LOCAL & GENERAL,

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 23

LOCAL & GENERAL,

'A New York telegram in the London papers ■States that an amusing incident occurred upon the occasion of General Joseph Wheeler's cavalry charge into the Spanish lines at Santiago. General Wheeler was the most dashing commander of cavalry on the Confederate side 'during the rebellion, but the force under him ■upon this day at Santiago was composed of Northern Yankees. In the excitement of the moment General Wheeler imagined he was 30 years younger, and again leading his rebels against their Northern enemies, and he shouted out: "Now, boys, give the Yankees hell !" The men behind him laughed aloud at the mistake, and the general appreciating it at the same instant, said, "Oh, well, I mean the Spaniards." The Westminster Gazette states that at the anniversary^ of the Christian Endeavour Society in connection with the Rev. I* B. Meyer's church, it was stated that one of its most useful developments was known as the Sunshine Committee. This committee possesses a bathchair of its own, not for the benefit of the members themselves, but that they may use it 4o take helpless invalids out for an airing an the parks. The " Sunshiners " do not . shrink from tasks much less pleasant, for they recently whitewashed, papered, and scoured the dwelling-room of an old lady of 74, whose landlord refused to put it in order. About 11 p.m. on Tuesday, the 13th, many •cf the residents of the southern part of the city were alarmed by what may rightly be ■described as a terrific explosion. The noise, in fact, resounded throughout a great portion of the city, and was heard with distinctness In the Octagon. Inquiries were made yesterday without throwing much light on the matter. At the hour stated, it appears a police constable was passing up the lower portion of (Walker street. The night was still, and but lew people were to be seen. As he was proceeding past what was once the Royal Hotel, And till recently kept as a Chinese boarding house, the officer noticed a missile thrown out on the pavement behind him, but where it came from he could not exactly determine. The terrific explosion referred to immediately followed. The noise attracted the attention ■of constables on duty in Maclaggan street and the Arcade, and, fearing some tragic event had occurred, they rushed along to Walker street. Residents in the vicinity came out of -their dwellings to ascertain the cause of the explosion, and even persons living in thfe lower part of Maitland street rose from their beds •and went out into the street. The officers of "the law made a search in Walker street and found the remains of what appeared to be a "rudely constructed bomb. It was principally "built of bamboo rods, and its appearance suggested a Chinese invention. What the thing •meant it is difficult to conceive. It may liave simply been a Chinese squib on .a large scale, and used by some practical joker, or it may have been the outcome of a revengeful act on the part of some individual, lor there are not wanting those who go so far as •to interpret the affair into a deliberate attempt to injure the officer of the law, onthrough him, to aim a blow at the police. Whatever it was, absolutely no damage was done either to person or property. The police, it is understood, are making inquiries into the matter. The regular meeting of the Benevolent Institution Trustees was held on the 14th, and was attended by Messrs Solomon (chairman), ■O. Allan, R. Wilson, P. Treseder, R. Watson, ~W. Swan, and J. Green. Accounts amounting to £143 19s 9d were passed for payment. A letter was received from the police at Cromwell asking the trustees to pay 25s expenses incurred in removing a man from Rocky Point to the "Cromwell Hospitalj which was necessitated by his being the victim of an assault. 'The chairman considered it was police business, and they (the trustees) had nothing to do with it. The trustees declined to recognise any liability. Twenty-five relief cases were -dealt with. For some weeks past a struggle has been proceeding between workmen employed by the Ashburton County Council and the employees of the Canterbury Mills. The county workmen, under instructions, cut off the water supply from the river, but as soon as they were finished the mill employees opened up the intake. The County Council has issued a writ ■against the proprietors of the Canterbury Mills claiming £200 damages and an injunction. The council claim that they are entitled to the whole of the waters of the River Ashburton, and that in lifting water therefrom without 4heir consent, and defending their possession, iihe mill proprietors have committed a trespass. The mill proprietors, on the other hand, are counter-claiming for heavy damages -against the council for the destruction of and interference with their intake, dams, race, and "water rights, of which they claim to have enjoyed the possession for over 30 years. The •extraordinary feature about this case (says the Press), assuming that report speaks true, is that there is ample water in the ri\?er to meet the requirements of both the council and the Tnill. The usual monthly meeting of the committee of the Otago Early Settlers' Association, held at the office of the secretary (Mr P. Dun■can) on the 14th, was attended by Messrs D. Reid, jun. (in the chair), P. Duncan, G. C. Proudfoot, H. Mercer, R. N. Adams, W. "Wood, Somerville, T. K. Sidey, Robert Knox, Monson, and Dr Fulton. After some formal | business, the committee appointed to arrange the jubilee celebration of the arrival of the -vessels Victory, Blundell, and Bernicia reported that invitations had been issued to the known addresses of all passengers. The jubilee celebration is to take the form of a conversazione, interspersed with musical items and ■speeches, and will be held in the Victoria Hall •of the Agricultural Buildings on Wednesday •evening, 21st inst. Arrangements have been made with the railway department whereby parties of 12 or more from one district have special travelling facilities. Several committees to supervise arrangements were appointed. The association recorded with regret the •deaths of several well-known early settlers •since last monthly meeting: — Sir F. Dillon Bell, Yen. Archdeacon Fenton, Messrs Archibald Barr, William Somerville, Adam Bege, ■John Duncan, jun., Henry WaJie, and William Brebner, and Mrs (Captain) Fraser. The Christchurch Press reports that some workmen engaged in digging up an old macrocarpa tree at Elmwpod, Papanui road, came t-.cross a very rusty tin, which at one time proLably contained coffee, but was now the receptacle of eight watches, seven of silver and one of gold. The "cache" had evidently lain for a long time undisturbed, the only clue to ihe period being a partially-effaced writing, on which a' date — April, 1879 — was decipherable. This faint clue proved strong enough to lead to the identification by Mr Rossiter of the watches as a portion of the booty secured by a burglar who broke into his watchmaker's shop in 1879. The thief was never discovered, and it was naturally believed that he had got safely away with his spoils, but he had evidently found it necessary to "plant" the cratches, intending, no doubt, to return some d»y whm tha affair had blown over and re-

gain possession of them. Possibly he buried them in a hurry, and failed to take proper bearings to guide him in recovering, or he may have been prevented from returning by circumstances over which he had no control, but which all burglars are liable to experience. Anyhow, he evidently did not come back. The watches, when found, bore ample proof of their long exposure to damp. The cases were crreatly oxidised, and were covered with clay, but the glasses of most of them were not broken. The condition of the works may be imagined. The directors of Kempthorne, Prosser, and Co.'s New Zealand Drug Company have declared an interim dividend at the Tate of 7 per cent, per annum for the past half-year. The suit of Paterson v. the Union Steam Ship Company, as owners of the s.s. Wakatipu, was continued in the Supreme Court on Friday. Mr Hosking summed up on behalf of the plaintiff in a speech of three hours and twenty minutes' duration. His address contained an admirable admixture of the light with the serious, and his "chaffing" i comments upon the other side were very well received, but the heartiest laughter he elicited, j the bench joining in unrestrainedly, was when, emphasising his contention that the captain of the Wakatipu should have dropped his anchors to avoid colliding with the Laira, he said : " The object of an anchor is expressly for the purpose of stopping moving bodies. The sailor who went for a ride on a horse that was liable to run away carried an anchor with him. He knew what an anchor was for." Mr Chapman, who followed with an able speech on behalf of the defendants, had not concluded when the court rose, at which time he had spoken for two hours. As the court The Registrar-general reports that during the first eight months of the current year tho deaths from cancer at the four chief centres numbered 112 and from phthisis 127. A large seal between 6ft and 7ft long was seen between the George street and Bowen piers, Port Chalmers, on Friday. _ It came close alongside the tug Koputai, and, of course, was undisturbed by her crew. Though it has been stated by counsel for the defendants in the case of Paterson v. the j Jj'nion Steam. Ship Company that the Harbour Tioard has been actively assisting the plaintiff, it has been observed that the members of that bedy have, with two exceptions, not evinced i sufficient interest in the case to be present in the court at any time during its progress. One of the exceptions is Mr Barclay, who was actually a witness for the defendants^ and the other is Mr Robin. The latter gentleman was present in court during a portion of the afternoon on Friday, but devoted his time largely to a study of Lloyd's Shipping Regis- j ter, and he missed Mr Hosking' s description j of the Victoria channel as "a channel that is narrow, that is difficult, that is unknown, that is uninvestigated, and that may turn up with a difficulty at any moment." In another epigrammatic passage Mr Hosking, alluding to the procedure for the examination of candidates for pilotage exemption certificates, spoke, with perhaps a touch of sarcasm, of "the Harbour University conducted by Cap- 1 tain M'Callum, who -has got the latest scientific information on the subject." At a meeting of the Oamaru Presbytery on the 14th the question of union was discussed. The Rev. Mr Clarke moved an overture to the Synod of Otago and Southland praying for the retention of the synod as an ecclesiastical court. After discussion, the motion to transmit the overture was lost by ; six votes to four. The Rev. Mr Porter, late of Mornington, spoke strongly in support of union. The Wairere correspondent of the Masterton Times tells of the presence of mind of Miss M. M'Gowan, teacher of the Wairere School. The other afternoon the dress of one of the children was suddenly wrapped in flames, it is supposed from a spark from the stove. Miss M'Gowan, who was teaching a class, rushed to the little girl's help, and bravely beat out the flames with her hands. Unfortunately the work was prolonged by the window being left open, through which a strong breeze was blowing, and in the excitement it did not occur to anyone to close it. The child herself escaped injury, but the teacher's hands are blistered from the tips of the fingers to the wrist. In some places the skin is burnt off, or rolled baclc, as if shrivelled -with the heat. Miss M'Gowan, says the correspondent, is now quite incapacitated from doing anything for herself, and has, of course, to be spoon fed. Though still suffering considerable pain, she is progressing favourably. The Lake County Press publishes a letter received from Mr J. G. Johnson by his brother at Skippers, dated Dawson City, Kloudyke, July 4. The writer say 3: — " There are four of us in partnership. Two of us are going out prospecting, while the other two remain here working for wages. There are i some very rich diggings here, but there is no extent of it. I do not consider it half as good as reported. Tell not to think of coming out here as yet, as they are better where they are ; but in a month or so I will be able to give a better idea, as I am going to see what is in it. The mining laws are rotten. You pay £2 for a license, and £3 to record it before you can do anything. _ The town is very dull. It is the quietest mining town I have ever been in. There are 20,000 people here, and every day about a thousand coming and going. Most of them never saw a mine, not alone work in one. Wages are £2 per day, and it costs 15s per day to live. Work is very scarce. At present the majority of the people are selling their outfits, intending to go back. lam going to stay here this winter, and see what it is. There are a lot of Australians here. I met young Ashcroft from Dunedin yesterday." Mr Hosking, in the course of his address in the Admiralty suit in tho Supreme Court* "Mr Kirby is a kind of Pooh Bah in the Union Company. He impresses the sailors, he aids the marine superintendent, we know ha does the soundings, and he gets up their case in this action." At a later stage of his address Mr Hosking suggested that one result of the Laira case should be the establishment by the Union Company of an intelligence department, headed, he hoped, by Mr Kirby, who deserved promotion for his exertions. The case of Paterson v. the owners of the a.s. Wakatipu was concluded at the Supreme Court shortly after 12 o'clock on Saturday. Mr Chapman engaged the attention of the court during the greater part of the morning sitting, his address, which was commenced on the previous afternoon, occupying altogether about four hours in delivery. At the conclusion of the case his Honor intimated that he hoped to be able to give judgment to-day at 2 o'clock. If the judgment was for the plaintiff he would be glad to proceed with the assessment of damages immediately, while he had the assistance of the assessors. The police in various parts of the colony have been instructed to keep a sharp look-out for a party of escaped conviots from New Caledonia, information from Australia being to the effect that they are likely to make for some part of tho New: Zealand coast.

The Queen is raising a tombstone over the grave of the bravo engine driver who recently lost his life in driving the Royal train^ Apropos, an accident which occurred the other day shows that the race of engine heroes is not exhausted. The connecting rod of a Great Western railway locomotive broke and split open the boiler. There was a terrific explosion, and driver and fireman were in the midst of scalding water and burning cinders. Though shockingly injured, they brought the train to a standstill, and only then stumbled off the footplate. Both men died shortly afterwards. In connection with the recent alterations in the Western Australian customs tariff, the reductions in live stock aud foodstuffs are as follow: — Cattle, per head, 30s to 153; sheep, per head, 2s 6d to Is 3d ; pigs, per head, 4s to 2s ; cheese, per lb, 3d to 2d ; bacon and ham, per lb, 3d to 2d ; tinned meats, l^d to |d. The Frenchman, Louis De Rougemont, v/hofio name has been prominently before the public lately as the author of two papers read a>t the meeting of the British Association, was in Wellington at the time of the wreck of the Tasmania. He claimed to be the inventor of a diving bell, which he was particularly anxious should be used with the object of recovering the mails and speoie from the sunken vessel. Rolf Boldrewood's new novel, "Ilia Ora," the scene of which is laid in New Zealand, has already been placed in the publisher's hands in London, where it will appear in book form about March next. Another tale from the pen of the same author founded on Australian experiences, and entitled " A Canvastown Romance," will be forthcoming in October next year. A case of considerable hardship, resulting from the operation of the licensing laws, has been (says a contemporary) brought under the notice of members of the House by Captain P. M'Conville, of Lyttelton, who states that he is a New Zealand colonist of 37 years' standing, and a sailor. After battling for all these years, he saved a little money, and, having no trade or business in which to invest these savings, he invested in a hotel at Lyttelton, on which he paid £1450, and left a mortgage of £1350 on it. In 1895, through no fault of his own nor shortcomings on his part, his license was taken away under an act passed by Parliament. That act allowed no compensation, and he asks, "What has it done for me? It has left me in my old age a ruined man — taken from me the source of living for _my old age and made it a burden. It has ruined me, and all this without advancing the cause of temperance one inch." Lloyd's News has followed up some revelations of prison life at Wormwood Scrubbs by a remarkable series of statements relative to Broadmoor. Money is declared to be an "open sesame" to privileges and luxuries that the non-paying cannot obtain. The following is an extract from the article published on August 7: — "Five years ago a manufacturer was sentenced to 15, years' penal servitude for fraud. He was soon after sent to Broadmoor as a lunatic. After a medical examination some two years since he was declared to bo hopelessly insane and incurable. His friends thereupon agreed to take him out of the country, and he left a free man. This 'hopeless lunatic' proceeded to South Africa, where he is a partner in a tliriving business. Moreover, he has since visited this country perfectly sane." At the Clerkenwell Sessions, on August 4, Henry Holdon, an elderly man, described as a clerk, was convicted of obtaining £10 by false pretences. According to the police, the prisoner commenced his career in New South Wales at the age of 21 by committing several forgeries. Warrants having been issued for his arrest, he went to England, swindled two wealthy aunts at Bath out of thousands _ of pounds, and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Shortly after this he induced the wife of a rich Australian to leave her husband and live with him. He plundered and ill-treated her, and she finally succumbed to excessive drinking. He had also obtained £5000 on forged bills, purporting to be signed by Lord Chelsea and Lord Lurgan. Mr W. R. M'Connell, Q.C., sontenced tho prisoner to 20 months' hard labour. There was a large and interested audience, composed principally of membors of the legal profession and of the mercantile community, in the Supreme Court on Monday afternoon when Mr Justice Pennefather_ delivered his judgment in the Admiralty suit of Paterson v. the own9ra of the b.s. Wakatipu. The judgment, in which his Honor said he had the entire concurrence of the nautical assessors, was in favour of the plainUff, and will be found in another portion of this iißue. The Roslyn and Kaikorai Tramway Company have practically completed the formation works along the proposed route, and tenders, it is understood, will almost immediately be called for the construction of the concrete tunnelling for the cable... Half of the tram rails are already on the ground, and the balance is expected to arrive daily. i We learn that there has been a large num- ! ber of responses by the survivors of the immigrant ships Victory, Blundell, and Bernicia to the invitations given by the Otago Early Settlers' Association for Wednesday evening next. It will be 50 years on that day since the Blundell (573 tons), with 153 passengers for Otago, arrived at Port Chalmers. She left Gravesend on the 4th May, 1848. The 'Victory (579 tons) sailed from Gravesend on sth March, 1848, with 33 passengers on board, four of whom were for Otago. The Bernicia (548 tons) sailed from London on 7th July, with 54 passengers, for Otago, where she arrived on December 12, 1848. It is interesting to note what "cockleshells" of vessels our early pioneers crossed the ocean in when compared with the magnificent vessels of to-day. The reunion should prove a pl'fcsant one. According to the Poverty Bay Herald, the discoverer of the animal, or reptile, which is supposed to be a kumi, was a dumb Maori, but though dumb he was perfectly able to describe, by means of diagrams and dumb show, an animal which resembles the kumi, as described by Maori tradition. It seems that when it was first seen the supposed kumi was not running away from the man, but was running towards him. He was slashing away at the underscrub in the vicinity, and did not notice its approach until it was close to him. The fright that he got can be better imagined than described. Dropping his slash-hook, he ran for his life, and the animal, making a peculiar rattling noise, turned on its tail and made for the tree, up which the Maori saw it from a safe distance ascend. Next morning the Maori went back for his slash-hook, and as he approached the tree the animal put its head out of the hole, as if to come towards him again. The Maori threw at it a pointed stick in the shape of a spear, which missed, but ptnok in the- tree, and his mates, who ai rived on ttio scone shortly afterwards, confirmed all thai ho had told them as to the sippexrance of tho tree and the ground round ' about*

Th.c Trustees, Executors, and Agency Company (Limited), in Melbourne, is applying for letters of administration of the estate of the late Mr John Gunu, late of Drumdaven, St. Kilda street, Brighton, but formerly of Dunedin. The estate in Victoria is valued at £928 15s 3d, and in New Zealand at about £20,000, all nesonalty, and is divisable between deceased's next of kin. Mr Poynton, S.M., at Invercargill last week sentenced George Matthews, solicitor, to three months' imprisonment for failing to comply with an order to maintain his childien. Evidence was given by well-known citizens as to defendant's anxiety to obtain work at his profession, and to his weak physical condition. Mr Poynton said defendant seemed to think because he was a lawyer he must do nothing else. A man should much rather clean the gutters or gather bottles than allow the State to keep his offspring. He was perfectly satisfied that sheer laziness was responsible for the neglect. If his business was not paying he should go rabbiting. Defendant pleaded that he had no strength, and was under medical treatment, but his Worship said he had heard that story before, and he would impose a sentence of three months' imprisonment. Paper -floors are increasing in popularity, which is readily explained by the many advantages they possess over wooden flooring. An important advantage consists in the absence of joints, whereby accumulations of dust, vermin, and fungi dangerous to health are done away with. The new paper floors are bad conductors of heat and sound, and, in spite of their hardiness, have a linoleumlike, soft feel to the foot. The cost is considerably lower than that of floors made of hardwood. The paper mass receives a small addition of cement as binder, and is shipped in bags in powder form. The mass is stirred into a stiff paste, spread out on the floor, pressed down by means of rollers, and painted with oakwood, nutwood, or mahogany colour after drying. Sunday observance-may not be as strict as it once was in the United States; but the President, in spite of the pressing amount of business that falls to him, never lets anything interfere ■with his own chm-ch-going. Ho is, like General Grant, a Methodist of a strict kind, and every Sunday may be seen in the Metropolitan Temple with Mrs M'Kinley and his family. After lunch he attends to the business of Government, while his wife •visits the hospitals of Washington, and distributes flowera and books to tho patients. Sunday evening at WMte House is devoted to reading aloud, the President selecting extracts from the different Methodist periodicals. The evening is closed with hymn-singing, the President's niece playing, and lights are put out shortly after 10. The British Inspector of Fisheries (Kays the Post) sounds a note of caution as to the danger attending the unconsidered introduction into New Zealand waters of exotic fish, which may, in different surroundings, develop mischievous qualities. He instances the destruction done in American waters by the fast propagating and voracious carp, which destroy the highest kind of fish, ruin the waters they frequent, and gobble up spawn of valuable fish. The Fish Commission of New Jersey has declared it illegal to liberate carp in the streams of that State, and has granted a dispensation to the fishermen to destroy them. The Princess of Wales hag had a singular distinction paid her by England's oldest colony. On. tho first day of August Newfoundland issued a new three-cent stamp, which bears the effigy of her Royal Highness. The likeness is unmistakable, and as it is the first time tho Princess of Wales has been portrayed on a postage stamp every collector in the British Empire must secure this addition for his album. It is the third of a series of Royal portraits to appear on the stamps of Newfoundland. The first two, the one-cent stamp ', with her Majesty's portrait, and the two-cent ! with that of the Prince of Wales, were issued in November last. The next will be a halfcent stamp with Prince Edward of York, and about the end of this year or the beginning ! of next a five-cent stamp will appear with the l Duke of York's portrait. The New York woman, following in the wake of one of the latest medical theories, has j devised a new employment for her sex — namely, the preparing and administering xnusio to invalids. She goes from house to house playing the pianp for the benefit of the sick, and several physicians, it appears, find her services exceedingly useful. No doubt she will be able to get a very remunerative i return for her time. I In the story of his adventures with which M Louis de Rougemont is" creating a sensation in England, the returned Frenchman States that with four blacks he made a voyage of 1500 miles in a frail canoe, the journey lasting 18 months, at the end of which time the navigators found themselves back at the point from which they started. He olaimß to have discovered the tost explorer, Gibson, in Central Australia, aud alleges that he found two \ English girls as the wives of a cannibal chief. '■Through the kindness of Mr J. Reid, the young people attending the five State schools Bible-reading classes conducted by Mr D. Wright at High street, Union street, Albany street, George street, and Arthur street, have had a lively time of pleasurable enjoyment, combined with excellent instruction. The story " True as steel " was read, and a set of beautiful illustrations were skilfully thrown upon the screen with a powerful magic lantern. Three of the schools named gathered in the Union street hall, and, with friends and parents, numbered nearly 600. Mr G-. Fleury presided, and Mr R. C. Moore was present to represent George street Hall. Both gentlemen addressed a few words, and expressed their approval of the conduct of the large audience. Another large gathering was held at Arthur street, when Mr Struthers presided, and also expressed sympathy with these classes. Mr G-. M. Thomson, on behalf of the City Mission, proposed hearty thanks to Mr Reid and the school committee for the iise of the room. The last of the series was given last night in tho commodious gymnasium at High street School, in the presence of an enthusiastic gathering of the yotaig people and their friends. Mr George .Reid, as representing the City Mission, addressed a few -words of counsel as to the value oi these classes, and proposed hearty thanks to Mr Reid for his valued services and to the school committee for the use of their hall. Kindly sympathetic words were in all the schools spoken in regard to the leader of these classes. The pictures shown last night were entitled " Condemned to be shot." The usual fortnightly meeting of the Dunedin and Suburban Cycling Tracks Committee was held last evening. Mr G. Mondy occupied the chair. The secretary intimated that the credit balance at bank was £76. The Report of the Sports Committee showed that very complete arrangements have been made in connection with the procession and carnival for Saturday, September 24. It was resolved to invite the Industrial School children and the staff to attend tha carnival. Tenders will b» called next week for asphalting the track on. Anderson's Bay r<*&3, and it 38 oati(»pivte<l l gjvea gqod

weather, the track will be completed within a month. At the monthly meeting of the Albany street School Committee, Mr Anderson presiding, the Head Master reported the number on the roll to be 731, and the average attendance for the month 634.