LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. • I I Particulars of the first day of the Grand , National race meeting, interesting Aua- ; tralian cables, Messrs Abraham and Wil Hams' Johnsonville stock report, and t Tuesday's proceedings in Parliament will be found on page 4. Horse-owners are reminded that nominations for the Marton races close on Saturday, 20th inst. i Mr F. Cohen was elected to fill the vacancy on the Wellin<#on City Council, caused by the retirement of Mr D. J. Nathan. The cutter Tuarina was capsized by a squall in th 1 * Ruatuna river, with a crew aboard. The occupants were rescued by .•». small boat. In connection with a series of minor burglaries at Hastings, a gang of four lads, ages ranging from 15 to 18, respectabfy connected, have been arrested. A child named Leonard Johns, aged 20 months, son of Mr John Johns, fi-Tl into a bath of boiling wator x and died in the Wellington Hospital. Alexander Watson, Wellington, won the first prize of £4000, and Towhill and Co., Thames, the second of £1000, in Tattersail's No. 2 sweep on the Adelaide National Hurdles. No word has yet been received of the amount of the takings at the match on Wednesday, but they totalled a large amount. As cash was brought from the gates it was stowed in a couple of grain sacks, and the load in each was quite enough for a man to comfortably shoulder. The Wellington {Stipendiary Magistrate on Wednesday declared void the election of Mr Joseph McKay, as representative of the Education Boards on the Victoria College Council, on the ground that the regulations as to the conduct of the election had not been complied with. A fresh election will bs necessary. At Dunedin, in the Arbitration Court, William Seater claimed £300 against the Undaunted Mining Company. Seater had his foot frostbitten (which necessitated the amputation of his toes), while working for the company. The case was settled out of Court for £65. A meeting of subscribers to the Fall«n Troopers' Memorial Fund was held on Tuesday evening, when it was announced that about £40 had been collected. It was decided to erect two gates at King Edward Park, one on either side of the Exhibition Commemoration gate, upon which tablets, bearing the names of those who fell in South Africa, are to be placed. A full report of the meeting will appear to-morrow. A meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of Albert Wills, of Egmont Village, late of Hawera, was called for Tuesday, but there was no attendance. The liabilities in the estate, all unsecured, , amount to £108 2s 7d, and the assets are book debts alone, which are estimated to produce 10s. The principal creditors are : M. F. Baird, £20 16s 6d; C. E. Major (promissory note endorsed by W. A' Court), £14; John Smith, £13 5s Id; J. E. Wilson, £11; A. H. Parkinson, £10 13s; George Moore, £8 10s; and Ah Chang, £7 12s 9d. The annual meeting of the Normanby Cricket Club was held on Monday, when a i number of enthusiasts braved the inclemency of the weather, and the spirit shown augurs well for a successful season. Mr R. P. Clarkson was voted to the chair. The balance-sheet showed a small credit balance. It was proposed by Mr A. B. Stewart, and seconded by Mr E. J. Shrimpton, That the Normanby Cricket Club join the South Taranaki Cricket Association, and carried unanimously. The following officers "were elected : Patron, C. E. Major, Esq. ; president, F. McGuire Esq. ; vice-presidents, Messrs George Gibson, H. Best, G. Cockerton, and S. Rowan. The election of the other officers was held over. The following were elected members : Messrs G. Watt, R. Suisted, Trevethick, Evans, Cole, and Captain Stevens. Mr G. V. Bate handed in his resignation, which was accepted with regret. The meeting closed with the usual vote of thanks to the chair. The other day some doubt was thrown by Mr Symes *on the paying prospects of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, and the member for Rangitikei (the Wellington Post reports) took up the cud gels in its defence. He had, he sad, received a letter showing that with the opening of the line to Taihape a contract had been taken for ten million feet of white pine timber, and there were prospects of further contracts for fifty million feet of white pine, let alone other timbers, which would produce a handsomt revenue. That white pine timber, if not utilised and brought to the railway, would go, as millions and millions of feet had gone — up i« smoke. The line would also tap enormous forests of totara and other timbers, worth in themselves the total cost of the construction of the North Island Railway. The Patea Press reports that by Tuesday night's mail train Captain Bendall, representing the underwriters, and Mr Symon, manager of the Aorere Shipping Co., arrived in Patea. They went down to inspect the Aofcea on Wednesday, but as yet it is not decided what steps will be taken to get her off. The owners have handed her over to the underwriters. It has been ascertained that the Aotea in shifting on the beach unshipped her rudder and broke her rudderpost. A number of men. with launching and other gear, are coining up by the Mana. R&ddeley and Forlong, auctioneers, of Wtiflgapui, are offering some good lines of cattle in their Waverley yards on Friday next. Attention is dpa^yn to their list in our auction columns. Public enthusiasm in football . was put t« a great test at New Plymouth on Wednesday. The gates of the Recreation Ground were opened between nine and ten #'clock, and immediately a number of ■peoj?l& selected advantageous positions overlooking tj>e field of play, but by 11 o'clock there was a general movement towards the ground by country people, who had arrived in town fairly ea*ly. When the first train from Hawera arrived with a huge load of passengers there was a rush, and by half-past 11 there must have been several thousands on the Rec., and then the rain commenced. "A passing shower," remarked some hopeful people, but others with more experience, who had seen the clouds coming from seawards with a rising westerly breeze, knew that they were in for a bad afternoon. Steadily and incessantly came the patter, and thousands, in spite of umbrellas, gradually became soalred. A large number who had got under the shelter of 'trees wer,e uwre fortunate, but when the wind rose" Ahfty ,Uv»t had their share in the disqom'fort. ' .pb'Jl tfyp crowds sat immovatye, ,ahd ,ori the- .whole gupd-humoredly "K#vw Sv,ou'ld have' conie'had I known,' ww "th» (constant cement'/ bu,t being there thsy would §«c ij, -through with as much cheerfulness as po§sibte, gnd perhaps they derived some comfort from th« fact that late corners, who trooped in by hundreds, were in still worse plight, wet drawled, over boot-tops in mud and slush. And so tjey patiently waited till 3.15, when anl*d. heavy rain and under a dark and lowering sky _ the P la y commonced. The 11 * or an h°. ul< aiM * a na^ everybody (forgot everything unpleasant in watobing hue .struggle below.' It was a r«ftark^ble sight, Ihousanda pf people sitting on the wrracej au round t£e playing field, presenting ranks and .r.a.nks of umbrellas, but whether with or without such shelter apparently casing nothing for the rain, which continued falling pi&lessly all the afternoon. - The rush through mud and blinding showers for the twin and the difficulty of getting near the railway station, much less a seat in the train, for" some hours, were also incidents of a day which will be long remembered by a many people. # A of and plain and fancy mn*>Ssd ball is to be toeki W the Eapuni Hall on' Wednesday evening, <3i*t jmt. The property of Mt W ; $ray, of Okato, is to be sold by Mr Newtou ftj#g at Rahotu on Thursday^ September 8. Neglect Always Dangerous. — To the average man it seems childish to doctor a cold, and unless it becomes particularly annoying to him, little or no attention is given it. Often a cold contracted in the winter is allowed to run until the opening * of spring. This is a grave mistake, as , "even though the warm weather may bring relief, the system is thereby weakened and . rendered susceptible to disease. A cold ] should never be neglected, whether it be a child or an adult who is afflicted, as , health an 4 often life is risked. A bottle j of Ofawnbarlain'B Cough Remedy, costing , but a small amount will bring speedy , relief and by its use all dang/jrons come- , quenoes wil be avoided. For sale at W. , K. Wallace, chemist. Hawera.— Advt. ; Manufacturers' clothing samples, con- j sisting of Men's Trousers, Men's and < Boys' Suits and Mackintoshes and Rain i Coats will be offered during the next few < weeks by W. Spence, of the Eoonomjp.-nr. 1