GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1166, 29 July 1885, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

Lovely Climes. — There are lovely clinieu and places in which the evening zephyr;* are loaded with malaria and the poison of fever and epidemics. To dwell there in health is impossible, without a supply of Hop Bitters at hand. These American Co.'s Bitters impart an equalizing strength to the system, and prevent the accumulation of deadly spores of contagion. Be s»re and sec.

Ifc is not a common occurrence, says tho " N.Z. Mail," for a Legislative Councillor to be missing for somo days and then to be discovered in a state of insanity. Yet we learn that the painful incident has t;iken place. Mr Mokena Kohere, one of the Maori members of the Logislativo Council, who disappeared mysteriously a few days ago, and for whom an active search has boon made, was found noar Greytown last Friday, and ho is reported as being seriously deranged. It ia not yet deckled what steps will "have to bo takon with regard to the unfortunate old gentleman. The editor sat sadly at his desk. Ilia mouth was puckered with the expression a man assumes when he tries to cut a tough pieco of meat with a silver pie-knife. His°chccks were distended on one aide by a chew of tobacco ; on tho other by a mouthful of Asiatic words : To the thoughtful student of international politics the recent action of Gladstone cannot but appear weak in the extreme. If he had ordered the troops to attack Rawil-Pisode instead of waiting for Goneral Kushk on the bank of tho Komaroff, a great advantage to England would certainly have followed, and Sarakhs, as far as KohnDilain was concerned, would "William!" "Yessir." "Bring me a fresh dictionary and an ice-wator bandage for my head." A case in which coolnes3 and pluck were combined is reported in the Melbourne " Leader." In April last a miner named Shirley had what was at that time regarded as a miraculous escape from death. Shirley was working at the bottom of a shaft, and had charged two holes, and while going up a chain ladder to a place of safety the ladder broke and Snirley fell to the bottom of the shaft, where he was confronted with the fact that the two shots would almost immediately explode. With great bravery and presence of mind he damped out one fuse with his foot, and with his hand plucked the other from the hole. However, he had in the fall received such injuries to his scalp and kneecap that ho was taken to the Sandhurst hospital, where unexpectedly his condition grew very serious and he died on the 3rd July. (Scene— Ancient abbey.) Enter Amen« can Jady— "Could you oblige me with any interesting little relic of this grandl historic country?" Faithful retainer: ' c Weel, mem, there's naething on haund th>* no» ; but we're jisfc aboot afore tho tourist time to gie the bluid on the stair o' the auld raurdcr'd abbot its yearly coat o' paint, an' ye've a phial aboot ye,j I micht maybe gie ye a drap."

made substantial donations of all kindsagricultural produce, coal, poultiy, cash, &c. Through the solicitation of Mr Jas. Mackay, several Dunedin firms gave a variety of valuable presents. The following are the firms who contributed, and to whom the best thanks of the Committee are due : — Messrs Ros3 and Glendmning, Sargood Sons and Ewen, Briscoeand Co., Matheson Bros., Hardware Co., Mackerras and Hrzlett, Heymanson, Low ajaflwjOo., P^iHeymaji^atfd ? Cpmpahy, smaSar* • J. D. Thompson' (a commercial traveller from Dunedin). The best thanks of the Committee --are also due to Messrs H. Craig and Co.; idr conveying the numerous Dunedin presents free of charge from Lawrence to Roxburgh. There was an article raffled for during the evening — a " Gentleman's Companion " — which caused a great deal of merriment ; and as it had been veiy judiciously kept a secret iji jrh'at shape 9^ form the companion was >. to bo, the excitement was immense during the draw'ng of the tickets,, and when the lucky winner was called' forwardVtb take delivery, but before he could push his way through the crowd to the. stage (as it was he got quite close .enbugftSfor!his.nervous system) out from the recess came the figure of a tall, handsome lady in bridal array. The winner, on recovering his breath, refused to take possession. He wa* not pressed, and the young lady . was put up for sale by auction and , knocked, down to an enterprising victualler ; but she did her" turn well for the '. purpose for which she was got op," for she j was the means of adding £7 to the funds. , At the close of the auction, Mr Burtbnj a as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, said he < wished to thank those who had contri- , buted, and especially to the ladies who y had canvassed the district; and assisted in , various other ways in bringing to such a 1 successful issue the auction and the con- , cert held the week previously for the same j object. > He also said ithat several . persons \ had expressed their opinion to him to the \ effect that two-thirds of the proceeds ] sheuld go to the Tuapeka Hospital and T one-third to the Benevolent Institution, and he was of the same opinion himself, j Expressions of approval of that course c being adopted were given generally. On a the motion of Mr Jas. Craig (Chairman of f the Coal Creek School Committee), a jj unanimous voto of thanks was passed to D Mr Burton for his gratuitous services as j auctioneer. The latter gentleman suitably f replied, and said that his services were always open for any charitable or re- 0 ligious purpose. Owing to the returns not being yet complete, the exact sum f realised cannot be stated ; but the probable amount, after all expenses are de- ( ducted, will be £100 more. jj