Local and General Intlligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1101, 10 December 1884, Page 2

Local and General Intlligence.

The first general meeting of the newlyelected County Council will be held on Friday next.

An appeal on behalf of the Frater family appears in our correspondence columns. We shall be pleased to receive donations on their behalf.

It is notified in our advertising columns that the chemistry classes will be resumed, under the auspices of the Tuapeka Mining Institute, to-morrow evening in Mr Stenhouse's late residence.

The "Oamaru Mail" says that the Waiareka Dairy Factory has turned out eleven tons of cheese of excellent quality this season. It understands that it is iutended to ship a quantity to England .in the course of a week or two.

Now that the shearing Beaaon baa fairly commenced, waggon loads of wool are arriving at the Lawrence Railway Station almost daily. The large amount of wool sent away from this district every year would more than support a woollen factory in the neighborhood.

A RUMOR, to the effect that Sir William Jervois is likely' to succeed Lorcl Augustus Loftus as Governor of New South Wales, has got abroad ; but the Wellington correspondent of the "Daily Times" states that no information of the rumored change has as yet been received by the Government.

The survey of the Waikaia bush road has been commenced. The road will be cut down to the -bed-rock through the swamps, which Will be well Grained bo as to insure a firm foundation, It is anticipated that the work will be completed in twelve months' time, and that the cost will not exceed- the £2000 voted for the purpose by Parliament.

Messrs Cox and Clifford have obtained one of Alves' patent gold concentrators and amalgamators for use at their reef at Waipori. The machine is said to be very effective in saving the fine gold which passes with the pyrites over the battery-table. Mr John Alves is at present engaged in putting the machine in position, and the result of its use will now be watched with interest.

Frequent complaints are made of the sad state of disrepair into which the side-walks of the town are Allowed to fall, especially the wooden laths which have to do duty as pave' menti In some places these are broken and so uneven that it is difficult to walk over them at night without falling^ The Borough Council should attend to tbe side-walks a little better, as they are hardly creditable to a town like Lawrence.

Owing to unavoidable circumstances, the date of the District High School concert has been altered to Thursday. 18th. instant. The local-minstrel troupe are diligently practising, :and intend to produce a first-class programme, consisting of several novelties entirely new to a Lawrence audience.. The' "corners" will be filled by new performers otherwise well-known for their versatile talents, and from whom great things are expected.

At the meeting of the Committee for the School of Minea on. Monday night, it was amply demonstrated that there is great need for a Parliamentary Union in Lawrence. The Chairman experienced some little difficulty in keeping the proceedings in-Parliameataryform, and at times membfirs^rfireat a loss to know what motions were^aoroaUy before the meeting. Eventually, af^ei^VeyeraJ^.motioDa had been proposed and "withdrawn, a, .resolution .was carried- appointing a.- sub-Committee to co> operate with, the Athenaeum Committee. J A full report appears elsewhere. „. ■ , \. ■„■ ' It is not often' that the larrikin element in this -district descends to the wanton; destruction of property, but that alarming phase. of undisciplined youth broke forth on Sunday with a degree of viplence whluh,~ it is to be hoped for the peace and s&fety of the community' vi\\\ not.be followed upby bolder acts. On." Monday morning several paaes .of glass were found broken in the. windows- at the back -of the District High Scno"di: / Such acts of youthful depravity rausfi -be' nipped 'in the bud. We understand that the matter haa been placed .in the hands of the Police,' and if the young culprits can be found out, an example must be made of, them in order to act ad a deterrent to others. r , .. , ; .. „ We would call special attention to the sale of work in connection with the Ladies' Guild at the Trinity Church schoolroom to-day. There is a magnificent display of really handsome work, reflecting credit upon the diligence and taste of the , ladies of .the Guild. Ifclis .riot necessary to single out any, of the articles dis: played ; for in every one of them care and taste are apparent. The sale begins at two o'clock this afternoon, and all who can.shonJd pay a visit of inspection, if nothing more, for the purpose ofc'seejng the' large variety of useful and ornamental goods neatly arranged around the room. There is also a refreshment-table, literally groaning under the weight of good things, that those who desire it may have a cup vf tea aud something to eat.

Owmfto th^'mn^Offhe author, the ''F!y. ing Star" has not come to hajfd lately, but will ber Continued as soon as possible. VMb Vincent Pykb, M.H.8., has addressed the following letter to the.Chairman of tbe Tuapeka! County Council :4-" I have to inform Jou that.' l have reVseived*A~l letter (dated Ist )acember) from the MinistS of Lands, intimating- tK&t r the expenditure^©! tbe vote for continuing the road, •'Beinmonfc to Millers Plat, has been authorised, "and that an agreement with the Tuapeka County Council will be arranged as soon as possible."

It has been brought under our notice that there is an unfortunate omission in the Waitabuna Show - programme. Mr Coskery (of 'BeaHmont)' has 'generonsly offered, apprize foe the best-shod horse, and through an oversight this has been left out. We hope ' Mr Coskery will accept this explanation, as the omission .was^purely accidental, and he deserves public acknowledgmentfor his generous "Bupport of the Show, by giving a prize for a desirable object.

It is reported that the Duke of Brunswick died enormously rich, leaving behind him a fortune of some sixteen millions in hard caan. There must have been an UDjast distribution of wealth somewhere, when, while so many have to do battle with poverty and the grim shadow of death all their days, more favored individuals bask in the sunshine of a very sea of gold. It would be interesting to learn how many lives have been crushed out in the acquisition of this vast amount of wealth.

PuOFESSOB Huxley, whose name is a household word in tbe world of science, has completely broken down in health as the result of over-work ; and, in consequence, he has been ordered to take a long period of absolute rest. There are few men among the distinguished ones of earth who have done more work in the same time than Professor Huxley • but he has paid the penalty of his greatness, and is now laid aside— let us hope only temporarily — before his time.

There was a large attendance at the performance given by Woodyear's circus in Lawrence on Monday evening. The horsemanship of the principal performers— Messrs Talbot Shiels and Jack Cousens— was exceptionally good. The vaulting and tumbling by several members of the company were also first-class. Thef juggling of Mr Taylor was greatly admired; and the surprising ferata performed by Mr George Wambold on pyrmids of decanters were thoroughly appreciated.

At a meeting of the Heriot School Committee, which was held on the sth inst., the following members were present : — Messrs M'Kenzie, Lomas, M'Kay, and Edie. Mr M'Kay was voted to the chair.— The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, it was resolved that the Secretary write to the Education Board asking for a blackboard. — It was decided to publish the report of ■the school examination; also, to close the school for the Christmas holidays on the 24th instant, tore-open on the sth January.— The Committee decided to give the children a picnic at the school on the 2nd January.

An inquest on the death of the man Meldrum, who received injuries in a drunkeu squabble at Nenthorne, which resulted in his death, was held at Outram on Saturday before Mr J. Fulton, J.P., and a jury of fourteen. The medical evidence showed that Meldrum had died from the loss of blood as tbe result of the wounds he had received. After hearing the evidence, the jury brought in a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against White, Crowley, and Fitzgerald. The latter has not yet been found, and it is now supposed that he has done away with himself.

Writing on small philosophers and would-be evolutionists, "Oivis" says : "Pity they do not take the trouble to explore their own minds

and make themselves better acquainted with the laws of thought. On the whole, I should say that the small philosophers, or rather scientists, are the very devil, that almost any degree of igaorance is preferable to their enlightenment. I could conceive no greater punishment to the soul of the great and good Darwin than to be compelled to associate with the shades of the chattering apes who have profaned science in his name." Ma J. S. Mackenzie, M.ff.E. for Mfc. Ida, has telegraphed to the Premier, objecting to the permanent removal of the School of Mines to Lawrence, and suggesting that a more central position on the goldfields should be chosen. We know of no more suitable place than Lawrence, as more central positions are beyond the reach of railway communication, which is a very important consideration. It is not out of selfish motives, but for the general good of thegoldfields, that the effort is made to get the School of Mines removed to Lawrence. If it .can be pointed out with any fair show of reason that some other place is more suitable for the School, we will gladly accord our acquiescence.

The ordinary meeting of the Clarka Plat School Committee was held in the. local school* ' house on the 4th inst. at the usual hour. The members present were— Messrs Rowe (in the chair), M'Lelland (Secretary), and French. — The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.— A letter from the Education Board, declining to alter the boundary of the school disirict, was received.— Several lists of prizebooks were received from Dunedin booksellers. The Committee decided, for this year at least, to dispense with prizes and give the children a pic-nic instead. Farther consideration, of the matter was, however, deferred iat a JttU meeting of the Committee,— Accounts, amounting to £1 2s, were ordered to be paid.— This con« eluded the business. THB'Vanua Levu correspondent of the " Fiji .Times " says :— " People are dying out in these parts very rapidly. During last year, in the town of Wainu, between 80 and 100 souls passed away. Few are children, the greater portion being people who die for the want of nourishment, bananas beipg the only food in the district. The natives will not plant, as they cannot insure themselves the result of their labor, the " hala " coming in and robbing at will. The people have no resisting power against the disease, and the mildest form of sickness cs rries them off. Added to this ig a want of any stimulus to exertion. Hope has even abandoned them. They simply lie down to die."' The following cases were dealt with at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Lawrence, on Monday last : — Jeffries v. Michael": Claim of £1 12. Mr Finlavson for plaintiff ; Mr M'Coy for defendant. Verdict for defendant, with coats. — Stevenson v. Stewart: Claim of £20. Mr Finlayson for plaintiff. Verdict for amount claimed, with costs of Court (264 and solicitor's fee (10a 6d).- .Dodda v. Wedlake : Claim of £6 10s.. Mr M'Coy for plaintiff. Verdict for amount claimed, and costs (10s). — At. a sitting of the Police Court yesterday, Josephine Upjohu was brought before M. Fraer, Esq., J.P., charged with being drunk and disorderly in a public place on the previous evening. Accused was fined £1, with the alternative of six days' imprisonment. ■ Our Millers Flat correspondent' writes as

follows:— Tbe Moa Plat School Committee

unanimously resolved to close the school for the midsummer holidays on the 19th December, re-opening on the- 19th January, 1885.— Brazil and party's new dredge is nearly completed. It is a most substantial structure. Neither money nor time was spared in the ' construction of the boats, which are 2ft longer than' the old ones. When completed, ik will be the best wheel-dredge on the river. May the plucky shareholders be well remunerated for their outlay.— The crops, on. the' whole, are in a very forward condition. Grass is plentiful "after tbe late rains. Stock of all kinds is iv excellent condition. — Shearing is in full swing ; but the wet weather is against the shearers making large cheques. — The farmers at present are busysdwing the iornfp crflps, as they find, by paying attention to such, they are not only renewing their land but are better paid ultimately than by growing wheat crops.

As showing what a cool card a certain Maori is (says a writer in -the " Hawera Star ") I was told rather a good story concerning him the other day : A well-known resident, seeing him carrying a large box along the road, asked what it was for. The unsophisticated aboriginal, with a candour which was worthy of a better cause (to speak poetically), replied, " Me make a coffin for my father." The settler replied, "Oh! but he is not dead yet, is he?" "No, buf: very ill, he diVaoon, me like to bave a coffin ready for;my father/all the same as the pa&eha." Thja beet of the joke was, however, in order to have everything decent, beforehand, tbe poor fellpw tried the coffin on, so to speak, by placing' his pater in it, „ while "still. bad, to see if it' would fit; ' As lam told; 'the box was not quite large enongh, but sooner than to be outdone, he squeezed the old man in, and the latter, though thanking his son for his filial piety, felt that be had never worn a tighter suit than hie last wvvtld by,

~ A coßKSsrbNDSftr wiites that great interest is taken in Milton in a trotting match between Mr D. Carson's Dowse and Mr J. A. Duthie's Emma, which comes off on Saturday next, The race is from the Miltou post-office to the Dunedin poat-iffice, and the stakes are £100 a-side. The betting being in favor of Dowse, the owner of Emma offers to raise tho stakes to £1000 ; but Mr Carson declines to go bey O ad the original amount.

Oor Danodia correspondent states that we are likely to have & visit of M. Da Harven, who is now in New Zealand as the representative of a Belgian syndicate for the purpose of forming a special settlement of Belgians in this Colony. His mission is to report upon the climate and productions of the Colony, and its suitability for the successful initiation of special industries. We hope hisyeDort will be favorable, and that his visit to New Zealand will be productive of - good to both the Colony and Belgium, by relieving that densely peopled little nation of some of its surplus population.

When Mr Gordon, Inspector of Mines, was in Lawrence recently, he inspected the sludge and drainage obannels at the request of the Borough Council. Mr Smaill accompanied him and pointed out the necessity of completing tbe ■cheme. Mr Smaill was requested to prepare plans, showing the works required to complete the drainage of the town, and to forward the planß to Mr Gordon, who will report on these works if asked to do so by tho Government. To complete the scheme, a weir across Gabriels Gully and a diversion of the creek will be required, and the drainage channel will need to be carried up the Hospital Greek for some distance. It is likely, therefore, that if proper representations are made during next session of Parliament that money may be secured to complete the scheme.

As no fortunate accident happened to Mr David Dewar, of Milton, on Friday. He was taking his threshing machine, drawn by a traction engine, from Waitahuua, where the mill had been at work recently, with the intention of going to Milton, Intending to camp for tbe night at Round Hill, he drew the engine to the road-side for that purpose, when the engine, with the mill behind it, ran down the bank and toppled over into the bottom of a gully. Mr Dewar and Mr Robert Kelly were on the engine at the time. Kelly jumped off, but Dewar stuck to the engine, and was badly hurt when it rolled over. He was carried to the nearest house in an insensible condition, and Dr Refd (of Milton) was sent for with all dispatch. Upon examining the sufferer, the doctor found that one rib was severed from the backbone and three others fractured. Besides the grievous bodily injury which he haß suffered, Mr Dewar's engine and threshing mill are completely wrecked.

A corbksfondent writes :— The young ladies of Waitahuna Gully, not to be behind the times, made their minds up to give a leap-year ball. This being decided upon, they speedily set agoing the preliminary arrangements, in which they were ably guided and assisted by Mrs Hanson. The event came off with great edal on the evening of the 4th mat. in the Athenaeum Hall, which was very tastefully and profusely decorated with flowers and evergreens, severe! appropriate mottoes, neatly arranged, appearing here and there upon the walls, thus giving it an attractive and pleasant appearance. Add to this the neat and Btylish dresses of the ladies and the smart get-up of the gentlemen, the whole formed a goodly sight to look upon. About twenty couples put in an appearance, and, to capital music, the ball opened shortly after 8 o'clock, and was carried out strictly during tbe evening in the prescribed form laid down for a ball under the-above title. Refreshments were abundant, and everything tended the right way to make the ba'l a really great success and satisfactory to all. Several good songs were Bung by both sexes, dancing being kept up till well on in the niornin£, and those who took part in the affair dispersed when the larks were in full swing at their concert. The promoters of this entertainment may well feil gratified at the successful issue of their effort?, as it was without doubt as respectable and well-conducted an affair aa has been held in the Gully.