LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 6, 2 May 1896, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Our readers will regret to learn of the death of Mr John Percy, who passed quietly away Inst evening. Deceased was born at Alnwick. No; ti ui' t 1 nd, and was 67 years oi u s:e. He was a schoolmaster by prof"s-»xni an' \ t -anied in I!attersea Colle.'re. He was one of six sent to the colony bv the National School Association, and was Ihi f) s 1 oknaster in the Nelson disu-ici. Kitmiß there in 1851. After toac* i i i vcars he joined the Custom i>ti mit and iie also occupied seve. 1 c net 1 positions. In Nelson lie was widely known and deservedly popular. He was Past Provincial. Grand j-laster of the Nelson District of Oddfellows and a P.M. of the Masonic I.oclge there. Deceased was also well-known in musical circles. Twelve years ago lie came to I-iawkc's 1) \ 1 was appointed master of the P; t ■> n school, which position he held f>j in years, when fading eyesight compel 1 nd him to resign. Since then he lias been a resident of Hastings. A few dn.vs ago he was sit icken with a paralytic u1 < and passed quietly away last evening, liis was a noble life, and rmm 1 l-. i t mourners have lost si true friend. The funeral leaves his residence at 2.U0 p.m. to-morrow. A sharp shoel-; of earthnuake was felt in Hastings at 11. .26 this morning. A subscription dance, proceeds to the Sr. Matthew's Leiievolent Fund, is announced elsewhere for Thursday evening next. in view o£ tite Native Land Court, which opens here on .Monday, numbers of M-asis are nocking into town from all he lias'ings Oddfellows pay an official vi-nl io Marakakero to-n'ght, len\ing town mees A lady has been elecLa! on the Eltliam Hcnool Committee, and also on tlie YVuiirangiroa iTftmiwki) (.'ommittee. In the latter ease the lady has boon appointed Ichairwoman of the committee. Members of the Herelaunga Lodge of 7\iasons are requested to meet to-morrow afternoon to follow the remains of their ate brother. John P.-rcv. The Lov il ! fa,tin; s Lodge, 'MA"., also

meet for site same ptnpose. i";i;V, eiiingtoii A. i'jkl 1\ Association have <lwitle:l to rnlopt the point:? prize wheim*. and gives font* prizes of £:>o pitch —one /or JJneolns. o»u for Ronmey Maivli. one for Ayrshires ami onu for 1/ecf breeds and far cattle. The Hrgewt f-heep ouncr in tho world is said to be Mr fc>. I'JcCougliey, of the < 'oonoug Station, at Jerildevie, New South Wales. lie has 8.000.000 acres of Ijuul, itntl last- sjfiisoii shore 1.000.000 sheen. A larirc mnnher of voting people enjoyed themselves at die Olivet Aassejnbl.v l:-.st cvcniiK', in ttio Odilidlows ll.' 11. The Assuhidlv is becoming verv popular as inducted by the number present last evening. '■ Uncle Tom." the original of the hero of ],lrs Siowe s l>oo;;, iele Tom's Cabin, "is utiJi living. His vttiil name is George Havi is. Jle is «•> years old. It is said that for many years he has been pitiably poor, and lias been obliged to live on live cents a daw

Tho truth of toe old saying that Acts of Partial ncnt cannot make men moral was denied by the Rev. J. T. Xott in a lecture at Wellington on " Popular I\:isconeeptions." lie held that Acts of Parliament could, make men moral by deterring them from doing wrong.

The latest development of hypnotism consists in burying an entranced man in a f>V:ivc o{t deep, ;i}«i It' iving llilJi tli'.-Jt for

■ l week, a shaft being left open for the necessary respiration. This was done at tin: ltoval Asjuarium last month wiili a man named Alfred VTootton, a lend worker, the hypnotist being a Professor I'ru'ker. V, hen the subject was dug up, he was weak, but otherwise seemed none the worse.

As this district is well adapted for the production of beetroot, the following from the English Produce Y\"orld of a recent date should prove of interest : —" Ho long bade as 188-1. the Xew Zealand Beetroot Sugar Acts provided for n miin n a bonus of rid per pound for the iirst I.OUO tons of sugar produced in the colony. Much besides this has since been done to foster the industry, but until now with little or no elleet. "let New Zealand is very well suited for raising .sugar, and it would be well to prepare for the time when an even greater scarcity than the present deiiciewv shall enhance values. It is not very likely that Cuba will revive for a very long while as a large cane sugar producing country, and meanwhile consumption advances by leans and bounds."

An old pioneer of the Xew Zealand goldfields, Mr Peter Smith, has just returned from a visit to the Coromandel Peninsula., in the Auckland district, whither he proceeded about seven and a half months ago for the purpose of thoroughly prospecting that part of the colony. He went to the Tokatea ranges. oQ miles from the Thames and-1J miles from the Coromandel township, and Mr Smith stated to a Times representative on Tuesday night that, in his opinion, there are far belter prospects for gold-bearing on the Tararua ranges in the WailciUiae district, where he was working for some months before going to Coromandel. He intends to return to tlio Tararua ranges and icnew operations on (Town lands at a place about four miles north-west of Waikanae. A law amount of J'nglish capital is being spent in the Coromandil district, and an extensive area of country has been taken up for prospecting. Mr Smith has been mining in all parts of Xew Zealand for 4-3 years, and claims that h 'i oi t ninor in Xew Zealand. II % it ( 1 iin s Cully when gold was disc > 1 In —X.Z. Times.

Under date of March 21 the London correspondent of the X.Z. Herald writes:— A favourite Xew Zealand - singer, Miss Large, of >. apier. made a very successful debut at a London concert last Tuesday. It. was given by Miss Marion Gordon and Miss Beatrice i'ratt, both London professional performers of high standing—one as a vocalist, the other as a violinist. The concert was under exceptionally influential patronage. The list of patrons unci patronesses included rue ihiehess of Bedford. Countess of Lseniield. Ln<ty Ha.rberton, the Lady Mavoress. and a pt-rfect host, of other titled tasmonable people, while several eminent composers of the day, including Sir A 1 t~s.ii 1 1 M itl nzie. President of the lEoyul Academv of Music. Mr F. H. Cowen, Mr John . i i id Miss llosa-

lind Eilicott il o u ndt 1 their patronge. Tlio concert v, as given m the Queen's Hall, and ] i itrihuted two songs—Cowen s piquant "i3ecau.se" and (by request) tne popuiarout oallad " Cherry liipe.'' Both were delightfully sang, the beauty and purity of her voice, especially in its upper register, telling out with singularly good effect in the hall, while the artistic excellence of her singing excited .general admiration. Miss Large was, in fact, quite " the " success of the concert, and won double recalls and " various tributes, - ' as is the fashion to term them. She may fairly be congratulated • upon her first appearance on so important, a stage.

They have found in California that peach stones burn as well as coal, and give out more heat. They sell at the rate of 15s per ton. A novelty in advertising is now being shown nightly in Hastings. A powerful light thrown on a lar-ro sheet reveals local business notices, besides some very good views. To-night and Monday a free exhibition will be given. Mr Froyberg. the Government Timber Export, has given a glowing Account of Stewart Island, and is surprised at the abundance, diversity, excellent growth, and splendid quality'of the timber trees growing there. He regards these forests as a mine of wealth to the eolonv.

Mr J. Vile, coach proprietor, announces in another column the time-iable of his lioyal-mail line running bclvcui Wood; vilic njvl Ekctahnna. Passengers to, Y\ ellington will find this journey a, very pleas;!])! one, avoiding the monotonous ride by ilie train. Jt is a favorite route for tourists.

The Ilawera Star gives particulars of the accident to the "train from New Plymouth to Ilawera on luesday evening. Three horses were met with about a mite from EUham. Two of the horses got under the engine, and one got fouled with the front wheels and was carried almost to the centre of the Mangawhero bridge, wiiere the wheels left the rails just as tlio driver managed to pull up. Had the, engine been travelling at any great speed when the wheels left the rails n'mt.vr have wrecked the bridge, and the engine, and perhaps most of the carriages would lmvc been precipitated m'o the mer.

In the course of a letter h. Us-.> Marlborough Express Mi- J. T. M v.v.it, ivho recently left Plenheim for the IVlkhutd Islands, to occupy the position of Chit t Inspector of stock, makes the following remarks :—•' The Falkland Islands Company are the largest owners here, ihev have 200.000 sheep—in my idea the lic-t Hock in the colony. If under New Zealand management, this station would simply be a J title gold mine; as it is. it pays a i 0 per cent, dividend. The laud is the pick of the islands, and. if it we'o not for the peat hogs you could take a sulky all over it; yet they employ no less thru 1~;0 shepherds and about rifty elation hands here. I am quite certain eight shepherds could do all the work with comfort. Everything is dono on horseback ; take a Falkland Islander's horse /tway and he is done. The dogs here are a well-bred lot. but badly trained."

The New Woman, the now fashion, tho latest erase, have some particular virtue to commend them ; so it is witli the new cough mixture, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure —instantaneous relief for man, woman, or child is the f. aturc of this unfading remedy. All Grocers, and Chemists keep it. tho price is reasonable, 1/8 and '2/0. —Advt.

So.-DAY y F.T! VICES. Pre 1 n i r Church, Hastings, 11 a.m. —Communion. Rev. A. S. Morrison; 7 p.m., liev. A. o. Monfam. (.'live, 3 p.m. —{.'on i i. .i. Rev. A. S. Morrison. St. ( hm 1 -s II w clock, 11 a.m. Rev. Rober 1 ci M.A.

Has;:nes \ < sl ( \,m Church. 11 a.m., Rev. .1. Hosiunir, I>.D.; 7 p.m. Rev W. Sinclair.