NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11239, 7 December 1899, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Hauroto due from the Islands. Nairnshire from Sydney today. Te Anau from the South this morning. The city schools had a half-holiday yesterday. There were in the lockup last evening three persons on charges of drunkenness. Thursday last was the hottest day in Sydney for 28 years, the thermometer standing at 102 in the shade. Shearing operations have been considerably retarded in the Wairarapa district, owing to broken weather. The Wangamii Herald reports that Mr. Smith has struck an artesian flow of water at Boringvitle at a depth of 705 ft. Gas was met with at 100 ft and 400 ft. The Rangitikei County Council has declined to contribute towards the cost of the Bulls Bridge (£14,000) unless the protective works agreed upon are provided for. The ordinary meeting of the Devonport Borough Council, which was to have been held on Monday evening, was postponed as most of the councillors were busy with electioneering. In order to stop any influx of labourers from other colonies, Mr. O'Sullivan lias decided that no workman shall be employed on the unemployed works who cannot produce an elector's right for New South Wales. The Waikato natives have built a new canoe, the Whawhttkia, which will take the place of the Pupui'ikana at future regattas. This canoe and another, the Turiwaru, will compete at the Mercer regatta on Saturday next. During last week a resident of Graftan was defrauded of £5 by means of the telegram trick. A person in Sydney wired in the name of a friend, asking for the loan of £5, but after the money had been sent it was found to be a fraud. During the heavy thunderstorm that was experienced in Gore and the surrounding districts recently, says a Southern paper, a horse belonging to Mr. Malcolm, Uan Road (near Winton), was struck dead bf the lightning; and at Mr. Paterson's, Hokonui, a sheep was killed, and as the ploughman was entering the stables the concussion in the ,iir was so great that he was knocked down and almost rendered unconscious. A draught horse was also knocked down, and the flash was so bright that it was thought the stable and chafl'house were on fire.