LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Colonist, Volume XVII, Issue 1981, 19 October 1875, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Bablow's Circus. —The agent for this circus, Mr Gardner, arrived here on Sunday, and he expects that the company will give their first performance in Nelson on Monday next. We notice the Northern papers speak highly of the performances of this troupe. . Entebtainment. —The. members of the Hope oj Nelson Juvenile Temple will give an entertainment at the Temperance Hall, to-morrow evening, at halfpast seven. The parents of the children and friendg of the Order are expected to bo present. Richmond Institute.'—A spelling bee and concert in aid of the above Institute will be held on Friday evening next at Richmond.' A. large gathering is expected on that occasion, and there is no doubt the residents of the district will do all in their power in assisting to augment the funds of an institution which affords them intellectual enjoyment for their leisure hours. " The Household Fbiend."—We have received the first number of the above-named periodical, which will be published weekly in Nelson, and will be devoted to the dissemination of popular literature. The periodical contains : an amount of interesting reading matter, ;and ita. typographical appearance reflects much credit on the printer, jtr S. J. Eurness, i«; being very neatly; "gob up." No doubfc the Eouseltold Friend will have a suuoessfal and uieful career. .■'■'" ', ■ .". .' ' • "_ . [..'''■ The Aktimony mine, which ;ia situate' spma twenty miles from Picton/ will soon bie in! full working order. Mr Harris, of this town, who has been engaged, in erecting the furnace, &c. has now returned, having completed the work, and in the course of two or three weeks we hope to hear the result of the smelting which, there is no doubt, will be highly satisfactory, as about 56. per cent of,pure metal has been.obtained from this ore. The mine is being' worked by a p'rivato e»c4pany. ! ,

Gold peom OoniNawooD. —Our correspondent writes on October ) 6:—" By the Lady Barkly today you will receive two good-sized bars of gold from the, Golden Ridge Company, Wanganui, about 200 ounceß in weight; this' is not io great a yield aa before, but still speaks well.—The Para Para Com. pany having now decided the ultimate site of the smelt works, will make the allotments of ground at Fern Town of more value than before 5 the owner has now laid off an extended block to meet the requirements that must ensue when the furnaces are in full swing. The seotiom of the first part have all been sold." Eifm Match.—On Saturday afternoon last a match between eight Volunteer officers of the Nelson district, and a like number of Wellington officers, took place. The ranges were 200, 400 and 500 yards, seven shots at each range. The weather here was not at all favorable -for shooting, and at Wellington it blew very strongly. The scores were as follow :— Nelson Officers. 200 yds 400 yds 500 yds Tl ; Lieut E. P. Adams... 23 24 18 65 Captßarnett ..... 17 24 22 63 Copt Marshall ... 22 21 18 61 Lieut Pay.nter ... 22 22 17 .61 OaptPitt 24 18 18 60 Lieut Gully 20 16 24 60 Capfc Riohardson ... 22 22 1L 55 Lieut Godfrey ... 25 14 11 49 474 Wekington Offickes. Totals \.. ... 150 128 112 390 The Nelson team winning by 84 points. "Vital Statistics.—The following1 figures',show 1 the vital statistics of the undermentioned Boroughs during the month of September, this' year :— •'■■■ Proportion Deaths Births. "■■ Deaths, per 1,000 Auckland 38 26 1-98 | Thames 23 9 108 Wellington 61 .....! 21 T9O Nelson 15 ...... 8 l'S7 Ohrisfcohurch 52 „,„ 27 2-53 Dunodin ..78 ...... 27 l"40 Hokitika 7 ...... 8 230 Totals 274 .'!.'.'.'.' 126 TnE Picton Press of Oct. 16 says of the newly discovered reef at the Wakamarina. —It averages about two feet in thickness, and runs north and south dipping at an angle of 45deg. towards the east. A tunnel has been driven into the south side of the hill in which the reef is situated for about 100 ft, following the reef, and all through this distance 'gold bearing stone was found. On the eastern side of the hill a drive of 25ft has been put in, and the prospects in this are equally good. Mk Bridges was before the Public Accounts Committee again ; on Thursday, October ,14th, but nothing was extracted from him. fle still, it is said, refuses to answer, alleging that the indemnity is not sufficient to protect him from legal consequences. Gold Exports feom New Zealand.— From April Ist, 1857, to September 30th, this year, seven million eight hundred and seventy-five thousand six hundred and seventy-six ounces'of gold (7,875,676 ozs), valued at £30,672,834,. have been exported from New Zealand, and of which, 1,464,643. ounces, valued at £5,813J323, came from this Province, Tlio following figures give the number of ounces exported during the September quarter of this year, as compared with the corresponding period of last year :— September, 1875. September 1874 Ounces. £ ' Ounces. £ Auckland 26,559 100,535 ... 19,414 79,823 Marlborough... .468 1,870 ... 658 2,590 Nelson 24,062 96,751 ... 20,435 81,695 Westland 16,280 65,129 ... 19,734 78,933 Otago.. 31,695 127,140 ... 26.542 106,453 Totals 99,064 391,425 ... 86,783 349,494 The increase in favor of this year's quarter being 12,281 ounces, and of £41,931 in value.' : ,: The Abolition Bill.—The Governor. gaTe his assent to this BUI on Friday last. , . We learn that Mr S. M'Alliater has been appointed Inspector of, Telegraphs forNelson,and,Marlborj),ugh. ! He will consequently be located at Nelsan.— Express, October 13. ' Mr Dbansfield, the ex-Mayor of Wellington, has been presented with a silver candelabrum. Papee prom Flax.— The' Auckland Herald of Ootober ■ 11, statei:—We have received from Mr J. Robertson, of Vulcan <Lane,; a sample of wrapping paper manufactured from green flax.1 Not only is the manufacture of paper-a great desideratum as a branch of industry, but the materials for it have a Bpecial importance as: a source of economic utility. This sample, which may be inspected at our office, is very interesting as affording absolute proof; that the article maj be : made in any quantity, and that the materials for it aro practically without limit. The manufacturer is Mr John Andrews, of JKajhu. . The mill and machinery' Were'"erected and made by Messrs Fra»er and .Tynne, of Auckland. For a first product of a new industry the sample we have before us is very creditable. For-strength, lightness, and general adaptability, it is equal to the paper imported. When we recollect that there is a ten per cent, ad valorem duty upon imported paperj this consideration should be a stimulus to the new industry. In England a difficulty has been found in procuring sufficient material for the manufacture of paper for common purposes, the demand being so enormous. There should bo an immediate demand for this useful article. We wish the new industry the prosperity it deserves."' ■ : Eaelt.—New potatoes of excellent quality were brought into the Thames market during the week ending October 9. The Rev. Mb. Feank Simmons, Principal of Nelson College, New Zealand, has written to the Dundee Advertiser an account of New Zealand, very ooleur de rose. He says Hokitika carpenters are on strike because their wages are reduced from 16s. to 15s. per day, and that Dunedia carpenters get more than that. — Otago, Daily Times. The Bank of New Zealand.—lt is just fourteen years to-day since the Bank of New Zealand began the career which has been a continued and evergrowing success to the present time.. On the 16th October, 1861, it began business in the1 premises now occupied by Mr Morrin,. grocer, in Queen-»treet. Gold was only a rumor in Otago at that; time and the enormous strides since made by the Colony find j a faithful reflex in the equally rapid strides made by the first of our national banks.: From small beginnings the Bank of New Zealand has risen to a position in whic,h it has few Colonial rivals. It has been the means of very greatly assisting the progress of the Colony, which at the same time proving a very satisfactory and remunerative - investment for its shareholders. . To-day it has over seventy branches and agencies "in nearly every part of .the .civilised world and will, we doubt' noti be able to present to its shareholders at itlie twenty-eighth half-yearly-meeting to be heldon the 26rh of the present month, as favorable a balance-sheet as at any time in its past career. Envy may aisail or prejudice may misjudge it, but all men acquainted with the history of the Colony must admit' that the influence of, the bank has been used for the promotion of everything calculated^ to develop our resources or. to,foster our cgmjafHro; —been used too with much judgment;aticji enargy and no little Bnoodts.-^-Seraid.: ~ " ;.'.:.'J Events' in PoVEBTy 'Bat. — !A< telegram from Gisborne, dated October 14,,.says :f~Af a' dinner given by the Celtic Club at Oribnd*/ «rt>6iifc' vSOO people'were present. Fifteen wslggdns left Gisborne for the scenej and; on•: the <way One upset, breaking the legs of two of-the passerigjeri," who were brought to town1 immediately, and placed iunder■ thecare of Dr. Gold. * •■*'• ;^ The prize'fight'between Paul Prou, a thorough flauhaii, and a Chinaman occurred through the Celestial proposing the health of the Chinese people. The Chinaman was frightfully punished:- -:'M wiir-.danoeHtook place afterwards, at which about fifty Native* took part. ;■ WBLL-PAID>-fThe; Bbr'dughvßn'gineejf for Timaru, Canterbury (Mr Williamson) get* the .same, amount of salary, £450 per aimum, ai the Borough Engineer of Duuedia (Mr Miramj).

Settlement.—Bixtythree thouiand nine hundre" and sixty act-en oi land in different parts ofthe Province of Auckland will -shortly be thrown op»n for selection as homesteads for farmers. ' The Cross says—A proportion ,of this is no,doubt broken,and : inferior in quality, but there is every livelihood that a < large quantity is1 admirably adapted' for settlement; The whole of the blocks are, to be open for selection' on. the 11th of November, apd the plans, of. each district are to be placed in the hands of the diatriot Burveyor % NsW RtTSH IN THE THAMES DISTBIOT.—A rush to . Tairua' took place on October 15, a fine reef, 3J feet, thick, having been discovered some days ago by some > Tairua men and others employed splitting slabs ia ' the Ohio Creek. They could obtain good,rich proi-! pects, so sent a parcel of five tons to the Missouri battery, from which they obtained 9J ounces of, retorted, gold. Several claims have been marked out on both sides of the new discovery. The reef is in a splendid situation, within about a hundred yards of the head of the tramway, bo that there are ready means of transit for quartz.— Southern Cross. A Discovery iit Westlahd. —Mr Jones Evans inform the West Coost Times that during a reoent trip to the Kohotahi, he found a lake situated between the Doughboy and the Snowy Range whioh has not been marked on any of the maps. He describes it as a fine sheet of water, nearly round in shape, and about a mile-and-half in circumference. Cattle at Wanganui.— Our Wanganui correspondent telegraphs:—At » sale of cattle yesterday (October 14) fat bullocks brought £11 to £12} fat cows, £8 to £10 ; store bullocks, £6 17s to £7; milch cows, £4 10s to £9; sheep bidding dull, those sold made 15s to 16s; horses, hacks, £); light draught, £26 ; exports for fortnight, 98 cattle and 135 sheep. — Tribune. The Otago Daily Times of October 12 gives the following from its Wellington correspondent:— There [was considerable exoitoment to-day over the Bridges affair, and rumors of a most extraordinary character wore in circulation j one being that a private overdraft of £6000 by one Minister vhad been wiped off by the Bank in consideration of the Port Chalmers railway transaction. All the galleries were crowded when; the House opened, and everyone expected some sensation, but they were miserably disappointed; Mr Bridges evidently, having caved in most' completely, he cub rather an undignified appearance. ' The matter is not yet ended, as Major Atkinson is determined to probe it to the bottom. Mr Bridges, it is said, has been subjected to strong pressure since Saturday. The Taranhi "News says a Grand Lodge of Good Templary is to beheld in New Plymouth, in January next. . ■ KegaedinG- the illegal issuing of Miners' Rights at Ohinemuri, the Otago Daily Times says —"We do aay that to us. the conclusions arrived at,by the Committee are most lame and impotent. It is to be hoped that aotion will now be taken in the House— unless, indeed, the Government do that which it is so obviously their duty to do under the circumstances, and at once remove the offenders from the publio service of the country." Political.—lt is reported at Grahamston that a telegram was sent to London, asking Sir Julius Vogel to stand for the Thames at the next eleotion. —Rumor says that Mr W. S, Moorhouae is likely to stand in opposition to Mr. G. B. Parker, the present member for Gladstone, Canterbury.—There are signs of.a contest taking place in nearly every constituency in the Colony. Mbs Wiimamson.—ln .the General Assembly, on Thursday last, Mr O'Rorke gay.c notice to move that £600' be placed upon .the supplementary estimates as a gratutiy to the widow of the late Superintendent of Auckland.: i ■ Thtjndebstokm: at WestljAnd.—We have been shown a letter .recently received from Captain Turnbull, of Hokitika, in which' the writer gives a description of a thunderstorm which-occurred there lately. We have bj permission, madffthe following extracts • from hi* letter: —" On the morning of the 6th we had a heavy thunderstorm from the north-west, but about 2"30 a.m. of the 7th another and more violent storm cameupon us from the same direction. Few people remained ia bed. The lightening was so blinding, and -the wind roaied so, that I thought our wooden houses would all be; rolled up on the mountain. At » place called Kawaka tollgate, about seventeen milei from this, on the Christchurch road, they seem to have experienced the full force of the storm. ,Our chief engineer informs me that he and all the other inmates of the house lumped out of bed and ran outnide, so great wa» the uproar of the elements."— New Zealand Mail. —October 16. , Mr Mapandhew'.-—The peopl« of Dunedin'are A moving to give their Superintendent, Mr Macandrew, a banquet on-his return from the Assembly, but one of his enthusiastic "admirers writes to the Star as ] follows•—" Permit -me, Mr Editor, to « suggest j through your columns to the members of committee 1 engaged in;the preliminary arrangements to consider i the.: advisability of converting the dinner into a whole day's carnival, aa it were. Let it bei merged into one of the approaohing holidays, and let it be '• held either on the sunny slopes looking down on i Tokomairiro,' or in the Valley of the Molyneux, or ( some nearer place to this oity, where tens of thousands , could, reach it, and present the man with a life interest and fee to his family in hot less than £5000. ' My friends pointed to double this amount; so much the better. Thousands would give their quota in i shillings ; many in fkes and tens." - j ■ We ( Thames Advertiser) regret to see that Mr j O'Halloran's name i« connected not only with Mr j Brissenden in the Ohihemuri miner's rights fraud, but with Mr Guilding iv the leasing of the Tairua ] reserve, and with Mr Crippen in sharing the money ' •derived from the " gift" they were allowed to accept ] from the Tairua prospectors. The public will reasonably ask why £2000 was presented to Messrs . O'Halloran and Crippen, and they may perhaps draw unjusl oonclußions. We are thankful to Sir 1 George Grey for stirring up thesb matters, and we ," trust that recent disclosures will lead to radical . changes in the policy of the Govesnment. i : Sib Geobge Abney (says the New Zealand Eerald) . ' arrived in London on August 4. Sir George appears to have been in tolerable health on his arrival, but , ho unfortunately went to a doctor to be cured of . deafness. The operation caused Sir George great '< pain, and a considerable amount of illness. Sir George went to the Salt Lake City, which he says is "one of the prettiest places, most fertile soils, most , favored 61imate8,'and best-ordered communities in the world." Sir George called on Brigham Young, but J he .'was unfortunately absent. Sir George saw the Yosemite Valley; which, lie says, is one of the series of sites which justifies all the boastings of the Americans; Sir George went to Oannada, New York, Washington, : Philadelphia, and left Bostoa for England on the.24th of July; , '••; It has been suggested that 70,000 Icelanders, now in-a starving condition; owing to the eruption, should bo shipped to New Zealand. Oite Next Doob Neighbob.—-Don't you know the prisoner Mr Jones?" ''Yes, to the bone." " What is his charactor ? " " Didn't know he had any." " Does he live near you ? " "So near that he has only spent five shillings for firewood in eight years." " Did he evef come in collision with you in any matter ? " " Only onoe, and then he was drunk and mistook me for a lamp-post." " From what you know of-'him, would you believe him under oath?" "That depends upon circumstances. If he was jo much intoxicated that he did not know what he was saying I would ; if not, I wouldn't." An Uusatiseaotoby Woeld. — This good little boy was sitting on the front steps whittling up his sister's embroidery frames, and muttering to himself: This ain't no good world to live in unless a feller is his father's and mother's only orphan boy. What makes me • git so mad is to have my sister go and take all my ripe peaches to give to that big loafer of a sweetheart of her's that comes 'round here seven nights in a week to, git a .square meal, and make out as if he wanted to talk politics with the old man. I wish they'd marry and go to .Texas, I do! " And then he threw the r«mnants : of the fnm.es into the 1 street* and leemeji lighter heajted. , <.