Woodville Examiner. PUBLISHED B1-WEEKLY.) FRIDAY, SEPT. 10, 1886.

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 282, 10 September 1886, Page 2

Woodville Examiner. PUBLISHED 81-WEEKLY.) FRIDAY, SEPT. 10, 1886.

An additional Catholic bishop is spoken of for New Zealand. The Police Force and Defence Acts, passed last session, come into operation on Saturday. David Mereer, an old resident at Puerua, was found lying on the fire, dead, in his house on Thursday. He was much burned. He had been ailing for some time. Mr Donald Gaise Larnach, 8.A., of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and son of the Hon. the Minister of Mines, is an English barrister just arrived from Home, and about to commence his profession in New Zealand. Miss Adelina Patti received a fee of MSOO from Lord Rothschild for singing three songs at his house, one Sunday evening recently. It is a fact that Madame Patti will not appear in public or private for less than this amount. A verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest at Dunedin, on Mrs Joyce, the sufferer by the fire on Friday morning. The evidence was to the effect that she w'as last seen at 7 o’clock the previous evening, when she had a very large fire burning in the shanty. In the case Forward v. The Queen, in which the plaintiff sued the Government for the value of a horse killed on the line near Makatoku, the R.M. gave his decision at Napier on Tuesday morning. He found that the engine driver had not been negligent, while the horse was a trespasser, and gave judgment for the defendant with costs and solicitor’s fee. At the inquest at Invercargill, on Mrs Kaill and child, the jury found that the deceased perished through the accidental , burning of the house. They added a rider commending the brave conduct of Flora M‘Leod, the servant who saved the three children. It was stated that the deceased could have been saved if the men present had exerted themselves, but this was denied by some of the witnesses. The Sydney Government have asked the New Zealand Government to send a sheep inspector and two men of approved experience in stock management to the conference at Sydney. Mr J. D. Lance has consented to go, and the Hon. W. S. Peter will probably be the other delegate. The inspector has not yet been selected, and there is a difficulty in giving one leave, as their hands are full to the utmost, dealing with the rabbit pest. The body of William Matterson, a member of the A.C. force, was taken out of the water near the breastwork at Waterlooquay, Wellington, on Sunday morning. There is nothing known as to how he got in the water, but Sunday afternoon, the deceased was spreeing about. Matterson was about 30 years of age. He was one of the Sydney contingent who went to file Soudan, and only a few days ago received a modal for his services. Says the Detroit Free Press Since the solemn summer of 1881 when Garfield was shot, forests were burned and a drought prevailed over nearly the whole country east of the Rocky Mountains, there has been nothing quite so threatening to its prosperity as the drought of this year. From the Upper Mississippi to the Atlantic there lias been little or no rain for six weeks. Combined with the heat of the past week it is blasting several of file crops. In this State it is, &3 USUlxl, complicated with fovest fires.

Ormondville is now proclaimed a separate licensing District. Mr C. Hall has sold his section in the Victoria Block to Mr H. Clarkson at £5 per acre. The railway contractors arc now laying out the siding and ikig station at the Tahoraito pah. Tenders are invited for falling 200 acres of hush at the Township of Ballancc, Mangahao, in 50 aero blocks.

Through the carelessness of the workmen at the Oroua Keretaki bridge, in letting a piledriver fall while vehicles were passing, there was a narrow escape from u serious accident on Wednesday. It will have been gratifying news to our readers to have seen that tenders were called in our last issue for the remainder of the Woodville section. As soon as the formation is done tenders will be called for the station buildings. It is still expected the line will be opened in February next.

We understand that the engine-shed at Tahoraite is to be shifted to 'Woodville, and the other station buildings there will be removed to Danevirke. A station master will then be placed there and it is intended to have the Post and Telegraph office at the station. This should be interesting and very satisfactory to the Danevirke people. We (Post) understand that the new Loan Act, and the usual authorities to the agents to raise the loan under it, were sent Home by the last ’Frisco mail, the day after the Governor’s assent was given to die Act. As to the precise date of placing the loan upon the market, the Government will doubtless be largely guided by the advice of the Crown agents.

No fewer than nine candidates —all “good men and true ” —have been nominated for the Town Board, viz, Messrs Bickerton, G. M. Campbell, T. Moore, J. J. Murphy, A. Peters, C. Sian, J. Sowry, and James Taylor. The ratepayers will have some| difficulty in selecting five to represent them on the Town Board.

In the foot-ball match at Masterton Sydney beat Wairarapa by six points to five. 1 Eeid scored a try, and McArthur potted a goal. Baumber scored try on the other side, and Endy kicked a goal. J. Pearly and Webster, local players, both met with accidents, and had to retire. The Wairarapa men played a splendid game, but the Sydney backs were rather the best.

For some months Mr Smith, has been incessant in urging on the Public Works Department the desirability of calling tenders for the formation of the section of line between the end of the Tamaki contract and the Woodville station, his besire being to make its completion simultaneously with the Tamaki contract a certainty. Tenders are now called for the work, which would suit a number of local contractors very well. At the Hastings R.M. Court on Saturday before Mr Preece, William Henry Harding was charged, on the information of Mr C. A. Fitzroy, Inspector of Sheep, with cruelty to animals, by omitting to supply 1000 sheep with sucffiient food. Mr E. H. Williams, who appeared on behalf of the information, stated that there was evidence that the sheep had been depasturing on 55 acres of laud, and over 20 had died of starvation. Accused pleaded guilty, and was fined Ml, and costs Ml 13s, or imprisonment for three days. The fine was paid.

After the eruption a large number of claims were sent in to the Government for assistance rendered in various ways, which it was thought at the time was done from pure sympathy and humanity. Some men asked as much as 15s a day for digging out buried people at Wairoa. Amongst others, J. Warbrick asked for the value of the boat which he had to abandon after his relief expedition across the lake. The Government have refused to recognise any of the claims, including Warbrick’s on the ground that they are not responsible for voluntary acts of private individuals. Other claims have been made for losses by the eruption, which the Government state they can no more recognise than they could the losses of sheep in the recent storms. Mention has been made two or three times in the papers of a curious fire burning within one of the hills near Makaretn. The fire has been burning tor nine or ten months. A correspondent writes us that it has now been extinguished. Last week a large number of settlers assembled and went in a party to the spot, sunk a shaft near the fire’s vent, dug a small race from a neighboring creek, and the wate rfound its way to the fire and quenched it. The digging of the shaft was unpleasant work, the ground being so hot and the steam so plentiful, that each man could work but short spells. The space through which theismoke issued was about four feet square, depth unknown. The combustible is supposed ta be coal, as the rock is coaly, and the smoke had a very offensive smell. In fact some of the men who were at work have been unwell since. —Evening News, Everyone has read of the goose that laid the golden eggs, but the Temuka correspondent of the Lyttelton Times tells of a goose which carried gold in its gizzard. He writes :—Some more gold has been found in Temuka, this time in the gizzard of a goose, which is probably a distant connection of the one that laid the golden eggs. An employe of Mr W. Chamberlam, of the Temuka Hotel, on opening the gizzard of a goose destined to figure at the dinner table, observed some shining particles which, on examination, proved to be gold of the sort known as “scaly.” There were three separate pieces, the weight of the whole three being, of course, but trifling. The goose was purchased from Mr Woodley, of Milford, and the gold has probably been picked up by the bird in some of the creeks in the neighbourhood. It is understood that the balance of the stock are likely to realise a handsome figure.

Horsemen should avoid entering the bed of the llupurupuwai stream below the bridge, it having been proved on Tuesday to contain a very dangerous pit of quicksand. Mr Gihnonr, the county overseer, wishing to examine the bridge (commonly knownas tire long bridge before coming to Bernie’s) rode Iris horse over the left bank below the structure and found himself and horse sinking rapidly into imknown depths. Jumping off and calling out for help had the effect of bringing two railway-laborers to his assistance just as the head of the horse was becoming the the only part of the animal visible. By much pulling and encouragement from the three men, and mighty efforts on the part of the intelligent horse the poor beast was at last extracted. If the call for assistance had not been responded to so promptly. Mr Gihnonr feels confident that both horse and rider would have been sucked down and buried. Wa understand that he is taking precautions so as to prevent a similar unpleasant occurrence falling to the lot of other unwary travellers.

The Maharahara and Woodville Load Boards will meet to-morrow. Mr Sian will hold an auction sale at 12 o’clock to-morrow. Mr Mayo has decided to keep his bookshop open for a few days longer. Tim examination of the Woodville Public School will take place on Monday and Tuesday next. The second daily mail to Napier will for the future close at 7.30 p.m., instead of 5 p.m., as heretofore. A Chicago printer was made a member of the A. 0. F. the other day, and the ceremony of initiation so frightened him that he soon afterwards died.

Mr Burnett’s temperance mission closed on Tuesday night, when the Theatre was packed. The total number of pledges taken in Woodville was 238. Messrs J. Burrows, H. W. Briggs, D. Crewe, J. S. Crimp, J. Hughes, A. Eeese, and W. Wakernan have been elected members of the Pahiatua Town Board. All those interested in the district school question should attend the meeting to-morrow at the Woodville School at 7.30 p.m. We have received from the Government Life Insurance Association their new pamphlet on the benefits to bo derived from insurance in the Association.

Presbyterian services will be conducted by Mr j. Millar Smith, on Sunday next as follows Morning at 11; afternoon service for children and friends; at in the evening at 0.30 an address especially for young women will be given. Thomas O’Donohne, living in a board-ing-house in Willis-street, Wellington, took a dose of opium on Tuesday morning, and died after removal to the hospital. lie stated that he was a medical practitioner, just come from Melbourne. Our Danevirke correspondent wires as follows :—At the quarterly meeting of the Licensing Bench yesterday the only business was an application from James Allardice for extension of time for closing till midnight, which was granted. The Waipukurau School Committee do not seem to get along very well with their master, and at the last meeting there was a row. The master interrupted the Committee’s business, and the chairman threatened to put him out of the room. It is probable more will be heard of the matter.

Four hundred laborers have been despatched from London to Western Australia b3 T a syndicate which has undertaken the construction of a line of railwciy in that colony. It will be a great pity if the Midland Railway Company of_ New Zealand should do the same, but if the “ unemployed ” and others refuse to work for what the contractors can afford to pay, what else can be expected ?

The work done on the Tamaki contract is being re-measured up, so that the contractors may have the amount of advance they are fairly entitled to. They are arranging to go on as actively as ever with the work. Messrs Mullinger and Brett are about the best contractors who have had anything to do with Hawke’s Bay railways, and they have pushed on their work very well since they have entered on their contract.

The total expenses of Mt Burnett mission at Woodville, including rent of hall printing, &c., were P’9 14s fid and the collections of all the meetings amounted to £d 12s 2d. showing a slight deficiency. At the close of the meeting on Tuesday Mr Burnett called for three cheers for Mr and Mrs Hawken, who had entertained him while in Woodville ; for the Woodville Volunteer Brass Band, and for all those who had assisted at the mission.

The statement that Mr. T. S. Weston is spoken of as a likely man for the position of 11. M. at Wellington reminds one (says the Cambridge News) of the time when that gentleman was the “ masher ” District Court Judge of New Zealand. The suaviter in modo of the Bench was extreme. For example, when Mr. Weston was on one trip to Westport in the diggings days, his Worship had before him a toothless and storm-beaten old hag for some crime or the other, and astounded those in Court by lisping in his most dulcet tones, “ Constable, will you give the lady a chair ?" During the month of August the relieving officer of Auckland distributed relief to'ViSS souls at a cost of T3Bl, or a rate of 4GOO for the year. During August, 1885, the cost for relief was only £220 The fine weather, allowing the municipal works to proceed, should relieve the distress. Professor Kirk will give work to twenty-four men at treeplanting at Rangitiri, and fifty more men will soon be taken on the railway works at Woodhill.

Mr C. M. Campbell, manager for Mr J. D. Ormond, was unconsciously severe on his employer at the meeting regarding the Examiner on Wednesday. He said there were only two jmen outside the district who took* an interest in it, meaning thereby Mr R. D. D. McLean and Mr T. Tanner. He therefore admitted that Mr J. I). Ormond, who formerly represented the district, and has a most valuable landed estate m it, takes not a bit of interest in it. He draws out of it all the money he can and send back as little as jiossilile. These are the men that ruin a district.

The Land Board have decided to recommend Government to appoint Mr Boyden steward of the village special settlement at Pahiatua, as it is found that Mr Mackay, the Board’s Ranger, who at present holds the appointment, cannot devote sufficient time and attention to the duties. Mr Boyden is foreman of the works at Pahiatua for the Survey Department, and is said to be well qualified for position of steward of the village settlement recently established in that district. The Board have also resolved to expend a sum of money for felling bush on Crown lands along the main road in the Pahiatua district. Both resolutions were arrived at on the motion of Mr M'Cardle.—Post.

At the ordinary monthly meeting of the Maunga-atua Road Board held on Wednesday evening, there were present Messrs Carlile (chairman), Campbell, Harris, Sian and Troup. A communication from the Treasury was read, intimating that the balance of the subsidy (iTo Is 8d) had been remitted to the Bank of New Zealand to the Board’s credit. A letter was read from the agent of the Bank rc Board’s account; also from the County Council recommending the Board to apply for the 7d per cent ot the subsidy for the present year, which the Beard resolved to do. Tenders were opened for road work on Ormond’s-road, but as they wore considered too high, it was resolved to call for fresh tenders to be in by Tuesday week. On the motion of Mr Harris the clerk was directed to to the County Council re the flooding of the road near the Ngawapum bridge in consequence of the now road formation. The accounts were passed for payment, and the Board adjourned.

The Church concert at Dancvirke on Wednesday was a great success. Mr Carlile informs us that dogs are making a raid on his sheep. This is very annoying to stockowners. The Commissioner of Crown Lands having reported that the To Ohu Block is unlit for a special settlement, being too rough, the block will now bo thrown open on the deferred payment system. Mr Smith, M.ll.R.,has received a let ter from Mr Ballance stating that the remaining allotments in the Woodvillo Village Settlement will he open in a few davs.

Mr Cf. Thomas, manager for Mr H. R. Holder the other day showed us a lamb which had two districts heads attached to one body. The monstrosity was of course dead.

It is again reported that Major Gudgeon is to be appointed head of the Police force in the Colony, whilst Sir Geo. Whitmore will continue to act as commander of the defence force.

At Christchurch on Wednesday Captain Cotton, who undertook to walk 100 miles in 24 hours, completed the distance with an hour, all but three minutes, to spare.

A man named Crilly was killed some time ago on the Winton line, and a publican has been fined £5 by the R.M. for allowing the deceased to leave the hotel while in a state of intoxication.

The Wanganui Chronicle states : —The police are on the trail of a female fortuneteller, who is reported to have squeezed sundry half-crowns out of some guileless and confinding maidens, whose verdancy rendered them an easy prej' for the amateur gipsy woman. About a dozen families intend going from Christchurch to Hokianga to embark in the fruit-growing business. Mr James Morrell goes North to-morrow to make enquiries as to the suitability of the district for fruit-growing and the amount of capital required.—Christchurch Exchange. The following tenders have been received for the post and telegraph oilice at Waipawa ;—Accepted Allan I ranee, £322. Declined —Walter Maddison, £332 ; John Adams, £3(59; W. Coles, £361; James M'Connachie, £437. They are all Waipawa tenderers. An adjourned meeting of the promoters of the Examiner Newspaper Company was held at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday last, and it was decided to adjourn the meeting till that day fortnight, and that Messrs T. Moore, Burnett and Sowry should be a committee to ascertain what shares were likely to be taken up outside. Mr Sowry was in the chair.

A telegram from Invercargill on Tuesday say :—An alarming accident occured on the unemployed section of the Seaward Bush line yesterday. A man named Patrick Hogan was softening dynamite in warm water for the purpose of blowing up tree stamps. Pie was in the act of attaching the cap when the matter exploded. Fortunately Hegan missed the direct force of the charge, but Hogan was seriously cut about the face and arm. His trousers were completely torn off him, but oddly without injuring the skin. He was removed to the hospital, and is doing well.

The following racy story comes by mail: —The Prince and Princess of Wales visited the East End of London to open the People’s Palace. Various indications of welcome were posted at different places on the road, but nothing tickled the Prince so much as the legend displayed by the witty proprietor of the Queen’s Arms —“ where you had your first drink.” The joke was immense. The Princess did not see it at first, but the Prince evidently gave her a hint, and the richness of the rough yew Ac mot at once brought a laugh to her face, and kept her in a state of smiling good humor for long after.