WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6061, 21 April 1881, Page 5

WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT:?.] Hamilton, Wednesday. The young man named Leekie, who jumped from the Hamilton bridge, was visited by Dr. Edgelow yesterday, who found him in a very excited state, and evidently suffering from confirmed aberration of intellect. The depth where he jumped off the bridge-from the top of the hand-rail to the water, 13 SO feet. The quarterly meeting of the Grand Orange Lodge for the North Island was held in the Victoria Hq,ll, Hamilton West, on Monday. Some sixty representatives from all the lodges in the North Island were present. The principal business was the presentation of a handsome jewel to the Past Deputy Grand Master, Brother John Knox, the Mayor of Hamilton. It was arranged that a meeting of the Hamilton and Cambridge lodges should be held on Monday next, at Camp's Hotel. The following is the official list of forces that were in the field at Te Awamutu on Monday :—Staff : 1 lieutenant - colonel, 1 captain volunteers, 9 majors, 16 captains, 27 lieutenants, 17 sub-lieutenants, 1 surgeon, 1 veterinary surgeon, 5 staff-sergeants, 73 sergeants, S drummers and trumpeters, 123 bandsmen, 733 rank and file : total, 102 S. Mr. Bernard Montague is the successful tenderer for the first section of Messrs. Maelean and Co.'s Waitoa Swamp Co.'s drainage work. This section, which includes the outlet, has been taken for something less than £1000. The next section will be a £5000 job, and will be ready for tenders in about three weeks. Te Awamutu, Wednesday. Yesterday this township returned to its state of primaeval solitude and quiet, none the IO3S welcome that we have lived in an uproar for some days. The horse-play of the volunteers, especially the Navals, was very amusing at times, but too much of it would become monotonous. One of their lively sallies was catching any well-known, person and wheeling him round the town in a barrow till he shouted. Host Lewis, of the Central Hotel, was the first operated upon, and stood it good-humouredly enough; then the captain of the Hamilton Cavalry troop was carried shoulder-high and deposited in Lewis' hotel, when he called for a case of brandy. The fun began to get furious, when Mr. James Mackay, jun., riding up at.'the time, was considered an eligible subject for capture. Mr. Mackay got his temper up, and rode half-a-dozeu times at Ilia would-be captors, but in the last charge a trooper skilfully seized his reins, the Navals got a fair grip of his leg, and down came horse and rider. He' was then put in the barrow, and goodhumourcdly trundled round till his . thirsty captors took shelter in Lewis' and drank at his expense. Though there was a great deal of rough sport, there was at any rate no show of mischief, and the picket and police had very little to do. . Ojjaupo, Wednesday. At a meeting of the school committee it was resolved to have the new building erected on the western end of the ridge of the school building. The school paddock is .to be ploughed and sown down, and will form a useful grass field for the horses of children coming to school from a long distance. Mr. Sturges was elected Secretary. Cambridge, Thursday. At the R. M. Court to-day Piwiki was brought up and committed for the murderous assault on the half-caste, Wallace, on the 23rd January last. Messrs. Sheehan and Beale appeared for prisoner, who pleaded not guilty. The Wesleyan Church choir held a picnic on Good Friday in Mr. A. A. Fantham's paddock. A good dinner was enjoyed on the ground, and the interval till tea time filled up with a variety of games. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Alexandra, Wednesday evening. Natives are arriving in small parties for Hikurangi. It is expected that the meeting will be further postponed on the 28tli for sometime in May. Tawliiao has already a large number of people there.