COUNTRY NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 3878, 29 July 1875, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

( From our 'Exchanges.) Three Maori sailing boats left Kivcrton last week, for the South Cape, on a sealing cruise. They were well equipped, and earned a full complement of hands.

The building trade in Tapanui is very brink at tho present time, and the coming smmnei promises to be a busy seascn ia tlut thriving district. The Cromwell bridge wti3 inspected lat< ly by tho Provincial Engineer, and it is decided to strengthen it on the suspension princip'e. 1 In local correspondent of the 'Mail' thinks the proposed plan a good one, inasmuch ns it will not interfere with the traffic, and will make a very strong job of it. The road between Lawrence and Moa Flat is n»w in a disgusting state, and the lcc.il papers complain of the injustice the Government ha? done to the northern goldfields in allowing twelve years to pass since their discovery, during which time they have been an unbounded source of revenue, without making a passable road to them. ra'merston was thrown into ag'ate of excitement on Saturday last, when it was rumored that one of the oldest settlers had wilfully set fire to some Chinamen'd hutp. On Monday all doubts were set at rest when Mr Robeit Kuntcr, proprietor of the Carriers' ArnisHote 1 , Valley, and a very Lirge land-owner besides, was taken into custody on the above charge. Bail was offored and refused. He was brought before a bench of Magistrates and remanded until Friday, so as to obtain the services of an interpreter, bail being a ceptcd, h'mself in LKD, and two sureties of LIOO each. The_ only conjecture as to the c.iuse of the foolish act is a slight unpleasantness existing between Mr Hunter and the Chinamen regarding some ground the latter are mining on. The 'IS. O, Times' asks :—" What has become of the ploughing matches that used to be annually held in this district ? They were at one time the best contested, the be3t attended, and most Interesting In the Proviuce, but now they seem to have completely become matters of the past, Districts north and south of us

are preparing for their competitions, but here no one appears lo taka a".y interest in such tilings. Out district, which h;is not inaptly been termed the gr.n-ry <>" Ne.v Zealand, should take tlie lead in these competitions, pnd, for its credit, nnd the credit of our farmers, we hope that an effort will be m u!e to revive the.se meetings." • Witii reference to the recent ptdfsrrian fen to accomplished or at'esnpted ah Uamar.i, 'he local paper says of \\ iltfdiiie's tha l ; throughout the last day's walking the Vo'ur.tivr Hall wai visited by large numbers of people, as it was whispered abroad that tlu \\\i!kcr would -probably fail, through his hvs giving way. However, at nine o'clock (punctu d to tbe minute) ho began his last five miles. Th; Caledoni.n Hand was in attendance, and played several lively airs, which materially helped' to keep ivp the pedestrian's spirit. For the. first lap or two of the last two-and-a-half miles he went rather stiff, but as he warmed t > his work this wore off, and he ultimately lavished the last half-mile in 4mm SOscc. As ho made spurt after spurt in the last half-mile, the spectators gave cheer after cheer. Mr Peter Cockburn then addressed those present on behalf of the judges appointed to watch Mr Wiltshire, a:d stated that they (the judges) had watched him alternately night and day ever since he started. 11u had walked the distance p'.uckily and will, and he (ths speaker) was.proud that Oamaiu numbered among its citizens a man capable of successfully completing such a task. Of Dehney's attempt to run ten miles in one hour, the same paper says he went away with a good swinging pace. He has a very nice, though not taking, style of getting the ground ; added to thi*, ha appeared to be in fhm-rato trim, and wined to bound along as though enjoying a conj-ituticna) " breather." The first mile was dor.c in 6:nin.; second mile, 6min. ; third mi'e, 7min.; fourth mil-, Grain. 30sec; fifth mile, G.nin. SOsec; sixth mile, Grain. 45 eo. ; seventh mile, Grain. 45sec. ; eighth mile, JGmin. oOiic.; ninth mil;*, 6min. 4isec; tenth mile. Grain. 4-lscc—thus doing the distance in lh. oinin. 30scc.