LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11680, 15 June 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Herald publishing-room presented a very busy appearance yesterday owing to the -.■ery great demand, both for the Special Royal Visit Number and for this week's issue of the. Auckland Weekly* News. Large numbers of these papers are being posted by the outgoing 'Frisco mail to friends abroad in order to give them an idea of Auckland's great reception of the Royal visitors. It Las been found necessary to print day and night in order to overtake the large demand for this week's special number of the Weekly News.

Some consternation, not unmixed with amusement, was caused on Thursday when it was found that City Council officials were on a tour of the city, cutting the water off all the hydraulic lifts, in spite of the threatening aspect of the weathei. Some were cut off as late as the afternoon while it was raining in torrents, which some people find it hard to understand until they reflect that water has to find its way to the Western Springs before it can affect the reservoirs. The feelings of the possessors of hydraulic lifts were relieved yesterday morning, when, owing to the tremendous downpour of Thursday, instructions were issued to again restore connection with the main,..

As giving an illustration of the feats of physical endurance some of our volunteers and their horses are capable of, it may be mentioned that the Utamatea Mounted Rifles, who took part in the Royal celebrations, accomplished a. remarkable march on the wav to Auckland. On the first day they rode 65 miles, the average weight of the. men, including kits, oeing 16st, while one man's horse carried no less than 22st. 'On the second day they covered 45 miles, and, in addition, many of them had to ride front 15 to 20 miles to their headquarters previous to starting out for Auckland. They arrived in Auckland looking little the worse for their fatiguing journey. The inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of William White, who was found dead in his bedroom at Thames on Sunday afternoon last, was resumed yesterday afternoon before .Mr. Albert Bruce, coronet. Evidence was given by Mi. Joseph Brokenshire, Constable Stevens, and Dr. Bond. The latter, who had made a postmortem examination, stated that in his opinion deceased died from syncope, produced by vomiting caused by the diseased condition of the stomach and kidneys. In answer to a question, the witness said there was no truce of poison in the stomach. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the doctor's evidence. The following nanus were omitted from the list of those invited to last Tuesday" night's reception at Government House Miss Harris, Major Madocks, Lieutenant and Mrs. Bosworth, Captain Hughes, Captain Todd, D.5.0.. and Miss Goodall. The names of Mr. and Mrs. C. W Owen and Mr. F. A. Holdsworth were omitted from the list at the Mayor's reception, and the name of Mr. D. A. Sutherland, Mayor of Onehunga, from the list oi invitations to the Government platform and the Mayor's reception. Two of the names of the children who presented purses at the laying of the foundation stone of the Maori Girls' School were misprinted. William Hubert Barlov (great-grandchildren of the late Rev. dames Hamlin). Dorothy Mellsop. also mentioned as having given a purse, is a great niece (not granddaughter) of the late Mr. Mellsop, R.N., and ;■ granddaughter of the late Major Wily, of Mauku.

A meeting of the sliareholdA of the Bruce Woollen Mills was held atllilton lately, Mr. William Moore, chairm: of directors! presiding. The chairman if erred to the loss it. would ho to the ton should the company go into liquidation It was resolved to increase the eapld by 25 000 shares at £1 each. It was nteJ nut that although no dividends had hen paid and the company have had to rcmstrucl.' during the short time the comnnr had been in existence upwards of £18 00 had been paid in wages. It is a cur : commentary on the above state of ufiira that the Workers Union are proceedifc to briii" the company before tie Concikition Hoard, claimi!)" mute, wages and slitter hours. On Monday. Juno 17, a liiij will leave 'Auckland at 11.15 a.m.. Ne\[narkefc 11.25, Penrose 11.38, Otahuhu 11.45, Dniry 12.15 p.m., Pukekohe 12.35 i Mercer 1.24, Huntlv 2.4, Ngaruawaliia 2.2! Frankton arrive 2.46. leaving Frankton a 12.51 p.m. for Thames. Rotorua, and intermjiate stations. Between Auckland ami Fit.kton it will stop at stations specified oiilv] Visitors to Auckland who are staying in' wn over Sunday will probably iind' thisii convenient train to return by. Mr. F. Strange had about £10 worth of gum in his store at Hikutaia von it was destroyed by tire on Wednesday light, There was no insurance on the guni Tee buildings destroyed were owned hi Mr. Corbet t. and were, it is understood; slightly insured.

An old identity of Ponsonbuand Remucra passed away on June 5, in th .person of the late Mr. David Carl Gray, e'.ifst sou of the late Rev. Alexander ray, I Kincardine, Scotland. He was a man i good family and enjoyed a liberal creation. Deceased passed all his exam'mtions for the Church, hut never was inflamed, as he changed his mind at the la-t moment, fulsome private reason. The itrons; affection that existed between Mr. Gay and Dr. R. Telfer Corlett. who had lien educated with him, induced Mr, Gray to f.llow him to this colony. His death nil! be felt by many in the Old Country who remember him is an ornament to society. He was a peat friend of the late Mr. "Young, of Rennrni, whose family. with others, sincerely, regret his loss. Mrs. Sloane and family.of the Marine Parade, were untiling in [heir kindness and attention to Mr. Cray if his last illness.

The Auckland Executive Committee in connection with the Royal visit have decided to give the ropes of greenery to the city schools, in order that tie ropes may be used as skipping ropes for Hie children. There are altogether some sis or seven miles in lencth of rope. The fields and flags will be handed over to the Board of Education, to be distributed amos'g the schools of the province, as a souvenn of the visit of their Royal Highnesses to Auckland.

The remains of Mss Elizabeth Hooper, sister of the Rev. W. Hooper, 1 >.!).. 0.M.5., of India, who died in Auckland on Sunday, were removed to the Cambridge cemetery for interment, the fuseral cortege leaving the railway station on Tuesday. Deceased was a clever and gifted exponent of the Bible, and as such, and for her piety and charity, was highly respected and loved by a large circle of friends, and her presence will be greatly missed. It was to her generous donation of Indian and. Chinese curios that the Cambridge Museum owes its existence. A memorial service is to be held in the Public Hall on Sunday night.

A navvy named Wright, a resident of Ringwood. Victoria, employed on the Lillydale and Warburton railway, met with a serious accident at Lillydale. He was making his way to the engine to ride to his work at Warburton. when, in the darkness. he fell into the engine pit between the rails, and broke his right arm. A few years ago the same arm was injured below the elbow, and the lower portion had to be amputated. With the aid of an iron hook Wright was able to follow his occupation as a labourer, •with but slight inconvenience or disability. He is described as one of the best axemen in the employ of the Department. By passing the hook through a hole in the end of the axe-handle he was able to cut and hew with the most expert of his fellow labourers. Through the present accident the same arm is now broken above the elbow. Wright was formerly employed as a sailor, but abandoned the "sea after falling 50ft from the main brace to the deck, and breaking his thigh. By another accident the poor fellow" had a number of ribs broken, so that be cannot be blamed for considering himself the special victim of an adverse fate.

Mr. W. H. Gregerson, chemist, of Benall a (Victoria), had securely tied a bottle of carbon, and was about to put it away in a safe part of his dispensary near which there was a fireplace, when the bottle suddenly dropped and smashed. 'Hie fumes of the carbon spread to the chimney, where the fire was burning, and became ignited. The result was a great blaze; which set lire to Mr. Gregerson's trousers. He ran at once into the main street, and, with the assistance o: Mr. Pitty. postmaster, who was passing, the dames were extinguished, though not before Mr. Gregerso'i sustained some injurr to his leg. and was nearly suffocated. The "fire in the dispensary was suppressed •without any damage being done.

A novel and clever surgical operation was performed at a private hospital in Temuka recently. An elderly man was brought to the hospital, suffering with a tumour on the right leg, which necessitated an operation. This was performed by Dr. Hayes, assisted by Dr. Moore and Nurse Linton. the tumour having injured the main nerve 01 the patient's leg, it. was found necessary to remove about liu or nerve with the tumour, and to replace it Dr. ryes arranged with Mr. Lee, butcher, to kill a sheep on the premises, from which Dr. Moore extracted a nerve, and this was grafted into the patient s lee For about 10 days the leg was .put* lifeless, and devoid of feeling, and count be pricked with a needle without the *>»-'>- est pain to the patient, but now the gv.ood nerve has had the desired tdi'.vt. ami Idling has been restored. The patient is aln-anv able to walk about with the help of a stick.

A correspondent suggests that a simple and inexpensive plan for a fire escape is as follows: —First, a strong iron plate with fiance at lower side. with a hole to receive hook, should be firmly screwed on the outside of all window frames on the rigid, also on balcony siituiorls o; other suitable places. Then the* next thing i* a rope oi suftb.-teiit length and strength to re oh twice the instance from the flxn-.re to the ground, the end to run through a small non pull:-'. - block, with solid book, which will pass tliroiti-h hole in the flange, the top- to have a loop spliced at one end. oi a s:>:e that will go over ■:■ person's head ami body or allow the individual to sit in it, when appliance is complete, and thus loner himself to the ground. Many persons in Auckland and elsewhere have shown their sympathy in various ways with Mr. and Mrs. Johnst- in their lamented bereavement, occasioned by the late fire at the Grand Hotel. Mrs. .Johnston has been the recipient of over iCOO svrupa-theticailv-worded telegrams and tellers, including letters of .ond.eence trom their Royal Highnesses the l*-.1.--_- am Ihic.tess of Cornwall and York, and wre.-.t.is Horn His Excellence- the Governor and tne GutmtesH of Ranfurlv. One letter re coved tore, a friend in Lvtteltoii contained a rheijue to. £20, and also conveyed v. message wishing that the money should be sped m providing necessaries for the young ladies wno were injured in the lire and who are- at present in the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. . ounsion are quite unable to reply individually to all the letters received, lift by a notice elsewhere thev tender their sincere thanks to ad, particularly Mr. Men/ics, ot the Northern Club, ivid Mrs. Libs and several housemanis who attended to them on the night ot the fire. A man named John Field fell down in a fit last night in Princes-street. Dr. Golrlte was sent for, and alter examining the man ordered his removal to the hospital. On the road thither Field took several mure fits. The visiting volunteers have been invited to be present at the football matches at Potter's Paddock to-day.

While one of the workmen of the City Council was yesterday on a ladder, placed against one of the Venetian poles in Wel-lesley-slreet Hast, a trap came past and struck the ladder, precipitating the man to the ground, but, luckily, he escaped with a few bruises. Dr. Hooper has returned from a well-de-served holiday, during which lie visiter', Australia. He played on various Sydney bowling greens, and enjoyed some games it which Mr. A. Horroeks, vice-president o) the New South Wales Bowling Association participated. Mr. Hor-ocks was nominated "tie of the New South Wales representatives for the team visiting the Mother Country, but it seems did not. go alter all. Mr. HoVnicks is well and favourably known to the Auckland bowlers, having visited Auckland a year or more ago. Our Hamilton correspondent writes: have to record the death of an old veteran in the person of Mr. Edwin Louis Hope. who died at the Waikato Hospital after undergoing an operation for hernia. He was born ■.;; Worcester in 1336, and emigrated to Canterbury about 1857. On the breakins,' out of the Maori war, and the formation of the Waikato Regiment, lie joined the 2nd. and was subsequently drafted to the Imperial Transport Caps, * After the close of the Waikato war deceased joined one of the ranger companies for service on the West Coast, and Mas wounded in the face in one of the engagements, and granted a' pension of Is 6d per diem. The deceased was of a very jovial disposition, his death is very much regretted by a .aige circle of friends. He leaves a widow and a large family of sous and daughters to mourn their loss. He belonged to the Masonic body, of which he was a. Fast Master. 1 wo of his sons are now on service in South Africa.

The monthly meeting of the Friendly Societies Conference was held in the Cookstreet Hall on Thursday night. Nine hospital chums, amounting to £31 13s, were passed for payment, besides £5 3s, working expenses for the last niiart-pr. Several amendments were, made to the rules of the society, which will come up for confirmation at next meeting.