Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Evening Post, Volume XVI, Issue 79, 16 March 1878, Page 2

bell-topper. He sa^ed it by a point. During the evening a well-known local marker played a series of games with " Nathan," well known in Masterton, and they were made the subject of a good deal of betting. The local player won every game, securing nearly £40 for his backers. Mr. Coleridg-e, C.E., to-day made another, and it is to be hoped final, attempt to blow up the Eli Whitney. The effect of" the explosion was very marked, a great quantity of debris coming to the surface. It is a very disagreeable thing to buy a nice horse, pay a good price for him, keep him for two years, become attached to him, and then to find that he had been stolen by the seller, and consequently had to be given up to the rightful owner. This unpleasant experience has just been undergone by an acquaintance of ours, who is now bemoaning the lo<s of what he vainly supposed to be " his own, his Arab steed." But what hurts him more than all is that the man who sold him the horse, and who apparently must have acquired it gratuitously (to put it mildly), is dead, and beyond the reach of his vengeance, or else " wouldn't I just have taken it out of the beggar's hide!" And we really believe he would. At a meeting of natives at Gisborne, Poverty Bay, Mr. Rees, M.H.R., speaking as the solicitor to the Repudiation Society, strongly advised the Maoris who bad grounds of action against Europeans to come to some compromise in all cases where possible. Mr. Rees gave as his reason for this that the expenses of legal proceedings were so heavy. And yet Mr. Rees is a lawyer ! There is still some spirit of self sacrifice left in this world — aye, even in the legal profession. The Count de Zaba this morning gave a second lecture on his system of mnemonics at the Marist Brothers' schools, Boulcott-street. So evident is the superiority of his method of tuition that the Brothers have resolved to adopt the system. Messrs. Seager & Co. have accepted the tender of Mr. Yeoman, of the Albert Works, Auckland, for the construction of a new iron steamer, which, as we mentioned some time ago, they contemplated building for the Foxton trade. Sh9 is to be of 110 tons register, and 35 horse-power nominal ; will berth 40 cabin passengers, and carry 100 tons of cargo. She is to be ready for sea in November next. Another " old colonist " has passed to his long home. His name was Jim. He was a dog. Nevertheless he was a colonist of 32 years standing, having come out to Wellington in the troop-ship Java some 32 years ago. He belonged to Mr. N. Valentine, of the Hutt, and was universally popular, indeed had become quite one of the local institutions. We regret to add that Jim's end was not wholly peaceful, his death, which occurred a day or two back, being occasioned by a severe bite in the throat which he received from another old canine colonist. It is sad to find these early settlers at logger-heads. We notice that the lately formed Fishing Company are advertising their first sale of cured moki and other fish as to take place on the breastwork at noon on Monday. The Hon. E. W. Stafford, who is leaving for Europe, a few days since had a sale of cattle and sheep at his estate (Landsdowne, Canterbury), when there was a very large attendance, and good prices were realised. The horses fetched from 17 to 150 guineas; the cattle from £6 12s 8d to £9 10s; the stud sheep (190), from 15s to £5 103 each; the general flock (4000 Romney Marsh breed) from 7s 9d to 11s each. Mr. Tom Margetts will on Monday evening take a benefit at the Princess Theatre, Tory-street. The list of performers is a strong one, including Miss Aunie Beaumont, Mr. W. Richmond, Mr. Hill, Miss Ponsonby, Mr. Margetts, and others, several of them wellknown to Wellington audiences. As a novelty, there will b9 " A singing Bee," in which amateurs will compete for two silver cups for sentimental and comic songs. These intending to compete must previously enter their names at Mr. Margett's cigar divan, Willis-street. Mr. Tom Margetts being a general favorite with the Theatre-going community, we have no doubt but that the Princess Theatre will be crowded on the occasion of his benefit. The members of the Choral Society held their first rehearsal in their new practice room, the late Provincial Hall, last evening, when there was a large muster of performers, between sixty and seventy being present, and a most successful practice took place. Five choruses from Haydn's " Creation," one from Costa's " Dream," and Beethoven's magnificent "Hallelujah" from "The Mount of Olives," were rehearsed with very satisfactory effect, the last named being tak^n for the first time in Wellington. The regular monthly meeting of the Wellington Lodge, No. 1521, E.C., will be held at the Masonic Hall this evening. The Rev. Robert Fraser will preach tomorrow in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in the morning, and in St. John's in the evening. The Petoni land advertised for sale at auction by A. A. Barnett for the 26th instant, will be pointed out by the owner, on the ground, every day until the date of sale. This attention will save the time of many of the intending purchasers, and they can at once be directed to the respective allotments. An offer has been made by a gentleman in Featherston to advance the sura of £2,000 to the Borough of Masterton at seven per cent, interest. This is what the Register says about a railway carriage : — "The railway authorities appear to think that any pigstye is good enough for the conveyance of Wairarapa passengers. At any rate, such is the impression which the first-class carriage that does duty from Kaitoki downwards gives one. It is simply filthy, and looks as if passengers' clothes would stick to the seats. The Wairarapa Register says :— " The district is nearly drained of every description of cattle, about all the store cattle being bought up for the Patea district. A firm of Wellington butchers, Messrs. Barber, recently took several large mobs to the West Coast, and immediately after the Tauherenikau racas Mr. J. Stevens took away a mob valued here at £1500; while Mr. Stewart is just now collecting another mob to go in the same direction. Cannot our local breeders fatten this description of stock for the Wellington market ? At present they supply a large number of stores, which go to Patea to be fattened up, only to be ultimately sent to the same market. The effort should pay well. Tooti Nairoa, a native, was yescerday committed for trial at Bull's, on a charge of stealing a horse from another Maori. As a horso and light cart was standing outside the shop of Mr. Cooper, of Manners-street, this morning, the wheel of a dray caught the off-wheel of the cart and frightened the horse. The driver rushed to its head in a second, but the animal kicked and plunged so violently that the cart was upset and the contents scattered over the road. Charles Hickay, baker, has filed a declaration ot insolvency. We remind our readers that members of the Reform Association will be in attendance at the Arcade this evening, to fill up registration forms for persons eutitled to exercise the electoral franchise. As the latest date for the receipt of claims is close at hand, we hope to see the present opportunity largely availed of. The Standard says that the Lake near Featherston is again rising, and that unless steps are taken to relieve it, thousands of acres of land will be again flooded. Civilisation, says the Auckland Evening Star, is making rapid strides amongst the Maoris. In Napier some of the "swell" chiefs keep private carriages; on the West Coast they have set up a grand piano, upon which a Maori musician plays dance music and operatic selections ; another Maori up North has married a European woman, and writes on social questions to the newspapers; King Tawhaio and his secretary have lately obtained the privilege of franking telegrams ; and up at Qhinerauri the Maoris have got a telephone. But is has beeu reserved for Maiko Pakeha, a chief of the Waikouaiti district, to take a far higher flight, even to the extent of emulating the greatest achievements of his European neighbors. Maiko has shown his high appreciation of our free British institutions by going into the Bankruptcy Court. His liabilities are £200, and his assets £25; what more need be said? Is not this a free country 1 The London correspondent of the Western Morning News writes : — " One of the most interesting autographs I have ever heard of — one that would be worth its weight in bank notes— belonged to the late Emperor Napoleon, and most deeply concerned this country. It was a letter from Nana Sahib to the Emperor offering to make him master of India if be would declare war against Eugland. This letter Napoleon kept as a curiosity among his papers at the Tuilleries, and I presume it was destroyed by the Communists. But what a lesson it should be for the panicmongers. At that date Napoleon was the bete noire of ttie alarmists, Just as Alexander is' now.' Tempted to make war upon* its at a time of our sore distress, he answered the tempter by allowing our troops a free passage through France on their way to Jndia. The Melbourne correspondent of some of the Victorian provincial papers remarks : — Should, {he present negotiations for peape between the nations whp protest so much, yet continue to prepare acljvely for war, fail by any unexpected disturbing cau-e being introduced, jt may be worth wh.ile to recollect that pur banks contained, on the Ist of January last past,