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Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 928, 29 June 1903, Page 2

The Empire Skating Rink will be opm this evening. Messrs Common, Shelton and Co.’s premises wi l be closed to morrow for tb.-ii uimnirl stock taking.

The Matawbero School cadets are about t > procure new uniforms, having lately u .dertnken an active canvass tor that p ii' pose. A first- offender was convicted for dm- lu nocss at the Police Cour t on Saturday morning and discharged with h caution.

The following are new subscribers to the Gisborno Telephone Exchange 225. W. G. Muclnurin, two short rings ; 229, Cbas. T. Pot-aka, Native agent, Lowe street; 2UI, Tom 11. Porter, agent, Dunlop’s buildings. Lowe street.

The Auckland plague patient is resident. of Ponsonby, and bus been isolated for more than a week. The first, tests gave no evidence of plague but subsequent tests led Ur Makgill to conclude that it was plague. The patient is progressing favorably. At Waerenga-a-hika on Saturday a youth named Stubbs suffered very nainful injuries through an exlosion of benzine. He had used it to light a fire, and the. flame ignited the benzine ill the tin, with the result tha •the youth had his face severely burned.

At Messrs Williams and Kettle’s auction mart on Saturday, tho following prices were realised for tho Gisborne Racing Club’s privileges : —Grandstand publican’s booth, £27 10s, Mr J. H. Aislabie ; outside booth, Mr C. Neenan, £2l 10s , right to take charge of horses, £6 10s, Mr Chris Gray. Information has been received from Sydney of the death of Captain P. Mortimer Williams. His death was caused by injuries received on board the barquentine River Huntc-r, while loading hardwood logs in the Clarence River, New South Wales. Deceased was only 35 years of age, and leaves a widow and three young children to mourn their loss. Miss McDowell, who has been in charge of the Tiniroto telephone exchange Tor the past three months, was last week the recipient of a testimonial from the settlers, who presented her with a gift, accompanied by a lelFcr, expressing warm appreciation of the way she had attended to the telephone calls. Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., aro in receipt of the following cablo from their London office :—“ Wool sales : The list of arrivals is closed, and all your wools have arrived in time. The now arrivals have amounted to 228,000 bales, of which 87,000 bales havo been forwarded direct to manufacturers at Home aud abroad, leaving 160,000 bales available for salo. We aro informed that a number of workmen on the Gisborne-To Karaka railway havo received notico that their services are to be dispensed with, only a few hands being retained on tho tunnelling works. If this be so, an emphatic protest should be made by the district, and the Government should be petitioned to have them replaced. The matter should be represented to tbo member for tho district, and an explanation obtained. A Wanganui telegram states that it lias transpired that the body that was found on the Waitotara beach is that of Mrs A. W. F. Ilalcombe, a daughter of the late Mr Swanson, of the Hutt. She was a widow, fifty years of age, a well-known and talented artist. She had been in illhealth, and depressed, and the evidence points to suicide, in the Patea river.

Ac the Police Court on Saturday morning, Frederick Soaker waß charged with the theft of a fish, valued at Is. Sergeant Sidtlells Stated the accused came from Tokomaru, and was a respectable man. He arrived in town with a considerable sum of money, which ho had spent. Accused stated that ho was ignorant of the circumstances of the theft. His Worship said he would take into consideration that it was the accused’s first otlencc, and the value of the property was small Accused was discharged. After the .sensational telegram to hand from Christchurch, us to the arrest, of railway officials, the following message received on •Saturday gives the impression that; there has been a serious blunder somewhere ; “ The charges against three railway employees of having stolen goods From the railway goods shed. were withdrawn by the police, who were unable to find any of the stolen property on the premises occupied by

the accused.” Mr F. J. Shelton was a passenger to Gisborne by the Westralia on Saturday morning. On Saturday he rode to Tokomaru, a distance of 63 miles, arriving there early in the evening, and returning to Gisborne yesterday in time to catch the Auckland steamer for the South. _ Mr Shelton states that the Coast road is in first-class order, and the country bore quite

a spring appearance, the weather being particularly mild for this time of year. He changed horses at Tolago Bay. The fast time recorded speaks volumes for the state of the roads in mid-winter.

hi reply to a Gisborne goutlcma who sent the Minister of Pubh Works a congratulatory telegram oi

the success of the Gisborne railway, and expressing a hope that it would he pushed on speedily. Mr ITall-Jones replied : “ Accept my best thanks for your wire, re (iisbornc-Karaka railway. I shall proceed with the work

as expeditiously as the money provided by Parliament will permit. Kia ora.” This message shows that the people of this district require to let Parliament know their wants, in order that the necessary, funds may be allocated. The Druids’ Social Committee met on Saturday night and completed arrangements for the holding of their annual social next- week, on the first night of the Steeplechase Meeting. The Committee have been bard at work for the past month, with the result that everything is in apple-pie order for what promises to be a most successful function. We understand that country residents will be present iu strong force. As usual, the catering will be in the capable hands of Mr J. Craig, whilst the music will be furnished by Mrs Fernandez’s orchestra. Dancing, therefore, should prove highly enjoyable. Special attention will be paid to the decoration of the ball and the preparation of the floor. It is also intended to erect a !ar<'e dressing room at the main entrance for°the use cf gentlemen patrons,

A fox terrier pup lost on Saturday is ad-ves.i.-eit inr. At Wellington on Saturday Emma Ltuisa Dover secured a divorce from Phillip E. Dover, hotel-keeper, WaiTbe AueL'.aua cketrie t.-.u.s have now been provided vy.: . n.-k {moots enabling communication to -a opened up with t-Le head office or power si •- ion by the motormen or conductor? eu*c of accidents or breakdown?. C 0..-:: jettons ran be made with this (the Yi-.t:.« Comp «:;• '*) telephonic system by means of the proper appliances U.V-: d rU tire p. ?- ulentsiu U.t i* V& 13 Li •O. L• i O iLil•Ou* Sr cl l’’t.. . Wb.ist a dray loaded v.i ii scoria, and beiougiug to Mr il.my, of jiou. i £Jcn Auckland, was being a;awn by two horse between Newmarket and Lpsoui ou Saturday-, it v, as run into by a, double decker uauiear. The driver of the Jiay, Mr W. Taylor, ana the horses were fortunately uninjured, but me vehicle was badly

damaged, me two suet.? being bzoiien. The lront lamp aud tbe apron of the cai were both damaged. The report of Constable McLennan upon the accident siates that when the car was approaching the dray the latter was quite clear ol the line, but the horses became startled and drew the waggon across the rails, thus causing liie collision,

Samuel Hargrcuve, the left-hand bowler who loured New Zealand with Warner's cricket team last season, a day or two after his return to England put up a hue bowling performance by capturing fifteen Surrey wickets at a cost oi live runs each, xn tue first bluings, the Surrey batsmen found him quite unplayable, aud nine of them went uown before him lor 30 runs. It was almost entirely due to Ins splendid bowling performance that Warwickshire won the match. In 11-aside matches in New Zealand, liargreave was practically a failure, though bo captured six wickets for 12 runs in one inuiugs oi liie South island match at Dunedin. Liargreave was about 'he most pupular member of the Lngli h team, and made hosts of lißiius in tills cuiutiV, who will Lie girtu tO hear Ol Lie genial young Wai'WlckatJll'e pi utc»L)iinl'> fttieCesv*.

On Friday night a gas explosion occurred in Mrs Faync’s house, Khyber Lass. Auckland. Mrs Payne entered her drawing-room in company with a lady visitor, Miss Eaton. The gas in the room was lighted, and flunking the chandelier was too low, Mrs Payne pushed it up towards the ceiling, when an explosioi occurred, there evidently having been an escape of gas. There was a

whirling mass of blue flame, and Mrs Payne and Miss Eaton found themselves closed within the room. Fortunately, the. explosion aroused the other inmates of I lie house and also passers-by, and the ladies were rescued from their peril. The curtains and other inflammable material in the room had caught fire. The roof, of tlie kitchen was blown off, and every window in the house was smashed. The ladies only sustained very slight injuries. At Tu Awamutu on Friday tho hearing of a number of informations laid by tbo police against residents in the King Country for alleged sly grog selling, concluded before Mr H. W. Northcroft, S.M. Alexander Campbell and bis wife both elected to bo dealt with by a jury. Evidenco for the prosecution was taken, and defendants reserved their defence and wero committed for trial. Bail was allowed. Tho charges against Mrs Gafley wero dismissed. J. Galley was charged with consenting to tho salo of liquor ou bis premises. Judgment was reserved. At tho conclusion of the eases tho magistrate, in the course of some remarks, said that the manner in which sly-grog selling was carried cn in the King Country was dreadful. Tho Natives wore sinking into tho lowest degradation, and those persons who carried liquor into the King Country wero equally guilty with those who sold it. All this terriblo state of things had come about since our railway had crossed tho Puniu River. While tho Natives were isolated and kopt the European out of the country, they were a healthy, vigorous, and thrifty people. Large aud healthy families were to bo seen, while now they wero dying like so many sheep. Young men and girls wore drinking and card-playing, amP worse still, few healthy and large families wero now to bo seen at tho kaingas, and all this had come about by our boasted civilisation.