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New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 5028, 28 December 1877, Page 2

We learn by telegram from Wellington that the Port Darwin line, north of Powell's Creek, has been down since the evening of the 24th. Mr. F. Whitaker gave a picnic party at the Takapuna Lake yesterday,, at which, in addition to a large number of friends of the host, there were present by special invitation the Hon. J.. Sheelian,* Native and Defence Minister, and Mr. Moorhouse, M.H. K. At a liorse-race at Pukekohe, on "Wednesday, a horse belonging to Mr. David McGill bolted amongst the onlookers, knocking down several. Three of them were taken tip insensible, and two of them (Robert McConnell and William Moyes) were found to have sustained serious injuries. Both were brought to the Hospital, where it was found that McConnell had sustained a fracture of the arm, and Moyes a fracture of the collarbone. The injuries were attended to, and both men returned to their homes yesterday by the train. We have been requested to remind the members of St. Paul's congregation and friends of the service of song which will take place to-night, at 7 p.m. The choir on this occasion will consist of the Church choir, assisted by the Sunday-school choir. The hymns, carols, and other pieces, together with the Scripture readings, are designed to illustrate the early days of our Lord. The title of the service is, "The Child Jesus." We trust there will be a large audience, aDd we are certain those who attend will enjoy an intellectual treat.

On Monday afternoon Mr. H. Hitcliens, I for some time messenger in the Public Works Department iu this cit}*, was presented with a gold watch as a mark of the esteem in which he waa held by the officers connected with that departmeut. On that day he severed his connection with the department in which he has been for so long, and the occasion was taken advantage of to show biui the re9pect in which he was held. The presentation was made by Mr. James Stewart, District Engineer, who, iu a few congratulatory remarks, referred to the care with which Mr. liitchens had always discharged his duty, and expressed the regret that the officers of the department were to be deprived of his services iu the future. Mr. Hitehens, iu a few words, suitably responded.

«' The Mirror o£ the World" was exhibited again yesterday evening in the Lorne-street Hall. We learn from Wellington that Mr. James Dilworth, Remuera, and Mr. A. Clements, of Cambridge, Waikato, have been gazetted Justices of the Peace. At the Police Court on the morning of Boxing-day, four inebriates were brought up and discharged. A man named James Jackson, charged with the unlawful rescue ; of cattle at the Three Kings., was remamled till the following day. Mr. G. Von der Heyde was the presiding justice. We are requested to call attention to the fact that the Racing Ciub has got the use of the Ellerslie Gardens for the Ist and 2nd of ■January. Visitors to the racecourse will, therefore, have the run of the gardens in addition to the space usually allotted to tbem. A select ball, in connection wich the Independent Order of Free Tetnplars, was held in the Cook-street Hall, on Boxin« night, and was much enjoyed by the 30 couples who took part in it. Mr. W. J. Donald acted as M.C., while Mrs. Hertz (pianist), and Mr. Davis (violinist), supplied the dance music. A meeting" of the sons ef old colonists was called for last night, at the Governor Bowen Hotel, Grahamstown, to take such steps as may be thought advisable to give eclat to the reception to the Hon. the Native Minister on his arrival at the Thames. Messrs. Patrick Nolan and Thomas Black are the conveners. Professor Hennickie and Madame Stella repeated their entertainment of "Magic and Myatery" at the Albert Hall yesterday evening to a rather indifferent audience, numerically speaking. The performers certainly merit more patronage than they have hitherto received, for there is no question as to the interesting character of the amusement, or of the dexterity and ease with which the gentleman executes the most complicated and surprising tricks of legerdemain. The aerial suspension was as provocative of as much surprise as ever, and so was the Arabian box mystery.

The United States Minstrels presented yesterday evening a programme entirely new, and as thoroughly entertaining as those which have preceded it. The selections, both sentimental and comic, were rendered very agreeably, and the performers were each and all loudly applauded. The first part of tbe programme was brought to a close with "The Phantom chorus." In the second part, Mr. Hudson's song and dance on stilts, "The she giraffe." were executed in first-class style. The absurdly - ridiculous, but intensely amusing nigger sketch "Shandy Gaff" was greatly enjoyed, as was also Hudson's rendering of "The Song of Joshua," and the double song and dance, "Morning Glories," by Hudson and Holly. Mr. Braham sang that ever-popular song, 30 closely associated with the name of Sims Reeves, viz., " Come into the Garden, Maud," with fine effect, while Mr. Amery gave with equal success an operatic selection. Mr. Lingard's performances upon the single and double whistles were really excellent, and well merited the marks of approval with which they were received ; an encore, was insisted on and gracefully acceded to. The evening's amusement terminated with the representation of tiie burlesque opera, " Kill Trovatore." In the last act the comic quadrilles from "La Fille de Madame Angot " were travestied, and evoked much merriment. The humour, however, reaches its climax when " Madame Sa(lia)ra" made her, or rather his appearance on the stage, and danced somewhat after the fashion which the "Sara" of the Soldene Opera Troupe was wont to follow. The travesty was a good one, and, being unexpected, took well.

The Christmas decorations at the Church of St. John the Baptist, Parnell, were most pleasing, full, and appropriate. They extended down the church, surrounding the choir, and were most elaborate, but in every way becoming within the sanctuary. They consisted of evergreens, flowers (natural and artificial) large vases filled with select cuttings, and "wreaths and crowns prepared. In front of the choir hung a banner, with the words thereon, "Unto us a child is given." Within the sanctuary, extending entirely across and above the altar, was a cross illuminated in geld, with the words, in letters of gold, "Gloria in excelais lieg."—vJiilsi tfllnfiliP 'sGfffljJ having the text from St. Luke, chapter ii, " This day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord the Epistle side proclaiming in a like form, " Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth t® men of goodwill." These were all bordorfi'3l or encircled with festoons and garlands of evergreens mixed with flowers of various kinds. At the two morning services, at each of which the Very Rev. Father Fynes, V.G., the pastor, gave an address in connection with the great mystery of the feast, were large and attentive audiences, with, at first mass, many communicants. No less than fifty wax lights illuminated the sanctuary at this time. The very rev. pastor again addressed his flock, contrasting the mode of living of the majority of Christians with the life of Him whose nativity they bad that day commemorated, and who came to be our model as well as our Saviour. The music at all the services, though simple, was well-performed and effective. The offertory of the day considerably exceeded £30.

A Maori woman was killed at Rangitikei recently under very unusual circumstances. It appears that she wont out for the purpose of catching a horse. The horse bolted, and the poor woman, getting entangled in the rope to which it was attached, was dragged for nearly half a mile. When found, life was quite extinct. A case of being lost in the bush occurred on Monday last. It appears that on the morning of that day several of the children in the neighbourhood of bloek 27 went up the Hape tramway to get nikau for Christmas decorations. Amongst them was a child of Mr. Sully's, who went up in company with them, but not returning in the evening, enquiries were instituted, when it transpired he had been left behind in the bush. Immediate search was at once made by several of the neighbours, but too late to recover him that night, and it was not till 9 oi 10 o'clock on Christmas morning that he was found, not much the worse for his night's sojourn in the bush.—Thames Star. The Thames Star has the following :—We hear from the Thames Sericultural Association that great interest is expressed in their proceedings —• and this is daily becoming extended. Mr. Bull has received information from Auckland that Mr. I'emberton's moths are fast emerging from the cocoons, and that he will send home the grain, for which he expects 2l)s per ounce. Mr. Bull has requested Mr. Pemherton to retain for him Joz. of grain, which is probably as much as the Thames at present could provide food for, as the estimated quantity of leaves required would be from 400 to 500 pounds. Mr. Pemberton is a gentleman in Auckland who has taken up the matter practically as an amusement, and we are iuforined that during the Christmas holidays it is Mr. Allom's intention to pay him a visit, with a view to gaining information for the Association. Mr. Allom is of opinioD that if Mr. Pemberton's gram be sound, he will realize in the present state of the European market more than 20s per ounce.

The Paris correspondent of the Sydney Alorninf] Herald says : —France is making great strides in the consumption of the weed so cordially detested by King Jarae*. Jtecent returns show that this increase is mainly due to the immensely increased use of cigarettes. First made in France iu 1543, scarcely 4500 kilogrammes of tobacco were, during the lirat >ear, converted annually into cigarettes. Iu 13G9, the amount used was about 11,000 kilogrammes, or enough to make some J 1,000,000 cigarettes, the mauufactureof which was contiued to a single establishment, that of Gross-Caill.m, close to the j luvalides. At the present time cigarettes are made at seven manufactories, —viz., in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Morlaix, Nancy, Nantes, and Toulouse ; 200" workmen are employed in their fabrication, and more than 400,000 kilogrammes of "the devil's" weed are employed annually in this branch of the gieat Government monopoly. These numbers do not include the cigarettes made in another establishment, from foreign tobacco, by an authorised agent, and by him sold to the Government at fixed prices. There are now IS manufactories of tobacco in France, 357 depots, aud 40,210 licensed shops for its sale. The receipts last year amouuted to £12,000,000 sterling, Paris alone spending £1,(580,000 on smoking.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY. At an early hour yesterday morning information "was received at the Police-station of the robbery of a large chest containing a cash-box with £170 from the Nottingham Castle Hotel, Abercrombie-street. Mr. Michael Flynn, the landlord of the hostelry, kept the chest in question in hi 3 bedroom, and, amongst other articles stored in it was a small box in which he placed each night on retiring to rest the day's receipts. He went up to his bedroom at 1 o'clock yesterday morning with the money from the till in his hand, but to his surprise and dismay, the chest was not observable. A hurried search having failed to reveal the whereabouts of the box, the household were questioned, but to no purpose. The almost distracted landlord then communicated the matter to Sergeant Mulville, with the additional information that the chest contained wearing apparel besides the box, which had in it £170, in gold and notes. The case was placed in the hands of Detectives Jeffrey and Grace, who suspected two men, viz.—John McMa-hon, the son of a former landlord of the hotel, and his associate, one Coughlan a'ias Haslett. Inspector Thomson caused telegraphic despatches to be sent to all the out-stations, warning the constables to be on the qui vive. The detectives quickly dropped on the track of those they were in search of, and at 4.30 yesterday afternoon arrested the two men. They were travelling in a 'bus between Parnell and Newmarket, when the limbs of the law came upon them. Resistance of course was useless, and the captured ones were conveyed to durance vile. In their possession was found about £52 in cash, while they had also with them newly purchased goods to the value of about £10. The remainder of the money, if the persons arrested are the guilty parties, is yet undiscovered. The accused, it seems, had made preparations for leaving Auckland, their intended destination being Australia, and the vessel by which they proposed to sail, the steamer Hero. During the course of the afternoon, the chest was found lying amongst some docks in the Albert reserve, and at a spot about one hundred yards distant a little fellow named Scott picked up the cash-box. The capture was a clever one, and the expedition used in the arrest of the prisoners redounds greatly to the credit of Detectives Grace and Jeffrey. McMalion has frequently been brought before the Court, charged with a variety of offences. Coughlan, or Haslett, is a native of Sydney, and has betn resident in Auckland for about two years. It is said that the case is a strong one against them, but this of course will be ascertained before the nragistrate. They will be brought before the Court this morning, and, in all probability, remanded to a future day.