THE CO-OPEBATIVE SYSTEM.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10704, 10 July 1900, Page 5

THE CO-OPEBATIVE SYSTEM.

A return of the men on co-operative works for June shows 3195, of whom 552 are on the Northern Trunk line. STRIKE OF FIREMEN. A Wellington telegram states that the firemen on the Paparoa struck work yesterday evening, owing to some dispute over food supplied. Fourteen of them were arrested and lodged iv the lock-up. MAKING UP~HIS RENT. In a Taranaki Court the other day a tollgate keeper said tliat he sometimes did not earn enough to pay the monthly rent for the gate, and to make up the balance he had sometimes to break stoves.He added that he did better in the summer than winter months. FROM A BOERFARMHOUSE. By the African mail, which reached the colony this week, a Balclutha young lady received from a member of the First Contingent a Dutch psalm book, picked up in a Boer farmhouse. The book i_ beautifully bound, and, judging from the inscription, has evidently been a gift from a Boer lover to his, inamorata. THE NEW SAN FRANCISCO STEAMERS. The steamer Sierra, the first of the new San Francisco mail steamers, war, launched from Cramp's yard, Philadelphia, on May 29th. The christening ceremony was performed by Miss Hayward, daughter of Captain Hayward, who formerly co_imand;d the Mariposa, and wlio is to have charge of the Sierra. It is expected that the Sierra will take up the trip of.the Mariposa in September next, and the latter vessel will after overhaul be put in the Tahiti trade, it being the intention of Mr.Spreckels to run two steamers between San "Francisco and Papeete.

SURVEYING IN THE EARLY DAYS. At the recent presentation in Wellington to Mr S. Percy Smith (Surveyor-General), Mr Hursthouse spoke about Mr Smith's long care3r and sterling character. H« career began away back somewhere in the curly fifties, in Taranaki, when surveyors, by reason of the hostility of the natives, carried their lives in their hands. Regardless of possible dangers or certain hardships, he went" where his work demanded his presence, "and," said j_r Hursthouse, "I have known him often tramp ten miles to his work, with a heavy instrument on his back, do a full day's work, ar.d tramp back again, making nothing of the twenty miles." A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ON OUR ROUGH-RIDERS. A special correspondent of the London "Standard" was with General Brabant's force when it relieved the besieged garrison irt Wepener. In this expedition, it will be remembered, our Third Contingent Rough-' Riders took part. The correspondent thus speaks of them: —"Tha New Zealand RoughRkfc<rs dpserve some special description. They are a fine body of men, expert riders and marksmen, raised in the beginning of the year. Their horses and equipment were provided by public subscription aud donations jfrom every province of New Zealand. Their -uniform, which is of splendid quality, is made from New Zealand cloth. Their horses are the best the country can produce, some being animals of great value, given by wealthy New Zealanders. They are strong, medium-sized, clean in the legs, and in good condition, and trained to gallop, over the roughest country. Among the men there are several Maoris, all of them grand fellows/ Further on. in describing the battk* of Bushman's Kop, he says:—"Firing at once b2eamo general, and the Boers" poured in a fierce and heavy fusillade of Mauser rifle fire, sweeping the whole front lined by the New Zealanders. These men. however, had taken cover splendidly, and. although the bullets whistled over"their heads, no one j was hit." FATAL ACCIDENT TO AN AERONAUT. A fatal accident occurred at Capetown on June sth, by which another aeronaut named Professor Michaels lost his life by drowning, while making a descent from a parachute. Michael, had previously made several balloon ascents of a daring nature in Capetown and its vicinity, and on two occasions sustained serious injuries. When he made the ascent which ended so disastrously he had just come out of the hospital, where he had been confined some weeks as the result of an accident sustained in. a parachute descent. When tho balloon shot up from tLe Good H«|*e Gardens it caught a strong, air current at a considerable altitude, and drifted rapidly towards the mountain-. The professor was seen to open his parachute, tentatively. it seemed, and then to close it again. A few minutes later he commenced his fatal descent with the evident intention of alighting in the park, but the wind appeared to cam- him directly over the reservoir. The unfortunate man realised his dangerous position, as he was distinctly heard to call for help. The parrrchnte landed with him almost in the middle of the reservoir, and as his hands were tied, be w;is unable to swim. Attempts were made to rescue the professor, but before anyone could get near him the parachute went under, dragging the unfortunate man with it. When the body was recovered the ropes of the parachute were tied to the dead man's wrists, and his Ie;?s were entangled in the various paraphernalfa. It was a sombre scene to see the large crowd .- ranged round the railings of the reservoir ', end the firemen dragging for the poor fel- | low's remains, while his wife aTid child, : weeping piteousiy, were onlookers.