Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 101, 30 April 1898, Page 4

An inquest will be held at the Oxford Hotel at 10 a.m. on Monday, to inquire into the. death of the infant son of Mrs Lewis, living in Duke-street, Freeman's Bay. The mother's statement to the police is that she put the child to bed last evening on a sofa with a feeding-bottle be9i.de it, and attended to it during tlse night, replenishing the bottle. When she awoke at half-past eight o'clock this morning the child was dead. It was about three .months old, and had been a delicate baby, but no doctor was in attendance at the time. Prior to the inquest,jX)r. Gordon will make a post-mortem examination of the body. . ; ... ■/.'■ .. .~„ ~

One of Auckland's oldest land-marks is doomed to destruction. The work of pulling down the'historic buildhigdately used as a police-barracks, in O'ltorke-street', will be commenced next week. >. The.ne\r barracks is to be erected Jori the site-of>the old ..building. -~.■••- - - , i ..•.-.;.'

- Mr Frank Dillingham, United States Consul, has received an offer from a resident in the' Auckland district stating tliat he has invented a method of increasing the explosive power of shells tip to 100 fold in some cases. The same gentleman* aiso, claims to. have invented a shell with great explosive force which; would be felt over a large area and is therefore suited for use against a body of troops. The inventor is willing to sell the patent to the United States G<v verriment, Imp stipulates it shall not be given to any other power but Great Britain. We would remind our readers that the new railway time-table comes into opera* tion on Monday. The principal alterations are:—A. train,leaves Newmarket for Auckland at 9.4 a.m. daily, arriving Auckland at 9,11 a.m. The 6:10 a.m. train from Helensville to Auckland will lea.ye Waiku- "#« \.tyi&& *!«>» Ayondale $.11, Mount Eden 8:31,. ai'riviiig5 Addlclaricl 8.48 a.m. The train no\y t leaving Auckland for Helensville at 6;'j55 a.m. wilkleave at 6.50- km., Newmarket 7.'2, Mount Eden 7.9, Avondale 7.31, arriving Helensville 9.35. The express trains between Auckland and Rotorua will not/ run. A train will run from Auckland to Kotbrua daily at 9.30.a.nu, and from Rotorua to Auckland daily at 7.40 a.m. .A train will run from-Auckland to Te Arohaand Paeroa daily at 9.30 a.m. .' , , - The alleged civilising influence of the Pakeha is fast demolishing the unique customs of the Maori.race. It is all the more to be regretted, therefore, that some record of these customs is, not preserved before it is too late. In Messrs: Macgregor Wright and Co.'s Art .Gallery, Lambton Quayj Wellington, can .be- seen one effort on the. part of an artist, to preserve a peculiar usage in .- connection .".with the dread power of tapu. Heir; G. Lindauer, aniAustrian artist, now living at Wobdyille, > has . painted for Sir Walter Bnller's collection a life-sized picture of this interesting rphasse of .Maori life: ; ilt was the rule that a tohunga, or high priest; after, tquching.a corpse or performing am? other.sacred duty, of. his omce.vwas strictly tapu for several days, and till his puriticaV tion .(by a ceremony called whakanoa) he was unable to touch food with .his hands, and had to be fed by the youriglwomen of the pah. The picture represents an old , mat-clad,, almost blind tohunga,' sqiiatting on the ground in front of an elaboratelycarved wharepunVwhilst a Maori damsel, kneeling before him, feeds him with small potatoes from a flax kona, or food basket. - In order not to infrinsre the tapu,"the girl hands her ancient patient the food initialed on a fern stalk by way of ': fork. A calabash of Wter and a kapu, or drinking funnel, stand near ready for use. The old tohunga was painted from life, and represents Te Aokatoa, the last genuine tohunga of his race. His death took place several years ago. Artistically the picture is excellent. The old chief's face is too'obviously painted for portrait purposes, but the' figure of the girl, whose proportions" are distinctly plump arid pleasing, is aii admirable piece of "work. The' environment and expression of the group has the true Maori'feeling. The picture is well worth studying.—" Wellington Post." • i °

A mishap possessing some.reniarkable features occurred, at some few days ag0..';1..n cpnnecfcion >yith repairs to the Enford hotel, at the corner of Eussell and Little Uourke-street,. a contract 'for plastering had, been sublet to a Mr; \Vin Brbwn. The hiaiiii, part of the work had beeri done,-and ,the' finishing touches would, according to the arrangetnen thiadehavebeen put on; bjr the assistant, who had beeii entrusted with the job, but he being unable to attend,- Mr Brown was obliged to perform it. himself. During the forenoon he mounted a ladder, carrying with him a bucketful of water. The combined weight of the burden and its bearer-Mi- Brown being a man of about 13st—proved' too much for one of the rungs of the ladder to support. It snapped in two, and Mr Brown, then at an elevation of about 40ft, toppled over, crashed through the old galvanised iron verandah 12ft from the ground, struck the top ledge of the bluestone steps, descending into a coal cellar, and rolled to the the.bottom.-"-After this thrilling experience he coolly walked up the steps quite conscious, went, into Little Bourkestreet, arid, accompanied by the landlord of the hotel, Mr P. J. Slatt^ry, was driven to the.'hospital. When a stretcher was brought to'him at the entrance of the institution to convey him to the casualty room, he wished to discard it arid walk, but was not permitted to do so. There was a large bruise on the side where he had come in contact with the ledge; two ribs were broken, and some other injuries Avere observed, but it was impossible to say what was the extent of his injuries. - ■ The effects of indigestion (dyspepsia) are far reaching and serious. Cure yourself by taking Nurse Woodward's Syrup. It never f ails.—(Advt.) .

.The American Consul, Mr Frank Dill ingham, requests us to state for ho beS ol those.who.^lcess correspondent luV ' private residence, that he has 11OW removed A saereil concert in aid of the Auckland Chinese MwfcW* held laSb.ovcSin Wesley --Hall Mr: W. ». Smith oS » the chair. An excellent',irograhii uS •■'> = rendered toa- very appreciate aSeS: " several of the perform^ being S$ ' Ihc•Chairman-spoke.- oivthe suot of sft ' ' Mission, statins that the object waßdeaenS '-\ ing of sympathy. J ~-.-.,. The s.s. Vivid runs a U: excursion to '; Riverhead to-mwrow. : --.l , The Rev. -George Bur-ess, F. R• As' . formerly pastor of the OierUfonl-Vlreet >'■ Clnireh, has, accej-ted."the cl,ar K e of tlfe ■'- 1' maru Conventional Ghurch^nd leavel.! - - AucKlaud'withih tl.e next few v eo ks \h" addit oh to hi, nm'iuirted ability as I, ' pretieher, Mr : Burgess evinced eon,ulei-alji« ' judicial capacity in his position as Chairman of the Coj dilation Board, and his-de-parturc will be regretted by n.any in tI U3 City. „';■'■■ i " ■ '.■' 1 - ,The attention of cyclic and athletes is called; to (he programme oJ ihe Thames ' Cycling CluV, ol i N advertised in £ '' ni S l.tp is^.-The .oeetii.ff takes pkeeW^ t c :l^i.7nvai, track Thames, on WiS ' Btj-Uiday and entries tl:elS- V politan If.otel next Saturday evoiiiu^.. /-" ; . SJome lra.wlers.on the Caha«los%oast (^.W. France) lately -dragged up \vitiv ■ : ■ deep-sea oysters a bottle ,iji which : >'-' they found a card. The cork had \ been damaged % sea water, ami some • writing-, on1 the card .was "feat!y V blurred in dohsequence. A fishermai. brought the card, ta M. Auberi' **& ' " librarian of the ■'National Library .'wiio was visiting- the neighbourhood.; H e tookat .to Paris and showed it to ''-a:: ':: ' German librarian, who read the blur-' red ..writing. It was: 'Wreck 'oi^ie Mbe..-..= My darling fiancee, Mma--[ shall never see you again unless in'an- ■ other world.- J fbeg the person who >V may find this card to semi it ro Mind'---'- ' Frankel, at Buehan Federsee. Wurteiu--• • : berg.'. On the front of the card was ■ V j printed 'Bernard Kamsporge, of the ■ firm of C. Uorher.' stoeknio 'mainvfuetnrers at Weingarten.' The Elbe' was • ' lost in the North Sea in 1895; wUli'3B6: •!•'■''• ! our- of 4fJO passelrigers;: Mina, Fratikel ; ''':'■; and the firm of CGomer- have been ' apprised of this message from the • ' deep. -.■ .-■■;' J .V-:.-yv ■ ■;>■.;; .-' 'i ■;:■■'•■ :-

;; ■s(>■* is the timafqr.blankets •; I,Boo (ii^i of Ehglisli and colonial, at net mill priced D ; S.C.—(Advt.) "'";, ,: r: „-..;:;■;,,.:.

.^.Special..^line-7F.urnishing tapestries froth ls^7|d..;.colpured; phishettes; ->2s'- lltl;>ciei tonne, 3kl;>'rurkey chintz,-.4^d. double-width cretonne 9.jd, at Gomt JBros'; —(Advt.j ",'..•;'■,.. ••>-■"? .'■'■■;■ ■'■'-'• >:•'■ .>.i; : Havine completed the extensive alteriu ? tions to our business premises, and re-fur- ■ nished.with an entirely new stock in ail tie- > partments, we propose opening Avith oai first show on Saturday,' 30th irist.—J. QiU - beftarid Col,; Parnell.-^fAdvt.). ■ '•.-; £'', ? Prepare.for cold weather,—Second shipment .of English and colonial blanketsiroi&- ■ 5s lid to 50s; direct from the niamii'acturers, at Court Bros:.—Advf. * :.:'':":' ;,.'

Lace curtains, chenille toilet: covers^ ; Arctic down, quilts, and tea cose'ys .esne.d« :c ally low price to clear.—D.'S.C.^Advt.)^ Job lines in dress materials, Is'double)^ width, usuallyr-sold at Is Bd. Flannelettei wide width, 2fdand.3fd.—D'.S.C— (Advt.J ■ Smart dress materials : We have vow opened up the bulk of our winter ilress fabric's", aild our stock is'replete with.iatesf novelties.. ;J)onb!9 Widtjc from {(isi Gd per;yd.—SmiLli and Cjiuy'lieyi—AdvL. ; -Juveniles', 'boy*' and men's clotliingf newest styles, smartest rut, best lini.s'u fa good heavy gents' tweed suit, ISs 1 Id; special line,: navy blue diagonal, 21s.' tit" Court Bros'.—Advt. ? ' :