Untitled

Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1085, 31 December 1903, Page 2

A special train service is notified for today and to-morrow. Overdue Borough rates mußt be paid today to avoid tho addition of 10 per cent. Tho usual lato train on Saturday night will not bo run nest Saturday, the late train running to-night. The Devonport Ferry Company, on Boxing Day, carried 20,000 people, breaking their previous record. Two additional veterinarians are to be brought out from England by the Agricultural Department. An excursion from Napier is to be made to-morrow by the steamer ZealaDdia, which will probably go os far jts Waikokopu.

Libel actions have been instituted against the Waipawa Mail and Ekatahuna Express by Sir Joseph Ward in connection with the totara concessions.

Tomorrow (New Tear’s Day) being “Circumcision of Our Lord ” Holy Communion will bo held in Holy Trinity Church at 8 a.tn.

A special feature of the New Tear celebrations will bo the 22nd annual New Tear Ball to he held at Patutahi this evening. It is expected there will be a very large attendance.

On Monday tho first load of butter from the Motu Factory, 15 cwt, was brought to town by Mr Habgood. The butter was placed in tho Gisborne Freezing Company’s Chambers, being in excellent condition.

Tho warm weather of tho past few days has enabled a start to bo madejwith clearing fires. Testerday a great bush fire was set going at Mangatu, by which it is estimated 8000 acres will be cleared. A splendid burn is anticipated. In the cricket match Hawke’s Bay v'Wellington, Mr J. N. Williams, of this dis trict, made 20 runs in the first innings and one in the second, and had hard luck each time in being caught out.

A lottor without address, but intended for a gentleman front America, but formerly of Falkirk, Scotland, awaits dolivery at tho local Post Office. Mr Arnold, M.H.8., who has for severa sessions battled for shorter hours for prison warders, has been officially advised that from January Ist the present hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. will be curtailed to from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The East Coast Coaching Company’s Tolago Bay coach leaves at 7 a.m. to-day. Passengers and parcels for Tolago Bay, Tokomaru, Waipiro, and Awanui will be booked through by this coach at the Masonic stabies.

Gisborne was the warmest place in the colony yesterday, tho thermometer registering a shade over 84 degrees. The hot weather has been welcome for harvest ing purposes, but has made town people grumble in true British style. The Premiers of Now Zealand and Canada are thus contrasted by the Liverpool Post:—“ Mr Seddon, the frank, buoyant Premier of New Zealand, we seem to know more intimately. Sir Wilfred Laurier is more of the grand seignio, livmg a little apart.” Successful candidates from Guy’s Hospital at the last final M.B (Loudon) examination included two New Zealanders — H. M. Goldstein, of Auckland; and H. B. Milsom, of Christchurch. Residents of Harden, New South Wales recently witnessed a phenomenal meteoric display. At about 11 o’clock at night an immense ball of greonish fire was observed in the heavens. After remaining apparently stationary for a few seconds, it burst, providing a magnificent spectacle.

The returns of the post and telegraph business at 17 principal offices of the colony for the four days, 21st to 24th December, show a very large increase as compared with that for the corresponding four days of last year. The number of letters posted increased 193,350, and the books and parcels 67,141. Telegrams forwarded increased by 7592, and telegrams received increased by 7810, whilst telegrams transmitted increased by 8547.

The Rev. F. B. Rothwell will visit the Motu for Sunday next, January 3rd, and hold service at Rakauroa in the morning, Whakarau in the afternoon, and Motu village in the afternoon. Mr Win. Smith, of Langley Mills, England, will conduct both services at Wesley Church on 'Sunday next. Mr Smith is President of the British Local Preachers’ Association, and is an able preacher, and his sermons have been greatly enjoyed in Gisborne.

Complaints regarding inadequate cooping accommodation provided for poultry for transport are likely to be early met, Mr D. D. Hyde, Government poultry expert, being now engaged drawing up designs for a coop, which is to be taken as a standard throughout tho colony. The Kawhia Sottler says that a largo American firm has got an agont in New Zealand just now buying up all the flax land and produce ho can get hold of. This man said his firm waß prepared to buy all the flax that New Zealand could produce for the next five years. He had secured all the flax land available in the Waikato at £5 to £lO an acre—land considered a

year ago to be worthless swamp, and now expected to be worth JS2S an acre before long. Maoriland flax is preferred to Manila bomp, as the flax was loss deadly to stock than the hemp.

During the fire off Mount Eden road on Saturday night, sparks from the burning building were carried along by tho wind as far as St. Sepulchre’s Church in Kyber Pass, the shiDgles on the roof of the building being ignited. Fortunately, the occurrence was noticed by a child, and by the aid of a few buckets of water the incipient blpze was extinguished, after a few shingles had boon burned. Great difficulty wa3 experienced in saving another house near the fire, on which a number of sparks lodged. Four people were kept continually employed on the roof estin* guishing the fire.

The first day’s racing of the Auckland 8.0.’s summer meeting was (says the Star) conducted on Saturday with great success, the course being crowded wi*b nearly 15,000 people. Tho great event of the day, the Auckland Cup, was won by a popular horse, Wairiki, belonging to Mr S. Bradley, of Onehunga. The scene as the magnificent brown horse swung round into the straight and passed Treadmill, was one of tho most intonse and exciting that could be witnessed. Cheer after cheer went up from the crowd that surged around the horse and its rider (Gainsford), and hats, sticks, and parasols were frantically waved in tho air. There was a similar demonstration when Hohoro galloped home at the head of the Railway Handicap. The victory of Silkworm in the Great Northern Foal Stakes was finely won, and was enthusiastically cheered; £21,450 was put through the totalisator, which is .£6l less than last year.

At the usual fortnightly meeting of the members of tho Independent Order of Rechabites, Gisborne Tent, No. 54, held at Townley’s Hall, laßt night, the following officers were elected and installed C.R., Bro. Anderson ; P.C.K., Bro. Roland; D.R., Bro. Graham ; secretary, Bro. Kirk ; treasurer, Bro. Peckover; Levite, Bro. Clayden ; minute secretary, Bro. Holdsworth ; Book Steward, Bro. Cooper; Cash Steward, Bro. H. East; Guardian, Bro. Lord; auditors, Bros. Brabazon and Slack; Supt. Juveniles, Bro. Kretschmar Juvenile Secretary, Bro. A. Kirk. A full report of the working of the Juvenile Tent was given by their Supt., Bro. Kretschmar, and a warm invitation given to the adult members to attend future juvenile meetings and take part in them to encourage their younger brethren and sisters in the good cause of total abstinance and provision for sickness.

The Moana was tho victim of too much

searchlight and of the strong current. After a good passage from Sydney and the Islands the steamer was rounding into the quarantine station at night, when sho met disaster. There was a strong current setting towards the rocks, and as tho Moana was avoiding tb6 San Francisco steamer Vmatilla, which had preceded her into William Head, the officers of the latter flashed their searchlight about in a manner which dazzled those on

the bridge of the Moana. Ia view of the double difficulty, and of the dangerous situation, the Moana was stopped. This proved an unfortunate proceeding. The steamer was carried by the current stem first toward the rooks, and bffore her proximity to the point at the entrance to the quarantine station she had struck.

A good deal of Interest is being taken i n the cricket match to he played at Waerenga-a-hika on Saturday next between the Town and Country Strong elevens have been selected, and, as play commences at 10.30 a.m., a good day’s play should be witnessed. Mr W a F.- Sinclair’s drag will leave town for Waerenga-a-hika at 9 on Saturday mornyig, and quite 'a number of town enthusiasts have expressed their intention of journeying out to see the play* Arrangements have been made vvitli Mrs Erskine to supply luncheon and afternoontea cn the ground? and spectators will be able to procure cither at* reasonable rates.

Arthur Harpsr, aged 18 years, a rabbiter, accidentally shot himself at Bonmore station, near Oarnaru, on Friday. He died two hours after. Reports from Thursday Island state that the pearling boats are doing remarkably well at present. Nearly 30 New Guinea natives ar.-ived recently for the pearling fleets, amongst which a serious outbreak of berri berri has occurred, it being worse than any previous outbreak. The body of Thomas J. Anderson was found floating in the water at the Oarnaru breakwater on Saturday. It is not known how deceased got into the water.

At Blenheim recontly a marker was killed in the Taylor Pass rifle butts through a defective embankment. This led to a departmental inspection of the hurts throughout the district, and the result was that three out of five inspected were found to be unsafe.

An attempt was made the other Sunday night to seutllo the barque Stanley, belonging to Mr D. S. D. Langs, of Murray Bridget, Scutli Australia. Sbo was on tbe verge of sinking when tbe pumps were got

to work. It was afterwards ascertained that there wore 21 holes bored in her bottom.