COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8529, 1 April 1891, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[from our own correspondents.]

Cambridge, Tuesday. A general holiday was observed on Monday. A number of residents went out to the Tawhare sports, whilst others attended the picnics held in connection with the Roman and Anglican Sunday-schools. , '■■. The:' former held theirs at Clements' Park", 'and the latter at Sharp's, on the opposite, side of. the road. The Juvenile Templar. Fife and Drum Band played both parties,out to the ground, and during the afternoon played ' selections for the Roman Catholics. A very enjoyable day was spent, the children returning home happy and contented with their outing. Hamilton, Tuesday. Some little inconvenience was occasioned to the public yesterday through no local notice having been issued of the non-trans-mission of letters on Monday, other than those posted over night. Many thought that the department had saved enough upon gum, and in stamps collected in the letter boxes, and in overcharges on letters from which the stamps had fallen off, to have advertised the postal arrangements for Good Friday and Easter Monday. The annual meeting of the Hamilton Branch of the Waikato Farmers' Club was held at Hamilton on Saturday afternoon for the election of officers, committee, &c., but was, owing to their being but a bare quorum present adjourned until Thursday, when Mr. Runciman will bring forward his motion for holding the meeting quarterly, and at eleven a.m. on the cattle sale day of that month. A long and desultory discussion was held on the desirableness of holding a Waikato agricultural show for sheep, produce, and cattle at_ least once in three years, probably every third year in conjunction with the horticultural show, when its turn comes round to Hamilton.

William Hume, of Cambridge, who attempted to commit suicide. by eating the heads of a box of matches on Friday, was brought down on Saturday in one of Carters' buggies, and being preceded by a telegram, was immediately on arrival at the Hospital, attended to by Dr. Kenny, and the proper remedies administerod. When well enough he will be brought up for trial. A man named Horrigan, working on Fallon's contract, near Rotorua, was brought down to Hamilton on Saturday, having injured his foot, and broken a small bone in it. Horrigan fell with the earth down a cutting of 20 feet which is in course of construction, and, riding six miles, took the train for Hamilton. The'earth of these cuttings is very treacherous, and this is the second man injured and sent to the Hospital through slipping with the earth when at work. Mr. Knox held a full sale of produce, furniture, etc., at the Hamilton mart on Saturday. There was very little poultry brought forward. Fowls realised 8d to lOd ; turkeys none; geese,' 3s; potatoes, 4ss6d ; oats, 2s ; onions, Id per lb ; cabbages, Is 6d per dozen; cheese, 3d to 4id. Quinces and apples were offered but no bid. In consequence of Saturday next being the date of the Autumn Meeting of the South Auckland Racing Club at Claudelands there will be no produce sale. Yesterday being Easter holiday, there was a general round of amusement for the public. Many went to the sports at Tawhare, a large party had left for the Waitomo Caves on Friday, and a crowd cf people picnicked on Mr. Coleman's paddocks, down the Hukanui Road. The party to Waitomo, which went in two large breaks with four horses each, returned on Sunday, having met with plenty adventure on the road, but reaching the caves, nevertheless, the sight of which amply compensated them. At one creek above Otorohanga, one of the carriages was upset in crossing the makeshift bridge, and several of iis occupants were thrown into the water, and much of the provisions went floating, down the stream. One of the horses, suspended oyer the bridge, had to be set free by cutting his harness. It is time that the Government set about the making and bridging of this road to one of the chief attractions of the North Island, and which can be reached, even as it is, in a day's journey by trap from Hamilton. Mr. John Bryce, member for Waikato, arrived here by train yesterday. He left this morning on a visit to Mr. W. S. Allen, at Annandale, and will proceed to-morrow to those parts of Raglan district which he had not an opportunity of visiting before his election.

Tawhare, Tuesday. .. There was a very large gathering from all parts of the district at the sports held here. The horse racing was very good, and the athletic sports decidedly the best held in Waikato for some years. The Handicap Hurdles was won by Mr. P. Jones' Bob, Miss Rigg running a good second, closely followed up by Lofty. Duchess, a,s everyone expected, pulled off the Maiden Plate; Onslow, 2 ; Eva, 3. Bob won the Cup, with Grace Darling second., The Settlers' Race fell to Grace Darling, with-Miss Rigg second. Maiden Hurdles: Paddy, 1 : Master. '2 • Lofty, 3. Patebangi, Tuesday. It will be learned with very general regret that Mr. Hingerford Roche met with a very painful accident while engaged in cutting gorse, which it is feared will result in the loss of an eye. A piece of the wood flew up from the cutter, and, striking him in the face, one of the prickles punctured his eye. Mr. Roche has gone to Auckland to place himself in the hands of a specialist, in the hope that the sight, which had not wholly left, may be saved. Great sympathy is felt for Mr. Roche, who is one of our most respected and industrious settlors. . - ■~

Te . Awamutu, Tuesday. An application will be made to the Charitable Aid Board for the admission to the Refuge at Hamilton of an old man named Thomas Power, who has been living in the Rangiaohia district for many years, and is now 79 years of age. Power was sent up here by Sir George Grey 40 years ago to instruct the natives in the art of sowing and growing wheat, etc. „, ~. : KuiiKiHi, Tuesday. Mr. Kensington and Mr. Wright, road engineer, returned from the Lake Country on Friday, and went on next day to Auckland. The Surveyor-General, Mr. P. Smith, who was with them, went on to Wanganui by Fielder's track. When at Tokaanu they inspected the bridge, which they found to be satisfactorily built. There they , had a korero with the natives respecting the erection of a wharf for the steamers on Lake Taupo, the latter falling into their views, so that it may be expected that this work will soon be put in hand. The natives were anxiously looking for the arrival of the Hon. .Mr. Cadman and Mr. Uuder-Secretary Lewis who were expected to arrive by yesterday's train at Ohinemutu: to talk about the purchase of land. They were also looking forward to the arrival of the Commissioners to take evidence re Native Lands Courts and native grievances and opinions generally ..-._, , Ll , . " Rotorua, Monday. " That "a policeman's lot is not a happy one" was in a manner somewhat amusingly frustrated here on Saturday last. *:'J)ur?n»'.

the sitting of. the, Native' Land Court Jud ßa Wilson had occasion to order, the arrest of Tupara for contempt of Court. The police man, a native named Hingawaka, was soon at his post, and, without the slightest hesita tion, took hold of his prisoner, who is hi« father, and marched him off to durance vile On remonstrating with the policeman shorth" afterwards as to the undignified position in which he placed his father, who claims to be a chief of some distinction, the son's renlv was brief, but to the point, "No fadder no modder, no know nobody" when duty has to be done. Who will say after this that the Queen s writ is not spread over the land' The Rev. Mr. Wills, of Opotiki, has betaken himself here for the present. He preached on Sunday last to a large conTeca tion in the Church of St. Faith. After the recent experience of the rev. gentleman one .of the hymns sung (No. ISO) contained two most appropriate lines — The strife is o'er, the battle's won; The three sad days have quickly sped. [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN correspondents.] ', . L . -. ' Hamilton", Tuesday. At the adjourned meeting of the Waikatc County Council to-day there were present the chairman (Mr. Primrose), and Messrs Forrest, Coates, Seddon, and Johnson. Mr Hubbard wrote for an extension of time for the Meremere Bridge contract. The engineer had no objection, and the application was granted. The question of the Ratahiora claim made by Mr. Hills, was discussed at some length, and, on the motion of Mr Johnson, seconded by Mr. Seddon, it was proposed to offer the Messrs. Hill £50 in compensation in full. Mr. Forrest moved as an amendment, seconded by Mr. Coates ' -That £25 be offered m both cases, exclusive' of the value of the fencing erected by the settlers." The amendment was lost, and th« motion carried; the Chairman and Messrs. Seddon and Johnson voting for it and against the amendment. It was resolved that al preliminary legal steps having been taken, and there being no opposition to proceed at once to take the land for Lock's Hill. Mr. Johnson said that the cost of making a road to Mr. Hubbard's property would be about TC°' i i vas re solved, in the present state oi the funds, to hold the matter over. Two tenders were; received for works on a road leading from Bluntly, into Mataura:Andrews: Clearing swamps and laying teatree, £8; claying, Is 2d per cubic yardfascines, 20s per 100; repairing culvert, £2' George Hill, jun. (accepted): Clearing swamps, £6; fascines, 30s per 100 ; claying. lOdper cubic yard; culverts, £2 10s. ° !

WAIPIRO (WAIAPU). The annual race meeting of the Waiapu Jockey Club evenuated, as advertised, very successfully at Waiomatatini (about three miles inland) last week, and the arrangements generally reflected much credit ujiou the stewards and everybody concerned. About £400 was put through the totalisator" run by Messrs. Barry, of Gisborne. I have completed the last sentence during a slight shock of earthquake, apparently from east to west, just one shock and a quiver at a quarter-past ten a.m. The football match Ngatairaiona (lion club) v. the Coast seems to have been well attended at Waiomatatini also, and terminated in a draw. £13 is reported to have been taken at the gate the first day, and £12 the second day. About £S was divided among "the teams." I don't, however, hear anything about the moiety for " our divine service, previously advertised, and referred to by me in a former letter. Major Ropata VVahawaha (he who bean or carries) M.L.C., N.Z. Cross, well known throughout the colony for his successful leadership of his tribe (Ngatiporou) on our side during the troublous times, has been very ill. He appears to have been first affected when in Wellington during last session of Parliament, and since his return has experienced a sharp attack of acute rheumatism, probably the deferred outcome of former hardships and exposure during his campaigning ■ days. I am happy to say the fine old fellow has fully recovered, but still suffers somewhat from a consequent debility. Our local (Waipiro) natives seem determined to keep pace with the times, and disdaining the ancestral habit of depending for water supply (always bad at Waipiro, which derives its name from the bad quality of its waterwai, water; piro, or pirau, rotten, or stinking) upon the creeks adjacent to their settlement (often dry in the summer months), have determined upon having a large concrete tank built, to receive the rain water from the large roof area of their meeting (runanga) house, and it is now in course of construction. Mr. Jones, bricklayer, Waipiro, under instructions from Mr. Wallis, manager, is engaged on the work, and the tank, capable of containing 10,000 gallons, on a fair way to completion, promises to be a substantial and excellent piece of workmanship, as indeed are all Mr. Jones' structures of like kind. i" It is not often that you hear of anybody who at 57 years of age is [one and a-half inches shorter in stature than he was when he was aged 30. Such, however, is the case with your abbreviated * and i humble correspondent. Thusly, in 1876, when just on the eve of sailing per Chile (Captain Culbert) for England, I slipped on a doorstep wet with rain and broke my left leg. Of course, I didn't reach the old country that time, and on recovery found one leg one and a-half inches shorter than the other. For years I was known as the lame doctor on the coast. Subsequently, in 1881, my horse fell with me on some rock? near Tolago Bay, and my right leg was fractured. Getting about on crutches a second time, 3* found I was no longer lame, but shortened properly one and a-half inches. How is that for high, Mr. Editor or rather low, lower than formerly at any rate, and unique, I take it, as an incident.—[Own Correspondent.]

The direct mail between here and Auckland by the regular trader Ruby is found to be a great boon, as letters, etc., posted on the evening of her departure from Auckland are delivered here the next morning. This important concession was granted some months ago through the Chief Postmaster of Auckland, to whom we wish to convey our thanks.— Correspondent, March 21.]