Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser (Qld. : 1861 - 1908), Thursday 24 June 1875, page 4


TWLVO GOOD Mint aND Taru.-In reference to the recent action for libel at the inqtanc of ktecsas. Johnson, of Edinburgh, map-publishers, against the Altenaum, the Scotsman reports that" the following system was practised by the jury in fixing the amounat of damages to be awarded. Thejury, it may be remembered, were not unanimous, there being onegentleman who from the ierst declined to acquiesae in a finding giving any except nominal damages; but by the other eleven it was agreed that each should, without conosulting his neighbour, write down what he conaidered a fair 'award a that theseneparato sums'should be added up, and that the sum total "ahboild then bh divided by eleven, the product of this division to bh taken as the damages to be aseessed. In accordance with this arrangement the following sums were jotted down by the eleven iurymen and ciren as their dsciaion, vie., £2000, £3000, jd., £50, £15tO, £3000, £500, £t000, £500, £2000, £500: total, £14,050. This nun,, after beine divided, gave £1277 as the damages awarded ; but in order to make the figures more prosentable the jury agrerd to strike off £2, there bei.0 thus produced the £1275 damages ananonced in Court.

LEGISLAT?Tr Wcr.t-Thc tons mote of livilng celebrities are sufficiently unconnson to deserve chronicling wien they transpire. Here are two. The first is attributed to Mr. Lowe, who, on first seeing the title of Esrl Russell's recent work, " Recollectious of Public Life," remarked, "Recollection ; yes, of events which never took place, and sugcestions whiel no one over followed." The other is fathered on Mr. Dieraeli. Some one called upon him to admire a certain member of tihp House of Commons who had gained thle ear of the House, on the ground that he was a self-made man. "yes," assented Mr. Disraeli, "and a pious men also." "How soP" inquired his friend. "No one more consistently loves and rekeres his Maker." In an article on tice ghosts of modern spiritism the Saourday Review makes the following ismusing references to currently belieoved transaotions with thb devil in past ages :-" The devil of the 17th century belonged to a very inferior type. He eppeared as a hedgehog, as a black dog, as a man in black, and dro:e in the smallcot sums. Sixpence seems to Itare been the amount hle usually gaoe his voteriee on rceeivillg whlat they considered to be tlteir souls, and upon one eccasiotn lhe only gave 4ktd. at the conclusion of a bargain. Considering tie improrrment that has been e,,lcted in tile condition of tile conntry gentlemen and the agrieullurul lahourer, it is not too much to say that esperienees of tite nature cannot be contemplated by the most sanguine and moet eager as likely to egeur egoin ; tle sums whtich will change bonds will Icave to be far larger, and villages in Soeoersetslhire cannot hope to he similarly favoured when tlOe rise of populous towns is tkeon into consideration. Whlen t heo devil woe constontly in the midst of thle sniuformed and tlte ignorant, thlere was nething for him to do. There would he little difficulty in finding him employment at the present time. Instead of cleaving the Eildon hills in three, or building richetty bridges across country streams, he miglet be fitly employed in eleansinse our rivers, and if his endeavoura 'were attended with success, no one would grudge him a loeal board or two or a corporation for his paenn."

Woonse T? m..:T -T2he Warrentown Jeesftise dlepicts terrible times in that location :-"It appears that few weeks ago a detist came to.that town and adrertised that he would remove all of a person's teeth for two dollars and insert a new set for tin dollars, besides giving six month's credit. The Warren. town people are very fond of bargains, so there was a rush for the dentist's office. He was veryhbusy for two months, polling teeth, and at the end of that time half the people had empty gums, and a bone duet factory in the neighbourhood doubled its workmen, soas to grind op the teeth. Meanwhile the people were waiting for the dentist to fit them with new sets, the abandoned scoundrel eloped with the hotelkeeper's wife, and now there are two or three thousand people in the town who cannot eat anything tougher than soup or farino.. All the butcbers have failed, and not a biscuit has been sold for three weeks. Oue man, it is said, whittled out a set of wooden teeth for himself, bet the first drink of whiskey he took-Cincinnati whiskey-set them in a blaze, and his funeral came off nent day. The dentist will hear of something to his advontoge if he comes bach." His Owe I~POOT?flo.---An enthosisetie professor of entomology, not celebrated for his exeraise of hoepitality, was so delighted at the arrival of an eminent pursuer of insects, that he invited him to board and in chambers. Neat morning Dr. Macfy greeted his goest-" And how did ye sleep the nieht, Mester Beehemouth P" "Not very well; strange bed, perhaps. But--"-"Ah," qouoth the doctor, eagerly, " ye were just bitten by something, oh ?"--" Well, to t.ll you the troth doctor, I whs."-"Just think ot that I Bitten, war yeP Now eso ye say it was any. thing noteworthy that bit ye P Peculiar, ehP"-"Fleas, I think, But sueth biting I never felt in my life."-" I should think so, indeed" (with great glee) ; "they're Sicilian fleas; I imported them myself." A coloured gentleman went to consult one of the most high-toned lawyers in Boston, and after stating his cose, said: " Now, I knows you's a lawyer, but I wish you would pleases, ear, iee tell me the trot 'boot dat matter." A NoncOTIrPNeo MlfDIoIN.--The feeblestsystem may be fortified sgainst the efrete of unwholesome air and rapid changes of temperaturs by the occasional ase of UnoLrmo Won's fcHIcnot dA.nMcacIO fCHoxaPPr. The tonic operation of this agreeable and potent medirated stimulant upon the stomach, the nerves, and in faot upon every organ, renders the body capable of reeiting tse influences which prudure disease. Taken three or four times a day in winter it is an admirable protection against coughs, colds, rheumatism, and the various derangements of the stomach, bowels, and secn sitive organs producdd by sudden yariatious of the weother.--EADv.)