LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXVII, Issue 197, 2 September 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Nelson Coach. — The passengers by the Nelson coach this day are, Messrs Allen, Haslett, and Ward.

ViTAi Statistics. — The vital statistics for the Pelorus district for the month ending August 31, 1891, are as follows -.—Births, 3 ; marriages, 1 ; deaths, 1.

Borough Council. — Messrs R. McArtney, Jas. Lees and S. Norgrove, being the only candidates nominated for the North, West and East Wards of the Borough Council, have been declared duly elected.

Chohal Society. — The Choral Society have decided to give the cantata, "The Ancient Mariner," on Wednesday, 16th instant.

Weather Forecast. — Captain Edwin reports there are now strong evidences of a heavy gale from the northward, changing by west to south-west between midnight of the 3rd and midnight of the 6th instant.

Sudden Death.— At Smith's boarding house yesterday afternoon a laborer named James O'Hagan died very suddenly. He had complained of feeling unwell and sent for a doctor but before one could be procured he was dead. The Coroner will hold an inquest to-morrow afternoon at four o'clock.

Critebion Stables. — Mr Mardell, having to leave New Zealand, has placed the sale of the well known Criterion Stables m the hands of Mr C. Purkiss, auctioneer and commission agent. The stables are well known to our readers, and anyone desirous of purchasing the stables as a going concern should at once interview Mr Purkiss.

Scarcity of Cattle. — Stock must be very scarce m the Rangitikei district when the Advocate writes:— On account of the almost unparalleled scarcity of cattle on this coast a gentleman m the district conceived what may be considered the somewhat out-of- the-way idea of endeavouring to obtain a number from Nelson to put on the market, and. he has made enquiries with the result of discovering that there are none or very few to be had. Had this telegram arrived an hour earlier than it did, however, he informs us that he would have succeeded m securing a large mob at such a figure as would have enabled him to hire a vessel and sell them on the coast at good profit. Witbin the last week or so however, cattle have hardened m value m proportion to the advance elsewhere.

Up-Countby News. — A letter from Molesworth dated 30th August, 1891 contains the following information : — The poisoning season at the Upper Awatere has been unusually good, very few rabbits being seen excepting one or two patch e3 above Altimarloclr. The old order of things, one man and a boy— the boy rabbiting and the man to cook for him — being for the most part of the past, most of the stations are patch-poisoning with carrots and arsenic, and rabbiting. The rabbits have been breeding for some time past, but the skins being up m value it will pay to rabbit. The sheep are looking particularly well also. This I attribute m a great measure to the dry winter and there being so little snow ; the cold not being so much felt when accompanied by wet. The frosts have been unusually severe, ice on the Tarndale lakes having been estimated at two feet thick. I have just heard of a large parcel of last year's skins which realised as much as 2s 2Jd per lb for the best winter skins. They are making large improvements at Molesworth, they have pulled down the old shod both at Tarndale and here, and have built a new one to accommodate 20 shearers ; all the shearing for both stations will be done here. This will mean that the wool for Tarndale, instead of going via Culverden to Christohuroh ' will come down river to Blenheim, and be shipped Picton. The shed which is T shaped is intended for machinery, but I fear the latter will not be ready for this year's Bhearing. There are also a stone blacksmith's shop and tool sheds as well as a new leanto Bhed for the draufiht horses. The wire netting which has been put up on these stations stands well and is already of great use. The country is becoming set Hod with rabbiters, and you come across their camps m all sorts of unexpected places. Wild dogs are getting numerous m some parts, and many sheep have lately been found worried, some dead and others dragging out a miserable existence m a mangled state. One was found the other day on Tarndale with all the flesh bitten off the bone of the thjgh, jjnd the member m g fearful flyblown state,

Lecture.— The Rev T. G. Hammond, of Patea, had a large attendance at the Wesleyan Churoh last night, when he gave his lecture on the Maori Race. The lecturer has a wide knowledge of the native people, and his theory is that they came from Raratonga. Hia stories of missionary experiences were very interesting. During the evening several hj'mns wore rendered by the congregation. Mr A. J. Litchfield occupied the chair.

Sunday Trading. — Onr attention has been directed to the following clause m Inspector Hume's report on the Police, which we reprint, as we understand tbp.t the local police intend to net on it : — " The attention of all concerned has recently baen called to the necessity of special and more stringent supervision being exercised by the police m the matter of the Licensing Act, more especially as regards Sunday trading and the closing of houses nightly at the stipulated hours, and directing that transgressors, when discovered, are invariably to be summoned to answer for their conduct."

Female Suffrage. — Tho Naoier Telegraph has the following:— We hear privately from Wellington that the ladies of the Empire City are extremely gratified at the prospect of becoming electors. One young lady, aged eighteen, writing to a friend m Napier, says : — " I already feel myself to be an embryo voter, and am going m for the study of politics, so as to qualify myself for the next general elections. Fancy Mr Fish wanting to make the age of women tbirty-five before they could vote; no wonder, for he is doomed to political death when WE go to the poll I"

The Rus?rAN Harvest. — In connection with the failure of the Russian harvest and the prohibited exportation of rye, the following letter from an experienced landowner of Kostroma, published m the St Petersburger Zeitung, is of interest : — I have never yet m all my experience seen such a frightful famine and such a hopeleas condition of the people m all the grain producing provinces of Russia. I would not have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes. There is no more old corn left', and the new. harvest will not suffice even for seed. Flour costs one rouble 40 kopeks a pood, and will soon be at two roubles a pood. The peasant has an entire year before him without hope and without means of subsistence till the next harvest. In our own province a subsidy of 2,500,000 roubles will be necessary. At the same time the State and local collection of taxes must greatly suffer m consequence. This is the state of affairs m2O provinces." The Exchange Gazette says that such a failure of rye crops has not occurred m Russia for many years past. While the wheat crops m some regions will be middling, the rye harvest is everywhere bad, and it must be remembered that rye forms the basis of the peasant's food.

The Shearers' Reception.— The shearers who left New Zealand a short time ago under engagement to the pasloralists of New South Wales, seem to have had a rough time of it. One of them, hailing from the Clutha district, writes to a friend here, describing m pathetic terms the lively experiences the party had to undergo. On arrival at the Sydney railway station they were joined by about 170 men on the same errand from Melbourne. On the way to Bourke, 500 miles inland, the train bearing the party was rushed, and considerable violence done to its occupants. Many of the ' blackleg' shearers out of bodily fear, joined the ranks of the Unionists, others became convinced of the unreasonableness of their actions, and voluntarily deserted the party. The carriages m which they were travelling were considerably damaged by showers of stones from the irate crowd attacking it. Arrived at Bourke, it was with the greatest difficulty the ' blacklegs' were got on board the steamer awaiting them, and when got on board they bad to be shut down below like a lot of cattle to ensure their safety. The trip down the Darling was not a pleasant one, and long before the party reached its destination more than one of the men bitterly repented the day they resolved to run the gauntlet for the pastoralists m Australia. — Globe.

Mild Swearing. — In a letter on gambling (says Truth), which was published a few days ago, the Bishop of Manchester made some interesting remarks on the ways of those whom he calls " proper old ladies." Dr Moorhouse says that "proper old ladies" who think it wrong to gamble, but who, nevertheless, playgames for counters, do so because they enjoy the excitement of a mild form of covetuousness . His Lordship adds : "So proper old ladies don't swear; but still, as they like to get a little of the pleasure which comes from using strong and wrong words, they sometimes have recourse to strange devices. A noble lady once told me that m her earlier days, when she wished to express deep disgust at anything which had occurred, she would say ' damson cheese.' By dwelling gently on the first syllable of the first word she secured the end which is attained by playing for counters — the pleasure of being a little naughty."

A Sensational Book. — It is reported that the mission of Mrs Jameson, wife of the the late Lieutenant Jameson, has been successful m Africa, where she has been engaged m making careful inquiries to test the accuracy of the cannibalism story m | which her husband was implicated, . Mrs Jameson visited her husband's grave, and has held personal interviews not only with the chiefs and warriors, but also with the carriers with whom her husband was brought into contact. It is said that she will shortly return to England, when she will publish a reply to the story which was told by Stanley as having been, told to him. It is said that when. -Mrs Jameson's book comes out it will create a sensation. Very recently Tippbo Tib, who has just arrived at Zanzibar,, was interviewed about the Jameson incident, and he 'gave assurance that Jameson himself was quite innocent m the matter, and that he could not have prevented the act of cannibalism had he wished to do so.

Note the Following Bargains of surplus stock m the season's millinery. — Our millinery has been noted as the beat m the city — bar none, ladies' felt hats, " ribbon bands, usual prices 6s 6d to 10s 6d, 13s 6d, sale priceß 3s 6d, 43 6d, 7s 6d ; ladies' felt hats, all shapes, 5s 6d for Is lid, 7s 6d and 10s 6d for 3s 6d ; ladies' trimmed hats, usual prices 8s 6d, 15s 6d, 255, sale prices 5s 6d 7s 6d, 103 6d; ladies' trimmed hats, special sale prices Is lid, 2a lid, 3a lid ; at the surplus winter stock sale, Te Aro House Wellinton.