NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 963, 24 November 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY .

A. special practice of (lie Patea; Fire Brigade will be held at half past seven sharp on Monday evening next. Shearing in the country’ districts is said to bo progressing slowly,'on account of the scarcity of men., From a remark let fall by Mr Adams at (be last meeting of the Harbour Board, we should not be : surprised to bear that be bad sent in bis resignation. A Bazaar and Gift Auction in aid of the Hawera Wesleyan Chufcli will be held on Dec. 14 and 15. The Rev J. Lux ford and Miss Arthur, of. this (own, are prepared to receive donations in money or kind. Rapid progress is nowbeing made with tlie Taranaki harbour works, an additional eighteen feet -having been completed on Saturday last Would that we could say the same of Patea. The'story told by a native about Mr Tolc’s servant, George Savage, being murdered at Kiliikihi has, turned out to be a canard. At the inquest a vdVdict of death from drowning was returned. The exclamation was frequently’.heard yesterday’, “It’s very hot ! What would our friends think of Melbourne, where, on the Prince-of "Wales’birthday the thermometer registered 100 in the shade and 143 in the sun. The Waihi went out in splendid style on Wednesday’ evening’s tide. She is due here again from Wellington on Saturday. The benefits of regular steam communication are already being felt in the prompt manner in which goods are coming to hand.

An agitation is being got up for the appointment of a Resident Magistrate for the Plains district, who will hold a sitting of the Court at Manaia, : Captain Gudgeon has been mentioned in the district as one likely to fulfil the duties satisfactorily. We hope that steps will soon be taken to fill the vacancies now existing in the Harbour. Board. That body appears to have fallen into a somewhat disorganised state, and at the last meeting some high words passed between a town and a country member. The Board will have to pull well together if they hope to accomplish any good work for the Patea harbour.

A very welcome addition to the funds of the Institute has. been received, in the shape of a cheque for £5, from Mr H. F. Christie, which Mr E. 0. Horner forwarded under instruction. The Institute is badly in want of money, and we should be glad :to hear of Mr Christie’s example being followed up by similar donations from some of our leading men. The loss of /the Government subsidy proved a severe blow not only to our local, library, but to similar institutions throughout the Colony.

The present fine weather is enabling the Railway contractors to make rapid progress with their work, Messrs' ! Wilkie have a large gang of men, numbering nearly 100, employed in the large cutting known as Wilson’s, which, it is expected, will be completed in about three weeks’ time. Messrs Mace and Bassett wiM have the Whenuakura bridge finished in about two weeks, and this, together with the completion of Wilson’s cutting will enable the contractors to avail themselves of the gravel pit on this side of the river for ballasting purposes. We understand that the contractors have arranged with the Government for the hire of an extra locomotive and trucks, which will be employed on this end of the contract in completing the earthwork. The Whenuakura station buildings are approaching completion, and it is expected that the line will bo read): for opening in about two months’ time. Should the fine weather continue, the whole contract will be out of hand in four months, and the line will then’be ready for traffic from Patea right through.

The hot weather may now bo said to have set in, and the want of a proper bathing place is beginning to be felt. Cannot some member of the Borough Council take up the matte r and persuade that august body to provide a decent place for our young men can njoy a morning dip.

Last evening the Hyperion combination gave an Entertainment at the Harmonic Hall for the benefit of the Institute funds. The audience was not a very large one, but was very enthusiastic, frequently applauding Mr Power for the humorous remarks interspersed throughout his descriptive lecture. The programme was nearly identical to that gone through by the same Company about a fortnight since. After a number of views had been shown through the medium of the Oxyhydrogen lime light, a sketch entitled the “ Hose and the Thorn,” was presented, and very well received.

Messrs Andrew Young and George Fisher were nominated on Wednesday, for the Wellington mayoralty. The election takes place on the 29tb. The Ashburton Racing Club hold their Spring Meeting yesterday. The principal event, the Cup of 125 sovs, was pulled off bv Welcome Jack.

Rowing is now in full swing at \\ nngamu. and some handsome sets of cups have been presented to the various Clubs for competition. It is ; rather an astonishing thing that with a river like ours, wo have no boating club here. The following written verdict was recently handed in by (be foreman of a coroner’s jury’ in New South Wales We arc of A Pinion that the deccst met her death from violent infirmation in the aign produoest from Unoan kaws.”

The Roads and Bridges Construction Act appears to bo a highly popular measure. It was only the other day we stated that upwards of a million had been applied for and this has now been increased by £IO,OOO which the Waiteuiata County Council have resolved to borrow under the Act.

The Napier people are waking up in earnest over their harbour wlijch they see is essential for the progress of their district. The Harbour Board lias offered a premium of £SOO for the best design for improvement works, and already some thirty engineers have applied for plans to enable them'to work out a scheme.'

Presentations to members of the House seem to be the order of the day. Mr Macandrew received a gold watch after addressing his constituents last week, and on Wednesday Mr Seddon, ■ the member for Kumara, received a similar present, as a mark of esteem and appreciation of his services. : It is stated that Sir (Jeorge Grey is busy arranging.and cataloguing bis works'preparatory to tbeir transiniasion to Auckland.

The Star says that one fanner in the,district avers that an autumn show in Hawera county is Hie ;only one which is likely to be successful. Ho contends that towards the dose of the summer, every man’s cattle, are fat ; any one who then has a fairly ’well-bred beast can. exhibit it with" out any previous trouble ; and ho concludes— £: The farmers in this district fire so blessed lazy, that that’s the only sort of show will suit them.”

In a letter read at the Taranaki Land Board and written by Mr. Crowhurst, of Ngaire, formerly of liawera the following amusing passage occured :—“ 1 shall be quite willing after next burn (the time allowed me by the board) to forfeit not only any my house and land, but also wife and family to boot —of which twins form a prominent feature—if I have not considerably more than the area required by the Act then under, cultivation.”

A painful and peculiar accident happened to Mr B. Logie, of Fortrose, a few days ago. ‘ He was lying on a sofa (says the Mataura Ensign), and in. turning on it overbalanced, ahd ;fell td; the floor. By some means a pencil in his coat pocket entered his back, and was buried about (4in. in the*flesh,-rurtofog in very dangerous proximity to the . spinal column, and causing the unfortunate' gentleman ;so much pain that he several times fainted. Hb Was uriab\e to leave his bed for some days.

The great Barnum in his search for novelties to place before the Old World has now laid New Zealand under contribution as will be seen from the following copy of an advertisement appearing in the Auckland papers “ Wanted, — A troupe or family of Maoris, of. four to six—the most uncivilised or. wild that can be had ; must bo well tatooed, and able to give the native dances. Will engage them for ; one year for our American Travelling Show. Will pay their fares and a liberal salary, and board them ; also bind myself to return them to their homes

if they desire. P. T. Barnum and Co., Sole Owners o£ the Greatest Show on Earth/”

A new barrow,-known as-the “ circular,” has been introduced by Mr A. Donald, blacksmith, of Palmerston. These liarrows, which are extensively used at Home, are divided into two parts, and each part has 21 teeth, arranged in throe circles. By means of an ingenious mechanical contrivance the parts are made to revolve in opposite directions, which has the effect of preparing the ground without crossharrowing baying to bo resorted to. The harrows are very simply constructed, easily worked, and are spoken of by those who have already used them as timesaving implements. 'They possess one special advantage, namely, that the teeth can bo easily replaced when worn down. Several of the circular harrows made by Mr Donald have been successfully tested, and the maker has received a number of orders from farmers. —Morniwj Herald.

The master of a ship which arrived at Dundee recently reported that when his vessel was in latitude 51 deg S and longitude 90deg W,' an immense meteor of amazing brilliancy fell into the sea within a few cables length Of the : ship. As it plunged into the water it made a roaring, hissing noise,— just as "a great mass of red-hot iron would when extinguished. .The second officer, Mr John Ycitch,took particular notice of this remarkable appearance, and of the noon-iidc effulgence which the fiery body cast upon a broad space of the sky, and supplemented the entry of the occurrence in the log hook by saying “ possibly some ships that had gone ainissing may have. been struck, and sent to the bottom by such meteors.” Since then, a simular case has been reported from America. A great and brilliant meteor was seen to fall into Muskegon lake, the harbor of Muskegon, Michigan, near the shore of the lake of the same same. The airolitc struck 800 ft or 400 out from the shore, causing a great commotion in tho water. The shock was heard throughout the city, arousing those who had not been startled by the glare.

Tasman and Welcome Jack have been scratched for the Wellington Cup,

The Steward of the Hospital acknowledges the receipt of fruit and flowers from Mrs Dixon and Miss Drake.

A-Meeting of Members of the Swimming Club and those desirous of joining will be hold at the Albion Hole! on Monday evening at 8 o’clock when important business will bo brought forwardThe Cheltenham sawmillcs at Kiwitea, near Fielding, were burnt down yesterday afternoon. No particulars arc yet to hand, but Messrs Munro and Reid will be considerable losers.

Mr McGuire, of Hawern, was in town to-rday, making a round of farewell visits. Mr McGuire leaves for Auckland next week, and will carry with him the best wishes of a large circle of friends. » People are beginning to ask if neither of the Mayoral enndidatesiiltcndfoaddressthe ratepayers. The term is getting short and the burgesses want to hear what each lias has to say before making their final choice at the ballot box.

Wc bear that Mr Dan. Wilkie, who in the early days kept the. accommodation house at the mouth of the Waitotara liver, died suddenly at Tauranga a day or two ago. Mr Wilkie, who was well known on the Coast, was a brother to Mr Wilkie, the contractor. The Borough Council held an adjourned meeting last evening to consider the proposal submitted by the Government for advancing the £IO,OOO required by the Borough. It was decided to accept the offer which is as follows £10,00) at 6 per,/cent, and ! per cent, sinking fund with a special rate of one shilling as collateral security.

At the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, an application by Mr Hamerton was made to take (he evidence of John Lowe, in the case of Taylor v. Lowe, to be heard in Auckland. The evidence-was voluminous and uninteresting to the general public. In another case, Wilson v. Beamish, judgment was given for the amount claimed, £6 18i 4d, with costs £1 12s, Mr Foulis, the Inspector of schools, will commence,ais inspection of Patea-school on Monday 7 next continuing on (ho two following day's. There a-re 68 hoys and 79 girls to be presented out of a total of 259 now on the books. Girl's predominate over the boys in both cases, the total of each attending the school being : —Boys 127 ; girls 132.

We hear that the tickets for Mr Angelo Forrest’s concert are going off rapidly. Lovers of good music should not miss the opportunity of hearing Mr Forrest who, according to all accounts, is a rara avis in the musical world. His concerts in Auckland, and latterly at. New Plymouth,’ enchanted the residents in those places and we have no doubt that he will be equally appreciated here. A public meeting will be held in Patea shortly to consider several matters of importance to the district. The first subject to be considered will be the advancement of settlement on the coast, more especially in the Opunake district, where a public meeting was hold recently, an I a resolution asking our co-operation and assistance. Jt is also intended to take advantage of the meeting to bring forward the question of opening up the lands round- here, and also the necessity for pushing on the railway works with all possible speed.

Mr S. Tapliri, the agent for the Union Insurance Company, has received, from the head office at Christchurch, a very useful little machine called a “ fire bucket.” It is made of iron, somewhat the same shape as an oil drum stood upon legs, although larger. The inside is fitted with a powerful pump and a short hose, and the bucket being filled with water, a capital stream is thrown some distance. Messrs Shandy Mason, and Co. are the makers of this useful little instrument, which .should prove of great utility in a place like this where there is no water for fire-prevention purposes. Mr Taplin will be happy to show the bucket to anyone interested.

At the monthly meeting, of the Patea Kilwinning Lodge, No. 536, S.C., on Monday, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year : —Bro. Rev. J. A, Lnxford, R.W.M. ; Bro. G. Harden, D.M. ; Bro. P, G. Mace, S.M, ; 80. W. Dixon, S.W. ; Bro G. W. Taylor, J.W. ; Bro. K. Barton, Treasurer; Bro. G. Donovan, Treasurer ; Bro. A. Gower, S.D. ; Bro. A. Paul, J.D. ; Bro. H. Currie, Chaplain ; Bro. \V. Howitt, J.G. ; Bro. Guy, Tyler. It is just possible that Bro. the Hon. J. Whitaker, who will be in Hawera to attend the consecration of the Masonic Hall there, may. be present at the,installation.

The cricket match Patea v. Hawera will bo played to-morrow, and is likely' to prove a tough one. Our men will make a good struggle for victory,'but the Hawera team intend if possible to put them through. The match with the Auckland team will bo played hero on Dec. 7 and 8, and as the local Club have had to contribute £lO towards the expenses, the public will bo asked to contribute by paying an admission fee. The following arc the Aucklanders, who, during their stay, will put up at the Albion : —A. Beale, E. Beale, O. Bowden, Byng, A. Cameron, T. C. Cheescman, G. P. Ewing, H. W. Leader, P. Porch, R. H. Reid, C. T. Stafford, and F. H. W. Wood.

The Horticultural Society have every ’ reason to bo gratified with their third show. The exhibits if not quite so numerous as usual, wore iu point of excellence tpiilo equal to former shows and what is equally pleasing to the Committee, the attendance was largo. The money at the door, and that realised by the sale of the plants f amounted to about £2o—a very' fair siim indeed. The officers performed- their duties efficiently,■ and the judges, - Messrs Laird and D. H. Williamson,

gave every satisfaction. As a (means for further increasing tlie interest in the Society and augmenting its funds, wo would suggest that an attempt should be made to carry out an Art Union similar to that so successfully instituted by the Christchurch Society. The' plan is to print a number of Art Union tickets, which admit (ho holder to the show as well—and to dispose of the gifts of plants &c., made to the Society by Art Union instead of auction. ibo scheme has been found to work ■ and there would not be any harm in obtaining the details as to-how it is done.” Wo are sure the information would bo readily given if asked for. The ,£2O. advanced by Captain Ashby to the Maoris in London on Tepnln-nibi’s bill, has been paid in Auckland upon the bill being presented (says the Auckland Star). Sydney Taiwhanga’s friends, therefore, havo boon more liberal even than was anticipated. In fact, Sydney has proved himself a financial genius or the very first water. At Gore a Mfttiuirft. Valley Farmer’s Cooperative Store and Agency Company is proposed to be ■■floated. The capital will bo £SOOO, in £1 shares, and no single individual is to be allowed to take up more than 100 shares.