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Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1780, 16 September 1874, Page 2

These was a clean sheet at the R. M. Court this morning. The first meeting of the Hospital General Committee for further investigation into the Hospital management will be held this evening, in the Salutation Hotel, at 7 o'clock. In another portion of our present issue appears an account of the funeral of tho late Andrew Beveridge, Eeq., for the main particulars of -which we are indebted to the Auckland Evening Star. In reference to a road about to bo constructed in Nelson, tho Buller News has the following telegram :—"Mr. Yog. 1 suggested that tho name 'Devil's Grip' should be changed to • Super,' being less objectionable, and quite as descriptive." Theee was a fair attendance at the Academy of Music last night, when a change of programme was presented by the Kuight-G-ourlay troupe. Tonight there should be a good house, as Miss Maggie Knight takee a benefit, and the attractions are grent. It is also announced that; a Japanese Dwarf, will pppear this evening for the first time in the colonies. A besidbnt at Wanganui informs the local paper that since the late earthquake there has been a hole, the depth of which he had been unable to fathoir, in his back yard, tho opening to which hole is about six inches across. It answers the purpose of a drain, as it carries away in an instant water which is pcured into it; It is also reported that the Mariawatu beach shows a marked elevation above its former level. The Bruce Herald contains the following items of interest to sportsmen :—The Shag Kivcr contains a million of trout from minnows to fish of 161bs. weight. The Shag Biver should be thrown open, to the public. "Shade of Walton!" Pheasants are now plentiful in the Palmerston district, so much that in crossing the fields on the hills they are started on every side. Hares also are excessively plentiful. We are informed that a battle of stones took place in Pollen-street this morning, between some boys from the Thames School and boys attending the school of St. Thomas Aquin. The immediate locality of the fight was the Karaka Bridge, and some of the residents at one timo thought their windows would have suffered considerably. One of ilie big boys was taken into custody, which had the effect of staying the battle, in which Borough Council road metal was freely used. We have : not learned tho particulars of casualties. The Nelson Colonist proposes the following scheme for the re-adjustment of represen'ation :—" We find that for every soul in the colony there are about 200 acres of surface ; wo would therefore take that as an elective unit and each.individual as another,.and proportionate to tho number of units in each electorate allot representatives Such a plan would not effect any violent change if applied to the provinces. Thus, Auckland would got 17 irembsrs instead of 16, Hawke's Bay 5 instead of 2, Wellington arid Taranaki on the other hand would each lose one, Canterbury would be unaltered, Otago would gain one member, andNels&n, Marlborough and Westland together would lose one." Peoyinciali jealousies seem to actuate agents of the Government, in their efforts to forward immigration, and the Brcce Herald Rives the following as an example:—"The Rev. Mr. Barclay, of Hawke's Bay, Who went Home as special Immigration Agent for that province, and who is now on tho general agency s'aff of Dr. Feathers ton, recently delivered a lecture in Ayrshire on the subject of New Zealand, with a view to further immigration to this colony. One of his audience happened to be a former ploughman ia the Tokomairro district, and after the lecturer had finished ho rose and asked if there wero not such a place in : New Zealand as Otago: he naked the questior, as the' Jecturer had .never once montioneu such » placo. Tho questioner continued his enquiries as if iii ignorancp, and brought out the confession that Otago was the most prosperous portion of the colony. No doubt this lecturer*, who is supposed to further the cause of imnrigrationto this colony in general, is io tho habir, as on this occasion, of ignoring Ofcago and exalting his own favorite province Were he employed by that province, we could not obj: cfc to such a course, but, bring employed by the Colonial Government, ie surely becomes him to act fairly to all porions of tho colony." The affectionate nature of dogs has often led them to display symptoms of the deepest emotion on the death of their owner*. ,- fi his tender regret foe-the depaTted has, however, as ft rule, not extended beyond canine limits. Other domeslic animal?, such as cats and horses, take family bereavements with the utmost coolness; and os for the beasts of the field?, such as sheep, oxen, and pigs, tho death of all the farmers in England, all the landlords,"' and all Ihe locked-out and unlocked-out laborers would probably not causo a tear to ■ to steal down their passionless cheeks. There ■ are, nevertheless, exceptions to this indifference ; grief does occasionally even penetrate the pigsfyr, and such an instance has lately : occurred at Louisville, Kentucky, in the. United States, where a hog has created quite a sensation by the deep foeJing it displayed the other day on the occasion of the funeral of one whom it loved ant) respected. As the funeral «vas passing through the streets, the hog silently joined the mournful procession: and with the utmost decorum accompanied it; to the cemetery. Had the hog contented, itself with this mark of sympathy all would; have been well, and the animal would simply; have elevated iiself ia the opinionof all present j| but at the conclusion of the service the dis-f consolnte hog insisted on getting into the grave, throwing itself with the whole weight. of its earcaso upon the coffin of the deceased, and uttering such piercing squeaks, that all present were not only overcome bub almost aeafened by the noise. At last an atbletic mourner descended into the grave, and, with the u3»i»tance of others abovo, extracted tho hog, whicfc was conveyed to its stye in a i thoroughly p?psir.*to condition.

Thb following may be accopte i as a fair specimen of a Xankco yarn :— A. few years ago, a farmer, who was noted for his waggery, stopped at a tavern which he wus in tho habit of calling at on his way from Boston to Salem. The laudlndy had gob the pot boiling for dinner, and tho cat wns wmhing her iace'in the corner. The traveller thinking ifc would boa good joke, took off the pot lid, and, while tho landlady was absent, put grimalkin into' the pot with tho potatoes, and then pursued his journoy (o Salem. Tho amazement of tho I landlady may well bo concsived, when on taking up the dinner, she discovered the addition which had been made to it. Knowing well tho disposition ef her customer, she had no difficulty in fixing on tho aggressor, and she determined to bo revenged. Aware that he would stop on his retu/n for a cold ,bi?o, the cat was carefully dreised. The wag called, as was expected, and pussy was put upon tha table among other cold dishen, but v was so disguised that he did not know his old acquaintance. He made a hearty meal, and washed it down with a glass of ale. After paying his bill, he asked the landlady if she bad a cat she could give him, for he was plagued almost to death with mice. She said she could not, for si c had lost hers. ' What,' said he, ' don't you know whore it is ? ' ' Oh, yes,' replied,the landlady, 'you have just eaten it!' I A tradesman of Qaeocstown (Otfigo) has the following in the Wakaiip Mail, which is unique as an advertisement ——" From dulncss •f business at my office, on account of the severity. #f the weather, I am afforded ample time to direct my attention to bringing this under tho notice of those persons who, up to the present time, have so liberally favored me with their indebtedness that I have ceased to appreciate tho continuance of such patronage, and also to acquaint them that an immediate liquidation of their accounts is demanded. In default of compliance with the request alluded to, I have decided—the more effectively to accomplish the object in view—to place the accounts now due into the hands of some unscrupulous legal agent for collecting, and rely that, from his professional abilities, he may be enabled to arouse the tardy debtors from their diuturnal torpor. In this advertisement I have two objectß in view:—lst. To impi'ovo the memery and moral rectitude of the gentleman to whom it is addressed. 2nd. To benefit myself in a monetary sonso. This object— the lecond—is in importance truly secondary to me; but I regard ifc more favorably as being an undisconncctablo accompaniment, and a guarantee of the accomplishment of the first. It may interest some to learn that the accommodations of the Quaenstown Q-aol are not to complete as to command special attractions as a residence at this inclement sonson of the year." ■ . ",'