The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1875.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 50, 27 February 1875, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1875.

We are requested to state that the Maoawatu will leave for Wellington tonight at 11 o'clock sharp. Mr. Mabik reports the sale of Standard Insurance shares at 9t 9d; National, 24a 6d; South British, 50s. Citt Rifles. — The second competition for the Company's medal took place at the Maitai butts on Monday morning, when it was won by Lieut. Maclean, of the City Cadeta. Target, 6x6; ranges, 400, 500, and 600 yds ; position, nny. Below are the scores:-— Name. 400 yds 500 yda 600 yds Tl Lieut. Maclean 41324 43203 30342 41 Corpl. Burns ... 24422 32423 30243 40 Pvt. Davis ... 03424 22330 43302 35 P»t. Hood ... 33-234 02024 34020 32 Pvt. Aiken ... 40434 22423 02002 32 Col-Sergt. Burn 33342 00440 3230k 31 Sub-Lieut. Godfrey ... 04232 20404 02430 30 Corpl. Kitthing 32034 43040 03000 25 Lieut. Burn ... 20033 00224 22000 20 Christ Cbubch Parsonage. — We | understand that Mr C. W. Moon was the successful tenderer for Christ Church Parsonage, and that its erection will be proceeded with forthwith, Wanganui Races,— At the races yesterday, the Wanganui Handicap was

won by True Blue, Peer second, Tim Whiffler third. In the Hurdle Race, Butcher Boy, the Nelson horse, was third. The Victoria, a new steamer, larger than any of her predecessors, being 3985 tons register, ia advertised to leave Melbourne for London on the Ist May. The San Francisco correspondent of the AuckUnd Herald writing of Sir James Fergueeon, Bays:' — "Though Sir James came here attended by a most gentlemanly valet, he did not save his dignity from an American sell. 'Tis the custom here with the railway folks to tout for business, and every stranger who arrives in the city is at once button-holed, and almost; forced to buy tickets for a line he knows nothing of, or may not care to travel on. These touters are very smart fellows. One of them went after Sir James and talked him into the belief that he was a gieat railway magnate, who, having heard of the arrival of the distinguished and illustrious visitor, took the earliest opportunity of calling upon him, with a view of giving directions for his comfort. He assured Sir James that every attention would be paid to him, that his British prejudices would not be touched upon the raw, that, in fact, the lion of England would be made so comfortable he would have no chance of alarming the country hy an angry growl. As a mark of respect to Sir James, he had, with his own hands, brought the tickets necessary to his safe conduct acroßS the continent. Sir James was delighted, the sugar-coated bait was swallowed, and the shnrp runner pocketed the coin and commission that was lovely to behold. Fancy Sir James's rage when he discovered that he had been patronised \by a sharp Yankee only one remove from a cabby. Fanoy, also, the mild and gentle protest which he would lodge with his gentlemanly Valet." The Cbristchurch correspondent of the Z. Times writes :— " What I may call the joke of the hour, viz., the great cab question, is far from being settled. The City Council still keeps Ntbe cabstands strongly barricaded, the cabbies are constantly on the move, and a Cab Company is Bpoken of as likely to be floated in a few days. Forty summonses have been issued by the police during last week against cabbies for not ' moving on.' The climax of absurdity was reached when the Commissioner of Police caused ( some two hundred citizeus to be sworn in as special constables. Then alver- | tiaements nppeared informing 'special constables and other citizens' that bludgeons and other weapons of of Fence were on sale at S) and-so's shop, and the whole was crowned by the act of a wag who, by some means or other, managed to hoodwink the I.ytlelton Times. The individual in question contrived, at a late hour, to smuggle into the editoml sanctum what on the face it appeared to bean advertisement, signed ' By order,' and calling upon all ■ specials to meet on the following early morn— 6.3o— opposite the City Hotel, for parade and drill. The editor zealously volunteered a paragraph under the leader calling public attention to the 'general order,' the result being a muster of disgusted burghers, whose patriotism gave way before the cold exigencies of the hour. The Times •tRd not take the joke kindly, but made matters worse in a subsequent apologetic local, by complaining of the unseemly conduct of the unknown joker ; and stigmatising the whole thing as disgraceful." " Rejortsof numerous extensive and destructive bush fires are recorded by the Australian journals, and especially by those of New South Wales. The Maitland Mercury has the following: — A large and destructive fire has prevailed for the last two or three days south of Maiilaud. The fire has dove much damage to frncing, &c, and has destroyed much sawn timber, and even small houses. One of the incidents recorded is of a very painful nature. A settler, named Avery, was engaged in btinging a load of logs to Maitland. He had with him a dray and team of ten fine bullocks, for three of which he had refused £12 each the previous week, we are told. As the team was jajjSßing through the " burning '* portion of the journey, they got close to a tall tree on fire. Some of the burning fragments, falling to the ground, fell on the bullocks ; they started aside in fright, and making a rush several of them jumped a large log. This log brought the team to a stand, part being on one side and part on the other. Mr Atery had only a little fellow with him, and the poor little fellow could only cry 3 with fright. Alone, Mr Avery found it impossible to quickly get his team out of their dangerous fix. The fiiery fragments continued to full from the burning trees, the grass and the leaves on the ground caught, and the unfortunate bullocks were in a few minutes roasting to death. Six of them got so fearfully scorched that it is almost impossible they can tecover (though Mr Avery is trying his uimost to save them), and yesterday the moans and bellowiugs of the suffering animals are described as pitiful to hear A girl named Lucy EmmaDurant, aged twenty, in service at Elgin Park, Clfton, and belonging to Stowmarket. Suffolk, after some unpleasantness about a love affair, tecently jumped over Clifton Suspension Bridge. She feil a distance of nearly 300 feet, and was picked up dead in the mud of the river. Jn her bedroom was a note, " Pay my debts out of my wages, as you will never see me again."