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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXX, Issue 182, 4 August 1896, Page 2

Aspooial meeting of the Nelson Town Sohools ommittee was held last night in ho Counoil Chambers. There were present: The Ohairman (the Rev J. H. Mackenzie), Messrs Topliss, Grant, 0, Anoell, and Piper. The plans and specifications for the alterations in the Tatsman Street Sohool were approved of. This was the only business transacted. A local medico had a ghostly adventure on Sunday night about 10 o'clock in Cambria Street. Mounted on stilts and covered with a sheet some person endeavoured to scare the doctor. The latter, however, "went, for" the ghost, and hitting him across the legs with a stout walking suck, knocked him oil the stilts. With a yell and a rush the " spirit " vanished, thus avoiding turther surgical operations. A social and dance under the auspices of the Druids' Lodge waa hold last evening in the Rechabite Hall, and proved moat enjoyable. Bros. Neale and Dee officiated as Ms.C , and good music was supplied by Messrs Leaper (cornet) and H. JTinney (piano). Songs were contributed by Miss Larkius, Messrs Hall and Light, and a piano solo by Miss Healy. Refreshments were supplied by Bro. Btovell, and tho arrangements were well carried out by Bro Hobbs. The death ia announced of Mr Henry Warren, another old Nelaon resident, who died at bis residence, Weku-strcet, yesterday, after a_ prolonged illuesa. Deceased waa at one time known as a keen sportsman, having owned racehorses nnd trotters. He was born at Gundisburgh, Suffolk, England. In 1858 he arrived at Melbourne by the Royal Charter, aud after remaining in Victoria for a tew years he left there for the Otogo diggings. Later on he removed to Nelson, and lie coinmenoed business here as a butcher in paitnorship with Mr Hudson, iv Tra-falgar-street, but after a time the partnership was dissolved. In 1878 he retired owing to ill-health, and he made a trip to his old home in Suffolk, returning after a comparatively short visit. ' Deceased waa a Mason an Oddfellow, und a Forester. He was 65 years of age. The Stoke Orphanage Band will play in the Botanoial Reserve on Sunday afternoon next. The violin and piano recital to be given in the Provincial Hall next Monday evening by Mr McDuff Boyd nnd Miss Minnie Dugdale will be one of the musical events of the season. A highclass programme has been prepared, and selections from the works of Weber, Beethoven, Mendelssohn-Liszt,, Chopin, Gounod, Vieuxtemps, Raff, and Parker will he rendered.

Sportsmen and others will be interested in a trial to bo made at the Port to-morrow of tho Layman Pneumatic Sporting and Outing Boat. It is a new invention resembling a lifebuoy which, when uninf lated, can be used as a gripsack. A person gets into a pair of rubber trowsers or Backa which enclose lega and feet, and tho boat forms round the waist, the legs hanging down, and the feet acting aa the paddles or propellers. There is ample rest for the body and anna, and with the boat lakea, rivera, and oven the sea can be aafely ventured upon, for shooting, exploration, or pleasure. A trip was made across the East River, Now York, with these boatß by a party of four including a lady, and it was followed by a steamor crowded with spectators, and the contrivance is said to be equal to all emergencies except speed, two or three miles an hour being about tho average. On still water it appears to be comfortable and handy, and a picture shows ladies with children disporting themselves on a lake, — in summer ol courae— reading and aowing. It is claimed that for duck shooting tho craft is unrivalled, as the game can be approached far more stealthily than in an ordinary boat. Mr Moore, tho representative of Mr Wiggins, of Wellington, is at present in Nelson in connection with tho trial. Mr Gilbert, dontiat, of Trafalgar-street, has purchased a section of land in Hardy Street -oppositoMessrsSclandors and Co. — with tho intention of building thorcon. Part of tho section is now boing planted with fruit trees. Tho annual inspeotion parades by Col. Fox will be held on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. Full particulars for the guidance of volunteers and oadets appear in an advertisement elsewhere. , A young woman was brought before the Masterton Court oharged with vagrancy, and was shown to have put on male attire in , rder to get work. On the previous Saturday, (says tbo Wairarapa " Star") she applied to the seoretary of the Benovolent Society for work. She was attired in the clothes of a stable boy ; her hair waa cut short, and her voice resembled that of a boy of 17. She also smoked a cigarette. The Secretary suspecting the bona fides of the young woman, took her to the police station , where she was arrested. At the court when charged with having no lawful means ot support, she pleaded guilty, but said that she had been put up to impersonating a man. In answer to the Benph, tho accused said she had left ber parents in Wellington some time ago. She wna willing to go back, and taobbiug), if let off, would never do it again. The Magiatrate said: "Very well, my girl. There's nothing to cry about. There'a no harm in trying to (md work. It is only the peculiar way you went about it. You are diaoharged on promising to go back to Wellington."

Says the " Clutha Leader ": " While Mr Reid was cross-examining a witness who had got rather excited in the Court here on Wednesday, he remarked in a jocular way : "I d like to fight you." " What? " said the witness. " I'd like to hammer you," said Mr Reid, whereupon the witness jumped from the box, threw off his coat, and challenged Mr Reid. Constable Christie, with the exercise of a little persuasion, goa the man to go back into the witness box aud put on his coat Mr Hawkins, recognising the excitable frame of mind the man was in at the time, good-naturedly overlooked the matter. The witness, it may be mentioned, was never in a Court in his life before, and is ordinarily one of the quietest and decontest men going. '

Apropos to Saturday, lst of August, a correspondent wites :— On lst August, 1846, also on a Saturday, one ot the most terrifio hailstorms known in England ooourred about five or ten minutes to one o'olook p.m. Fortunately it was only limited in extent. It commenced about a mile from London Bridge on the Surrey side, and about the site of the then Surrey Zoological Gardens, between the Walworth and Kennington Roads. It branched oS in two directions. One course it took was Brixton and Oamberwell ; the other was in the direction of the Kennington, Clapham, and Wandsworth Boads. At the Zoological Hardens there was a siruoture 50 or 60 feet in diameter, dome-shaped and oovered with glass, the whole of which was thrashed out to the bare frames. While the storm lasted the roar of the wild animals wis something terrible. The Btorm was accompanied by a gale of wind, heavy while il lasted. It came on in two separate gnsts of ten minntes eaoh. The hailstones were solid pieces of ice, some of them measuring 17} inches in diameter. The storm oaused destruction at the various nursery grounds, stripping all the glass off the greenhouses and hothouses, and all the ahoice plants in pots to bare sticks. The havoc wrought in the various gardens was terrifio. A brother of mine had a rough experienoe at the time. He was on bis way to Movent Garden market with a two-horse van with pot plants. There was a steep incline near the Bedford Arms Hotel, in the Olapham Boad, and, owing to the drains being choked up with the storm, he had to stand over his kneeß in water holding the horses' heads to keep them from bolting. After tbe second burst of the Btorm the wind died away and the sun came out brightly as if nothing had happened. In some plaoes where the wiud had piled tbe hailstones into drifts it was four or five days before they melted away. | {Long practical experienoe with the best materials only being used, enables us to guarantee that all kinds of watab, olook, or jewellery repairs entrusted to Hunter's Practical Watchmaking and Jewellery Establishment in Bridge-street will be promptly and skilfully done, and the work guaranteed. Oet your repairs done at Hunter's, Bridge-street.