NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, 11 October 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

It is reported that Mr John Black the late clerk of the County Council, is seriously ill. The annual meeting of thp Patea Caledonian Societj' has been fixed for Saturday the 21st inst. The cricket match at Havvera, Town v. Country, resulted in a hollow defeat for the latter, the scores being—Town, 138 ; Country, 54. We direct attention to Mr Jackson’s sale at the Hawera yards on Friday, when a large and varied selection of cattle and sheep will be offered. Particulars will be found in our advertisement columns. Attention is directed to an alteration of the hours at which some of the County mails close. For Wavedey and the South the time is 1 16 p.m. in place of 1.30 p.m , and for Kakaramea and northward 11.15 a.m, instead of 11.30 a.m. At Waver ley to-morrow Mr F. R. Jackson will hold a large sale of cattle under instructions from Messrs C. and E. Symes. Some 650 head are to be submitted, and no doubt there will be a large attendance. The sale commences at 1 o’clock, As showing the importance of the cattle trade on this coast, we may mention that during the last few weeks Messrs Iredale Brothers of Hawera have shipped 550 fat cattle to Auckland with satisfactory results. Some evil disposed person has perpetrated a very mean act on Mr E. C. Horner’s section, near the Agricultural Society's grounds. Mr Horner had planted upwards of a hundred ornamental trees, and these were found to have been torn up by the roots. It is to be hoped that such annoying and senseless deeds will be discontinued. Our Hawera correspondent writes : Some excitement was created yesterday by a race from the station to Owen’s Hotel between the rival coaches of Messrs Young and R. Prosser. I believe, however, that it is not likely to occur again, as the police have cautioned the drivers that they will be summoned for furious driving, if it is repeated. Hafeez Abdool Kaiyum lias been tried at the Bombay sessions for importing four negro girls as slaves into Bombay, and was sentenced to three months’ bard labour. The defence was that the slaves were obtained for the Begum of Bhopal, who intended to librate them as an act of piety. 1

2VTr E. C. Horner, trustee Jn the estate of T. Haywood senior, advertises a first and fiual dividend of Is 7|d in the £, Tenders are invited in this issue for the Manutahi plate-laying contract. The length to be let is about seven and a half miles in extent, and tenders are to be sent in by noon on November 2. We are sorry to hear that the y’oungest child of Mr George Mackay, Waverley, is at present very unwell, suffering from a severe cold on the lungs. This morning Dr Keating was sent for, and it is to be hoped the sufferer will soon recover. Lord Clifford of Chudleigh (who is a relation of Sir Charles Clifford, formerly Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives) is now in Wellington on a tour through New Zealand, and is about to visit the Hot Lakes of the North. Mr John Anderson has sold bis Furniture business in Patea to Messrs Lundberg and Co., who will in future carry on the business on their own account. As will be seen elsewhere the new proprietors make an announcement of the advantages they are prepared to offer the public. The Harbour Board are now inviting tenders for the lease of sub-section 8, section 131, and section 135 in the Whenuakura block. For the first mentioned section the competition should be exceptionally keen, as there is a brickyard and an unlimited supply of clay to enable a profitable business to bo carried on. The congregation connected with tho Presbyterian Church intend to hold a soiree on Wednesday evening next, to welcome their new pastor, tho Rev. A. Thomson, who recently arrived, in the district. A very attractive programme, consisting of addresses, solos, readings, &c., has been prepared, and will be given after the tea, which commences at six o’c'ock. A meeting of Volunteers was held at the Drill shed last evening for the purpose of considering tho advisableness or otherwise of taking over the sports usually held on New Year’s Day under the auspices of the Caledonian Society. About 15 members of the company were present, and Lieutenant Kitcbing was voted to the chair. After discussing the object for which the meeting was called, the following was unanimously agreed to; Proposed by Corporal Hyams, and seconded by Sergeant Kearney, “ That the Caledonian Society be informed that the Patea Rifles are prepared to hold sports on New Year’s Day, provided the society hand over any materia] and balance in hand to the company.” The Secretary was instructed to forward a copy of the resolution to the society. This was all the business. The quarterly sitting of the District Court was held at three o’clock tills afternoon, before His Honor District Judge Rawson. The following applications for discharge were heard:—William Paul Kendall, Henry Thomas Bush, Kendall and Bush, George Noyes Baggett, Owen McKittrick, W. A. Mead, Absolom Jones, Hugh Shanks, A. E. Brookes, M. J. Leahy, Daniel Kelly . In re Robert Tullocb, probate was ordered to be issued to Mary Campbell, We learn from the Chronicle that Mr W. H. Watt, M.H.R., chairman of the Education Board, and Mr Notrnan left Wanganui by train last evening, en route for Wellington, On the way they will probably be joined by Mr H. Sanson, their object being to interview, the Government on behalf of the Education Board of this district for an additional endowment, to make up the deficiency between the £5500 realised on the Pikopiko Block and the £IO,OOO fixed by statute as the value of the Board’s endowment.

It is singular, says “iEgles,” that on the Sunday after the receipt of the news of the destruction of Arabi’s army, the following occurred in the ordinary Church of England service for the day :—Thou hast subdued Egypt and destroyed it ,• Thou has scattered their enemies abroad with Thy mighty arm.” (Psalm Ixxxix, v. 11.) The result of the Jolimont railway accident is thus summed up by the Argue:—“A loss in killed and wounded equivalent to that of the British Fleet at the bombardment of Alexandria ; the payment of £50,000 in damages ; the expenditure of twice that amount indirectly ; the sacrifice of the profits of the line for the year —all brought about, as the report says, by the breaking of a wheel-tire, ‘ such tire being both unsound and dangerous.’” They have a novel way of preserving order at entertainments in New Plymouth. The Taranaki Herald of a recent date contains the following advertisement: — “ Larrikinism.—The committee for the Templars’ anniversary soiree, wishing to secure temperance meetings and other assemblies from disturbance in future, publish the names of the undermentioned persons who were seen to behave in a disorderly manner at the entertainment last Friday evening.” Here follow seven names. The Southland Times thus records the fall of an aerolite in that town :—“ An aerolite fell on to the roof of Mr Evans’ house in Kelvin-street, about 1 o’clock in the morning, during the height of the gale. The appearance of the stranger is peculiar ; it somewhat resembles pumicestone in colour, but not in weight, for it is a good deal heavier. The largest fragment just covers the fingers, and is about two and a half inches in depth. In colour it reminds one of a cheap cigar ash. It glitters all over with specks resembling tin, and has a streak of what looks like petrified coal. Needless to state that the noise caused by the fall created a good deal of alarm in the minds of Mr Evans’ household, and it was at first feared that something dreadful had happened. A rather pitiful incident occurred recently at the Hobart wharf. A young woman named Margaret Baker, aged about 19, residing in Goulbourn street, was anxious to say farewell to her lover, who it appears left for Sydney by the steamer Tasman. She was late in getting down, and when she reached the Old Market, seeing the steamer leaving the wharf, she set off at a smart run screaming for the vessel to stop. In her frenzy at being unable to say good-bye to her sweetheart, she rushed across to the crane wharf and jumped into the river. She was ohseryed by a number of people, two of whom leaped into a boat which was moored near the place, and soon got the woman out of the water She struggled hard to free herself from her rescuers, and caused one to tumble into the water himself. She was, however, handed ever to the police who conveyed her to the hospital for treatment. Doctor Gaetano Pini, of Milan, has just been engaged in cremating the body of a Frenchman, M St. Cyr Jullien, whose brother is a Consul in England. The cremating process in the Milan furnace took two hours, and four hours more were necessary for cooling the ashes ; amongst them could be still discerned some fragments of bone and the teeth. The whole of these remains were placed in an urn of rather large dimensions, and immediately packed and sent per rail to (he widow in Paris. The cost of the cremating process came to £lO. The expense for the convej’ance of the body from Paris to Milan amounted to £2-10.

The W airoa Light. Horse commenced i their week’s drill last Monday, at Waverley. There were 34 troopers present with their officers, under the command of Captain Walkinton, Yesterday they again turned out, but there was not such a [good attendance. A ball is to be held in connection with the troop next Friday, and a large number of invitations, have been issued. Seven of the troop are to be selected and sent to Dunedin, to compete for the N.Z. Rifle Association’s prizes. The competition for the belt takes place at the Waverley butts next Saturday. With reference to a demand which the County Council resolved to make on their late collector of dog-tax, for a statement of all moneys received by him on account of dog-tax, we are requested to point out that this has no connection with the collection of dog-tax on behalf of Patea Borough Council. Some persons seem not to have understood that the collection of dog-tax for the County is entirely separate from the Borough, and that Mr Jacomb is not concerned in any irregularities that may have occurred in the collection of dog-tax for the County. The ordinary meeting of the Patea Fire Brigade was held on Monday evening, Captain Dixon in the chair. The balance sheet in connection with the recent entertainment showing net proceeds £2O 10s was approved, and a vote of thanks passed to all who lent tbeir assistance to make the concert a success. The resignation of Lieutenant Heron was accepted and it was decided to appoint an assistant foreman and leave the office of Lieutenant vacant at present. For this office Firemen Kitching and Hudson were nominated, and a ballot being taken, Fireman Hudson was declared elected. Mr Clarke was proposed for membership. The Treasurer reported that the credit balance in the bank was £2l 5s lOd. The captain was authorised to procure 150 feet inch patertt seamless hose, and the meeting then adjourned. Rather an interesting case was heard at the R.M. Court yesterday. Mr P. Mahony sued Captain W - Odgers to recover the sum of £44 for goods supplied to Mr Kendall the late contractor for the Manutahi section. Plaintiff had received a cheque for £6O from Messrs Bush and Kendall and that being dishonored ho subsequently received a private cheque from Mr Kendall for £4O. Plaintiff sought to prove that the £4O was intended in liquidation of Bush and Kendall’s account, and that defendant having taken over their contract was entitled to pay their liabilities. Defendant contended that he knew nothing of the'matter, and counsel led evidence to show that the payment made by Mr Kendall was for his private debt and not for the firm’s account at all. The case which is reported elsewhere resulted in defendant’s favour. The famous Captain Jackson Barry, renowned alike as a lecturer and publisher of “ The Book,” is in town, and will make his appearance at the Harmonic Hall this evening, in his amusing lecture entitled “ Fifty years of Colonial Experience.” Most of our readers have no doubt heard of the gallant Captain’s exploits, and his marvellous feats upon the back of a whale ; besides innumerable thrilling and hair-breath escapes experienced during his fifty-one. years of Colonial life. We can confidently assure everyone who attends the Harmonic Hall this evening, that they will enjoy a rich treat. The Captain’s description of his arrival in the Old Country, some two years ago, and his subsequent introduction into the “ hupper suckles ” is about the best thing, in its way, we ever heard. As may be expected the publication of such a large work as “ The Book,” was a matter of difficulty to a man without means ; but the manner in which all obstacles.were surmounted, till finally the Queen took a hundred copies, is told by the Captain with some reasonable show of pride, and any amount of quaint humor. Those desirous of getting an insight to the life of “ Dooks and Lords,” should not miss hearing Captain Barry. He will tell them all about his introduction to the Duke of Cambridge, and his sojurn in the mansion of Lord Roseberry, as his guest. He knows all about the Tichborne claimant, and the account of his interview with that celebrated swindler or persecuted nobleman, as the case may be, is really worth listening to. The Captain’s repertoire is much too extensive to particularise. We have said quite enough to show that the Captain has matter for an interesting discourse. In fact it is said that people who know him, always attend his lecture provided with two pocket handkerchiefs, because one is not sufficient to dry the tears brought on by the laughter he excites. The Captain will lecture at Waverley to-morrow, and from thence proceeds to Wanganui, Mr Hobbs having handed in his resignation on the Hawera Borough Council, Messrs L. E. Prichard, and R. Lynch, have been nominated to the vacancy. The election takes place on Thursday, the 19th inst. Figaro says :—“ I have seen a couple of Life Guards troopers dressed in what they call their ‘ go-to-Egypt ’ uniform. The white pith helmets, the loose serge scarlet trousers, with the brown ‘ half-way-up-the-leg ’ boots, look very ‘ work-man-like. But Ido not think their nearest and dearest friends would recognise them as the same men who go down St James’ street in steel cuirasses, white leather breeches, and big boots —blacked as no other boots ever wore, or ever will be blacked—on levee and drawing-room days.” The Canterbury police are diligent in discovering cases of cruelty to animals. At Ashburton, a farmer has been fined £3 for working horses with sore shoulders; and another was fined 10s for the same offence.