The Patea County Press, (With which is incorporated The Patea Mail.) “Be Just and Fear Not.” WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30th 1896. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 149, 30 December 1896, Page 2

The Patea County Press, (With which is incorporated The Patea Mail.) “Be Just and Fear Not.” WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30th 1896. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

‘y Friday next being New Years Day the County Press will not be published on that date. We, therefore, take the present opportunity of wishing our readers a New Year. Members of tbe Dramatic Society are reminded of tbe “ Money and Man ” rehearsal to he held at the Harmonic Hall this evening, at eight o’clock. “ Patea Resident ” writes to suggest that tho local police should make some effort to prevent the excess of larrilduism from which tho town and environs suffered last New Year’s Eve, being repeated this year. A statutory farce was enacted last evenur r in response to tho advertisement calling a public meeting to consider what day of the week should be fixed on for the public half-holiday. The interest taken in the subject by those most _im terested was shewn by the numerical strength of the meeting, as at tho close of the half-hour’s grace there were just five present: Messrs Hunger, T. E. Hamerton, Kenworthy, J. A. McKenna and Sergeant; out of which number Messrs Hunger, Hamerton and Sergeant are , outside the pale of the Shop Act, and, consequently, can hold or leave the holiday just as their own sweet wills dictate. I Mr McKenna was voted to the chair and i the solemn farce of Jixlnf/ the day was duly perpetrated by Mr Hamertou mov- ) ing and Mr Sergeant seconding a resoluI tiun continuing Friday as ha If-holiday, j Kenwojt’tjiy •u.Qyed as tui amendment I "That the haJEhojiday be bold on Thursday,*’ stating that fro thought it 1 belter to drop into line with the Jargc •' towns—-New Plymouth and Wanganui- - | Mian io bold separate and indopeudant j days. This amendment was not seconded ! .Mud the resolution was formally put aud ’ Ciu,ie I. and a vote of thanks to the chair , brought the closing public three of 1596 | to it vufiQUfiou* I

While the number of murders in the United States last year reached the high total of 6615, there wore but 126 executions. Cable advice states that the National Bank of New Zealand has declared the usual dividend of five per cent for the year. Gaudaur has challenged the world to row him for the championship at Toronto in June, or he will meet Harding or Barry in England in August. Tenders for the County gravelling contracts must be lodged with the County clerk not later than noon on Monday next. Five thousand yards of gravel are required this year. Applications for position of dog tax collector for the Pa tea County Council arc called for, same to be in by Monday next. Applications for matron and steward of the Patca Hospital are also called for the same date. There are ten newspaper editors in the British House of Commons, six printers, four tailors, three stationers, two butchers, three hotel keepers, six tenantfarmers, one coal-merchant, and one cab proprietor. Dowager Duchess of Sutherland is engaged to marry Sir Albert Kaye Tio! lit, a prominent London lawyer, andM.P, According to the latest news from the English metropolis the life history of the Duchess is romantic. Bible reading out of school: —A young woman who had visited the house of an invalid atLaunceson (Tasmania) last week for the purpose of reading the Bible to a sick person, was charged with the larceny of a half-sovereign from the house. The accused, who admitted her guilt, was discharged on order to come up for sentence when called on, A sad accident occurred at Norfolk road on Christmas morning. A lad named Manty, son of Mr Robert Manty, farmer, had been delivering milk at the factory, and was leaving it when the horse bolted, the cart was capsized, and the poor boy, aged about twelve years, was struck on the head by a part of the cart, and allied instantaneously.— Star. A rather peculiar accident happened on Christmas night. Mr Geo. Watts was riding along the Main South road when his horse suddenly made off. It careered along for some time till it espied a bicycle light ahead. At this it swerved and came into violent collision with a bank about oft high. The impact w ft s so great that the hovso died almost immediately, whilst the rider was shot on to the bank, and luckily escaped without a scratch. — Star. A serious loss was sustained by a farmer living in the neighbourhood of Lake Linlithgo during the storm that passed over that place on the 25th November. The Hamilton Spectator states that Mr G. Kruger went into one of his paddocks after the storm had subsided, and found that 29 of his sheep had been killed by lightning. They were found scattered along a fence for a distance of a chain and a half. Merino sheep, with good pastures, can be fed up to heavy weights. Of a mob of 10,000 recently sold in Victoria 3000 were estimated to average about 661b. The remaining 7000 were slaughtered at the Newport Freezing Works, when they gave an average weight of 60lb, dressed for shipment. “ Bruni ”in the Australasian, states that twenty years ago he saw a

number of merinos weighed which averaged nearly 701b. A Maori named Manu was killed in a football match at Makirikiri pah, Danevirke, the other afternoon. The Maoris had just completed shearing at the Oringi and Kaitoke stations and had arranged a football match, one shed against the other. Manu, during the course of the game, was struck in the stomach by another player’s head, and had to be carried oft' the field. He was not thought to be seriously injured, but in less than half-an-hour he had expired. The game must have been a rough one, for three other players were disabled. We have to acknowledge receipt of a copy of the first number of tbe New Zealand Oddfellows’ Magazine, published by Mr J. D. Quin, of Wanganui. It is intended to be the Organ of the Manchester Unity and issue quarterly. In its 24 pages it contains a large amount »f reading of interest to Oddfellows, and Mr Quin’s enterprise in providing them with such an excellent means of diffusing information and promoting the interests of the Order should be well rewarded. An instance of the disastrous losses suffered by some pastoralists from the tick plague is reported by the Townsville Bulletin. A. run with 3000 bead of cattle, 2640 acres of freehold land and improvements, which include a fine residence, as well as the buildings, fences and yards required for working the herd, is under offer for £7OO. This property represents in the books of its present owners an expenditure of £17,000, and is being quitted by them in consequence of the country being very badly infested with ticks, which last year killed the greater number of tho cattle. Some remarks made by Dr Benson when elected president of the Croydon

Society are worthy of note. “ I can imagine,” said His Grace, “ nothing more delightful for men and women than that their spare time aud their hours of relaxation from labour should bo spent among poultry and pigeons, attending to their wants and learning to love and admire such innocent and beautiful creatures, for in these days there are so many entertainments of a doubtful character tg allure men and youths from their families and their homes into the ways of evil and vice, that it is a, blessing to know so much interest is taken in such a delightful recreation as that which a fanciers’ society encourages.” Thusly an exchange:—Tho wool shed at Waitara is now so crowded by wool for exporation that they have had to start

loading the punts, a sign that the farmers evidentlyaunsider their interests are well looked after. The “ Well looked after ” may have two meanings but the facts remain the same that the port is so jaiubed with wool as to necessitate storing it in punts on the.river. Yet Patea farmers howl aud growl because the wool dumps have to be piled a few tiers high in the sheds ii stead t.f having steamers lying at the wh irf waiting to receive the wool from the dumping machine. At Waitara farnHTs «,*(•> j;»i«|c? ijicir interests arc well looked after wlnjn the wool has accumu lated to such an ■ extent as to render it necessary to store, it in punts on the river Why this dift’ei'Mice of opinion as to the 1 proper method of * ■ looking aftev ” the in - j Wrests of fexjuva v

Information is sought for as to the whereabouts of a half-draught bay gelding, fully described in an advertisement appearing in another column. A Milburn blacksmith named Chalmers has invented a machine for distributing ! ground lime on laud. As the dray moves tue lime is fed upon a disc, which revolving rapidly, throws the fertiliser a distance of nine yards by its centrifugal action. A woman named O’Rorke, and her daughter were overtaken by a bnsbfire in the Grampians, near S taw ell (Victoria). Both wore severely burned, and have since died. The husbfmd, who went to the rescue, was also badly injured, and is ! in a precarious condition. Wo bog to draw our readers attention to tho advertisement of tbe Exhibition Concert Co.’s Concert which takes place on Monday night, 4th January. The pci formers, who are all well known are of a high order and have lately been appearing before large audiences in Wellington and will, no doubt, provide a good concert for all lovers of music. We would remind our readers of the reproduction of the drama Money and Man on New Year’s night on which occasion admission will be at million prices, two shillings and one and certainly it will bo impossible to find a cheaper or pleasanter way of spending the evening, on which occasion we hope the management will arrange for a bettor description of footlight than was the case on Boxing night. Mr White, the newly installed teller of tbe local branch of the Bank of New Zealand, went to Auckland for his Christ' mas holiday, and decided not to return, but instead wrote to have his belongings sent to his brother at Dunedin, A sudden vacancy consequently occurred in the local branch, which, we are informed, will be filled by the return of Mr Chapman to this town, who is expected to arrive to morrow. School boy and girl humour recorded by the Nelsonian, the organ of the Nelson College“ The ‘ Pilgrim’s Progress’ was a' brilliant comedy which took tho modem form of a three-volume novel.” “ Corea is a river in Florida.’ 1 Dongola is a town in Ireland. Noted for wool.” I Hanmer Plains are swept by bitterly cold | winds in the south of Spain,” "The | plural of sheep is lambs ” ‘‘Very few of tbe Spanish Armada got away without being shot or murdered.” j A pleasing little ceremony took place at | tho close of the Christmas choir practice, j when the Rev C. C. Harper, on behalf of 1 the members of the choir, presented the organist, Mr F. Spooner, with a handsomely mounted inkstand, and in doing so referred most eulogistically to tho services rendered by Mr Spooner during his presidency at the organ. Mr Spooner, who was considerably “ taken aback ” by the sudden “turn” the practice had taken, suitably thanked the donors, and the proceedings closed. One of the neatest things we have seen done in the advertising line appeared in a late issue of this paper, when an advertisement was inserted notifying that the proprietor’s horse would be sold by the pound-keeper if not released within a given time, and even the advertisement did not produce uneasiness—the brand not being correctly given—until absence from the jiaddock was accidently noticed. That particular advertisement is now looked upon as about the most perfect “ dead head ” of the season. The prospectus of Win. Cory and Son, Limited, the big London coal combination, appeared in the papers which arrived by the last mail. The capital consisted of £2.000,000 in shares and £BOO,OOO in debenture stock, and the plant and English business of eight important firms were transfirod to the undertaking. It was stated that their turnover exceeded 5,000,000 tons annually. Amongst the plant were eighteen steamers, controlling interests in many others, twenty-one steam tugs, 1200 barges, 2900 railway waggons, and forty-two hydraulic cranes. Their average annual profits for seven years were stated at £143,023, so that it was a fairly large company even for London. The 19th century of the Christian era will close, and 20th century begin, somewhere between Christmas of this year (1896) and February to April of next year (1897). This (writes the Homiletic Review) has been established by the investigations and calculations of the best scholarship, so that it may be said to bo universally acknowledged that Christ was. not born on Christmas in the year 754 after the founding of Rome —as Dionysius mistakenly put it in making up our common chronolgy, and as the Roman, j Church endorsed it—but in the year 75U : or 749, the latter year being far the more probable, aud towards the springtime the more probable date. This conclusion rests especiaUy upon the indisputable fact that Herod tbe Great, in whose reign the birth of Christ took place, died in the ! fourth year before tbe commencement of i our era, or in the year 4 b.g., according to 1 the proper re droning. That will be 1900 years ago next Easter, The 1900 th anniversary of Christ’s birth is not therefore, several years off, but just upon us — not further away than the close of the present year or the opening months of 1897.

The following is an extract from a letter received by the Rev, E. G. Edwards, from his sou. Mr Walter Edwards, C.E., who is at present in South Africa, engaged in supervising the erection of a rinderpest fence which is to cost £IOO.OOO :—“ Rinderpest is spreading with frightful rapidity alj through Africa, and notwithstanding tho preventive fences and the thousands of police funning cordqna and ail the disinfecting that goes on, nothing stops it, and it will only stop, I am sure, at the sea near Cape Town. To show you bow quickly it travels, it is now just four years since tho disease was brought in by the Italian troops to Abyssinia, and it is now considerably south of Kimberley, Every precaution should be taken by New Zealand to boycott all skins,

i j karosses, rugs, etc., that might be im- . ported there from hero, as if the disease , once got into Now Zealand a largo num her of people would be ruined by it. j South Africa is terribly cursed with l animal diseases, there being dozens of diftureut kinds. I won't write their , names, as you would never bo able to I pronounce them. To make matters worse here, it has hardly raiued in these parts for about two years. How vegetation exists is a mystery |q iqy. in' many places you rod no grass such as you know |it for hundreds of miles, aud sheep and J cattle exist a certain time on vaal bush | and karroo scrub, Those bushes; no j amount of drought will destroy, neither ; can you do so by means of veldt fires.”— Mauu'.