LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 459, 25 October 1897, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tenders are invited for the removal of a seven-roomed cottage.

Captain Russell arrived by the express from Wellington on. Saturday afternoon, and returns to his Parliamentary duties to-morrow forenoon.

The Christchurch Fire Brigade has responded to no fewer than fourteen alarms of fire since the beginning of the presentmonth, i.e., in three weeks. This is a " record " in the history of the Brigade. The second prize in Tattersall's Millbank estate sweep coines to New Zealand, Mr J. O'Donnell being the lucky investor. His address is not given. The sweep closed at 10,550 shares at £1 each. Mr A. L. D. Fraser arrived from Danevirke, where the Native Land Court is sitting, on Saturday and returned to-day. It is understood that an effort will be made to have the balauce of the cases heard in Hastings. Mr M. Johnson, the popular manager at Blythe's, who has been laid up some days with influenza, was able to get about town to day. It will be some days, however, before he will be fit for duty. His many friends wish him a speedy recovery. About three o'clock this morning a fourroomed cortage, .situate in Hastings-street, Napier, was with its contents completely destroyed by fire, and a cottage adjoining considerably damaged. The house wa insured in the South British office for £125, and the furniture for £SO. At the opening of the new operating theatre at the hospital in Dunedm it was mentioned that there was a want of money for further improvements and unless £IO,OOO, the surplus from the Savings Bank, was given, the funds would be low for some time. A medical ward, isolation wards and a ward for eyes were required. Since the advent of Ensign and Mrs Aitkenhead to Hastings the work of the Salvation Army has become greatly popularised, and good work is being done throughout the district. As a result of self-denial weeji no less a sum than <£B3 was collected. Last year it totalled £55. The Ensign and his wife are to be congratulated on the splendid results. As the steamer Talune was leaving Lyttelton for Wellington on her last trip, a man who was going on board Was accosted by a person on the gangway, a»d asked if he was a passenger by the steamer. On replying in the affirmative and stating that he was going to Feilding for the shearing, the questioner announced that he was a storekeeper at Feilding, and he asked his unsuspecting friend to go up town and help with some parcels. As they were walking up the wharf they were met by a third man, who remarked to the supposed passenger that he had put his luggage on board all right and asked for payment. The Feilding storekeeper suddenly discovered that he had nothing less than a ,£"2O note, and asked his friend if he could change it for him. This he was unable to do but lent him £6, all the money he had on him. Immediately afterwards he lost sight of his friend, and has seen neither him nor the money since. He went on to Wellington by the steamer, and on arrival there reported the matter to the police. About two years ago this kind of confidence trick was very prevalent in Lyttelton, the last case being that o£ a scoundrel who victimised a lad from the Sumner Deaf and Dumb School, and who was ca ightand sentenced to a term of imprisonment for big fains.— Lyttelton limes.

A Native company of mounted rifles is being formed at Masterton by Taiwhio Te Tan, one of the Native contingent. The mining township of Coromandel is to have a high-pressure water supply, at a cost of about L 1(3.000.

During .a friendly game of billiards at Wanganui, on Tuesday last, Mr H. C. Cliavannes made a break of 410 off the spot. A proposal is on foot in Auckland to form nn Infantry Volunteer Corps in connection with the New Zealand Natives' Association, which now has a membership of 800. The members of the House of Representatives have accepted an invitation to be present at the Palmerstou Show, which is described as" the premier show of the North Island."

Nearly 6000 acres of the Assets Realisation Board's estates, near Cambridge, Auckland, have been cut up into small farms, ranging from 90 to 250 acres, and are about to be offered for sale at auction.

A large number of people assembled at Dennett's auction mart on Saturday for the purpose of seeing Mr Dennett's large stock of new bicycles. The various machines were submitted for the examiration of the public and the criticism was extremely favorable.

The punt at Fern Flat, in the Inangahua district, broke away on Saturday last with a buggy and three horses and four men on board. The men narrowly escaped drowning by swimming ashore. Two horses were drowned, and the buggy was recovered, but was much damaged. , A Press Association wire to-day says: — Four Natives, two men and two women who were arrested at Pungarehu, Taranaki, on Saturday, were charged before the S.M. this morning with damaging a fence. They were each fined 10s and bound over to keep the peace themselves in £SO and one surety of £25 each. A telegam from Ilokicika on Saturday states that the weather has now moderated, but the rivers are still in flood which have been the heaviest for many years. Nine inches of rain fell in two days, melting immense quantities of snow. A good deal of damage was done to roads and tracks, estimated at over £'3ooo.

Commenting upon the recent state of the Home meat market, a correspondent of a Southern paper remarks ; —I have seen a few returns which came to hand by the last mail. Mutton is all right but lamb is altogether too disheartening. In cases where the meat was fairly and reasonably drawn against according to the precedent of former years, the shippers had to meet deficits ranging fjom 2s to 3s 6d a head, the significance of which those conversant with the trade will fully understand. Quotations for prime New Zealand lamb on Sept. 4th were 2s to 2s 4d per stone «f Hlb.

A private report from Sofio retails strange news concerning the " prison " life of Captain Boitscheff, who was condemned to life-long imprisonment for the murder of Simon. According to this report, Boitscheff has a jovial existence, his sole punishment consisting of seclusion during the day. He does not inhabit a prison cell, receives as many visitors as he chooses, dines luxuriously at his own expense, and is generally in an excellent humor. He is lodged in comfortable quarters in the house of the governor of the prison, and at night he sallies forth to take his pleasure exactly as he may feel inclined. It is significant that Boitscheff s name has not yet been erased from the Armv list.

M. Jean de Reszke. the eminent tenor, is a cyclist of no mean ability, and he recently made the journey to Beyreuth on his "machine." Our readers are doubtless aware that M. de Reszke is passionately fond of horses and racing. He and his brother own a large breeding stud of considerable size in Poland, and he is among the most successful racing men in Poland and Russia. Not very long ago M. Jean de Reszke's horse Briganza won a race which corresponds to the celebrated English event, the Middlepark Plate. The value of the race was £I6OO. Another horse, Miecznich by name, carried off the Empress Grand Prize. M. de Reszke devotes a good deal .of money to his stud farm and although (or perhaps because) he never bets, the farm, which is managed by his younger brother, almost pays its expenses. This year, owing to repeated successes on the Russian and Polish turf, there may be a profit, while in some years the balance is the other way though only to a small amount. M. Jean de Reszke, who never sings for less than £2OO a night, declares he is too poor to bet, and at any rate, by confining his expenses to horsebreeding he knows exactly the amount of his liabilities.

Dalziel s Paris correspondent telegraphed recently that a bandit of the old school was ravaging the district around Fourmies, and had greatly excited the inhabitants of that generally peaceful place. Augustiu Cariou was born in 1869, and before his twentieth year had been found guilty of numerous robberies and assaults. The sentences of these repeated offences accumulated with such rapidity that Angus tin tied from his accustomed haunts, and, gathering a band of equally desperate youths, he made a regular business of burglary and murder. The courts of France and Belgium have repeatedly condemned him to death, and recently, for a particularly atrocious murder, done while the band was smuggling goods across the Belgian frontier, he was again sentenced to death, and a force of gendarmes was ordered to hunt him and his followers down. In response to this Augustm on July 24 addressed a note to the head of the Custom House officers who had appeared against him at the recent hearing, and informed the official that he intended to kill every one of them with his own hands. He said he was acquainted with their movements, and would shoot them one after another. At the same time he mentioned several residents of Fourmies, and said he would kill them and burn their cottages. The authorities gave orders that a strict guard should be established at each of the dwellings menaced, and extraordinary efforts have been made to capture the desperado, alive or dead.

Dr Pascall's Pills cure Indigestion, Heartburn, Costiveness, Headache, Furred Tongue, Wind, and all symptoms arising from a disordered state of the liver, stomach, or kidneys. They cleanse the bowels, and act like a charm in removing all impurities from the blood, toning and refreshing the Hiole system. Is 6d and 2s 6d per box. Agent —A. Eccles. —Advt. I STOPPED THAT COUGH AND CUBED A very bad cold by a single bottle of Dr Pascal! s Cough Mixture. Signed, E. McDiwalL 4s 6d and 2s 6d. Eccles' chemist, Napier and Hastings.—Advt Breathes therea man with soul so dead ' Who never to himself hath said : The man who would alleviate The ills which by an evil fate, Poor mortals must espect to share Deserves a crown of jewels rare ? If, such there should be let all hope that he Mnv o. frame-shaking cough just endure T:il he has to confess, it was cured by no less Than Woods Great Peppermint Cure.— A&vi.