The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1896. VISIT OF THE COLONIAL TREASURER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 10612, 12 May 1896, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1896.

VISIT OF THE COLONIAL TREASURER.

♦ » The old Snider rifles with which te volunteers used to be armed were sent away to Wellington to-day. The Taranaki County Council held a special meeting on Monday when very little business was transacted. The Financial Committee of tbo Borough Council met on May Bth, and reported, " That £10 be uued by the Town Clerk to summons defaulters." The report was adopted at the meeting on Monday night. The native woman, Te Poka, reported as missing from Huirangi since Wednesday week last, is reported to have been found in a ditch at Huirangi on Saturday last. Te Poka, it is understood, is affected mentally, and has wandered away on a previous occasion. A spokesman of a deputation to the Borough Council on Monday night started, "We are a deputation, bat not so formidable as tbe last, your Worship." Considering that the speaker's deputation consisted of himself and another ratepayer, and the previous ono of some twenty ratepayors, the remark waa strictly correct. The other day at Queenscliff (Victoria) a chaplain stated than on one occasion an Irish soldier had been both activo and considerate in camp, and he took occasion to thank him for his kindness. " I suppose you belong to the true faith, Mick," said tbe chaplain. "Oh no," was the prompt answer, " I'm a Protestant." A gamekeeper in the employment of the Earl of Aberdeen had a great habit of saying " It might hao bo«n waur," greatly to ibe amuiement of some English guests. One of them took a wogtr that ho would make a remark to which Donald would rot give that reply. So one day, in the presence of his friends, be said, '■ Donald, I'd an awful dream last night; I dreamt that I was dead. And that's not tho worst of it. I dreamt I was in hell." " Aweel, it might hao been waur," was the expected answer. "How could it 1 possibly be worse ?" Baid the other. "Ye might hae been there," said Donald. The wager was paid. Another attempt is being made in Wellington to secure tbe 10,000 acre University Eeserve in Taranaki for tho purposes of a Wellington University. Sir Robert Stout introduced a deputation to the Minister for Education on Thursday last, and in his remarks urged the Minister to bring in a Bill to provide funds for the proposed College by vestring in it the reserves set apart for University purposes in the Wellington and Taranaki districts. The Minister said that further legislation would be required before the reserves mentioned could be available, but their small extent was such that they would not avail much. The 4000 acres in the Wellington district were valued at only £2000, and the 10,000 acres in Taranaki at £5000, while the accumulated ineomo in the hands of the Public Trustee from both reserves amounted to only £1648. In the delta of the Ganges a mysterious sound is often heard, to which the name of " Barisal Guns" is given because of its resemblance to tbe dull report of distant artillery. Similar noises are well-known to the lighthouse-keepers and fishermen 1 of Ostfend and Boulogne, who call them i tbe <l mist puffero." or fog diswpators, and generally hear them on the evening of a hot summer day. Although tho sounds ore compared to the detonations of guns they are not very like these, and they occur at irregular intervals. Their origin is enveloped in mystery, but Borne physicists regard them as electrical detonations, such as might be produced by flashes of ordinary lightning or the explosion of globe lightning, whilst others refer them to the shocks of fluid matter in the bowels of the earth, or the rumbling of slight earthquakes. The meat consumed on a P. and O. boat, during an average voyage (England to Australia) amounts to sixteen tons, the poultry and game number 25,000 head, and fish run to half a ton, the potatoes amount up to eighteen tons, and the vegetables and fruit to close on a thousand pads amd baskets. The tea amounts to lOOOlbs, coffee to 5001bs. With these hot drinks we may group the 35001bs of white sugar and 45001bs of moist. The butter used is about 30001 b?, the cheese half as much, tbe jam and marmalade a ton each. Add to this 300 hams, 14001bs bacon, 50,000 eggs, and a thousand pounds worth of condiments and preserves and other odds and ends, with tho share of the 780,000 bottles of wines and spirits and beer and half a million bottles of aerated waters conBurned annually in the fleet, and for which the passengers have to pay as extras. The ice stores alone cost the company about £10 per week for each vessel afloat. The late Mr George Charnock, whose death we recorded a few days ago, was a member of the force engaged at Waireka. His military «(ivice dated from 1839, when he enlists! in the Royal Artillery. The following jut he volunteered for service in the Afij'ian War; and afterwards served six years in Upper and Lower Canada- He was in the Crimea before Sebastopol i«r 15 months, and was rewarded with a Crimea medal and clasp for Sebastopol, and a Turkish war medal. In 1858 he was sent to New Zealand, and landed at Auckland in December of that year. In 1859 he came to Taranaki, and on March 5, 1860, he formed one of the troops who marched from Poverty Flat and took part in the capture of the L pah. At the battle of Waireka, on March 28, he wai in the field from the firat shot to the finish. He was afterwards pressed into the New Zealand Militia, and after the disbandment of the Militia, he was sent by Colonel Lepper to take charge of the Takapu redoubt at Tiko rangi. He received the New Zealand w&r medal and a medal for long service and good conduct in the Imperial service. He afterwards served for three years in llio Taranaki police force, from which he was discharged on reduction, and after working as chainman for the Resident Engineer, he joined the Railway Department, in which he continued for over thirteen years,

The Harbor Board met to-day (Tuesday), the business transacted being of a routine nature. Constable Lister, who escorted three prisoners to Auckland on transfer, returned this (Tuesday) morning. Mr W.L. Newman, at the last meeting •f tho Recreation Grounds Board, was appointed overseer for tho current month. The latest addition to the Telephone Exchange is Miss Roser's Ladies College, No. 104. The owner of the pony Poppy states that ho nominated the mare for Mimi, but her name does not appear in the list. An inebriate, who was locked up on Monday night, wns dealt wii-h in the Police Court this (Tuesday) morning. Major Messenger, of the Defence Force, was a passenger by tho Mahinapua this morning. He intends remaining here some little time. Largo numbers of trout are said to have been destroyed in the Porirua district through sheep dip beiug emptied into tho streams. Mrs Ricketts has a novel advertisement in another column, in which she gives a free invitation to 3000 people to call nnd see what sho has on view at hor shop. Captain Edwin telegraphed at 1.15 p.m. to-day :- ' South to oast and north gale after 16 hours from now ; glass further fall; indications for veiy low tides in the Straits." The novel bight of a bullock dr<»y stuck in the mud in one of the principal streets of the town was witnessed to day, thy locality being Liardot street, in tho cutting near Mr Frethey's. The following team will represent Fitzroy in tho draughts match to be played this (Tuesday) evening at Fitzroy : G. Davy, T. Brown, S. Pell, R. Kibby, E. Davy, F. Bellridger, and P. M. Page. During the recent glut of live stock from America sido3 of fresh killed beef from Deptford sold in London os low as l^d. One large stock firm lose £12,000 over shipments to Great Britain. Tho drilling operations at Moturoa are still being steadily pushed ahead. On Monday evening the Dore was down to a depth of 1525 feet, and during the day good indications of petrolenm were obtained. Speaking in Sydney in support of the Australian Mutual Provident report Mr Richardson expressed bis belief, without fear of contradiction, that New Zealand was the best assured country for its population in the world. One of "Dr Jim's " troopers, who was deported to England, was hunted up by the police immediately after arrival and received three months' hard labor for petty embezzlement just before he cleared out to South Africa. When the Maoris do make up their minds to give & collection at church they fill the plate. At tho consecration of a Maori church at Te Horo, Poverty Bay, recently there was a largo native gathering, and tho collection amounted to £319. Our Inglewood correspondent writes tbat the well-known Maori, Dummy, was robbed on Monday night of the sum of £8, watch and chain. He slept in a cottage at the back of the Railway Hotel. The police aro on ihe lookout for the thief. In tho State of New York there is a law compelling the owners of fruit trees to spray thorn at tho propor season, in order to destroy insects and other pests that injure the trees. Persons who neglect to do this work are complained of to tb* proper officors, who see that the spraying is done, and the offender'is mude to pay the costs and penalty provided by tbe law. A reporter who did duty at the National Council of Women held recently at Christchurcb, writes :—": —" The proceedings themselves were conducted on strict business lines. The women certainly know the routine or the procedure in matters of Government, ana there were fewer irregularities than' a reporter generally sees at men's meeting. In one respect tbe woman take precedence. Laugh at the statement if you liko, you unbelieving Thomasis —it is still a fact that so far, at any rate, they did no talking, for mero talking's sake." On the Tarawera arrivingat Wellington on Monday from Sydney a police flag was hoisted. A detective and three constables wont aboard. The captain said several passengers reported missing articles shortly after leaving Sydney. Three gentlemen 10-st their overcoats, one other a gold-headed stick, and a lady a mackintosh and a pair of binoculars, valued at £25. The police search was unsuccessful. It is supposed now as the vessel left that the things were taken by the Sydney light-fingered gentry. Five suspicious characters without tickets cleared off before the steamer sailed. A man named James Brooks, of Karori, Wellington, met his death under circumstance! peculiar, and of a most painful nature. He felt a pricking in the throat while eating his dinner, which became more and more unendurable, and bleeding from the mouth set in. He went to the hospital, but no cause could bo found, and no relief given, and tho poor fellow eventually died in agony. A post mortem showed that he had swallowed a needle, which perforated a blood vessel in the stomach. Deceased leaves a widow with five young children in poor circumstances. The Sultan of Morocco uses bicycles as instruments of torture for any of tbe ladies of hi 3 harem who have the misfortune to offend him. The unhappy odalisques are compelled to mount machines *nd ride round a marked track in the palace gardens, Not knowing how to ride, their repeated falls and other mishaps furnish the Sultan and his more favored wives with endless amusement. "When they have fallen twenty times — provided, of coursej that they have not broken their necks in the meantime —the punishment is complete, and the bruised beauties are allowed to retire. The home of the queen of autumn flowers (chrysanthemums) is China. Mention is made of it by Coufutius, who is said to have lived 500 years before Christ. A long while back it seems to have been introduced from China to the isles of Japan, where it now obtains even more admiration than in its native land. The Imperial crest of Japan is a chrysanthemum of the flatstar pattern, with sixteen florets. Their most popular fete is Chrysanthemum Day, when the people throw petals of tbe flower into their "saki " beforo drinking, in the belief that it is a potent charm against evil. When the Union Company's steamer Takapuna was coming up the Manukau harbour on Saturday night, says the New Zealand Herald, she got a little too near the edge of the channel and grounded. The night w»b exceptionally dark at the time, and it was next to im possible to distinguish the buoys until the ati amer was close up to them. As, however, the tide was only half flood at the time it was fully expected the steamer would float at high water, but owing to it being a low tide the attempt to float her off proved unsuccessful. A second attempt on Sunday morning was alike futile. The Northern Company's steamer Gairloch went down to the Takapuna last night, and made an attempt to tow her off into tho channel, but it also proved unsuccessful, and a further effort will be made at high water this morning. As the place where the steamer grounded is almost within a stone's throw of the wharf the passengers and their luggage were landed by means of Messrs Barwell's steam launch without delay. Considerable sympathy is beipg shown towards Captain Brewei at the mishap which has occurred, tho passengers all agreeing that it was not for the want of care or judgment on his part that the accident took place. The Takapuna was floated off this (Tuesday) morning, and is due at the breakwater about ten o'clock to-night.

The Hon. J. G. Ward, Colonial Treasurer, accompanied by bis private secretary, arrived from the South by tbo 11 o'clock train this (Tuesday) morning, and was met at tbe railway station by the Mayor, and Messrs R. Cock, H. Westou, W. H. J. Seffern, T. Veale Junr., S. Hill W. Morey, W. Walton. J. Butterworth, and others. Mr Ward was formally welcomed by the Mayor, and then accompanied by th* Mayor, Messrs Cock, and Hill was driven to tbe Criterion Hotel. Mr Ward will speak at Eltham to-mor-row (Wednesday) afternoon, at Stratford the same night, at Hawera on Thursday night, and Waugauui on Friday night. Tbiaaf ternoon Mr Ward granted several private interview?, and a deputation had also arranged to wait on him to urge the extension of the telcphono to Mokau and Awakino. Messrs J. J. Elwin and W. J. Wells have arranged to see Mr Ward tonight on West Coast Lessees League ' business. ADDRESS TO-NIGHT. Mr Ward will deliver a political address to-night in the Alexandra Hall.