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Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 82, 26 January 1876, Page 2

We are told tli.at the somewhat ambitious youthful Star Club either have challenged, or arc about to challenge, the e'ldei Patea Club to a cricket contest, the novelty being a condition attached by the younger club that the Patea Club shall play with axe handles, their opponents having the free use of legitimate bats. Whether the match will come off or not remains to he seen, but if it docs, it will at least create a great deal of amusement, and attract a large number of spectators to the ground. The Kev. Faflier Kirk delivered his promised lecture at Hawera last eteuiug, and a large attendance was present. Music &c., tilled up the evening, but we arc compelled to hold over the report till our next issue.

At the H- siil:-nt: Magistrate’!- tArnt on Monday, 1 Imre were no criminal cases. There were several civil oases in which the amounts were either paid into court or the summonses withdrawn. The only one heard was McCarthy v. Maimrua, in which the defendant admitted that he owed the amount sued lor, £1 ISs, and a verdict was given i'or the amount claimed. There was no other business, and the Court then adjourned. I) is intended shortly to call a meeting, for the purpose of: forming an Amateur and Dramatic Club in the township, to pla} T during the winter, in aid either ol: charities or institutions that may need assistance. The promoters are well known, and there can be no doubt that the club will be formed. We cordially wish it success, for amusement is rare in Carlyle, and a break, such as an occasional entertainment of; the kind will give, will be welcome indeed.

When in the beat of an election contest, many things are said, and bard knocks exchanged, that the parties regret afterwards. The proprietor of this paper did not escape, neither did he expect to do So, during the late Eginont election. At the same time, it is usual for even the most bitter opponents, or their partisans, either to coniine themselves to the truth, or at least have some slight basis of truth, on which to build a superstructure of falsehood. This, however, was not the case, as far as Mr Ivcss was concerned, audit is to he regretted that Major Atkinson was the lirst to set the very bad example. He started the cry that Mr Ivess was the “ nominal proprietor of the Patea Mail,” and some yelping curs who follow Inin have echoed their leader’s cry. The editor and proprietor of the Wanganui Herald has allowed the slander to he reproduced in his paper, in a letter, and has thereby rendered himself liable for the libel, if libel it he. To assert that any one is only “nominal proprietor” of his-own property is to damage his' credit, and injure him materially in business, and it is the intention of Mr Ivcss to give those who so busily circulated this lie an opportunity of proof in a court of law. The matter has been submitted to on'e of the first counsel in the colony, and, should his opinion he that the statement written or spoken is libellous, an action to stop the mouths of these slanderers will at once be commenced, when Mr Ballance and others will possibly he taught caution as to what they print, write, or say, that is calculated to seriously damage people in their respective callings, whether they he political opponents or personal enemies. Though the Town Boards hereabouts have a rather singular way of procuring the services of their Town Clerks, viz. by asking gentlemen, desirous of filling those unices, to tender lor ilium, m other words appraise thoir own services at their lowest appreciable value. The Town Board of Ilawera has been comparatively liberal in thoir procedure. On Monday evening last, the Town Clerk of Hawora was chosen, when, singular to say, (here were only two applicants, Messrs J. S. Cfreig and Smith. The latter offered to do the work for £33 per annum, hut Mr Grcig tiiought himself worth £2 more, and tendered for £35. The Board agreed with the hitter’s estimate of himself, and gave him the office. In this, possibly, they were strengthened by the fact that, as wc arc informed, Mr Smith’s orthography was somewhat wanting, there being some twenty errors in his application, that might have been corrected, had Mr Smith more diligently attended his spelling bees. It is certainly not the height of extravagance to give a Town Clerk £35 a year, or about 15s per week, but such it will deemed in the eyes of the liberal public guardians of Carlyle. The fact of their agreeing to pay less than 4s a week, or £lO a year, was an insult to the gentleman they selected for the office, and a jest throughout the press of the colony. Possibly, with the example set them by frugal Ilawera, they may be somewhat ashamed of themselves. Certainly the present holder of the office has himself chiefly to blame, in assessing himself at so low a rate. The correspondence lias taken place between Mr Fitzherbert of the Wanganui Cricket Club, and Mr Fraser, as captain of the Patea Club, relative to getting up a district match, all Wanganui playing against the Patea district. The negotiations have so far gone on favourably, though, wo hoar, some dissatisfaction has been expressed by some of the members of the local club, at being left out of the proposed Patea team. We hope that this little difference may be amicably arranged, as members have to be chosen from Wairoa, Hawera, Waihi, and Patea, to form the district, team. It is not a Carlyle match at all. It is only reasonable that each club would like to be represented on the occasion, and therefore even superior men have to be blocked out in each club in order to enable this to ho done. I hero can be no question that the difficulty will he arranged and that a team sufficiently strong to wrest laurels from Wanganui will be gathered from the district. Those left out on thg first time of asking can be chosen in the return match, and so every one may be satisfied. It would he a great pity t j let a friendly contest of' the kind drop through, through any jealous feeling whatsoever.

A dispute arose,.'!'. Hie settlemont,for'the last race mooting, as to the sum ..Mr Jackson was entitled to take for the Jockey Club Handicap, won by liis liors'e Fully. The Stewards refused to pay the nomination money, arid old}' handed over the stake and sweep, but Mr Jackson contended that, according to the published conditions, he was entitled to the nomination money as wdl. Without doubt this was ue\er the intention of the Stewards, neither is it usual in any place, but if the Secretary, in making out the programme, makes an egregious blunder, the owners of winning horses have a- perfect rigid to take advantage of it, and the Stewards will June to pay for his laches. Mr Jackson, on being refused the money, sent a statement of the case to the Australasian* without question the lirst authority In the Southern Hemisphere, and wo quote that paper’s decision entire, a reprint in fact from it. Surely this should teach greater care, and more experience on the part of the administrative' ollicers of the club. The A ustralasian has the following in its answers to correspondents on the Ist instant ; —“ J. W. J.” (Wanganui, H.Z.) — According to the advertised conditions) you are entitled to £143 for the J.C. Handicap, audio £25 for the Forced Handicap. In Use former the conditions of race run thus —Jockey Chib Handicap, of 75 hoys., added to a sweep of 4 sovs., and 2 soys. nomination. According to this both sweep and nomination arc added to the stake. The club Ciimot demand anything unless it is so stipulated in the conditions or rules,”

Whilst heartily believing in bathing at all .seasonable hours, and knowing full well the beneficially sanitary effect therefrom, it is very evident that people should not be allowed to indulge in the luxury at all times, within a short distance of a public road or walk. The lake, as it is termed, the lagoon, as it might more properly be styled, forms an excellent bathing place. The bottom is sandy, and shelves down in such a maimer as to allow those who cannot swim to bathe in safety ; its advantages cannot be used too largely. At the same time some restrictions have, very properly, to be put on bathers, Major Turner having posted a notice, that bathing will only be permitted before 8 a.mand after 8 ; .in. This is absolutely necessary for public decency’s sake, and all, who desire a dip, have ample time to do so within the allowed hours. The police are instructed fo enforce these rules, and we therefore bid offenders against them to beware. The Good Templars intend holding a soiree on Thursday week next, when songs, dancing A.C., will enliven lire proceedings. Tea will be provided at fi o’clock in the Immigration barracks. We shall refer to tlio fcoirvt'l (t^dlii,

A warrant has been issued against a man named Martin, for having stolen a horse, tin; properly of C. N. Campbell. The circumstances arc somewhat peculiar. Some two years ago the horse in question was seized, apparently most mrjustiliably. The late William Bayly, by some means or other, ejected Mr Campbell from his holding, and at (he same time retained the horse in question in his own possession. Subsequently the horse was stolen, as is alleged, by the man Martin, and Mr W. Trewcek, on a recent visit to the Ilangitikei district, saw it/recognised and claimed it, on behalf of Mr Campbell. Mr Treweek told Sergeant Acid to keep an eye on the horse, and on coming back informed Mr Campbell of the animal’s whereabouts. As there is little doubt that Martin sold the horse to the present possessor, (he warrant, as above, has been granted, but Martin has not yet been arrested. {Should ho elude (he law much longerthe possessor of the horse will lake his place, and be arrested in his stead. The good people of Hawcra will, without doubt, be glad to see the announcement of Hurley & Co., who are going to open for a fortnight in Wink?’ old store, and offer bargains in drapery, and clothing, hitherto unheard of in that district, 'fhe sale is a genuine one, and we recommend our Hawcra readers to take advantage of it. It begins on Friday, and lasts only for a fortnight. The purchase of the Whenuakura block, to which reference has so frequently been made of late, was completed on Saturday last, and the deposit money was paid by Major Brown. The consequence was that the hotelkeepers were considerable gainers before nightfall, and a great deal of the money paid by the pakeha found its way into the pockets of the pakehas of various trades, before the natives left the township. Amongst other fancies that Maoris have, when in possession of money, is the possession of a Vehicle of some kind or other, arid Mr Erskine, of the Australasian stables beuefitted considerably therefrom. He sold two buggies, with horses and harness complete, to the native land vendors, and could have cleared out every trap he possessed, at very satisfactory prices, if he had chosen. If any one has reason to wish for a repetition of a Whenuakura land sale he has. Other purchases of a similar character, were made,, and a high festival was generally held, but We are glad to say no disturbance whatever occurred, though one or two of our native friends very nearly made an acquaintanceship with the lockup.

At tl e Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, John Anderson- was charged witii being drunk, and with being illegally on the premises of John Whelan. For the lirst offence he was lined ss, with the alternative of 24 hours durance, and the latter case was dismissed. The line was not paid, and the accused was sent to the lock up. During yesterday afternoon ho was profitably employed in shaking the Court House carpets, an operation that certainly was greatly required, but could not be done by any single prisoner in a twenty-four hour term.

The Jfar/boroui/h an<? Daunt it/ Atlccvlisrr is responsible for the truth of the following - extraordinary anecdote : —“Some years ago a Mrs Russell, of Cuddy’s Flat-, secreted some money in hereow-shed. She wrapped two sovereigns in a five-pound note and enclosed the parcel in a buttle, which she then hid away amongst the. thatch in the died. There it remained for some time, but one day going - into the shed she found some fragments of a bottle near the place where the money was stowed away, and looking for the ‘ plant’ it could not bo found. Who stole the money ? Suspicion fell on a party in the neighborhood, and this person for three years remained under' a cloud. The cow never was thought of, although there she was all the time chewing the end of contrition for her be .lynuns act. That she was the thief was not found our until she was dead. This is very frequently the case with mortals as with this cow, who would lurve got a character for honesty, at all events, from those who knew her best. Lately, Mr tunilh, butcher, of High-street, bought her, and had her killed a few days since. On dressing her two sovereigns were found very carefully stowed away in her stomach. They were in a perfect stale of preservation and bright although worn somewhat smooth. They were Sydney Mint sovereigns, and bore dates 1830 and 1803. These were recognised by Mrs Russel! as her 1 long lost siller,’ and the suspicion was at length remove<l from the. party who had borne the load through so many years. It is probable that the cow knocked the bottle from its place, and by its falling on the ground and breaking, the parcel of money fell out. The cow must have licked it up and sw allowed it.” The writer of “ Talk on Change” in the Australasian makes the following remarks;

—“ The law doesn’t allow a man to walk the streets with loaded firearms. It prohibits his piling barrels <>f gunpowder, or stacks of Incifer matches, in the midst of crowded cities. It is careful, in a kind of way, to prevent the voluntary frequent ei s of taverns being poisoned by adulterated liquor. But there is no law, so far as I know, prohibiting the commission of murder by the wilful propagation of scarlet fever. A gmicnmn <>„>.■ ~r the watering-places on the bay on Saturday last, observed, on board a recreation steamer a child just recovered from scarlet fever recreating itself with other children on board. The late patient was in the process of desquamation, and doubtless impartially distributed particles of peeled skin to its playmates. The child was not to blame, but what of its parents or guardians ? Should they not be indictable for manslaughter, if not for murder ? Would they be less blameableif they turned loose in a crowd a score or two of lively tiger snakes ? And the case I have named is only one of hundreds.” The head chiefs of the'Ngatikahnngnuu have issued invitations for March next to all the tribes of this Island soul Tanranga and Taranaki. The tribes wiii meet at Omahu, and the object of the gathering is the hahuny a—the exhuming of the bodies of the natives who were killed, in the fight at tiie Big Bush that took place in 1857. This meeting will beone of the most solemn, and at the same time one of the must thorougldyiiialional that will have taken place for many years. The habitual truthfulness of a clergy - .mm’s statements was exemplified the other day at Tanranga. A well-known Colonel in the New Zealand Militia, having just left church one Sunday morning, was desirous ot ascertaining the right road to a settler's residence, sonic few miles distant. Colonel therefore knocked at the vestry door, and asked the .Uev. Mr the proper road to take. vSaid the worthy clcrguiaiq c Colonel, I am surprised at you asking me such a question ; I never give any in formation on the Sabbath.” r I lie Colonel sighed “ 100 true !’, and found the road out for himself. The “ Idler.” in the West Oxial. Timas, writes :—Sonic peoples lines fall in pleasant places. I know a young immigrant lady’s marriage lines that did so most especially. Tins young lady, setting aside all thoughts of the immediate practice of her profession'—which, of course, like everv' othe;’' single woman’s is marriage—took the situation of housekeeper to a well-to-do-Widower, with small incumbrance. She was well treated, and professed to like the place,-but whether from the refusing to'lend' Iter his deceased wife’s riding-habit, - or revenge off her employer —she married him. Soon after this, visiting the town, she met the “young, man as she w as sweet with on the voyage,” She cut 1f ar young man dead. The young' man said', alary, lass, thou’rt too 1 proudto speak ’to I; now Ihou’rt a lady.” To* which Mary made answer, saying,- “ See’et; tirou this.- Tnum-ras,- if. Ibe a lady now,' 3had to work blwffbd'idffh for it”