LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11538, 24 November 1900, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The weather on the Northern Coast has been extremely bad during the past week, nothing but heavy fogs and thick dirty weather prevailing. The Northern Company's steamer Clansman was much delayed in working the Northern porta in consequence of the bad weather. Coming down the coast on Thursday morning the steamer managed to get into Russell with difficulty; when the fog set down so extremely thick that it was impossible to see across the harbour. The Clansman was timed to leave Russell for Auckland at six o'olock on Thursday evening, but did not get away until yesterday morning, and arrived about four o'clock yesterday afternoon. From the time of leaving Auckland last Monday evening until the return of the steamer yesterday, Captaic Farquhar has had a somewhat anxious time of it, owing to the weather conditions, which have been somewhat unusual for the season of the year. The colonial mails, which left Melbourne per R.M.s. Cuzco, on October 24, were delivered in London on Wednesday last, four days early. The general manager of the New Zealand Mines Trust (Limited) offers a reward of £250 to any persons or persons who will supply information such as will lead to the conviction of those concerned in the robbery of bullion from the Waikino mill, or connected with any other robbery of bullion fuora a company embraced in the group of mines for which the New Zealand Mines Company holds a power of attorney. Any informant desiring it can have his name suppressed. The many friends of Colonel Fraser will be pleased to learn that he has considerably improved in health during the last few days, and is now able to take a little outside esercise. The Government Qaeette, issued last evening, contains a proclamation declaring 4000 acres of unsurveyed second-class land in the parish of Otau open for selection. The block is forest, and open land, mostly broken, and well watered. It is situate in the Mangatawhiri Valley, about eight to 13 miles from Pokeno; also, in the same parish, 600 acres adjoining the survey redoubt. Several areas of second-class land, about 3£ miles from Taita railway station, and at Wliangarei, will be open for sale or selection after January 9. A block of first-class agricultural land in the Karapiro settlement, Cambridge survey district, will be open for selection on lease in perpetuity at the Lands Office, Auckland, on November 26. There was a good attendance at the Crown Lands Office yesterday morning, when several Crown sections at Panmure, Russell, and Kohekohe, were offered by Mr. William Kensington. The sale resulted as follows: —Section 66 (Panmure), £51, Mr. E. C. Vickerman; sections 68 to 81, £281, Mr. W. F. Cochrane. Town of Russell, lota 1720, section 9, £16, Mi. C. J. Powell, jun., Kohekohe; allotment 48, section 5, Waipipi Parish, £10 5», Mr. S. Dickey. All the price*, realised were very satisfactory. It may interest, candidates at the various degree examinations of the University of New Zealand, which have just concluded, to know that all the answer-work which had been received at the Wellington office up to Monday last, was forwarded to England by the steamer Maori, which sailed on that day. The remainder will be sent by the first direct steamer. The cabled results may bo expected about the third week in February,

The following is the result of the weightgTiesffling competitions held at the recent agricultural I 1 show at . Epsom: —Bullock (actual weight' 9371b): J. Taylor, Cambridge; and J. A. Scott, Remuera, bracketed equal (gvess correct, 9371b) ) second, M. Hardy, Aratanu (9381b); third, T. Wyufe, Panmure (9361b). Cow (actual weight' 7011b): W. L. Orr, Tuakau, Nat. Mason, Auckland, J. T. Davis, Three King*, bracketed equal, to divide first and second prize-menev (guess 7001b); second, J. Taylor, Cambridge (7131b); third, J. H. Scott, Remuera (7271b.." Sheep (actual weight 1831b): ..No less than six guessed the actual weight—J. A. Scott, Remuera; D. J. McLeod, Otonga; J. Fisher, Pukerimu; P. Kelly, Papatoetoe; G. H. Selby, Otahuhu; and Chas. Austin, Ellerslie; second, A. A. Storey, Te Awamutu (1821b); third, J. M. Wallace. Mungere, and E. Harding, Dargaville (1841b). The decision with regard tc the championship has been deferred. The highest and lowest weights guessed were as follows:— 1078'.b and 757i1b; cow, 8361b and 540J1b ; sheep, 3451b and 1551b. The funeral of the late Mr. Daniel Caley took place yesterday afternoon. There was a short mortuary service in the Pitt-street Church, which was conducted by the Rev. W. J. Williams. There were a large number of old 'colonists- present, including Mr. Frank Lawry, M.H.R. for Parnell, and some of the Waikato settlers. Among the clergy were the Revs. Rishworth, W. J. Watkins, W. Ready, H. R. Dewsbury, Beckett, J. C. Chapman, and J. T. Pinfold. The coffin was borne from the hearse to the place in front of the communion nil by officers of the Pitt-street Church. After singing the hymn, " When Our Hearts Are Bowed With Woe," the Rev. Rishworth read the 91st Psalm, and the Rev. W. J, Williams gave a short address. He stated that the deceased had been an earnest worker in the old High-street Church, and had been at the laying of the foundation of the Pitt-street Wesleyan Church, and watched with interest its growth and prosperity. When he (the speaker) came to Auckland, 30 years ago, Father Caley wag one of the first to give him a hand-grip, and to welcome him to the city. The Rev. W. J. Watkins then engaged in prayer, and pronounced the Benediction. The officen of the church again bore the coffin to th« hearse, the organist (Mr. J. Hooton) playing the " Dead March" in " Saul," the congregation standing. The deceased was buried in the general cemetery, the Rev. H. R. Dewsbury and the Rev. W. J. Williams reading the concluding portion of the burial service. The deceased's favourite hymn, " Jesus, Lover of My Soul," was sung at thf grave. It is the intention of the Rev. W. J. Wiliams, as his five years in Auckland hao nearly expired, to "apply to the Wesley Synod, for a 12 months' leave of absen-e, to revisit the Old Country, after an abseice of some 30 years. This will give him /est and change of scene, before undertaking the charge of a new circuit. M_. J. Robertson, the well-known Coromandel storekeeper, has (writes our Ooromandel correspondent) purchased Mr. Bennet's business at Hikurangi, in the Wlangarei district, and has therefore decked tc leave the Coromandel district at ar early j date. We have received the following communication from Mr. O. S. Eraser, secntary of the South Canterbury Caledonian Society: —"Will you permit me, through the medium of your valuable paper, to draw the attention of born New Zealanders to the following:—Mr. James Craigie. of Timaru, offers a first prize of £3 3s, and a second prize of £1 Is, for the best poems oni ' The Unity of the Empire.' The only conditions are that competitors must be New Zetland-born, and poems must reach our secretary by December 20. The judges are the Yen. Archdeacon Harper, the Rev. William Gillies, and Mr. J. G. Gow, Inspector of Schools. The winning poems will be rendered at the society's concerts." The Northern Company's new steamer Ngapuhi made another fast trip fror.* New Plymouth to Oneiunga yesterday, covering the distance in the good time of nine hours and 25 minutes. Some interesting specimens of the rocks which are doing duty for road metal in Auckland city were exhijited in Messrs. Skeates and) Bockaert's window yesterday. They are of a size which would not go into an ordinary hat. The/ were sighted in Beach Road yesterday by Mr. P. A. Vajle, who informed Messrs. Skeates and Bockaert that a few pebbles which were worth collecting could be picked up o.i the road between the Terminus Hotel and the Swan Inn. The messenger who was sent to secure those interesting exhibits had no difficulty in identifying them from then description, and they are now on view as specimens of Auckland road metal.

A rumour was current at Thames yesterday (writes our correspondent) that a man named Charles Lqnghurst, with his two sons and another lad,were capsized in the harbour on Thursday evening and narrowly escaped being drowned), but the circumstances were somewhat exaggerated. It appears that Longhurst, with the three boys, went out in a small boat from Tararu for the purpose of having an four's fishing. As they were returning home, however, a squall came up from off the land, and despite every effort made by Longhurst jto row against it, his boat was blown up the harbour until he got past the Goods Wharf, which structure seemed to break the wind, and somewhat sheltered the boat and its occupants. Longhurst was thus enabled to pull alongside of a scow that was anchored 3 short distance off the wharf, on board of which he remained until the squall blew itself out, when he pulled ashore without any further mishap, and relieved the anxieties of those who were watching for him.

An offer of service has been received by th 6 Rev. Dr. Hosking (president of the Free Methodist Annual Assembly) from the Rev. J. Nairn, of Ballarat, Victoria, who is stated to be an able and popular preacher.

Certain alterations are made in the scale of. fares, rates and charges in force on the New Zealand railways. On the Kawakawa section, instead of class H, 10s per ton, the following is substituted:—" Undumped, in bales, not exceeding 4cwt, will be charged 2s per bale."

The secretary of the Newton District Football Club (Mr. G. A. Bradburnj, whe has held the position for nine years, was presented on Thursday by the club and friends, on the occasion of his approaching marriage, with a handsome sideboard, suitably inscribed. The presentation was made by Mr. Conquer (president of the club), at c, social. The health of Mr. Bradburn was duly honoured, and Mr, Bradburn suitably responded.

The Christmas Number of the New Zealand Mail, just to hand, contains a large amount ot original literary mattei and a considerable quantity of illustrations. The literary matter consists chiefly of stories by New Zealand writers, some of which &vo of good quality. The illustrations are composed almost entirely of North Island scenery, Mount Egmont supplying a large number of pictures. It cannot be said that the illustrations are so fine in quality as New Zealanders now expect in their special publications, but altogether the dumber is a creditable one, and shows that considerable pains have been expended by the literary, artistic, and mechanical Staff of the Mail in its production. Our Coromandel correspondent writes: — Mr. John Fathers, secretary of the Coromandel branch of the Thames Miners' Union, is dangerously ill in the local hospital. His trouble is a combination of miners' complaint and pleurisy, At a meeting of the council of the Inanimate Pigeon Shooting Association, held on Thursday evening, it was decided to hold a meeting on Saturday, December 1, when a trophy, presented by the Campbell-Ehren-fried Company will be competed for. The association is just about completing the first year of its existence, and its usefulness ana help t shooter* is much appreciated. Several new clubs have affiliated lately. Annie A. E. McGregor Hay, of Auoklam is appointed a cadet in the telephone ex change.' '

A little' child named Lizzie Mack was teported at the police station at a late hour last night as missing. Her parents reside in Lorne-street, and she was wearing when (she left home a naval costume—blu, and white facings,.;, ,; .-*"". : y,---'. ' :

Mr. Frederick James Ray, who came to* the Thames about foui years ago, and started in business in Pollen-street as a chemist, died at the residence of 'ML. Walte* Wilkes, Parawai, yesterday morning, the cause of death being laryngitis and consumption. Deceased was unmarried, and had no relations in the colony, but a brother resides in England. He was clever in his profession, and was a musician of no mean ordei, having ably presided at the organ in St. James' Church some time ago. Although comparatively a new-comer, he won the esteem of all with whom he came in contact, and his early death will be generally regretted.

By the Zealandia, which is due from Sydney 'o-morrow night, there will arrive a lady Those philanthropic work in South Australia is well known. Mrs. Henry Gawler is the daughter-in-law of Colonel Gawler, the first Constitutional Governor of South Australia. She is also a sister-in-law of the present Dean of Westminster. Her husband, Mr. Henry Gawler, an English barrister, who was solicitor to the Lands Titles Office (Torrens Act) in South Australia, and whe drew up the amended Act, was lent by the South Australian Government to the New Zealand Government about the year 1869, in order that he might start the working of the Act in all the larp centres throughout this colony, c task he accomplished with conspicuous ability. Mrs. Gawler has just beer for a two years' trip to England, during which she acted as honorary delegate for the Australian Mothers' Union, attending and speaking at several dozen meetings, a herculean task for a lady who has reached the allotted three score years and ten. She comes to Auckland to reside with her eldest daughter, Mrs. Arthur Boult.

On Thursday evening a presentation took place at the Auckland Tramway Depot, Epsom, to Mr. Richard Moore, tram-driver, who is about to start business on his own account, after being eigh*- years in th» servio* of the company the presentation took the form oi a case of pipes, cigar cases, etc., silver-mounted. Mr. J. S. Kidd, the popular manager, made the presentation on behalf of the employees, and referred to Mr. Moore's services, and wished him success in hi? undertaking. Mr. Moore suitably responded. Mr. Lysaght, chief inspector, also referred in eulogistic terms to Mr. Moore. The usual toasts were honoured, including the "Electric Tramways," coupled with the name of Mr. Kidd. Mr. Kidd appropriately responded. Speeches were made by Messrs. Foss, Onley, and Hammond. The company sat down to an excellent supper, and the rest of the evening was devoted to harmony.

One of those pleasing little incidents, which happily serve to relieve, even if temporarily, the tension of ou. exacting commercial life, took place last evening in tho manager's room at the office of the Now Zealand Loan ard Mercantile Agency Company, Queenstreet. The occasion was the presentation of a small purse of sovereigns, subscribed by his fellow officers in tho Auckland office, to Mr. Herber* Maunsell, who is being transferred to the Dunedin office. In making the presentation, on behaif of the staff, Mr. F. Bodle, manager, spoke of the loyal cheerful, and obliging manner in which Mr. Maunsell at all times discharged his duties during a long connection with the Auckland •branch, and expressed not only his own, but the regret of the staff, at losing so painstaking and capable an officer. Other members of the staff added their testimony to the worth of Mr. Maunsell, who replied feelingly, and thanked all for their kindness and mark of esteem.