LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 52, 30 December 1867, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Year’s Sports.—Extensive preparations have been made in Featherston and Masterton for welcoming the dawn of the New Year with due festivities and gladness. For Featherston we see advertised a long programme of athletic sports and races, among which we particularly notice the first, that of the shearing match. A more sensible system of rivalry could not be got up. The good station-hand can prove his dexterity, and receive a reward justly earned by long experience and attention to his business: we hope to see many competitors for this prize. There are many different competitions, all good and sensible, but we have no space to refer to them. Our readers can see the list of them on locking to our advertising columns. Masterton is in no wise behind Wellington in its arrangements for public amusement. Besides the games during the day there will be a supper given by Mr Tuck, free to all comers, after which there will be a Ball in his large marquee. At Carterton, a rifio match will take place, to he followed by a ball in the evening.

Registrar or the Supreme Court.—Mr A. S. Allan, has been appointed to the Eegistrarship of the Supreme Court rendered vacant by the retirement of Mr R. K. Strang. District Prize Firing.—The prizes for the district firing of the Wairarapa and Castle Point Districts will be as follows; First class prizes.—lst prize, £l2; 2nd prize, £lO. Second class prizes.—lst prize, £s; 2nd prize, £6; 3rd prize, £4. The Taratahi Road Board.—This Board met in the School-house on Saturday last, Mr May was appointed Collector. A letter was read from Mr Holmes regretting that the first map sent was so incomplete, caused by the hurry of the Government. The Proposed Tramway.—We have received a circular calling a meeting of those interested in the formation of a tramway, to he held in Osgood’s Empire Hotel, on Monday, the 30th inst., at 8 p.m. Geettows Land.—-We call attention to an advertisement elsewhere, calling for tenders for leasing land in about Greytmva. ’

Skeleton Found.—A man, of the name of Richardson, belonging to .Mr Chas. White’s fatty, dow working at the making of the fader Hill road, came upon the comnlete skeleton of a man a few days since. The place where he found it was on cutting up the .cliff, at the backwater, o;i Jackson’s The skeleton, which is apparently that of a white man, was immediately under the cliff and was just covered with the debris that had from time to time rolled from the cliff. There were—as far as we can ascertain—no cloths or boots by which the remains could be identified, hut it is supposed to be those of a man, whose name is unknown or foi gotten, who was lost some twelve years ago.° The scull is in the possession of Dr Revans. Christmas Eve.—The Wairarapa Band on Christmas Eve paraded Greytown discoursing “sweet music" for the benefit of the inhabitants.

Christmas Meat.—We notice by the Wellington papers that honorable mention is made of the Beeves and sheep grown in the Wairarapa among the butchers’ Christmas show of meat. Mr Ticeburst, of Greytown, had splendid bullock on show; bred by Mr H. IJdy—weighing 1500. Ona New Governor. Governor Sir George Fergusson Bowen may be expected in Wellington, on the 6th of January, by the Mataura, from Sydney.

Explanation.—The following explanation is made by the “ Wellington Independent ” in reference to the remarks it made on a former occasion as to the late case of pound breaking • —“We certainly never accused MrWardell of entertaining any desire to shield native offenders. The remarks made by this journal referred to the supposed action of the Government, not to that of Mr Wardell, whom we esteem as one of the most impartial and upright magistrates the colony possesses.—Ed. Death of Miss Emma Neville.—The Otago “Evening News” says:—“lt k with no common regret that we announce the death of one of our most attractive entertainers Miss Emma Neville, (Mrs George Lodfirj 'which took place suddenly in Adelaide.” ' Cioae Divan.—Mr Willeston, the Wellington agent for Cobb’s Wellington and Wairarapa coaches has opened a cigar divan in Wellington, which he has named afte* the Duke of Edinburgh.

Gp.eytown Road Board. — A meeting of the Greytown Road Board was held on Friday evening, the 27th inst. Present: —Messrs Udy, Tucker, and Jackson. The minutes of the last meeting were read by Mr Lucas, the Secretary, and confirmed. Mr. Humphries notified that it should require the sum of £SO on account of work done by him at his contract, No. 4. Mr M, Hirschberg objected to his assessment, on account of not having a proper right of occupation ; the Board after discussing the matter agreed to defer the questions until their next meeting. The Chairman notified that he had duly summoned the absent members of the Board, and stated that he had received a note from Mr T. Kempton, Jun. informing him he was unable to attend. The Chairman read a letter received from the Provincial Secretary, stating the Government will approve of the contracts as soon as the £IOO is paid in, &c. The Secretary stated that, in accordance with the resolution of the last minutes, he had called on the Treasurer, but was not able to have an interview with him on account of his illness. The Board desired the Chairman to write to the Treasurer, again requesting him to pay in the money in his hands to the Government. The Board desired the Secretary to write to the Paymaster of Roads, stating that £SO would be required on account of No. 4 contract, and £69 2s 6d, for No 2 line, nearly completed. The Board then adjourned to Friday next, the 3rd January, 1868.

English News. —The English news was telegraphed in Wellington on Saturday last. The following are the most important items; —Mr Crosbie Ward is dead. Wool is a penny lower. The Island of Tortola, the most important of the Virgin Islands in the "West Indies, and one of the possessions of the British drown, has been submerged with aloss of 10,000 lives. Parliament has been opened. The Pan-Anglican Synod has met. The ship yards, at Dundee, have been partly burnt. Damage, £160,000. Money is plentiful. Execution of Wilson the Murderer.— Robert Wilson, convicted at the last Nelson assizes, for the murder, at Deadman’s Creek, was hung within the precints of Nelson gaol, on the morning of the 20th. He made no confession of his guilt and died calmly,walking with little assistance to the scaffold.

The Late Mr Ceosbxb Ward.—ln reference to the lamented death of this gentleman, the “Lyttelton Times” says; —The people of New Zealand will share in the feeling of profound sorrow with which we announce the death of Mr Crosbie Ward. The telegram which brings the news was transmitted from London more than three weeks after the departure of the mail which has now arrived in the colony. The date of the death is not mentioned, and unless it occurred before the departure of the Panama mail, on the 2nd November, no further information can be expected before the receipt of the ngxt mail via Suez. In ignorance of all particulars we must suppose that Mr Ward has succumbed to the disease under which he has been suffering for some years.

Charcoal —We commend the following paragraph from the “ Chemistry of Common Life ” by Professor Johnston ” to the notice of our readers“ When any part of a plant is heated in a close vessel, it gives off water, vinegar, and tarry matters, and leaves behind a black bulky coaly mass, known by the name of wood charcoal; or if billets of wood be heaped up in the open air, covered carefully over with sods, and ‘ smother’ burned, as it is called, with little access of air, the tar and other matters escape into the atmosphere, while the charcoal remains undissipated beneath the sod. This charcoal is in an impure farm of carbon. The manufacture-of wood vine gar collects the volatile substances as the more important products. The charcoal burner allows them to escape, the black object being what he seeks. Return of the Maoeies from Chatham Islands. —About 125 of the Ngatanui tribe of Maories who left New Zealand some forty years ago when driven by the Waikato invasion from their homes in Taranaki have returned to this country. These natives settled in the Chatham Islands where they conquered the Morioris. They are now leaving those islands on account of the fearful ravages the measles have been making among them..

Wellington Coach Facto y.—We are glad to notice that there is now in Wellington a mauufactury, where eveything in the way of running vehicles can be made alteiel or repaired in the most complete manner. The enterprising proprietor, Mr Black, has now been established in Wellington for over two years, and we are pleased to find that so far his venture has been a complete success. His establishment will now be ibund as complete in every detail as can be seen in any province of this colony. Cobb’s coaches that so frequently pass through this district, and along the West Coast line, have been built by Mr Black, and the numerous vehicles constantly turned out by him attest the confidence his patrons have in him.

Tramways.—We have been favored with a copy of the “ Hokitika Leader” containing an account of the West Coast tramways. We regret that we cannot insert it this week, but the matter is so interesting that we shall print it, in extenso, in our next issue as we feel sure it will be read with interest by all.

Disastrous Fire.—A destructive fire, unfortunately accompanied with loss of life took place in Wellinton on Friday morning, 20th inst. The fire originated in the house of Mr Moxham, well known here, having been for some time a settler in the Wairarapa. So rapidly did the flames spread, that before the father could get their children out, one little son of Mr Moxham’s was burnt to death. The scene must have been heartrending. We quote the following account from the “ Independent”: “Mr Moxham’s house with all it contained, was entirely consumed, and he himself, with his wife and famity, save one little boy, barely escaped with their lives. Unhappily, one little boy, of about five years of age; could not be got out of the house before the room in which it was lying in bed was a mass of smoke and flame, and then the distracted mother, who was about to push herself through the window cf the room in order to rescue her child, was held back by the two or three bystanders present at the time, who saw that such an attempt, if made, would inevitably involve the loss of two lives instead of one. This dreadful incident occurred in the early part of the conflagration, and it did not become generally known to those who where assisting to put out the fire until long after there could be any hope of saving the child’s life. When the house was reduced to ashes, a fireman named Fraser discovered the charred body of the child amongst th e remains of an iron bedstead; and it was removed to Gawith’s Hotel. The parents and the rest of the family, who escaped in their night-clothes, were taken in by the neighbors. The origin of the fire is unknown, but it is supposed to be from the kitchen chimney, which caught fire the morning, The house was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company for £200.” An inquest was held on the following day, when a verdict of accidental death was returned.

London Wool Report. —The following is the telegraphic wool report, and-a telegram also appears in the latest special “ that wool has fallen a penny lower.” Adding the considerable quantity afloat and the wools held over, the total of first band wools to be sold in will probably reach 80,000 bales, that figure will be further increased by the second brand parcels usually offered for sale at this time of year. The stagnation reported by the last maU continues unabated and extends over ail branches of business. Retail trade is especially suffering heavily from greatly restricted consumption, which losses of last twelve months have brought about. They look for low prices, more especially as stocks are ample, and as wools to be sold will offer but indifferent selection.