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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 62, 20 February 1877, Page 2

The Peninsula Jockey Club races, we would specially remind our readers, commence on Thursday next, and some excellent sport may be looked for. A large number of horses have entered, and it is probable all the entries will start. Mr. Franks will cater for the hungry and thirsty pleasure seekers, and we hope that he will display sufficient enterprise to erect a marquee, or provide other accommodation for the reception of the large number of visitors who mil doubtlessly be present during the two days races, providing the weather should prove propitious. The committee have engaged the services of a brass band, whose enlivening strains will be certain to add to the enjoyment of the meeting. In the absence of telegraphic communication, we have made arrangements through the courtesy of Mr. J. H. Wood, for the services of carrier pigeons, who will convey the result of the various events of the day on their fleeting wings for publication in Friday's Mail.

Captain Andrews of the s. s. Taranaki was in a violent hurry to leave this port on Sunday last, his stay not extending beyond an hour and a-half. From the time she sounded her first whistle till she swung from the wharf, not more than eight minutes could have elapsed, the consequence being that intending passengers residing at a distance lost their passages. The Captain was informed by the agent that there would be three passengers down in a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, and piomised to wait, but in less than a minute he countermanded his orders, and steamed off. There was no possible excuse for his anxiety to reach Lyttelton, as he had ample time to catch the 2.30. p.m. train, he haviftg left the wharf before 9 a m., and adetention of twenty minutes could in no way have inconvenienced him. The captain's preciptant action may not be regarded at head quarters as in the interests of the company, and possibly it may bring about an improvement in his conduct in the future. One day last week, a Sting Ray (Trygon Pastinaca), was caught in Akaroa Harbour by a fisherman, measuring sft. 6in. long, and 4ft. sin. in breadth, and weighing about 2 cwt and a-half. A short description of this fish might prove interesting to our readers. It very much resembles a skate in general appearance, but has a tail which it has the power of twisting round its victim, at the same time giving it fearful wounds with the serrated spine protruding therefrom. With this spine the South Sea Islanders tip their spears. Mr. Lambert has pnrchased the fish and sent it to the Museum at Christchurch. On Sunday, between 3 and 4o'clockinthe afternoon, we had a very severe thunder storm. It is somewhat remarkable that at some parts of Akaroa there was scarcely any; rain, while near the post-office there was a perfect deluge, the drops being of an immense size. The lightning we witnessed was very brilliant, and the thunder was no less grand. Upon the ranges. a rock was seen to be struck and split into fragments but did no harm. The storm cleared up at 4 o'clock. We are told that there was no storm at the Head of the Bay. i

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Friday last, the Bench delivered judgment in the case of Ivess v. Fry and Barker. This was an action to recover the sum of £35, being the value of a horse lost through defendants' negligence. The Bench gave judgment for £25, with costs, remarking that it was evident Fry and Barker were responsible for the loss of the horse, which had strayed away and met its death owing to the defective fences. The case of Thompson and Co. v. Hewer was. adjourned till next Court day, in consequence of the illness of defendant. In consequence of the pending dissolution of partnership between Fry and Barker, our old friend Mr. Bobert Main will cease to occupy the box of the Pigeon Bay coach, after being whip for the last 12 months. This will be much regretted by all those who have had occasion to ride that way. A more careful driver, and a more polite man to his passengers we have seldom met, and we have no doubt that it is owing to his care that we have had no accident to record during his long connection with Fry'and Barker. He will certainly carry away with him the good wishes of the riding public, and we hope he will soon secure another engagement. Our only consolation in his giving up his post, is, that Mr. J. M'Farlane, our friend of the Christchurch coach, will occupy his place. As will be seen by our advertising columns, a cricket match will take place on Saturday next, 24th inst. Eastern versus Western side of Akaroa Harbour. The names of the gentlemen to do battle for the East are published. Report says they are a strong team. We wish both sides fine weather. The withdrawal of direct steam communication between Akaroa and Timaru has been very severely felt by orchardists this season. Tons of apples, pears, and plums are lying rotting on the ground for want of a market. Dunedin seems the only one open to Akaroa, and the low prices there are not sufficiently encouraging to warrant exportation to any large extent. The nomination of a member, to serve in the room of Mr. Priest on the Okain's Road Board, took place on Saturday last, when Messrs. James Boleyn and Edward William Harris were duly nominated. The polling will be held on Saturday next,, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. We ought to be glad to see the demands that are made upon the Government Jetty for storage room for grass seed. It is very likely to be inconveniently crowded for some little time. There are at present a considerable number of bags awaiting the Wanaka, which will now trade regularly between here and Napier. That district seems to have a great demand for grass seed, and is our best market. There will be a tea meeting in connection with the Presbyterian Church, at the Town Hall to-morrow night. The Eevds. Elmslie, Gillies, M'Gregor, and Douglas, will address the meeting. The -name of Mr. Elmslie appearing on the programme will give a certain amount of attraction to the meeting. Calcutta sweeps on the Peninsula Races will be drawn at Franks' Hotel, to-morrow evening. A recent issue of the Poverty Bay Herald . says . —" We hear that several thousand pounds worth of grass seed has been saved this season, the Maories alone having gathered £2000 worth." A late telegram tells, however, that this seed was all lost by the late heavy rains. ' : "Tax the large estates" is a cry raised by the Wanganui Herald, which contends that such properties have enormously increased in value through the operation of the public works policy, apart from any exertion, skill or expenditure on the part of the owner. " Compare," it says, " two periods, 1870 and 1876, and it will be found that land at the former period worth £1 an acre is now worth £3, yet does not carry a single sheep more. But though wo believe estates running from 5000 to a quarter of a million acres each are blighting the country and may ruin it in the same sense as the big estates ruined Italy, yet we have not proposed anything but a fair tax to meet the demands of the present financial crisis."

They understand the art of advertising in Omaha. In that enterprising town of the Far West, as we learn from an American paper, an individual is printing an edition of the Prayer Book, which he gives away to every attendant at church. The righthand page contains the usual prayers ; the left-hand is allotted to advertisements! Another person was endeavouring to purchase the privilege of using the outsides of the pulpits for posting the merits of a patent baby jumper. The same journal is responsible for the statement that in Chicago the backs of the policemen are let to advertisers by the Town Council. A singular accident happened to a horse at the Hutt lately. A man caught it by the mane, but through some sudden fright, it reared up, and fell over, apparently breaking its back. Mr W. Walter has given the name Hippocampus to the three-year old colt by Dainty Ariel ont of Fanny Fisher. If the ugliness of Pungawerewer's name had anything to ,dp with her winning the last Dimedin Cup Hippocampus must have a great show for it this year. The name, which is half Greek and half Latin, signifies " fieldhorse."—Dunedin Star.

There is at present confined in the Gundagai goal (relates the Southern Argus) an individual who rejoices in the euphonious name of Charles Le Grande Eedmayne. He is serving a sentence of one month for stealing a ring, under peculiar circumstances from James Forde, of Gundagai, in May last. From the evidence given when the prisoner was charged with the crime before the police court, it appeared that he was arrested in Yass on the 18th of December last, and remanded to Gundagai. In reply to the charge, prisoner said he was an acrobat,. and earned his living by travelling from town to town giving performances, which partly consisted in swallowing any article the audience might desire. Forde gave him the ring, and he had swallowed it, but could not get it up again, and therefore of course could not return it to the owner. He further asserted that he could swallow a bagful if he got them. He is at present being treated by Dr. M-Killop, visiting surgeen at Gundagai gaol, with the view of making him disgorge a large steel albert chain and a common brass ring. The chain can be distinctly felt at the bottom of the stomach, and he says it is now nine months since he swallowed it. and it is, the only one he has had any difficulty about. He says he has two pounds' weight of jewellery in his stomach and that he has had watches in his stomach as long as twenty-four hours. Mr. Benton, the gaoler, has a collection of steel and brass abert chains, penknives, brass &c, which he said he had succeeded in making the patient vomit, by means of powerful emetics. A link of one of the steel chains had been broken by the action of the stomach. Eedmayne is an intelligent young man, twenty -three years of age, and he gives a graphic and amusing account of his exploits. Dr. M'Killop entertains fears that it will not be possible to remove the chain that still remains in his body, and that it will eventually cause inflamation of the bowels and death.

A special meeting of the Grey County Council was called for the purpose of electing a Chairman in the room of Mr. Guinness unseated. Only two members, Messrs Woolcock and Taylor, were present. The Grey River Argus states that: " There are some features about this matter, which call for very severe criticism, and which are calculated to bring the whole Council into deserved public contempt. It is no matter for surprise that there was no quorum on Monday, except on the ground that persons elected to perform responsible public duties, should directly evade them ; for it was no secret that it was the intention of a majority of the Council to allow the meeting to lapse, and to make no fresh election of Chairman until the new election for Marsden was settled—the idea no doubt being to keep the seat warm for Mr. Guinness. The Wellington Districts Highway Board have hit upon a way of evading that provision of the Rating Act which requires that every ratepayer shall receive notice of the valuation. The clause contains a proviso " that the omitting to give such notice shall not invalidate any such valuation ;" and therefore the Board decided to save the expense of postage, which would have exceeded £10, and give ho notice.

There was considerable amusement caused in reading over the applications for the appointment for Secretary to the Tuapeka County Council. The local paper says that some of the letters were of a most extraordinary character. For instance, one gentleman named Miles, from the Emerald Isle, stated that he was sure he would please them. His father was a rector in Waterford, and he would be prepared to go bail for him. Another person, anxious to secure the coveted appointment got a friend to telegraph to the secretary recommending him ; but, like a pressman in Dunedin who once sent a telegram on his own business, he made the message 'collect,' and the Chairman had Is 10d to pay up. Some fun was also caused by the Chairman skipping a page in reading an applicant's letter. The writer stated that he had been nine years in the Colony, and was sober and industrious. He further intimated that he had been engaged three years elsewhere. The Chairman read the letter as follows : ' I have been nine years in the Colony and three of which sober and industrious.' Of course the mistake' Avas soon discovered. ;