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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3060, 18 April 1881, Page 2

A dangerous lunatic was brought down from Porangahau this morning for exaniina•tion, and remanded until to-morrow morning.

We regret to have t > announce the death of Mrs Kenneth Gollan, which occured at Tarnumu yesterday evening. Mrs Gollan had been in a delicate state of health for som? considerable time, and her death was not altogether unexpected.

We are glad tc learn that the missing children at Danevirk were discovered on Friday evening by one of the search parties. The children had lost themselves in the bush, but how they subsisted from Tuesday till Friday we have not learned.

The Hawke's Bay rifle challenge cup was shot for this, morning at the Tutaekurt range. The weather was calm, and all that could be desired for shooting. There were seventeen enmpci i !!rr<i. Gunner Williams led from the start, and won with a total of 69; Lieutenant Pell was second with 64, and Sergeant Garry third with 64. It was decided that the competitions in future shall take place in the afternoon, commenc'ng at 2 o'clock, instead of in the morning, as hitherto.

The diorama of the American war opens this evening at the Theatre Royal In addition to the diorama, Lieut. Hermann gives a di-play of his powers as a ventroliquist. The press in all parts of the colony is loiid in praise of this diorama, and of the marvellous powers of Lieut. Hermann. Not the least attractive feature of the entertainment is the numerous valuable gifts to be distributed among the audience. To-night a gold and a silver watch, and a number of other valuable articles, are to be given away.

A very strong feeling has been expressed in favour of having athletic sports within the town on the occasion of the anniversary of the Queen's Birthday. We understand that there is every probability of such sports being arianged to take place in Olive Square. Mr Ashton, of the Provincial Hotel, has promised a liberal donation towards prize-money, and also to provide ample sitting accommodation for ladies on the eround. A meeting of those interested in the success of the scheme will be held at the Provincial Hotel on Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock.

On Thursday evening a public tea and meeting were held in Goodwin's Hall, Hastings, it being a farewell meeting to the Rev. J. J. Mather, who has labored in the district for the past year, and who is now proceeding to Auckland. A splendid repast was provided by Mesdames Free* mantle, Bishop, and the Miss Doneys. After justice had been dorm to the numerous good things provided, the room was cleared for the after meeting , , which was presided over by Mr 0. Doney. Addresses were delivered by the Revs. R. S. Bunn, J. J. Mather, and Mr Wm. Price. A number of pianoforte duets were faultlessly rendered by the Miss Percys and Kelleys. Several solos and duets were sung by Miss Kelley and Miss Percy, and were highly appreciated. Altogether the meeting was a decided success, and was presided over in a manner which was pleasing to all. The Rev. J. J. Mather is succeeded by the Rev. F. 0. Dewsbury, of Palmerston, who will commence his ministry early in May.

A Picton bailiff and a creditor made an unexpected capture on the Spit on Saturday. The two were passengers by the HingaroDina, and on their way to Auckland iri search of a couple of young men " who were wanted." The officials fully expected to have to go on to Sydney, as their quarry had had a good start. As the Kingarooma waited some h jurs, they landed to look at the town. At the wharf they met Constable Siddles, and after the compliments ot the season had been exchanged, the visiters mentioned the object of their journey. The local man had no information to afford, but recommended the Crown Hotel as a place where an excellent dinner was always provided. They accordingly dined there. At the table, to their great astonishment, the very mea they were looking , for were enjoying their mid-day meal in the utmost confidence of immunity from any immediate danger. After dinner the two official strangers invited the unwary " wanteds" into the side parlor, ostensibly for a "little something short." It was shorter than they expected The absconders had not been a minute in the room before they discovered they were in the hands of the emissaries of justice. That afternoon they were all four passengers on board of the Go-Ahead for Wellington.

The Wellington Supreme Court is worse than the one in Napier, and that is saying a good deal. Says the Wellington Post: — " Another instance of the exceedingly faulty acoustic properties of the new Supreme Court Chamber occurred this morning. An old and rather deaf prisoner, named M'Larney, •was indicted for f-rging and uttering, and was understood to plead guilty. Interrogated 3a to whether he had anything to say why the sentence of the Court should not be passed upon him, he stated that he was not guilty. This assertion, of course, conflicted with his previous plea, and the prisoner was asked why he had pleaded guilty if he were innocent of tho charire. M'Larney stoutly protested that he had not pleaded guilty, and after a good deal of bawling had been carried on between his Honor, the prisoner, and the gaoler, M'Larney said —I don't want to give the Court any trouble. I may as well plead guilty. I thought your Honor ashed me to plead guilty, and, as you asked me to so, I did so. I plead not guilty. The first witness was then called and examined. The evidence, however, had not proceeded fai when it occurred to his Honor that the prisoner did not understand what was going on. M'Larney freely confessed he could not heai a word. The witness was thereupon placed alongside the prisoner, and it must be admitted that this arrangement proved to be to the advantage of the prisoner, the bar, the reporters, and all parties concerned."

The heroes of the war on. the side of the Natives, and indeed on our own, are now fast passing , away. The correspondent of the New Zealand Herald at Alexandra sends us an intimation of the death of Wiremu Toetoe, who fi-st made himself famous by accompanying Dr. Hochstetter to Burope. When he was asked at Vienna what he would have as a gift to take back with him to New Zealand, he replied that he wonld prefer a complete printing plant. That he obtained, and afterwards it was used to print 1110 Hokioi, the Kingite newspaper. It was thought when Toetoo returned from Europe that (it being the very crsis of the war) he would be the means of persuading his countrymen to remain peaceable. It was thought his mind would be so effected with the strength and resources of England that he would see at once how futile was any attempt to cope with them, and that his influence wouldbe exerted to keep his countrymen from taking up arms. Toetoe, however, was not able to fctem the tide, if he over tried very hard, nnd as it is with Maorios, as with Highlandlers—that blood is thicker than W ater Toetoe cast in his lot with his people. He was never, so far as we have heard, accused of having anything to do with any of the murders before or after the war. Protably he never entertained any hope that the Maoris would win.

The JewSj who have been absolutely " Boycotted" out of Germany, are going over to Kngland, and taking their wealth with them.

It will astonish a good many people *° learn (says a contemporary) that Milton died a Soman Catholic, ye* documents recently come to light showß that to be the case.

The following from a Melbourne paper will be new to most of our readers:— " Whilst coaching in New Zealand, the Australian Eleven had a narrow escape of being hurled over a precipice of 150 ft. Boyle seized the leaders and turned their heads just in time to escape."

The greatest prizes of English clerical life, from a pecuniary point of view, are the head masterships of the great public schools. Those of Eton and Harrow are worth from £5000 to £7000 a year, and those of Westminster, Winchester, Rugby, Charter House, and Merchant Tailors are worth from £2400 to £4000 a year, including the spacious abodes attached to them. The heads of college at Oxford and Cambridge do not, for the most part, receive nearly so much.

The Emperor of Russia, says a telegram in the Melbourne Argus, was shockingly mangled. One leg was torn from the body and ho received other severe injuries. A number of the guards, officers, and police who surrounded the carriage were killed and several others were wounded. The Grand Duke Michaal was amongst the wounded. The shock caused by the explosion was so great that the windows of houses situated at a great distance from the scene were shattered.

Count Bella vitis, the eminent mathmatical professor of the University of Padua, who died recently, gravely prepared some time before his death a letter to a friend at Home informing him that the writer had just died. Bellavitis left a space in this strange epistle for the date to be inserted, and had instructions preparedfor his exeouters that when he died the day was to be filled in and the letter sent to its destination. The instruction were faithfully obeyed, and the grim joke was completed, and the first intimati nthe Roman friend had of the death of Count Bellavitis was the receipt of a letter from him stating the fact.

Apropos of the great snowstorm in England, the London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus says:—lt was bad enough for playgoers, but they had at worst to stop at home. The poor players had to get to their theatres somehow, and home again. Miss Kare Santley, I read, being unable on that first (and worst) Tuesday to get either cab or carriage to take her to Drury-lane, hailed the driver of a Pickford van, and by blandishments and largess prevailed upon him to deliver her at her destination, as heavy goods." This is rather cruel upon the charming Kate, and if the story reaches her ears she will have something to say to Mr James Payn, who is in some degree responsible for it.

They are, I hear (writes iEgles), some* thing given to over-insurance in New Zealand. An agent the other day was negotiating with a cottager for an insurance against fire on his household goods. The proponent wanted what the other considered too much insurance on his belongings, considering the modest dimensions of the dwelling which contained them. Upon this being hinted to him he explained that he had "a fine natural history collection, accumulated during the last 10 years, and for which he wouldn't take £100." Inquiries amongat the neighbors resulted in the agent ascertaining that it was ten years since the proposer married, and that the only natural history collection on the premisee was a wife with six fine children.

Sawdust for Propagating Plants.—l have never found any material that produoes roots so quickly, snrely, numerously, in all plants that I have tried in it, as sawdust frewh from the foresters' .saw-mills, and it does its work perfectly for twelve months without being renewed. Pitcher plants, including such varieties as lanata and sanguinea, strike freely in Bawdust, and scarcely a cutting of any plant fails in it. I never saw plants make such enormous numbers of rootlets in any other material. I once potted a pine apple in it, and in a very short time the whole dust was so permeated with roots that when they were washed clean they resembled a wig of roots more cban anything else. A camellia was tried in it with the saiue result. These facts may be of service to many who are able easily to obtain sawdust who cannot bo easily procure silver sand or cocoanut fibre refuse. The sawdust used here is from spruce, larch, and oak, all mixed together and laid about four inches thick over a heated chamber.— D. Thomson, Drumlanrig, in Journal of Horticulture.

As many persons here run away with the idea that the Land League and the Fenians are closely allied, Mr Labouchere's observations in this connection may be instructive and interesting. This is what he saye on the subject:—" It is somewhat strange that the Government refuses to understand the position between the Fenians and the Land League. Before the existence of the latter body, the Fenians in. America used to draw large sums of money from Ireland. Fenianism, however, and the American subscriptions to it, have been killed by the Land League, to which all subscriptions are now sent. Its bitterest opponents are therefore the Fenians. In order to injure it they hooked themselves on to it, and committed outrage. The difference between the two organisations is this: the Fenians seek to establish, by overt acts of rebellion, an Irish Republic ; the Land League seek to obtain a revision of the land laws and local Government, and if suppressed the danger is the Fenians will again come to the front, fer they will be able to say that events have proved that passive resistance has had no effect."

The following , quotation from the annual report of the Nelson Jam and Fruit Preserving Company should open the eyes of our fruit-growers :—" As showing the necessity for such an industry, the following figures are quoted from tha returns, published by the New Zealand Government, of the imports and exports of the colony for the year 1879; For bottled and preserved fruits, £3605; jams and jellies, £49,490 ; dried fruits. £67,445—making a total of £129,297. Of course something like £10,000 maybe deducted from this amount for tropical fruits, leaving the enormous Bum of £119,297 for fruits and jams, which could be easily produced in the Colony if the people were determined to take up this very important branch of trade with energy, and a will to overcome all obstacles. Of this sum of £119,297, the following amounts •were sent to the neighbouring Colonies:— To New South Wales, £27,118 ; to Victoria £16,338"; to Tasmania, £68,535 ; the balance to England. America, South Sea Islands, etc. Thus our sister Colonies were enriched annually by the sum of £106,901 (taking the imports of 1879 as an average), of which £100,000 at least could be saved to New Zealand."

Among the sporting fraternity who went over to Launceston last month to attend the races there was " the Leviathan." Settling on the meeting over, he chartered a special train for the Sunday to take to the capital those who wanted to join the steamer leaving there next day for Melbourne. Great, then, was the consternation, in sporting circles in Hobart when it became known that Messrs Joseph Thompson and Louis Bernard bad been arrested. It appears (says the Hobart Mercury) that while journeying to Hobart they began card playing, and were so engaged when the train stopped at the Jerusalem station. Sub-Inspector Anderson saw them, and immediately took them into custody and lodged them in the Jerusalem watchhouse, where they were able to cogitate over this rather ununual proceeding. When apprehended they gave as an excuse for their Sunday gambling that they belonged to the Hebrew persuasion, do doubt thinking it " hard lines " that a Jew could not pl«y a friendly game of cards in Jerusalem. Next day they were each sentenced to an hour's imprisonment.

A tumorous contributor to the Christchuroh Star remarks :—" If I # were compelled to choose between becoming an editor or a bailiff or suffering summary annihilation, I think I should go in for the sudden death clause. lam told that the average editor has more enemies than any other professional man on the face of the earth, to say, the more talented he is, thV*more hia enemies adverti&e him and bring him iiito prominence. There surely must be something in a man who is well abused. I am further assured that a journalist can never hope to attain to positive eminence unless he carries about with him a fist as big as a shoulder of mutton. He must be proficient in the art, and prepared at all times to defend his honour and his node both with hie fist and his quill. Tlnre doesn't seem to be much of the poetry of life about all this, and fate is hard upon the man consigned to editorial doom. Don't be editors, dear boys ; life is too short. About those bailiffs I haven't much to say. You may see one or two of them every day about the Eesident Magistrate's Court, with an eye in a sling, and presenting as battered an appearance as though they had just come off a battle-field. However, of the two I should prefer to be a bailiff; but my tip is for the death racket."

The diorama of the American war at the Theatre Royal to-night. Tenders for metalling a portion of Omahu road to be sent in by to-morrow at noon. Tenders for the -purchase of Borough swamp sections to be sent in by to-morrow at noon. A epecial meeting in the estate of Mr P/W. 0. Sturm i 3 convened for Thursday next, at 2 p.m., at the Supreme Court House. Messrs Banner and Liddle sell on Wednesday at noon oranges and other fruit. Licenses for the coming shooting season can be obtained from Sergeant Mahon, Napier. Additions to our " Wanted " column will he found.