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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8417, 17 January 1899, Page 2

A ten year old son of Mr \V. J. Quigley fell from a lean-to at the back of Dr Cole's residence, where he was playing with some other boy 3 yesterday afternoon, and broke his arm. The Hioudsicker Bund, comprising seven instruments, which has been playing at the Auckland Exhibition, has been enraged to play at the Poverty Bay Turf Club's meeting on the 2(ith and 27th inst. As showing what fertilisers will do in the way of increasing crops, ono of the Gisborne Freezing Company's fertilisers was used by a resident of the town on a small plot of ground, in which pototoes were planted, with astonishing results. Tho crop was a most abundant one, as was evidenced by the fact that one root produced 171hs of tubers, whilst the plant grew to the extent of nine feet in length. "Try Again" writes warmly approving of the movement to initiate a Horticultural Society in Gisborne, and calling to the front the fair sex. " Such a society," lie writes, " can be made n, permanent aid to ornamentation and utility. If the ladies exert themselves and take the matter with a ivill we shall have no reason to be doubtful of our power to vie with or excel those of other places of equal standing." The cutter Coralie, which left here on Friday last with a salvage party to conduct operations at the wreck of the Tasmania, near the Mahia, has, it is understood, located the position of the wreck, and the diver, Mr H. D. Pascoo, has made one or more descents. No particulars are, however, yet to hand, and whilst the weather remains fine the Coralie will probably be several days at the wreck before 6he returns with a report a3 to its condition. A weddiug of considerable local interest took place at the residence of Mr J. Tombleson, Otonga, on Saturday afternoon when Mr T)avid Todd, fiheepfarmer of the Waimata Valley was united in the bonds of wedlock to Miss Anne Pollock of Greenhoad, Glasgow. The ceremouy was performed by the Rev. J. Blight, there being present only the most intimate friends of the parties. The bride, who was given away by Mr Thomas Todd, looked charming in a dress of hailstorm muslin with hut trimmed with chiffon and white feathers, wreath and veil. She also carried a beautiful bouquet of white flowers. The bridesmaid was Miss Johnatone, of Makaraka, whilst the bridegroom was attended by Mr Alex Todd! his brother. Afternoon tea was held at the residence of Mr and Mrs Tombleson, and the happy couple left amidst the congratulations of their friends and showers of rice for their home at " Straehendrick," Waimata. The presents, which were numerous and of a costly character, included a number from Scotland, from which country Mrs Todd arrived in Gisborne on the previous Saturday. The bridal cake, winch was much admired, was also brought from across the seas, and wao found to be in excellent condition.

It is announced in another column that the new t«rm for tho boarding and day school for girls in Upper Gladstone road, conducted by Misses A. E. Nelson and Sievwright, will commence on January 30th. We are informed that the business at present, carried on by Mrs Rosic will be changing hands immediately, when larger and more suitable premises will be secured and everything made thoroughly up-to-date. A big s;de is now proceeding in order to reduce the stock. An extensive robbery of jewellery and watches has been committed at the ' Stanley Cycle Show, now in progress at the Agricultural Kail, London. The value of the stolen goods is about £1000, and they were taken from the showcases of Messrs Samuel Smith and Co., of fl Strand. The cutting of the cocksfoot crop on Banks Peninsula has commenced. The local Mail thinks that it can safely predict an average harvest and an exceptionally plump and well-filled sample. Labour is by no moans too abundant, as, owing to the showery weather, the shearing is dovetailing into the cocksfooting. A meeting of members of the Opposition side of the House is to be held in Wellington towards the end of this month to take into consideration the present position of aflairs political, and to decide probably upon some future course of action. The advisability of conducting an organised pre-sessional campaign throughout the electorates will be amongst the matters which will be discussed. I Sonorous to excess, France seems to have always been the dupe of England. From the Crimean War we brought back nothing save a medal bearing the cfligy of Queen A'ictoiia. By acquiescing in the suppression of privateering we have voluntarily diminished our chances of success in a naval war. How many sailors, ready to become heroes, are not waiting for letters of marque to re-commence the brilliant exploits of their godfathers? Are we always to be bound by the treaty of lS,)(i?-La Patrie (Paris). Mr Leslie, of the Timaru Telegraph Oifice, who possesses a good Rontycn ray apparatus, list week took an excellent radiograph of the hand of a young man, showing a piece of glass embedded among the bones. A considerable time ago a bottle burst in the young man's hand and cut the palm severely, but no glass could be found in the wound, which healed up properly. Subsequently the hack of the hand became inflamed, and the Rontgen ray has indicated the reason for this. The famous Hampton Court grape vinn is by no means the largest in the world. There is a vine in the Carpentaria Valley, in Santa Barbara County, California, which was planted in 1842 by a Spanish woman, and is of the Mission variety. The trunk has a circumference of 7ft Sin, while 800 people can stand under the foliage protected from the sun. In 1593 eight tons of grapes were gathered from it. This vine is regarded as the largest in the world. (This is from an American paper, and conli''malion seems desirable.) It is a reflection upon New Zealand (says the Christchurch Press) that she is without the penny post even within her own borders. There is no reason why wo. should not have a penny rate for letters in New Zealand and an intercolonial rate of one penny for Australasia, pending the further extension to the Umpire, which must come. In 1891 the Colonial Treasurer (Mr Ballance) stated in his Budget that there was to be a penny rate in New Zealand, hut this promise hns never been kept. There is no reason why the pledge given should not be redeemed. The balancesheet of tho Post Oifice showed for last year a net profit, of about £22,000. And the lowering of the rate to one penny would not be much of a loss, if any, for the letters sent woidd greatly increase. From the various robberies which have taken place within the last few weeks in the Giuftnn, Parnell, Mount Eden, and Ponsonby districts, Auckland, it is evident that either a solitary individual, playing a " lone hand," or a gang arc operating in these districts. All the robberies bear a resemblance. One of the latest is that of the breaking and entering into the. residence of Mr C. Suggatc, of London street, Ponsonby. Some silverware was stolen, and a bottle of spirits. The sideboard was forced open, from which the missing articles were abstracted. The burglar or burglars appear to have left hurriedly Mr Suggato had examined the premises at midnight, before retiring to rest, and found all tho windows securely fastened. Later on the drawingroom window was found open, also the front door, and the gas lit. Inspector McGovern received a hearty send-off from New Plymouth on his leaving there last week to take up the inspectorship of the Hawke's Bay police district. Inspector McGovern is one of the oldest olKcers in the force, having been connected with the department now for 35 years. He joined the police in Auckland in 18fi4, and was for 22 years stationed at Hamilton. He afterwards was sent to Kawhia, where he had chargo of the district for 12 months, during which time the natives were proving obstructive to road making and the erection of the telegraph. The following year he was sent to Hokianga to quiet a Maori disturbance there, when a fight took place, and twentythree prisoners were taken. Inspector McGovern was then removed to Greymouth, where he was stationed for five j ears, being transferred to New Plymouth in May, 1596; and has remained there ever since. In dealing with the natives Inspector MaGovern has always shown great tact and discretion, and has been the means of arresting more Maoris charged with crimes than perhaps any other officer connected with the force. He arrested and bro.ight to justice Wineata, the native who murdered Mr Parker, at Mr Cleghorn's place at Epsom, near Auckland, and also the Maori who shot Mr Williams whilst surveying in the Thames district ; and since he his been in Taranaki he has eflected several arrests, and quieted native disturbances at Parihaka and in other parts of the district. To-morrow evening Mr Harry Riekards and his company of twenty-five Tivoli stars, including the world-famed protean artist Signer Ugo Biondi, Mr Albert Bellman, and Miss Lottie Moore, leading American sketch artists, Foreman and Fannin, fun patterers, Winton the ventriloquist, and Mr Riekards, the great actor vocalist himself, will commence a season of three nights in the Theatre Royal. Sigrior Biondi's performance will commence with his celebrated sketch entitled " Discovered," in which he plays six different characters, which follow each other on and off the stage with such rapidity as to fairly astonish all beholders, and will terminate with his great impersonation of the leading mnsical conductors of the world, such as Verdi, Litppe, Rossini, Donizetti, Liszt, Wagner, Strauss, Sir Arthur Sullivan, Maims, Dan Godfrey, F.eon Caron, Alberto Zelman, General Booth, &c. Mr Harry Richards will introduce his latest and most successful songs, descriptive and coster, " That is a Woman's Way," "By the Sad Sea Waves," " Never let your Donah go upon tho Stage," " 'E don't know where 'c are." There was a touch of sadness about a meeting held in New Plymouth last week, attended by a large number of prominent settlers, to determine the best means of winding-up the Petroleum Company. The Chairman (Mr Samuel) told a tale of acute disappointment. The company was formed with the most sanguine anticipations, the promoters being led by those who had v groat deal of experience in oil boring to believe they would probably find payable oil. Altogether six bores had been put down by the company or its promoters, and something like 8000 feet had been successfully bored. Of these six bores three had been put to a depth of 10(10 feet, two of them to 2000 feet, and another one i 1000 feet. The aflairs of the company had been managed with the strictest economy. Precaution had been taken to prevent the circulation of false rumors, and to guard against incautious people being, what ho might term, defrauded of their money, for he held that honesty was as necessary in the management of the all'airs of a company as iv the conduct of one's private business. The 1976 ft bore was cased, and from itj oil still oozed in small quantities. In his opinion the small quantity of oil flowing; was the result of the water, but on the other hand, Mr Mnckay, the Government Geologist, thought it was the full quantity of oil to be obtained, and that it was not sufficient to warrant any further efforts. The directors had certainly learnt a great deal. They had found out that nobody can tell what is underneath the soil. It was polite to listen to the " knowing ones," but if a man believed all they said then he ' would be very silly indeed. The directors believed once ; now they knew. Ten shillings a share had been called up, and there remained an indebtedness to the bank of £400, which it was hoped would be met by the sale of the plant. A resolution was carried authorising the directors to sell the property of the company. It was stated that none of the directors had even sold a ' single share since the inception of the company, and though under the articles they were entitled to a remuneration of .£156 per annum, they had never taken a single ■ farthing. A high compliment was paid . to Mr Samuel for the spleudid servieo he I iad rendered the company. '

Mrs Blake's discovery that the American eagle is a hen bird, the announcement of which was received with wild applause at the recent woman's convention, may be an argument for women suffrage, or it may not, according as you look at it. — Boston ulobe. Horseless carriages and smokeless powder are now no longer novelties, but a factory 'without a chimney certainly is. Heretofore in building a factory an immensely 1 tall chimney has been considered necessary, in order to secure plenty of draught for the furnace. Now it has been discovered thul' an equally good draught can be produced from below by means of a fan. It has been conclusively shown that, with the aid of a fan having a diameter of 54in, a saving of £200 a year in coal alone may be made in the case of a plant having three boilers of 260 horse-power. Some parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where they digest smoke with every meal, will be pleased to hear of this discovery. A young Tnranaki Native, who has been four years at To Aute Native College, Hawke's Bay, lately paid a visit to his native place, and on his return to Te Aute wrote an account of what he saw. After an interesting description of Parihaka, the writer continues :—•' l would bo heartily glad to stop here in my account of the Farihaka Maoris' advance towards civilisation ; but I cannot. I am sorry to say that they have imitated the vices of the l'akeha, aa well as his virtues. They have built two billiard rooms, where the Maori youths may go and spend in foolishness their hard-earned money. These are owned, one by a Maori, the other by a half-caste. In the larger of the two there is a small side chamber, where Maoris may, satisfy their love f»r gambling. Then there are two houses where intoxicating liquors are sold secretly, without license. One sells beer, the other spirits. The hcersaloon-keeper does the better business, for the Maoris like spirits less than beer. As soon as they hear that a fresh supply of beer has arrived they flock to the saloon at night, and spend money lavishly to satisfy the craving of themselves and their moneyless friends. In r two or three nights the supply runs out. "' It i 3 impossible for me to describe the scenes of drunkenness and immorality that are enacted in these two places at times. The liquor supplied is not, I am assured, of the best quality, and after it has passed through the hands of the Maori retailer it is little better than rank poison. I think that this state of things is well known to the authorities, as the beer saloon keeper has been summoned several times, but without visible effect on his trade'"