The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1882.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 4125, 31 August 1882, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1882.

It is rumoured in Wellington that Mr. Johnson is going home, and Mr. Bryce ia resigning. Captain Edwin telegraphed at 3.20 p.m. to-day :—Bad weather probable in any direction between east and north and northwest ; glass further fall, and after twelve hours heavy sea and heavy rain.

A boy about twelve years of age, named Gouch, had his leg broken by a kick from a horse on Wednesday last, near Mr. Mynott's residence. Dr. O'Carroll was sent for, who set the bone, and his patient is now doing well, Antonio Gschnell, the man who has acknowledged to having murdered Knolls, has been interrogated as to the missing man Hall, as it was suspected he had had something to do with his disappearance, but Gschnell asserts he knows nothing abQut him. It is reported in town that Mr. Hall, the man who has been missing from Stratford, must have gone home, for Mrs. Hall, who was baking bread at the time, and who had gone to see a neighbour living adjacent, found on her return the dog at the house, and that her bread had been turned. As it was not likely that a stranger would have done this, the probability is the missing man must have returned home, and afterwards disappeared. A very skilful operation was performed by Dr. O'Carroll at the Hospital last week on a man named Corbett, who was in there with a disease in the bone of his leg. The doctor gouged the bone from the shin to the knee, and Corbett is now progressing favourably towards recovery. There appears to be some mistake about the occupants of the second boat — Leisure Hour — which left the Waitara for Mokau, and was lost in the surf near the Mokau Heads. There was only one man in the , boat when she left Waitara, and it is very improbable that the persons who witnessed the accident at the Mokaa saw two men in her as reported. We have made inquiries about the matter, and are satisfied that only one man left the Waitara. The construction of the breakwater is ' progressing notwithstanding the unfavorable season of the year. Last week, one section was completed, and it is expected that another section will be finished this week. The sand, which almost entirely disappeared a week or two ago, has, we regret to state, again accumulated, and gives considerable trouble to the workmen. There can be no doubt that the patent dredging bucket which the Harbour Board is expected to procure from England, will prove to be absolutely necessary in making good progress with the work. At some works being done not a hundred miles from New Plymouth, a hand who was more inclined to talk and sit upon his barrow handle than to work, was told by the " boss " at the end of the week when he paid his men, that this particular gentleman's service w t .s no longer required. " Look here, master," said the man, " what have I been sacked for — I have done nothing." The " boss " replied " You are ri^ht there — that's just what you have been discharged for." A local paper, says Truth, gives an account of a very intelligent dog in Wiltshi.e. The animal was in the habit of going every day to the railway, and, ps the train passed, the guard threw out a Standard newspaper for a clergyman who lived hard by, which the do,^ seized in his teeth and carried to his master. One day the dog came back to the Rectory without a newspaper. On enquiry, the guard insisted that he had acted as usual, but, upon making a search, it was round that a Daily Telegraph and not a Statidard had been thrown out, and the dog had refused to have anything to do with it. A return laid on the table of the House of Assembly shews the amount of population spent out of the loan since the commencement of the public works policy. Population — Auckland, 101,995 ; Taranaki, 15,714; Hawke's Bay, 17,734; Wellington, 62,714 ; Nelson. 26/74 ; Marlborough, 9500; Canterbury, 114,725; Westland, 15,550; Otago, 130,932. Expenditure—Auckland, £2,804,611; Taranaki. £666,060; Hawke's Bay, £849,606 ; Wellington, £2,696,450; Nelson, £945,273; Maryborough, £302,978 ; Westland, £858,811; Canterbury, £3.132,567; Otago, £4892,619; general, £1,897,271. Alligator leather, which has the last two or three years come into fashion for dress-ing-cases, pocket-books, &c, is fast becoming an important article of commerce. Along the Gulf of Florida, where these ungiiinly reptiles abound, farms are being established for their breeding and preservation. By a blast fired at the Caversham quarry last week, one or two houses in the vicinity are damaged through stones coming through the roofs. The prircipal result, however, was the extreme fright sustained by the inhabitants, the blast being fired at midnight when all were asleep. Daylight showed the damage to be not so serious as was at first anticipated. A fresh system of gymnastics has been much spoken of by many eminent German doctors, Professor Reeham, Marker, Pettinhofer, and others. It is called 'breath gymnastics.' The gymnast must take up a good position in the open air, and inhale by means of his nose successive atmospheric draughts. These inhalations taken with due care and caution, must be followed by ' energetic and forcible exhalations.' This practice, I am told, has been found most beneficial by men whose avocations confine them to close studies and offices. A novel kind of exhibition is to be opened during the present month at Rochester, U.S. It is called the National Funereal Industrial Exposition. The exhibits will consist of hearses, carriages, coffins, or " caskets," embalming fluids, " cooling boards," mourning liveries, clerical attire, mourning harness, and natural and preserved flowers and floral designs. One section is designated as the " Museum and Old Coffin Shop." A famous horse breeder of France has reared his stock for twenty years on a diet of parsnips, instead of carrots and oats, with the result of " great vivacity of spirit and sleekness of coat" — conclusive evidence of healthful condition. The yield is abowt twelve tons per acre. A fully-developed baby of eight ounces is reported by a Virginia newspaper as having made its appearance in the district of Candelania. The father is a miner in the employment of the Northern Bell Company, and weighs 1901b5., and the mother is a stout, healthy woman, weighing 1601bs. The child is a male, and perfectly formed. Its face is about the size of a horse chestnut, and the size of its legs can be imagined w hen it is stated that a ring worn upon the little finger of its mother was easily pulled over its foot up to the knee. It is the opinion of the attending physician that the child will live and prosper in good health, notwithstanding its diminutive proportions.