Untitled

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1098, 19 August 1871, Page 2

A novelty in attractions offered in a bazaar, to entice visitors, is noticed in the Ballarat Courier. At the bazaar held in aid of the fund of St. John's Church, Soldier's Hill, one of the prizes was " a promise to marry sans fees, at any date within twelve months."

The report of Eeuter's Telegram Co., which was recently made in London, stated that the net profits of the company for the year 1870, after payment of all charges, amounted to ,£11,670 including .£29 from the proceeding year. An interim dividend of 2\ per cent, had already been paid, and the directors now declared a further dividend at the rate of 7| per cent., making a total distribution for the year of 10 per cent., free of income tax, absorbing .£7,300, after adding £2,000 to the reserve fund, and writing off the fixtures and furniture account, leaving a balance of .£1,176. The Court of Chancery had formally sanctioned the reduction of the capital to ,£BO,OOO.

The official inquiry into the wreck of the schooner Waterman has been closed. The Court gave the following decision; —" This Court finis that the brigantine Waterman was run ashore by the master, Johu Le Brun, at the Little Ho Ho Creek, in the County of Westland, Colony of New Zealand, on July 20, 1871, for the purpose of saving life and cargo. This Court is of opinion that no bhime should be attached to the said master for his management of the vessel from Tuesday, 18th July, until she was run ashore on Thursday, 20th July; but the Court is of opinion that the said master committed an error of judgment on the 17th July, in running too close to the land, it being at the time bad, dirty weather, with the wind dead on shore, and the glass very low. The Court will not, however, either cancel or suspend the master's certificate." The certificate was then handed over to Captain Le Brun. A miraculous and providential escape of several miners occurred on the 27th ult., at Old Packer's Point, Upper Shotover. It appears Thomas Martin and his two mates were working in their tunnel claim on that day, and had driven into the hill a distance of some forty feet. About twenty minutes to twelve o'clock they found that their candles were done, in consequence of which they knocked off work and went to dinner, They had no sooner got out of the drive than they were surprised by the sudden fall of about 200 tons of earth ; so that by the mere accident of having no more candles, they were saved from a certain terrible death.

The advantage of shelter in connection with stock, is far too little attended to. Tree shelter is especially valuable, as groves of trees are wonderful equalisers of temperature. They keep the air cool in summer and warm in winter. Everyone who has visited the recesses of a thick scrub in cold weather can testify to the wonderful difference between the temperature there and in an exposed situation in the immediate vicinity; and nearly as great difference is seen in the other direction in the heat of summer. The reason why animals don't fatten in winter is because the food they consume is necessary to keep up the animal heat. Many, of what are called good fattening stations, depend more upon the fact that they have abundant shelter and shade than upon any peculiar excellence in their herbage. Where there are no trees for shade and shelter the next best thing is to provide thatched or bark-roofed sheds.

A question agitating New York just now is, " "yyhich is the worst enemy of scciety —the family that keeps a parrot, or the one whose son is learning to play the bugle?"