MASTERTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1196, 1 February 1895, Page 19

MASTERTON.

Masterton, January 23. A Native named Tohe te Ao was charged in the Magistrate’s Court this morning with being drunk, and with smashing a pane of glass of the value of 30s. The festive aborigine admitted that he was intoxicated, and, with all the cunning of a civilised European, pleaded that as an excuse for having broken the window. Stipendiary Magistrate Hutchison told Tohe that it was his own fault that he got drunk, and that he was liable for his actions although he was inebriated. The Native was let off on proniising to pay for the damage done. No less than 46 trucks of sheep left the Wairarapa this morning for the freezing works.

Mr John Morris, of Homebush,' has harvested a crop of oats which will produce over 80 bushels to the acre. This is said to be the record yield for this district.

At the annual meeting of members of the Wairarapa Rifle Association, held on Tuesday evening, it was decided that the prize money for the present meeting be reduced one-third, and that future meetings be held on the 30th and 31st December. .

Spurious half-crowns are reported to be in circulation ip Masterton just now. A petition is being largely signed, asking the Borough Council to proclaim Saturday the half-holiday. Captain. T. Hughes, who has been in charge of the local corps of the Salvation Army for some months, has been transferred, and, was given a fareful “coffee supper ” last night. ... A picnic in connection with St. Matthew’s Sunday school was held at Mr A. Elkin’s farm on Tuesday. I have very good reason for thinking that Mr A; W. Hogg, M.H.R., who vacates -his seat on the Wellington Land Board, by effluxion of time, in April, is to be re-a,p-pointed. A Masterton syndicate recently sent a Mr' Cameron to Coolgardie to prospect, and a cablegram has just been received from him. stating that he has secured a share in a reef where; surface gold is showing, and water is plentiful. v - Masterton, January 24. The Fire Brigades propose holding an annual sports gathering, the gathering held on Tuesday being very successful. Mr J. Newton has been appointed assistant letter-carrier here.

Bush.fire3 are raging in all directions. A large one was started at Matahiwi today. It is generally regarded as too early for firing, as although the timber is dry the rapid growth of weeds all the season prevents successful grassing. There are a good many out-of-work men about the town just now, but most of these have money made during the shearing season.

Harvesting is proceeding apace, and, considering the adverse season, the yields are very good.

Masterton, January 26. George Dyson, of Makakalii, hotelkeeper, has been declared a bankrupt. , '

The election of officers of the Master ton Volunteer , Fire Brigade takes place on Wednesday next.

Mr R. Darroch resumes work as assistantteacher at the Masterton School on Monday next.

A number of Masterton Natives have gone to Papawai to attend a monster gathering to be held there. Up till date not half the factories in Masterton have been registered under the Factories Act. Factory-owners should remember that there are only a few days left in which to register.

Mr J. H. Shine, tailor, of Wellington, has been nominated for a seat on the Wellington Education Board. Mr Shine promises, if returned, to see that every justice is done to country schools. The secretary of the Masterton Hospital wishes me to acknowledge on his behalf the receipt of the following subscriptions: Mr H, A. Nevins, £1 ; employees Annedale Station,. £o 103 ; Mr James Stuckey, <£l; employees Te Rangitumau Station, £2 ; Mr J. A. McKenzie, .£1 Is.

Peter McMahon and John Sterling, two co-operative labourers on the AlfredtonWeber road, are wanted on a warrant issued from Eketahuna, charging them with stealing, on the 24th inst., <£4o belonging to their mates. The two men are reported to have left for Western Ausj tralia.

A number of married men from Masterton, Tinui and the East Coast, most of whom have been working as station hands, and who wish to better their position by getting on to the land, have lately, through Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., been sent to the Mangaweka Improved Farm Settlement in the Awarua Block, near Three-log Whare. The land is situated in a favourable position close to the main road and railway line, and is of good quality. Several other working men (some from Annedale station and from different parts of the Masterton district) will follow in the course of a few weeks. They are all practical bush men with plenty of energy, and it is hoped they will give a good account of themselves. A few days ago the death was announced of the wife of • Mr G. Karaitiana. A daughter of Mr Karaitiana died yesterday

at the age of seven. A tangi is to be held.

Masterton, January 28

Mr Thomas Winteringham, while breaking a young horse on Saturday, was several times thrown. At length it was noticed that the blood was oozing from his mouth and nose, and Winteringham was seen to be reeling in his saddle. Mr W. Keeble made a rush to his assistance, but was knocked down by the horse and trampled under foot. Mr Keeble was removed to the Hospital, where it was found that he had sustained a fracture of the thigh, an injury to his chest, and abrasions on the face. His plucky conduct is deserving of great commendation, for -he really risked his own life to preserve another’s. A man named Thos. Ellis, who had been working as a cook on Brancepeth Station, but since Christmas had been holidaymaking in Masterton, inflicted a severe wound in his neck with a pocket-knife on Saturday in the Park. The man lost a quantity of blood, and was somewhat exhausted, but his condition is not serious. He has been remanded to the Wellington Gaol for seven days’ curative treatment. A meeting of directors of the Wairarapa Caledonian Society was held on Saturday, when it was reported that a profit of .£34 had been made during the year. This will clear the Society of debt. A protest against S. A. Carlson, the winner of the Maiden Race and prize for most points at the last sports, was considered, and it was decided that the protest be upheld if it was [proved, as alleged, that Carlson had won events in Hawke’s Bay before coming here. ’

Anniversary services in connection with the Masterton Presbyterian Church were held on Sunday, the pulpit being occupied by the Rev John Ross. The congregations were very large. Mr D. S. Papworth, of Masterton, accompanied by the Bannister Bros, and a lad, visited Mount Holdsworth on Sunday. The dense smoke rendered a view of the Valley impossible, but an excellent view of the West Coast was obtained. Mt Papworth brought to town . some excellent alpine plants. Another Native child at Akura pah is suffering from a disease supposed to be typhoid fever. A sign of the progress being made in settlement in the, Forty-Mile Bush is to be found in the fact that whereas last year only one sub-collector was required for the collection of agricultural statistics in the Forty-Mile Bush, this year two have been employed. The increase was made at the suggestion of Mr W. R. Bone, the Superintendent Collector. The following tenders for various works in the county were accepted on Saturday by the Wairarapa North County Council: Eketahuna-Tinui road, contract No. 46, carting 232 cubic yards of metal —M. Kerins, .£73 5s 6d. Masterton-Waimata road, contract No. 149, 7.20 chains metalling—B. Culloty, ,£4l 11s 6d ; No. 47, 33£ chains metalling, 500 cubic yards gravel carting—J. Cummings, v .£l5O 17s 6d. Opaki-Manawatu road, contract No. ' 40,, carting 400 yards metal—M. Kerins, .£36 13s 4d. Mangaone Valley road, contract No 4, 52.84 chains of metalling—M. Kerins, .£99 Is sd. The road between Masterton and Eketahuna has been blocked with trees brought down by bush fires. Fires are raging in all directions.

Masterton, January 29. • A local angler has made the capital suggestion that the catches of trout made on one afternoon in the week should be presented to the Masterton Hospital. A number of contractors and others are protesting against the contract for the repairs to the Waipoua River having been let without tenders having been called. The County Engineer says that the work was of “ urgent necessity,” and therefore the private contract was justified. A small consignment of frogs is about to be liberated in Masterton.

The present summer is said to be one of the driest and warmest experienced in this district for many years. Mr Beale, the well-known tinsmith of Masterton, so severely injured his hand whilst fixing a pump, that one of his fingers had to be amputated. The petition to be presented to the Masterton Borough Council this evening on the half-holiday question will contain the names of several hundred townspeople, including quite a number of tradesmen. The gas made at the Masterton gasworks last month was 227,400 cubic feet. The coal carbonized for the month was 22 tons 3cwt. The following residuals were sold : —Tar, 1881 gallons; lime, five loads; coke, four tons. \

The Native child at the Akura pah, which is supposed to be suffering from typhoid fever, is making satisfactory progress.

The weekly meeting of the North Wairarapa Liberal Association was held on Monday evening, the chair being occupied by Mr C. Hughes, the president. Correspondence was read and dealt with, and the quorum for meetings was altered from four to seven.

# The North Wairarapa Liberal Association wants the Education Board to hold the next annual meeting of householders in some more central building than the main schoolhouse, and suggests the Drill Hall, th ©Theatre Royal or the infant schoolroom.

The half-holiday question was discussed at the meeting of the North Wairarapa Liberal Association on Monday evening, when a resolution was carried in favour of Saturday. Mr John Yates, of the Upper Plain, has harvested 884 bushels of oats from a field of 12 acres.

Splendid entries are being received for the Masterton A. and P. Association’s ram and ewe fair to be held next month. Masterton, January 30. A man named Troy was admitted to the Masterton Hospital this morning from Eketahuna, suffering from a severe injury to the foot.

Brancepeth Station “ now possesses a library for its men of no less than 1450 books.

The annual soiree and public meeting in connection with the Masterton Presbyterian Church was held last evening, the Rev Robert Wood presiding. The Revs C. Murray, J. Ross and J. Dukes were the speakers. The balance-sheet showed a slight debit balance.

In an interval in the proceedings at the Masterton Presbyterian Church on Tuesday evening Miss A. M. Feist, "who has been organist to the Church for the last 10 years, was presented with a gold watch, chain and ring*. The Masterton Borough Council has referred to the County Council a petition it has received protesting against the contract for repairs to the Waipoua bridge having been let without public tenders being called. A large number of Hawke’s Bay Natives passed through Masterton in vehicles today en route for Grey town, where a monster tangi is to be held.