LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 606, 22 January 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Friday next, at 2'clock, immediately before the sale of the stock-in-trade of Messrs. Sheppard and Co., at their stores, Messrs. Ferris and Pitt will sell by public auction the gates, publican's booth, refreshment booth, fruit and confectionery stall, and race cards, for the two annual race meetings on the 30th and 31st inst. We may mention that the ground is thoroughly well fenced m, and that all who desire to witness the sports, whether on horse, foot or conveyance, will have to pay admission money. There is no public house or hotel within cooey distance of any part of the racecourse. The large number of entries, and the fine horses which go m the racing are certain of drawing a large crowd. Therefore there is money to be made at the gates and m the refreshment booths, The successful purchasers will be protected m all their rights and privileges. Last year the gate money, booths, cards, &c, brought £182. This year it is probable the figures will total up £250, perhaps £300. The Calcutta Sweeps on the Poverty Bay Races will be .pulled off at the Masonic Hotel onthe^ening of Wednesday and Thursday 29 fj and 30th instant, at 7.30 p. m. where tickets may be obtained. Sickness is very prevalent on the Thames Goldfields just now, especially among the infant populatiou, and m several instances it has proved fatal— in some cases the victims being carried off very suddenly. A large number of adults have also been prostrated by severe illness. The doctors describe the malady as being a species of English cholera.

The gallant members of the Napier Cricket Club have challenged the members of the Poverty Bay Cricket Club to play a match on Tuesday aud Wednesday, the 28th aud 29th inst., the match to come off m Gisborne. Our men here, accepted the challenge m the same ready spirit m which it has been sent. Let us, by all means, receive the Napier team kindly, and treat j them with hospitality ; but let our men not send them away until they have been : well thrashed. To this end our men are invited to go m for practice for as many I hours as time and circumstances will peri mit. The Secretary calls all hands to meet ! on Saturday next for play and practice. I The Napier men combine among themj selves a strong team, with some good i batters and fielders, and are not men to be | made little of. The following are the I names of the gentlemen who will form the team to play against Napier : — J. W. i Johnson, Ferris, Thelwall, Woodhead, i Woodhead, White, Humphries, Sunderland, Evans, Nash, and Capt. Gudgeon, emergency man. The Catholic Church Bazaar will be opened to-morrow evening m the Masonic Hall, by His Worship the Mayor, at which we expect to see a large attendance of ladies and gentlemen, as no trouble, pains or expense have been spared m making the Hall exceedingly attractive. Women's nimble fingers have been at work and every where are marked indications of woman's taste m decorative art. We hope for many reasons the Bazaar will prove a success ; because should this not be the case there will be much disappointment on the part of those who have made such strenuous efforts to make it so. On Friday and Saturday the Bazaar will open at 2 o'Clock for the sale of goods of which there is an immense variety, useful, elegant, ornamental, whether for wear, for presentation, for mementos, souvenirs or remembrancers. From something at sixpence to other things amounting up to pounds. There is amusement m store, Some excellent surprises but we are not permitted to tell. The Bay of Plenty Times has the following: — "The volcano on White Island has been m a state of active eruption of late, and heavy volumes of smoke have been seen to rise from it. Loud shocks were heard to proceed from its direction on Sunday night, which were stated to be the sound made by earthquakes, but others asserted to be only thunder. The Opotiki and Whakatane districts have of late been visited by exceedingly heavy storms of thunder and lightning of a character not often observed m New Zealand, m fact, atmospheric disturbances of a very portentous nature have been taking place." A writer m a Melbourne paper observes : «« The brothers Kelly are suspicious of their two companions m outlawry, and take care never to allow them out of their sight. Either Ned or hia brother Dan is always on guard, and one of ihem it is to whom falls the duty of receiving the food planted for them by sympathising friends. They evidently fear that their mates might be tempted to turn Queen's evidence. Seeing that the united efforts of the police, detectives, and garrison corps to capture the bushrangers have been futile, I think a trial might be givenj^to those outside the force, who feel sure that, if unhampered by the ' incubus of official routine, they would soon lay the gang by the heels. I known an old bush hand living near Mount Maoedon, perfectly acquainted with the topography of the Kellys 1 hiding places, who feel sure that, with the assistance of a few picked mates, he would bring the outlaws to justice m a very short time. He might be wrong, but he also might be right, and consideration for the feelings of the police should not stand m the way of letting him have a chance of deserving the thanks of Victorian society at large."