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Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1820, 2 November 1874, Page 2

The Rev. Mr. Davies, Baptist Minister, preached a funeral sermon on the death of the Rev. Stewart Wilson, •in the Baptist Chapel yesterday morning.

The Kauaeranga School Committee'met on Saturday evening, when applications from aspirants to the position of toscher to the Kauaeranga school were read. It was decided that the selection should be postponed for a we'efc, during which additional applications will bo received.

It is not many days since we noticed the theft of a rose tree from a garden on the beach. On Saturday night or Sunday morning a rose tree in the garden adjoining that from which the tree was lifted was denuded of all the choicest buds and half-blown flowers, leaving the bush almost bare, like " The Last Sose of Summer." If the thief or thieves would like the bush, a spade or trowel will be left for his or their accommodation. .

The Springbok, during her voyage to Melbourne from Newcastle, had a curious companion for a short while in the shape <j>f a largo sperm whale, which struck up an acquaintance with the barque off the Dromedary. The barque went clean over the sportive mammal, which did not Seem at all put about by this style of 11 leap-frog," but kept playing around and ahead of the vessel for two hours afterwards.

We understand that a call of one shilling has been made by the directors of the Otßgo Goldmining Company.

A man was sentenced to one month's im« prisonnient in the R.M. Co::rt this morning for stealing vegetables from a garden in the Wniotabi Creek. This should be a warning to the petty thieves who are the bane of all who keep gardens whether for flowers or vegetables. Defendant pleaded ignorance of the offence, as he had been drunk. But as the vegetables he stole are of daily consumption, there was an exceeding method in his drunkenness.

The members of the Thames Crickofc Club met on the ground at Pavawai on Saturday with the intention of playing the opening game of the season, The Thames Scottish Band was in attendance, and played some admirable selections of music. Unfortunately far the intending players, tVie weather proved very unfavorable, and they were compelled to seek shelter in the pavilion. While there a meeting was held, at which it was notified that from tho proceeds of the late amateur theatrical performance the sum of- £15 had been netted for the funds of the Club, which had been further augmented by a present from Mr. Eichard Kennan of £5. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Kenuan for this handsome gift; also to thoae members of the Thames Cricket Club who had lent their services in the late performance.

Tee Duuediu Star reports the death, of a prisoner named John Hartley, who had been convicted in 1872 on two charges of horse stealing. The deceased had previously served a term of imprisonment in the Hokitika gaol, and while there he administered a flogging to Chamberlain, a prisoner still in that gaol,: and who was known in connection with the Sullivan, Burgess and Levy gang. Hartley afterwards, just as his term of imprisonment had expired, performed the office of execution, upon a colored man named Noble, who was hung in the Hokitika gaol about three and a half years ago. The Westland Governmentl remunerated Hartley for his services with no grudging hand, for besides a substantial payment in money, his passage to Melbourne was paid for him. Eufc he came back very soon and got himself into "trouble " in Otago. Hartley was a native of Scotland, and had beeri troop sergeant-major of the 2nd Dragoon Guards, serving under Lord Gough in the battles o£ Q-oojerat, Allival, and Chilianwftllab..

On Saturday were published the two monthly wliich have recently sprung into existence, namely, the third number of the Thames Monthly Chronicle, and the second r.u'vber of the Thames Exchange. The Chronicle had a very good leader on Provincialism, professing to be an answer to the leading morning paper, but the latter r'oenn'fc deign to nottco its small contemporay. Afc tho came time it is not above noticing the Exchange, and acknowledging its indebtedness for a whole column of news. But thon tho Exchange is printed in the Advertiser ofllce, and that extracted column costs nothing to reproduce; while the Chronicle in printed, at another oHice, and has the audacity to fell tho leading morning paper that it is not perfection. Although not noticed, the editor mny be ere now screwing up bis courage to answer that troublesome writer in the Chronielo, who has played the deuce with the Advertiser's facts and figures.

"JJEtrHEGOE " tho mountebank of Tho Thames Exchange, writes:—The late lunar eclipse is thus "bayed" at by the raviog reporter of the Thames Advertiser :—" The moon's appealaneo throughout the eclipse was a most interesting study"— (the howling lunatic ? ) V whicb was doubly effective from the fact that the moon was at the full. As it rose into view it; was a large, dnl!, red globe." Cynthia was evidently blushing at the fool's face, and the brazen ignorance displayed by the wearer. Astronomers say that a lunar' eclipse can only take place at tho full moon, but they are eclipsed by this mooning philosopher, who rr.ust have beheld the impossible, and viewed an eclipse when Luna was only half full, for he gravely tells us eclipses are " doubly effective when the moan is at the full." An enquiry upon " his lunacy" would certainly result in his being sent to the Whau Asylum as a confirmed moono-maniac.

A patai. accident that occurred the other day !■• a poor woman at Cnrlton shows how very few people a-e able to learn wisdom from the .moafc bilter experience of others. She was lighting a fire, and to " save trouble," she poured some kerosene upon the burning wood, the kerosene can, also to " save trouble," being allowed to stand closo by. The result wao similar to that in many othera of these trouble-saving cases, and the narrative of many of these incidents nii-bt be summarised in American style in. the formula:—"She poured keroneno on a firo to make it burn up brightly, and the next day her remaina were followed to the grave by a numerous gathering of friends." The terrible danger of this very absurd proceeding has been terribly emphasised by a large number of accidents similar to that we hare alluded to. The most ignorant, stupid servant girl in the colony knows the danger quite as distinctly as though ehe had been studying the composition of combustible and explosive fluids all her life. And yet, in the face of all this knowledge, hundreds of women and girls poured kerosene on the fire this morning, and will to-morrow morning, and that they did not get horribly burned to death is merely a lucky accident. All this is opposed to any theory of average human intellect, unless it be a deplorably low one. Unhappily, it is, nevertheless, a very real and actual fact.— Australasian.