NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume V, Issue 735, 29 February 1884, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

A quantity of oats were sown in the Whakaraara block this season, and the crops are reported as looking remarkably well. The land sale to-day was a failure. Of 280 sections offered, varying in upset price from £\ to £1 10s. per acre, only one was sold — viz., Sec. 32, Block VIII., Opuuake, 320 acres, which Mr. J. W. Kenah secured at the upset, 255. A supplementary English and European mail via San Francisco will close at the Hawera office on Saturday, the Ist day of March, at 2.45 p.m. Registered letters, 2.15 p.m. Money orders will be too late for this mail.

Captain Edwin reports as follows : — " Wellington, 12.43 p.m. Indications are for fine weather during the next twentyfour hours, but cold to-night." At a conference of State school inspectors, held in Melbourne, it was decided to recommend the adoption of an unsectarian work, with notes and lessons on moral subjects, as the text book in schools. Shearing (says the Mount Ida Chronicle) may now be considered as finally over for another year. On the whole, the wool clip, though light, has been fairly satisfactory, quality making up for quantity. About the best yield which has come under our notice was that of the Maniatoto Farming Company, which from a mixed flock of 2022 sheep obtained 7A tons of wool, or an average fleece of 88 J t !b. A j'oung English cyclist proposes to make a trip round the world on his bicycle, start from San Francisco, and cross the United States, by steamer from New York to Liverpool, ride to Dover, cross the channel to France, ride through Europe into Asiatic Turkey, thence through Persia, and Turkestan into China, leaving Shanghai by steamer and reaching 'Frisco after consuming a year on the journey. At Messrs. Nolan, Tonks, and Co.'s sale yesterday, all the stock advertised came forward. Prices showed no improvement for cattle ; reserves for sheep were not reached at the hammer, but the pens were sold afterwards. Cows fetched £2 10s ; calves, from 15s to 18s for good quality ; 18-months-old mixed, i' 3. For sheep, two-tooth wethers brought 10s 9d ; lambs, 5s 8d ; Romney rams, £2. This is the picture of the Mahdi drawn by the Austrian missionary, Father Dichtl. The conqueror of Kordofan, says this priest, is about 40 years old, tall, and of coppered complexion. An emissary sent to interview him some time ago found the Mahdi at Abba surrounded by about 500 or 600 followers, all of them naked with iron chain belts round their waists and with broad drawn swords in their hands. It is amusing to watch the political relations existing between Germany and Russia. One day we hear of the sovereigns of the two countries exchanging love messages of confidence and affection, and the next we are startled to learn that one or the other of them is making very suspicious movements ou the frontier, in the way of massing troops or erecting fortifications. The latest contribution to this contradictory sort of news is an article iv the Journal de St. Petersburg, upon the New-Year letter of the Emperor of Germany to the authorities of Berlin, welcoming the Kaiser's assurances of peace, which, it declares, will inspire universal confidence. Of course, this is the Czar speaking, but then it is quite likely, at the same moment, he is up to some deviltry on the German frontier. — English paper. Mr. John Marie Grace, at the special request of Mrs. Hardiman, the late Judge Manning's daughter, has interviewed the Native Minister for the purpose of urging the despatch of medical aid to the typhoid stricken natives of Waitapu and Herekino (Hokiauga district). The Native Minister said he had enquired into the matter, and was informed that no medical aid or medicines would be of auy avail until a better sanitary state of the village was obtained. He also said the Government had always spent, and were now spending, large sums in medicines and medical aid. Mr. Grace admitted the unsatisfactory situation of kaingas, and attributes it to the ignorance and apathy of the bulk of the natives. He recommended that laws of health should be made a compulsory branch of instruction in native schools ; that explanatory papers in Maori on iniectious and contagious diseases should be circulated amongst the teachers and the chiefs, and that prizes should be offered yearly for the best drained and most cleanly kainga or village ; the best built, the most roomy, and most cleanly whare, and for new kaingas on healthy sites, and also for the cleanest child on the year's average attendance ; that ordinary sanitary laws should, with prudeuce, be enforced against the Maori ; that a board of health for each kainga should be nominated or elected, and a Maori sanitary inspector should be appointed, or, in default of these latter provisions, that the work mentioned should be done by the resident magistrate, and that a building, to serve as a hospital, should be erected in every village half a mile from any whare. It is related of the late J. G. Francis* a well-known Victorian public man, that years ago he was one night awakened by the noise of some one moving about the house. He promptly jumped out of bed, and made for tho room from which the sound came. On opening the door he saw a man kneeling down on the floor trying to open a box. The burglar turned round, and Mr. Francis obtained a momentary glimpse of his features. The light was then blown out by the burglar, who thought of escaping by the window. Mr. Francis was in his nightdress, and without arms, and the room was in total darkness. Mr. Francis thought of nothing but capturing his man. He stepped into the room aud locked the door after him. In the struggle which followed, Mr. Fraucis fell undermost, but would not let go. The burglar, unable to free himself, then struck Mr. Fraucis on the head witli a hatchet. The blow knocked him senseless, and the burglar made Ins escape by the window. On the door being forced open, Mr. Francis was found lying helpless on the floor. The burglar was captured some time after. His identity was led up to by a peculiar circumstance. While the two were engaged in their deadly struggle, the burglar, as one means of disabling his opponent, bit him on the arm. The deep marks left in the flesh showed that the burglar had a remarkably fine and regular set of teeth, one of which was broken. This put the police on the track, and a carpenter who had been employed about the house, a convict out on leave, was afterwards fouud to be the man they wanted. He was convicted and hung,

Races at Oeo to-morrow. Programme m auotlier columu. C. C. Fleming has started a, Great Casli Sale of Bootb aud Shoes, which he is determined to slaughter at sn crifice for the next few days, and as this is the noted Cheap Cash House, we advise all to give a call and secure some of the Great Bargains now being offered at C. O. Flkmino's Cash Boot Warehouse.— A dvt. Sweet messages of love in the shape of Vulcutincs and amusing caricatures. Fred. Jonrs liiis just received a large consignment of Plush Brackets, Easels of Xmas Cards, Tennis Rackets and Balls, Photo. Birthday Cards, Helen's Babies, Infants' Swings. — Advt. Cricket.— Hawcr.i v. Opuiiukc and Parihaka. — O. H. Beresford wishes to inlorm his cricketing friends that his splendid assortment of Cricketing M.iterial must be sold rejj.u-dle&s of cost. — Advt. Wise Folly. — " For ten years my wife was confined to her bed with such a complication of ailments that no doctor could tell what was the matter or cure her, and I u&ed np a small fortune in humbug stuff. Six months ago I saw an American fl.ig with Hop Bitters on it, and I thought I would be a fool once more. I tried it, but my folly proved to be wisdom. Two bottles cured her, she is now as well and strong as any man's wife, and it cost me only two dollars.— H. W., Detroit, Mich. Read.— A»TT. Holowat's Pills. — Enfeebled existence. — This medicine embraces every attribute required in a general and domestic remedy. It overturns tho foundations of disease laid by defective food aud impure air. In obstructions or congestions of the liver, lungs, bowels, or and other organs, these Pills are especially serviceable and eminently successful. They should be kept in readiness in every family, being a medicine of incomparable utility for young persons, especially those of feeble constitutions. They never cause pain or irritate the most sensitive nerves or most tender bowels. Hollowav's "Pills are tho best known purifiers of the blood, the most active promoters of absorption aud secretion, thereby all poisonous aud obnoxious particle^ are removed from both solids au.l fluids.— Ad\t. Can't Pkkach Good.- No man can do a good job of work, preach a good sermon, try a lawsuit well, doctor a patient, or write a good article when he feels miserable and dull, with sluggish brain and unstrung nerves, and none should make the attempt m such a condition when it can be so easily and cheaply removed by a little Hop Bitterci. Look for. -Aim.

Fatal cases of sunstroke have occurred at Auckland. The Bourke thermometer recently gave a record of 172 in the sun. A steamer plying to the Thames ran out of coal a few days ago, while a long way from the wharf, and kept the boilers going with kauri gum, of which there was a large supply on board.