LOCAL AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1184, 30 September 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.

Mr Inspector Petrie examined the Clarks Flat school on Monday, the result being, we are informed, 71 per cent, of passes. Samuel Waters, who was arraigned on a charge of perjury over the Hutt tarring case, has been discharged, the case being dismissed. Odr Dunedin correspondent's weekly letter and a report of the Bowling and Lawn-tennis Club's annual meeting will be found on our fourth page. A GIFT sale of useful and fancy articles in connection with the Wesleyan Church will be held in Trinity schoolroom, Lawrence, on Wednesday and Thursday, 14th and 15th prox. Owing to the Dunedin City Council prohibiting the manufacture of soap by the firm of M'Leod and Co. in Dunedin, the Milton Borough Council haa invited the firm to erect soap works in Milton. A CASE of blood-poisoning from a rat bite is reported from Auckland. A woman residing in Victoria-street was bitten on the cheek ; symptoms of blood poisoning have since set in, find her face has swollen fearfully. The woman is under medical treatment, being seriously ill. THE Wanaka correspondent of the "Daily Times " telegraphing from Cromwell on Monday, warns miners against the impending rush to Criffel. Miles of country have been riddled with holes, and yet no gold has been struck. There is great disappointment, and numbers are leaving the place in disgust. The Biuce Parliamentary Union appears to have become infected with the same mania for turning out Governments which so seriously affected the LAWience Union. At th 9 meeting on Friday evening, the second Government were defeated on the second reading of their Land Bill and resolved to resign. Messrs Reid and Gray have written to us explaiuing that the reason why the firm does not figure in the list of award* for agricultural exhibits at the Wellington Exhibition is because their exhibits were marked ' not for competition.' Messrs Reid and Gray's exhibits occupied the largest space in the Exhibition, and were favorably commented upon by Hi 9 Excellency the Governor, Mr Vincent Pyke, M.H.R., has received letters from the equerries to Her Majesty the Queen. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, and H.R.H, the Duke of Edinburgh, thanking him for copies of his song, the ' Old Flag, 1 which he had forwarded enclosed in caskets of native wood to Hpr M»jesty nnd their Royal Highnesses. V P., like old Simeon, ein now content himself to die in peace. The Invincible Company, at the head of Like Wakatipu, have struck a leader l^ft wide, showing coarse gold in the prospecting tunnel in their lower lease at the foot of the hill. This region, which has not been prospected, shows every indication of being one of the best reefing centres in Otago ; and if there is any place where Government assistance ohould be given with the boring rods, it is in the neighborhood of Mt, Earnslaw. Still another victim has had the life crushed out of her in the New Zealand State cramming mill. It was renorted at the l»st meeting of the Auckland Education Board fhafc a young girl named Ann Brownintr, aged twelve years, hnd died o? brain fever. The girl won a scholarship last year, and after passing the annual school examination this year took brain fever, from which she died. How many innocents must be sacrificed to this modern Moloch before a more sensible and natural system of education is framed? It is not often that anyone in the Government employ actually complains of not haviug enough to do. Yet such a one, unwilling to draw his salary unless he gives an adequate reluin in woik for it, may be found in our Inte and highly-iespecied Warden, J. N. Wood, Esq. The ' Mt. Ida Chioniole ' says :— At the request of the various goldfields, no changes will be made in the several Wardens' districts until next session, excepting that Blacks will be added to Mouut Ida, as Mr Warden Wood complains of not having enough work to do.

An entertainment, consisting of a concert-, and dance, in aid of the funds of the Tuapeka Goldfields Hospital, was held in the schoolhou«e at Waipori on Friday night. There was a crowded house, and the concert went off very well, every one being pleased. After a long and varied programme had been gone through the room was cleared for dancing, which was kept up till morning. The sum realised as the result of the entertainment will be about £18, which, along with the Government subsidy, will be a considerable help to a worthy cause. At the sitting of theR.M. Court on Monday, before W. H. Revell. E«q., the following cases were disposed of : -Police (Constable Bowman) v. W. Allan : Charged with exposing goods for sale on the footpath in Ross Place. Fioed Is and costs (7s). T. Wilson and Co. v. Wm, M'Gillivray: Claim for debt. Mr Finlayson for plaintiff, for whom judgment was eiven with costs. R. MWlillan v. G. Brook ; Claim of £4 10->. Judtfmenb for the amount with costs (6<). Cnrnenm v. M'Donnell : Affiliatiou case. After hearing evidence, the information was dismissed. THE anniversary of Court Roxburgh, A.0.F., was celebrated by a soiree and ball in the local AtheDseum last Thursday eveninar. There was a bumper house, and the proceedings were enlivened by songs by well-known performers during the evening. The membership of the Court this year is 47, as against 51 last year. The total sum of money now to the credit of the Court is £250. After the first part of the programme had been fully enjoyed the room was cleared for dancing, whiih was kept up briskly till morning. The eutertainment waß in every way a success. Ouk Clarks Flat correspondent writes :— The ordinary meeting of the School Committee was held in the schoolhouse on Thursday evening at the usual hour. Present- Messrs Walker (in the chair), French, Rowe, Peteraen, and M'Lelland (Secretary). The minutes of the former meeting were read and confirmed. Io regard to the application for subscriptions to the Adams' fund, the Chairman was appointed to interview the teacher to persuade her to collect. The Secretary remarked that, as a rule, ladies made the best collectors. Several small accounts, amounting to £2 17s 3d, were passed for payment. This was all the business. The assurance of continued peace in armed Europe, to all appearance, is about as great a the security of a dweller on the top of Vesuvius ' During some time back France has maintained a very large cavalry force along the Rhine frontier; the regiments are all on a war footing, and being numerically superior to the German cavalry in the same neighborhood, some uneasiness is manifested. Germany may rest assured that if she ever finds herself involved in any foreign trouble France will avail herself of the opportunity to wipe out the stain of Alsace and Lorraine, Bismarck might well have paused before courting a conflict with Spain, when a watchful enemy like France is constantly on the alert. The Berlin papers declare that the disparity between the German and French cavalry must be remedied at once. As a maritime power, however, Germany is making rapid strides, and already has a splendid navy, which in proportion to its size is possibly the strongest in Europe. The annual concert and magic-lantern entertainment, the programme of which appears with this issue, promises to be more than usually attractive. Jn addition to an excellent selection of vocal and instrumental music by well-known lady and gentlemen amateurs, a novelty will be introduced in the shape of a new patriotic Bong entitled 'The Highland Brigade,' the words of which have been written by a local lady, D.D. (Mrs E. Colville, another of whose spirited pieces appears in our supplement), and the music composed by our townsman, Mr J. J. Woods. The vocal rendering of this item has been entrusted to Mr P. Miller, who will doubtless do ample justice to words and music, The programme is long and varied, concluding with a magic-lantern entertainment, entitled 'Round the the World in Thirty Minutes.' The Committee have spared no pains in providing au excellent bill-of-fare for intending patrons, and it is to be hoped that a , bumper house may repay them for their labors.

It is umored that James Gordon Bennett, the enterprising proprietor of the ' New York Herald,' intends to start a daily newspaper in Melboune, to be conducted on American lioes. A girl with what the Yankees call ' grit ' fell into the lands of the police in Auckland a short time age. Mary O'Halloran was arreste'l for theft, ani on being released on bail attempted to commit suicide by taking a dose of ' Rough on Eats. Prompt medical aid saved her life. At tin annual meeting of the K-utimgata Railway and Coal Company, held on Saturday, a cividend of io per cent, was declared. It was announced that the directors had resolved to reduce tha price o£ the coal, which could be ione without injuriously affecting the interests of the shareholders, THE 'KTew Zealand Times' states thatthera is one satisfactory, but very exceptional and almost unprecedented, feature in the RegistrarGeneral's report for last month. Not a-sinsrle 'violent' death — i.e., resulting from other than ' na'ural ' causes — was recorded in the four chief cities of New Zealand. We cannot remember any previous instance of the kind since these returns have been published. It is not always that the tramp is amenable to the ordinary courtesies of civilised society, yet one possessed of more than customary civility paid a surprise visit to a lady's safe at Balclutha, the other day. On going to the safe, which stood next the kitchen door, the owner found that some eggs and butter were missing ; but the solution of the mystery was made plain by a note written in pencil hearing the following inscription: — 'Been walking all day, had nothing to eat ; thanks.' Our Tnapeka Flat correspondent writes:— The weather being unpropitious last Wednesday evening the gathering in the schoolhouse in aid of the Hospital funds was not so large as could have been desired. The eatables being duly discussed, the room was cleared for the exercises of the devotees of Terpsichore, which were kept up till daylight next morning. A good number of songs were sung dnrin« the night, and were V\rell received. Mr P. Cahill, assisted by Mr J. G-albraith, supplied the music gratuitously, and Mr Wootton the eatables, the tables being presided over by Me^dames Munro, Smith and Crowley. Mr A, Munro acted as M.O. The Committee expect that after all the expenses are paid & sanall sum will be left over for the Hospital. — The school was examined on Friday by Mr Petrie, a very good percentage being gained. At the conclusion of the examination the inspector expressed himself as highly pleased with the manner in which the pupils acquitted themselveß, A GENTLEMAN who has just returned from tha North Island informs us that the wave of depression has reached Auckland. Trade there is stagnant, and hundreds are seeking employment at stone breaking or auything to keep the wolf from the door. Nelson is also in a bad way owing to the present ruinous price of hops. Two seasons ago they were fetching 3s per lh ; but now they are selling at 3d to 4d per lb. Numbers of people are ploughing up their hop gardens, and business people are complaining that they never knew such hard times before. After passing through nearly every district in the Colony our correspondent remarks, that Lawrence, dull as it undoubtedly is, atill holds its own with any other part of the Islands. Numbers of old Blue Spur and Lawrence residents met in with in various parts of the Colony wish themselves back in Tuapeka. The same correspondent says that Reefton is still under a cloud ; mining there is at a stand still and business stagnant. The Cedar Creek reefaatßoss, from which so much was expected, have turned out a complete failure. A SMALL book recently published by Thomas Allan Reed, one of the most able shorthand writers in England, contains some curious experiences of reporters at public dinners, in the law courts, in churches, and at hospital lectures. A chapter on 'hearing and mishearing ' gives some amusing illustrations of the mistakes sometimes made by reporters owing to imperfect hearing, caused not infrequently liy the imperfect articulation of the speakers they were reporting. Thus, ' overtax ' was once written down for 'over acts ;' ' watchins fro<n the Roman eye ' for ' watching from their home on high ;' ' a good Sunday coat ' for ' a goose and a goat ;' and the ' Counters of Ayr ' for the ' County surveyor.' A speaker in Parliament once said, ' What do the Turks want ? To be a nation.' This was printed 'To be in Asia. 1 'Arteoders of clubs,' in one of Mr Bright's speeches, waR transformed into 'vendors of gloves.' The latter part of the statement that ' all reforms in this country have been brought about by pressure ' was reported ' brought about by Prussia.' ' Pew rates are the greatest euetnies of the church ' was converted into ' curates are the greatest enemies of the church.' A meetixg of the Committee appointed to canvass for subscriptions in the Waitahuna district on behalf of the proposed testimonial to Mr J. C. Brown, M.H.R., met on Saturday evening in the Good Templars' Hall, Havelock, there being a fair attendance. Mr Livingston was appointed Chairman of Committee, and Mr R. Craig Secretary and Treasurer. Two or three of those present spoke in eulogistic terms of the many services rendered by Mr Brown to the Waitahuna district, and the hope was expressed that a substantial sum would be raised towards the object in view. Arrangements weie made for circulating sub*cripti.>u-lis f s in the district, and after a vote of thanks had been accorded to the Chairman the meeting terminated. — The Tuapeka Mouth Committee met the same evening in Bailey's Accommodation House, all the members being present. Mr Daniell was appointed Chairman of Committee, and Mr Drain Secretary and Treasurer. The sum of £7 7s was raised in the room ou behalf of the testimonial fund, and arrancremeuts made for a thorough canvass of the district, — The Lawrence Committee are requested by advertisement to meet in the Council Chambers this evening at eight o'clock. When Mr Larnach was passing through Lawrence on his tour of the Otago goldfields he visited Waipori, and on the strength of representations then made to him by experienced j miners he promised to ask the Government to j give some assistance towards prospecting for j the deep lead supposed to exist in that locality. A communication having been recently received from the Minister of Mines to the effect that a Government subsidy would be given towards prospecting for the deep lead at Waipori, a public meeting was held on Saturday night to discuss the matter. The meeting was well attended, and Mr Ritchie was voted to the chair. Mr Carpenter read the minutes of the previous meetingß of the Committee appointed some time ago. After a good deal of discussion, it was resolved to float a company for the purpose of prospecting the deep ground on the flat, provisional directors were appointed, and arrangements made to hold another meeting on Monday next. Last Monday a meeting of the provisional directors was held. Mr F. W. Knight was appointed Chairman and R. Carpenter Secretary. It was decided to issue 4000 scrip at os ; sixpence on application and sixpence on allotment, not more than sixpence to be called up at intervals of not less than a month. The Secretary was requested to write to Mr J. C. Brown to ascertain the exact amount of subsidy the Government are prepared to give. If the reply is favorable the scrip will be issued at once, Thk Rev, J. Skinner gave a treat on Monday evening to the children attending the Mount Stuart school. By means of his magic lantern he took them on a visit to tho 'Zoo,' and showed them about fifty of the wild animals there. There was a large attendance, not of children only but of parents as well. The views came out clearly, and Mr Skinner gave a short description of each animal as it appeared on the screen. After the magic-lantern entertainment, Mr Skinner, at the request of the subscribers, presented a purse of sovereigns and an address to Mrß Patrick on the occasion of har leaving the district. The address was from the scholars, and it bore testimony to the deep interest which Mrs Patrick had taken in them and her very great kindness to them, Mr Jackson (Chairman of the School Ootamittee) alßo made a few remarks. He mentioned that what hat} been presented to Mrs Patrick was not a gratuity but well-earned money. He was expressing not only his own feelings but also the feelings of the Committee and the parents when he said that Mrs Patrick was very highly esteemed by them, and that her leaving was a matter of regret to them all. Me Patrick returned thanks for the gift. Both Mrs Patrick and he had found very warm friends in the Mt. Stuart people, and they would ever cherish a kindly recollection of the three years which they had spent amongst them, He thanked them heartily for th,e gift whjch, Mrs Patrick had so unexpectedly received that evening, i After a vote of thanks had been passed to Mr ' and Mrs Skinner and to the Chairman, the benediction was pronounced, and a very hearty ( Mid enjoyable evening was brou.gb.fc to a close.

The gunpowder manufactured at the Owake powder mills is turning out well for blasting purposes. Mr M'Kenzie, who is u«ng_ the powder for blasting away rock on the site of the Timaru baths, finds it superior to the imported article. He states that a third less of the powder will do as much as a full charge of the European powder. Thia speaks well for the local industry, and if the same Rood quality can be keot up it should soon drive imported powder off the field. The future of our local industries in no small measure depends upon the reliable quality of the products tnrned oat. and first-class articles ouly should be made.

Our Raes Junction correspondent writes :— The monthly meeting of the School Committee was held in the schoolhouse on Saturday night. Present — Messrs Beighton (in the chair), Stewart, Barr, M 'Donald, and ttichardson. A letter from the Beaumont School Committee was received, but consideration of the matter was deferred till next meeting. Accounts amounting to over £8 were passed for payment.— Our school was examined on the 23rd of this month by Mr Petrie, when 68 per cent of p isses was obtained. The general report is very favorable. The children are getting on very well, and the parents are all pleased with the way In which the teacher (Miss M'Donald) is bringing the children on. During the last quarter the average attendance wjs nearly 18, but when the wire-rope is ud the attendance will be still greater.— We are having very fine weither just now, and the farmers are busy putting their seed in. —It is to be hoped that the contractor for our school will not be long in having it finished.— Tho railway plates, which I mentioned some time ago as having arrived, have been ptaced in position — not for a railway as at first reported, but to replace some of the old telegraph post 3.

In the peroration of his speech, when moving the reduction of half a million in the Public Works tSstimates, the member for Hawkes Bay, said : "I invite nohon. member to rush on to political destruction. No agonising termination of his Parliamentary com*Be, no dismal purgatory is before him ; at the worst nirvana, a state of perfect repose, free from worry and anoy.tnce, the cares and anxieties whi h besel the politician, but, sir, better th in nirvana, which is an unending rest, I assure him of a resurrection — only a abort voposs lie need tope or fear. I?i in ted in the heart of every man is a love of and respect for duly; it may belong dormant, but tbe seed indigenous in all will sooner or later struggle inti life, and the manhood of the colony will first think kindly of and then act generously by him who has sacrificed himself for what he believes to be hi.-- duty. But should his departure from political life be for ever, posterity will always juJge fairly of public men, will engrave upon his tomb au epitaph. I have read in the cemetery at Lueknow, on a stone that covers all that remains of one of Gr. at Britain's heroes, the renowned Sir Heury Lawrence, an epitaph simple, homely, yefc heroic—' He tried to do his duty.'"

The correspondent of fche "Southland Times " give some particular* of the discoveries at Piano Flat, Waikaia. They commence at Collie and party's clnim. This party are driving out what is apptrently an old bed of the river, all considerably above the level of the present bed. The dirt is trucked out, and as the ground is firm, a few "soldiers" are ail the timber required. The party who own the claim have reaped a good reward for their labors during tho past seven or eight months. Next to them Shannassy and party have bottomed at 45ft, with an excellent prospect, but, from the appearance of the wash, evidently ou a different run. This claim was originally held by Wilson, Middleton and Walton, who did a vast deal of work prospecting, but were unlucky enough to miss the gutter. Ihis simplified matters lor their successors, who have been remarkably fortunate in dropping on a good thing wilh a very small expenditure of time or labor. They are just starting a main drive to develop their ground. Next to them Matthew Wilson and party have got encouraging indications, and are stiil busy praepecting. Handyside and Co. hold the next ground, and do not intend to let it remain idle. Besides these parties there are a number of prospectors on the ground, prominent among whom is Nicholas Tosfeven, the prospector of the Frenchman's Hill. Although little can yet be said of this field, there is every encouragemont to hope that a valuable run of modt-rotely deep ground will be developed. It is no place for men without experience or capital j but old miners who are not afraid o£ risking some time and a little money have a fair show of dropping on a permanent chim.

Evidently some of the Waikahuna people feel a little sore at the action of the Committee of Uanagement of the Tuapeka Goldfields Hospital in restricting Dr Withers' private practice to within a radius of four miles of the Hospital. At the meeting of the Farmers' Club on Saturday night, Mr Craig moved that (he proceeds of an entertainment, which it is intended to hold under the auspices of the Club on the occasion o£ the annual agricultural and pastoral show, be handed over to the Benevolent Asylum. He (\Tr Craig) remarked that there were several patients in the Asylum who hailed from the Waitahuna district, and it was only r'ght and proper that the district should conI tribute something towards their support. Mr Cowen approv«d of the district rendering all possible assistance to the Benevolent Asylum, for the reason that the Tuapeka Goldflelds Hospital did not deserve to be supported by the Waitahuna people on account of Dr Withers not being allowed to visit the district. Tb.B Lawrence people had no sympathy for the Waitahuna people, and therefore the latter should not be called upon to support the Tuapeka Hospital. The proceeds should be handed over in full to the Benevolent Asylum.— Mr Macandrew said it was a great pity that the Hospital Committee did not give Dr Withers a better salary aud confine hi«j ' services exclusively to the Hospital. If this were done inducemenis would be held out to a really first»elaf>,s medical practitioner to take up his residence in Lawrence. — Mr Trimble did not thi^k the Club would be justified in ignoring tb/.j claims of the Hospital upon the Waita>mna district. Several in and outdoor pp.tients from Waitahuna were in the habit oF getting relief at the Hospital.— Mr Livingston was pleased that this matter had ocopped up. The Waitahuna district, through Dr Withers' practice being circumscribed, waß practically without the services of a skilful medical man, and therefore he did not think the Club shouli render any assistance to the Hospital Committee. — The motion on boin^ seconded by Mr Cowen was put nnd declared carried.