COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9157, 25 March 1893, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.-— own CORRESPONDENTS.] Te Awamutu, Friday. The corpse of Miss Kate Sinden has been recovered. Mr. Coroner Gresham will hold an inquest to-morrow morning. Hamilton, Friday. At the Waikato County Counci 1 meeting today the tender of McPherson and Bruce, £31 lbs, for works on Reed's Road, Taupiri, was accepted. For tho formation of South Road, Ohinewai, to Barr's corner, the tender of Alexander Killie and Co., 5s per chain, was accepted. It was unanimously agreed that according to the Act the Riding of Rangiriri was entitled to a second representative, who will be elected at the next election in November next. The clerk was instructed to apply to Inspector Hickson for the service of a policeman to collect the dog fees at the native settlement of Hukanui, and also to appoint Constable Forbes as Registrar of Dogs. The Resident Magistrates Court was occupied the whole of yesterday in hearing the remainder of the case Hunter v. Lewis, in which plaintiff endeavoured to enforce payment for a number of young cattle sold as steers, the defendant returning them as not what was represented at the public auction. Captain Jackson reserved judgment. Rotorua, Friday. The Native Land Court opens here tomorrow, when the re-hearing of the Tumunui case will begin. Major Scauuell presides, assisted by Mr. Bush, R.M. Mr. Bush takes his departure for Auckland shortly, having been appointed to the position now filled by Mr. Bishop, R M. Mr. Malfrov returned yesterday from his trip to Southland." WHANAN The summer here, as elsewhere, has been an abnormal one, with frequent gales. Happily, there are only two or three sections in the settlement which can suffer by floods, and that not severely. During the last severe gale Mr. Nankivell, one of our settlers, had the misfortune to lose a cow. A tree fell on the beast, breaking its leg, and necessitating its slaughter. At Whangar a yacht rented by Mr. Hazard, surveyor, was se verely damaged. The boat was moored for safety up the creek. On the fresh coming down the latter she was carried away out to sea, where she was drifted on the rocks, with the aforementioned result. This was the same gale which caught the cutter Janet, bound to this port, with a valuable cargo, and a number of passengers, including children. Quite a sensation was caused in the settlement by the report that she had been wrecked near the Bay of Islands. This supposition was the outcome of a somewhat ambiguous telegram forwarded from Russell by a passenger to a friend b*re. A day or two later great relief was experienced by receipt of news of the cutter's safety, and shortly after the Janet arrived here all safe from the Bay, after having refitted with fresh gear taken up by the Clansman. I am sorry to have to report a case of theft. Mr. Morri3, storekeeper, has had his gum store broken into, and gum abstracted twice. The culprit is suspected to hail from the native settlement, which lies close by. What seems to be a case of cattle-stealing has also occurred, three head of young cattle having disappeared from the three-chain foreshore reserve lately, and all efforts to trace them fruitless. Saturday, March 11, was a red-letter day for the settlement. The s.s. Chelmsford came up the harbour without the lease difficulty, anchoring just above Home Bay to discharge and receive cargo. The steam service may now be regarded as fairly established, and, 1 understand, is already remunerative to tho Northern Steamship Company. The Chelmsford had the bad luck to come in for the three days' gale which broke in from the east on Wednesday, and finished up with terrific squalls from the south on Friday night, the 10th inst. All this time she was sheltering in Tutukaka Harbour. From this port the steamer took away some 400 puriri posts, wool, sundries, and several passengers. Among the latter was Mr. J. May, publican, and family. The hotel is now closed as a licensed house, on account of lack of business. The house and section have been bought by Mr. J. Ayton, who intends to farm it. Captain Hopkins, of the Chelmsford, expresses himself well pleased with Whananaki Harbour. The steamer went out at 10 p.m. on a dark night. This fact speaks for itself. Mr. J C. Johnson's annual school children's fete, which came off on Thursday, the 16th March, was a great success H (.very way. The weather was perfection. All the school children and several others took part, there being no less than 56 juveniles present, all intensely happy, and bound on extracting as much pleasure as possible from their ureat. The settlement has some reason to be proud of its rising generation, for it would be" hard to find a set of better behaved and fiimple and yet hearty youngsters. This is duo in no small measure to the excellent training of our schoolmaster, Mr. D. C. Brown. Tho proceedings began at 3 p.m., with a wellorganised set of athletic sports in one of Mr. Johnson's paddocks, ar. which some very good form was shown by the boyu, and, let me add, girls. At 5 p.m. a tea, abounding with good things, was served on the verandah of Mr. Johnson's house, after which several amusing items on the programme took place, such as bell in the ring, a lolly scramble, the goodies in this case being contained in little bags sewn all over the coat of an adult, who had.to run' for it. After dark a curtain was drawn back from one end of the spacious verandah, and a prettily lit up tree disclosed, covered with tastefully chosen presents, one being ticketed for each of the 56 children, and causing great delight among the throng of happy youngsters. Tlio verandah and its approaches were now lit up by Chinese lanterns, which gave the soene a very pretty effect. Mr. Johnson, assisted by Mr. Todd, next gave an excellent display of fireworks. A plentiful supper was given to the children, and after the National An- ) them, and no end of cheers, they dispersed, I many with their parents, who laid arrived to i sec the latter part of the proceedings Mr. j Johnson's motto in _ preparing his ffite is. ! " Not to spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar." ; Everything was on a most complete and i liberal scale, and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson cer- , tainly have the thanks of the whole settlement for providing such a pleasant social gathering.— Correspondent.]