Untitled

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 961, 20 November 1882, Page 2

The Spring ' Show of the Patea Horticultural Society will be held on Wednesday. We hear that in spite of the heavy winds recently experienced there will be a good show of flowers, and, as an additional attraction it may be mentioned that musical talent has been engaged for the evening. All that will be wanted to make a success will be fair weather and a large attendance.

The agent oi tlie s.s. Wallii informs us that there is not the slightest foundation for the statement in this morning’s Chronicle that the steamer had been withdrawn, and was to bo placed in the Fiji trade.

Mr L. E. Barton, solicitor, is a candidate for the vacant seat on the Borough Council, caused by the resignation of Councillor Milroy. liis advertisement soliciting the support of the ratepayer* will be found in another column.

The annua! session of the Canterbury Wesleyan Methodist District Meeting was brought to a close on Friday. The statistical returns showed that, there are in the district 48 churches, 39 other preaching places, 17 preachers, 2 Home mission agents, 88 lay preachers, 58 class leaders, 1602 church members with 122 on trial for membership, 220 communicants, 227 catechists, 58 Sabbath schools, 466 teachers, 6130 Sunday school scholars, and 13,365 attendants oil public worship.

An anecdote is related by Mr Barnum as an illustration of the axiom'that drinking is a habit that grows : —‘‘Last winter two of my elephants began shaking with chills one morning ; the keepers ran down -into life village, and got six gallons of whiskey. Hastily-returning, three gallons were given to each elephant. Fortunately it cured them. They liked the artificial -warmth it superinduced. Next morning when the keeper came to them he found holli elephants shaking with might and main. ‘No yon don’t,’ he shouted, ‘yon are well enough to-day,’ and they stopped shaking.” Of course, those only are expected to believe this who want to.

•flie Nelson Mail says that Te Wliiti viqwed the eclipse with calm indifference. Between 40 and 50 years .ago lie had seen a total eclipse, of which he considc*red Cnitnrday morning's performance to be but a poor imitation. It, however, recalled to his mind an anecdote be had heard from his father,which he related with some animation. His (the father’s) tribe and another had some difference which necessitated an appeal to arms. The hostile forces 'were drawn up in battle array at some place on the west coast of the North Island, and. at a distance of not many hundred yards from each other, were engaged in getting up steam by singing their war songs and dancing the haka, when, at near midday, the sunlight began to fade. As it grew darker and darker, the spirits of the intending combatants fell lower and lower, and at last, when the sun became totally obscured, they turned tail and fled, regarding the, to them, unaccountable phenomenon as an omen specially sent as a warning to them to desist from fighting. In this anecdote we have- an instance of history repeating itself.