The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1889.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8611, 24 October 1889, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1889.

« From private letters received from London we understand that considerable interest is felt with regard to petroleum in this district; and we may expect to hear by the next mail that steps have been taken to thoroughly prospect the country. Mr Henry A. Gordon, Inspecting Engineer of Mines, visited Taranaki some time since and examined tha country; making inquiries respecting the petroleum wherever information was to be obtained. In his report to the Government he says: — "With Tegard to the existence of petroleum in the New Plymouth district, there is sufficient evidence to show that a belt, or basin, of oil-bearing country exists, and that it is only a question of discovering the source; but the source might bo at a great depth, and the difficulties so great that it might not prove a profitable undertaking for the outlay. If prospecting were carried on, I would recommend bore holes to be put down in some low ground some distance inland from the coast-line in the direction of the apparent line of the potroleum belt, for the following reasons : The place on the coast lino where the oil oozes from the surface of the ground is full of fissures, and the influx of water would be great, whereas by going some distance inland there would be more chance of going through solid ground until the oil stratum was reached. From what I have seen of the formation of the country I do not anticipate that potroleum in quantity will be found at even a moderately shallow dapth, therefore I think a good boring plant indispensable for prospecting, " and that the holes should be commenced large at the top to provide against the contingency of having to uso several different diameters of tubing before tho bore reaches the requisite depth. It has also to bo borne in mind that in prospecting inland there are a good many chances against striking petroleum in the first bore hole, even if there is a largo supply in the locality."

Thebb can, howerer, be no doubt that a basin of oil is lying under the earth somewhere in this district, and is only waiting to be tapped, for indications of it are to be found J in all directions. Mr Gordon writos :— "Travelling inland on the line of country corresponding with the direction of the j oleiferous belt, I found that several people had sunk wells, but afterwards filled them up aa tho water had a strong taste of kerosene. Mr Kyngdon, a sottler i in the locality, stated that he sank a well some _ 60ft, going tlirough a volcanic deposit the whole of the distance, and tho j water found ut tho bottom of the well ' tasted so strongly of kerosene that it ] could not be used for domestic purposes, and he therefore filled it in again. The surface of the ground where this well was J sunk is about 380 ft above sea level, and the place is situated about a mile and a half in a direct line inland from the sea beach, where the petroleum oozes out on the surface. Going further inland, over what is known as Burton's Hill, there is a long flat valley or basin, about 630 ft above sea level ; several settlers here state that thoy have Bunk wells and could not use the water for domestic purposes owing to its impregnation with petroleum." As tills | information can be relied on, it goes to show that petroleum exists over a large area, and that it is only a question of boring to the requisite depth to get at its source. The gentlemen Mr Gordon interviewed are well-known, and therefore there is no reason to doubt their statements ; besides it is very evident that no one would, after th« expense of sinking a well, fill it up again if the water were fit for me. If the basin of petroleum, which no doubt exists, is once tapped it will cause a great change in this district, for it will be the means of bringing to the place a largo population, and then the benefit of what has been dona in the construction of harbour works at Moturoa will be fully realised. Mr H. J. Goodman was excused from thfl common jury this morning on % doctor's certificate. Captain Edwin telegraphed at 10 a.m. to-day: — "North-east to north and west gale after 12 hours from now, with rain and heavy sea. Glass fall again soon." The following members of the Bar were in attendance at the opening of the Supreme Court this morning : — Messrs Standish, Samuel, Hughes, Govett, Richmond, and T. Hutchison. Mr J. B. Roy ia away in Wanganui at present. 1 We would remind our Waitara readers of the "White-Eyed Kaffir Minstrel" entertainment this evening. Schnapper still continue plentiful at tho fishing grounds, near the Sugarloaves, one party this morning having caught as many 1 as sixty in th» course of a couple of houri. A girl about twenty years of age named Allen committed suicide on Monday in tho Manawatu River at Foxton. She walked into tho' water, and then floated out to s«a. An attempt was mado to rescue her bjr & boat from a vessel in the river, but without avail. Disappointment in lovo^ is supposed to bo the cause of the rash act. The father of the girl was found dead a short time since in Foxton. A shilling saved is as good as two earned ; so call at Jones & Co.'s, where goods are being sold for loss than landed cost. We havo just to hand our< last shipment of boots and shoes for summer. Call and secure the bargains. Wo are positively giving up business. — Jones & Co. — Auvr. Tho makers of tho Old Judge cigarettes have made a departure in the coupon system. The presentation of 25 of those will now entitle tho holder to a cabinetsized photo of eomo celebrated nctress. The local agent, Mr J. Avcry, has a large collection of photos in stock. Those who have control of the flagstaff on Mount Eliot should sco to the stays that brace it, aa one of tho main ones has given away, and also one of tho lower ones. As the stall: now stands, a gale of wind might blow it down, and, on account of its proximity to tho thoroughfare near tho railway station, the lives of people would bo endangered. The last issue of the New Ztaland Gazette notifies that the commission held by Captain Edward Henry Power in the New .Zealand militia has been cancelled. If we mistake not it is this officer who has been urging v claim on the Now Zeuland Government for eomponsation of some sort, stating that it was he who negotiated a peace with the natives in 1861, and that it wfts through his influenco a truce was brought about. Of course such a claim could not lttCßtoblfrhed., j

Tar smoke is recommended for a diphtheria cure. The treatment is to put a few drops of tar like that used in shipyards on a warm stove lid and to require the patient to inhale and swallow the smoke ten times a day for five minutes each time. Cracks in the floors may be neatly but permanently filled by thoroughly soaking newspapers in pasto^made of a £lb of flour, 3 quarts of water, and. i^> of alum mixed and boiled. The mixture will be about as thick as putty, and*r3ay be forced into the crevices with a case knife. It will harden like papier-mache. Mrs Fitzgeorge, the wife of tho Duko of Cambridge, is seriously ill, and it is said she is suffering fronrßome affection of the heart, which may terminate fatally at any I moment. She was a Miss Farebrother, and has been the wife of the Duke for the past forty years. A woman may be a wife, but can she be a husband ? The answor must be in the affirmative. A case came before Mr Justice Butt lately, in which Mrs Reos, a widow, had been acting as " ship's husband," or manager of a vessel. In her double character of " ship's husband " and mortgagee, the lady won her case with flying colors. In an article on " Natural Emigration" in BlackwoorP* Afaiathie, by Mr John Martineau, that gentleman quotes , some interesting figures as bearing on the various attractions offered to by tho English colonies at the "Antipodes. He altogether favours Now Zealand as the country presumably possessing the most advantages, chiefly for tho reason that the centres of population are scattered well over the colony, there being no monster cities like Sydney or Melbourne, so preponderating in size as to attract the wealth and population from the rest of tho colony. The mean yield of wheat in New Zealand is 26 bushels to tho acre — the highest in the world, after Denmark and England — as compared with less than 15 bushels in New South Wales, a little over 8 in South Australia, and between H and 12 in the United States. Another Now Zealand colonist has passed away in the person of Major Isaac Rhodes Cooper, formerly- of H.M. 58th Regiment, who died in Sydney on October 6th. Tho Auckland Herald says : — When tho headquarters of tho 58th Regiment came down from Sydney, under Colonel Wynyard, to take part in the Heke war in the North, Major (then Lieutenant) Cooper remained in Sydney, being appointed to the charge of ..the ' Mounted Police. In 1847 he camo on to Auckland, being relieved by Captain McLerio. He was appointed to the adjutancy of the 58th, which post he held till he received his captaincy, after which ho sold out and retired, and settled over at the North Shore, near Northcote, (Auckland). At one timo he represented the Northern Division in the Auckland Provincial Council. Subsequently ho was appointed a major in the New Zealand Militia, and for some time held an appointment at the Thames. For some years past ho has lived at Manly, Sydney. Tho tidings of his death will be heard with regret by his comrades, who served with him in tho old j « Black Cuffs." I am very anxious to wind up my ! business completely before the end of this year, and as the time is drawing short and the stock is still very large, I" must make even greater concessions to purchasers than I have already done. — Everything in my shop is now marked down ojt the most ruinous scale and the selection ih all classes of Summer Goods is both high class and j varied. To purchasers of parcels of £1 up to £5, I will allow a discqunt of 5 per cent, and on purchaseja "of £5 and upwards one of 10^'pe'r cent. This, in addition to the enormous reductions in the prices of goods, ought to render a visit to Victoria House beneficial to all those wanting full value for their money. M. Hood. — Advt. Wanted known, — That all buyers of drapery, millinery, prints, dress goods, &c, would do well to inspect the choice stock of new spring goods (consisting of all the novelties of the season^ at the Household Store, Alexandra Hall. Special display to-day. J. Whitaker, manager. Notice. — The deaf hear with the jubilee vibrating audiphone ; no medicine used with it. A description of it sent free to any person who applies to the patentee, W. Thome, Mackelvio-street, Ponsonby j Road, Auckland, N.Z. Those who oppose with so mnch zeal and so little logic the reduction in the hours of labor by law, says 'the Lubur Elector, should calculate the cost of obtaining the desired reform purely by trade'union action — that is, by strikes. We recommend to them a study of the following figures about labor struggles in America, which we take from the Worth Bri ish Ecoi.omitt :-"In the six years ending 1887 there' were 3,000 strikes, involving 22,300 establishments and 1,323,000 employes. In tho same, period 2,200 establishments had lock-outs, and these involved 160,000 employees. Of the { strikes, 40 per cent, failed entirely ; of the lock-outs, 60 per cent, failed. Loss to the employees, £12,000,000 sterling ; Jobs to tho employers, estimated at nearly £7,000,000." Pots and pans hi which onions, cabbage, and any strong vegetables have been cooked should be first thoroughly washed and then sot on tho stove with soda and water — two or three tablespoonsf ul of soda to a gallon of water. When this solution comes to a boil rinse tho vessel out well, wipe dry, and hang away. An accident, fortunately not attended with serious consequences, happened to Mr Gladstone on September 30th, while engaged in his favorite exerciso of treefelling. Mr Gladstone's axe. caught in a| b'ne stretched near the tree" at which he was chopping, and in tho rebound injured i him, but not seriously. ' The newest weapon of terror in the West End of London is tho " scent revolver." Its use is simple. You dine — not wisely, but the other thing — and then you stroll into the park, with your nickel-plated scent revolver in your pocket. Fooling disposed for a frolic, you walk up to a woman, present your weapon, pull the trigger, and in a moment she is drenched, not with gore, but with scent, which is nearly as unpleasant, if not quite so deadly. AMr King, who amused himself in that way the Qthor day, has been fined 10s at Marlborough-street Police Court, London. An old Yorkshire woman described her happy circumstances thus :—": — " I'vo a nice little cottage, a chest of drawers, and a pianny, a lovely garden, and some flowers in my window ; and," waxing warm," my hnsband's dead, and the very sunshine of 'eaven seenm to fall on mo." Certainly the best medicine known is Sander and Son's Eucalyati Extract. Test its eminent powerful/effects in coughs., colds, influenza; the relief is instantaneous in serious cases and accidents of all kinds,' be they wounds, burns, scaldingb, bruises, sprains, it is the safest remedy — no swelling — no inflammation. Like surprising effects produced in croup, diphtheria, bronchitis, inflammation of the lungs, swelling, &c. ; diarrhcea, dysentry diseases of tho kidneys and urinary organs. In use at hospitals aud medical clinics all over the globe ; patronised by His Majesty the King of JLtuly ; crowned with medal and diploma at International Exhibition, Amsterdam. Trust in this approved article, and reject til o&ew.,