WHAKATAHE ITEMS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1696, 10 June 1884, Page 2

WHAKATAHE ITEMS.

[from our own correspondent. J There appears to bo a regular raid on Whakatane of visitors, staying or passing through. On. Sunday last Messrs Langston and Clair arrived from Cambridge, whence they had driven, finding 1 comparatively little difficulty on the rood. On Monday they, acoompanied by Major Swindley, paid a visit to the Oporiau Station. They were highly pleased with the appearanoe of the country. On Sunday Mr Bates, of OpotiM Herald fame, arrived on his way to Auckland, where he is desirous of getting support for the paper. We wish him success. Messrs H. King 1 and C. D. Litchfield have been here in connection with the obtaining of some natives' signatures on account of Major Swindley. The Staffa arrived this afternoon (4th) with cargo and passengers en route for Opotiki, and left again the same tide. Whakatane must be nourishing. I understand Mr Carlor, so lung and favourably known at Matata, is coming here to commence business as a butcher, combining with it the baking business. Between the two I daresay he will make a good thing 1 of it ; at any rate, the inhabitants will reap a benefit, as we are to get our meat at least a penny per pound cheaper. The eldest son of Mr Francis, the " village blacksmith," was very nearly getting a practical experience of a "life on the ocean wave "on Saturday last. It appears that he was out in a boat fishing, when he found, on trying to return home, that he was unable to pull against the current, and was fast drifting out to sea. Fortunately, his father missed him, and immediately followed in another boat, luckily overtaking him just at the heads. Had he been much longer he would have had some difficulty in rescuing him. Moral for boys, "beware of the currents." Mr Goodson, who came here to convert pigs into bacon, has added another business to that, namely, a fancy goods and generally useful repository. Rather a curious combination, gold, earrings and bacon, &c. The usual monthly meeting of the Whakatane Highway Board . was held this afternoon (4th) at the Whakatane Hotel. Present — Messrs Gr. Simpkins, jun. (in the chair), Simpkins, sen., Brown, and Major Swindley. Major Swindle}', the newly elected member, gave notice that ho would propose at the next meeting that the Dog Act be brought into operation within the Whakataue Riding. Mr Brown gave notice that he would at the next meeting propose that a rate of id in the £ be struck on the rateable value of property within the Riding of Whakatane. Tliis was all the business. The valedictory to Mr Mannering, on the night of the 4th, was one to be remembered. Mr Bluett has just returned from a shooting expedition, the end of which was rather disastrous, and might have boon much worse. It appears that coming along the beach he fired a shot, when, to his uttor surprise, the gun (a bouble -barreled breechloader) burst at about the centre of the barrels. The force of the explosion knocked him insensible, and he remained so, to the best of his knowledge, for fully half-an-hour, Fortunately for him the horse he was leading must have been particularly quiet, for on coining 1 to himself , lie found the bridle reins round his logs, and the horse quietly waiting for his recovery. He picked up the remains of the deceptive instrument, with the exception of the butt end of the stock, which, he failed to find, and disconsolately carried it to Whakatane, where it is now on viow, and giving rise to all sorts of surmises, as to the why, the how, or the wherefore, of the fracture ; but up to the present they have failed to explain the reason therefor — and no bird, Mr Mannering, of the Oporiau Station, leaves here to-morrow for a trip to the old country. He expects to return in about six months. Mr D. McGarvey received a consignment of American corn shellers by the Staffa today — some twelve in number ; but I am afraid that a much less number will suffice for this season's crop — unfortunately for Whakatane.

Remembetuog the Gist of it. — •' Well my child," said a father to his little daughter, after she had been to church, "What do you remember of all the preacher said ?" " Nono»thiug," was the timid]reply. " Nothing !" he exclaimed in a severe tone. " Now, remember, the next time you must tell me something of what he says, or you will have to be punished." Next Sunday the child came home with her eyes all wild with excitement. "I remember something to-day, papa," she cried eagerly. "lam glad you do, Nellie," said her father. "What did he say ?" "He said : "A collection will now be made !' " 1