The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1103, 24 October 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

o The Paten Rifles under command of Captain Tnplin paraded last night. The night was fine, and after parade a inarch out took place, accompanied by the band, who played some very nice inarching tunes. We notice shortness of wind in that body, this no doubt is for the want of a little more marching out, which we hope will follow now that the fine weather has sot in. On the Bth November, the Patea Musical and Dramatic Society have kindly offered to give a benefit for the Patea Rifles fund. V e trust to see a bumper house for such a worthy object. The following are the team who will represent the P.C.C. in the match Ilawcra v Patea to bo played at Hawera next Saturday, viz., Messrs Jacomb, Read, Newton, Kitching, Rose, U. Harden, Taplin, Gibbons, Norman, Tennent, and Redgrave. We arc sorry to hear that Mr Pulton, oce of our best men, Jins not joined the club this year. Messrs Jacob and Arundell are both in Auckland on their way to Patea and will be a great acquisition to the club, Edwards, the pedestrian, was fined £5 at Dunedin on Wednesday last, for assaulting a boy at the late walking match. I

r l lie Haimonic Society will practise on Thursday this week, instead of Friday. Tenders arc invited for platelayers’ cottages at Manutahi.

The Pal ca Musical and Dramatic Society will give one of their pleasing entertainments on November Bth, in aid of the Patea Rifle Volunteer fund. There is a coal famine at Hawcra, Messrs James Thain and Co., of Wanganui, have an important notice to fanners in this issue. The Railway Department are lifting the gravel which has fallen from the wharf into the river.

A considerable quantity of earth and sand have been washed into the river at the fool of Bedford street. The Borough Cooncil are now making some alterations to carry off the storm water, and are also turfing the embankments on each side of the bridge. The contest fora seat on (ho Wavcrley Town Board was a pretty keen one and the defeated candidate has no reason to be ashamed of the position he occupied at the close of the poll. The election took place on Monday and resulted in the return of Mr John Muir.

The sale of the Waverlej r race privi leges has been postponed until Monday.

The American and Australian Combination, which by the way has been drawing crowded houses at Wanganui, are announced to appear here on Friday and Saturday next.

Nominations for the Auckland Cup’ Auckland Jockey Club Handicap and Steeplechase close on Frida}*. There are a painter and a carpenter at work upon some premises not very far from the Mail office. This ,morning the former placed his ladder upon a box and climbed up to proceed with his work. “ Chips ” saw what a frail stand the ladder was upon and said to ho of the brush, '‘You’ll come down out of that before long.” “No fear” said the painter, and away went “Chips.” A few minutes after he was alarmed by yells and returning to the spot in all hasto found the knight'of the brush hanging on to the eaves of the house with as much tenacity as a coat of varnish. The ladder was gone ; so was the paint pot. Ouly the painter remained aloft, and he was urgent in his demands for the ladder, “ Chips” was right in his surmise that the box would roll over and the laugh was on his side. The. programmes for the forthcoming meeting of the New Zealand Rifle Associaciation at Auckland have now been circulated, and copies have been received in Patea. Mr Skeet, dentist, will visit Patea on Monday, and may bo consulted at Mr Gower’s.

The hop-growing experiment is (says the Star ) being pushed on by the Normanby people. The company’s plantation on Mr James Morrison’s land is looking well, and only a little warm weather is needed to bring the plants on. Some of tlnm now look remarkably healthy and well, but a little more heat is required to bring weaker plants on. There is a little bother in connection with the poles. Some manuka are all that could be desired, but the white ,wood ones are far from what is needed, and the Company and the contractor were to confer last night to arrange matters. Mr Dolan has a section fronting Staffordstreet planted, and the plants are looking strong and healthy. They are just arriving at the climbing stage, and some excellent poles are being erected in order to train them.

The space applied for at (he forthcoming Industrial Exhibition at Christchurch now amounts to 16,480 feet. The Lyttelton Harbour Board has accepted the offer of the Gulcber Electric Light Co. for the erection of 16 lamps of 2300 candle power each for the purpose of lighting the harbour. It is understood that Antonio Geschnoll, who recently murdered an inmate of the Auckland lunatic asylum, will shortly be placed upon his trial for the deed. An inquest was held yesterday upon the body of James Durham, found strangled in his hut at Lyttelton on Sunday, and a verdict of suicide, while temporarily insane, returned.

New South Wales has, by Order in Council, prohibited the importation of all dogs into (hat colony savo from (he other Australian colonics, and from Tasmania and New Zealand, “in consequence of the prevalence of the disease known as rabies, or hydrophobia, in Groat Britan and other countries.” This prohibition is published in the New Zealand Gazette of the 18th inst for general information. Victoria does not prohibit importation, but imposes stringent quarantine regulations, which are also gazetted. An Auckland telegram states (hat Captain Mahon, Dignon, and Cooper, are endeavouring to arrange with the Racing Club for the use of the Ellorslie racecourse for the forthcoming meeting of the New Zealand Rifle Association. It appears that One Tree Estate is not available, being ploughed up and partly in crop. Canada, it appears, is doing a large business with Now York in Frogs. Frogs, which at one time were deemed the exclusive diet of the Frenchman—who, indeed, took one of his soubriquets, that of Johnny Crapaud, from this rather doubtful form of diet—are greatl}' esteemed by Yankee gourmands. As the latter are people of taste, and have a very wide field of choice, this compliment to the amphibious edible proves its excellence. Frogs —or their legs, which are the only part consumed—-are very luscious eating. In appearance the}' resemble the most delicate chickens’ wings, and their flavour is a curious blending of various exquisite tastes.

The subscriptions and door money taken at Mr Redmond’s lecture at Dunedin on Monday night last amounted to £230. Tho Auckland Harbour Board have resolved to call for tenders in Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Auckland for (he construction of the Calliope Graving Dock. Tho tenders are to bo in by tlieSlb of January, 1883.