WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1872.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 629, 17 January 1872, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1872.

We should be soivj t} interfere with any person in want of tho necessaries of life when endeavoring by ai:y lawful means to get an honest IWing ; and if such are reaPy in distres3 we would feel the duty a painful one, if we interfered with them in thoir endeavours even by unlawful means to get a dishonest living. But a ca?o has come to our knowledge not from the lips of ono or two, but from the con» current testimony of many, the which wo fee] it our duty to expose for tho benefit of tho real objects of charity, and for tho protection ef the kind heartod and tho simple minded in the city. A lady—for she ua, lidy—if ladyxlike manner c;ra betoken such, has taken upon herself the the offira of the friend of the friendless, and proffers her services to all that ere afflicted in mind, body, or estate. Her usual mode of operation is to get a subscription list headed by a testimonial from a clergyman or some other, though that is not necessary. But in every casa she has i real boua fide object of charity aa a basis of operations ; and her indefatigable zeal and pleasing lady»like manner is irresistible. She is understood to reserve a pe.7Cont.ige on her collections •which consist of money, clothing, flannel, or anything that can feed the hungry or comfort the rheumatic. The percentage practically amounts in general to ninety-aine per cent on the gross receipts, and f-om the Kst of dona* tions being generally lost tho correctness of the calculation w not ear.y to disprove. As tho system of operations is now pretly generally known among tho ladies of this city, it may perhaps bo needless to give this word of caution ; but as there may bo some stiU unaware of this adroit; manceuverer's proceedings we say take care. The lady herself has had the great prudence of having in every case a real object of charity under her care, so as to avoid the dangers of a charge of obtaining goods by false pretsnees ; and this object of charity is generally so helpless that she runs little risk of being charged with fraudulent conversion aa a bailee. We know the name and the residence of the fair swindler, but for obvious reasons will keep it in reserve.

A trumpery case of boxing the ears of two little urchins who had apparently been some* what over-zealous in driving a cow oJf their father's proporty, has ocoupiod tho tune of the Magistrates at the Polico Court durhij almost the whole day. Up to tho time of our going to press no decision had been arrived at, and the case appcarcl to have originated in a squabblo between neighbours of a kind which is fur too commonly termi, nated by police office proceedings, and which would be much better arranged by amicable arbitration or a quiet harmless set-to with the weapons Nature has provided.

Ou the authority of an eye-witness we r.re informed that on last Sunday night he was present at a moat ludiorioas scene ve> Coot street. An elderly woman was coming down tho street when she stumbled md fell over r sleeping cow. Tho animal suddenly s'.artleclj sprang to ita feet having the women still on its back, and galloaped off for fifteen or twenty yards with tho old body still clinging and screaming with all her might, At length the woman was pitched to the giound and was considerably shaken though evidently more frightened than hurl. The old creature who gave as her name Mrs. Corkill or Coghill and told our informant that she lived at Free* man's Bay, seemed terribly distressed at first about her umbrella which she had lest in the meloo, but on finding it she toddled eff towards home, muttering oh dear ! oh dear! but apparently not much worse for her singular adventure.

Ono of thoso traps for tho unwary which abound in Auckland has for many ys2M existed in Mechanics' Bay. It is -within the limits of tho city boundary, and ought at once to receive the attention of the authorities, A. largo drain or canal receives the water which flows from the direction of the hospital, and conveys it down the entire length of Stanley street; At no part is tlv.s covered, oxcepting where the Alten Road crosses it; and at the lower end, at high tide, tho water attains a depth quite sufficient to drown any one fulling iv. Indeed, we are assu'-ed that a nun lost his life in that manner a few years ago, and that very recently a woman narrowly escaped a similar fate. Only Just Sunday a child tumbled in, and was rescued with difficulty, and many narrow escapes have o jcuvred, The sides of the cana] are planked, and perfectly perpendicular, ef course rendering it impossible for anyone to escape without assistance. The locality is be« coming a populous one; and now that public attention has been drawn to the danger, and we may add, the nuisance of having a large open drain running the wholo length of a public thoroughfare, it is not too much to expect the Borough Council td take measures to remedy

the evil

In Mr. Wayte's window is to be seen a likeross of Signor Donato, the celebrated poslurist and dancer upon ono leg. Tcis gentleman has received the utmost commendation in all the cities in which he has hitherb performed, and will no doubt add to his laurels in this torrn. Faginini achieved immense fame by playing on one string of a violin ; and there really scorns no reason why one of the pedestals of the human frame should not be made to support the body in graceful attitudes when the other ha 3 been removed.

" A. Pariy by tbo name of Johnson " should address his letter to Mr Erogden or his staff, 83 public opinion cannot interfere with the manner in which ho chooses his men, &c. "At List," who writes respaccing the p;!ot service at the Manukau, must send hi 3 name ; the same intimation must bo accapted by "Fort Street" if he really wishes his letter inserted, though we cannot see what i* the use of inserting it. The letters of "V.C" and " W.E,8." murt be held over1 " Aliquis >: complains of cows and policemen, the former for sleeping in the streets and the latter for winking at them. But the police cannot be every whero, and there is no use pitching into them when they do not deserve it.

The railway works at Mechanics' Bay are now in full progress, and dobbins busily engaged in removing earth from the excava* tion between Parnoll and the Government Domain, xnd conveying it to the end of the viaduct, whence it i 3 being thrown to from an embackment across Mechanics' Bay. This embankment is, we believe, to be faced with masonry. The Supreme Court has been occupied the whole morning in hearing the arguments of learned counsel iv the crso of peijury preferred against Charles Andcrion. His Hono? tho Chief Justice is summing up and de» scanting on the evidence f.s we go to press. We find from advertisenent that after having been closed for a month, the Occidental Calo will bo reOpened on Monday, the 22nd iEfrt. This restaurant was always found a great convenience, and in consequence pressure has been brought to bear on Mr. Perkins, who has length consented to allow it to be re» opened. H.M.S. Eosarlo appear to have been engaged. It is reportod fron Fiji that she had thelled and destroyed somo towns upon tho island of Gruna, in retaliation for the murder of a white man and some colored men. A young man going home from his work on Saturday afternoon last, stumbled across a small parcel of money, and with praiseworthy integrity at once took it to the police office, where it now lies for identified! iop. The Dairyman's Association will hold another meeting this evening at seven o'clock at the Eden Vine Hots]. An amateur concert will take piece tomorrow evening at the City Hall, in aid of the annual treat of the Church of England Sunday Schools to take plac9 on the 29th inst. A prisoner named Euasell escaped from Mount EJen yesterday, but was speedily recaptured. An emergency meeting of Lodge Ara 348, 1.C., will take place at the Masonic Hot3l, to-morrow evening. All new claims to vote should be Bent in to tho Eegistration Officer between the Ist January and the 31st March. Wo (Coromandel Mail) have pleasure in stating that the crushing power in Coromandel will bo further increased by the erection of a battery on the Kennedy's Bay side of the Tokatea Eange, Bennett and Walker, of Auckland, having secured the available water rights, and being determined to set up the necessary machinery without delay. The battery is intended to be constructed on the same principle adopted by the celebrated Clunes mines in Victoria, and froja the long connection of Mr. Bennett with that mine there can bo little doubt of it 3 Buecose. The services of Mr. Crump have been Becured as engineer, and he has already commenced the nocessaiy surveys aud plans.

The Eegatta Committee held a meeting last evering at the Thames Hotelj and a number of mattor3 of detail were air: .iged in reference to the forthcoming Ecgatt?. £f>o was announced to have been collected towards expenses. The evidence in the chevge of perjury brought against Charle3 Anderton wc9 completed yesterday. The upper reservoir in the Domain is being cleaned out, while the water i% low. The Harbour Board require tenders for the supply of timber, nails, ironworks, &c. An American, w'ting of Melbourne, says: — " There are severe penalties for selling liquor on Sunday; consequently wo always got twice 83 much on that day as on any other. Travellers and lodgers have privileges. At a wayside hostelry kept by a downy old chap, we saw on the mantlesholf this ticket; —'Beds, 6d.' A deposit of the sum is requested. You put it down—if it be Sunday —6d. beside the card, and immecHatsly a nobbier (t'.ie local name for tot) is put down also. You need not tell them as you go away not to trouble much about airing your bed. They wouldnotput themselves out much about it. This is a wrinkle for a thirsty Maine man. I am compelled to the conclusion that G-od originally made these colonists honest, but, liko ourselves, they have sought out many inventions." We observe by advertisements that Mr. R. W. Dyson, so long and favourably known in the drapery trade, is about to relinquish the business, and consequent upon the expiration of his lease will, for the remainder of term, hold an unusually cheap sale, pud. solicits an early call to secure bargains : [Am's.J