LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 248, 7 February 1877, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

tti con.-?e<nieuce of the d.Jay in the sailing of the franci-ieo mail st-amer. the Ib-me mails for Kngland and America wilt not c!o?e at Oamant until four o'clock toriu) r i'o iv e v*« n i ti.i,'. T'nere h;h Hank sheet nt the i'ohv>! Com-!; ttvi* taentiFi.;-. When th" o\ "> north train fr»-«rr« town h.",d arrirtd ?,t aFxirit onw nnh> and a hatf «t Ft'ddefthorp-\ otie of She ptate-fay.Ts on Eh* l ; ;;e pnHed up the train and tuforrnsd the that the f.altasl'. nwter th« had- t'eea uashed- ay. Mr. Srutth, ttre Tratihi-: Manau'-'r, w!o> tv:is t>n t.oard -it ttie time, £avo instruettH.n. Co "hj driver to pm-eei-'d eavitioi!--;U-over th:.- damaged portion, ami sncc''oil..'i-t in y-'ttitu; the train «>ver in sah-ty, nojß-if-ti.-tauhtv-- metal rat! gave way and l-n-ke in tww. He then telegraptierl from Waitaki int*> Oatnant for assistant".?. ami just as the Tttnant train arrived mt the se-evie. the repairs had I wen completed, txwl everything in order for trattler. t'.Kt.-'f.n.fiti' S'tnart left town this mr-ming ta the 'Waitafci «-ith charge nf two prisor.e sr John Morgan, sentenced to s.ix w-f.-ks' imprisonment for a violent assault : and Walter wtiuer, committed for trial at the Dunedtn f'rirninal S'es;:ao;is for the robbery >tt a wateh. A gein-ral tneetin; J r of the members of tlie North tt'tago Turf «'trd» v.a* held evenini.' at the Ktnpire Hotel for the ptirpMs; of considering a motion of which notice had huett given by Mr. Uonayne. to the efi'ett that Rule !>. which deetared that the iiniiitier of Cofnniittce shoriM he ten. should be altered to fifteen, and th;»t llnle «J should also* '»>«■ amcuited in eonsonauee thrrewitti. The motion was seconded by Mr. Frank Kobert-ion. and tarried unanimously. That constituted the tthekr of the bndncss of the ganera! muettng, but a Committee meeting was sues-jijaently held at which a nuuibcrof new members were admitted, ami the folh>wingorttcwrs elected :—Mr. W. .1. Steward. f*re»i(tent : and Messrs. Lintott, C It. Taylor, and F. W. 0. Grant members of

Committee. A lengthy discussion took place as to the condition of the new course, daring which Mr. Ronayne said there was no' truth in the statement that horses were being trained npon it, as he had ridden all over it on Saturday last, and it was then in splendid condition. The next meeting of Committee will take place on "Wednesday evening, when nominations for the forthcoming race meeting will be received. We understand that a temporary telegraph station will be open at the Hutt Racecourse to-morrow and Friday, for the distribution of tho results of the Races. A large amount of snow, we observe, has fallen »>n the Coast Range accounting, doubtless, in a great measure for the coldness of the wind during the last two days. A special general meeting of the First Otago Permanent Building Society was licit! last evening for the purpose of considering the propriety of incorporating the Society under the Building and Land Societies Act of 1870". Mr. S. Gibbs was called to the chair, and after some discussion it was resolved that the suggestion should be acted iiiion, and also provision made for the withdrawal of paid-up shares—upon due notice having been given—and voting by proxy. A meeting of the Oamaru School Committee will bo held this evening in the Secretary V office, at which, we understand, business of much interest and importance is to be transacted. We understand that a telegram has been receive I at the head-quarters, Auckland, from Mr. James Mackay, who went to the Wat tt ato to arrange the disputed claim to the Te Arohi Block, stating that his negotiations are proceeding with every prospect of SUCCCSS. There is an old saying which declares that the man who plants a tree confers a lasting benefit on posterity, but the Biscayans go a step further, and confer a double benefit. In the Province of Biscay every landowner must plant two saplings for every timber tree he cuts down. In Java the birth of every child is celebrated by planting a fruit tree, which is carefully t-ud?d as a record of the age of the ehiid v."h>se agj it registers. This wise regard for the future deserves imitation. The I'ulh" Jyrler points out, as an evidence of advanced civilisation on the part of the Native ra>%-, it may be mentioned that while a number of Europeans were engaged in pitting the stone, leaping, wrestling, &c, in Wiltshire Y>:iy. a party of half-castes and their friend i might be seen in a s-ecluded :-[>nt near by quietly enjoying a game of errnrt-t. The Maoi-; in that quarter have n!;o of i>e>:i devoting their attention to th • eiilcivation of" mule. They are quite familiar with Sank"v'.-> hymns and others of the suik- e!;:-s. an I can sing them with c >:i*sdeiv.l>> nrolieiiiiey. The words they lci.ru bv htai't. and teem much to fcnj-.y the I nut-re. A v>\ story is told of one of the candi. I date; for the representation of Napier (says I tho T<'■:!>■ '/'■'')■ Some months ago a sub- ! -ertj.tim was set on foot for the purchase of 1 a tire and this candidate was a-iked to put hi- name on the list. This he re-fu-ed. saying. "I have no iiiteresh in the town : iiiv house is perfectly safe." He his since d; -overc I that \ui has a lively interest in Naj.i.r, ami the other day, meeting the canvasser for tho Fire Brigade, asked him for hi.* v»te. "Weil." said the canvasser, "• I asked you for a subscription some time | ngo for a She-engine, and you said, in effect, | it did not matter to you if tho whole town I w,rs burnt down. Let us first settle that, i and then we will talk polities." "Fut my name down for i'.">. and let us talk politics." said the candidate in reply. The name ayaiust a five pound subscription was soon written dov. n, and then tiie eauvasscr said, " An I now for politics : I have already promised my vote."' Tableau—exit, candidate : indignant, c.tnvas-jer laughing.

Att .twidcnt of a fiction.-: nature happened t'» r. man named Mcar, formerly manager of the Wangspotta OoM-inine, now in the em-pt-.ynn.-nt of Mr. Hi mile, of "Whatawhata (says the V.'iiiknfn Thiw*). It appears that Nf J.-tr was holding a colt by the halter, whil e Mr. Hiii-He was circling its shouldi-r. Tlie The «-"tt suddenly l»r«»kfT back, and ;a tingle l»f«1it of the lope getting round the top of the third fmg<-i- of Mear's left- hand, the sharp tattghti-ning of the ropf> amputated the top joint,' cutting through the hone below tlir- nail, a- if it had been done by a tomahawk. Mr. ?.lear came in to Hamilton yesterday, and had his linger dressed by Dr.