Country News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 232, 19 February 1876, Page 17

Country News.

Store cattle are commanding a large price In the Wairarapa. One of the local papers iiears that Mr. D. McMasters purchased forty Jiead last week from the Dry river station, at £7 15s. each. A new reef has been discovered in the vicinity of Macetown, Otago, by Mr. T. Hall. jßich Bpeciinens have been obtained from the xeef, and Mr. Hall gives it as his belief that -the stone will yield lOozs. to the ton. A prospecting claim has been applied for by Messrs. T. Hall and S. Symonds. At Cromwell, the Southern Cross Company crushed lOOozs. ironi seventy tons of quartz. . The Wairarapa Standard understands that Mr. Burch has been very successful an growing liops at Papawai this season. This is a local industry which, if systematically pursued, anight become valuable to the district, and there is in the neighborhood of Papawai plenty of rich land well sheltered, which is admirably adapted for their cultivation. _ We are informed the following sections of land in the township of Sandon, Manawatu, were applied for and sold on Tuesday, after the auction :—William Mills, 149 acres, £149 ; John Bryce, 986 acres, £986 ; Thos. H. Clapham, 242 acres, £242 ; Charles Stuart, 158 acres, £l5B ; Tho 3. Woodman, 120 acres, £l2O ; Thos. Bryce, 1122 acres, £1122. Totals, 2777 acres, for £2777. During the hearing of a case in the Bankruptcy Court, Christchurch, a Southern contemporary notices that a bankrupt stated that he had been a Government officer. His Honor enquired in what capacity, to which the bankrupt replied that he had been a policeman. His • Honor said it was no disgrace to Ibe a policeman, but it was something new to Mm to hear that a policeman was a Government officer. In New Zealand the common phrase was "He's in the Government .»" The Auckland Evening Star has got him. We mean that correspondent who is always telegraphing from Wellington the reverse of what actually happens. Recently, in reference to the Vogel reception, he telegraphed :—"The present committee are earnest enough, and there are sufficient names down to make the thing a great success no matter what form it anay assume, but there is not a man amongst them who understands carrying out a thing of the kind successfully."' It seems hard on the correspondent after" this that the thing should have been carried out most successfully.

An Otago paper reports a strange rather dangerous adventure as lately occurring at Ratlin's River. One morning Captain Hayward observed a man with a small flatfcottomed boat cross the bar and proceed to sea. Believing something to be wrong, he proceeded after him. in his own boat. After a long pull he got alongside, and in reply to the inquiry as to whither the mariner was bound, he got for answer, " Denmark." He got him to forego such a long and dangerous voyage for the time being, and sent him back to the Owake Flat, where he has been at work amongst the settlers for some time past. The judge of the Westland District Court does not believe in foreigners not availing themselves of the privilege of naturalisation. A Greymouth paper tells how a Mr. Wilson, a boat-builder, who had been summoned as a juror explained that he was an alien, upon which the following colloquy took place :—His Honor: "How long have you been in the colonies?" —"Twenty odd years." "And you are not naturalised ? Then the sooner you do so the better." " When I was in Dunedin some ten or twelve years ago I applied for ." * s That will do, you can go, but let me advise you to become naturalised as soon as possible ; the law gives you many privileges for doing so."

The following commercial transaction is reported by the Wairarapa Standard to have taken place within 1000 miles of Featherston, in one of those homes of bliss which are reserved for the newly arrived immigrants. A man (lucky fellow) sold his wife to a friend for ss. The following were the conditions of the sale:—First, that the children should be equally divided. Second, that the husband should be allowed to live in the same house, pi-ovided that he pay 20s. a week for the board of himself and his half of the young stock. The Standard understands that the demand for other men's wives is still active, and that where there is not too much incumbrance, higher rates than the one quoted above may be obtained.

An extraordinary letter was recently received at Hokitika from Wellington. The West Coast Times says that the address consisted of three lines. The first was " Worker dansed ;" the second "house;" the third "hokitik." The postmaster sent it to Mr. Walker, of the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, and, judging from its contents, as far as they can be judged, it was apparently intended for him. The envelope contained a soiled leaf of a pass-book, upon which was written the following :—" Wellington 99 W. J. the Wonderfoul toumb ler and trapse and plane and onomennin til, i Wont to no Wot you wood give me a Week and pae my pashide to otica W. J. Wellington, dricted to the post masten anser by return of post and the Wondrofoul nigter the best ever star ted travelling tonie man Wellington." Mr. Macandrew, the Superintendent of Otago, has been an actor in a ludicrous incident thus narrated by the Otago Daily Times : —"We thought that all our Government officers, and especially the gentlemen connected ■with the Bailway department, were acquainted officially or by sight with the Superintendent. It appears, however, that till yesterday there was one man on the staff of porters who had not seen his Honor. How we came to discover the fact was in this way : When the train stopped at Sawyer's Bay, alias Glendermid, alias Glenfluffam, alias Tar Brush Flat, the collector came round for tickets, and on applying to bis Honor for his 'bit of pasteboard/ he

was informed that it was ' all right. The collector didn't see it in this light, and stated very properly that he must either see the pass, or the party would have to pay. He was again assured by a member of the Executive that it was 'all right,' but like a faithful servant, he was obdurate, and would not be satisfied. At last a gentleman nted that the suspected person was the Superintendent. It was, of course, thought that the statement wordd settle the matter, but the porter, with a knowing wink, exclaimed —"You don't have me that way ; there ain't six Superintendents on this train.' When he was at last convinced that he stood in the presence of Mr. James Macandrew, the real Superintendent, he retired crestfallen, and was heard to mutter that he would make it warm for the other five gentlemen Avho had told the same thing, and got a ride on the cheap." Justices of the Peace are, according to Judge Weston's decision, not exempt from serving upon petty juries, although the im- ; oression has always existed that they are, although not from serving iipon grand juries. Lately, says the Grey River Argus, Mr. South said he noticed that justices of the peace had been summoned as petty jurymen, and he did not think it right that they should be. One gentleman, Mr. Gilbert King, was so summoned, and he was besides very busy. His Honor : " How many justices are present ?" Mr. ICenrick : " One, your Honor." His Honor: "I will refer to the Act. I now find that they are not entitled to exemption, and as Mr. King is here I do not think I have the power to let him go. In November last, tenders having been called for by the Provincial Government, for making the line of road extending from Palmerston township to the site of the bridge about to be constructed over the Manawatu river, several of the townsmen tendered for the work. Their - tenders were accompanied, as directed, by a money deposit. The local paper states that letters and telegrams innumerable, at a great expense to the tenderers, asking for an explanation of the cause of delay in the acceptance or otherwise of their tenders, have in the interval been forwarded to the Government, but no replies have been vouchsafed. Anything more negligent or unbusi-ness-like can scarcely be imagined, though it appeai'3 to be quite on a par with the usual mode of procedure adopted by the Provincial Government. Perhaps that Government will now condescend to return the deposit money, seeing that it has no further right to detain it. A "Disappointed Shareholder" writes to the Taranaki Budget :—"I saw by a piece from the New Zealand Tries some time ago that the Titanic Company's works were ready on the 31st December, 1875. If such was the case, I would like to know how it is that a start has not yet been made with workingthe furnace, seeing that six weeks have passed since it was officially reported that all was ready. That is a matter which I think the Govei-ii-ment ought to get a decided answer about, and, moreover, I should like to know if the Government intend to enforce the penalty of £SOO, which is now due for non-fulfilment of the terms of lease; and as all royalties, fines, &c, go to the harbor fund, I should like to know if the money will be recovered or not, as it will at the same time let the shareholders know whether or not they will have to dip their hands in their pockets to pay fines for unnecessary delays." Some of the newly arrived immigrants by the ship Caroline, dubbing themselves as a matter of course the "Star Troupe of Caroline Christy Minstrels," have essayed a public performance at Nelson. The Times reporter sa y S; —"The singing fell mainly on to one, who, we were informed, was ' the best in the crowd.' Taking this for granted, an insane desire to hear the worst took possession of us, as by this opinion of the relative merits of the whole band could have been . formed. This was not gratified, so we can only say of the best that we have heard better. The second part of the entertainment was an instrumental duet between a player with a tambourine and another with four tablespoons, and the real merit of the entertainment was herein displayed. The third part was by courtesy termed a negro farce, about which the least said the soonest mended. We stood it for two minutes, and then (despise us for our cowardice who will) turned and fled. The members of the Star Troupe of Caroline Christy Minstrels are in want of an engagement." The Wellington correspondent of the Dunedin Evening Star has the following account of a recent occurrence :—*-" Speaking of newspapers reminds us of a little episode, quite within the professional circle, which occurred the other day. The * Intelligent Vagrant' is rather too clever for most of his compeers, and some of them hate him in consequence, and can hardly help showing it. A reporter, sore pressed for a paragraph, evolved out of his own inner consciousness a story to the effect that a certain dramatic critic was ' tipped' by the theatrical manager to puff his performances. It was not a nice story touching a brother journalist, who was sufficiently indicated ; but the circumstances were detailed with some minuteness, making it rather a wonderful production, considering that there was not a particle of truth in it from beginning to end. The thing would have been a success if a lawyer's letter had not dropped in the next day ; but our pleasant vices invariably become scourges to whip us, and when the editor (who was said to have liked the paragraph immensely) sat down to eat his humble pie, he made various wry faces over it. The amende, however, was written, and the action stopped at the outset." The New Zealand Herald is responsible for the following :—" The visit of the U.S. ship Tuscarora caused some little stir while she was in Levuka harbor. Her officers are pleasant and gentlemanly, and the crew evidently enjoyed their short visit to Levuka. As a matter of course there was a little jollification among the latter, and one or two amusing scenes occurred in consequence. For instance, an officer, accompanied by a stalv/art sergeant of marines, encountered a tar in almost the last

stage of helpless intoxication. You had better take that man, said the officer ; I guess he'd better not, returned the sailor, yet retaining such a glimmer of sobriety as served to warn him of his danger. Nonsense, take him, cried the sub-lieutenant; I guess I'd better not, replied the sergeant in his turn. Well, he can't be left here in this state, was the observation of the officer ; what had better be done ? Will you come on board quietly, Bill, without any bother ? Well, I don't mind if I do, if you'll stand drinks. Bight, cries the sub. Three of Sturt's best P.B. settled the disputed point, and the Tuscarora was again rejoiced by the appearance of her erstwhile recalcitrant son."

" Perdition" is the preface to the following extraordinary and candid advertisement in the columns of the Thames Advertiser :—" The proprietor of the T7tame.s Exchange, having expended all the funds of his firm in his endeavors to secure for this constituency the services of a statesman who would preserve the identity, direct the destiny, and uphold the dignity of the Thames, has sacked his staff, and the paper will be discontinued. The free and enlightened electors of the Thames having chosen for their guardian the weak and isolated pigmy in preference to the potential giant, the camp follower instead of the commander-in-chief, the abject tool of the Wyndham-street place of that clique's master, deliberately elected five years of poverty-stricken woe to five years of Weal, and rewarded unblushing vice with the highest honor in their power to bestow, we leave the Thames to the tender care of its Howes, its Brodies, and its Mcllhonea, its debasement, its ignorance, its misery, and depart for the ' Happy Land' of Wanganui.—Ed. Thames Exchange." Mr. Eugene' O'Conor, who was recently defeated for the Buller district, seems (according to the local paper), for some reason not explained, to have been unpopular at the Ahaura. After the election the bellman of that district paraded the streets, and announced that an execution would take place in front of the Star Hotel at nine o'clock ; and at that hour a large assemblage of men, women, and children had gathered together to witness a prodigious effigy, which had previously been suspended by the neck to a tree. Upon the breast was a placard, on which was written in large characters—" In commemoration of the political death of the once great Eugene-J. O'Conor." The scene having become a little animated, a well-known prominent member of the order of St. Boniface made a few very appropriate remarks upon the past career of the once mighty but now fallen one, after which a lighted candle was applied to the nether garments of the figure, and a splendid illumination was the result, followed by a grand display of squibs and Catherine wheels, during which time the burning effigy was being unmercifully pelted with sticks and stones, until not a trace but the ashes was left. Three groans were then given for Eugene, and all retired mournfully. The following paragraph is from the Southland Daily Neivs :—"An old colonist and still older fisherman, who resides near the jetty, and pursues his favorite pastimeweather permitting—at all seasons of the year, had a dangerous encounter last week with a shark. It seems the old gentleman had gone down the river a few miles alone in a dingey, 'just to catch a wheen red cod,' and having duly baited his hooks, waited for ' bites.' Presently he got one, and proceeded to haul in the fish. As it neared the surface, to his asonishment and some slight alarm, he saw that his fish, a fine red cod, was followed by another of much-larger dimensions—in short, a hungry-looking shark, nearly, if not quite, the length of the boat. To use the sturdy old fisher's own words, 'The fellow, ye ken, actually seized the fish oot o' ma hauns and tried to mak' awa wi't. The heuk and line stood wonderfu' for a meenit or twa, whiles I raxed for ma sheeth knife and then teuk a dig at him, whilk frightened him awee. I really thocht ance that he intendit to loup intil the boat, and ma certie, I was no sorry whan he gaed awa. I did'na catch mony fish at that place, ye may be vera sure, but I did pretty well at anither. People that gae soomin sud leuk oot.' "

The Otago Guardian has the following regarding the arrest of Mr. George Hyde Campbell :—" Rumor has been current ever since his arrest by Detective Farrell as to the probability of the charge against him being sustained —a fact which has been no doubt in a great measure due to the length of time which has elapsed since the alleged offence was_ committed ; and also, perhaps, to other contingent circumstances which not unfrequently attend charges of such a nature. As is already known, the warrant upon which he was arrested for forgery was issued upon the information of Mr. S. J. Reeves,- and consisted in having altered a bill for £4l 17s. Bd. into one for £l4l 17s. Bd.; and this warrant having been in force for some considerable time, Campbell was secured at Wellington, 'from information received,' on board the steamer Taupo on her arrival from the North. Upon the arrival of the Hawea, as she got alongside the pier, shortly after four o'clock, there was quite a host of persons from the city, apparently anxious to get a view of Campbell; but Detective Neil boarded the vessel promptly, and the prisoner, who had been in the custody of the mate on the passage down, was given into his charge, and the 'expectant' curious were therefore somewhat disappointed, his wife alone being allowed an interview with him. He was kept on board until shortly before 5 o'clock, when he was quietly walked along to the train, and on arriving at the Pelichet Bay station the train was vacated, and he was walked off to the gaol, where he was duly incarcerated on the warrant from Wellington, and by which he stands remanded until Friday next, the 11th inst, when the charge will be investigated at the City Police Court. On the passage down from Wellington, Campbell, who was accommodated in the cabin, appears to have enjoyed himself heartily, and by all accounts did not seem in the slightest degree put out about his position. It appears that since he left here on the 21st May, 1875,

he has visited China, and subsequently San Francisco, where he stayed for some time, and arrived in Auckland, it ia said, between five and six weeks ago—his presence in that quarter, it seems, having been pretty well known to the police. We have it on what appears good authority that he was on his way down to Dunedin when arrested, and had little or no idea that he was likely to be prosecuted. Various statements are afloat as to his return, one being that he was coming as agent for Wilson's Palace Circus, expected here shortly, but of that we cannot speak positively, although there can be but little doubt that he did not expect to be ' bailed' up as he has been. He is but little altered in appearance, and when searched on being taken to the gaol, all that was found in his possession was a gold watch and chain, ss. and a few trifles. We understand that Mr. Stout has been retained for the defence. Referring tothe prisoner's sudden departure from Dunedin last year—a subject which at the time caused considerable comment —we have heard it said he was not then 'wanted' by the police, and further, even, that Detective Neil was aware of his presence on board the vessel at the time of her departure. However, these are matters which will no doubt come out at the investigation before the Police Court on Friday next." WOODHAUGH PAPER WORKS. (from the Otago Daily Times.) Mr. Edward McGlashan has erected upon his own land, Woodhaugh Valley, a substantial wooden building, with a roof of iron and glass, 80 by 24 feet and 60 by 40 feet, in which he is putting up machinery for the manufacture of paper. As our readers are no doubt aware, paper is made from vegetable fibre. The materials which Mr. McGlashan intends to convert into paper, and of which he has a large quantity already on hand, are rope, bagging, linen and cotton rags, and old paper of every description; and the kinds of paper which it is his intention to manufacture at first are common wrapping, grey bag, sugar, and drapers' papers. The chief element for the production of paper of a fiue quality, is a good clear water. Thia Mr. McGlashan has in abundance, as his hiill is situated close to the Water of Leith. Having got well started in the manufacture of the above descriptions of paper, it is his intention to commence making paper for printers, for which he anticipates a good market. The machinery which Mr. McGlashan is erecting is of the best description, made by Messrs. Chapman and Co., of Sydney, after the latest American improvements. The manager (Mr. Wm. S. Lynn), who has had charge of paper mills in England and Sydney, was kind! enough to explain to us the whole of the process of manufacture. The rags, having been first of all sorted by women, cut urto small pieces and dusted, are boiled in an alkaline ley for several hours, by which means the coloring matter is all extracted. They are then placed in a rag engine, where, by means of rsvolving cylinders with projecting bars, they are washed and then ground into pulp. This pulp is emptied into a chest, and then formed in films upon wire, which are pressed by two sets of rollers; then the paper, as it is formed, is made to pass in the web over the surface of three massive iron cylinders, heated internally by steam. Nothing now remains to be done but cut and fold the paper. The vegetable fibre having been reduced to pulp, the whole of the process to dry paper occupies a very short time. A PLEASANT PETITION. The following choice specimen of a petition is published in the Grey Rivei- Argus : " January 2, 1876. " To the Chairman and Members of Cobden District Road Board.—Gentlemen, —We The undersigned residents of Coal Creek Flat would respectfully bring under The Notice of The Cobden District Road Board the Fact that application have been made by Holder Wallace and Co. for right to construct a Railway. The said Road to pass round The Cob-fen Bluff and That The Survey of The same is being proceed with "The undersigned property holders would respectfully remind The Board The Road round The Bluff is The Only outlet to The Coal Creek District and That The Distruction of The Said Road would forom a Serious loss as well as an injustice to The Residents of Coal Creek Flat " we would earnestly Solissit The opinion of The Board to The following question " Ist Do the Board recognise The necessaty of preserving The Dray Road round Cobden Bluff " 2nd Do The Board consider The present Road suited to The requirements of The District " 3rd Should The District partition provincial and Genaral Govts for The appropriation of Govt Subsidy for The above purpose will The Board Sancions The request " 4th Do The Board consider that in The event of General Govt Erecting Bridge to connect Cobden with Greymouth That The Road could be constructed at The same outlay (after The completion of Railway) as at present time " sth Should The District see fit to ask The Govt to reserve to Roard Board the right £o deposite Rock &c on The River Side of Railway into The Board Sanction The request "Your partitioners would also state that The object sought for is not to place any obsticle in The way of Coal Mining or Railway enterprise but simpley to advance conjointly The wellbeing of The District . " Trusting Your Board will give The foregon your earnest consideration " We are Gentlemen Your &c " Names " JameS Peyman Farmer Coal Creek " J. W. Archer Farmer Coal Creek " J. A. Jellicoe Farmer Coal Creek " Eben Dent Farmer Coal Creek " James Laing Farmer Coal Creek " John Dinan X his mark. Property Holder Coal Creek "Evan Evans Dairyman Coal Creek " James Stewart Dairyman Coal Creek \