NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1840, 28 January 1888, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Meeting of Egmont Eacing Club members to-night.

Manaia Athletic Club members meet this evening.

Inquest at New Plymouth to be resumed on Monday ; a good many witnesses summoned from Hawera.

The Borough Council meets on Wednesday next. In an advertisement which has been appearing lately calling for tenders for gravelling, a typographical error has occurred, by which " 10th " has been printed for " Ist." The tenders close on Wednesday next, Ist Februayy.

It is to be regretted that petty thefts are not nearly as uncommon as they should be in this district. One of these occurred in the borough on Friday. One of our employes is in the habit of keeping a saddle under a fence during the day. On proceeding to the paddock on the day in questiou, he found that his own girth — a leather oue — had been deliberately taken from the saddle, and an old broken cotton one placed in its stead.

The Lincoln sheep has now almost entirely, eaya the Queenslander, superseded all other breeds of English sheep iv this colony. This probably is due to the bountiful lustra of its wool. Indeed if wo except the small flock of Cotswolds and Shrospshire Downs of the hon Jos. Taylor and a small flock of Bomney Marsh sheep belonging to MessrE. Hodgson and Kamsay, all the coarse English sheep in Queensland may be said to be Lincolns. The Lincoln ib, however, not by any means one of the hardy breeds of English coarse wools. During the late severe drought in England it suffered more than any other breed, not even excepting the monster Oxford Downs, which is perhaps one of the most artificial and highly pampered of all English varieties. For hardiness, combined with early maturity and aptitude to fatten, no breed in Great Britain seem 6 to equal the Shropshire Downs. It appears to stand the vicissitudes of climate equally almost with the black faced Highlander, whilst in size it in vastly the superior of the latter. During the long and trying drought, the Shropshire was found fully equal to the South Down in the matter of '• rustling " for its food, as the Americans would say.

Lovers of sensation have long been sighing in vain after a new crime, and at last their aspiration has been gratified, through the offence, one must regretfully confess, is only a misdemeanour. A young gentleman in England has been convicted of personating somebody else in order to get into a jury-box. Never before has such a morbid desire entered into the heart of man. To avoid serving on a jury he haß sought out many inventions, the most famouß one being that squaring of some official with a ten-pound note to get him off the jury list for ever. Curious to see how it was done, the undutiful

citizen attended the court, and heard his own name three times called out by the crier. At the third time of asking a man in mournful garb arose, and observed pathetically, "Dead, my lord." " Poor fellow, scratch him out," said the judge. Yet here we have a yoiiDg fellow with even too much zeal to serve his country in the box. Of course, he got his guinea for the job, but gain does not appear to have been his object. His father pleads for him that he is " perfectly mad about the law ;" he must have something to do with it. Just as enthusiastic boys long to go to sea, he yearns to be an attorney. Heavens !

"A New Zealander Abroad," who is contributing some articles to the Dunedin Star, observes :—": — " After all lam glad to return to New Zealand. We growl at it a good deal, but with the possible exception of California, I saw no place in all my wanderings where I should more prefer to live and die. To be sure it has its drawbacks. We could wish more of this or less > of that, but take it all in all— in climatic influences, social conditions, material resources, and scenery — it is equal to any and superior to most. This is true especially in regard to scenery, I saw a good many of the " big shows " of this kind, of which we hear so much in the Old World. When one sees the harvests of wealth which places like the Eiviera, and Switzerland, and Italy reap from the stream of tourists that flow into them year by year, and when one compares what these places can offer in respect to scenery with what New Zealand can, I am convinced that we possess here, in the natural beauty of the country, a mine of untold riches, which has scarcely yet been worked. Of course these other places will always have tbe charm of historic memories ; ours want tbat, and it is an immeasurable want, It would pay the country, I think, if it could hire Tennyson, or Kuskin, or Gladstone, or some of these makers of history to come out and die abouc our lakes or rivers. It would give the flavor of pathos to them. It would lend that sanctity to our scenery which constitutes more than half the charm of the older countries. If the Yankees, e.g., possessed our Southern Alps, our hot and cold lakes, syndicates would make fortunes out of them in no time. Dion Boucicault is probably right in saying ' we have got a big show here, only we don't know how to run it.' "

Hawera County Council give notice of application for special loan for completion of metalling of Auroa road.

Nolan, Tonks and Co. sell Egmont race privileges on Thursday.

Mr. W. Cowern sells stock at Patea on Wednesday.

Wells' Hair Balsam. — If grey, restores to original color. An elegant dressing, softens and beautifies. No oil nor grease. A Tonic Restorative. Stops hair coming out; strengthens, cleanses, heals sealp — 2

Skinny Men.—" Wells' Health Renewer" restores health and vigor, cures Dyspepsia, Impotence, Sexual Debility. At chemist? •uul untwists. KompUionie, Prossor & Co. A. _ or. is. WellniiitOD — Advt. Z