MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6758, 16 July 1883, Page 4 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

The drawing of Mr. Shortt's art union for an oil piiuting by Lindauer, the subject of which is a Maori chiefteness and her chil 1, took place at the Opera House on June 21, in the presence of a very large crowd of people. The picture was disposed of by means of 1000 shilling tickets. The drawing was conducted under the supervision of a committee elected by those present, and after aaout 200 blanks had been drawn the prize "w.«s won by Lieutenant - Colonel Hozier (brother of the war correspondent of the London Times), who is at present on a visit to New Zealand. Colonel Hosier had taken twenty tickets in t'"e venture. I he balance-sheet of the Union Insurance Company for the year ending May 31, shows an avaiable balance of £'27,33S 7s 2d, of which amount the directors propose to devote £5125 to the payment of the usual dividend of 10 per cent., to place £10,000 to the reserve fui.d, and to carry £9210 7s 2d forward to next year. The premiums received for the year amounted to £132,955, an increase ot about £20,590 on the previous year. The directors in their report remark that the business of the company shows considerable progression. They further say that they have arranged to take over the business of the Auckland Mutual Company, but as the agreement to do this was confirmed only on the 25 :h instant, the business does not appear in the accounts submitted. At ths commencement of the cricket season Messrs. Partridge and Woollams, with their ac.ustomed liberality, offered a set of cricketing materials to tue club which won the greatest number of matchesduring theseason. A paragraph was inserted in the papers some time ago requesting secretaries to furnish Mr. Osmond With statistics of their respective clubs. From ti-ese statistics it appears that the Heuald Cricket Club haswon the greatest number, their statistics reading as follow :— Matches played, 17; won, 12; lost, 3; drawn, 2. The statistics of the ?outh End Cricket Club, and also those of -the Gordon, arc extremely good, reading as follows : —South End : Matches played, 23; won, 11; lost, 6; drawn, G. Gordon : Matches played, 19; won, 10 ; lost, 2 ; drawn, 6 ; and one a tie. The captain or secretary of the winning club must make application without delay to Mr. Osmond for an order to obtain the prize named above. Wednesday being " the glorious Fourth of July," the anniversary of American independence, was ditly honoured by the citizens of the Great Republic. The whole of the foreign Consuls, and also the Premier of Tonga, theßev.Shirley W. Baker, took occasion to call at the American Consulate and pay their respects to the American Consul, Mr. G. W. Griffin. A number of our leading citizens also left their cards. The Star-spangled Burner was displayed at the Consulate, the Pacific Mail Company's office (Mr. T. G. Gamble, Vice-Consul), and at the business establishments of Captain Webb, and Messrs. Arnold, Hines, and Co., and H. P. Barber. The only public demonstration was a drive out from Mr. Qnick's stables—Mr. Roberts, of the Albert Hotel; Mr. Scott, of the Nevada Hotel; Mr. Stewart,- agent for Rainer's Diorama, and a number of others accompanied by the Diorama band, left in a four-in-hand break driven by Mr. W. T. Davies, manager of Mr. Quick's establishment, in the afternoon. In the evening the barques Clyde and Lock Ken threw up some rockets. The telegraphing of the Public Works Statement from Wellington "was one of the best all-round feats of quick telegraphing," says the Wellington Post, "yet recorded in the colony. The Statement conI tained 5219 words, and was placed on three wires to Blenheim, and also on three wires to Napier, at 7.40 p.m., and was completely finished North and South by 8.31, occupying, by a strange coincidence, exactly the same time to Blenheim 33 to Napier. On the Napier circuit Mr. Kivell sent Mr. Doan 1756 words, or an average of 39.91 words per minute; Mr. Murray, 1776 words, to Mr. Poole, averaging 39 words ; and Mr. Tait to Mr. Ashton, ICS7 words, an average of 33.74 On the Blenheim circuit, Mr. Storey sent 1750 words to Mr. Treweek at an average of 39.46 per minute ; Mr. Halliday, 1657 words to Mr. Hawke, averaging 35.59 per minute ; and Mr. Talbot to Mr. Cross, 1776 words, average 35 SS. The mean average for the six operators was no less than 37.01 words per minute—a performance of unusual excellence. It may also be recorded that on No. 1 Wanganui wire, Mr. Beale sent 2866 words to Mr. Ward, averaging 35.82 words per minute. Two wires were used to Wanganui, and the statement was finished to that station at two minutes past nine." Our Coromandel correspondent, writing on Jnly 7, says:—One of the largest, if not the very largest, floods that has ever visited this district occurred this morning, between seven and nine o'clock. It had raiqed very hard all night, and the creek began to rise about six, and by eight o'clock the water was making a elean breach over everything. All the houses on the lower part of the creek were inundated, even as high up as Becker's, the families of Barrett and Snowden having to wade out up to their waists. The destruction of property ha 3 been very great. Furey's bridge has been very much damaged, and the approach washed away. Glover's is tottering to its fall, and m3y yet go. The Hospital, Home's, Riiig'a, Madam's, and part of the tramway brilges are washed clean away. The new road to the Just-in-Time is much dainaced. Messrs. Lynch, McCall, Kelson, Colebrook, and several others have had a great deal of fencing, and in som« places huge slices of ground washed bodily away. This is all in the immediate vicinity of the township. The Tokatea-road is blocked from cud to end, 27 slips having been counted between the foot and top of the range, while down upon the other side the havoc has been just as great. The Tokatea battery has been dreadfully knocked about, in fact nearly destroyed and almcst buried. The mouth of the tunnel is completely blocked up with debris. The Bismarck dam ha 3 been carried away, and it i 3 feared the battery has sustained some damage. All the roads and tracks on that side the rsnge are blocked by Blips. A mejnorial tablet to the late Mr. Richard Parker has been placed above the font, on the wall of St. Andrew's Church, Cambridge. The tablet is of brass and bears the following inscription:—"ln memory of JKichard Parker, of Rotorangi. This tablet, together with the font near which it is placcd, is erected by his sorrowing friends. Died Nov. 11, 1877, ased 33 years.