Local and General.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 17, Issue 6, 23 January 1903, Page 4

Local and General.

Chinamen’s Luck,— The Cromwell Argus reports that a party of four Chinamen, working above the Cromwell coal-pit during the past few months, washed up £IOOO of gold last week. Tenders.— We remind contractors and others that tenders close at noon on Satur day for the erection of new police quarters at Havelock. The plans ofthe building show a substantial and comfortable seven-roomed house. Blackball M'lll.-— The Falcon was towed up to Blackball on Tuesday and the huge fly-wheel for the mill engine was taken ashore. The work of fixing the wheel in position was very difficult, but it was accomplished on Wednesday, under the supervision of Mr John Brownlee and Mr H. Smith. The mill will commence work next week. Predicted Prosperity. —The New Zealand Times says : " The wholesale houses of this city, basing their judgment on information and reports supplied to them by responsible persons, anticipate that the year 1903 —in its first half-period, at least—will be one of the most prosperous that has been known in the history of this colony. One ground for this forecast is the fine harvest now' ripening on the Canterbury Plains and in the grain-growing districts of Otago. Reports to hand from these places contain the information that, given fine weather, the yield per acre, and also the quality of the grain, will exceed ail records known since t he settlement of the districts

Cape Campbell Lighthouse.— The erection of the new lighthouse at Cape Campbell is to be proceeded with at an early date. The present structure, which has seen its best days, will be replaced by one of modern design 64 feet-high. Church Services.— Rev. Mr Howell will conduct services on Sunday next at Onamalutu at 1.1 a.m.; Gibsontawn, 3 p.m,; Okaramio, 3 p.m. Mr Cavell will officiate at St. Peter’s, Havelock, at 7 p.m.—Rev. H. Poston’s services on Sunday will be: Havelock, n a.m. (Subject, “Shining for Jesus’’), 7 p.m. (Subject, “ A Model . Daughter”). Special Sunday School An- ■ niversary sermons and hymns, the same as used at St. John’s Church, Nelson, at their 3 Anniversary just passed ; collections are in r aid of the Sunday School. Canvastown, 3 3 p.m.- JVlahakipawa, Tuesday evening, j 7 30Selling a Volcano.— An extinct volcano has been sold for electrical development. 3 This is Popacatepetl, the famous Mexican t mountain. The melting of the snow on its s summit furnishes a constant source of water- , power that can be turned into electrical energy, and its lower slopes are covered B with pine forests that will yield a good 1 income. 1 New Coach Service. -Mr Alf. Dillon, e of Canvastown, hascompleted arrangements v for the fortnightly running of a coach from { Canvastown to Nelson, co-operating with 1 Mr W Pickering’s Havelock-Blenheim 3 service. The coach will leave Canvastown o' at 8a m. on alternate Thursdays, and will 0 return from Nelson on the following day. The first trip will be made on the 29th of 5 January, 6 Cricket,— The Englishmen will come mence a match to-day against twenty-two 6 players from Blenheim, Picton, Seddon, if and Flaxbourne. —Wairarapa (22) scored T 205 in their first innings against the Englishmen, and the latter ran up a total ot ® 405 for seven wickets and declared their 0 innings closed, Dowson out). Waizmrapa’s second innings only ij realised 109, so that they were beaten by an ' innings and 91 runs. Cottage Hospital. —The Messrs Ward, jun., and Mr Lyster have made remarkable 3 1 progress with the building of the Hospital, ,t and in three weeks’ time the work should be completed. We note that the chestnut tree 1 planted by Mrs W. Price and the oak tree planted by Mrs W. H. Smitharethriving, but of the four trees presented by Mrs W, Picker- -- ing only two are doing well and one has 0 disappeared altogether. We suggest that ~ the dry manuka lying around the building « be removed, because if it happens to catch 11 fire the Hospital may be burned down. Dentists and Doctors.— On the New d Zealand register of medical_ practitioners, - which is published in the Oasetfe, appear the names of 771 doctors, 79 of whom, however, are set down as having left the , colony. Wellington is given as (he d residence of 79 registered d dors. On the Q dentists' register (also published) are 357 t names, 7 being given as “left the colony,” 0 and 42 appearing as residing in Wellington. ° Scarcity of Labour.— The scarcity of farm labourers in some portions of the South 3 Island is severely felt. A southern paper I, says that “in the case of a squatter in the y Lakes District the difficulty has been 4 especially harassing, there being much work 7 to do, and no men to do it He telegraphed ■6 to every likely place in Southland widiout [. success, and at last had to wire to Dunedin 3 in the hope of being able to obtain labourers. j. The same difficulty with regard to getting labour is being experienced in very many s quarters.” ’> Freight on butter and Cheese.— The 3 Acting-Secretary of the National Dairy 1 Association of New Zealand advises us that a arrangements have been made with the Union Steamship Co, to charge freight at 3 the rate of 10s per ton gross weight on all t butter and cheese from non-grading costal 1 ports to London steamers at Wellington. B When shipping it will be necessary to consign same either to the ocean steamers 3 for which the produce is intended, to the 1 New Zealand Shipping Co., or the Shaw, 3 Savill and Albion Co. Railage to or lighterr age at the port of shipment is not included in the above rate and will of course be borne by the shippers. ’’ Teachers in South 1 Africa. Miss f Arrow, one of the New Zealand teachers • who went to South Africa, in a letter dated t 2nd December, writes to a friend in New s Plymouth “We are hoping to be sent to 1 farm schools, but nothing is settled yet. We C are to be graded according to our certificates t and experience, and salaries depend on the 3 grade. Of course, we are all anxious to see 3 the list, but it will not be out for a few days. Teachers are to be asked to complete a three 3 years' term of service, and at the end of 3 that time a free return passage will be 3 granted, while a resolution is on foot to \ grant those satisfactory teachers who wish 3 to return six months' leave, but that is not ■' settled yet, and may be thrown out at the t next meeting. There is a great difficulty 3 about settling the farm schools; it seems 3 ( impossible to get the necessary appliances and furniture from Cape Town, and teachers have been waiting here for weeks, and ’ cannot get away.” 1 An Extraordinary Casji.— An extra- 1 3 ordinary story comes from New York of the 3 death of a girl of nineteen, who_ fell into what appeared to be a natural sleep on xßlh October, and lay in a trance for twenty days, in spite of every effort to arouse her by , electricity and other medical expedients. 5 Daring this period her hair turned grey, j wrinkles developed on her face, and she "gradually assumed the appearance of an [ old woman.” She eventually recovered 1 consciousness, but did not long survive, and a post mortem examination did not disclose any disease to account for death or these strange phenomena. It is said that the girl died of "premature senility,” but there is nothing to show how this premature senility was brought on so suddenly and rapidly; f and if the facts are as reported, the case - must surely be a mystery such as has seldom been presented to medical science. Living in South Africa.— Writing from Johannesburg to a friend in Wellington, an ex-resident ot Wellington, describing the South African city, says it is one of the 1 most dirty places he was ever in. Things are very dear there, especially living, which is very poor at two guineas a week, Atagood hotel the price is /i a day. An ordinary 1 meal costs about 3s. Of course wages are high at present, but the writer is afraid they will soon come down, as people are flocking in. Business is not in full swing yet. as the military have the railway and merchants can only get a limited quantity of stuft up. The mines also are not properly working, owing to shortness of black labour and the wages required by the same. The recruiting agents, however, are fetching hundreds in from the back country every week, and make a big thing out of it. the price of recruiting being £3 per head. The “niggers” are getting quite independent since the British have taken charge, as they have a great deal more freedom. The correspondent, referring to a trip up from Durban, says the faro is /q Gs second-class, and £6 12s firstclass, Right along the line are hundreds of graves, the resu.t of Buller’s advance. "There is no copper coin in circulation here,” he adds. “ Nothing costs less than 3d—not even a daily paper. I •• Dead shot for dirt.’—Can’t live where JSmpire Company s Extract of Soap is usedj

Buoy Disappeared,— Captain Allman, of the Manaroa, reports that ,the buoy marking Kainoke Rock, Pelorus Sound, his disappeared’ Clearing Salk— Girling and Co,, drapers, Havelock, announce that; they' will commence a great clearing sale on Thursday, sth February,; when some astounding bargains will be offered. Our Supplement.— Fourteen columns of intelleefual’and sensational reading comprise the supplement in this issue. ■ The matter has been carefully selected, and readers will find that a careful study of many of the articles constitutes a liberal education. Stud Sheep.-- -Mr Henderson’s launch Waitaria arrived at the wharf on Wednesday, bringing twenty-six English Leicester rams—twenty for Mr J. Dalton, Canvastown, and six for Mr R. Forrest, Rai Falls. The rams were consigned by the Christ church Meat Co. Deaths from Heat. —Numerous deaths from heat apoplexy occurred in New South Wales last week, the mortality- amongst children being exceptionally heavy. At Coonamble twelve deaths occurred within eight days. Six children died at Warialda, and several infants succumbed at Warran. Two deaths of adults occurred at Casino, two at Lismore and one at Walgett. Straying Stock. This nuisance is getting worse than ever; and a number of hoi'ses have lately taken full possession of the streets. If the Town Board have decided to " wink ” at the practice, why not (as was done in the old days) charge a fee tor the use of the " long paddock.’’ Ruined gardens and the sacrifice of some little child’s life by being kicked or run over are minor affairs. Social and Dance.— The residents of Canvastown, The Wak., and Deep Creek, have arranged a social and dance, on Friday, 30th January, in honour of Mr H. Atmore, who unsuccessfully contested the Nelson seat at the late general election. Mr T Fuller is organising the affair, which is an assurafice that everything will be done in a tip-top style. Particulars are advertised. Shipping —Ttie Manaroa arrived at the wharf at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon ; he.i cargo consisted of fifteen tons. Passengers : Mr and Miss Neave, Mrs Bond, Mrs Green, Mr and Mrs Symonds,Mrs Borck, jun„ Miss Borck, Miss Soper, Mr Chant. The vessel left later in the afternoon with fortyuvo cases of cheese from the Havelock Dairy Factory, and the following passengers .-—Mrs and Miss Climo, Miss O’Sullivan, and Mr Allen. Oil-launches. —Mr-Turner, of Pig Bay, has now completed the building of. a new oil-launch, the yacht Thistle having been transformed into a handsome 38-foot craft, built for utility. , Brownlee and Co.’s engineers are engaged fitting in the engine, which is a 9 h.p Union oil-engine, supplied by Ryan and Co., of Auckland. Mr Turner' intends trading between. Nelson and the Sounds, occupying his spare lime in fishing. —Mr Passau has had a ij h.p, Clifton engine (supplied by Ryan and Co.) fitted in his boat, and it is working admirably. A Novel School.— A floating school has been conceived by an American, and a" fine new sailing vessel, the Young American, is to accommodate 250 pupils and 25 masters, and for nine months in every year it will be rolling happily about on the ocean wave. The idea is that the scholars should get the full benefit of the sea-air at a critical time in their development, and that by visits to all the principal seaboard countries of the world they should acquire useful knowledge of the manner and customs -of many peoples. The school course covers a period of four years, and the fees for this time work out at something like a thousand pounds. Sunday School Picnic.— The annual picnic in connection with the Havelock, Methodist Sunday School took place on Wednesday, afternoon at Mr Charles Smith's farm, Blackball Road, kindly lent • for the occasion. A large gathering of scholars, teachers, and friends assembled and a right good time was spent. Races; and games of various kinds were indulged in. Before separating cheers were giveil to Mr Smith for his great kindness in granting the use of his grounds. Three times three were also given to Mrs *F. W. Pope, Superintendent of the School, and teachers' and friends who provided the prizes for the rates, and other , good things. The Fourth Anniversary of the Sunday School takes place on Sunday, which is, known as "Children’s Day.” All parents are specially invited to the services morning and evening. A