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Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 104, 31 December 1872, Page 2

There will be a sale of cattle by Mr John Knox, on the 2nd January, at Ngaruawahia. The outward San Francisco Mail will be made up in Auckland, an the 4th January. Letters and papers will, therefore, have to be posted in the Waikato in time to be carried to Auckland by Thursday morning's coach. As will be soen by advertisement, there will be horseracing and other sports at Ngaruawaliia, on New Year's Day. There is not quite so mujh money to spend as on the last occasion, but a good day's sport may nevertheless be anticipated. A correspondent signing himself " Visitor," informs us that the little township of Eangiriri was not behind hand in organising sports for Boxing-day. A few visitors were present from town and there was a very fair muster of natives. The programme consisted of three horse races, followed by foot and canoe competitions. There was no hitch to mar the enjoyment of all present. This was mainly owing to the exertions of Mr Sherley, who was indefatigable in getting the sports Ui i and in seeing them properly carried out. We trust, nest year, that we shall be called upon to report a Waikato Race Meeting. It is only necessary to organise an active Turf Club to canvass for subscriptions and take some trouble, and sufficient money could be raised to induce owners of good horses to send them up to compete. The grand stand and race-course are ready. The childish jealousy of the people of one settlement of those of anothor is the principal cause of there being no races. We trust next year that the settlers will show that they are a step in advance of school-boys as regards the knowledge of what conduces to their own interests. On Saturday a sweepstake rifle match took place on the range at Hamilton. Entrance 5s ; ranges 400, 500, and 600 yards; position any ; 5 shots at each range. The following are the names of the competitors and their scores:— 400vds 500 yds 600 yds Total. J. Kirk 17 13 11 41 W. Coleman 16 14 9 39 J. Blake 14 11 10 35 A. Stronach 17 9 5 31 W. Murray 11 6 9 26 McConnell 15 8 3 26 C. Johnstonn 3 9 7 19 The first prize, 15s, was, therefore, won by Kirk, with a very good score of 41 points; second prize, 10s, won by W. Coleman; third prize, ss, won by J. Blake; fourth prize, ss, won by Stronach. We are rather surprised that we have not more matches of this sort to chronicle, as it would be a much more healthy and pleasant manner of spending time, which sometimes hangs heavily on men's hands, particularly during the holidays, than the "manner in which it is usually frittered away. We have been looking for some time back for some sign of life in the Waikato Rifle Association, but all in vain. We think it must bo due to the lethargy displayed by the central committee, as we understand that a considerable number had become membcrs of the associationsome months sincc. It is high time that something was done by- the central committee. We suggest an early meeting to arrange for a match, as the shooting season is pretty far : advanced.

Great inconvenient is experienced by tho Trustees of Road Boards by the delay tuat -yearly takes place before informing them of the amount allocated to each. Works that could bo executed mo.e cheaply during the summer months are in consequence obliged to be delayed till tue winter. Tnere are BUivly plenty of clerks iu the government offices to do this very «implo work it the head of our government is too much engaged to give his attention to it. On Boxing Day, at Hamilton, a daughter of Mr Carthy got sunstroke, from the ell'ects of which sue was unconscious lor an hour and a lialf, and the medical gentleman in attendance was about to resort to bleeding when consciousness returned. She still remains in a precarious state, and is contined to her bed in a dark room. We trust that this will be a wa-'ning to parents not to allow their children to go out without some covering to their heads. A very heavy thunderstorm passed over this district ou Sunday altevnoou. Tue temperature has since been a little more bearable than has been the case lor the last week. Tue thermometer has marked as high as 87 in the shade, iiam is very much wanted for the potatoes and other bulbous crops, but as some of our farmers have commenced cutting their wheat and oais, we are at a loss whether to wish for ram or eontmedd lair weather. Our Hamilton correspondent writes:—"Considerable eleeti ieai disturbances have occurred lately. On Saturday j aucruoou an e" c witness reporteuthat at Piako the lightning I was lemue, setting tire to the fern in several places, anu I when the ram came it was almost as black as midnight. Every one in Hamilton anticipated tuat the same shower ! would have readied us, but unfortunately for the grass and ] potatoes it did not come. Ram is now very mucu wanted, ] and unless it comes soon potatoes will be almost a failure, l and grass is rapidly getting scorched up.

On Friday, 27th inst., the brethren of Lodge Beta, No. •150, 1.C., assembled at the lodge in the Royal Hotel, East Hamilton, to celebrate St, John's Festival. The following brethren' Were installed in office lor .the ensuing six months: —J. K. McDonald, W.M.; J. E. Campbell, SAY.; S. GrahamyJ.W.; J. Short, S.D.; —Burgess, J.'D'.; and S. Ticklepenny, l.Gr. The ceremony of installing the YV.M. was conducted by P.M. Cumming, assisted by P.M.'s Q\ B. Beere, R. Harris", and F. Gandm. The installation of the other officers was then performed by the YV.M., and lodge closed. At 7.30 p.m. the brethren sat down to a dinner prepared in Bro. (Juin ning's usual sumptuous style, in fact the tables groaned under the good tilings of this life, to which ample justice was done. The usual loyal and masonic toasts were proposed and most heartily responded to ; after which a number of songs, speeches, and toasts were given. The party did not separate till a rather advanced hour the iollowing morning, when all retired to their respective homes well satisfied with the manner in which they had passed the night. At Hamilton on Boxing Day a good programme of foot sports 'which was not published) was got through. The counter-attractions of horse races and foot sports advertised to be held at Ngaruawahia on the same day took away a number of residents. Tho various prizes were well contested for, and during the intervals the Waikato ltitle Volunteer Band, under Bandmaster Shanaghan, played very nicely a number of pieces suitablo lor tho occasion, and to tue evident satisfaction of the small number of people present in consequence of the committed having failed to give public notilkalion that there would be sports at all. -'Those who took upon themselves the office of committee-men should have learned the lesson that unless public entertainment > are advertised the attendance is certain to bo small. Mr Charles Jeffs, of the Wade, has left at our office a bundle of ears of wheat grown upon his farm, which gives a good indication what that district canproduco in the growth of cereals. The ears are largo and well developed, and we believe, from the appearance of tnc wheat, it will weigh well when it is thrashed. Mr Joff states that the wheat was grown from Adelaide seed perfectly clean,Ja.id was grown on new land which had never produced a crop before. It was sown in April without manuro of any kind, but the ground was previously well drained. The soil had not been reduced to a good seed bed, for be inl'ormod us that the land was so rough that he had to harrow tho seed in with one of Howard's heavy dray-harrows, weighing 3cwt. He believes the crop will yield largely per acre, but, as this is not yet ascertained, he has promised to inform us of the yield at a future time. The sample of wheat can now be seen at our publishing office, and should be examined by all having an interest in agricultural matters. —D. S. Cross. The heaviest engineering difficulties on our Waikato railway line are gradually disappearing. As anticipated from the commencement, the cutting of the tunnel through the hill in the Domain was the chief difficulty on this end of the line. Tins obstruction is fast disappearing beneath the wellapplied action of the miner's pick, and the cleared space is having the sides built up with scoria, and the roof arched over with brickwork, as soon as the earth has been removed. Yesterday there remained but 132.feet at the Auekland end of the tunnel in an unfinished state. Of this, however, there were 12 i'eet cleared out to the full width, and the masons were awaiting the arrival of the necessary stones to build up the sidewalls, thus leaving about 120 feet to cut out. As j there will be but two faces for the/workmen to be engaged upon now, the speed will not bo ao rapid as formerly when theie was sufficient length of unfinished work to have four j separate parties of workmen ei/igaged. However, it is ! expected that tne work eonnectec| with tho tunnel will be I iinished in about six weeks' timei All along the portion of the tunnel that is finished thore ,'jre left ".man-holes" every 60ft or 70ft. The " man-holes" ,:j.re nine inchcs in the side of the wall sufficiently large enough to enable a person to get into in the event ol him being overtaken by a train while in the tunnel. The work appears to be of a substantial character, so lar as it has been completed.—lbid. The Agent-General has been instructed by tho Government to ship from Great Britain to New Zealand an aggregate of emigrants equal to 8,000 adults during 1873. Of these 2,250 are for Canterbury. The Inebriates Bill lately passed in Melbourne provides that on application being made to a Judge of County Courts he may issue an order calling on a person addicted to habitual drunkeness to appear before him to show cause why he should not be committed to tho Inebriates' Retreat. During the debate on the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill in Melbourne, a Mr Riddell opposed the measure, because if a man on the death of his wife did not follow it up by proposing to her sisters, one after another, he would be called a shabby fellow. This expression of opinion was received with roars of laughter from all parts of tho House.