NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3309, 9 November 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Regulations for the quarantine of dogs have been gazetted.

The s,s. British King left Plymouth for Wellington on Monday last; W. Holland, a settler at Waiuku (Auckland) was killed while falling bush.

The Property Tax accounts, numbering 24,000 were posted from Wellington, yesterday. A boat containing four men unknown was seen to capsize in the Bay of Islands on Thursday last, and it is believed all were drowned.

The iMechanic’s Institute has received from Government a parcel of entertaining light literature, in the shape of sets of New Zealand statutes “Jfrom the earliest times.” Intelligence has been received at Auckland from America that the Rev. 0. W. Wrigg, formerly a prominent Wesleyan minister in New Zealand, had been drowned there.

The water-supply will be cut off in town and suburbs from Saturday midnight till Sunday evening, to allow of the connection of the reservoir and pipe-head being made. The stipend of the late Rev. Lindsay Mackie of the First Church Dunedin, will continue to paid over to his widow till the end of the year, when the Presbytery will arrange for making Mrs Mackie an allowance for life.

A concert has been arranged for this evening at the Catholic Boys School-room, in aid of the Catholic Brass Band. The Band has lived in retirement since its formation, but the members have all along been training, and will make their debut this evening by taking part in the proceedings, Several well-known vocalists wil 1 take part. Mr Jos, Holgate, chief clerk of the Railway Station Timaru, has been promoted to the same rank in the office of the Traffic Superintendent,Mr Hannay. Yesterday Mr Holgate was presented by Mr Jones, Stationmaster, on behalf, and in the presence, of all the employees, with a gold watch-chain and greenstone pendent, as a souvenir of his connection with this district. Mr Holgatcs unassuming and courteous demeanour and bis diligence in the discharge of hia official duties have won for him the respect and esteem of the public as well as of his brethren in the service, Mr Baxter, from Oxford, succeeds Mr Holdgate.

Scott declines the challenge of Raynor, at Adelaide.

Mr I. N. Watt, K.M. is no longer a candidate for the Mayoralty of Dunedin, Mr C. W. Wells has been appointed Deputy Registrar of Births and deaths at Waitara. The steamer Go-a-head a few days ago off Kaikoura, passed a steamer’s skylight floating about.

The interprovinoial draughts match, Canterbury v. Otago, resulted last night in 51 games for Otago and 36 for Canterbury, 32 games were drawn.

Tenders for wharf extension at Dunedin were opened by the Harbor Board yesterday. The Board declined them all. The lowest was over £9OOO,

A miner named Edward Bowden, very narrowly escaped death yesterday at Kumara. He stepped into a sludge channel and was carried 2500 feet out, with the tailings. He escaped with severe cuts and bruises.

In Banco yesterday morning, before Justices Johnston and Williams, an application by way of test, was made to declare invalid the Christchurch drainage rate. The Court quashed the rate.

The resignations of Mr T. H. Potts, and the Hon. E, Richardson, of their positions of Visiting Justices to Lyttelton Gaol, and of Mr F, Hawkins, as a member of the Lend Board at Nelson, are gazetted. One of the Dunedin Bowling Clubs has received a letter from the Hon Secretary of the Victorian [Bowling Association, to the effect that a number of gentlemen, desirous of visiting the colony would be glad to come as an interprovincirl bowling team* A reply has been sent that they will be welcomed. News has been received at Nelson from Col’ingwood that gold has been struck in the inclined shaft in Johnston’s United mine from the Champion copper lode. It is understood that he has out into the Doctor’s lode five feet, and that it is still getting better. The width is not yet ascertained.

Dr Lemon has received a cable message from) Mr James, Superintendent of Telegraphs in Melbourne, stating that the cable message; received by tbe Press Association giving the winner of the Melbourne Cup, was received in Wellington, 31 seconds after its receipt in Melbourne o r actually half a minute before the winner pulled up.

The Silver Peak dummyism enquiry * as resumed by the Otago Lend Board yesterday, with closed doors. Mr Stout moved the forfeiture of five licenses on the ground that the holders were not occupying the land for their exclusive use and benefit; Messrs Clark and J. Green left the Board while Mr Stout was speaking to the motion, which, however, was carried. In the Victorian Assembly on October 30, the Hon, James Service, in reply to a question, referred to the unsatisfactory manner in which one circulator of scandal concerning the alleged immorality in State schools bad transferred the responsibility to another. He said, amid cheers, that the statement in question might be considered in the region of myths, and that it would take many such assaults to injure the State school system.

A very extraordinary affiliation case came before Mr Carew, R.M. at Dunedin, yesterday. Hannah Coy sued George Hyatt, a negro, for maintenance of a child of which she alleged he was the father. The defendant denied that he ever knew the woman, and asserted it was a case of extortion, His Worship;asked for medical evidence, and Dr Davis said from an examination of the child, he saw nothing to suggest that it had mixed blood in its veins. It would be a freak of nature to find no traces of color in a child of which a negro was the father. The case was dismissed.

At the Dunedin Police Court yesterday W.H, White was charged with assaulting J.W, Robinson. The evidence showed that Robinson, who is en architect, accosted defendant’s sister one evening, and forced his company upon her. She complained to her brother next morning, who, after giving complainant the opportunity of apologising, assaulted him with a cane. His Worship called upon no defence, but fined defendant one shilling, saying it was a fortunate thing when young ; girls who were insulted had relatives to take their part.

The annual show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held at Auckland yesterday. There was splendid weather and the attendance was fair, but to-day is the people’s day, and it is certain to be largely visited' The exhibits are more numerous than last year, but there is a decrease in horses and in local manufactures. The recent wonderful performances of Martini-Henri gave additional interest to the blood stock, and his sire, Musket, was the cynosure of all eyes, and obtained the champion award as the best entire, America is the cradle of phenomenal persons and things. Here is one more instance. There is in Schuyler County, Mo, a young-old man, who without apparent cause, living plainly on a farm, has in 18 years, passed through the physical changes of four score. At the age of six he had all the developement of strength and muscle usual in a lad of 15. At 12 his beard was grown and gray hairs appeared, Now, at 18, he is as decrepit as any old man of 80, and seems tottering on the verge of the grave.

The immediate future of Tapanui appears to be brightening. The local paper says:—“Business generally is improving in this district, and population is on the increase. Railways and road contracts absorb a lot of labor, and the very large additional area of farm land brought under cultivation this season, v. ill necessitate the employment of an increased number of hands at harvest time. Two saw-mills, in addition to those already at work, start in a few days, and shearing commences on the 29th November. The farming outlook is also bright, and there is every prospect of a very busy and most prosperous future.”

A white elephant would be a less troublesome possession than a lion—An amusing incident recently took place at Chalons-sur-Marne, where a menageixe had arrived. Tne lion tamer was struck with a bright idea, and got up a raffle for a lion whelp. This new lottery attracted a great many idlers, all anxious to win and yet frightened at the notion. A banker’s clerk won the young lion, and turned dreadfully pale. His wife was present, f nd screamed and cried sc energetically, at the notion of the invasion of tins new unvote into her mmaf/e, that lh; colonel ol the regiment now at Chalons bought •' <: animal for two hundred francs, ut the great delight of the clerk and his v. ifc. 1

The insurances on Hatton, King and Oo.’b premises, Dunedin, were divided between three offices, the Equitable, Union and Australian Mercantile Union. These offices settled the claim for £540.

The question how long can a human being live without sleep, is difficult to answer, though it has often been ashed. An Australian paper of recent date contained a letter from a correspondent living in China, which throws a little light on the subject. A Chinese merchant at Amoy was tried for killing his wife, and found guilty of murder, He was sentenced to death by the privation of sleep. He was placed in a cage under the watch of four policemen, who watched him six hours each, during the twenty four, and he was never a moment alone. He could eat and drink as much as he cared, but neither night nor day was he allowed to close an eye. The unhappy man lived nineteen days. At the beginning of the eighth day his sufferings were so great that he begged them to take his life, either by shooting, drowning, burning, hanging, beheading, or felling, but the guards turned a deaf ear to him. Such executions are too expensive to become general. The adjourned inquestjon the pilot boat catastrophe was resumed yesterday at Nelson, when a verdict was returned that W, Header, while in the execution of his duty, was drowned from the pilot boat on August 14, A rider was attached recommending that not less than five men be employed in the pilot boat, and that it be compulsory for a steer oar and life belts to be always carried for the future. Seven out of thirteen jurors also put in the following“ That in the opinion of the jury, Pilot Lowe did not use sufficient promptitude in trying to save the pilot boat’s crew, as we consider he lost all presence of mind, and did not get the Wanaka into a proper position for lowering the boat as quickly as might have done, or by taking the men aboard of the steamer, seeing that the weather was getting so much worse.