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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 15 April 1907, Page 2

Wo have oitco more to apologise to our renders for tho Into issuo oi tho paper this morning, owing another unaccountable accident. As tho formo was being lifted on to the printing machine a key dropped out and the bottom portion of tho columns thus loosened, dropped on tho iloor, the top portions remaining intact cm the machine bed. Another two seconds, an 1 the whole thing would have been safe, and tho paper run off at onco; hut “there is many a_ slip between tho cup and tho lip, am the slip occurred. Wo hardly know yot whether it is right to blame the man who locked up tho forme or some inherent defect in tio chase which is a new one, hut that is another matter. Whatever the cause our readers may rest assured that a rcicurrenco of tho trouble will bo rigidly guarded against.

A bullock driver, a foncer and twonty bushmon are advertised for by Mr. G. Smith, registry office.

Tho porson who picked up a buggy whip on Thursday is asked to kindly leavo it at Mr. East s store.

A formal meeting of the Poverty Bay Football League (Australian game) will be held at tho Masonic Hotel at 7.30 to-night.

Tho sale of Mr. Owen Monckton’s Totangi property, consisting of 1500 acres, is reported, Mr. McIldowie being tho purchaser.

A general meeting of thoso interested in the Australian game of football will be hold at the Masonic Hotel this evening at 7.30 o’clock.

Tlio sittings of the Native Appellate Court to bo held up the Coast will be conducted by Judges Rawson md Jones, who lonvo by tho Haupiri to-morrow or Wednesday.

.Mr. AY. D. Lysnar, who is a candidate for the Mayoral election, announces that ho will ho pleased to moetl thoso desirous of supporting his candidature at the 1 armors Union Club Rooms at 7.30 to-night.

On tho 28th inst. the local volunteers aro to parade to church with tho newly-eloctcd Mayor and councillors, and it is expected that the parade will be the biggest over held iu tho town.

At a meeting of tho Rugby Union ti ho held on Friday evening the question of compelling clubs to supply tho Union will lists of unfinancial members so that they can be debarred from playing will be d iscussed.

Tho criminal convictions in Gisborne for tho last quarter amounted to 125. It will be interesting to hear from tho Rov. F. Isit.t how tho non-license towns compare with this. He lectures on Friday next in His Majesty’s Theatre. The' Gisborne Debating Society alters an attractive, item to-night when Dr. Collins will deliver his long looked for lecture on bacteriology. Non members are admitted on tho invitation of members. On Monday next the adjourned debate between the Rev. H. W. Chatterton and Mr. E. H. Mann will take place.

On Saturday afternoon the Native Appellate Court met at halfoast two and till four o’clock hoard Messrs. Bright and Nolan argue the law points of an application. At four o’clock a caso in which Maori idvocates appeared was called on. Tho representative of one side said he was willing that his case should bn adjourned till the next sitting day—the judges were, no doubt, very tired. The case was adjourned.

The treasurer of tho Gisborne Hospial (Mr. J. A. Harding) acknowledges with thanks the receipt of £l2 6s in aid of the Hospital funds from Mr. Edward Williams, Hon. Secretary of the St. Patrick’s Sports Committee, being proceeds of the Hospital Handicap Race as follows: —Entrances collected by Messrs. Nesbitt, F. Maher and J. I. Martin £9 3s, first prize given by Mr. T. J. Adair and won by Mr. D. Moore £2 2s, and second prize given by the Sports Committee and won by Mr. I’. Maher £1 Is.

On Saturday morning a gentleman while proceeding along Gladstone Road suddenly fell prone on the footpath. Ho "remained in that position for some time, experiencing groat difficulty in rising again. After a few minutes a kind-hearted passer-by assisted the unfortunate gentleman to rise, and as lie was unable to walk, propped him up against a building in the vicinity. The parlous plight of tho distressed irentleman later attracted tho attention of the police, and Constable O’Hara escorted him to a lodging for the evening. Ho will appear at I,he Police ' Court this morning, charged with drunkenness.

The North Otago Times says: “Some time, ago mention was made of an encounter one of the local oil launches had with a largo shark about eight or nine miles off the coast. The shark (over twenty feet in length) bit at the boat, and sunk its teeth into the ironbark keel, leaving one of its teeth in the wood. The boat was hauled up on the beach the other day for painting, and the deep indentation in the hard wood is plainly visible. Had the boat been a small or slimly-built one, the result of the attack might have been serious.”

Some time ago a salvage corps was formed in connection with the Gisborne Rifles, but it has gradually faded away until it is generally supposed to bo defunct. The matter was brought up by the Quartermaster at tho meeting of the Gisborne Riflos, who said that the corps ought to be carried on. Whenever there was a fire the corps was necessary. A member stated that when the corps had turned out to fires chey had not been recognised—some uniform was necessary. It was also mentioned that general townspeople had promised donations, which had either never been collected or never spent. The captain said the matter was hardly one to be dealt with by the corps, and it was dropped.

The public just learn' (says a I,ondon paper) that it did not know where eels bred, but it seems that the problem has long puzzled biologists. Danish marine investigators have now completed investigations proving that so far as the European eel population is concerned the creatures spawn at a depth of 550 fathoms in the Atlantic Ocean contiguous to the British Isles and southwest Europe. From innumerable eggs there appears tiny larvae called leptocephali, which are transparent jelly-like, and flat, having something of the contour of a tailless herring. It is not known how long the eggs take to develop the leptocephali,but the latter occupy six months in transition to the familiar elvers, which ' arc about two inches long. The elvers then migrate in countless swarms to the shores of Western Europe, travelling in columns some--times several yards wide and miles long. Nothing stops their progress. If they encounter a ship they separate to the right and left and rejoin in the vessel’s wake. They invade every river and waterway on the coasts, ascending steadily landward. They even ascend small waterfalls, penetrate streams, and wriggle over swampy grounds into ponds and ditches.

Died recently at Bondi (Sydney), Donald Macintyro, tho Cattlo King of Northern Queensland. His career to tho Two-Horned Crown began in 1865, when ho started cattloraising at Dalgonally, in tho Gulf Country. When ho died ho owned four stations, Dalgonally, Augustus' Downs, Fiery Downs and Lochnagar. He and his brother Duncan took part in tho search for tho explorer Loichardt in tho early sixties, and Duncau died on tho expedition.

At tho sitting of tho Tai-Rawliiti Maori Land Board on Saturday, G. Scott (Mr. Blair) applied for a lease of tho Waihora Ig block from Karepa ICautuku and others. Mr. Bright opposed the application, as he hold a lenso of the land to W. J. Brown and another. Mr. Blair said lie had eleven signatures representing six or seven original shares. Mr. Bright said his lease had three signatures representing throo shares in tho now lease, and there were four representing throo of the original shares. Some of tho persons who had signed tho old lease had also signed the new one. Mr. Brown had been in occupation under the old lenso continuously, and had paid a rent of Is per acre. * Mr. Blair contended that tho old lease was of absolutely no value, as it had never boon confirmed by the Native Land Court, and tho natives, if they chose, could revest tho land. The Board decided to leave tho matter in abeyance until tho old lease had been confirmed by the Native Land Court.

There was a largo attendance of members of the Rochabite Order at the. special meeting of the Gisborne Tent, held on Saturdey evening to receive the representative’s report on tho District Council meeting held in New Plymouth. Bro. A. Clayden, Chief Ruler, presided. Bro. Nasmith, tho ropresontative, sketched tho work done at the conference, and expressed satisfaction with the advance made. Tho local Tent’s proposal to roduco tho entrance fees to 2s Cd had boon carried, also tho proposal for an official organ. The question of amalgamation with tho Auckland District had been discussed, and tho proposals were to be laid boi'oro each Tent for confirmation. They 'covered an increase in tho funeral benefits ranging to £2OO, half-benefit to members after six months’ membership, and a slight increase in contributions to malic the Order more solvent. Bro. Nasmith explained tho proposals at longtli, and after a very favorable discussion, tbo Tent unanimously passed a resolution supporting amalgamation. The question of amalgamating with tho female Tent was also discussed, and a confirming resolution was passed agreeing to amalgamate. The local Tent is making stoady progress, and with the increased bonefits which they soon expect to he able to offer, the Order should make itself very prominent. Volunteer daylight parades which occur on Sunday arc now recognised by the Defence authorities. At the meeting of tho Gisborne Rifles Captain Beere said that last year the corps had got in four daylight parades instead of six, and this year he proposed that advantage be taken of the leave to hold daylight parades on Sundays. Some might not like to parade on Sunday, but personally ho saw no harm in it, and he expected to have at least two Sunday parades.

In '"be course of a few general remarks at tho meeting of the Gisborne Rifles Captain Beere said that the non-coms, of the company did not seem to recognise the position they were in. The section commanders were really the captains of their sections, and the men of the sections should look to them "n almost everything. Every section was working independently to a degree, and he would like to see the sec tions vieing with one another. He would bring before the financial committee a proposition to have a shield open for competition by sections, points to be given for punctuality on parade, general appearance, etc. The non-coms., lie thought, did not uphold their rights. They woro all volunteers Imt when they had the uniform on they had certain duties to perform, and if the non-coms, did not carry out their duties discipline could not ho maintained. He hoped yet to have the best company in tho colony. It could he done if everybody worked together, and the non-coms, bad a great deal to do with this.

Most peoplo who have visited the island of Ceylon and penetrated into its jungle fastnesses have heard the cry of the devil bird. This awe-in-spiring sound resembles nothing so much as the scream of a human being undergoing the most terrible torture. Naturalists have identified it with the brown wood owl found in Hindustan. But the devil bird, or ultima, as the Cingalese call it, is an elusive creature, and no one has had the good fortune to kill or catch a specimen. The Cingalese naturally a superstitious race —regard the cry of this bird with the utmost terror. They believe that its scream, heard at night, presages the most dire misfortune, and they are in the habit of offering sacrifices to avert the approaching disaster. Mr. Fitford, of the Ceylon Civil Service, studied the mysterious bird with great interest. “Its ordinary not®,” he writes, “is a magnificent, clear shout, like that of a human being, which can be heard at a distance, and has a fine effect in the silence of the closing night. But the sounds which have earned its bad name, and which X have heard but once to perfection, are indiscribable, the most appalling that can be imagined, and scarcely to bo heard without shuddering. I can only compare it to a boy in torture, whose screams are being stopped by being strangled.”

At the last meeting of the Hawke's Bay Education Board, Mr. .J. D. Watson appeared before the board to offer an explanation with regard to a letter which he had written to the newspapers dealing with applications for the lieadmastersliip of the Hastings School*. He had seen Mr. Barton, who had pointed ont to him that it was very likely the hoar... would take great exception to some expressions in the letter referred to. He had assured Mr. Darton, as he now assured the hoard, that in writing that letter to the newspapers, he wrote it in great heat and under i great sense of wrong. "W lietlier he had been right or wrong had nothing to do with it; such had been his feeling. He had not intended any disrespect or discourtesy to the hoard. He would withdraw any expressions in the letter that were considered discourteous. Pastor Hies said he had no knowledge of the letter nor'what it had contained. The Chairman said the letter contained expressions to the effect that if the board had lost its dignity he (Mr. Watson) had not and that ho now washed his hands of the whole unseemly business.” He (the Chairman) now understood that Mr. Watson desired to withdraw any of the board. Was that so. - ' Mr. Watson: I am not sure. The Chairman: Well. if you arc not sure, there is no use of your coming here. Mr. McLernon said Mr. Wason had done all he possibly could in withdrawing any expressions in the letter that might bo deemed disrespectable. He had explained that ho had had no wish to he discourteous. and that was all that propriety could expect of him. He (Mr. Mcljernon) therefore moved that Mr. Watson's explanation he accepted. The motion was seconded by Mr. Whittington and carried unanimously.