NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 1, 10 April 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

In consequence of the non-arrival of some of our printing plant, we have been reluctantly compelled to issue a smaller paper than we intended. £» ext Saturday, however, we hope to have everything complete, and we shall then produce a sheet similar in size to the Wanganui papers. There will be no publication of the paper on Wednesday next, in order that we may be able to get everything into thorough working orcfer, but after next .Saturday the Star will be issued regularly twice a week. We have to apologise for holding over our Wellington Letter, correspondence on the subject of the Normanby railway site, the petition handed in by Mr. Allen to tho Hon. Mr. Oliver, notices of the County Council and Road Board meetings, and also a description of the handsome shop built by Messrs. Whittaker Bros., which reflects credit not alone upon the owners, but also upon Huwera.

Some time ago Mr: T. Ecclesfield offered two prizes for the best butter and cheese makers in the Hawera district. The first prize was given to Mrs. Gore, and as there was no cheese made in the district at the time, the second prize waa awarded to Mrs. Riddle, of Waihi, for the second best quality of butter. This year Mr. Ecclesfield again offers two prizes of a guinea each for the beet butter and cheese makers, and also a guinea for the best-kept garden.

Two beautiful meteors, were observed on Wednesday bight — the first one at about eight o'clock, and the second jtt

Ujalf-paat ten. gentlemen who happSwa? I M5'T)e visiting Opunake had a full view of the' first meteor, and th£y describe the effect as being very beautiful. It appeared as if it descended into the sea, and presents not Ling of a rockft t - 1 .i v * rjjpearance, as it generally the case. The one later in the evening burst into a grand flame, and then shot off like a rocket.

We regret to learn that the second son of bis Excellency the Marquis of Normanby died a few days ago at Melbourne. Another of Dr. Featherston's family — Miss / Marion Louisa, his sixth daughter — baa succumbed to the fatal family malady — consumption-r-at the age of twenty-seven years. The late Miss Featherston was a universal favorite with all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance.

The charge brought by a solicitor at Ashburton against Mr. Joseph Ivess, proprietor of the Ashburton and Patea Mails, has fallen to the ground, as Mr. Joynt, the Crown Prosecutor, refused to proceed further- with the matter. The charge appeared to us a very frivolous one, and we ase glad to find that Mr. Joynt is possessed of more common sense than the magistrates who committed Mr. Ivesß for trial. .

The silver cup presented by Mr. Felix McGuire, for competition amongst the Volunteers of the county, has fallen to the lot of Mr. P. Dolan, of Normanby, who made the very remarkable soore of 55 out of a possible 60. The cup is now on view in Mr. Dolan'a window, Normanby, where it is very much admired, especially by some of the Natives, groups of whom can be frequently heard discussing its merits.

Several new settlers have recently come to Hawera, amongst whom is Mr. E. Pulford, late of Napier, who has taken over Mr. George McLean's business. Mr. Pulford is well' known to the " gentlemen of the road," and as he has had, a large 'business experience in the colony, he cannot fail to prove a very desirable acquisition to Hawera. -Mr. S. Dixon, late of Caalyle, who was at one time well known on thiß coast as a hotelkeeper, has thrown in his lot amongst us, out is now pursuing his calling as a painter and decorator. Mr. Whittington, bricklayer, is also a new. arrival ; and all speak favourably of the district, and Are hopeful of -Itsjature prospects.

It is proposed to hold a " World's Exhibition " in Is ew Tork in the spring of 1883. A telegram was received by a gentleman in Hawera yesterday, stating that the steamer Patea was expected to arrive in Carlyle to-morrow, and that she would sail for Wellington on Tuesday.

A child of four years met with a pain> ful accident at Ilalcombe last week. Mr. Hurtord, the father, was cutting chaff by horse-power, and had left the machine for a moment, wu n the child came up and put its hands on the cogs of the machine. Two of the cogs meeting on the hand, severed one of the fingers at the second joint. The poor child must have Bufiered intensely.

One feature of the last eruption of Kilauea, the remarkable volcano in the Sandwich Islands, is the fact that the great molten lake of lava, occupying a huge cauldron nearly a mile in width, and known as the " South Lake," was drawn off subterraneously, giving no warning of its movements and leaving no visible indication of its pathway or the place of its final deposit. The old process of replenishment which had gone on since the last eruption in 1868 is reported to have begun again, and after another decade another disgorgement may take place.

In recording a verdict of wilful murder against Robert Butler for the murd r of the Dewar family at Dunedin, the coroner's jury added the following significant rider :—": — " The jury are further of opinion that Robert Butler should have been present during the inquest, as it appears to them his absence thereat was conu\.ry to the principles ol justice and of fail- play ; and further, his absence has greatly weighed with many of the jury, who felt that they were scarcely in a position to return a verdict against a prisoner who was not present to hear the proceedings, to cross-examine upon them, and, if he chose, to give evidence." The coroner is also reported to hve said — " lam very gLid such a rider has been given, as it has been a source of great anxiety and regret to me that tho prisoner was not present ; and I hope that your rider, which I shall forward to the 'Government, v/ili have the effect of preventing a thing of this kind in the future."