LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 462, 28 October 1897, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The fortnightly practice of the Fire Brigade takes place this evening.

There are now four steam trawlers engaged in fishing in Hawke's Bay. Owing to the engagement of the Princess Theatre on Monday night by a travelling theatrical company Mr DcLisle has been reluctantly compelled to postpone his concert to Thursday Nov. 4th.

There was a heavy frost at Danevirke last night, the fields being quite white this morning, and a number of dead sheep were seen by the passengers of the noon train in the paddocks along the line. The sale in connection with Mr Boyle's estate was conducted at Havelock yesterday by Mr Alf. Reid. The prices realised all round were wholesome.

A cricket club has been started amongst the boys of the public school here and the good practice they are at present engaged in should produce an eleven before the season is far advanced that will have to b.3 reckoned with.

The following pathetic lines appeared in the Kalgoorlie Miner : —ln mernoriam. Macarthy.—ln memoriam of my old mate Jack (Jack Macarthy) who two years gone to-night, on the deep lead, took his long long shift off. A change of luck. God knows. I always liked his chances. — Tom.

We beg to acknowledge, per favor of Messrs G-. H. Vickers and Co., the receipt of the balance sheet of the Royal Insurance Company for the period ending Dec. 31st, 1898. The document indicates a healthy institution which claims to be the wealthiest fire office in the world with a capital of £8,929,000. The Floral Fete is assuming much larger proportions than the ccmmittees in charge anticipated, and the result is that the various responsible bodies are beginning to find their work in the affair anything but a sinecure. Entries are pouring in for the different competitions, and large contingents are expected from within a radius extending as far as Danevirke that will make Hastings the centre of attraction for the day.

A funny tale of a Tauranga Court is told by the Northern Advocate. A beauteous Maovi damsel had been forcibly robbed of a kiss by a new chum Pakeha. She brought him up before the Magistrate to answer a charge of assault. The S.M. decided that the assault had been proved, and the delinquent was fined £2 and costs. The injured damsel seemed in no hurry to leave the Court, and the Clerk asked her what she was waiting for. " Te utu '' was the reply, "Homai te pound!" "Kaliore," replied the Clerk, " te pound is te utu mo te Oueen.' - "No fear," quoth the lady, " too much the gammon you, he no kissee to Kuini, he kissee me 1" The hailstorm which passed over Hastings yesterday afternoon seems to have been felt with far greater severity in outlying parts, and the country in the direction of Fernbill was the scene for special attention. At Flaxmere, the residence of Captain Russell, the storm was of an unparalleled character, and in places it is estimated that about 2ft. of hail was lying on the ground. It would seem that this heavy fall only covered a limited space in extent, for on either side of this locality it has by no means been of such a serious character. The downfall was so heavy that it penetrated the roofs of the houses, and much damaged resulted. To add to this misfortune a severe frost occurred, and the garden has suffered very much, the young plants being almost entirely destroyed. A gentleman, who has seen some heavy falls of hail in Australia, says this was the most phenomenal one that he had ever seen. At Karamu, the Hon. J. D. Ormond's property, the hail stones lay on the ploughed fields over 3in. deep, and traps and carts were completely filled with them. The disturbance, though very heavy, was distinctly local, as in Havelock and as near as Dr Linney's farm, no hail fell.

Mr Lloyd, the Harbor Board's diver, proceeded to in the fishing trawler Wenona yesterday morning to see what was foul of the trawler's net (says the Hawke's Bay Herald. The obstruction proved to be the rib of a large vessel, protruding a couple of feet above the ground, and bent over about 4ft. The rest of the vessel, probably the bottom, is covered over with mud. The rib referred to had some large bolts through it, and completely held the fishing net in 15 fathoms of water. Mr Lloyd made five descents, and was able to recover the net without damaging it in any way. As to what vessel this wreckage belongs to must remain a mystery, but in all probability it is part of the illfated Grecian Bend, which either foundered in the bay or was wrecked on the Pania Reef some years back, when all hands were drowned. The portion just found lies about a mile from the Pania buoy, in a nor'-westerly direction, and the masts of the Grecian Bend were found shortly after the accident fully 20 miles away,'off the Mohaka beach. The capture of the town of Victoria de las Tunas was effected by the Cuban insurgents at the end of August, and as that place is of strategical importance, being situated on the eastern part of Cuba, on the great central road which runs through the island, and is defended by seven forts and two Krupp guns, the fall of tke place created considerable excitement in Spain when the news reached that country. It appears that the siege began on the 14th of August. An assault was made on the 25th and was repulsed. A cannonade with four guns, one of which threw dynamite shells, on the 28th destroyed the fortifications and dismounted the Spanish artillery. The besieged were then compelled to capitulate, but the stipulation that they sho'ild be released wo? granted. The garrison consisted o e 91" men. while the re were 135 sick {4 hfispijaj,

Attention is directed to Mr W. H. Bowlers list of new books just out from Home.

The Premier's Solicitors' Fees Bill provides inter alia for making it a criminal offence for solicitors to charge fees in judgment summons cases. A Christchurch resident, who has just returned from America, in an interview, stated that when in Chicago he went to a " roof concert " on top of the Masonic Temple, which is 23 stories high.

The liquor law in Pomona, California, provides that there shall be only two saloons in the town, each saloon must have but one bar-tender and one chair, and that for his sole use; there must be but one room, and in it no barrels or boxes, or anything to afford a seat for a patron.

The will and two codicils of Sir W. F. Drummond Jervois, formerly Governor of the Straits Settlements, South Australia and New Zealand, who died at Bitterne, Hants, on August 17 are proved by Colonel E. H. Parke, the Rev. W. H. H. Jervois (the son) and Mr L. G. Bourne, the executors. The gross personality is sworn at .£l4llos sd.

The waters of the Mataura River close by Gore are reported to be literally stiff with trout of excellent condition and flavor. A veteran augler informs the Ensign that a couple of days ago he saw a shoal, which could scarcely have numbered less 10,000 fish, passing up stream near the railway bridge. This morning, before Messrs George Ellis and William Beilby, J's.P., the following cases of wandering cattle were dealt with : —William O'Neill, Joseph Wall, Sing Lee, Robert M'Carthy and James Heron were each fined 5s and costs 7s. Joseph Wyatt was fined 2s 6d with costs 7s. G. Warren, G. Myhill, Norah Murphy, Martin O'Neill, Denis Cremin, W. D. Ireland and Richards and Fielding were convicted and discharged. Cornelius O'Neill, convicted of driving a vehicle after dark without lights, was fined 2s 6d with 7s costs.

While a man named Alfred George Stratford was bushfelling in the "Wairoa Gorge, Nelson, a tree came down upon liis leg, breaking it in several places. His mates had to carry the poor fellow three or four miles to the Kelson Hospital, where he was in sucli a bad state that amputation of the leg was the only possible chance of saving his life. After the operation, however, the mui sank, and died within an hour and a half.

It will remembered by bur readers that we published a telegram last week from Greymouth stating that the river Teremakau was in high flood and that some Chinamen were on an island up to their waists in water and in danger of being drowned. No .further news was wired on the following day or since, and we learn from a Greymouth paper that the Chinese were rescued by a party organised and sent down by Mr Skoglund. "When the rescue party arrived on the scene, no sign of life was to be seen, and it was feared that the five had been swept over the bar. The boat, however, was soon in the stream and pulling for the island, where, after a deal of trouble, the five Celestials were found perched on the top of an old hut. The unfortunates had given up all hope of rescue and their delight at finding a " Giaymouth" contingent there to rescue them was somewhat beyond description. From all that can be learned it is evident that the relief party was only in time, and the Mayor, who was ever warm hearted, organised the relief, and those who were with him deserve great credit for their exertions.

English papers of tlie last month tell of another singular case of lapse of memory in which a girl at Carlisle who had gone out ill a boat, got capsized aud had to swim ashore. She then mysteriously disappeared, and was not found till some time afterwards, when she turned up in lodgings at Manchester, her landlady having recognised her from published descriptions of the person missing, and communicated with her friends. The girl's mind had been a blank from the moment of emergence from the lake, and she had walked across the fields to Windermere, and thence took train to Manchester, the past being a void to her. This experience is matched by that of a Wellington lady a few months ago. She was at a seaside resort, and in bathing slipped on a boating skid and fell heavily. A few minutes afterwards she felt a helpless mental sensation, being unable to recall anything that had happened prior to the mishap. Under medical treatment her memory returned after a few days, but she describes the feeling of terror that was experienced in the interval as one of the most dreadful she has ever gone through. —Auckland Observer.

The Oamaru Mail says that it has heard of quite a number of instances in which farmers have lately found dead lambs, bearing unmistakable signs that death had been caused by stoats or weasels. In one case, a farmer was awakened a few nights since by hearing an unusual noise among his ewes and lambs. Thinking the dogs were worrying the animals, he went out to investigate matters, but in the yard he could not see anything to cause a commotion. The next morning, however, he found no less than 12 dead lambs, and there could be no doubt as to the cause, for in every case the stoats, weasels or ferrets had left behind them sufficient evidence to justify a crusade against the whole family. The mode of operation pursued by the little depredators is to puncture behind the ear the animals they fasten on to, and then, having removed the ear take out the tongue.