Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1901.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 24 October 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1901.

The Grey County Council was occupied all forenoon in committee of finance. Mr Donnellan’s three racehorses, Hastings, Bona Rosa and Speculator have arrived on the Coast along with Mr. Stains racehorse Tuterangi. Tenders are invited in our advertising columns, for tho conveyance of coal from Brunner to tho Grey River Co.’s dredge. For full particulars read advertisement. Mr Joseph Jay has given a special donation of £2 2s towards augmenting tho prizes for the shopping events to be held in Victoria Park on the 9th November. The Premier, in the House the other day in reply to a question regarding appointments to tho Upper House gave indefinite replies, except one instance where he declared that Southland and Westland were under represented. In another part of this issue the general votes for the Colony, of interest to this district, as also the West Coast estimates from which it will be seen that the County roads and bridges have received very fair attention. There was a considerable sea all along the West Coast to-day, with rivers in slight fresh. Napier, with 69 degrees, was the warmest place in the Colony, while Queenstown, with 52, was the coldest.

The work of erecting the machinery on the Maori Gully dredge is proceeding apace. She should be linished in about a month. In our advertising columns the is calling for applications for the position of dredgemaster and engineer respectively. Applications, to state salaries required, will be received up to Wednesday, October 30th. The body jpf the young man Magill,

drowned on Tuesday, was found yesterday afternoon, about four miles lower down the river. A requim mass will be hold at St. Mary’s Church, Ahaura, tomorrow at 10 o’clock. The funeral cortege will leave the above Church at 1 p m for the Ahaura cemetery. At 7 30 this evening Miss Dorothy Bantam will receive her guests at Chanticleer Hall, when the Duke of Berkshire will honour the festival by his presence. Miss Lydia Hawthorne and Captain Sherwood will also attend. The orchestra will render selections during the evening, while Mrs Privet and Benjamin Blazes will tiip a “fandango bolero.”

It is proposed to hold a rifle competition hero oa November 9th between the Greymouth Eifles and the First'Westland Eifles. The ranges 200, 400, and 610 yards; Martini Henry Rifles to be used. It is proposed to hold the competition as early in the morning as possible to enable the competitors to visit the sports to be held on Victoria Park in the afternoon. Last evening the Garrick Club closed their series of socials for the present season. The Opera House was crowded, the attendance being the record one of the year. On behalf of the management, Mr Daniel returned thanks for the hearty support accorded the Club. During the evening Mr Herbert H. Williams of

Hokitika, contributed two humorous song-i, which were greatly appreciated and duly encored. The orchestra under the leadership of Mr Gerald Perrotti did excellent service.

Tlie following team will represent tbc Wharf Laborers against the Foundry in a football match to take place on Saturday:—Backs, Turley, Eastgatc, Goodall, Beale, Crawford, and Johnston ; forwards, Goodall, llutchingson, Eastgate. Martin (2), Johnston, M’Kay, Swift, and Mitchell. Emergencies—W. Beale, Morven, and Walton. The proceeds of the match will be handed to James Earl, the unfortunate young man who had his leg amputated through meeting with a serious accident on the wharf. As evidence of the sensitiveness of (he seismograph which the Government lias placed, under Mr George Hogben’s control in Wellington, it may bo mentioned that Mr Hogbcn has been able to obtain record of four different shocks of earthquake which occurred during one week last month, but none of which were felt by the residents of the city. Tno following extract from the colony’s railway working account shows the total revenue and expenditure to the termination of the four-weekly period ending September 14th Miles open for traffic, 2223 ; revenue, £121,392 ; expenditure, £100,617; percentage of revenue, 60.87. On the Hurunui-Bluff lino there were 1186 miles open for traffic, the revenue was £64,065, the expenditure £51,291, and the percentage of revenue 60.90.

All true lovers of athleticism arc sure to give hearty patronage to the sports to be held on Victoria Park on the Ofh November. The district cannot boast of having cultivated n healthy spirit for physical sport during the past few years, and we hope the resuscitation this year of

holding sports on the King’s Birthday will become an annual event. With young men lie the greatest responsibility in fostering competitive events, and we trust the entries this year will be large. All entries close with the Secretary at the Albion Hotel at 9 o’clock on Saturday next, and those not having performances during the past two years are to state their last three performances at any previous time. School teachers should note the All Schools’ Championship race, and endeavor to interest their scholars in the competition. The sawing competition will have additional interest, as Mr. Joseph Jay is giving a special prize of two guineas to the winning sawyers. The chopping and sawing events, although not mentioned on the programme, are all handicaps, and the committee have secured the services of a competent haudicapper to see that all competitors have a fair chance. Given fine weather, the sports should be without doubt the best that have ever been held in Greymouth.

An idea of the congestion of the shipping at South African ports is given by the fact that the barque Phonizia, 700 tons, Captain Johnson, which arrived at Westport this week, lay four months at Port Elizabeth before she could obtain accomodation to discharge her catgo. The ceremony of depositing the colours of the late Thames Naval Volunteer Corps in St George’s Church took place on Saturday, The colours were presented to the company about the year 1871, by the ladies of the Thames. It is proposed to connect Auckland and Hamilton by telephone. Ttie coat is estimated at £IOOO, and the Telegraph Department asks for a guarantee of £2OO per annum, which would mean 40 subscribers at £5 a year. A verp heavy shook of oarthtrembling was experienced at Port Cha'mors one day last week, and was followed by a large fall of earth and stones from the foot of the Flagstaff Hill. At least 100 tons of the face must nave been dislodged.

During the excavations for the new works of tho Auckland Gas Company on the western side of Freeman’s Bay, the trunk of a tree was found under 85fc of sandstone and 20fc of solid clay, and there were wood and shells underneath. Esquimaux dogs are being bred on Stewart Islind. The stock originated from those left by Commander Borchgrevinck. The Discovery’s dog? era said to be worth JI3O each in London. The number of sheep put through at Messrs Nelson Bros.’ freezing works, near Gisborne, on tho opening day of the season was 1100. The Herald understands that the firm anticipates no difficulty in handling the whole output of the district during the coming season. At the Auckland Police Court a few days ago two men were charged with affixing placards on telephone posts without proper authority to do so. The sub inspector said that the authorities asked that an example be made of the accused by imposing a substantial penalty, as the posting of bills on telephone posts, etc., rendered them very slippery, and consequently made the task of those persons who had to climb the posts an extremely difficult and dangerous one. The Court imposed a fine of 10s and 11s costs on the father, and convicted and discharged the son. According to a correspondent of the Wellington “Post,” the granting of the V.C. to Sergeant Hardham is not the first instance in which a New Zealand volunteer had received such a distinguished honour. The first volunteer so decorated was the late Major Hoaphy, V.C., who at Mangapiko crossed that river and saved the life of an Imperial soldier, who was bleeding to death, he (Major Heaphy) being exposed to a heavy fire from the Maoris and wounded severely. Nevertheless, he succeeded in accomplishing his heroic task and saved the soldier’slife. Heaphy was then the captain of Company B, Auckland Rifle Volunteers, attached to the flying column under Havelock, A Rouen laborer has made a successful dive from a height of 170 ft. There are 28,894 juvenile temperance societies in tho British Islands, with a membership of 2,530,000. The largest tobacco factory in the world is that belonging to the French Government at Lille. It turns out 50,000. tons a year.

The hottest springs in Europe are the Italian baths of Nero, where the water is 182 degrees. The springs ’at Bath are 115 degrees. All the adult inhabitants of the Hungarian village of Viska, assembled on the village green, joined hands, and kneeling, took a solemn oath, administered by the local Calvinist pastor, to abstain entirely from alcoholic liquor.

Popocatepetl, the extinct Mexican volcano, is 17,000 feet high. There are magnificent waterfalls from the melting snow, and these are to be offered for sale to any enterprising syndicate that will undertake to develop electric power.

In Great Britain there is now one lunatic to every 301 of the population, the Lunacy Commissioners report, or 107,944 in all. The increase in 1900 was 1,333 on the figures of the preceding year, but was much below the annual increase (2,115) since 1891.

Japan has no music, and the first melodies many of the race ever heard, aside from that of the birds, were hymns sung by Christian missionaries. Notwithstanding this, many Japanese have of late years become expert musicians and charming vocalists.

A representative of an English syndicate is at present in the Palmerston district, endeavouring to interest farmers in sugar-beet growing.

Bathers in Auckland harbour have been warned of the capture of a shark 9ft 7in long, and (wo days later a tiger shark, off Cheltenham Beach, llangitoto Channel.

An asylum, costing £300,000, to accommodate 300 lunatics, has been built by the West Ham (London) authorities. The building covers ten acres of ground, and its main corridors arc more than a mile long. Pianos and billiard and bagatelle tables arc provided for the patients.

Frcnchi it is well known, is the official language of diplomacy, but its lupremacy in this respect is seriously threatened. In spite of strong remonstrances from Paris, the Japanese Government have declared

that in future all its communicntions with foreign Powers will bo made in the English language. The reason of the change is possibly to be found in the fact that Great Britain and the United Stales enjoy the lion’s share of Japan’s foreign intircoursp.

The Viclorian Government recently forwarded a protest to Kear-Admiral Beaumont against “the constant presence of the Australian squadron in Port Jackson.” In his reply the Admiral regrets that the number of vessels at his disposal is not sufficient to admit of more freguent visits being paid to places where their presence is not required, and points out that Sydney, on account of the facilities of the port, must for many years remain the bead pf the Australian naval station.

The Northern Luminary (Kawakawa) says that out of a consignment of ten young ostriches landed at Opua, Bay of Islands by Mr Henry Lane, seven were all well, two had broken wings, and one was dead. Mr Lane expects to make £IOO per annum in feathers. An effort is to bo made at Devonport (Auckland) to collect £IOO for the erection of a memorial to perpeturte the memory of John P. Mays and Harold Frank's am, two Devonport lads who lost their lives in the South African campaign. The dry weather is making itself felt in the Cheviot district, and unless rain comes very soon matters will become serious. Already feed is getting scarce, and water-tanks are giving out. The four-year-old daughter of a settler at To Arai, Poverty Bay, has nearly lost her life through eating the succulent shoots of the tutu plant. She endured terrible agony before the medical attendant pronounced her out of danger.

It is said that one of those burnt out at Winton during the recent fire had £2OO in notes in his safe. While the safe was still hot he opened it, and the influx of air very scon caused the charred contents, notes included, to become ashes.

■Questions are again being asked here (writes a London correspondent) as to the next Agent-General for New Zealand. Some colonial opinions seem to favour the chances of the Hon. A. J. Cadman. This is mere gossip, but sometimes gossip has a foundation. Possibly the quesiion of the Agent-Generalship, and who shall fill the position, his been raised again by the fact that it has become known that Sir J. G. Ward will be Home again in, the course of the next few months.

Some of the highest living medical authorities attribute the great growth of physical and mental disease which has characterised the last few decades, to the universality of adulturation. They affirm that the taking into the system continually by human beings as food, substances which are chemically foreign and not only incapable ,-of sustaining healthy life, but ■ constitute a perpetual danger to it, is largely responsible for the new and complex diseases that baffle their curative skill. Therefore be wise in time, qat only K Jam and avoid these dangers. Absolute purity guaranteed— Advt.