Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8669, 11 September 1891, Page 4

There seems to be a desire at Wellington. to ascertain the opinion prevailing in Auckland with regard to the propose to divert the funds put aside some four or live years ago to constr net a loop line between the Auckland station ant Penrose, in order to extend the T';ulw r;t > from Ivamo to Hikurangi. Without assuming to express universal P"? opinion, we may say that we ™li c * the proposal of the Minister for 11, 1 "Works is considered here to be the be under the circumstances; It was pr • posed to construct the loop line *>° '!' to accommodate the very large tra on race-days at Ellerslie, as it was 11 possible to lay a double line tliroi't, the tunnel without widening it. ( ' since the money was voted no step • been taken to carry on the M °'.'V except to ascertain what v,O have to be paid in coniponssit (j for land taken at llemuera. Ilia, understand, proved to boa very s.-o gering item. We believe that it wi 1 . necessary at some time to make pi sion for the large traffic between Auckland station and Penrose, an all probability, when the matter considered again, the conclusion to will be, that it will be better, • all, to widen the tunnel. But m 'j meantime there seems 110 prospoy ;Vl) the work being commenced. A" . ' do not believe that any dwe <■ Queen-street would not say tha money can be utilised in extending . railway from Kamo to HikuraUo > ' will be expended at once, then , . work let it go. The prosperity 0 ■ . land depends on the prosperity •j s country. If the rail to Hikur g | e the means of developing a > . '• n g coalfield, of aiding the I ii'up ll ' ll to district, and of bringing t' )( . 0 ,. t! market, then it will beofraw * benefit to Auckland than a loop m Penrose.

'TTflblo messages this morning contain ,1 interesting news. Russia continues 10 ..nrlike preparations, and is massing L?„ the German and Austrian fron- ■ troops j S( however,* significant that tie rnir'is heard of similar movements on Is* nnrt of Austria and Germany. It now 1 irs that the cause of tho recent minis»l'i? e fihan 0 in Turkey was the too friendly '>(■!hide of "the Prime Minister towardaEng- , The British Ambassador atConstanti- "' ha«now demanded an apology from the i> t« for tiring on British merchant vessels the Dardanelles in July lust, and in IhViiiwntiuio has discontinued his visits to I . Sultan- The death is announced of M. 'ni (irivy. ex-president of the French r nilblie. He was born in 1807, and first ,L into distinction as counsel for the defence of the revolutionists of ISM. During 1,0 presidency of Louis Napoleon M. Grevy I hhUhl the policy of tho future Emperor. H't.r the Franco-German war lie again tune to the front, and from 1871 to 1873 '•; i , President of the National Assembly, "Vi in 1870 was elected President of the m ber of Deputies. On tho retirement f Marshal MacMahon from tho soptonnial Presidency of the Republic, M. Grevy was ' ..ted his successor, and was re-elected in issj. In 1887 ho resigned owing prin,j„.i!!y to the Limousin or decoration Jean lals--1?V the R.M.s Alameda which arrived yesterday from San Francisco, after a -mart trip, mails came to hand bearing j. lt ' e s at. London August 8 ; Now York, \ti>'iist 14 ; 'at San Francisco, August 21. XI,: Southern portion of the mails were despatched from the Manukau by the s.s. jl-iliinapua, which sailed at two p.m. If j!,c ciitones the express to-day at New Plymouth, which is doubtful, tho mails will be forvuriied to Wellington overland, if not || u1 Mahinapua will go on with them hermit. The Penguin is waiting at Wellington tJ take on the bags for the South Island.

By this morning's train Mr. Jorsa, the German and Swedish Consul at Tahiti, is lo leave for a trip to Kotorua and the I,ikes, having been booked through by Mt-s-rs. Hayr and Co.

Amongst the passengers who arrived from \merica yesterday by the R. M.S. Alameda «ns the Right Rev. J. J. Grimes, Roman (/atholie Bishop of Christ-church, who has been on a twelvo months' visit to Europe anil America, partly on business and partly for his health.

Yesterday there passed through Avick]in} on his way to Sydney, Abe Willis,-the Australian pugilist, who was defeated reeeiitly for the featherweight championship <".!» Francisco by George Dixon, a floured lad from Boston.

A grand concert and athletic display will i,.., | ie id in the Opera House, on Friday, the ];th instant, for the purpose of raising funds to send a representative rifle team to ■ Australia, to take part in the New South Wales and Victorian international rifle--hooting competitions.

The s.«. Tarawera, which leaves for Sydney on Tuesday next, will be the last opportunity given by the Union Steam Shipping Company this season to the travelling publico! making the trip at reduced fares.

Letters received by the umil steamer state that Mr. Aubin, B.A. (who was to have been 14 rapped"- at the recent presentation of diplomas of the Auckland University, tut who is at present in London), stating that lie went to the Middlesex Hospital. Alter about two months' work he got second prize in the examination for materia medica, unci third in practical chemistry. He has niso matriculated at the London University, :

A curious illustration of the value of the San Francisco service comes in tho fact that by the Alameda are letters received which "the senders specially marked per Kn.ipehu and per s.s. Tainui. The London j..-.; otiice have stamped these letters " Too Lite," but yet these " Too Late" communications were received yesterday, whereas the mails they missed are not due hero until the 1-th and '24th instant.

The Supreme Court was occupied the whole of yesterday in hearing a charge of robbery-from John Hill preferred against Samuel Wilcox and John Thomas Donovan. The prisoner Wilcox was defended by Mr. O'Mengher, and Donovan, who was not represented by counsel, defended himself with a good ileal of ability. There was a very large number of witnesses, most of shorn could only speak jw to isolated facts, but the double cross-examinations made tho proceedings lengthy and tedious. Mr. li'Meugher made a lengthy address to the jury on behalf of his client, and Donovan, who elected to give -evidence on his own behalf, made a lengthy statement denying complicity in the robbery. He had only concluded at six o'clock, and his -crossexamination was deferred, the jury electing to take an adjournment-until ten o'clock morning rather than sit out the case to a termination, as in addition to the crossexamination of Donovan, Mr. Williamson will address the Court in reply, and His Honor's summing up cannot be very brief, in regard to the libel actions which His honor hoped to have been able to commence this morning, ho intimated that the indictments against Messrs. Kelly and i*!aulf would be taken lirst, but it did not •natter in what order. The action against '!ugh Short-land would not be taken until '.lisse were disposed of.

The friends of Mr. John Cosgrave, ■Iraper, formerly of Auckland, but now of nm Francisco, will be sorry to learn of the eat of his daughter, Miss Irene Cosgrave. i!y letters received yesterday it appears bat she caught diphtheria at Santa Cruz, <-n<l died two weeks after the attack.

The other day we recorded the death of a young woman in the Wellington province through prinking a pimple with a brass pin, which caused blood poisoning. Mr. Hustle, of Onehunga, ban lost a child recently, through a cause almost as simple. The child, while playing, ran a needle into its knee, but though the needle was extracted successfully an abscess subsequently formed requiring medical attention, and iJr. Erson was called •ii. The child got worse, and as a' last "banco to save its life, amputation was sorted to by Dr. Erson, Drs. Knight, • tnvis, and Mackellar being present, but the patient died from exhaustion. Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved parent.

Mr. J. W. Herrold writes —"Every colonist, claiming an Englishman's nrivilesre*, should read the speeches made at lionet John Bryce's dinner, as published in to-day's issue, and should send a copy to hi* friends at home. It makes one's heart warm up to read his defence."

In our obituary column will be found recorded the death of a very old Auckland resident, Mr. William F. Scott, builder, of Mount-street. Some time ago he took a t'lip to the Australian colonies, but returned to Auckland better satisfied with it th, ever. It \vill bo seen, also, from the obituary notices, that Mr. W. Walker, father of Dr. Walker, of this city has died a'- heeds, at the advanced age of 75.

Thure are throughout the Auckland Land district many selections taken tip more than twenty years iigo under land orders which have never been occupied or claimed by the persons by whom they were selected. riiose sections are occasionally applied for by intending settlors, and then it becomes neeessary to publicly notify that if the land J* not claimed within thirty days the Crown will resume possession of and deal with it. To deal with every single section 111 thu way involves a great deal of uni)ece??ay work and trouble, and, therefore, *' 10 Chief Commissioner asked and received !''« approval of the Grown Land Board at 1[ « meeting yesterday to dispose of them wholesale, lie will submit a list at oach Meeting of the Board of a number of sectheir areas, and the persons by whom they were selected, and the Board Renting, this list will be duly published idi the notification that the Crown will s Ke possession in thirty days, unless the "etitions, or any of them, are claimed. As ln:il| y as possible will be treated in this v, ay at each meeting, until the whole of em have been dealt with. Constat,l Lamb, who received a severe location of the shoulder while effecting .'°. :irn - st of a rough, has returned to duty -ain after being several months under i j '™1 treatment. It is doubtful whether nil. s ' lo ul(ler and arm will ever be com- |' et fy wt 'H again, as some of the muscles wh ° »)ioulil«r got injured. A country " i' ho got a fall from his horse, which '«t 011 him, after trying the available \vf !i • tn ' tinlj .'here for his injured arm, in,'," |IH Wast ing through the sinews havbof ■ c -' en crushed, is proceeding to Melhim't) 0 to ! '' 3 ftn i' t ' l ing can be done for Sii'°u- 'I" 1 ' Lac, y Onslow, accompanied by KiMfi 51 <i Lady Buller, visited the .-'Wiliua tribe at Otake on Friday.

Many Aucklandera will remember Mr. Albert Koebele, the entomological oxperb from tho United States Government, who came down here a couple of years ago in search of insects which should prove an antidote to scale pest (icerya), which was at that time making great havoc amongst tho orange groves in California. As chronicled at the time in the Herald, Mr. Koebele was eminently successful in his quest, and tho numbers of beetles (Vidalia Cardinalis) which he procured here and in Australia quite rooted the icerya in California. Mr. Koebolo is at present on a similar mission to this colony and New South Wales, and as a return benefit for that received on his last visit he lias brought for tho notice of colonial orchardists several species of parasitic insects which have proved very efficacious in America in destroying codlin moth larva;, and eradicating woolly blight on apple trees, etc. Mr. Koebele would be glad to communicate with any Aucklanders who are desirous of imparting or receiving information upon tho subjects on which he is interested.

At the Young Men's Christian Association Lecture Hall last evening there was a good attendance to hear Professor A. P." Thomas lecture upon the subject, " Why Flowers are Beautiful." Tho meeting was opened by prayer by the Rev. J. K. Davis, and tho lecturer was briefly introduced by Mr. Kckwick. 1 Professor Thomas explained that he gave tho titlo to his lccture because ho wished to demonstrate that not only were the conspicuous, graceful, and gaudily hued blossoms beautiful, but that every flower however sombre in colour, or socalled plain in appearance, was really a thing of beauty, in that it was so wonderfully perfect in its interior organisation, and had so many varied parts arranged with astonishing delicacy in .regard to their.different spheres'of usefulness. The lecturer illustrated his remarks by tho use of a screen, on which were exhibited in magnified form the various constituents of several well-known flowers, He explained the diverse ways of fructification, fertilization, etc., of tho various species, and altogether gave his hearers some valuable instruction upon practical botany in so clear and careful a manner that all must have followed him with ease and benefit. At the close he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

Our Thames correspondent telegraphed last night:—"An esteemed identity, in the person of Mr. John Fletcher, grocer, died at his residence, Owen-street, this morning, aged 150 years. Deceased had been resident here since IS7I, and during his lifetime had met with more than the usual share of hardship, besides experiencing a most eventful career. He was born atLockerby, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and at the a„'c of '20 years joined the Franklin search expedition organised by Dr. Kane. This expedition returned from the Arctic regions after three years' absence, with relics of the lost vessels which were discovered among the Esquimaux. He afterwards settled on the Red River, in Hudson's Bay Territory, where ho was engaged in trading and trapping. Ife subsequently joined an exploring expedition, which crossed r.t the 49th parallel of latitude to the West Coast of North America. Deceased then went to the Cariboo diggings in British Columbia, and from thence to California, where he was employed by the Government to take stores, etc., to the frontier by means of a mule train. In 1871 he left California and camo to the Thames, where he joined a party of Americans, who had a claim in the KarakaCreek. He afterwards worked in the Golden Crown mine with Mr. T. A. Dunlop, now manager of the Saxon mine, bub who was then a tributer, and afterwards tnana ger of the Golden Crown. Mr. Fletcher was also for a time associated with Mr. George Wilson, the present Mining Inspector, prospecting in the Kuraka and Tararu districts, but for the last ten years he abandoned mining and carried on "business as a grocer. There is no doubt that the hardships he passer! through in his early life tended to undermine his once robust constitution, for during the last ten years he had been subject to severe pain in the face and head which caused him great Buffering. His sterling and upright character earned for him the respect and esteem of his many friends. He leaves a widow to mourn her loss."

We would again remind those interested in the lecture by Mr. J., R.. .Cox, M.P. for East Clare, on " Irish Eviction Scenes," in St. James' Hall this evening. The lecture will be illustrated by limelight views. Mr. J. A. Tole will preside The tickets have gone off well, and in order to avoid a crush the doors will be opened early. Mr. Cox has received a. donation of £10 from one gentleman and £2 2s from another in aid of the Irish Evicted Tenants' Fund.

A complimentary smoke concert was given on Wednesday evening at the Star Hotel by the local stuff of the Bank of Jicw Zealand to Mr. R. B. Bigg, oil his approaching transfer to the Sydney branch of the Bank. The toast of tho evening was given with musical honours, led by the Quartette Club, and suitably responded to. Mr. Rigg was a passenger by the R. M.S. Alameda for Sydnoy this morning.

The box plan of the Amateur Opera Club season of " Princess Ida" was opened on Monday last, and is already beginning to fill. The rehearsals 'are proceeding most satisfactorily; the chorus is very strong, and are now quite quite proficient in all the stage " business," while the soloists are too well known to need any recommendation from us. The club have incurred more expense and devoted more time and trouble in the mounting of this opera than, upon any of their previous performances, and fully anticipate that they will eclipse their former successes.

The Newmarket Camellia Show promises to be nil unqualified success, if the interest displayed in connection with it and the number of exhibits promised are reliable data from which to draw conclusions. A very large number of entries have been received under the various classes.' and the competition will doubtless be very keen. The show will open to-morrow (Saturday) at Newmarket, arid will no doubt attract a very large number of visitor?. Every preparation is being made to ensure the success of the exhibition.