LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 55, 18 October 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr Boolh's report on the natives in his district was of a very satisfactory nature. A correspondent writeq that Mr Allan Mclnm has been offered by MrChaafe for the fcwo-year-old son of Rihinson Oruaos —Radiance. The price, although tempting, was not sufficient.

A Wellington correspondent says that Major Wamsley informed him that before he reached England news had been cabled of his. mission, and the value of stud horses went up 50 per cent. He saw a great many, bit only one to beat Nordenfeld', and English studmasters wanted from £4OOO to £lO.OOO for horses not equal in appearanoa to the son of Musket.

An instance of reckless waste of money in the pursuit nf pleasure at Homo, so many are wanting the bare necessities of life, is instanced br Mr Vanderbilt, the millionaire, who paid £BOOO as rent fo: eight weeks of a shooting lodge in Scotland. For this immense outlay ha would probably have the pleasure of assisting his friends to slaughter a few hundred brace of grouse. Sydney Harbour can lay claim to have at its entrance the most powerful electric light in the world ; the next in power being that at the Palais d’ Industrie, Paris. The lamp at the South Head, Sydney, is of 180.000 candie power; the Paris one is of 150 003 candle power; while the largest and most powerful electric lamp in America, at San Jose, California, is of 14,000 candle power only. Mr P. Galvin, editor of the Marlborough Express, and lately of Gisborne, met with a serious accident a few mornings ago. He was accompanying a cricket team to Havelock in a coach and was holding the horses previous to starting, when he was knocked down and the wheel of the coach passed over his hip. He was taken home on a stretcher, very much shaken, but no bones were broken. He is progressing favourably.

An unpleasant, experience befell Mr Moatt on Sunday. He was one of a party that went out for a sail, and they were paying a visit to the ships. A rope wag used for helping them up, but not being properly fastened it gave way with Mr Moatt, who dropped into the water. He sank out of sight, and the party were greatly alarmed for a few moments, but being a good swimmer he lived under and up the other side of the Hoat. The fall was from a goo I height, but he “ ducking” was the only bad result, Mr Graham, M.H.R., has written the following letter to the County Council I am informed that it is likely an attempt will be made this session to do away w th payments to local In lies under the Crown and Vative Lands Rating Act. As this would be a serious matter to the County C rnncil I ■ihould like if you would furnish me with full data as to what has been paid to local bodies under this Act, and also with any resolutions or information of any sort which ths Copno.il. or the pub ic might consider useful tn me on he subject. In rawing the Address-in-Reply yesterday I took the opportunity of stating I would oppose anything of the sort unless compensating grants of some other kind were given.” Police-constable Endacotfc, who was lately concerned in the arrest of Miss Cass, the Oxford street milliner, is now (says the London correspondent of the Argus) before the police court on a charge of perjury. The pubic prosecutor is conducting the case against the constable, who is bring defended at the onst of his brother officers of thd metropolitan oolioe. Meanwhile it is interesting to note hew readily the authorities respond to public criticism. One of the best known of the Lon. d-ra magistrates has declined tn punish solicitation by a woman on the mere evidence of the person solicited. He declares—and rightly enough—that the charge might be brought against anybody for the purpose <rf revenge, and he insists that there shall be some corroborative evidence against the woman. It wa« very different at the London police courts previous to tha exposure of the Cass incident, There was soma little excitement on tha Kaiti on Sunday afternoon. The funeral of a young woman had just been conducted, and the mourners were leaving the ground, when one of the conveyances was stuck up. After i little trouble the horses went on fxirly well until the centre of the bridge was reached. There were a lot nf woman and children About, and during tha stoppage of traffic a horseman, leading one horse and followed by another, came on to the bridge. Some one frightened the horse, and instead of a passage being made for it, it got hemnel in, some foolish people, on either side driving the mimal backwards and forwards. Fortunately the obstreperous horses in the vehicle bmmo more reasonable, and a pissage was cleared nefore anyone was hurt. Jf this affidr had happened on the Wnatanpoko bridge there would have been serious results. A late telegram from Wanganui should ba of interest to our local cavilry. Captain Sommerville was opposed to the new regulations, and contended that it was impossible for a carbine shooter to bmnme a marksman under the third period c > iditio is, which are that in the first stage ten shots are to be fired at 800 yards, each hit on the man-figure to count three points, and in the second stage the carbine is sighted at 250 yar Is. and tw • shots fired at the 300, 260, 200. 150. and 100 yards ranges without altering the sights. Caplain Sommerville contends that the bast shots will not get more than seven hit ß on the figure out of the first ten. This makes twenty-one points, and there than still remains nineteen to pass. Each hit only counts two points, and unless every rem lining shot hits, the candidate fails to qiibf/.’ Apractical test was made, with the result that in the first stage only three out of ten hits were obtained. The English regulations have been copied without making allowance for inferior weapons.

General Boulanger’s enemies (says a London contemporary) have accused him of every fault except want of cleverness, and the duel incident makes it even more difficult to bring such a charge. D d Buulanger actually want to fight ? Probably not; no sane man ever wants to fight for a mere technical point of honor. But he did want to put. M. Ferry in a tight place, and have all the honour and recfame of the affair on his own side. So he proposed a duel a with rifled pistols, at 15 paces, the distance to decrease till one combatant fell. Of course Ferry, like any other man in his right mind, declined a combat which would have seemed desperate to a redskin. Results: First, no duel; second, all the honor for B ulanger and all the laugh against Ferry ; third, a distinct and welcome check to the practice of duelling, as showing that where life is really risked Frenchmen are no more fools than other people. The socalled “ American duel ” —tossing for a loaded and an unloaded pistol, and then firing in each other’s face across a haadkerchi f —stopped the easy recourse to arms among English-speaking people. Boulanger’s terms for an “ affair of honor ” should go far to do the same in France.

The English Press deplores the loss ©f Lady BrAssey. bt'ake will leave the Albion Btabtes on Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock for the Racecourse.

The East Coast Hussars had a very satisfactory parade yesterday morning. There was a good muster, and Captain Winter was in command.

Ihe Wesleyan Mutual Improvement Society discussed their Mazagine.last night. It was decided to hold the annual picnic at Clark's bush,

Bell’s Sporting Life gives an interesting account of a contest between a eyolist and a horseman. Teo wheelffian was Jack Keen an ex-champiod, mid the horsemtn a NewThe s.s. Manapouri arrive!- from South early yesterday morning, Captain J. Stott has command of her thia trip owing to Captain li >gan bring away on a holiday rip. She left again for -Auckland at f) a.m, taking several passengers from this port.

At the Trust Oommissianer’s Court yesterday certificates were granted to the fallowing deeds:—Transfer from Ranopia te Amorira and others to the Auckland Agricultural Company of.the Wharekopae No"l (B) block, transfer from Karepa Kautukh to M. Mullooly of the Ruangarehu, (G) block, convey, anue in trust from Paora Haup.i to Andrew Graham and Bobert'Cuoper of Makauri.

“ Farmer ” (Patutahi) writes 11 I noticed in your columns some weeks ago that the Agricultural Society proposed, or had decided. to hold a show thjs year. Will you kindly inform me, through the medium of your valuable paper, whether there was anything definite done in the matter.” i VVe are not in a position to say, but M» B >ylan, we believe, is the Secretary, and no doubt will be happy to afford any information.]