Local and General Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1428, 11 February 1888, Page 2

Local and General Intelligence.

The Brace County Council have teaolved to oall for tenderß for the County surfacing. A report of the proceedings of the Athenasam Committee will be found on oar fourth page. Tbb farmers of Tuapeka West meet at the schoolhoase there this evening for the purpose of determining the price to be paid for threshing and harvesting,

The yearly prodnc f ion of tobacco in New Sonth Wales is 9,167,1241 b, of the value of £458.370.

The Blue Spur ani? Waitahuna School Committees have voted for Dr Brown and Menri Fraer and Ramsay as members of the Education Board.

A PRESS cablegram, dated London, sth February, states that the Blue Spur Mining Company has been registered with a capital of £130,000.

The "Gazette" of February 2 contains descriptions, areas, and cash price per acre of rural lands open for sale after a lapse of 45 days from the date of the notioe. The Lawrence Licensing Committee for the ensuing year consists of Messrs Fraer, Harrop, Hetheringtoo, Jeffery, and Walker. These were the only gentlemen nominated at the appointed hour yesterday.

Ax the London wool sales on Wednesday 15.000 bales were offered. Choice Victorian fleeces realised from Id to2d dearer than at last sales. Since the opening of the present series 90.000 bales have been sold and 3000 bales have been withdrawn.

At the last meeting of the Bruce County Council, on the motion of Cr Smith, it was resolved that £50 be expended on the main road from the punt to Newton, and £50 on the road from Waitahuna bridge to Hillend and Mount Stuart to Balclutha.

There were seventeen patients in the Tuapeka Hospital last evening— fourteen male and three female. Three patients were admitted daring the week and a like number discharged.— The wardaman desires to acknowledge the receipt of a number of newspapers from the General Post Office, Wellington.

The Duke of Abercorn, who was a member of the deputation of the Irish landowners which waited on Lord Salisbury lately, said that many of the landlords in Ireland were on the verge of starvation, and that owing to the state of Ireland their properties were quite unsaleable.

It is understood that the Government have virtually resolved to give M. Pasteur's rabbit remedy a trial, The scene of operations will be some uninhabited island on the coast of New Zealand, The experiment will be a thorough one, and will prove whether the discovery is all that M. Paateur claims it to be.

Mr Wm. Moss, of the Glenf all Nursery, has been appointed judge of the fruit, vegetables, etc., at the Roxburgh horticultural show on the 24th and 25th mat. We feel convinced that the committee could not have made a better selection, as a gentleman of Mr Moss's great experience and standing cannot fail to give every satisfaction, ti competitors.

A? a meeting of the E trick Jockey Club on Saturday nighb, it was decided that the pro. g r ammd for the meeting should be the same as the previous year, with the exception of the Rabbiters' Race and Farmers 1 Parse, which are to be changed to the Stewards' Handicap and Ladies' Parse, respectively. 16 was also decided that the privileges should be let by tender.

The amounts due the Tuapeka County Council in respect of receipts from deferred-payment lands, perpetual leases, and small grazing run rents from Ist February to 31st July, 1887, are a B follow :— Waitahuna, £41 4* 5i ; Clarks, £32 64 lid ; Browns. £72 10s 8d ; Beaumont, £2 19i 7d ; Tapanui, £9 5i 9 i ; Jamea, £37 4* lid ; Teviot, £6919* 2i ; Waipori, £44 15 1 oJ— total, £310 Qi.

A horrible accident has occurred at Dublin. The female lion-tamer, Seoide, placed her head

in the month of a lion for the purpose of having her photograph taken in that poaition. The flash of the camera startled the animal and caused it to close its jaws and worry the woman like a mouse. The unfortunate woman was dreadfully mangled, and expired almost immediately. Our Dunrobin correspondent informs us that the crops in that neighbourhood are ripening

very rapidly, and he anticipates that harvest

operations will be in fall swing in the course of another week or ten days. The crops on every hand give promise of an abundant yeld. The high winds of the past few days have given the oat crops on the more exposed places a very severe shakiog. It i*B stated that the " Great Eastern ''steam* ship has been purchased by a Liverpool firm of metal merchants, and that it is their intention to break her up in the course of the next few months and sell her as old metal, This magnificent vessel, whose gross registered tonnage is 18,915 tons, whose length is 692 feet, breadth 83 feet, and depth 60 feet, has been sold at the price of £16,000. SEVERAL persons (says tbeGreytown " Stand* ard ") have paid a visit to Martinborough to see the remarkably small infant concerning which our Martinborough correspondent wrote some days ago, but the parents, though Maoris, object to the child being exhibited. Two or three f ciends drove over from Featherston the other day to interview the little curiosity, but the child's mother did not receive them very graciously. One of the party, a young married lady, put on her most winning graces, and said she would so much like to see the "dear little thing." But the native mother was proof against flattery and replied, " You go and get a baby of your own." FaOM the return laid on the table by the clerk at yesterday's meeting of the Tuapeka County Council, we gather that the cost for the i past month of new works and surfacing (including the puntman'B salary at Millers Flat) amounted to £235 43 43. The expenditure on day labor in the several ridings was as follows : — Waipori, £18 83 ; Clarks, £17 7s ; Gabriel*, £9 19 a 63; Browns, £25 143 6i; Waitahuoa, £23 9i ; Beaumont, £22 1% ; Teviot, £17 10a ; James, £30 12* 6i; Tapanui, £9 2s— total, £175 133 6d. The cost of carting for the past month was £3 19$ 6d as follows :— Browns, £2 153 j Waitahuna, 11*; Teviot, 13s 63. The cost of working the grader was £43 113 4d— Beaumont ridiDg, £31 4j 3d ; James, £11 lla Id. The total expenditure amounted to £222 4s 4d.

THE latest improved dredger for gold-dredg-ing and other purposes (says the " Lake Waka» tip Mail ") is one for which Mr Andrew M'Sbain, engineer, of Saddle Hill, near Dunedin, has jisi; obtained a patent. We hear that the enterprising Atmospherio Company, who hold a mile or so o£ the land of Shofcover river, upwards from Stapleton's Beach, intend to use the machine under notice. The company who have secured the requisite water rights, propose, it is said, sinking a trial shaft in rock 40ft, adjoining Wilson's Beach (using one of th ß pipes of the machine as pumping gear) and thence to drive to the river and test the character of the wash. Mr M'Shain reckons ha has overcome the more serious difficulties which have been found to beaet the Welman dredge, from which his machine differs in that the power is derived from the force of water (auction) and no centrifugal fan is used for winding up purposes, bat the xtnff is brought up somewhat after the fashion of a waterspout— spirally. He estimates being able to lift about 1400 tons of stuff or wash in 24 hours* Me M'Shain circulates with eight heads of water and 600Et fall ((riving a pressure equal to 8001 b to the square inch) to obtain a power of 100. horse power, and he asserts that by the peculiar construction of his machine he will be enabled to overcome all ordinary difficulties, and to lift clear the auriferous wash on the bed of the liter.

Ax the meeting of the Presbyterian Church Committee held on Thursday last, a present tation was made to Mr Alex. Macdonald for his valuable services as leader of the choir. The presentation, which was made by the Bey. 3\ Skinner, consisted of a Bible and hymn book, bo\\h neatly bound. Mr Skinner made a few complimentary remarks, to wbich the recipient suitably replied. Thb gross receipts on the New Zsaland rail, way* for the ten months whioh ended on the

Jlst alt. exoeeded those for the corresponding

period of last year by L 15.000, while the ex*~^penditare was less by L 5000; consequently the net profit has been greater by L2O 000. Most of the lines show » fair improvement, notably the Huranni Bloff (the mileage of whioh has now increased to 1048). Whili reviewing the Christcharcb volunteers on Xbonday, Sir George Whitmore'a horse (facetiously named " BalUnce") ran away with him, and after going some distance, careered into* wire fence. Oar "only General" was lent Into the air like a sky-rocket, and o»ma down a most undignified heap of tinsel and bad language. When picked up he was found to be uniojmed, and recovering his " Bdl<tQoe," was soon again at the head of tbe forces. Mr P. M'Fablanb'b many friends in Lawrence will regret to learn that that gentleman has disposed of bis business and Is about to ■tart for Melbourne, where he haa secured apartnership in a large drapery concern. Mr and Mrs M'Farlane'* great readiness to assist at our local entertainments and in different other local movements has made them very popular with all classes j and we feel certain that their departure will be muoh regretted. AOCOBDINO to the New Zealand "Times' the Government experienced a rather disagreeable eurprise a day or two ago ia receiving from the Agent-General an account for defence material to tbe amount of £20,000, ordered by the Uta Government without the slightest authority, and without even an official record being kept of the transaction,— lt ia a pity the Hod. Mr Ballance (ex' Minister of Defence) oould not be held personally responsible for the v»st sums; of money practically squandered during his term of office on defective rifles and worthless ammunition, ' W« take- the following extract from the 11 Bothesay Chronicle *:— "An enormons quantity of potatoes are just now being shipped from the Clyde to tbe United States, owing to the failure of tbe potato crop in America. The height is from 17s 6d to £1. If , as is expected' the duty on potatoes is removed when the re* arrangement of the new tariff is made by the American Government the result will be that •here will be a more regular and probably greater basinets done between this country and America. The importance of this to the agriculturist is very great."— We commend this to the consideration of some of our New Zealand farmers, who have occasionally more potatoes than they can get a market for. A TONHT incident occurred the other nigbt at the Auckland Opera House, during the ~ performance of "A Ban of Luck." The bailding was packed, and the .- udience, watching with intense interest the stndied villainy of Captain Trevor, were listening to the dialogue between the worthy, or unworthy individual and the trainer, John Go rmley, in the latter'a parlour the nigbt before the Goodwood Cup. Trevor had made an insulting remark, and the old trainer, excitedly jumping to his feet, clenched his fist, and shouted in the tones of a man maddened by fary, "Say it again, Captain Trevor, and old as I am, I'll thrash you within an inch of your life !" The reply to this came quiok as thought, not from Trevor, bat from a leather lnnged individual in the pit, wnoelectri fied the audience by exclaiming loudly, " Good on yon, old geyser !" — a reply which " brought down the house." \ ""■"**££ the Land Board meeting on Wednesday, the Government having accepted the surrenderof Mr Sntberland's license over lands in blocks IV and Vn, Table Hill, and the arrears having been paid, the board fixed the new term at 14 years, and rent at 6d per annum.-— George Moore's application to exchange pastoral de< ferred payment sections 1 and 2, block IX, Waipori, for a small grazing run was recommended to the Minister of Lands for approval.— —The Undersecretary for Crown Lands wrote with reference to a number of sections near Tapanui, which it had been intended to open under the village homestead speoial settlement system. That system having been abolished, it was sor. gested that they might be opened as small farm allotments on deferred payment.— Resolved to recommend that the land be opened as village and f arm allotments. Betbhhohmeot is proceeding apace. All the undersecretaries of departments, with the exception of three, are to be reduced to the position of chief clerks, with a corresponding reduction of salary. Another rumour is that the Police and Prisons Deoarfcments are to be

amalgamated, and that some of the higher officers of the Police Department are to retire Thb "Gipsy Encampment," which opens in the Town Hall to-night is a form of entertainment which, should attract a large attendance. The company is a variety one, but takes its name from two members of the Gipsy Lee Family of the Forest of Dean. At the oloie of the performance each evening, the Gipsies tell fortunes ; and everywhere they go they do a roaring business in this line, They will remain in Lawrence for twonights; Thebh was a short sitting of the Warden's Court yesterday morning. The application of Patrick MiJaughlin and Patrick Tracy for an extended claim on M'Millan's Flat was granted. Patrick M'Laughlin and Patrick Tracy were summoned by David Finlayson for the non-renewal of their water-race at Evans Flat; and Wm.Felton was also summoned by John Thompson for the non-renewal of his water-race at Evans Flat, the usual penalty ■wm inflicted in each case, and an order made for renewal. Oub Waitahuna correspondent writes :— A great deal of interest was manifested in the Licensing Committee election, which took place on Thursday. Six candidates had been nominated, and of these five had to be elected, those securing the highest number of votes being— Jno. Cowen, 106 ; Jno. Pearson, 101 ; Jas. Toner, 101; Martin Byan, 35 j Wm. Livingston, 33. The cause of so much interest being taken in the election waa owing to a feeling having arisen that there should be a second hotel in Havelook. Some three or four years ago we boasted of two hotels, but the license of one of them— the Inverness'— was allowed to lapse. The present owner of the building hu made several attempts to get • -• license, but has always been refused, the former committees (elected on the "blue ribbon tioket") having opposed on principle a second hotel here. On this occasion, the Blue Ribbon party did not seek re-election, the " moderate " party putting forward three w candidates — viz., Messrs Livingston, Byan, and Scott, of whom tbe two first named were elected. The three other members are strongly in favour of granting a license to the owner of the building formerly, known as the Inverness Hotel; I understand that the majority of the committee also favour midnight liceniei. It is seldom that an election creates at much local interest as the on* which took place on UJhuwday,

Ths Cromwell Go's current-wheel dredge, which was at work on the Sawarau river above the Cromwell township, was recently purchased at auotion by Messrs Kincaid, M'Queen, and Co., the price being £860. Mb Vinobkt Pxkr's name appears in the Mtraroa's list of passengers for Melbourne on Thursday afternoon. We presume Mr Pyke proceeds thither to negotiate the fl >ating of the Roxburgh Bast mining properties, whioh were recently amalgamated and placed under offer to him at a certain figure.

Aw old and highly respected Waitahuna resident, Mr Hugh Fraser, passed away at .Mr R. Sutherland's residence on Thursday at the age of 71. He was a blaoksmith by trade j and a man of aotive intelligence and sterling worth. His death is greatly regretted, as he was very popular with all who knew htm. Tbe funeral took place yesterday, and was largely attended.

Thb New Zealand Bowling Association's rink tournament took place at Christohuroh on Thursday afternoon. The following were the soores :— Dunedin beat Canterbury, two rinks, by 50 to 30 ; Caledonian beat Rosljn, one rink, by 28 to 15 j Christohurch beat Caledonian, one rink, by 20 to 8; Christohuroh beat Boslyn, one rink, by 29 to 9. The match was decided by the excess of points gained by the winning teams over their opponents. Christohurch therefore won, making 32 points more than the combined score of the two teams opposed to them.

Pbofbssob John S. Blaokib has vigorously flourished the whip of soorn over the headi of some " unoo* gude " people in Sootland who consider that a refined and emasculated revision of Burns' song "The did 131 3 awa' wi' the exciseman," would be an improvement. Writing to a correspondent the venerable professor is sorry he should have people in his neighbourhood "so destitute of the Scotch virtue of humour as to call Burns' song about the exoiseman blasphemous, Suoh language tends to make religion ridiculous and Scotchmen contemptible. As for persons in 'fashionable society,' who defpise their native Scottish songs and prefer to «oak their weak stomachs with the sentimental syllabubs of the moat recent London mtrket, one can only pity them and pray for their conversion to a better mind."