Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3993, 25 July 1913, Page 4

Local and General.

Before the barquentine Lindstol, which arrived on Wednesday from Newcastle, was berthed yesterday, Dr. Williams vaccinated the crew, as the vessel comes from an infected port. Theatre-goers are reminded that the box plan for.the Hamilton-Plim-mer Comedy Company’s Gisborne season opens at 10 o’clock this morning at Miller’s Corner. Up to noon yesterday, the borough banking scheme instituted *by the Mayor (Mr J. R. Kirk) had reached the respectable dimensions of £lO,939. ff The work of installing tlie drainage at the Cook County College for Girls has been proceeded with during tlie past week and the college will be ready to re-open on Thursdav, the 29th. Recently, andi at present (says the Hampden correspondent of the “Oamaru Mail”), there have been mid are several gold prospectors on the Hampden beach testing and working machinery, new and old, and, judging by the vigorous way they work, are evidently being well rewarded. One of these persons, a well-known figure on Dunedin wharf, was testing'a new invention of his, which did good work, and promises to minimise labor, etc., in alluvial gold-mining in the near future.

11l conversation ; with a “Daily Times” reporter in Dunedin Mr Hylands, chief engineer of the steamer Havre, spoke very highly in praise of his Chinese assistants, and in proof of their regard for the'machinery ivhich they assist to 'keep in a high state of working efficiency, he stated -that on several occasions when the steamer was being badly buffeted bv the heavy seas his men had burned incense among the machinery to appease the wrath of evil spirits. “Tlmy would not smoke on this ship for £IOO while the hatches are ot>en,” he subsequently remarked, and .he also stated that he never had any occasion to remind them of the dangers to be apprehended from benzine cargoes, of which they were always most carefulAs the" men were extremely sensitive to rebuke from their senior officers, the latter had to he very certain of thenfacts before taking them to task for anything, • but when convinced of the' justness of the complaint they'submitted with their customary Oriental stoicism.

’ It'Vsta'teTthat 'tW''fea r rik''of New 7 Zealand has decided to bring into force a regulation by which any of its servants, who have reached the age of 60 years shall be retired. It is understood that this will mean the retirement of some 14 managers at different branches throughout the Dominion.

Farmers throughout the Hastings district are still complaining bitterly of the havoc wrought among young crops by that arch robber the rook, commonly, and incorrectly known as the crow. One farmer states that these birds have almost ruined a crop of barley at Ngatarawa valued at .£2OO.

Recently is was reported that one of the six try-pots brought to New Zealand in the early whaling days had been discovered near Akaroa, making the fourth located. It is stated, on the authority of a wellknown settler, that another of these try-pots lies embedded in the sand at Moeangiangi. If that is so, an effort ought to be made to recover this historic link with the past.

The harmony portion of the meeting at the Temperance Asociation last evening was devoted: to the reading and discussion of newspaper clippings. An imposing array of subjects was presented iand vigorously debated, the folowing participating: —Sisters Coleman Mcßeath, Morrison; Bros. Jones, Coleman, Hatten, Hastie, Kearns, Mead, Anderson, Brown, Lindsay and Hopkmson.

Mr IV. R. Lloyd Williams, Government orchardist, gave a demonstration and address to a number of people at Mr Fromm’s'Kaiti, yesterday, some 30 school children, under Mr Bull, also being present. This afternoon Mr Williams will visit the Makauri School. On Saturday he visits Mr T. Haisman’s property, at the corner of Ormond road and Wi Pere Street; on Tuesday he will be at \\ aimata, at Sir MacDonald’s, and on Thursday next Sir O. Sandlant s orchard. Te Kanaka, will be the scene of operations.

The veteran bowler, Sir J. SV. Witty, was in a reminiscent mood when returning thanks for his election as a life member of the Gisborne Bowling Club at the annual meeting last evening. When the Club was founded, ho said, it took them their time to get a four. They had to act as their own caretakers and groundsmen. At that time he acted as wharfinger, and had an average of one boat a week to attend to, so consequently had more time to devote to the good old game. He recalled the founders of the Club, many of them now dead and gone, and related amusing and interesting anecdotes ot the birth of the game in Gisborne.

Mr Atkins, of Wellington, the architect for the new Hospital, is at present in Gisborne, and has been conferring this week with the members of the Hospital Board. Jhe architect is of opinion that the contractors will have the new building completed bv the end of November, well within the contract time It is possible that the Board will mstal a small plant and supply their own electricity at the new Hospital, lhe question oT" providing a smallei residence for the medical superintendent than the ten-roomed residence stipulated in the plans is also being considered.

Bv on arrangement with the Blenheim Borough Council, Mr. Jolm Sturrock, late of Napier, has cancelled ms three years’ engagement with the Council in consideration of the receipt of £607. The agreement had about two years to run, and the cancellation was the outcome of Blenheim’s original loan proposals' being upset on a technicality and the ratepayers refusing t-o again sanction the borrowing of the amount. £70,000. One of Mr. Sturrock’s assistants got compensation equal to six months’ salary and another to three months’. It is Mr. Sturrock’s intention to eitlier enter on a private enterprise or, failing a suitable opening, to return to Scotland.

It is, at times, a difficult matter to trace cases of boys who have failed to register for military service, but occasionally they are found out quite by accident. A case in point is that of a Christchurch hoy who had made- application for a position as a telegraph messenger. He was given a form by the Superintendent of the Telegraph Office, to be taken to the Defence Office, where particulars of his miltary service were to he filled in. The officer in charge found that the boy had left school some seven or eight months, and sent him to the headmaster, who stated that the boy had served in the school cadet corps. It was then found out that he was over 15 years of age, and had therefore gone over a year without having registered for military service

Further evidence that Ward Island, in Wellington harbor, was occupied bv Maoris as a fortification in days gone by was discovered by a party of yachtsmen who visited the island a few days ago. On the slopes of the island facing Muritai the remains of what are apparently two Maori forts were discovered. These are terraced in five tiers, one being in the middle of the island and the other at the south end. Stones, which had been used in the formation of Maori ovens, and a perfect specimen of a Maori axe were also unearthed. The axe was smooth, and had an extremely keen edge. A number of shells of shellfish were also found near the oven stones. The island is known to the Maoris as “Alakaro,” meaning, it is said, “dimly visible.” In ancient days it was probably occupied by the Ngatiira, Ngai-talhi, Ngati-mamoe, ail’d other tribes, who were driven away by invaders from the North and took refuge the Marlborough Sounds. The invaders, the Ngati-kahungunu, were eventually driven off by Te Rauparaha’s tribe from Ivapiti, and went to the Wairarapa. Ward Island is very inaccessible, making it suitable for a fortress, being easy to defend, and no doubt the Maoris were seized of its strategic value.

Rather a good story was related by Mr J. W. Witty at the annual meeting of the Gisborne Bowling Club last night. Speaking of the early days of the Club, he stated that they had as a member at that time a handsome young fellow, who was a general favorite. A certain wealthy squatter, accompanied by his daughter, came over on a visit to Gisborne. Their handsome member and the heiress became acquainted and .a pretty little romance ensued. When the squatter got to hear of it, he wanted to know the young man’s prospects. When he was informed that his total income was somewhere in the region of £l5O a year the cruel parent broke off tne engagement, sternly ordered the return of the presents which had been exchanged between the young pair, and hurried his daughter back to Australia. The solitary memento the young man kept was a photograph of liis lost love. Shortly afterwards _the precious treasure was destroyed in a fire. The young man, in tear and trembling, wrote to the lady of his heart asking her if it was possible to get another photograph, and asking her if the negative was still in existence. In due course, he received this reply; “The negative is not in existence ; hut the original is here; come and take her.”

"War to the knife” describes exactly the feeling in the Balkan State 9 at the present time. Great slaughtering is also going on in onr very midst^—even in this quiet town of Gisborne—and Melbourne Cash are responsible for it. The way they have been and still are cutting-down prices has been something shocking; but on the other hand those shopping there are having a good time.*

:*!.- were Tarfisans laPl borers employed by , tho d^™May on co-operative works during May last On railway works 2142 were en caged, on roads 2472, and on public buildings 340.

Tli© great historical drama, “Queen Bes«,” in which Mine. Sarah Bernhardt, takes the leading role, 9 ill he shown for the lash time to-night by Path© Pictures at His Majesty s Iheatre. '