Local and General Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1182, 23 September 1885, Page 2

L ocal an d Gene ral Intelligence.

A good muster of Volunteers is wanted tonight, in order to get the corps fairly started. Thb Roxburgh School Committee have resolved to close the school for a month, owing to the prevalence of scarlatina. Two Auckland larrikins were fined and bound over to keep the peace for three months for assaulting an officer of the Salvation Army at the Salvation barracks. Mb Gbokge GrREATHEAD,'of Wellington, one of the oldest pressmen in the Colony, met his death on Friday night through taking a draught of some poiionous liquid in mistake for rum,

Our Christchurch correapondeni's letter is unavoidably held over till next issue. Mb W. Quin will hold a clearing sale at Dumobin, on Friday, of Mr J. M. Murray's horses, cows, &c. ; and Mr Clifford Christie will also hold a large sale of sheep at Balclutha on the same day. Mb - John Morrison was relumed unopposed on '-Monday to fill thfe Vacancy iar West Ward in the Lawrence Borough Council. Mr Morrison was nominated by Messrs Docherty and Havrop. The railway returns for the four-weekly period ending loth August show the revenue for the Colony to be £70,360, and the expenditure £53,499, giving a percentage of profit of 67. AT a meeting of the Beaumont School Committee, held on Saturday night, Mr E. Blair, of Southbridge, and formerly of Clarks Flat, was recommended to the Education Board for appointment as headmaster of the Beaumont school. The commission of inquiry into the Wellington Hospital scandal have brought down their report. They condemn the management under Dr Chilton, and think that the dismissal of the nurses and officers of the Hospital was justifiable. Mb J. C. Bbown has telegraphed to Mr J. J. Woods (County Clerk) stating that he had great difficulty in getting the vote for the Waitahuna bridge pasted on Saturday evening. There were three divisions on the item before it was finally passed. At the sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday, before W. H. Eevell, Esq., R.M., a lad of 16, named Kelly, was charged with breaking a window, valued «t 7s, the property of Mrs Mills, of Gabriels Gul\y. After Mr George Silk had given evidence, the accused was sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment, with hard labor, in Lawrence Gaol. Residents of Tuapeka Flat and neighborhood are reminded of the entertainment in aid of the funds of the Tuapeka Hospital to be given in the local schoolhouie to-night. As the object is a thoroughly deserving one, a gcod attendance may be looked for. A concert and dance in aid of the funds of the same institution taken place at Waipori on Friday night. Messrs Clifford and Co., of Dunedin, announce by advertisement elsewhere their intention of opening a branch establishment in Lawrence about the beginning of October. It is now two years since Mr Clifford viiited Lawrence in his professional capacity, aud we have no doubt from the established reputation of this firm of photographers, they will meet with as great success as on their previous visit. The ship Wanganui which arrived at Auckland from London last week experienced come very stormy weather on the voyage out. Off Tristan D'Acunha she was caught in a very violent storm, when oil bags were used with success. A fortnight after the poop ladder and other moveable things were washed away, the galley |fire extinguished, sails blown adrifc, skids carried away, and the port bulwarks went missing, whilst an apprentice named Jones was knocked down on the deck and badly hurt. The preseut difficulty between Germany and Spain has awakened the latter to the weakness of her maritime position, aud she has set about remedying it to a certain extent by the purchase of cruisers and torpedoes. In the days of the Armada Spain was one of the first maritime Poweis, and from the excellence of her position she might again arise to a similar rank. In these days any Power having access to the hi«h seus, must keep up a nary if it wishes to be up with the times. Mr Duncan Wright, evangelist, began a mission at Tuapeka Weit on Wednesday evening, and concluded on Sunday evening. Throughout, the meetings were well attended, On Saturday night a special temperance address was given, when there was a very large gathering, and a good number donned the blue ribbon. On Sunday night the largest gathering of all turned out, the school being well filled. Mr Wright was assisted during the mission by Mr Taylor and members of the local Church Committee. It is gratifying to learn that the Admiralty has so far recognised the claims which tjhis Colony has upon the Empire as to nrrangs for a visit of the Pacific squadron, under command of Admiral Tryon, to the principal New Zealand ports during the summer months. The sight of a squadron of the British Fleet will inspire Colonists with a feeling of common interest between the Colonies and the Etnpirs, and viewed in this light it is a pity that the visits have not bean more frequent in the past, It is to be hoped they will be in the future. News to hand from Rouraelia states that a revolution has taken place, but so far without bloodshed. The people of the province seized the Turkish Governor, and issued a proclamation declaring the union of Roumelin with Bulgaria. The Roumelian army took the oath of allegiance to Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, and have taken up several strategic points on the Turkish frontier. The Bulgarian army haß been mobilised, and astonished Europe waits further developments, as it is scarcely likely that the Sultan will quietly suffer a prorinca thus to abjure his sovereignty. A Lawrence miner, writing from Pembroke on the 20th inst,, says that his party have abandoned Mt, Criffel nnd gone to Mt. Pisa as a more likely place. All the camp meant to shift to Mt. Pisa next day ; but the snow is waist-deep yet. A meeting was held to discuss the bringing in of a water-race, but was adjourned till a full investigation could be made ou the ground. Two stores are nearly finished, and a hotel is in course of erection, A man from Cardrona means to put up another store and a blacksmith's shop ; but at present their prospects are uot very bright. There h a great scope of country to prospect about Mt. Pisa, but not much can be done yet for frost and snow. The Rev. J. Skinner, of Waitahuna, delivered a lecture on Mont Blnnc, illustrated by magic-lantern visws, to a large and appreciative audience in Beaton"? Assembly Rooms, Blue Spur, on Friday night. The views were splendid, and the lecture was listened to with great interest. At the close of the lecture a collection was made on behalf of the Sunday School, when the sum of £2 14s 6d was realised. Mr J. Kirkpatrick, in a few well-chosen remarks, proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Skinner for the trouble he had put himself to in the matter. Mr J. M'Farlane performed a similar duty towards Mr Beaton for the use of the hall, remarking that on this, as on several oth9F occasions, Mr Beaton had given the use of the hall to the public free of charge. A vote of thanks to Mr M 'Hat tie, who occupied the chair, brought the proceedings to a close. Referring to the work of the session, the " North Otago Times " says : — Mr Macandrew once expressed his belief that he could do more good for himself digging in his cabbage garden at home than by attending Parliament. Perhaps members of Parliament generally could serve their country best by industriously occupying themselves in the came way for the next three years or more. The results of the present session, at any rate, have led to a pretty general belief that a suspension of Parliamentary work would be better for the people than a continuance of the annual meeting of members. And yet it mvst be admitted that the majority of the members, by preventing the Government from having things its own way on several momentous occasions this session, have done first-rate service to the country. They thus prevented harm being done, but the amount of positive good done hat been small indeed, and the session's barrenness in this respect is not unlikely to make parliamentary institutions in New Zealand a by word amongst all publieepirited observers. The excitement consequent upon the revelations made by the "Pall Mall Gazette" has not yet subsided in England, and the first arrest under the new Criminal Law Amendment Act, protecting young girls to the age of 16, haß been made. On the 22nd August a procession of 150,000 people made a demonstration in Hyde Park. The affair was under the auspices of the Temperance Societies, the Salvation Army, Labor Societies, and Young Men's Christian Association!. One of the waggons in the procession carried 24 little girls, dressed in white, holding banners bearing the inscription, "Shall our innocents be slain." All the waggons were filled with women dressed in deepest mourning. The entire proceedings were orderly, and formed a solemn protest against the iniquity that has so long disgraced a Christian land. Bishops and clergymen are found eloquent in their.^denunciation of the "Pall Mall Gazette;" but in 'spite' of their selfish attitude, if the series of the articles has the effect of rousing the people to a sense of their danger, and is the means of saving one innocent child, the journal will not have laid bare the festering plague spots in vain,

The annual soiree, concert, and ball in connection with the Waitahuna Foresters' Court takes place on Friday night. As great preparations are being made by the Committee a firstclass affair may be expected. Wk have been shown by Mr C. Nicholas* who has at present a branch establishment in Lawrence, some photographs taken by him since his arrival in the district., aud hare no hesitation in stating that Mr Nicholas's work is first-class, and such as to entitle him to a fair measure of patronage during his short stay in Lawrence, Paris in cleared of rats by the municipal council offering a premium for their skins. Two years ago the premium was three dollars per 1000, but it has recently been raised to ten dollars per 1000, in order to gettha city cleared of the peßts. The rats are of the Norway kind, and breed four times a year. The skins when collected are sold to glove makers for four cents each, and 20,000 skins are said to have been made into " genuine kid " gloves last year. The following is Mr Petrie's report on the Wetherstones school :— "Passes attainable, 336; passes attained, 293 — gross percentage, 87. This school has been taught with great care and intelligence. The pupils do the work required of them neatly and quickly. The order and attention are very good. The infant classes have been taught very thoroughly, and are well forward with their work. Sewing is very fairly looked after.' 1 It will thus be seen that the report is in every respect favorable to both Mr Pope and Miss Darton. Yesterday, a stranger to the district, possessed of more money than sense, after trying to make extensive purchases from several local merchants, who could not see matters in exactly the same light as the stranger, stifled his mortification in the nearest hotel, and on seeking the street the sun's rayi overpowered him. So he sat him down in the gutter in front of Morrison's shop, and shortly after placed himself with his back to the field and his face to the foe ; bat the übiquitous policeman is never far afield oa such occasions, and the bibulous visitor was taken off to a place of safety for the rest of the day, and night too. The chief causes of the depressed skate of the frozen meat trade in England are not far to seek. In New Zealand, at any rate, flock owners grow abundanca of turnips for winter fattening, and these fields of green crops must be fed off. The result is that a very large supply of fat sheep is produced, and these mußt be got rid of somehow. Consequently they are shipped Home by the hundred thousand monthly and placad upon the London market at a time when, by reason of the hot weather, and the abundance of cheap fish, the demand for meat is small. If shippers would only study the markets a little.as well ai their own convenience, the frozen meat, trade would be much more likely to prove a paying venture. " Ashodeus," in the "New Zealand Mail," writes :— " It was a fine afternoon, and the lady thought she would just call upon her dear friend, Mrs Inanout, and bid her to attend a little social gathering to be held the next Sunday afternoon at her houxe. The door was answered by a smart looking lass. 'Mrs I is not at home, 1 she replied curtly, ' Oh, inueed,' was the rejoinder; 'will you tell her please I shall expect to see her next Sunday afternoon.' Smart looking lass indignantly : 'Next Sunday! Well I never! Why next Sunday is my Sunday out, and I am sure she can't go too ! I don't mean to stay at home. There now !' Lady skedaddled in haste." The additions and alterations to the Lawrence railway station, with the exception of painting, are now completed. The new platform is longer than the old one, and being an earth platform with concrete facings will not require reuewing apain. A verandah has been erected in front of the station-house, which will be of great service in wet weather. The stove in thestationmaster's office has been removed and a chimney built instead, and various other improvements, including a lamp at the far end of the platform, have been made. The new arrangemeut will, in many respects, be an improvement upon the old order of things, but still the station-house has a very patched appearance. When Mr Larnach was in Lawrence some months ago a deputation from the Lawrence Borough Council Rhowed him over the drainage chaunel, and Mr Smaill pointed out projects for the completion of the scheme. It was explained that £1000 would be required to complete the work, and Mr Larnach took a note to that effect, and suggested that Mr Brown should get the amount placed upon the Supplementary Estimates. This was done, and we are pleased to be able to state that our member has succeeded in getting the full amount passed, as well as £750 for the Waitahuna bridge. With this vote the Borough Council should be able to complete the Lawrence drainage scheme, including weirs in Gabriels Gully and diversion of the creek. Searching for an escape of gas with a lighted match should be about as sensible as attempting to extinguish a fire with kerosene, and yet in spite of numerous accidents there are found individuals who persist in their stupidity. Oa Sunday evening the Caversham Town Hall I was lit up as usual for the evening's service, but for some unaccountable reason the gas wont out. Mr Pearce, the Borough Clerk, went under the platform to examine the meter, striking a match for the purpose, when the escaping gas burst in flames from the meter. Had not Mr Pearce promptly turned the key of the meter and shut off the gas the hall would have taken fire. As it was some ladies who J were in the hall at the time fainted, and others were considerably scared. The late Mr Sheehan used to tell two capital stories of the unemployed. He said he was present at an Auckland meeting when the unemployed gathered in force, and he heard their wrongs dilated on at length by a clever speaker. To hli own knowledge the spouting gentleman had at the time £1200 out on mortgage, as he (Mr Sheehan) had drawn the deed. Down South at a similar gathering each man who addressed the audience told his troubles, but the palm was secured by a gentleman who said he had worked three months for his bare tucker. This produced many cries of shame and a mild sensation, which was, however, considerably toned down when one of the crowd who could not shine as a speaker ejaculated, " Hadn't you better tell how you were serving the Queen on that occasion ;" the bare-tucker man had been in Addington Gaol. The following is the report of the Public Petitions Committee on Sir Julius Vogel's petition : — The petitioner states he w»e AgentGeneral of the Colony, and that he was a director of the New Zealand Agricultural Company, He was appointed agent under the Inscribed Stock Act, and that he bslieved he waß to receive a commission on the £5,000,000 loan, and that he was considerad agent for the new loan ; that he received no commission ; that his appointment was cancelled and no compensation allowed him, and he prays for redress, lam directed to report that the Committee having taken the evidence of the petitioner, Sir G. Grey, the Hon. Major Atkinson, the Hon. Sir F. Whitaker, and Sir Wm, Fitzherbert, are of opinion that owing to the great importance of the questions involved, and of the points raised, as well as to the mass of correspondence and documentary evidence necessary to be examined and considered, it is impossible for the committee, with the short time at its disposal, to attempt to arrive at a definite report during the present session of Parliament. Mb Gladstone, who has completely recovered in health, is girding himself for the fray in connection with the approaching election. He has issued a political manifesto to his constituents, in which he advocates the withdrawal of the British troops from Egypt a.t the earliest possible date, and opposes annexation or the establishment of a protectorate. He also advocates a reform of the House of Lords and the land laws, and expresses himself ready to give Ireland any system of self-government compatible with the maintenance of the supremacy of the Crown, the integrity of the Empire, and the authority of Parliament, The signs of the times point to a great triumph on the part of the Liberal party, and Mr Gladstone will leave nothing undone to make the victory complete all along the lines. With the triumph of Liberalism those reforms upon which the Grand Old Man has long set his heart will be possible in spite of the power of wealth and grasping self-interest, and the first serious blow will have been de»lt at the ruling class who have not used their place and influence too well. Says the Wairarapa "Sfcar " :— Mr John Graham, Otago's pioneer amateur postman, is in his old element again. We have received a copy of bin " Hot Springs Guide and General Directory," published in Dunedin and price "nothing." It is full of good original contributions characteristic of its , editor, who is well-known to be a trenohaat

nnd vigcrom writer. Among tbe advertise ments, of which there is a good display, is a phcto of Mr Graham a* he appeared in 1862. Mr Graham edit* hit paper from the Hot Springs, where he has taken up his residence, and he informs us that bis potatoes are throughtbhe ground, and the climate is grand; In a footnote ia tho " Guide " he »a jb : •Although I have been in Otago for 33 years I would mther be hung at the Hot Springs as die a natural death in the South. The living is very ohiap, as one pan live here for 16s per week in one o£ the Maori cottages, as wall as in an hotel paying 12s per day." Mr Graham ii doing good a work for invalids in advertising the qualities of the Hot Springs.

A PLTJCKr incident, which is well worthy of placing on record, occurred on the Hutt railway on Saturday afternoon. As a ballast train was approaching the Silverstream station from the Upper Hutt, the driver and fireman noticed the {child of R. Hogan, aged 18 months, in th? centro of the line. The brakes were put on bird, but as there is an incline at. this spot, and there was a heavy load on at the time, the train could not be stoppad. To make matters worse the mother, alarmed by the shrill whistle, ruihed out and got on the track, but somehow fa?tunately got off when the train wos just upon her. When the engine was within a yard or two of the child, and when thoie who were looking on turned away to avoid witnessing the sickening sighr, Trueman, the fireman, at imminent danger of hit own life, jumped with a bound, whipped the child off the line, but before he could get clear was struck heavily on the leg by the cowcatcher.