NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 345, 15 November 1882, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

The Borough Council meets this evening for the transaction of ordinary business. There is a motion by Councillor King, favoring the making of a local valuation by the Borough valuer, instead of accepting the gift of the property tax valuation ; and a couple of notices re recreation reserve.

In connection with the mayoral election, we learn that Mr. Murray Thomson's nomination paper was deposited with the Town Clerk to-day, and bears the signatures of Messrs. Pitcher and Pulford. Mr. K. H. Nolan was spoken of as a candidate, and would have come forward under certain circumstances. Mr. Furlong's name is likewise mentioned, but we believe without authority at present ; and there are rumours of a '• dark horse," who is to run in opposition to Messrs. Thomson and Bate. A few days no doubt will. show whether there will be any more candidates. Mr. Thomson's address , will be found in another column. Later we learn that Mr. Thomson was nominated a second time, by Messrs. Davidson and King. Still later, and just before going to press, we learn that Mr. Furlong- has definitely decided to stand for the Mayoralty.

Messrs. Langley Bros, have disposed of their bakery business at Manaia, and intend carrying on the general store business in their new- premises.

The Kaupokonui bridge is being repaired at last ; bat, judging from the few hands employed, it will be some time before the works are comnletecl.

The New Zealand Insurance Company has bought the business of the Queensland company, which succumbed to the excessive competition in that colony.

The Hawera portion of the English mail arrived per coach to-day. It consisted of 200 letters, 43 books, and 300 papers.

We note that a couple of fat cows sent to Auckland show by Messrs. R. H. Nolan and Co. took prizes. They were from the run of Mr. Winks. Two fat bullocks would no doubt have come in for similar honors were it not that they suffered somewhat on the trip up.

Mr. W. Hutchison, M.H.R. for Wellington South, accompanied by his sou, Mr. George Hutchison, of Wanganui, passed through to-day en route for Auckland and the Hot Springs. Mr. Hutchison, sen., has not been in robust health lately, and hopes to derive advantage from his trip; while Mr. George Hutchison seeks relief from the pressure of business.

The friends of Mr. and Mrs. McGuire aud family -will be glad to hear that they had a very pleasant trip to Auckland. Leaving New Plymouth on the evening of Saturday, they reached Onehungagat 10 a.m. next morning after a very fine trip, and dined comfortably in their new home at Parnell at noou. This was pretty good travelling. Mr. McGuire returned to Hawera to-day.

The people who should be most thankful for the new totalisator rule, which awards the money to the winning horse, and not to the first past the post, are (says the Wanganui Herald) Messrs. Hill and Poole. The perquisites that fall into their bauds through this simple arrangement, would satisfy even the exacting Mr. Yellowplush. Mr. Poole's face is really a study when a person presents him with a torn ticket of a second horse, after the first horse has been disqualified. The humorous twinkle in his eye as he points to the rules of the totalisator, and refuses to pay over on a defaced ticket is what galls the unfortunate one. Thus the fury of the Patea auctioneer at the Waveiley races, after the disqualification of Bingleader, is easily understood. It is not known what were the takings of Messrs. Hill and Poole on this event ; but in the case of Dhudeen on the Wanganui racecourse, their gains were something considerable.

The Drill Hall Committee and the proprietors of " Round the World in Twenty Minutes" have arranged for a performance to be given by the latter in aid of the drill hall funds, on Monday evening next. Those who have had an opportunity of being present at the entertainment all speak very highly of it, and it is calculated that the intrinsic merit of the show, and further the desirableness of reducing the debt on the drill hall, will combine to attract a large audience. It may be explained that there is at present a debt on the hall o£ about £160, for which members of the committee are personally liable, and while they are quite -willing to bear the responsibility they have undertaken, naturally they desire to see money coming in to pay interest and incidental expenses so that the indebtedness shall not become greater but gradually lesa. As Mr. Power has given an opportunity for helping the committee, it is to be hoped that the opportunity will be taken advantage of by local residents.

In an article on the Native Land Court and lawyers the Rangitikei Advocate says : — We are reliably informed that if the Bangatira case come again before the court and lawyers be admitted, the expenses will amount to between Fix and seven thousand pounds, and the owners of the block after settling day will find that not only will they not receive a shilling, but they will positively be iv debt. This is surely a melancholy instance of "man's inhumanity to man." But we h.ive heard of a still worse one. Certain Maoris owned a valuable block of laud, they fought over their respective in it. It was, after prolonged delays and enormous expense, passed through the court. They then found that not only was there no money coming to them, but they were heavily in debt to the legal harpies. One of their number was sued for legal expenses, and judgment was given against him. Subsequently a judgment summons was taken out, and the final result was that he found himself not only stripped of his inheritance, but lodged iv gaol for a debt incurred in endeavouring to prove his title to it.

Archibald Forbes, writing iv the Sydney Morning Heruld about his visit to Tasmania, says ;— " Mining enterprise has a strong tendency to warm up into mining speculation, and mining speculation, spelt short, may be written down ' gambling.' They seem a hard-headed race, these islanders, and probably up till now they have been chiefly engaged in supplying a lull stock of gambling counters for alien gamesters, they themselves being content to keep the tables and rake in the stakes. Happy is the man who has nothing to lose. But • Tullochgorums, 1 for instance, partly make one's mouth water, partly make his hair stand on baud. In the middle of last week you might have bought ' Tnllochgorums ' at £15 a share. On Friday last, ' Tullochgorums,' rose by leaps and bounds— £2o, MO, .£SO, £70. To-day there are buyers at £50, while the lucky holders stand out for £75. When I am told that this bound represents no very specific prospect, far less any return, and further less still auy dividend, two things occur to me : First, that with stern promptitude, were I a lucky holder, I should cease to be one, and depart in peace with my realised plunder; and, secondly, that gambling in shares is a disease which has Bpread into Tasmania."

The following additional particulars of the fatal boat accident on the clay of the North Shore regatta, to which reference has been made in our telegram columns, are from the Auckland Star : — One of the heaviest squalls that has visited our harbor occurred at about 10 o'clock this morning. At that hour a number of small craft were preparing for the races in the North Shore regatta, and the large cutter race had just started. The vessels engaged in that race were the Euphemia, Henry, Half Caste, aud Oannet. These were going up the harbor with all sail set. The gale could be seen coming off the land, and many of the crews of the small open boats at once took in all sail. Other boats, which kept canvas standing, foundered, but the crews managed to get ashore in safety. Although the masters of the four cutters observed the squall coming down on them, the spirit of competition was so strong that not a reef was taken in. When struck by the gale the vessels heeled over to leeward, the Gannet apparently going clean over on beam end. After a few moments of terrible anxiety she slowly righted. The Euphemia next experienced the full force of the gale. The crew state that after she heeled over to the first puff her' ballast shifted to leeward. Some of the men, seeing that the position was critical, took off the hatches ' with the intention of rectifying the mishap below. They were too late, however. Ere they could carry out their intention, a second 6quall struck the vessel, she went on her side and commenced to fill.

The building of the new Post and Telegraph Offices at Manaia is to be started next month.

Further down the coast very severe weather has been experienced lately for this season of the year. The Rangitikei Advocate has been informed by several settlers in the Kiwitea block that early on Thursday morning the ground was quite covered with snow. In some places it lay more than an inch in depth.

The news of the victory of Navigator iv the Derby was received at Renter's office in Wellington, New Zealand, before the winning jockey had dismounted, the actual time occupied in transmission from the Flemington course being less than five minutes. Such a feat of telegraphy over a distance of nearly 2000 miles has scarcely ever been equalled. But what about the two hours and so difference in time between Melbourne and Wellington ?

Au Anckland paper reports that there are at present in that town " two speci* mens of a nearly extinct people," the Morioris, or aborigines of the Chatham Islands. Some early voyagers told the Maoris about the Chatham Islands, and a chief of Taranaki went over and subdued the natives, of whom only a few of the pure-bred blood are now left.

The disqualification of Ringleader at the Waverley races has caused some inquiry as to the definition of a hack horse. It appears that this is a matter about which Jockey Clubs are not very clear. However, the definition adopted by the Wanganui Jockey Club, under -whose rules the Waverley event was run, is simply " a horse that has never won an advertised race."

A strange fish was caught on the Otaki beach the other day. It was sent to Dr. Hector, of the Museum, Wellington, who telegraphed in reply — " Thanks for fish. It is Lampris Lund, a Mediterranean fish, not previously seen in the South Seas. It is between the Tunny and John Dorry." Constable Carr, who was for some time at Poverty Bay informs the Foxton Herald that the fish is frequently found off the Eastern Coast, and to his knowledge has been caught by Mr. Bendall, a brother of Captain Bendall, of Poverty Bay, with a hook, off the Mahia Peninsula, and also by others. Mr. Carr also says that the natives of that coast call the fish Pakura.

Fifty pounds weight of specimens taken from the Success mine, Coromandel, says the Auckland Star, were exhibited at the office of one of the directors in town a few days ago, and were considered among the handsomest specimens ever seen iv Auckland. It ia needless to say that the shareholders, who passed them from hand to hand to examine them, were moved to admiration, and on to enthusiasm. One piece of stone, weighing four pounds, was estimated to contain somewhere near 25 ounces of gold. It was of blue quartze, in which, for a thickness of nearly 2in., the gold everywhere predominated, cropping out on one side in glittering yellow flakes. This was the largest specimen, but there were many others just as pretty to look at and equally rich. The mine manager's report sent with the present parcel states that the show continues good.

The Melbourne Age has the following : "It will interest many of the students of our University to know that the articles, ' A Cruise in a Queensland Slaver, ' now appearing in the pages of the Leader, " are from the pen of one of their number — viz., Mr Earnest Morrison, son of the principal of the Geelong Colledge. This gentleman has before distinguished himself by walking from Adelade to Geelong, and by going down the Murray 1500 miles alone in a Rob Roy canoe. The idea of a gentleman shipping as a sailor before the mast in a ship taking a crew of kanakas to their native islands is new and daring, and we hope that his venturesome voyage will have a wider interest than merely for University circles. "

A preliminary meeting of burgesses desirous of marking their sense of the services rendered to the borough by Mr. F. McGuire prior to his departure from Hawera, was held at the Egmont Hotel last evening. Thei'e were present : Messrs. R. H. Nolan (in the chair), Matthews, M. D. King, Armit, Bate, Thomson, Pulford, J. S. Adams, W. G. White, and Prichard, and Dr. Richards. After some discussion it was resolved to give Mr. McGuire a dinner, 40 having already agreed to take tickets, and to present him with an address ; and a general committee was formed, consisting of those present, and including the names of Captain Wilson, Messrs. Furlong, Laishley, Parkinson, and others, with power to add to their number. An executive committee was formed, to consist of Messrs. Matthews, Pulford, W. G. White, -M. D. King, and Dr. Richards. The meeting then adjourned.

A society has been organised in England to excavate the Delta of the Nile. It is proposed to raise a fund for the purpose of conducting excavations of the Delta, which up to this time has been rarely visited by travellers. Here must, undoubtedly, lie concealed the documents of a lost period of Bible history — documents which will furnish the key to a whole series of perplexing problems. The position of the land of Goshen is now ascertained. The site of its capital, Goshen, is indicated only by a lofty mound ; but under this mound, if anywhere, are to be found the missing records of those four centuries of the Hebrew sojourn in Egypt, which are passed over in a few veises of the Bible, so that the history of the Irraelites during that age is almost a blank. Pi thorn and Barneses, the " treasure " or store cities built during the opression, would richly repay exploration.

A telegram was received' from Brisbane, dated 30th October, to the effect that the schooner Roderick Dhu, engaged in the labor trade, had arrived at Maryborough from Polynesia. On her outward voyage she earned a number of natives whose term of service in Queensland had expired. Shortly after leaving Maryborough an insane islander ran amuck, and tomahawked Mr. Fellows, the Government agent. The madman was immediately shot dead. While the Roderick Dhu was recruiting islanders, her boats were frequently fired upon from the shore. Rifles have become so plentiful in the islands generally resorted to that recruiting has become exceedingly difficult and dangerous. Some of the Roderick Dim's ''return boys" were landed at Paaina, and were iniinediatoly seized and murdered, and afterwards eaten by the inhabitants. The Roderick Dhu spoke the schooner Helena (atao from Maryborough), who reported that some of her " boys " were landed at Apii, and immediately murdered by the people there. The bodies, which were left on the beach, were recovered by a boat's crew from the Helena, and buried at sea. The Helena further reported that while tbeboats were away recruiting, a number of Tonoa islanders boarded the schooner, and incited the recruits to seize the vessel. When the boats returned a serious conflict ensued. The mutiny was quelled, but not before three of the marauders had been killed.

Messrs. R. H. Nolan and Co. sell stock at Manaia to-morrow at one p.m. • Messrs. G. and P. Homer sell stock at Manaia to-morrow at eleven a.m.

Nominations for Waitara Kaces close on Saturday. ■ ,

Mr. J. , Gilmour, jun., Manaia, has a business announcement.

Mr. M. Deegan has purchased the bakery business at Manaia, lately barried on by Messrs. Langley land Co.