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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 1, 3 January 1893, Page 2

The fire bells rang about half-past twelve oa Suuday, and smoke was s^en to rise from the direction of the Maitai Valley. It turned out that a stible and cowshed belonging to Capt un Cloustoa were burning. Unfortunately it was impassible to get water turned on to the burning buildings, and thr-y were completely destroyed. A vehicle and one or two email things were saved, but the greater part of the contents of the buildings were lost, They inoluded a obaff-outter aud other machine?, Buddies, harness, and horse feed. It is not known how the fire was caused.

Watchnight setvices were held on New Year's Eve at the Cathedral, St. John's Church, aad the Baptist Church. Owing to the wet weather the streets were less crowded than is usual on the last night of the year, and before midnight they were almost deserted.

The export of hops for the month of December amounted to 73 bilci. During the same periol 832 bales wool, liil bales flax, KJOO bags chuff, 295 sacks milt, and 428 cases jmi were also sent away by the Union 5.3. Company's fteam^rs.

A man named Patrick Smith was brought to town on Saturday night by Constable Knapp from Norn's Gully, on the Midland Railway work<s. The man has made more than one attempt to commit suicide, first by striking his head agaiusc a culvert and then by trying to beat out his brains with an axe. He was considerably injured, and was taken to thellospitil to bave his wounds dressed, but was not admitted to the institution as there is no staff to watch such cases. Smith was lodged in a police cell, where ho was watched all night, and yesterday he was Bent to the gaol. The man will probably undergo medic il txamination as to his sanity.

The ordinary meeting of the Southern Star L ,agp, 733, E.C , will be held in their Hall, Colliugwood-street, this eveniug at half-past seven o'clock. Visitors will be cordially welcomeed.

The following are the vitai statistics for the month of December: — Births, 11 • Deaths, 10 : Marriages, 11.

Mr. Wilson Heaps bas been appointed Superintendent-collector of Agricultural Statistics for the districts of Waimea, Collingwood, and the adjacent islands.

In the case pf larceny which was before the Bench of Justices on Friday and was re« manded, the accused was a young woman named Kate Kite. On Saturday she was released on bail, Since then her sist-r and father have been arrested on a charge of being concerned ia the theft, and h»vc also been admitted to bail.

The following is the way iv which the cremation of a Chinese leper was lately carried out at the Victorian < Quarantine Station, Port Nepean : — A pyre was made, consisting of about three tons of wood, saturated with kerosene, and the body, enclosed in a shell, was placed on it. Dr Ci-esswell applied a mutch, and in little more than two hours the body was consumed, save a few calcined bones. These were collected and placed iv a special receptacle, and buried in the quarantine cemetery. The leper, who will now become somewhat historic in the aucals of cremation, had beea at the Quarantine Station for over three years, For. some

timepn?the was insane through the^srrible ravßges of the diseiss, and presented a most | loathsome spectacle. Tho gentlemen who r witnessed the cremation stiti that there w* w nothing- in connection with it whioh cou/ ou have offended the eusceptibities of any pcr 1 ■ son np.irt from the merely sentimental ob 1 jeotion, whioh is the principal bar of thf' 1 general adoption of the practice. It was Mr W. J. Boylan who said " fr!" '^ long time I was a great sufferer with a* 1 ,l( ' knee, and nothing appeared to relieve me, but when 1 applied Ye Bishops Bottle the fust apyication jjave ease, and one bottle cured me.'" This is practical evidence from j a very practical men.