LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 170, 17 July 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“ Petrolea "11! The Harbor Board meets to-night. The Park Company invites tenders for fencing its course. The annual meeting of subscribers to the Gisborne Public Library will be held on Thursday next. Cable communication has not yet been restored. A steamer has arrived at Port Darwin from Bsnjoewangi with a large number of messages. The foundation of the new Columbian rink will be laid to-day. The cutter Leo left Napier on Saturday with the special fittings for the floor.

Strange rumors were current in town yesterday of a very unsavory occurrence, but in the absence of any confirmatory evidence it would not be wise to make any further reference to the matter. The third of a series of lectures in connection with the Presbyterian Literary Society will be delivered this evening by Mr Hugo. The subject is “Egyptian Antiquities,” and the lecture should be a very interesting and successful one.

In spite of the threatening appearance of the weather, and the counter attractions last night, there was a fair attendance at the Mutual Improvement Society to hear the lecture by Colonel Simeon entitled, “In the Field.” The lecturer, of course, handled his subject in a masterly manner, showing the various phases of the soldier’s life, and introduced numerous anecdotes of the field, most of them being personal reminiscences. Numerous laughable incidents added not a little to the pleasure drawn from the lecture.

At the Marton Hunt Club meet Mr A, H. Bill met with a curious experience. In jumping over one of the fences on Captain Johnston's property, his horse partially came down, and in trying to r-oover himself, pulled the bridle off. The animal then made a bee-line for Marton at a mad gallop, Mr Bill being still in the saddle, without any means of controlling his runaway steed,. The horse continued his ' unbridled ’ career into Marton, and having traversed a distance of two miles, he slackened his pace somewhat, When opposite the Bank of Australasia Mr Bill threw himself off, and fortunately escaped without injury of any kind. A Napier journal Of Friday last contains the following paragraph :—Mr Ormond has been opposing the Gisborne Harbour Bill in a very determined manner. Of course the member for Napier posed as an economist, but perhaps the real reason for his most factious opposition to the measure lies in the fact that he has large properties qp the East Coast which will be rated under the provisions of the bill. Touch a landgrabbar in his pocket and he's sure to howl. The Gisborne breakwater will certainly not fulfil the entire expectations of the Poverty Bay people, but seeing that over £65,000 has already bean expended, it is sheer folly to try and prevent the Board from gontinuing it to a point where it will be of some use. But Mr Ormond considers his pocket first as he generally docs A new system of harbour protection has been recently invented by Mr Thatcher, or Wanganui, where it la proposed to he carried into operation by him, on the principle of “No cure no pay,’’ Briefly atatod, the plan js to extend the north wall of the harbour by jpoans of fascines secured by wires of several strands fastened to piles. The tide brings in sufficient sand to cover the layer of fascines, when another layer is placed in position, with the same veeult, until the embankment is carried up to a sufficient height. The cost ja a mere trifle compared with a rubble wall, and the barrier against the action ot the sea is equally strong. The whole question turns upon the point whether the wall will resist the action of the sea. After the study of the ■ conditions of the river for many years, the I inventor has no doubt whatever of the success of the scheme. The essence of the plan is, that instead of raising up a wall to receive the full force of the waves, an artificial beach I is formed by the conservative action of each wave carrying up the material and deposit- I lag it at the natural angle.! I

At Wellington last week Mr A. Muir was the recipient of a handsome medal, presented on behalf of the Poneke Football Club, on the occasion of Mr Muir’s departure for Gisborne. That gentleman was a popular figure on the football ground. A Wellington correspondent, in noting that Mr Seddon was to have a week’s leave of absence, sarcastically adds that the session is likely to be shortened in consequence. But these wind-bags as a rule have not reason enough to know what trouble they cause. A member of the Waipawa County Council having asserted that he was mis-reported by one of the local papers that journal accuses him of falsehood, and refuses to report him again until he has apologised for his statement, “for,” remarks the newspaper, “ surely he does not wish us to continue misreporting him.” Those poor Civil Servants I Insult has now been added to the injuries they already have Buffered and are suffering. The latest phase of development of torture inflicted upon this suffering and much-kicked class is the undergoing of a certain inquisitorial process at the hands of the heads of departments. A paper has been circulated in one department, at any rate, requiring the officers to state their ages, whether married, if so how many children they have, would have had, or expect to have; what rent they pay, how many teeth they have left or, if posessed of false ones, how many, and whether upper or lower set; Whether mother-in-law is alive and living handy ; how many pipes, cigars, or cigarettes they smoke daily, how many “tots” they take in the 24 hours ; if the children go without bo its and socks (or stockings), how many ’ and what was last week’s washing bill, and whether paid, or what work done at home. All this is with a view to further retrenchment.—Press.

About the most blood-curdling paragraph that has got into print for some time is contained in an issue of the Tauranga journal. Here it is There is an iron grey foal roaming about the streets, which has a most vicious disposition. It both kicks at passers by, and lays out with its fore feet. On Monday evening we saw it pursuing a young boy who was carrying a bucket containing some food, and when the little fellow tried to prevent.it from getting some, it attempted to strike him with its fore feet. The boy was greatly frightened and tried to escape, the foal running round him so as to prevent his getting away. We went to the lad's assistance and, with some trouble, kept this dangerous animal away from the boy till he got inside a garden gate. We would suggest that the police should take steps to have this obnoxious animal removed from the streets.” Had it not been that the cables were down this might have been taken as an Irish telegram. The dashing bravery of the “ we ” eclipses Arohy Forbes’ achievements, but there is an intricate maze about the composition which inclines one to the belief that the "we" is “this dangerous animal,"