LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12663, 17 September 1904, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

"The Coming' of the King," by Joseph Hocking, the opening chapters of which appear in to-day's Supplement, is, probably the most powerful and interesting story that has yet come from the pen of that gifted and popular writer. Successive chapters will appear daily until the conclusion of the serial. The tale deals with the period of the Restoration, and is cleverly constructed. The characters are drawn with lifelike distinctness, and the plot is of absorbing interest. No lover of good fiction should fail to read '* The Coming of the King." ."'■■'. No writer in modern times has sprung into greater prominence than the renowned " Mr. Dooley," whose conversations with the no less renowned Mr. Hennessj have contributed to the gaiety of the American and British nations. We publish in today's Supplement the first of a. new series of these immensely popular dialogues, which we confidently predict will be. found ae quaint, pungent, and humorous as those that have preceded them. The Hreald Summary, for transmission by the next outward San Francisco mail, will be published next Wednesday morning. Those desirous of forwarding the Summary to their friends in Europe, America, etc., will have ample time to do so. as the newspaper mail closes on ( Friday next, .at 12 noon, up to which hour papers for mailing may be obtained of runners at the post office. This mail will bo due in London on October 22. The demolition of the Cemetery bridge was completed yesterday, when the structure was lowered to the ground in the presence of quite a large number of interested spectators. The work was of a somewhat hazardous character. The bridge had first to be weakened by the removal of numerous steel wire fixings, anr> the sawing through of the centre supports a foot or two from the bottom of the gully. When this was accomplished (no persons being allowed to cross the gully at the time) three stout steel wire ropes were coiled round the centre of the structure and by the aid of a winch, located some distance away from the bridge,"* the whole concern was pulled down with a loud crash. Considering the great height from which the bridge fell, it reached the ground fairly intact, the smash not being as great as was expected. An exciting runaway occurred in Sy-monds-street yesterdaj moaning. A light buggy, the property of Messrs. Pullan, Armitage, and Co., was being driven by a youth out of Mount-street, when ib came into collision with a pass ; vehicle. The buggy was completely overturned, the driver was thrown on tc the road, and the horse raced off at a break-neck pace along Sy-monds-street with the wrecked vehicle bouncing and clattering behind. A short distance along the road a baker's cart was encountered, and a shaft of the runaway buggy was left penetrating the body' of the cart. The horse continued its headlong career, scattering remnants of the buggy in its path, till finally eased up near the top of Shortland-street, with only a small portion of the original buggy and harness remaining. The horse attached to the vehicle first collided with was badly scratched, bub the driver of the runaway escaped injury, Our Thames correspondent writes: — Since the completion of the fence around the Parawai school groun-ls, some of the elder scholars, under tl>* direction of several members of the committee and the headmaster (Mr. J. Fishe;), have been very busy planting native t-.'sea and shrubs to the number of between &■■?• and 60. Considerable taste has been displayed in the work. If the trees thrive they will add greatly to the beauty of the grounds, and will be of advantage to the children during the piay hours of the summer months. Some of the trees and shrubs are the gift of the Auckland Scenery Conservation. Society, some have been presented by Mr. W. Causley, whilst others were brought from the bush by the boys themselves, who throughout have taken great interest in the beautifying of the school grounds. A plumber named Jchn Mann, in the employ of Messrs. Burke and Co., was engaged on a building in Custom-street yesterday, when the ladder on which he was standing slipped on the greasy asphalt and came down with the workman. The latter, who was promptly removed to the hospital, sustained a severe injury to the right leg just above the knee. When examined the leg bad swollen considerably, and it cannot be definitely determined whether a fracture has re- . sulted or not until the swelling has gone J down.

A .painful accident befell Patrick Shannon, a gumdigger, at Waihopo (Mangonui County). While he was riding on a waggon load of timber, the horses took fright and bolted. The front wheels dropping suddenly into a hollow in Imß road, threw the man forward between the two horses. The hook of the trace caught in the muscle of his arm, dragging him about one mile over very rough ground. Before assistance could be obtained the horses had become exhausted and stopped. The muscle and sinews in places were torn very badly, and there are also very nasty cuts and. bruises on his back. He was taken to the s.s. Chelmsford on Thursday night, where the wounds were temporarily dressed by Dr. Montague, and he was brought to the Auckland Hospital last evening.

Mr. Justice Edwards, who' recently heard a Maori land transfer case, in which Margaret Emma Finlaysot? summoned the district land registrar of Auckland to substantiate his refusal to agister a- memorandum of the transfer of certain lands in the Hobson County from Ket© Hohaia to the applicant, has forwarded his decision m the case to Auckland. The judgment is in. favour of the registrar, with costs 10 guineas. The registrar refused to register the transfer on the ground that the'laud, the subject matter of the transfer, was portion of a native block of 3718 acres odd, and was inalienable under section 117 of the Native Land Court Act of 1894. Mr. McGregoi appeared for the applicant, and Dr. Bamford for the registrar. The Anglican Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Neligan) arrived at Pukekohe West by train on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by the Rev. H: Hawkins, for the purpose of confirming ten candidates. At four p.m., the hour appointed for the service, the church was comfortably filled. The Rev. F. B. Dobson, vicar of St. Andrew's. Pukekohe, presented the candidates. A Maori missionary meeting was held in the Masonic Hall in the evening, when the Bishop and Mr. Hawkins gave addresses. Mr. D. R. Flavell, headmaster of the Pukekohe District High School, was also on the platform, and assisted at the piano. The Bishop returns to Auckland to-day. Probate has been granted by Mr. Justice Edwards in the estate of the late John Patrick Davies (Mr. Purchas), and letters of administration in the estate of the late Barbara Parker (Mr. Theme)! On the application of Mr. Thome, His _ Honor has granted a' winding-up order in connection with the National Glass Company, in liquidation. Cemetery gully is in a rather bad condition, and pedestrians require to exercise much caution in passing along the track. Yesterday morning Mr. Walter Pilcher, cab proprietor, slipped, and in falling fractured his arm close to the shoulder. He was admitted to the hospital for treatment. Whilst working a crosscut saw at the Kauri Timber Company's yards yesterday a youth named Taite had the little finger of | his left hand almost severed through the hand coming in contact with the saw. The sufferer was attended to by the hospital staff. ■',''" .. -,| Wet weather, accompanied! with a ; southerly wind, set in early yesterday morning, and intermittent showers of rain fell throughout the day. The ; weather, however, cleared up in,the evening. Our Whangarei correspondent states that exceptionally heavy rain fell yesterday, and was accompanied by hail and thunder. The goodwill and trade name of the wellknown ironmongery firm of T. and S. Morrin, Limited, wMch is now in liquidation, have been purchased by Messrs. R. Feitwick (late managing director) and Mitofarlane (late secretary of the company), who are now forming a new company to carry on the business. On Thursday Kimi, the wife of the Tauranga chief Mori Ngatai, died at her residence, Whareroa, after a long illness. She was a great chieftainess of the Ngaterangi tribe, and a tangi will take place, lasting several weeks. Visitors from all parts of New Zealand will be present. The excellent series of Christian Evidence lectures, for which a committee represent-• ing the Anglican Church, the Ministers' Association, and the Y.M.C.A. is responsible, will be continued to-morrow after* noon, at the Baptist Tabernacle. The Rev„ Canon Beatty, vicar of St. Marks, Remuera, will be the lecturer, his subject being "The Reasonableness of Prayer." The Waihi Borough Council have just imported from Home a large stone-crusher, with engine, the plant baring beam landed at Paeroa. The crusher will operate at the several stone quarries, breaking metal for the roads, and also reducing stone to a Hufineienb fineness for footpaths. The plant is to be brought to Waihi at once, and erected for immediate use. , There were in, the Auckland police cells last evening four persons charged with drunkenness, on© with assault, and one with wife desertion.