EAST COAST EDITION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 422, 22 May 1902, Page 3

EAST COAST EDITION.

PORT AWANUI

(From Our Own Correspondent).

Mr 3. Kirk, storekeeper, left here on Sunday for Gisborne on a business trip.

Mr James Knox, who has been on a trip to town, has returned looking very much better for his visit. It is interesting to note, and also evidence of his appreciation of this district, when we say this was the first occasion that Mr Knox has left it for a period of nearly ten years. A good story is told in connection with a recent hui held not a hundred miles from Awanui. A well-known station holder presented the natives with twenty sheep, and after the latter had served for many a good feast the natives took tie skins, bearing the squatter's brand, und sold them to him at the top price. The local saddlers, Messrs T. Kobertson and Leslie, are turning out first-class work, and getting into favor with the settlers throughout the district. It would be a great boon to travellers (eommer /, in]) if the Waiapu Connty Council would clear the track occasionally round tho rocks at Awanui. It would greatly facilitate traffic, and lead to good records being put up along the Coast. Tho telephone communication with Te Araroa is much appreciated, and keeps us in bettor touch with the steamers. Tho Omapore was at Te Araroa yesterday, and is expected here to-day. I hear that Mr Biddles, Te Araroa, has sold his fine rUD. It is one of the best properties in this district, and has boon much improved during Mr Biddle's occupancy. Tho name of the purchaser has not yet transpired. Mr McDonald, one of our best-known settlors is at prosent in Gisborne

WAIPIRO BAY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Mr A. B. Williams left for Gisborne on Tuesday en route for Napier. A very large yellow pino tree was felled in the bush near Te Puia springs by Messrs J. and H. Gordon this week. The tree, which was a remarkably lino specimen of its class, was between seven and eight feet in diameter.

Mr Gordon, of To Puia Hot Springs, is building a new bath for the convenience of ladies only. The bath is to be erected near the Gordon spring. The Times Special Correspondent’s report on the Springs was read with great interest up this way, and it is the general wish of residents that the improvements recommended will be made early in the spring. The fame of the sanatorium is spreading throughout the colony, and on several occasions recently, water from tho Springs has been sent to different places in New Zealand. By tho Omapere this week Mr Gordon is shipping twelve dozen bottles of water from the Gordon Spring to Mr Neill of Dunedin, who is using it for medicinal purposes. -Mr Neill, who is in tho Survey Department at Dunedin, is a brother of Mr Aicken Neill, sheep farmer at Mata.

From twenty to thirty natives left hero this week for Tokomarunui on a pigeonshooting expedition. Pigeons are said to be very plentiful in that district, so I hope to be able to report some big bags later

on. The weather all along the Coast has been very wintry during the past week, and the autumn leaves have been scattered far and wide. Tho sea, however, has been smooth, and we hope that it will continue bo until after the arrival of the Omapere, which is daily expected. The Waiapu County Council hold their monthly meeting on Wednesday next. Messrs G. F. Hindmarsh and G. J. White have been nominated for the vacancy for Tokoinaru riding in the Waiapu County Council. The election is fixed for Saturday, May 31st, at tho Native school-house, Tokoinaru.

Mr Cox, Surgeon Dentist of Gisborne, arrived yesterday.

TOKOMARU BAY,

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

We are having very cold and stirring weather, and from present appearances a bard winter is in tho prospective for stock. Tho cold blasts of the last few days have cut back the feed and stopped the growth for a time, at any rate until wo have a spell of warm weather again. A severe earthquake was felt here on Friday night about 11 o'clock, lasting fully a minute. Mr D. J. Hewitson called a meeting of the local footballers for Friday night last at the Te Puka Hotel. A number of players and those interested in the game attended. Mr Hewitson was elected to the chair, his proposer stating that Mr Hewitson, owing to the keen interest taken by him in all matters pertaining to sport, was entitled to the position, he being always ready to assist and help along anything of the kind. Mr Hewitson thanked the meeting for the honor. He said tho club had a balance in hand from last year. He thought a strong team could be got together this year, and hoped that matters could be arranged with the different places along the Coast. It was decided to write to Waipiro and endeavor to arrange a match for Coronation Day, which is -looked forward to as a general holiday along the Coast. Mr McGavin was elected President of the Club. A number of Vice-Presidents were also elected, and Mr J. Thornton Secretary and Treasurer. The Hikuwai bridges are all open for traffic now. Some finishing touches to tho approaches and tho plastering of the pillars are being done at present. About a fortnight will see the whole thing completed.

TOLAGO BAY. 5s (From our Own Correspondent.) s [ During the greater portion of last week we have been experiencing very un- ’• pleasant weather which we accepted as the surplus portion of Clement Wragge’s meteorological forecast. The wind, which was eventually accompanied with intermittent heavy rain, did not quite approach tho rapacious tendency of a cyclone but it was nevertheless responsible for the demolition of several" Maori whares in our vicinity, while I am also advised of somo of the out stations slightly suffering; It is now in excess of five weeks since J the s.s. Omapere has supplied pur wants J with stiil no assurance of the date of her h arrival and to judge by appearanoes of tho g local stores uninitiated would be inclined £ to wager that bankruptcy is in near sight, t Alas, no, the fact is speedily set right t when the demand of a populated and I thriving district is compelled to patiently g await such irregularity of cargo Service as I is above referred to, and doubtless a little 1 opposition which is the life of all callings t would be acceptable. Patience to those ( who have been endowed is doubtless a J virtue. . f Quite a chapter of accidents occurred in i our district last week but as tho uufortuuato ones aro now convalescent, it is sufficient to give an outline of the occurrences with a word of

merit justly directed to our gratuitous amatepr medico for his pver-valued services. " First, an infant whose arm had been rather badly injured by the burning of its clothes caused by a spark from the fire ; secondly, an inexperienced fisherman when inadvertently casting his line most surprisingly hooked his finger, which necessitated surgioal operation ; lastly, a lady equostrian, who, by her horse shying, was thrown, and after dragging her several yards, most considerately gave her a recumbent seat against a manuka stump. By last Monday’s coach, under the careful manipulation of the reins by Mr Wm. MacKinley, Mr and Mrs Charles Ivernot, arrived at their residence, “ Windsor Castle,” Hauiti. The happy couple were united " juite unsuspectedly to our locals” in the holy bonds of wedlock at Gisborne, and on their arrival, aud long before a elashful number of well-wishers arrived upon the siene, where the necks of “Usher's and John Robertson's” were best knocked into eternity in honor of the occasion. All is now serene, and if hearty congratulations, etc., take effect, nought but prosperity, etc., shall await the happy . couple. , As I quite recently advised that church ■ services .were to be conducted' at Hauiti q,n ; d Tdlagd Bay monthly, the Rev. H. 1 Williams, whose sincerity ig evident by

the fact of such a long and irksome journey considering the state of the roads and weather, delivered most impressive sermons at these places on Sunday, the 13th inst. It must have been a marked pleasure to him to note his labors were so deservedly and well rewarded by the large congregations that assembled to pay tribute to the rev. gentleman and his heavenly teachings. By the various expressions of heartfelt satisfaction, I am quite justified in stating that tho prospective visits will be anxiously looked forward

to. With regret, I have to announce the death, on the night of the 17th inst., of the infant son of Karauria Puhi Puhi, aged ten months. The burial service was most pathetically conducted by Elder J. M. Hixon, of Mormon faith, the interment taking place in the ground set apart by the Maoris. On Saturday, a mob of about 260 fat bullocks, from Ihuinia station, passed through horc, en route to the Gisborne Freezing Works.

COASTAL CORRESPONDENCE

(To the Editor of tho Times.)

i Sir,—Bill and me is mates. We work ! up the Coast and only get your paper once a week when wo receive the week’s i supply. We have road your Tolago Bay s correspondent’s letter; also Squatter's ) letter. Bill agrees with the latter ; I stand , up for tho former. Bill says (and ho has been a sailor and a bit of a traveller) tho , signs on a Chinese joss ’ouse are easier to understand thun your Tolago Bay correspondent’s letters. I says, “ Bother the joss 'ouse ; I never seen one ; all I knows is that his letters take more big words to tho square inch than any other bloke’s to the squaro mile, and if that is not a sign of education what is ? ” Bill says, “ talk about hieroglyphics ; they are child’s play to understand in comparison with them letters.” “Go on,” I says, “ what yer givin us; why they are as easy to undestand as Dick Seddon’s balancesheets." I must tell you how Bill pulled my leg yesterday. We was fencing. Bill says, “ ’and me that oblong instrument of manual industry.” I says, “ what is that'? ” Bill says, “ The spade, of course.” Then he added, “ We are not fencing ; we are engaged in the erection of a barrier to prevent woolly and other quadrupeds from intermingling upon this sublunary sphere.” “Go on,” I says, “you are barmy.” “ No,” he says, “ it’s them letters.” —Yours, etc., Anti-Squatter. CORONATION HONORS. (To the Editor of the Times.) Sir, —According to some of the papers Captain Russell is to be Knighted when the Coronation honors are distributed : May I ask in what way has that gentleman earned a Knighthood'? If, Sir, you were one of the directors of a huge com- , mercial concern, and one of your cm- i ployees persistently opposed nearly all ] the acts of the directors, especially those , acts which time proved to bo the most beneficial to the company, would you consider' such an employee worthy of ’ honor and promotion ? Captain Russell has steadily opposed nearly all those . measures which the great majority of the : inhabitants of this country consider the j most beneficial of all the Acts upon the statute book. He voted against the Abolition of Plural Voting; ■ he opposed the Graduated Land Tax ; tho - Compulsory Acquisition of Land, and the Loans to Settlers’ Act; in fact nearly < every great progressive measure ever in- j troduced in to the House has been opposed ( by the worthy gentleman in question. From a mere party point of view he has also been a failure. Tho Opposition, under his leadership, has drifted and dwindled , until it scarcely exists. His attempt to rouse the country just before the election < was an absolute absurdity. It was Captain . Russell’s custom a few years ago to give au annual prizo for the neatest pair of j seated trousers to be competed for by the ( children attending the Stato schools in j Hawke’s Bay. This very English-squire method of patronising the poor, and at j the same time implanting the first prin- < ciples of economy in the minds of the children of the working classes, seems to me the gallant Captain’s chief claim for recognition at the hands of the King.— ‘‘ Yours, etc., H. 1