LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11552, 16 January 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The attacks on Br ish posts at Zuurfoutein and Kaalfontei in the Orange River " " Colony, were galla ly repulsed, notwithstanding the fact hat. - the; enemy were numerically greatly uperior to the British. The Boers made re sated attempts to rush ; the trenches—our poops seem at last to - have recognised the mportance of entrench- • ■ ing when holding isolated positions— ' were driven back e time with heavy loss. By a dynamite ex osion eight Boers were killed, and the wi of Commandant Haasbrook wounded, : the Vcntersburg district, in the Orara River Colony. The explosive appears o have been in a waggon in which the were travelling. The Chinese crisis is n '/ in a fair way of being settled. Li Hung3liang, on behalf of the Emperor, has sig d 'the acceptance of the joint note of the ' >wers, Experiments are being made with < ;ctric trains in Germany, which are expect 1i to attain a maximum speed of 160 mile an hour.

, The colonial mils which left Sydney on December 5, pet R.M.s. Miowera, were delivered in Londi i on the 12th inst,, three days late. j 1 , v This week's number of the Auckland Weekly News, witch will be published tomorrow morning, vill :onUin a large number of pictures of extcpional interest. There are a number of Arising and historical views of the AustraliariCommonwealth proceedings, showing the New Zeaknders in prominent parts of theprocession. Another feature is a unique sei;>s of views, showing the progress of the recnt great fire in the city. Altogether theissue will be found to be one of the best mil numbers, yet published. j i I ■ The tourist traffic oniho Wanganui River this season is the largesion record. Messrs. Hatrick and Co., the pioneer steamboatowners on the Wangani, have, with their well-known enterprise, extended the steamer traffic some 20 miles berond Pipiriki, which embraces all the best. tf the beautiful Beencry on New Zealand's Rhine, including all that magnificent part, Te Wahi Pari (the place of cliffs), Manjanri-o-te-ao, where the two rivers meet lik( two lanes in a great - city, the big Ngapojo and Paparoa rapids, and the caves. Nov that the part of the Wanganui River, so tbly' described by Jemingham Wakefield ij his early history of New Zealand, can b visited by steamers, his splendid descripfon of this the most , beautiful portion is well worth looking up by anyone contemplating the trip. Only Messrs. Hatrick ana 1 Co.'s steamers do this trip, and intending trippers are requested :;; to either arrange frith - them, or Messrs. Cook and Son, for mssages, to ensure going < "by first boat on arival at Wanganui. Our Papakura correspondent writs?:— The funeral of th| late Mr. Amos Eyes, late railway stiatimmaster, of Avondale, who, after 10 weeks of severe illness, died at his residence life, on January 12. agid 66 years, took plice on January 14, and was largely attended by relatives and sympathising friends, Who, by their attendance, and by many fiorsl tributes, showed their last tribute of respect to the memory of one well known aid much esteemed here. The Rev. 0. R. Hewlett was the officiating minister, and he conducted an impressive service in the Anglican Church, where two suitable hymns were sung (Mr. A. G. Fallwell presiding at the organ), and at the grave. The deceased leaves a widow,' two sons (one married), &nd four daughters (two of whom are married), to m&urn their loss. A private letter irom Wellington states that tho Minister for Railways (the Hon. J. G. Ward) has given instructions, that from the first day of this month a special increase of 6d per diy has been authorised by the Cabinet to all the workshops' employees.

The question of the Eden Terrace Road Board borrowing £5000 to provide an ef- < ficient drainage system for the district was discussed last night at the Public Hall,, Eden Terrace, by the ratepayers, Mr. John Hough, chairman of the Board, presiding. In answer to questions, it was explained that if the scheme were adopted the Board had power to compel householders to drain into it, but no hardships would bo put in the way of any ratepayer. Reasonable^ time would be given. A loan of £3000 would mean an additional farthing on the present rates. Several ratepayers spoke on the question, and all seemed to agree that the work was a necessity. Mr. Hough announced that a poll of the ratepayers to determine whether the loan should be raised: would be held on January 26 next, and it was explained by the clerk (Mr. Pqcklington) that a three-fifths majority of the vote!} recorded was necessary to carry the proposal. , The fire in the cellar of Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co.'s bond was still burning yesterday. It is the intention of the firm to reinstate the building, but in the mean-. time they are bonding in' Graham's bond, and have also taken a portion of Mr. Schischka's store, and the old Southern Cross building in Chancery-street. The firm has decided to add to the back of their Shortlandstreet* premises, in order to concentrate their business. The risk held by the Standard Insurance Company, of which we were, unable to obtain particulars until yesterday, was a reinsurance of £1850 from the Norwich Union. A few days ago Joseph Mullamphy, aged 10, residing with his parents at Newtown, Sydney, was admitted to the Prince Alfred Hospital, suffering from terrible injuries, caused by the explosion of a dynamite de-' tonator. The boy found the detonator near, some brick works, and scraped it with a hairpin, not knowing what it was. The detonator then exploded, with the result that his left hand and the fingers of. his ; right hand were blown off. Both eyes were also destroyed. He also received' severe injuries to his chest. Charles Mullamphy, a brother, aged 13, also received severe injuries to one arm, but after being attended to at the hospital be was taken home. An elderly man named John McDonald was arrested on a charge of drunkenness yesterday afternoon, and on being taken to the lockup it was found he had sustained some injuries. He was at once removed to the hospital, where it was found he was j suffering from a fracture of the 'base of the I skull. McDonald was received at the hos- • I pital at five o'clock, and died at twenty minutes to eight. It is supposed he had fallen and injured himself. The matter will be reported to the coroner. The second wool sale of the season was < held at the Wool Exchange yesterday, when the auctioneers interested offered upwards of 4000 bales, the greater part of which . i was placed. The prices realised were much on'a par with those ruling at the opening sale of the season, the inferior wools (cotts 1 J and dingy) showing a slight upward ten- | dency, which was counteracted by a trifling s falling away on the prices realised for the ■' j finer wools, the result of the clips being hardly up to those brought forward in De- j cember. The top price of the sale was "d, .. ! | which figure Was touched by Mr. Kingswell, » on behalf of Messrs. G. W. Binney and • ; j. Sons, when offering a line of 25 bales. u " -j/ details of the sale appear in - another j column. rj The Devonport Navals go into camp at j Devon port to-night. Members of the com- j. |j pany are warned to parade at the Drill Hall « at half-past seven. - I The charge against the Maori named R®"" I,' | wiri of causing the death of his wife at M*' I randa will be heard at the Auckland Pohca | Court to-day. . • ,* : - -A '

A young married woman named Hcdley, • 0 Kopu, went to the Thames Hospital yesterday evening, to have the two middle fineers of her left hand attended to, tliev having been severely lacerated through being drawn into a mangle.

With reference to the man, George Boutwe who died in Mount Eden gaol the other day Dr. W. R. Close-Erson states that deceased had been drinking heavily for some Lie in Onehunga, and when he came before the Court Dr. Emm, who presided, recognised that his condition was such that medical attendance was necessary. He, therefore, offered to drive the man to the strict hospital, and keep him . under his charge, providing he would promise to stay thereuntil well. This Boutwell declined to do and. as there is no way of making residence in the hospital compulsory, there was no option but to send him to gaol. In doing so Dr. Erson made a special note tnat the case was not one for punishment, but for medical treatment.

The Rawling's scholarship has been won by Gilbert S. Clark, attending the Ponsonby school. Cyril Mackie, of Wellesley-street school, came second, and George M. Stewart, of Mount Eden, third. Clark got 478 marks, Mackie 435, and Stewart 381.

Owing to being unable to procure a steamer, the Auckland Yacht Club have been compelled to postpone their annual picnic until February 2.

The Auckland Carters' Union has passed the following resolution : " That the union expresses its regret, that the legislation relating to factories is so imperfect that the shafting of machinery as the law now stands, need not be fenced and that this union expresses its thanks to the Inspector of Factories for the efforts he made in the recent case of the Premier Joinery Company to vindicate the spirit of the law and protect the workers."

From the Madras papers,, the Hindu and gv 0 Madras Mail, we learn that- then- Excellencies Lord and Lady Curzon, accompanied by an aide-de-camp, : called at the headquarters of the Theosophical Society, Advar. Colonel Olcott, the president, founder of the society, received them, and introduced them to the prominent TheosoEhista who were there, including Miss Lilian Edger, who recently arrived from Australia to deliver the Adyar lectures. The Oriental and Western sections of the library were inspected, and their Excellencies were charmed with the collection of Japanese curiosities in the Oriental section. At the request of Colonel Olcott, Lady Curzon planted a young mango tree just in front of the main building, to commemorate the vice-regal visit to the Theosophical headquarters. Lord Curzon' signature in the visitors' book, made 13 years back, was then shown, and the Colonel presented Lady Curzon with a Japanese coin, made from the bronze of a colossal statue of Buddha, destroyed in one of the revolutionMy wars in Japan. The coin was placed in a neatly-carved sandalwood box, lined with satin. Lord Curzon visited the room in which he had had a long talk 13 years ago, while Lady Curzon was engaged in conversation with the house party. Their Excellencies made themselves quite at home, and the one thing that impressed everybody was their friendly and unassuming manner. After exchanging compliments with those present, .the vice-regal party drove to the Government House at Guindy.