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Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 364, 17 January 1890, Page 2

Item of news on fourth page,

Messrs Stevens and Gorton received no bids for tho l'ahiatua town sections offered on Wednesday, nor for the deferred payment section in the Mangahao. Sixty four signatures have been obtained to the petition for a post office at the Mungalnmoka. The petition was forwarded to Wellington yesterday. Hugh Wilson, late of Pahiutua, yvon the big running handicap at the Najiier Caledonian Society's gathering on Wednesday, lie had it all his own way.

Messrs Muller and Jensseu have given a silver cup to he eoiujieted tor at the Anniversary sports. Tlie committee will deciile to morrow evening what ovent it shall be given for.

The Works Committee of the County Council meet to-morrow evening.

l’ahiatua Foresters are requested to attend meeting of Court to-morrow night, when question of taking part in processiun on Anniversary Day will be discussed. Two quiet cows near calving are offered for sale. Mr S. G. Scott announces a sale of cattle at l’ahiatua on the 28tli. Entries to date comprise 80 head. Mr W. McCardle will receive any further entries.

Mr E. ltaucke informs us that he yesterday waited on Mr Wilson, head master of the Mangatainoka school, and asked him if he would take charge of the children of both schools at the procession on Anniversary Day. Mr Wilson gave a point-blank refusal. He said he must draw the line somewhere, and that would be at processions.

The School Commissioners have agreed to hand over the two sections applied for by the Kaitawa settlers for a school site. The sections were struck out of the schedule on Wednesday. Mr Mowbray, the energetic secretary of the Longbum Freezing Company, is now in Pahiatum endeavoring to dispose of shares to settlers here. He informs us that his mission is proving very successful, settlers recognising that the Rang* ltoad will enable them to take stock to the works without trouble. The company hope to commence active operations in about seven months. We might slate that Mr Mowbray is slaying at Crewe's Hotel, and would be glad to meet settlers there and give them any information required. Mr Daniel Egan (well-known in this dist. ict) is on the war-path again. The Poet says:—At the inquest held on the fire which recently destroyed the Day View Hoarding.house the insurance companies interested on the furniture and contents iulimated that they were prepared to pay Mrs Egan the amount m question. This was to have been done ou Monday, but a legal firm in town have, on behalf <>f Mr Egan, served notice on the compsniss not to pay Mrs Egan. The question at issue as to who tlie money belongs to is said to bristle with legal difficulties. The second deluge occurred on Wednesday night. The flood-gates of heaven were thrown wide ojien, and for four or five hours the water came down in torrent*. A look at the rivers, creeks, and low-lying conntry yesterday morning true suflicieiit to show the enormous rainfall. Where is it going to eud, we want to kuow ? Floods in January 1 Tbf thing is alto.

gether out of reason. Up to th* present time we have had no cummer, and we are beginning to believe we have been overlooked in the change of seasons. Hero we are with little or no hay or gras* seed saved, which will result in a great loss to settler* individually and the district as a whole. All th* predictions by the Msoris (owuig to the luxuriant bloom of the flax Slant and from other signs) as to a long ry summer, have been knocked to piece* as far as this district is concerned. This continual rain may be for some good purpose. but as yet wo havu't discovered it. 1 Since the above was written a decided improvement has taken place. May it continue.]

The following is e copy of a circular that is being sent out with rale notices by th* County Clerk, and we should imagine it w ould have the dosired effect:—From various causes the issue of the Demand for Rates, 1889-90. is very late. In asking you to remit promptly, I would beg to t-all your attention to section G2 of " The Counties Act. 1880," which is ss follows: — “ The Clerk shall, on or before the 22nd day of April in each year, make out from the Rate Rook a list (to be called the Defaulters' List) of the names arranged in the alphabetical order of their surnames, of all persons in ths several ridings of the County who have not, on the 81st day of March lost past, paid all Rates, which on or hefore the 31st day of December previously, they were then liable to pay.” Thus, you will observe, it will be necessary for you to pay all Rates due certainly not later than the 31st March, to secure your name being placed on the Electoral Roll, otherwise it will be included in the Defaulters' List, and you will be unable to exercise your vote for 12 months from th* date mentioned.

The 2cwt of quartz from Puhipuhi, crushed at the Thames School of Mines, has yielded All odd to the ton, or nearly 7oz of sunken silver to the ton.

The police constables sent to the Chatham Islands to assist in the collection of the dog tax have returned to Wellington, and report that the natives are still disinclined to pay the tax. A man named McGlynn, who died a few dayi ago at Huntley, near Auckland, was ■upposed to be 107 years old. He fought in tho battle of Waterloo.

Grasshoppers are reported to be numerous this yoar. Farming has its drawbacks. If the sparrows and linnets are thinned out caterpillars and grasshoppers abound, and if sparrows and linnets are left unchecked they won't eat the cherry dolphin, but share with that murky dab of mischievous jelly the credit of rendering a fruit crop almost out of the question. If a man wants a garden he must keep ducks to eat the slugs and snails, but if he keeps ducks tney will bolt his strawberries and play up general Old Harry. It is almost liko the negro's definition of predestination :—“ If we will we don’t; if we do we won’t.” Someone wants to invent a sparrow that will eat only insects, and that is ironclad on the outside so that small boys can't knock him over when ho roosts on a telegraph wire to pick his teeth.—H. D. Herald. A most determined and bloody duel is repotted from Kentucky. The combatants were Colonel Swope and Colonel Goodloe. Tho two men had quarreled about polities. A challenge was sent, but mutual friends interfered and patched up a truce. Then they met, by accident, at the post office. A few quiet words were exchanged; then Goodloe drew a knife and Swope a revolver, and they hacked and shot liko madmen. Swope cried “Oh !" every time the knife struck him, and Goodloe, brandishing his bloody weapon, exclaimed, “ Why, he bellows like a calf I" Swope fell dead, with thirteen woundc, and was buried with high honours. Goodloe lingered for a few days, and then expired. Doth men held excellent positions in Kentucky, and were esteemed as genial, good fellows. Goodloe leaves a large, dependent family. Referring to the Victorian system of land administration the Wellington Evening I'ress says : —These may seem stringent rules, and even calculated to cheek tile sale of lands, but that has not been tho result in Victoria. What it has stopjied is speculation and dummyism. Mr Marchaut concludes by saying that this system is declared to have produced entirely satisfactory results. What our Australian friends declare to have been effected is the visible settlement of Victoria contrasted with the almost invisible settlement of New Zealand. The Land board should now press upon the Minister of Lands the iniormation they have gained, they should place themselves in correspondence with other Boards, and inform them of the results of their enquiries, and should urge upon the Government the reform of their present system by which the bona fide tenderer is so heavily handicapped and so much of the choicest land is passing into the hands of those who are already rich in acres, or of speculators who are already discounting the ooming prosperity of the colony.

On the authority of a Russian who was one of the few survivors from a vessel wrecked on the inhospitable coast of Japan, we hear that the Japanese never punish anyone for escaping from prison, for after being incarcerated according to their accustomed rule, he escaped to where he expected a boat would take him to some of the European ships in the offing, but suffering recapture be was lodged again in prison, and to bis surprise treated very kindly until he was liberated by some particular treaty or convention. The Japanese hold that it is the natural right of everyone to exert his ingenuity for liberty, and when retaken, no harshness it used in his conveyance back or subsequent detention. It there be blame anywhere, it rests with those who suffered him to escape through remissness in vigilance.

Some uneasiness is being excited in Spain by the alarming proportions which emigration is assuming. Every fortnight witnesses the departure of some thousands of men, women, and children ; and it is naturally the most energetic section of the population which betakes itse<f elsewhere. During the last six mouths the number of persons who have quitted Spain for South America has exceeded 800.000 aud the movement is chieffy from Andalusia, the Basque provinces, and the mountainous districts. Agents of the Argentine Republic jierainbulate the whole country, and draw such pictures of the good fortune awaiting the peasantry in realms beyond the sea as prove to be altogether irresistible.

On the 21st of October the Tope received 2,500 pilgrims from France, the majority of them belonging to the working classes. He delivered a lengthy address to them on the social question, advocating a revival under new forms of the mediieval guilds, and declaring that tlie great problem of the day could only be

solved by e return to the doctrines end spirit of Christianity and by the employers of labor looking upon their workmen ss brothers and partners while curbing their own insatiable thirst for wealth and pleasure. His Holiness was loudly cheered at the conclusion of his discourse.

The project of a bridge across the English Channel is beginning to take dutimte shape. Its practicability is acknowledged by engineers of the Highest eminence both in Fiance and England, and the route to be taken has been pretty well decided on. It will commence near Cape (iris Nez and end near Folkslone. and advantage will bo taken of two masses of rock, known as Varn and the Colbert, lying in uiid channel about a mile apart and no more than 50ft below the sea level at low water, to build two of the piers upon. The cost of tho undertaking is estimated at vary little less than forty millions sterling, about one-third of what the Crimean war cost the two nations.

A certain maiden lady was twice in her life engaged to be married, and each tuu > some unforseen event internoKed to destroy the hope* of matrimonial bliss, lier's was a sad cose. Time began to wrinkle her fair brow, and no new suitors. To add to her distress she became sick nigh unto death. The assistant clergyman of the parish—a bashful youth—was sent for. The sickroom was well filled with sympathising friends when the young divino made his appearance, and, after some remarks he proceeded to read a |>orlioii of the Scriptures. He fell upon the chapter in which the woman of Samaria is introduced. When he read the words. “Go call thy husband,” the sick woman groaned a little, but when he uttered the worth. " The woman answered nnd said 1 have no husband," the old lady rose upright in her bed, and, with Hashing eyes sipieaked out, “ I'm uo gaun to stand such iiuptdence frao onybody, preacher or no preacher. I wonner your nat ashamed o' yersel. ye mealy mouthed young rascal. I've had twa chances for a man an I'll heve to hae anither see if I dont!" and •he did.