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Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 55, 29 September 1885, Page 2

The Fire Brigade meets for practice on Wednesday evening, when all the members are requested to attend. A general meeting of the shareholders of the Co-operation Land and Labor Association will be held at 8 o’clock on Thursday evening.

The total number oi births which occurred in the 16 principal towns of New Zealand, for the month of August, was 504 as against 170 deaths.

At Messrs Pitt and Bennett’s sale of the right to collect toll for the Tologaßay ferry on Saturday last, it was knocked down to Mr G. Lee fur the sum of L9O.

We understand that the first batch of 14.000 bricks was turned out at Messrs Trimmer and Dolman’s works, on the Whataupoko last week. According to the opinion of competent judges, the bricks will bear a favorable comparison with any yet produced in the colonies. Persons having pianofortes or harmoniums to tune or repair will do well to leave their addresses at Mb Townley’s, when they will receive the attention of Mi J. C. Hughes, who has had a long experience in the trade, and has received the highest credentials from eminent musicians.

We regret to announce the death of William Thomas Staples, who died at his residence, Derby street, on Sunday last. Although the deceased has been but a short time resident in the Bay, he has made many sincere friends who will deeply regret his sudden death at the early age of 41. His funeral will take place to-day at 2 p.m. According to the New York Herald, the man Maxwell, who was some time ago arrested in Auckland on an extradition warrant charging him with murdering a companion named Preller, has confessed to having administered chloroform to the latter, but says that it was given as a remedy for insomnia. Maxwell also states that his real name is Brooks.

In the R.M. Court on Saturday, W. Lysnar was charged with keeping a dangerous dog. Mr Cress well, who appeared for the delendant, contended that there was no evidence that the informants (W. Adams) life or limbs had been endangered, the case was dismissed. As showing the dangers which the public are exposed to by allowing ferocious dogs to run at large, we here give the following telegram from Auckland. “Mr Pevrel, dairyman, was attacked by a large dog which caught him by the throat and forced him backwards to the ground, where he was severely bitten. Mr Pevrel struggled for 15 minutes, by which time the dog, foaming and biting, fell dead, and Mr Pevrel was removed in an exhausted state to his residence. The owner of the dog has not been discovered.” On Sunday morning last, considerable commotion was caused amongst the residents of the upper part of the Childers Road, by finding that during the night the gate of Mr Kenny’s residence had been removed from its hinges and carried down to Mr John Bourke’s, where it was exchanged for that gentleman’s smaller one, and the latter carried away. Mr H. J. Finn’s was also removed, and the slip pannels having been taken down from the opposite paddock several cows were set at liberty, some of which entered the latter gentleman’s garden and committed sad havoc with his fine flowers and lawn. The scoundrels then looted Mr Brassey’s back premises, and cups and saucers, with provisions, were found scattered on the road. Flowers, &c., were also torn up by the roots and scattered about in Mr Nasmiths garden. Subsequently the missing gates were discovered amongst the scrub in the Government Reserve. Up to the present the perpetrators have not been discovered, although some slight clue has been obtained from the footprints.

Several communications have appeared in our pages calling attention to the fact that some five or six weeks ago the Postal Department called for tenders for carrying the mails between this town and the Wairoa, and yet, for some inexplicable cause, the tenders have never been either accepted or rejected. The hardship of a proceeding will be best understood when we state that the deposits amount to upwards of LBOO, and that this money is for the main part, borrowed by working men. But, not only are the men being kept out of their money but they are also kept from taking another job. Whether this delay has anything to do with the late action of outmember with respect to the no-confidence motion we cannot say : but under any circumstances the delay is most unaccountable.

Mr Harper, the contractor for the Makaraka Artesian well has, after a

number of mishaps struck a fine stream of water on Saturday last, at a depth of 230 feet. For the last 20ft. he has had a hard metamorphic rock to contend with, but immediately upon passing through this the water was tapped and a strong flow of clear water obtained. The contractor certainly deserves the highest credit for the persevering way in which he has contended against the many misfortunes which have served to delay the progress of the work, not the least being the loss of one of his tools down the pipe which took upwards of three weeks to recover. We are sorry to hear that he will be a considerable loser by the job.