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Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1024, 16 January 1879, Page 2

Me Sheeuan" at the Thames. — We publish elsewhere the speech of Mr Sheehan at the banquet given to him at Grahamstown on Monday night last. As far as they refer to the Thames- Waikato railway, the remarks of the Native Minister are as full of interest for Waikato as for Grahamstown, and that immediate action is being taken m making the necessary surveys for the letting of contracts is matter of general congratulation, despite, the croaking prognostications of an Opposition Wellington journal that the traffic on the line would never pay for grease for the wheels. The facts of the case arc likely to be very different. The Thames is not a producing, but a consum ing district, and the consumer of much that can be exported from Waikato— coal, meat, grain, and other agricultural produce. In meat alone, the traffic will be large. Last year, there were slaughtered at the ihaines, as the slaughterhouse returns will show, 1,748 head of cattle, 8,612 sheep, and 958 pigs, by far the largest proportion of which came from outside that district, but few from Piako and Waikato. With a railway 'opened to Waikafco, there would be a continuous and regular supply of meat to Grahamstown. The same rule applies equally m other matters, and indeed the wonderfully increasing traffic -which has marked the opening of the Auckland- Waikato railway since it has been fairly carried into Waikato shows what may be looked for m opening-up another grand stretch of country, such as the Piaka and Upper Thames districts, with a mar et. Tub Hamilton West Distrbt Public Sohooi will re-open on Mouday next, the 20th inst. Mbssbs J. D. & K. Him. will offer for sale, on Saturday n3xt, at their auction mart, Hamilton, American waggons, spring carts, drays, flour, oats, baojn,and a variety of produce. Messrs Huxi-:b & Nolas's Oattle sale and Sheep Fair will be held to-day, at Ohaupd. A Public Meeting, for the re-establish-ment of the Saturday's Mail, will be held m the Whatawhata School-hov e, on Saturday next. Texdebs for clearing and ploughing about fifty acres of fern land, at Hautapu, will be received by Mr T. Paton, until the 3 1st hist. Ax Exhibition, entitled the Little World, a Marionette performance, is open every evening, m the premises, Hamilton, lately occupied as a chemist and druggist, and which have been the cause of so much litigation. Thebe were three cas33 at the Hamilton Police Court, yesterday morning. Walter Luckman, remanded trom Cambridge, on the charge of being of unsound mind, and who seemed to be suffering from delirum tremens, was still further remanded to the 17th. John (Jordan and Margaret Gordan, his wife, were charged, the former with being drunk, and the latter with being drunk and disorderly. John Gordan was fined 5s and costs. The lady, who had been violent, and had to be removed to the station m a vehicle, was fined 10s and costs. This contractors are getting along with the foundations of the traffic bridge. Barge-loads of large stone are being brought alongside the excavation made m the eastern bank of the river, and the stone is beiug packed closed together, and will be cemented m a solid foundation of rock. In the river, the pile-driver is at work, and some fourteen or fifteen piles have been driven. A I'OUBTEEN-YBAE-OLD girl waß a wilmss iv a recent Indiana divorce suit, and a portion of her evidence was as follows : — " Father got mad because mother starched his stockens. Mother picked up the atockens and hit father on the head with them, and it sounded as though they were sticks of wood. Father then stuffed a hot wheat cake down mother's throat, then mother set the dog on father, and twisted the dog's tail to make him bite harder. On Monday morning, the Waikato passenger up-traiu ran off the line, just after leaving Mercer for Auckland, through the points not being turned. One engine and two coal trucks ran on the main line, the passenger cars turned off into the siding ; the fore part of the train was thus running on one line of rails, the hinder part on a different line The engine was going- at a good speed, and coald not be brought up very quickly Amid considerable swaying of carriages, the passengers were much alarmed, and on a cry being raised " to jump !" all the passengers scrambled to the doors, and jumped out. Thero were forty or fifty people on tho train, and as the incident occurred near a bank, there was good excuse for the alarm felt. The rails were twisted, and will have to be replaced with, new one, ,

iJfIiSAT Brti'i'Aitf having 1 entered into one of her periodical commercial crises, it may bo interesting to our re iders to learn witn what regularity this ommercial cycle comes round. England has had pauias ia 1797, 1807, 1817, 1826, 1837, 1817. 1857, 1856, and now again m 1878. The term of prosperity has lasted longer this time than on former occasions, but the inevitable cyole has completed itself, and England is once more m tlu throes of a 0 >mmercial crisis. Ix is probable that the railway authorities may have some little trouble with that portion of the line m the Hukuhia swamp, between Hamilton and Ohaupo, just as the contractor, Mr Tophain, had about the same spot/ The break m the line, oa this occasion, is not the same, but, is close to the spot, and appears of a kindred nature. It has, probably, been caused by the late heavy rains coming after long continued drought, the swamp on this part of the line being of a very treacherous character. Men are kept upon the spot watching for, and repairing any damage, after the passing of a train, raising the rails when I necessary, and re-paoking the sleepers. The largest single stamp as yet printed iti New Zealand was shewn to the 'Herald,' on Saturday. Jts value is £7305. It was printed specially, says our contemporary, to affix to the probate m Captain Reid's estate, the above amount being the stamp duty assessed upon it. Captain Reid'B property was estimated at under £100,000, out the Government not being satisfied with ths valuation, Mr T. Cotter, the present Deputy-Commissioner of Stamps, went to Gisborne to investigate matters. The result of his visit was an increase m the value to nearly £150,000, at which amount the estate was passed. Captain Reid came to New Zealand as cook, m one of the sailing vessels, and subsequently settled at Poverty Bay, at which place, m consequence of the influence he had obtained, he received the appellation of " King of Poverty Bay." Hid success shews to what positions of affluence colonists may attain by energy and perseverance. A Meeting of the Hamilton Contingent of the Te Awamutu Cavalry Volunteers took place on Saturday last, for the purpose of electing another officer, to which the Troop is now entitled, according to its strength. There was a good muster of the members, some thirty-five being present, and Sergeant Johnson was proposed and nominated, by aoclamation. The office of Senior-Sergfc. haying thus become vacant, by the promotion of Sergeant Johnson, Trooper Peter Walker was elected to that position. Sub-Lieut Johnson m acknowledging the gratification he felt at being placed m so proud a position, could, only assure the members that he would endeavour to do his duty by the Troop, for, whether as officer, or iv any other capacity, he would have the interests of, the Corps at heart. It was also decided that, weather permitting, the Troop should go three days into camp, during the next drill, m May. Football. — Referring to the proposed visit of an English football team, the Wellington ' Chronicle ' says : — The proposed visit of a representative team of footballers from England is an event of more than ordinary importance m the world of athletics. There can be no doubt that the game of football, as piayed m New Zealand, is not nearly what it should be. There is m it too much of brute force and too little of skill. Whilst this continues, the game will never become popular, except amongst those reckless people whose greatest pleasure is m courting danger. Everyone knows what a highly beneficial influence on cricket the visits of the various All-England Elevens have exercised. The recent triumphs of the Australians m England were mainly due to the stimulus given to the splendid game through these visits. The advent of an English football team to Australasia would act m like manner on football. The total cost of the expedition would be very small compared with the advantages which would accrue from it. New Zealand's share would be only £1000. Of this sum, Auckland is willing to contribute one-fourth. Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin should not be more niggardly than the Northern city m the aftair. They all are m a more prosperous condition than she is. A paper, by De Hector, read before the Philosophical Society, on Saturday eveniug, gives a somewhat romantic description of the discovery of. a new species of tree, Pomurlsris, made during his recent visit to Makau. Dr Hector was much interested m hearing from the natives that a peculiar tree was growing on the spot where their ancestors fiiMt camped when they abandoned the " Tainui " canoe, m which they came from Hawaiki, and that this tree had sprung from the rollers, or skids, and the green boughs that were brought as flooring to this great canoe. On his doubting this, they offered to take him to the place, and if he could not recognise the tre« as being found elsewhere m New Zealand, they would consider it as a proof that the tradition was correct. To his surprise, they took him to a clump of trees which had previously attracted his attention, from its similarity to an old apple orchard, and, as it certainly was a tree quite distinct from any hitherto described from New Zealand, the tradition receives a certain amount of confirmation, Dr Hector added that he need hardly point out that if it were true, and we could hereafter determine the original habitation of this tree, it might give us a clue to the whereabouts of the mythical Hawaiki, or the place from whence the Maori originally migrated to New Zealand. Mr. Kirk, F.L.S., who opened the discussion on the paper, spoke of the discovery being of great interest, but was inclined to believe the plant would prove identical with an Australian species, notwithstanding its larger size. In other parts of New Zealand, the natives had traditions that certain trees were the paddles of canoe-poles, which had been fixed m the grouud on lauding, and had taken root.