Local and General.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 541, 20 September 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

Tub San Francisco Mail.—This mail arrived at Auckland on Sunday last.

Tripoli. — Attention is called to an article which appeai-s elsewhere announcing the discovery of a valuable bed of. Tripoli at Wainui. Educational. —The Inspector of Schools, Mr W. L. Edge, has been examining the Peninsula Schools during the past fortnight, arid yesterday commenced the inspection of the Borough School. Gough's Bay.—A couple of men, named I-leatbcote and H. S. Taylor, who were working together at bush clearing in Gough'e Bay, both met with an accident on Friday last. Taylor fell and sprained his ancle so severely that he had to be sent to the Hospital, and an hour afterwards Heathcote's axe slipped, and nearly cut off the great toe of his right foot. Lyttjslton Building Society. —We have received the eleventh] annual report of this society, which is very satisfactory. After providing for all possible liabilities, the year's transactions show a profit of £413, which makes the total amount to the credit of the. profit and loss account £19:-9. The annual meeting of the society takes place on the 27th inst. Gymnastics.—lt must be a great matter of surprise to those interested in educational matters on the Peninsula to know that it is a very long time since the officer appointed by the Board to superintend the " muscular Christianity " of our children has visited some of our schools. Owing to his long absence the gymnastic apparatus is in many cases falling to dec.ty, and the little drill which was originally learnt is becoming a tradition of the past.

Funeral of Mr Moorhouse. — This gentleman was buried on Saturday in the Ricoarton Churchyard. The shops in the streets of Ohristchurch through which the funeral passed were all closed. There were an immense number of mourners, and over 100 carriages formed part of the procession. Mr Moorhouse was the first member elected to the House of Repic sentatives, his constituency being Akaroa.

Accident.—Mr John Graecier, a wellknown resident in the Peninsula, we regret to say, met with a rather serious accident yesterday, at Mr H. Haylock's, Onuku Kaik, where lie was employed jnflermining an embankment. After cutting into the bank for some distance, the overhanging earth slipped away, and on Mr Graecier being taken out it was found that one of his arms was bruised. The patient was seen by Dr Singleton, who pronounced that the only injury sustained waa a fracture of the left arm,

Fir is at the Domain.—Last Saturday afternoon some boys playing with matches set fire to the large accumulation of gorse outside the Domain on the Cemetery road A considerable part of the Domain fence lias been destroyed, and had it not been for the prompt action of ,i few persons in the neighborhood at the time, a great many of tne trees in the western part of the Domain might have been destroyed. The wind at the time being fortunately light, not much damage was done, and the prompt action of those on tho spot prevented any serious results. Parents should be careful to see that their children arc not in the possession of matches to amuse themselves with on Saturday afternoons, as the effects might be ruinous to parents,, and. public property might be seriously injured.

Boating Cmhj.—Tlio-.e iiitetv.sie.l in the i'oninlion ol : a boating club for Akfuoa are leanest u>l lo meet at Brnce's Hotel on Saturday. Salk of Fi:ickiio!j> PuoricßTY. —We hoar that Mr Henry Mngee, of Long Bay. has sold hit* p opeity there to the Messrs Lyoas Brothers at £4 10s per acre. Thk L H'tAitY. —As will he seen by advertisement, some unprincipled person has taken a magazine from the Library table. It is to be hoped that it will be immediately returned, that unpleasant consequences may not ensue. Physiognomy.—This evening Mr G. E. Hugo delivers his last lecture on Physiognomy in the Town Hall. His subject is the " human face " in all its variety of aspects, expressions, and shapes. He will seek to instruct his hearers in the wonderful art of deciphering those-mysterious hieroglyphics which nature has imprinted on external man. The lecture will bo as interesting for ladies as for gentlemen. Mr Hugo will lecture at the Head of the Bay School, to-morrow night.

an Unfortunate Child.—A poor little boy, the child ot Mr Robert Smith, who is working for Mr Smith, owner of the saw mills at Waikerakikari; mot with a sad accident on Saturday last. The parents of the sufferer reside in a whare close to the tramway which runs from the mill to the beach with the timber, and opposite the house the rails are raised some three or four feet above the level of the ground' About 4 p.m. on Saturday Mrs Smith, who was engaged in domestic matters, missed one of her children, a littlo boy, just fourteen months old, who had been playing in the house three cr four minutes before, and going out of tho door, met a man named Taylor, who was employed in driving one of the trollies on the tramway, who exclaimed, "Oh, Mrs Smith, your child is killed." Mrs Smith could not at first see that anything was the matter with the boy, whom Taylor was carrying in his amis, and thought he was speaking in fun but the look on the child's face soon undeceived her, ami she found that the boy's left hand had been crushed by one of tho wheels of a trolly, and that the right hand had also been badly injured. Taylor went for assistance, arid sent a messenger for Dr Singleton, who immediately on arnva[, finding the poor little fellow's left hand was so badly maimed as to be past all oure. amputated it at the wrist, ond ordered the child to be sent to the Akaroa Hospital to be under his more immediate supervision. On Sunday the parents of the sufferer had a weary task carrying the poor little thing over the ranges, and it was 5 p.m. that day before they ar.ived at the Hospital, where Mrs Smith is now stopping in charge of the child, who, we are glad to say, is doirg well. It is thought that the boy must have climbed up the embankment and placed his left hand on the rail just as tho troily was passing. Taylor, who was in charge of the trolly, had, it appeals, stopped to speak to a man just beiore it passed the whare, and first became aware of the accident through the cries of the little sufferer. Poor Mrs Smith appears to have been peculiarly unlucky with her children, one of whom was nearly burnt to death a short time since.

Little River. —Our correspondent at Little River writes:— The school children of the district have been removed into their new premises. The new school which is more centrally situated is a very commodious building, and one of which the residents may be justly proud. The number on the roll is about 74, but this will be very considerably increased when they get the railway in running order. Talking of the railway, it is said there are a number of new buildings to go up shortly, which will be to let for the benefit of the largo increase, which it is expected the population will attain when once "the iron horse" comes puffing up the valley. The death rate of the natives of the " pah " is something astonishing, principally among young children. The last fortnight especially has left many of the natives with blank spaces around their hearths. We are sorry to say that Mrs G Robinson headed the list, and since then some four children have passed away. A rather serious accident happened last weelc to a son of Mr William Coop. In trying to jump a fence near the school he fel' and broke the small bone of his arm. He was at once taken to Ghristchurch, and our old friend Dr Guthrie Bet the bone. The little sufferer is now progressing favorably. 1 hear the Good Templars here are going to spring into life againThe movement commenced well, but from some cause or other it fell through. Their ranks are now going to be swelled by the addition of several children and ladie.«. so we may expect a regular crusade against the "big house on the hill." Talking about crosndes I hear our local correspondent for the Liberty is threatened with an immersion in the muddiest hole which can bo found, for writing some quaint descriptive remarks about certain young people here, which remarks do not &eein to have been much reiished by the parties who were interested. Bui you know there is no pleasing some people. In my next week's letter I purpose showing up some of the little by-play which is taking place here, and as there are plenty of ''On dits " floating about, my letter will be longer and more interesting.