NEWS OF THE DAY.

Bush Advocate, Volume I, Issue 71, 18 October 1888, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mr Bierre sells a quantity of household furniture at the central mart on Saturday at 2 p.m. A boy named Graff, son of Mr H. Graff, Danevirke, had a painful lesson on Tues- . day. The logs are being cleared off the road running pasij his father's house, and the boy having got hold of some blasting powder thought he would try an experiment. He raked some embers together and deposited the powder in their midst. As the powder, being coarse, did not " go off," the boy knelt down and blew the embers. The result was what might have been anticipated, The powder exploded and seriously damaged the boy's face. Fortunately his eyes were not blown out, but Ue was very badly cut about and is not likely to pursue his scientific invests ' Rations in a like manner,

Mr G. W. Petter, the founder of the Echo, the first halfpenny paper in London, and one of the original' partners of the great publishing house of Casseland Co., died in London tm Sept. 18th. v .'Mr CJ. Johansen's building, at Norsevtood is. assuming a very pretty appearance now that, it approaches completion, the artistic front and facade giving it the appearance of a much larger building. What are the members of the Norsewbod Library Comittee thinking about? With the £25 insurance and other aid that would be forthcoming they should be able to make a fresh start. There are plenty of rooms to be had . on reasonable terWs, and a public library is a necessity. ,j Mr Hegh, of Nprsewood, is busily at work making "room for a new stock of drapery, and new goods of every description. He is also replenishing his stock in the. boot and leather department, where, besides keeping a good stock of readymade boots, he turns out some excellent work in ordered goods. We are pleased, to note that Mr W. C. Smith, M.H.Ri, with his customary" generosity, has sent a donation of. £2 2s to Augustine of Norsewood, lately referred to in our columns, and has given a prize of £1 Is for salt butter at the first show of the Horticultural and Industrial Association, Here is a chanoe for some one. Tenders are invited fer a competition design and specifications for a Reohabite Hall at Ormondville, cost not to exceed £100. Full information can be obtained from the Rev. A. S. Webb; Ormondville, to whom tenders must be sent on Wednesday next. '".-■" A very dignified merchant at Greymouth gave himself -away nicely during the recent earthquake. He was quite cool and collected, and made a boast that he had dressed carefully before he took the trouble to oome and see how the others took it, but when attention was called to his attire, he found that, with all his apparent dignified calmness, he had fdrgotten to put on his trousers. The Harwood Belief Committee met at the Beaconsfield Hotel, on Monday evening. Present: Messrs P. Gross, Ghaldicott, Box, and Gasson. Owing to the absence of some members, the meeting could not complete the business for which they had assembled, only some £8 10s being accounted for. It was decided to hand over that sum at once to Mr Harwood, and adjourn the meeting to Monday, 22nd, so as to get all accounts in. ' Mr St. Glair opened for one night only in the Norsewood Town Hall on Tuesday. A cold wind* with short heavy showers of rain, prevented there being a good house, Cut still, considering the short notice given, the attendance was not very bad. The magic business was about up to the usual standard, but several new tricks were shown 'thai, with a little more 11 gag " and music, would give satisfaction to any audience, and were freely applauded. As. a wire-walker Mr St. Glair is remarkably good, and on the trapeze he is equally at home, and is worthy of more than passing notice. A singular accident occurred at the funeral of the man Richard Martin, whose body was recently found in the Molyneux at Ettrick. The remains (says the correspondent of the Tttapeka Times) were being conveyed to the cemetery in a dray, and when a little way past the Roxburgh bridge, where the road is very narrow, the horse shied at a log or something on the road side and backed over the bank into the river. The horse and dray soon disappeared out of sight, but the coffin, strangely enough, considering the weight inside, soon came to the surface, and floated rapidly down the river. A party at once went in pursuit, and were able to recover the melancholy craft about a mile or so down the river. The horse and cart have not been recovered. Gricket for ladies bids fair to become a very, popular pastime indeed. Many highborn dames and damsels took part recently in a match at Nun Appleton Park, Mr Beckett's place in Yorkshire. The captains were Lady Milner and Miss Egerton, and among the fair players were the Ladies Idina and H. Nevill, the Hon. Misses Maude Lawrence, Muriel Brassey, M. A. Brassey, and V. Wiiloughby, and the Hon. Mrs Garforth. The scoring was more than respectable, Miss Egerton's side compiling 42 and 173, and Lady Milner's 102 and 119 for six wickets. Miss Fairfax was top scorer . with 72 ; Lady Milner made 41 not out, Lady Idina Nevill 23 and 22, and the Hon. M. A. Brassey 31 and 10 not out. No fewer than nine catches were held, and Miss Muriel Brassey was out 1. b. w. The Woodville Jockey Club- met on Saturday in the Masonic Hotel, when the accounts for the past were submitted. The balance to the Glub's credit is £185 4s 7d, which must be regarded as very satisfactory. Mr G. Moore was appointed Secretary, at a salary of £15 ; and the election of officers resulted as follows : — President, Mr G. D. Hamiltmij VicePresident, Mr Gaisford-; Stewards, Messrs Monteith, A. Smith, Rabone, Lemon, J. Allardice, G. B. Baddeley, and H. F. Moody. At a subsequent .meeting of the Stewards, Mr Peebles was re-appointed Judge ;Mr Huntly, Handicapper ; Mr L. D. Bickerton, Clerk of the Scales ; Mr Moody, Starter ; Mr J. Muir, Clerk of the Course, and Mr Morrison, Timekeeper. It was decided to adopt the programme of last year, the Flying Handicap to be raised to £20, second horse to receive 5 soys. from the stake. The District Handicap and Members Eaoe was altered to a mile and a distance, and it was decided to submit the programme to the Metropolitan Club. A roinantio suicide was inquired into by the coronet for South Wilks, who held an inquest at Fisherton Delamere, near Wylye, on the bodies of Albert Sparey, of Warminst, and Elizabeth Ann Yeates, of Wylye. The bodies were found on Saturday, 18lh August, in a mill stream clasped in each other's arms and tied tightly together with the girl's belt and a couple of pocket hankerchiefs. On the bank their hats, and letters addressed to their parents stating that they " had lived and loved together and both wished a %yatery bed. They fully intended to do it, for nothing could part them, and they died in a good cause." The man wished his mother to take great care of his book entitled " Faithful and True." An open note written by the girl stated that they drowned themselves through her sister and Sparey's brother. Nothing transpired to throw and further light on the matter, which the coroner said, was a case of the most premeditated suicide he had ever known. The jury returned a suicide of felo de se. The ball in the Norsewood Town Hall duly came off on Monday evening. The beautiful hall was lighted up to about 250 candle power, and the floor was in grand order for dancing. From 30 to 40 couples danced to the music of the rich-toned piano, at which Mr Beale presided in exceptionally good style. The costumes of the fair dancers were very pretty and simple, having a very pleasing effect as a whole. Three young ladies deserve special notice in this matter— one in blue and white, one in white relieved by a little blue, and one in pink and white. The first two came froir the Danish line and the third from Norsewood. Another tastefully dressed lady in cream and pink came from Makotuku. Refreshments were obtainable through the evening at tables tastefully arranged at each end of the large stage, and were in charge of Mrs Small, who carried out her duties in a manner that left nothing to be desired in this direction. • The greatest harmony and good, humour prevailed, and all eeemed to tborouijhJy enjoy the gathering..

I Johnny Hall, the well-known actor, I died suddenly in Melbourne on Monday. . We have to thank, the Government Printer for a copy of the Statutes passed last session, ~ * It is rumored in Melbourne that Sir Robert Stout has joined a firm of lawyers there, and will Bettle down in that city. A six-ton cab, carrying an electric battery strong enough to run it 40 miles, recently made a satisfactory trip through London. _ ' . ; The Minister for Public Works and the Minister of Education will probably leave Wellington on Monday on a month's visit to Melbourne. ■. Next season the growth of wheat in Ashburton county will be the largest since the season of 188&84. A careful estimate places the area at 85,000 to x 90,000 acres^ Extensive additions are being made to the Wellington Woollen Factory at Petone. The looms are about to be increased from 32 to 48 in number, and extra hands will be engaged. A Westport telegram says that the men engaged to work the Ngakawau mine have declined to commence at the rate agreed upon (8s per day), requiring 10s. The men are acting with the Denniston Coal Miners' Union. The survey parties are at work in various parts of the district. Mr Price is at Makeretu and Mr Tone at Matamau. Mr Rich will go into the Tautane country in the course of a few weeks. Mr Wilson has gone to Gisborne. An ingenious Feilding* settler has solved the small bird trouble effectually, so far as gardens are concerned. He has a fine specimen of a hawk preserved and stuffed, which about once a week is changed to the variouscorners of a two-acre garden plot. . It is affirmed that no birds ever settle within that garden fence. Quite recently some Victorian fishermen caught a shark, fourteen feet long, twelve feet girth and nine feet round the jaws. On opening. the shark a large seal was found indde with a hook and line attached to it. The last named articles have been identified by Mr Roger Edwards, of Warrnambol, as his property, he having lost them in the bay some time sinoe. Mr Reardon, who works at the Tamaki sawmill, had the misfortune to lose the top of the middle finger, of his left hand on Saturday while engaged at the saw bench. Mr Reardon is rather unfortunate, having lost the little finger of the same hand in a similar manner some time ago. We are glad to hear he is getting on well, although it will be some little time before he regains the full use of his hand. The Education Board have ' granted £250 for additions to the Danevirke school. The Chairman of the School Committee sent a letter Btrongly urging that £100 should be voted for repairs to the teacher's residence, but from the reports in the Napier papers it does not appear that the letter came before the Board at all. Other votes in the Bush were Makotuku £200, Kumeroa £100, and Woodville £300. The votes for repairs were—Heretaunga £12, and Ormondville £40. Here, says an exchange, is a little wrinkle for ratepayers who desire in vain to have some little work done near their properties. A candidate for one of the Dunedin suburban councils, who intended to oppose the re-electiou of the retiring member, wrote to the Council stating that he had heard that a contested election would cost the ward £2, and offering to withdraw his candidature if the Council would spend that amount on the road at the back of his property. This is an ingenious way of putting the- screw on, and the method will undoubtedly be copied far and wide. A telegram from Dargaville states that a man named John Begley had a narrow escape of his life on Wednesday last. The railway train was nearing Maropin when Begley was discovered by the brakesman, Rhodes, lying asleep with his head across the line. The brakes were put down, but it was impossible to stop the train, and Rhodes at great risk let himself down in front of the leading wheel, and when the train approached kicked the man's head off the rail. The box of the carriage caught Begley by the shoulders and threw him a few feet, breaking his collar-bone. Mr C. Gaustad writes to us from Halcombe: — "Thanks for your remarks in your paper with regard to my labour in Hawke'a Bay. As it might possibly interest you, I take the liberty to intimate to you that I intend, if it please God, to deliver a course of lectures and addresses (English) in Hawke's Bay, and especially in Norsewood in connection w#h the opening of the Lutheran Church, which I understand, is to take place shortly. I may mention the subject of one of the lectures : ' Freethought in the nineteenth century, viewed in the light of Christianity and reason.' I also intend, when in Hawke's' Bay, to read my papers on 4 Diphtheria and Anti-Vaccination ' (English), which have been very well received by the public elsewhere. The Central News (England) learns that an extraordinary incident occurred at the Irish Exhibition at Olympia. The Barrack street band from Cork had been engaged to take part in the musioal arrangements of the exhibition. The members took their place •in the fountain orchestra, and played the numbers stated in the programme until the time arrived for playing the National Anthem, when the whole of the band, at a given signal, left the orchestra, taking their instruments and miißio sheets with them. The position of affairs was hardly realised by the public until a member of Parliament present applauded the retreat, a proceeding which was followed by hisses and other indignant demonstrations. A military band was called in from the grounds to play the National Anthem, which it gave amidst cheers from the audience. Lord Arthur Hill sent a telegram forbidding the Cork band to play again at the exhibition. On being asked for an explanation, the members of the band said they dared not go back to Ireland after playing " God Save the Queen." Recent experiences of artillerymen and in the navy appear to show that there is almost as much danger from the weapons in use as from an enemy. A dreadful accident happened during the firing of an Armstrong gun at the eastern entrance to Plymouth Sound on August 23, resulting in the death of two gunners and injury to four others belonging to the North Irish Royal Artillery. The gun was a 401 b breech-loader, and was charged with 51b of powder and a 401 b shell, to be fired at 1000 yards. Major Georgess, who was in charge, gave the order to fire, and when the gun went off everyone was enveloped in smoke. When it cleaved off it was discovered that Gunner Quigg had been blown about 40ft away and seemed in the act of falling down. It was then found that the vent plug had been blown from the gun, and the next man seen to fall was Gunner M'Atamney, one of the battery signallers, who was standing close to a shed through the weatherboard of which the missile afterwards smashed. It again bounded another three yards and struck Gunner Young, another spectator, inflicting serious injuries. Quigg's injuries caused almost instant death. His left side was literally blown away. M'Atamney had his left leg completely shattered, and after lingering half an hour died. Gunner Young was struck in both legs by the breech-block, and received serious injuries. Gunner Murphy received the whole force of the explosion of powder in his face and neck and right arm, whiclj we.?? fearfully burned.,

Mr. Levy Lawson, proprietor of the London £<iUy Telegfaph is dead. - Mr Wilson's cattle sale yesterday wag not a success > none of.the various lots offered fetohing. the reserve pricei. Mr A. B. Xhomsen, whose advertiseappearsin another column, is about to build a five-roomed house with two shops near the Norsewood school. To judge by the plans, the building will be a very pretty one. ' " Fried sparrow is good eating, 1 tell you," flays a Wellington man. " I have a neighbor who shoots sparrows with an air gun. He dresses the birds, and then fries them as you would a spring chicken. The flesh is' firm, yet tender " and sweei 1 don't ask anything better for breakfast than a plate of fried sparrows."' We are informed that Mr M. Beck has sold his section adjoining Mr H. Smith's property at Ormondville, but that he will still remain in occupation as lessee. We are not at liberty to disclose the price paid for the land, but we may state that it is highly satisfactory to the seller, and would show that the stagnation, in the land market is passing away. We remind our readers that on Saturday next Messrs L. Wilson and Co. will hold their first land sale. It will be seen by the advertisement that the lots to be offered comprise some very elegible properties in Danevirke, both for residential ! and business sites. There should be some demand for these sections, as there is very ' little doubt that, in the near future, prices for land all over the colony will rule considerably higher than is the case* now. The opening up of the country round Danevirke, which, cannot be long delayed, should tend to effect material improvement in the value of the properties in the township. We hope to see a good attendand spirited bidding at the sale, which' j will be held at Mr Allardice's Billiardroom, commencing at 1.30 p.m. { ■ An accident happened at Henderson's j mill this morning to Mr S. Smith, one of the hands engaged there. He was putting the belt over one of the pulleys, and the machinery being in motion he became entangled in the belt, and was struck by thepulieyand thrown to theground, where he lay insensible for some time. Mr G. Anderson was the first to observe what had occurred, and the machinery was at once stopped, and Smith taken up. Word was sent to Mr Prior, who at once telegraphed to Dr Williams, who .rode from j Woodville on horseback, reaching here soon after 11 o'clock. It was thought that Smith's arm was broken, but fortunately such was not the case, the doctor declaring that it was only dislocated. Dr Williams reduced the dislocation, and returned to Woodville by the . midday train. The men employed by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company at Parai paraumu have come upon a very pleasing and very unexpected feature of a 'hitherto inaccessible part of the country. They have found immense quantities of the large narcissus, commonly called jonquils, growing luxuriantly and in full flower. These , are commonly seen in small bunches in gardens, half a dozen bulbs or so together; but at Paraparaurau there are acres of them whitening the landscape with their blooms and making the air neavy with their delicious fragrance. Haw they got there is a mystery. The narcissus is indigenous In Southern Europe, where it grows wild just as is now to be seen at Paraparaumu. It is also cultivated in Italy and the South of France for the manufacture of perfumes. It speaks volumes for the climate in the Manawatu district, that this beautiful plant should so easily have made itself at home there, and flourished ft a natural state better than in any garden. Where flowers grow like that there is a fortune in them if people only know how to gather it. —Press. An exciting scene in which a Norsewood publican and a sinner (the sinner was looking on and taking notes), some strolling players, a box, and a coach driver took part, occurred on Wednesday morning. The players wished to leave "the gay and festive scene," alas, festive no longer, and though •« Boniface " was willing to stifle his feelings and permit his guests to depart with cheerfulness, yet before allowing those cherished friends to shake the Norsewood dust from their feet, he wished them to perform a little ceremony often found necessary to assuage the pain caused by parting with those who are dear to us, and to fill the aching void left in the heart (or pocket) of the bereft one. In vain he used the good old motto " ante up," his guests were un-' willing to " part " in the sense that was meant, though not objecting to part in another way, and each seized one end of a box and began a waltzing sort of " tug of war," while a lady flourished a property wand in close proximity to Boniface's head. The first spell resulted in a " try " to the player, but in the second spell Boniface brought all his strength to bear and prevented his opponent from " passing," aud the game ended in a draw before the constable (who had been telephoned for) arrived, every one being a loser except your representative.. Boniface lost 9s (though he would have lost still more if he had not been so sharp), the players lost their passage and some money that they did not wish to part with, and the coachee lost his fare, as he could not wait to earn his 5s 6d.