FORTY-FOUR YEARS AGO TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 15477, 27 April 1914, Page 5

FORTY-FOUR YEARS AGO TO-DAY

At a meeting of the City Council a re-».-«t was received from Mr W. N. Blair, C-E-, as to the present value o£ the Dun-e-din gaswixkay and in accordance therewith the Gas Committee recommended that "an offe*- be made to Messrs Driver, Maclean, apd C0.,.0n the part of the coun- * ™* ci!, to purchase th«n at a sum of £20,000." —From the •Evening Star,' April 27, 1870. • * * * * * * The cotonial prize was opened to-day at Ludsay's farm, North-«a*fc Yallev, under the euperintendence of Colonel Harrington, assisted by Major Atkinana (staff). The weather was all that could be desired for shooting, albeit was a little- cold, and the absence of 6un was much in favor of the marksmen. The men were mustered at the Oct3goa at 8.30, and conveyed to the rendeavous by coach, proceedings commencing -it 10.20. The first contest was the- sighting match, at ranges of 140, 280, 470, 3.40, and 345 yards. Four men tied •tiiL 18 points * each—viz., Sergeant Hazard iThames), P.O. Grant {Bunedin Navals), Sergeant Cameron (Canterbury), and Sergeant Wilson (No. 2 Company, Dunedin Scottish). On going over the scores at the 345 range it was found that Hazard had obtained a centre against Wilson's and Cameron's outers. Hazard tkus se«ii3»d. the first prize of £9. In shooting off at an unknown distance (430 yds) Wilson gained a centre, thus taking second prize (£8), while Cameron,- who failed to find the target, had to be content ■ with third prize (£7)! —Ibid. ******* A Mr W. J. Cotching, of London, wrote out to a friend in laranaki that he was willing to come out and establish ironworks at New Plymouth "if sufficient inducement offers," the necessary funds having been promised to him by a great ironmaster and M.P. Ke intimated that he hid smelted 103 tons of the ironsand, his process of smelting baring been pronounced " perfectly successful *' by Professor Abel and others.—lbid.