NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XVII, Issue 7276, 13 August 1901, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Mangatoki and Opunake notes and football will be found on fourth page ; also, Borough balance-sheet • The 8.8. Glenelg leaves Onehunga tomorrow for Opunake and Wanganui. Prince Henry of Orleans, whose death is reported from Saigon in Cambodia, was in his thirty-fourth year. In the Opera House, to-morrow evening, the plain and fanoy dress ball promoted by the local lodge of Druids will be held, and the attendanoe of the publio is likely to be large. They were discussing an abstruse arithmetical problem in the District Court on Monday, which led Judge Kettle to remark " I doubt if even a Government land valuer could do it." Whereat theie were smiles. [ A considerable number of sheep have been lost in the Pahiatua district through sheep worrying. In the District Court to-day, judgment was given for plaintiff in the case Peebles v. Bate and others. The question of amount of damages was reserved. The gold exported from New Zealand during six months ending June 30th totalled 217,4780z5, of the value of £844,888, which is a record for the past ten years. The Wellington Post reprints -the letter which Mr John Holmes sent to the Stab on the subject of a Dairy Exchange. As the Agricultural Association did not take the matter up, perhaps the Chamber of Commerce will see if anything can be done. A cable to' the World from London says : — Portia Knight's breach of promise suit against the Doke of Manchester ib set down for a hearing, but as some 150 cases are ahead of it on the Hat, it will probably not be reached before the October sitting. Colonel Knight has arrived from America to support his daughter through the trying ordeal. Damages are placed at 50.000d01., but the Duke shows no signs of coming to a settlement. He denies making any promise, and deolines to believe that the suit will ever come to trial. Miss Knight, on the other hand, declares that unless ample consideration is offered, she will prosecute her claim, alleging that she has evidence, both circumstantial and documentary, which no jury can disregard. At New Plymouth, the standard-bred trotting stallions — Luxington and Baznine (both by Berlin)— were landed by the Upolu from the South on Monday morning, both horses having been purchased by Mr J. W. Burke, of Mangatoki, who intends to place them at the services of breeders this coming season. Both stallions* possess plenty of bone and substance, and should prove of great value in this district in breeding a good useful class of horse. Mr Burke, who has had considerable experience in horses, is confident that ho has secured a clasa of etallion to suit the needs of the district. * In the course of an artiole on the late Sir John MeKenzie, the Lyttelton Times remarks: — "His birth and training unfitted John MeKenzie in most respects for the career of a statesman. He lacked almost everything we know as education. He was a shepherd lad of the Highlands, unlettered, untaught, save by the mountains, the winds and the trees, and thoso unseen tutors that circle round the heads of the. children of the hills. Sheer native genius made him what he was. Beading, writing, and summing, and none in any degree of excellence, were his sole accomplishments at an age when New Zealand youths have long left school. When he came to New Zealand, a young man whose one idea was to obtain land and farm it for himself, he is said to have found the Saxon speech still a matter of difficulty. Indeed, it often happened that as a Minister of the Crown, moving the second readings of important bills, he toiled hopelessly to find the words he needed, and in moments of excitement he frequently expressed with painful frankness, at times it seemed almost brutality, ideas whiohhe would fain have clothed in softer and more polished words. His speech was always rougher than his heart, and no man listening to his addresses on the subject dearest to him could miss tho intense earnestness of his spirit. ' Honest John ' they called him in those days, appreciated the fact that though his- words might be hard, his actions and his thoughts were genuine and his motives pure. His lack of culture makes his achievement the more remarkable, for he belonged absolutely to the practical type of Scotsman. There are Bcholars and metaphysicians born in the Scotch mists, but he was none of them. He bad none of the saving graces, the facility of expression, the ease of gesture, the musical tone of voice that help out the orator. He was wanting largely even in the sense of humor. But he had depth of mind, and above all a great earnestness of purpose that compelled attention."