LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 193, 10 December 1896, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Yaroncies for boarders at Clarendon House. The Borough Council met to-night a 7.00. A meeting of the Fire Brigade takes place this evening. Nominations close to-morrow for the Auckland li.C. Summer meeting. An interesting article on Edison's latest invention, the Vitascope. and English mail summary will be found 011 the fourth page. Four more Assyrian hawkers arrived by tniin this morning. ILiwko s Bay seems to be a favorite hunting ground for this class of "undesirables." A certain Napier evening contemporary is not above; taking the nimble sixpence in the "wanted " column for very <<uestionable advertisements as evidenced by last night's issue. The postal authorities are evidently doing their best to keep up with the times, as yesterday we received papers posted at Greymouth and Christchurch 011 Monday. Mr 11. Gorman, of Hastings, won the lI.Jj. Swimming Championship yesterday at Napier. The places were tilled by T. lioulston and J. Hamilton. The distance (06yds) was covered in 46 l-sth sec. We have received the first copy of the '• Tuapeka I'ecorder," a journal just started in Lawrence, Otago. It is published every Friday at the price of Id, and contains four pages of four columns each, 1-2 inches in length. Altogether it is about 40 years behind the times. The concert in aid of the Havelock State School took place in the Mechanics' Institute, Havelock, last evening, and, we understand, was a great success, but as the usual courtesy was not extended to t;s. our knowledge of the affair is limited to this.

The Rev. Mr Walker gave another lecture last evening on Temperance at St. Matthew's Hall. Although the attendance was not so large as on the previous evening, the rev. lecturer treated his subject in a masterly manner, and his audience were delighted. The concert in aid of the local State School will be held in the Princess Theatre to-night. The picture presented by fully two hundred prettily dressed children waving time with multi-colored fiags to their youog voices is inspiriting to a degree and would evoke enthusiasm in any audience. The children are under the baton of Mr J. A. Smith, who also controls their manoeuvres assisted by Miss G. Roach and Mr Mostyn.

About twenty members of the local Presbvterian choir left here by Beecroft's coach* last evening to take part in the Presbvterian Choral Union Carnival held in St."Paul's Church. Napier. The choirs represented were Napier, Hastings, W aipukurau, Spit, and Taradale, and the items were very creditably rendered to a large and appreciative audience. Mr W. A. Sharp presided at the organ, and the amalgamated choirs consisting of about 60 voices sung under the baton of Mr Renaud. The object of the Union is to advance choir singing throughout the district.

The Fire Brigade social lias been set down for the 31st inst. Railway arrangements for the Bicycle Club's Sports at Napier on Saturday appear in another column. Mr Stead has withdrawn all his horses —Uniform, Epaulet, and Bellicent —from the Wellington Cup. Most of the members of the Cabinet are expected to return to Wellington about the end of the present week. A profit of £95 4s remains to the credit of the New Zealand Cricket Council m connection with the visit of the Australian Eleven. Colonel Fox, who has handed over the duties of Commandant of the Forces to Lieut.-Colonel Pole-Penton, was entertained at the Wellington Club by the otlicers of the Wellington Garrison. The following additional presents .were received by Mrs 11. Castle on the occasion of her wedding: —Miss Lizzie Cox. sugar bowl and cream jug; Mr and Mrs J. Hunt, water jug; Mr G. Roach, crumb brush and tray; Miss Nellie Castle (Wellington), daisy cushion. The London cabby has scored again. He has got a magisterial decision that a bicycle is not luggage, and that he is entitled to make his own terms for the carriage of the same. A team of Queensland cricketers will tour New Zealand shortly, commencing at Auckland on I>ec. 2'2 (a two days' match) ; New Zealand, at Wellington, on 1 >ee. 2tt, 28, 29 ; Ilawke's Hay, Dee. 551, Jan. 1 and 2; Canterbury, Jan. b, I J, 11 ; Otago, Jan. 15, 16. 18; Southland, Jan. 20, 21, 22. The official declaration of the poll for Wellington City, has knocked from oOU to 50U votes off each of the six leading candidates, and brings Mr Wilson iifth instead of sixth. Mr Fisher only leads Mr Atkinson by 2.S votes. The reason of the reduction is because it was found that the returns from one booth had been counted twice over.

The V.R.C. committee has decided that jockeys and trainers who have - served a 'term'of disqualification shall not be i'.llowed to resume riding or training until they have formally applied for permission ami the application has been granted. There was a. discussion on the alleged scandal at the spring meeting, but in the absence of definite evidence the matter was held over. It transpired that the story refers to Thunder Queen's running in the Oaks.

Figures supplied by the RegistrarGeneral show that the Taranaki district has made great progress during the past five years. The number of cattle has increased by 67.010, and the number of sheep by i 09,121, while the area down in sown grass has increased by 100,952 acres. Tlx; most remarkable increase, however, is in the butter and cheese industries. The quantity of butter made during the past year \vas4.H77.f>'2-l!bs more than five years ago, and the quantity of cheese showed an increase of 12?57 tons, the value of the total output being X'ltvi.Ki-i more than it was live years ago. In t'.ie case of Walter M. Castle and wife, tried on November 16th at the Clerkenwell sessions, London, for shoplifting. the husband was acquitted, and the wife given three months in the House of Correction without hard labor. The case excited a good deal of interest, as Castle, who is a member of an important firm in San Francisco, and called wealthy, was on a tour of pleasure in Europe with his. wife. The greater number of her peccadilloes were committed in London, at the Hotel Cecil, and in some of the farriers' shops. The woman lias been a kleptomaniac all her life, and it is said her presence was dreaded by the Sail Francisco shopkeepers. London despatches of November 20th mention that .Mrs Castle had been icalised by order of the Home Secretary. The Auckland Observer says : —The career of Mr Joseph Mandel, who, as was recently announced, has just bought the Empire Hotel at Wellingtnn for .£20,000, and intends to replace it with a big up-to-date building, is a striking instance of the way a pushing man may get ahead in the colonies. Mandel came out from Germany some 20 years ago, then a stripling. Curiously enough, one of his lirst billets was in a menial capacity in the very house of which he has now become the proprietor. Soon he went into business as a tobacconist, did well, and about five years ago he paid a big sum for the leading hotel in Masterton. Now he has great schemes ahead of him for the new venture. Already the Empire is one of the leading houses in Wellington, and in furtherance of his design, Mandel is setting out on a trip to Sydney, taking with him an architect to pick up up-to-date points in hotel building. A report reached town on Saturdayevening (says the Paliiatua Herald) that a voting woman had died at or near Pongaroa. It is rumored that there are peculiar circumstances surrounding the case, but until further investigations are made we refrain from stating any thing further. Constable Bowden, Dr Dawson and Mr A. Reese left Paliiatua for Tongaroa yesterday morning. The buggy in which'they were travelling was upset c-ii route with the result that all were shaken very much, Mr Reese in particular. From further particlars we learn that the accident which occurred toMessrs A. Reese, J.P., Constable Bowden and Dr Dawson on the Makuri road was more serious than at first reported. It appears that as the buggy was going round the spot known as " Horse Shoe Bend," the buggy struck an obstruction on the road and upset, throwing the whole of the occupants out of the buggy. Mr Reese had three teethknocked out, and one of his legs was very much injured. lie was so much shaken that it was impossible for him to proceed further than Makuri. The constable thereupon obtained the services of Mr Wilson senr., J.P., and went on to Pongaroa. Dr Dawson escaped without injury, but Constable Bowden was very much shaken. Eccles Cascara Liver Regulator is a safe and effective remedy for Stomach and Liver Complaints,, such as Indigestion, Headache, Constipation, Furred Tongue, &c. It never fails to relieve or cure. 2s 6d per bottle. From A. Eccles' chemist, Napier and Hastings, and all leading country storekeepers.—Advt. Wellington warehouse prices are in every instance charged by the D. I. C. when executing orders received by post. Those of our residents who want really nice fashionable goods need not hesitate about communicating with the I). I. C., Wellington. Complete furnishing is now a special feature of the D. I. C., and those who anticipate requirements in this direction will be supplied with catalogues and estimates post free.—Advt.

Neil's Compound Sarsaparilla. A household medicine for purifying the blood and toning up the system. In large bottles at 2s 6d at Neil's Dispensary, Emerson street, Napier, and all leading storekeepers.—Advt.

I STOPPED THAT COUGH AND CTP.tD A very bad coi-D by a. single bottle of I">r Pascall's Cough Mixture. Signed, R. McDowall. 4s 6d and 2s 6d. Eccles, chemist, Napier and Hastings.—Aovi.

A New Plymouth barman named Eden Payne has taken out letters patent fro a new non-puncturing tyre for bicycles. In counting the votes at Waipawa four cases were discovered of persons voting at two places. The Egmont Freezing Company have commenced lulling, and as there is enough cattle and sheep on hand to last two months, there is every prospect of some large shipments by the fortnightly service. The legal costs of defending Mr Joseph Kenny against the charge of maiming Mr Timothy O'Gorman at Paluatua amounted to .£136. This is apart from witnesses expenses for the Crown—Pahiatua Herald. One result of the mining boom in the North has been that the Thames County Council has been able to clear off all its liabilities, and start another year with a credit balance of nearly .£2,000.

One of Bryan's sentences is worth quoting : —" They call that man a statesman whose ear is turned to catch the slightest pulsations of a pocket-book and denounce as a demagogue anyone who dares to listen to the heart-beat of humanity." A man named Burt had a narrow escape of being gored to death by a bull at Marton recently. He fortunately escaped owing to the plucky action of a lad named Slight, who distracted the animal's attention.

Mr Peixotto, the artist who has painted portraits of Mr Gladstone, Victor Hugo, Prince liisniarck, Cardinal Manning, and other well-known men, is now engaged in America on a portrait of Major McKinley. He. is delighted with the Major as a subject, and expects that the picture will be one of the best he has ever made. Tenders were received by cable by the Hawera Gas Company last week for the supply of plant, and on Saturday afternoon the directors met to deal with them. That of Nessrs C. and W. "Walker, of the Midland Works, Domington, Shropshire, was accepted. A cable to this effect has been sent, and in a very short time part of the plant will be shipped from London. A young man named Fredk. Gurnev, a member of the Wellington Rowing Club, was capsized out of a dingy in which he was fishing in Scorching Bay on Sunday, and, as he was unable to swim, he would have been drowned but for a party of the Star Boating Club members, who put off in a boat and rescued him. When brought to shore Gurnev was in an exhausted state, and some hours elapsed before lie recovered from the efforts of his struggle for life. Miss Priscilla Verne, well-known in New Zealand, publicly thrashed a man who had insulted her at Perth (W.A.) a few weeks ago. It appears that while Miss Verne was singing a song at the Theatre, a well-known man about town ejaculated an improper remark. Miss Verne took umbrage at tin's, and called him a " contemptible little cad." She afterwards wrote hnn a note, signing herself '• Alice Chambers,' saying that she had fallen in love with him, and asking him to meet her at an appointed hour. He swallowed the bait, and strolled to the meeting place,where Miss Verne met him, nnd, procuring a cane, began to publicly chastise him. A crowd quickly gathered, and hemmed the two in, and before he could escape the man was severely drubbed.

Mr Hedlc.v F. Evans, Wellington writing to the Evening "Post, gives the following interesting particulars with regard to microscopic writing: —Although not wishing in any way to disparage the marvelleous achievements of Mr C. F. Giesen with his pen, I would like to point out the still more marvelleous feats which have been accomplished witli the " Bramond," which, oil account of the cohesive property of its particles, is capable of taking an almost infinitesimal point. Mr Stinns, late Principal of Highbury College, London, had in his collection a smalll piece of glass on which was written the Lord's I'rayer, the whole writing occupying less space than the tinest dot made with a fine

pen. If the whole of the New Testament were written the same size it would occupy less space than that of a small thumb nail. And he states that when Mr Fan-ants was President of this Microscopical Society, that gentleman told them that the Lord's Prayer had been written in the 356,000 th part of an inch. This being true would establish the possibility of writing the whole of the 8,566,480 letters of the Old and New Testament 22 times in the space of one English square inch.