat in the House and brought down a strong protective tariff, Satan should have his vote. » This is interesting, as shewing that Dr. F. has a fairly correct idea of the fountain-head of the policy of the « selfish party, » and goes for it with his eyes open. But we would recommend to his consideration the wise counsel of Thomas Ingoldsby:
Never say « Devil take me! »
Or « shake me! » —or « bake me! »
Or such-like expressions—Remember Old Nick To take folks at their word is remarkably quick.
The following is one of the funniest misinterpretations of a telegraph puzzle on record. A leading Australian journal published the following cable item: « Mr Chamberlain characterized the Bill as merely a phase of the Plan of Campaign, and compared Mr Parnell's demands to the voracity of a Tyrone lobster. » This extraordinary utterance gave rise to some comment, and it was remarked incidentally that lobsters are not among the natural products of Tyrone. It turned out that a sporting item « Newmarket Handicap—Veracity, 1; Tyrone, 2; Lobster, 3, » had immediately followed the political news, and been ingeniously incorporated with Mr Chamberlain's speech by the telegram-editor.
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No hoax is too egregious for a large section of the press. As, for example, a recent story of the appearance of an omniverous and fertile hybrid, bred between the cat and the rabbit, and « having the worst qualities of both animals. »
The following is a statement of the cash disbursements of one of the English country dailies for the year 1887: Printing paper, £17,000; type setting, £15,130; editors' salaries, £5,000; business salaries, £4,000; special and press despatches, £4,400; office expenses, £2,000; correspondence, £2,100; cost of delivery of papers, £1,200; current incidental expenses, £1,000; making a total of £51,830; or at the rate of about £1,000 per week.
Mr Robert M. Barr (« Luke Sharp ») the humorist of the Detroit Free Press, took advantage of a late trip to Canada to perpetrate a monstrous First of April joke. He telegraphed to a press agency that the Ice Palace at Montreal had been destroyed by fire! The agency sent the news to all parts of the continent, and papers in nearly every part of the States and the Dominion came out with the item,—only realizing its absurdity when it was too late to cancel the telegram.
Mr Golder, of Waipawa, when brought before the R.M. on a charge of possessing an unregistered press, pleaded that he kept it for recreation and not for profit. He also read a written statement of such a character that the magistrate ordered him to be examined as to his mental condition. The professional report was, that Mr G. was sane. The Court characterised his printed sheets as « filthy, » and fined him £5 and costs. Defendant's press having since been duly registered, his materials have been returned to him.
The question of « the nude in art » has been largely discussed in America, on account of an action brought by the New York authorities against Knoedler Bros., picture dealers, for exposing for sale indecent photographs and engravings. The firm appear to have made a specialty of pictures which other art houses declined to handle. Their defence was that the pictures had been exhibited in the Paris Salon, and were legitimate works of art. English-speaking peoples, however, have not as yet accepted the French standard in this respect. The Court gave the rational decision that the mere fact of nudity did not constitute indecency. Of thirty-seven pictures produced, two (only one of which was absolutely nude) were adjudged obscene, and the defendants were fined fifty dollars.
A splendid meteor passed across the heavens on the evening of the 3rd May, about 8 o'clock. It illuminated the greater part of both Islands for a few moments with a brilliance like that of the electric light. As usual, most people thought it fell near at hand, and near Porangahau it was said that the earth trembled with the shock. It was also seen to strike the Ruahine range and burst into fragments, while Wellington observers saw it fall into the harbor and heard it fizz. Some of the newspaper descriptions are amusing. From « the size of a man's head » to « as big as the moon » (!) allows a wide scope for individual judgment as to the magnitude of the celestial visitant; and a Wellington paper, with that intense localism characteristic of the colonial press, records that it brilliantly lit up « the whole of Lambton Quay. »
« Laertes, » in the Auckland Leader, corrects his slip about Dr. Arnold; « It was the late Edwin Arnold, » he says, who favorably criticised Ranolf and Amohia. « Matthew Arnold » is of course intended. Every credit is due to « Laertes » for collecting such verses of local writers as appear to be worthy of preservation. If the expression « poets of New Zealand » is warranted, (which we question), Mr Bracken certainly takes a prominent place among them. But verse-writers are not necessarily poets. We have seen many of Mr-Bracken's pieces in print. We have heard him read his own verses, when he doubtless chose the best. We do not remember a piece, however short, that maintained a uniform standard of excellence throughout. Here and there were stanzas of real poetic beauty and grace; but ever a discordant note would intrude—a prosaic stanza or halting verse. We certainly have no « bias » against Mr Bracken, who has our hearty respect both as a writer and as a fellow-colonist.