LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 623, 11 February 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Gisborue Boating Club is rapidly getting into good form. All that is now wanted is for the members- to be constant and regular in their practice. The Secretary requests that all active members enter their names in the Club's book who desire to work in the fours. The sooner the men get into good practice, the sooner will a well-contested trial of the two fours — as to which is the better crew — will come off. We draw attention to the advertisement in the hotel column in our front page of Mr. E. P. Joyce, the genial host of the British Empire Hotel in Peel-street. Mr. Joyce's taps, malted, vineous or distilled, are of the best, and his accommodation is all that can be desired.

In the R.M. Court, this morning before H. Keurick, Esq.. E.M., the case3 were all of a civil nature. The following is the business transacted. Itobjolms, Teat and Co. v. Piwaka adjourned to the 14th instant, on application of plaintiff. Mclntosh v. Sproatt. No appearance of either party. Case struck out. Crawford v. Harakamou. Adjourned until March 4th on application of plaintiff. Court Gladstone, A.0.F., will meet this evening, at 8 o'clock, in the Wesleyan school-rooint Mr. Wilson, dentist, landed in a surfboat to-day at risk of life. He may be consulted at the Masonic till 2 o'clock tomorrow. Some time ago, (says the Manawatu Times) advertisements were inserted in the North Island papers making enquiries for a John Hamilton, who had become heir to an estate at home worth £40,000. We now hear that the lucky individual, John Alfred Vernon Hamilton, has been unearthed at Masterton, where he has been working as a laborer at the Catholic Chapel. No doubt with £40,000 to his credit, hard work and Mr Hamilton will be no longer mates. A Timaru journal is responsible for the following: — "Two persona of respectable appearance entered a public-house not many miles from the village of Redhill, and requested to have dinner served them. Mine host complied with their request by placing a leg of pork before them, and having done ample justice to it, they called for some ale. After enjoying themselves for some time, one of the " gentlemen" proposed to the other to run a race of 150 yards, the loser to pay for the dinner, &c. Accordingly the worthy landlord measured the ground and started the "gentlemen." Observiug that they ran beyond the distance measured, and supposing that they were doing so in ignorance, he called eut lustily ; but they continued to run until they were out of sight, and did not return. The landlord, therefore, had the mortification of finding that he had been duped, for they ran off without paying for their dinner." Atticus writes in the Melbourne Leader : — " We hear a good deal about the temerity of Steve Hart in visiting the haunts of men in female costume, but his disguise has not even the merit of originality. In the old bush-ranging days of New South Wales, Charley O'Malley, I think it was, who adopted the same tactics. He made a bet that he would be present at some races, and attired in a habit and felt hat, and riding a well-bred nag, he appeared on the race-course. The lazy manner with which he sat his side-saddle attracted the attention of the Inspector of Police, the late Sir Frederick Pottingei 1 , who entered into conversation witli the fair stranger, and fell a victim to her charms. After acting as esquire all day the police officer solicited the pleasure of escortiug. the would-be damsel home, an offer, however, that was declined with thanks. Sir Frederick growing persistent, O'Malley put his horse at a fence, cleared it, and when at the other side, before galloping away, pulled off his hat and veil, and disclosed to the astonished gaze of his admirer, not the damask cheek of a rustic beauty, but the features of a criminal upon whose head a heavy reward was set." A Southern journal states that the reason why the Government is unable to obtain sleepers in this colony, and obtain them in Tasmania, is because the Ministry only advertise in their own special organs, which have but a small , circulation, and that in consequence, persons who would take up the contracts never see the tenders which are called for. Speaking of the potatoe pest that lately made its appeal-mice in their district, the Timaru Herald says : — " We are sorry to learn that what gives promise of proving a very destructive pest, has of late made its appearance in a number of potato fields in this district. It is a sort of half-worm, half-caterpillar looking insect, about half an inch long, and, with a dirty white coloured body and black head. From all we can gather, it attacks the tuber of the potato just at the foot of the stalk, and gradually eating its way into the bulb, at last causes it to rot. One farmer, who was in town on Saturday, assured us that fully one-third of his entire crop of about five acres has been all but destroyed by this pest. It seems to be the same insect which one frequently notices in peaches and plums, and which generally covers the hole it bores with a sort of web similar to a spider's, If what we hear about the ravages it is committing amongst the potato crops is true— and we certainly have not the slightest grounds for believing anything to the contrary — this new pest should be looked after as carefully as the Colorado beetle. We shall bo glad of any further information farmers can give us in this matter. We are informed (says the Napier Tehgraph) tliatat the large native meetingheld at Omahu last week, a resolution was passed by a large majority to the effect that the natives in this district were principally instrumental in placing the present Government in office, on the faith that it would carry out their wishes. The pledges made by the Government have been broken, and they would therefore use every endeavor to oust the Grey Ministry office, it having forfeited their confidence.