Untitled

Marlborough Express, Volume XI, Issue 875, 13 December 1876, Page 5

We have received a letter from Mr. Sinclair, m reply to Mr C. J. Eao's last letter, but hold it over for further consideration. • It is reported m Auckland that Sir Genrge Gr«v has bsen offeree! the Governorship of Cape Colony, hut that he has declined it. We sincerly hopa that he will reconsider the matter, and clear out before next session. Thosr who tnke any interest m the Boxing-Day sports at Renwicktown may h? m~ terested m the information that the nominations for the handicap foot races most be sent m by the 14th instant. As far as w« can learn the sports promise to be an unqualified success. We have to remind the Omaka ratppayors that unless they pay their rates immediately they will be sued. As legal proceedings " pile on" the costs we would advise those who have not already paid up to do so without any further delay. A numbrr of farmers residing m the Spring; Creek district have recently imported a B^eam threshing machine from England, and intfcnd giving a public exhibition of its mode of working at the farm of Mr H. Redwood on Monday next (not Saturday as previously announced). The machine is worked by steam, and the only fuel required is straw, with which ib feeds itself as it goes alone. We understand that Mr Thompson, the Surveyor-General of New Z ;aland, a few days man wrote to Mr Macklin, the head master of t c Bnrongh School here, requesting him to s^ito whether he could send np some boys to t 'ke cadetships m the Survey Department. Mr Micklin replied tliat he could rlo ao, and yesterday five of the pupils were examined n drawing, decimals, measurement of plane surtace* m theory and practice, and Euclid (Ist honk). The examination was cor ducted by Mr Macklin and Mr Fell, the lash named gentleman having consented to assist. The names of the boys who have be^n examined are E.. W. Farmar, Arthur O'ark, Edward Robinsoi, John Emerson and Doualas D >bson. The work waa continned this morning and the result of the examination will be forwarded to the Surrey Department.

There will be a-tnt-enn^ of'th- W'airau River Board at Mr Eeclos' 0/15 .-c <:%\ half-puf.t seven o'clock this evening.

At m meeting of the Joinf. C->>iimitb«* m l the. Friendly Societies, held on Mo-uidy evening, it was decided thrafc the Annual Ball should be held at E wart's Hall on Nesv Year's night.

A beg inking has now been made m the way of erecting buildings iv" the place of thoae. which were destroyed by the late (ire. Messrs Liteh field and Son have men ai work on their se.cticn, and m a few weeks they will have a haudsorne building where their old shop stood. The following tenders have been received by Nlessra Litchfleld and Son :— For Drapery fittings : -Dark. £87; Masoa, £88 ; Bythell, £90; Knight, £09;- Wetnyss, £125. For Grocery fittings : Knight. £34 10s ; Bythell, £40 • Mason, £42 Sa ; Dark, £45 ; Werayss, £49 9s. The lowest tender m each case, was accepted.

We learn that Y>v Smith, of Wynenstrcet, is having plans prepared for liis new premises. The building is to be erected ou the situ of his old premises, which were destroyed by the late fire. It is to be of iron from top to bottom, and is to be constructed on an entirely new principle. The windows are to he. made of wire gauze The fcinsmilh's and engineer's shops %re to he m front, and the blacksmith's behind. The frontage will be 40 feet by 50 feefc depth. The proposed buildings will lie described more accurately when the plans nve. completed.

Thb giant Chen Xi Chee,. who lately arrived m Dnnedin by the s.s. Albion, is -the largest mail m existence, and is described by the Olitqo Daily Times as a native of the province of.Shangtuug, North China. This huge celestial is accompanied by his agent and Secretary, Mr Starick, and two or- three personal attendants. He certainly I*3 an immense man ; he measures 7ft. 9in. m height, and f>ft. round tho chest. His weight is said to be 29 stone 61bs., and so great m hi 3 personal strength that he lifts with tho greatest ea3e a weight equal to a ton. He is comparatively young, only just having completed his thirtieth year, and notwithstanding his immense size, moves about with ease and rapidity.

Those who know the schooner Falcon winch has so long traded between Blenheim and Wellington, will have noticed the groat improvement which has recently been made m her appearance. .She has been laid rip -in Wellington fora fortnight, and has undergone a comnlete overhauling. She has now an entirely new deck, several new beams and knees, and her ironwork has been m some places renewed. She now beara the appearance of a newjy-built craft. Captain Fiak expresses the opinion that the Falcon is as goo.l a boat as when 3he was first launched.

At the Borough Council meeting on Monday last . Councillor {Robinson drew {attention to the fact that at present the inspector of Nuisances had to report the existence of a nuisance to the Council, before he could take any steps to remove it. He intimated his intention of endeavouring to effect some reform m eonnecMon with {the mntter at the next meeting of ; •the Council. It cfcr L ainlydo23 seem absurd that if the Inspector becomes aware that a nuisance exists m any place he cannot, remove ''t wi'h »ut consulting the Council. This savours very atron»ly of "red-tnpe," and it is to lie hoped that Councillor Robinson will me?t with no opposition when he brings forward his motion for reform.- Wo do not believe that m any other town m the Colony is the Inspector of Nuisances so restricted m his action. , ■ ■

Neiv Years Spouts. — A meeting of those interested m getting UP Sports to be held on New Years Day, was held at Cuntly'a Hotel list night. Thera was a fair attendance. Mr G riling was voted to the chair. A large and influential working Committee was formed, and an excellent programme (which is published m another column) agreed upon. The following were also npnointed ; — Judge, Mr F. Dodson ; Starter, Mr Fell ; Treasurer, Mr Girling ; St'C: retary, Mr Taylor; Handicapped; Messrs Gurling, Cundy. Stevenson, Gillespie and Chas. Elliott. Since the above was m type we learn that Messrs Dodson and Stevenson decline to ■ 3b.

A sPKCiA.ii meeting of the Cimmifctee of the Marlhnrnugh Teachers' Association was held m the Schonl-ronm on Saturday last. ■ The meeting was called to take into consideration the proposed examination of scholars immediately after the Christmas holidays. Mb was resolved that a depuration wait on the Chairman of the Board, and point out. that the majority of the m"st advanced pupils leave school finally at the end of the year, that a good attendance of the remainder is never obtained for some considerable time after the holidays, particularly m country places ; and that, if a few scholars are so situated that none of the pupils leave, and that all can be gathered together for the examination, an unfair comparison will l>n drawn betwenthera and the schools not so situated. The deputation wai also instructed to poi:!f, nut th^t the mere examination of the school* bad no effect m raiding the status of education m the Province. After their interview with Mr Seymon»\ the deputation reported that; a message had been forwarded that morning 'o Mr l>e desiring him to come over before the holidays, but nnto that tim°. no answer had been received. [On enqniry to-day a 1 "- noon we learned that no reply has yet been received. — Ed. M.E.]

As the Elpction of members of County Boards i* to take place phovtly, it maybe of interest to the public to know who are likply to off-r themselves to the electors as their representatives- So far as is at nresent known the under mentioned efnfclenien will probably be candidates for the Ridings named : — Wai ran : J. E. Hodson (declared) and Joseph Ward ; Omaka : T. O'Snllivan and 0. Redwood ; Pelorus : A. P. S'ynour,. (dclarpd) ; S'»rine Creek; E. Pnnl G. Dolson : Havelock . T> Onm, G. E. Levi-« C. Mills, and W. Crichton. It must lie understood thah the only two persons who have definitely stated their intention to stand are Mr Seymour and Mr Hudson. T'>o others are merely talked of as probable candidate*. Nominations of candidates must be sent m to the various Eeturning Officers bj r 12 o'clock on Saturday next. . . ■

Dnnvo ilio. : asfc fvw il.-ivs ■•'< niiin u;i»hhl J-hn P.iyna h.is b; en knocking a'-on 1 t.' .- (■•wn m a drunken state, mid sl-efi- I:.'1 :.' 'n . t^'nin slo the diswunf <!■'£ and miensiviw -,f iw\ y ] »■, *ou?. H-> '.v iH an- s ! vd l.v-t n'ighr. ;>■! i rh ; 3 n.i>-T»irs^ \\=i3 lnought before 8. L. Mullor, E.-q. L». M. > a uiiarge (if vngraney. Toe man promised to go away. Inspector Emersnii did not press the cha g>, and his Worship havfng cautioned the pris'-ner aq-iius!; ofi'-n-linj agi : n. dismissed him.

Fire Police.— At recent meetings of the Blenheim Volunteer Fire Brigade the* propriety of establishing a Fire Police .-is an auxiliary to the regular police force has been discussed. Ab the close of the regular bu«ine"ss on Monday last, it was again brought up, 1 end the following resolution passed : — " That m the opinion of this Brig.vle it is desirable that a Fire Police should be established m the town to' assist the regular police force m preventing pillage at tires." As however it was felt, that the Brigade had 'sufficient duty, on hand, while the new body required the sanction of the authorities to obtain a legal standing, and to be brought into practical effect, ib was further resolved " That the above resolution be forwarded to the Borough Council with the expression of a hope that the Council will take steps to carry it into practical effect." This h.is since been done, and as will be observed m .our report of the B.irougli Council's meeting, the matter was referred to Mr Seymour.

Fire. — On Sunday evening last about 10 o'clock, just as' Mr Paul of Moorlands was retiring to rest, he noticed a glare isi the direction of the stables, and calling out " fire " rushed off to the spot. Tearing open tho door.his valuable entire Koyai Conqurer, who was not tied up, rushed out and was fortunately saved. Fastened, up m another box was the well-known True Brition, "but he was fastened. Mr Paul made three ineffectual attempts to get the tether off his neck but m vain, and the poor horse was severely burnt, and on the following morning had to be shot. Meantime, the fire raged furiously, and all the harness, provender, &c. was utterly consumed, nothing whatever being saved except the first-named horse. The insurance on the building was L2OO only, while its value was considered to be about L4OO. There was no insui'ance on any other part of the property. Mr Paul considers that he owes the preservation of bis. residence entirely to the trees which grew between it and the stables. He has not the least idea how the -fire originated, as no person was near with a li»ht during the evening. When last seen at 9 pin. there was no semblance of fire and everything was quite m darkness.

Staktmxg Evknt. — Old Hayb.ill, of Maxwell Road, bad a narrow escri'pc. last night. He is naturally a timid man, and, since hearing of the -Maunga'tnpu murders, ha? not cared much about heing out after midnight;, especially when the night is drk. List night., however, he remained ont rather longer than usual, ;\u«l when he left his friend's house where be had been having eujiper he wan, though not exactly drunk, yet inthat state which by some i 3 called " joliy," and by others " a little on." He was going slowly along thn footpath near the Catholic Chapel, and looking at the stars, and wondering now the deuce those fellows oonld tell when a comet wonld appear, and when Venus would get hetwesn us and the moon ; m short he was thinking .of an.otherwcrll altogether, w! n he fumbld gunst something ' This brought liiin back to thu stern realties of life again, and he, ondeavonring to "still the beating of his heart," began to explore and feel around for the thing over which he had stumWerl. It was very dark ; presently hn got bolfi of something which he thought was a part of the fence and sit down upon it to wipe his heatedg brow. But no sooner had he sat down than ho came to the conclusion that he had got into a balloon, for the thing he had sat down upon went down and another thing came up and, as he thought, made a desperate attempt to throw him down. He immediately jumped to the conclusion that somebody wns trying to murder him", but at the same time he thought that that somebody had muscles of steel. He punched away rijrht and left at the thing which was struggling with him, but the more he punched the more he felt it, while his opponent didn't utter a solitary groan. He let go his hold m order to draw breath, liutnosoonfu-had hedoriesothan he was dashed to the earth by his adveraary, who came down on top of him. He screamed "murder," and struggling frantically, managed to get clear. Then he stood a few' yards off, panting, and roared, " You murdering villians ! You'll attack me "with a lot of telegraph poles and an iron. bar, will you ?" He got no answer, and mustering up his courage", went back to the footpath, where by the light of a match he saw a wheelbarrow lying upside down. 'Prom subsequent enquiries we learn that an inoffensive and absent-minded geuti»>man had forgotten to bring • big wheelbarrow off the footpa.h. IT ay hall's bands are cut, and he says that whatever may be the result hn will keep sober enonch m future to know the difference between a wheelbarrow and a murderer. Al. present it is hardly safe to use the word "wheelbarrow" m his presence. He owns that he was fearfully scared when he saw the bnrrow rear up on its hind legs and erin at Mm— he swenrs it grinned— but he avers that he would have bepn all right now if he hadn't mittaken the handle of the barrow for part of fie fence and sat down upon it. A vrcitY graceful compliment, says the Namer Telegraph, has been paid by the Government to Captain Fairohild for the services he rendered m recovering the broken ends of the Cook Strait cuble. Having refused any remuneration for this service himself, the G-orernmenfc have recently prpsented to Mrs Fairchild a handsome set of diamond earrings nnd locket to match, accompanied by a congratulatory letter to the captain. '

Jaundiced Views.— The billious nnd dyspeptic subject takes " jaundiced views " of everything, always looks at the., worst side.. He is dns'ponrlent, gloomy, full of forebodings, m short a most wretched individual. Let him taka heart of grace. There is a certain remedy fnr-.< Ills denression, for his gastric tortures, for all fchn ills that a disordered stomach nnd livee inflict.. Udolpho Wolfe's Sohiedtm Aroma.t:o SctinapP3, (aken ihriee a day, will make a different mau of him m a month.