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Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 68, 26 April 1881, Page 2

Bank Holiday. — Saturday being the anniversary of Saint George, the patron saint of England, the Banks closed. No notification of the intention to close having been given, not a few reached the doors of the Banks, only to turn away disappointed. This was especially felt owing to it being •Saturday. Confirmation. — His Lordship Bishop Had Held arrived at Foxton on Friday, from Wellington, and next day proceeded to Palmerston. His Lordship held a confirmation service there on Sunday evening, on which occasion he suitably addressed r-he candidates, of whom there were 28. The Rev. Mr Keat«Dg preached in the mi irning. Auditor. — Mr Piobert Macalister haviug returned trom England is appointed auditor of the accounts of the trustees of the rabbit districts in the Hawke's Bay and Wellington Provincial Districts. Ho is also appointed an auditor of Harbor Boar I accounts. Mr Macalister ia known to be a strict auditor, and also one who knows the limits of his powers. Mr Yaldwin who did the work during his absence, did not know where his authority ended, aud consequently laid himself open to a well deserved snubbing at the hands of the Chairman of the Manawatu County Council. The Gazette contains a notification of the resignation by Mr Yaldwin of his appointments as auditor. Foxton Wharf.— The following new regulation regarding the Foxton and Eastown railway wharves will ccme into operation on tho first of May :— "Foxton and Eastown Wharves. — These wharves dliall be open for receipt and delivery of ■jnods on all days (Sundays and holidays observed at H.M. Customs excepted) from S a.m. toy p.m., but on Saturdays they may be closed at 2 p.m. Vessels may load or discharge from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but on Saturdays until 1 p.m. only. Masters of vessels discharging or loading cargo outside of regular wharf hours shall pa> 10s per hour for vessels discharged or loaded by steampower, aud os per hour for vessels worked by haudpower ; but this shall not apply to vessels loading or discharging ballast, coal, or timber, where whartiugers' labour is not required. " A Windmill at Palmerston. —The most striking feature of the Palmer3toa railway station is a prodigious windmill just erected by the Public Wo-'ks Department for the purpose of lifting the water from the well to the tanks which supply the engines at that station. Supreme Court.— The half-yearly sitting of the Supreme Court at; Wanganui opened yesterday, before Chief Justice Prendegast. His Honor, accompanied by the Registrar and his private secretary, arrived per coach on Saturday, from Wellington, and went on us far as Palmerston by the train, where hia Honor stayed until Monday morning, he having property in that district which he was desirous of inspecting. The Chief Justice appeared to take a very lively interest iv the country between Foxtou and Palmerston, andst'o.l the whole time of the journey on the platform of tho carriage, scanning the landscape with the aid of a field glass. The Otaki witnesses, including Constable Mitchell, alao arrived from that place by the Wellington ooach and proceeded to Wangauui per train. A Dangerous Railway Carriage — 0 1 Saturday evening our attention wa* called by a second class passenger on th>> train to the dangerous condition of the iron bar which forma the back rail of the platform of one of the carriages. Instead of clasping the upright, it simply laid on it und the slightest pressure pushed it out of position. At the time the carriage was quite full, and at least half a dozen persons were standing on the platform, so that the danger caused by the matter was apparent. Our informant stated the rail had been loose for eighteen months. Ten minutes in the blacksmith's hands would probably make it secure. While on this subject, we may mention that a complaint has been made to us that sufficient second-class carriages are not put on the line on Saturd iy nights. [The carriage referred to ia 0 S.] Personal. — We regret to bear that Mr J. 0. Batchelor, host; of the H >yal Hotel at Palmerston, has been ailing for some time past, owing to an affection of the heart. His many friends iv Lower Manawatu will, we are sure, unite in wishing him a speedy recovery to bis ÜBual health and spirits.

Oathoi.ic Chukoh, Foxton. — The follow ing tenders were received for the erection of the Catholic Church, at Foxton. They were opened on Saturday evening, in the presence of i'v/ess s J. Saunders imd J Purcell : — Freeland & Co, £255, accepted ; Ewin^ and Govan, £255 7s 6d ; W. W NichiUon <fe Co, £'270; Robort M-Lonn, £j56; A.. Jonaon, £307 ; I'eter Connell, £425 loaj The time given for the comple tion of the contract is four months. The price accaptcd is very satisfactory, and wo believe the ( 'atholic Church will be openod as we think every Church snould be but lew unfortunately are — free of debt. No Brr l.— The Grand Jurj at the Supreme Court yesterday found "no oill" against Joseph Masek, charged with setting fire to Mr S. M. Baker'B bush, and he was accordingly discharged. Dismissed. -Whitelaw has been dismissed fr>m the civil service. A notice is gazetted to that affect. Feildino a Municipality. — The town of is to be proclaimed a Borough. The Gazette will probably be issued during the present wek. Under its improved ' form of government, we trust the northern town will continue to grow as rapidly aa it has grown in the past. Palmerston Borough Council.— A vacancy having occurred in the Palmeraton Borough Council through the departure o' Mr Ivor James from that town, Mr J. P. Loary, stationer and printer, of Palmerston, has consented to stand. A requisition was taken round on Saturday, and numerously signed. Mr Leary has frequently been asked to stand for the Borough Council, but has always previously declined. His supporters count ou securing his return easily. Messrs H. J. Hayns and G. M. Snelson are both spoken of as likely to stand for the vacancy. Sale.— Messrs Thynue, Linton & Co. held a miscellaneous sale at their rooms on Saturday, when the different articles offered brought very fair prices. It is generally regarded as a matter of regret that | these miscellaneous sales are not held at Foxton once a week. A good business could soon be worked up in that direction. Reclamation Contract. — The tramway to the gravel pit is now almost completed, and it is probable the ballast-engine Skunk will start running tomorrow or Thursday. County Contract. - Only two tenders were received for the work to be done to the Foxton-Otaki road, beyond Mr 0. Symons' house. Owen Williams' tender at £2 17s per chain was accepted. The only other tender was that of — Anderson, for £3 4s Gd per chaiu. There are 14 chains to be done. The CoKoNERSinr. — As indicating the concurrence of opinion we may remark that hoth the Manawatu Times and Wanganui Herald have published articles supporting the view we expressed last Friday that the Coronership should not have been given to Mr Ward. Onr Palmerston contemporary opposed the appointment on almost exactly the same grounds as we had urged, his article having doubtless been written before our own was printed. We call attention to these facts to prove how generally the appointment is opposed. Leaving the District. — Many in the district will be sorry to learn that Mr Joseph Beale, the wellknown butcher of Palmerston, is about to leave the district, having entered into partnership with Mr James Gear, of Wellington. Since Mr Beal arrived in Manawatu he has gone into business with great spirit and enterprise, and ho is one of those settlers we cannot afford to lose. He intends to give up business altogether in Manawatu, as the burden of Mr Gear's very large business will fall on him. Rifle Volunteer's.— In accordance with a request made by several Foxton residents, Mr Thynne has called a meeting of persons willing to join a Rifle Volunteer corp* for Wednesday, at 7 p.m. Such an institution would be a great benefit to the youn<* men of the district, and we therefore hope to see a large attendance. Mr Ormond's Spekch. —In this issue we give a two-column summary of Mr Ormond's speech at Waipawa, It is well worth perusal The most interesting part —that i elating to local government, — is printed on the fouith page. Larrikins.— Somelarrikins have recently been annoying an elderly man named John Toney. He announces a reward for their conviction. They should bo ashamed of themselves. Bush Fire.— Some youngsters yesterday lighted a fire on the Norbiton road. It soon spread to the bush, and had not several persons kept it down Mr M'Culloch's house would probably have been burned. The bush is still alight. "Brother Jonathan" Speaks.— The ire of the New York Herald is roused by the frequent marriages of American heireases to ruined European noblemen, and cautions the native girls that the class of nobility who are likely to aujle for thorn are apt to be men of bad habits, broken fortunes, and selfish instincts, willing to accept the fair Republicans for their handsome dowries. A Screw Loose Somewhere.— The manner in which the financial arrang»meuts of the goods department at the Timaru station are conducted appears to give extraordinary facilities for embezzlement. Only some few months ago a clerk named Blair was convicted of embezzlement to an extensive amount, and now we learn that James Farrell has been arrested on a charge of embezzling the sum of £2 3s Bd, the property of the Government. Waste Lands Board. — The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Wxste Lands Board was field at Wellington on Thursday. Present : Messrs J. G. Holdsworth (Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chairman), E. Pearce, S. Mason, and H. Bunny. The minutes of the previous meeting were read md confirmed. Messrs W. Marshall and J. W. Richardson wrote to the Board stating that they were unable to keep up the payments on section 33, Block VII., in the Mangaone Survey District, selected by them on deferred payments. It was resolved to cancel the selection. Mr Robert J. Dale applied Jfor permission to purchase 18 acres 1 rood 34 perches adjoining section 34, Block TIT., in the Margaone district, already purchased by him. The application was granted. The chairman laid on the table the report of Mr J. C. Armstrong on the Fitzherbert swamp. After some discussion it was resolved that the chief surveyor be requested to report on the swamp, and that the offer of Mr Armstrong to supply a more detailed report be accepted whh thanka. The schedule of lands sold since the la«t meeting. Bhowing that 829 acres had hoen disposed of at £1425 s*, the sum of £738 16s being paid on account, was submitted and approved of.— N. Z. Times. Sir J(JLir/9 Vooel. — The Wellington correspondent of the New Zealand Herald hears that private letters received from Sir Julius Yogel indicrte the probability of his coming out shortly to press hit) claims against the colony for remuneration on account of services in raising the last loan, but that there ia not the remotest prospect of his remaining in the colony or re«eat«ring Ntw Zealand politic*.

Barren Land.— Aa Australian exchange says : — "There is a patch of land, about a thousand acres, lying along the Ba'larat railway line bare of all vegetation. A curious reason is given for this remarkable barrenness. Last season the land was attacked by myriads of the black caterpillar, which not only seem to havo eaten out the very roots of the vegetation but to have poisoned the soil in some manner." Nonplussed. — The funny man connected with the Ghristohurch Telegraph tells the following story of a gentlem n who resides not very far from Ohristchurch who had overdrawn his account at the bauk. It appears that thn banker sent for his customer, and requested him to place his overdraft on the rig .t side of the ledger. The gentleman walked into the bank parlor, vulgarly styled by some the "sweatingroom," and confronted the manager. Customer — "Good morning, sir. I hope yon are well. I think you sent for me." " Yes, I did ; and I want you to put that overdraft of youra right." Customer — " 1 think you have every confidence in me, Mr ." Banker— "o yea, certainly I have." Customer— " Then I may tell you I have the greatest confidence in you ; so good morning. " With that the customer put on his hat and walked out of the banker's parlor, leaving that gsntleman in a complete state of nonplus. Petkolri'm. — The Napier Telegraph saya : — "The Southern Cross Petroleum Company have accepted a contract for boring up to 1000 feet, if necessary, commencing at 10s per feet and rising to 50s. The contractors agree to forfeit 10 per cent, if the bore proves dry ; while the company will give the contractors a 10 per cent, bonus on the contract price if a yield of not less than twenty barrels is obtained. Tne contractors have to keep the pipes going day and night uuder a penalty of £5 per day, so we may soon expect to hear something definite aa to the prospects of the company." Pigs.— One settler on the plains is waging war to the knife against the wild pigs on the Waimate, and now after a fortnight's hunting, finds that 303 have been killed. An adjoining neighbour has been killing for a louger period, and has a much longer list of victims. The strangest part of the story is, that the numbers of the porcine iavaders has not been perceptibly diminished. — Hawera Star. Waimate Plain's. — The settlers on the Plains are increasing in numbers daily, and many of them are very busy harrowing their land previous to sowing i 6 down with Euglish grasses. Considering the short time which has elapsed since the land was lirdb occupied, a good deal has been done. Grass seed is now nearly twice as dear as it was three or four mouths ago and those, who bought early are thanking their stars that they did so. —Ibid. Mata Again. — The Committee of the C.J.C. recently decided that the Club, in the absence of evidence, would not endorse the disqualification of Mata aud Uay by the Victoria Racing Club. Ax Audacious Fraud. — A somewhat amusing incident is told of a woman whose husband, a wealthy man, died suddenly without leaving any will. The widow, desirous of securing the whole of the property, concealed her husband's death, and persuaded a poor shoemaker to take his place while a will could be made. Accordingly, he was closely muffled in bed, aa if very sick, and a lawyer was called in !to write the will. The shoemaker in a feeble voice bequeathed half of all the property to the widow. " Wiiat shall be done with the remainder ?" asked the lawyer. "The remainder," replied he, "I give and bequeath to the poor little shoemaker across the street, who has been a good neighbor aud a deserving man" — thus securing a rich bequest for himself. The widow was thunderstruck with the man's audacious cunning, but did not dare to oxpose the fraud,, aud the two rogues shared the estate. Personal. — The Ashburton Guardian learns that Mr James M'Laughliu, teacher of the Wakauui schojl, is brother to Mr Win. M'Liu^hlin, Q C, leading counsel fur Mr Parnell in tho late State trials in Dublin. Sparrow Club.— At a recant meeting at Aahburton tho following resolutions were passed : — "That a club for the removal of the sparrow pest be formed in the county of Ashburton." "That a provisional committee be appointed to arrange for the formation of the club, fixing the amouutof subscription, procuring poisoned wheat, aud making other necessary arrangements, and to report at a meeting to be held at as early a date as possible." Chatsworth.— The Duke of Devonshire inteuds closiug Chatsworth's beautiful grouuds to the public except upon payment of a small fee, which will be given to a local charity. The reason for this is said to be vexation because a hydropathic establishment has been built near to his park gates, and he does not care to make his beautiful gardens an adjunct to this new sanatorium. Rather Doubtful. — '■ Sinecure writes as follows in thi: Ashburton Guardian : — Your contemporaries, both north and south, Mr Editor, have been taking the wind out of your sails in the "natural curiosity " line. From one we hear of a singing chickeu, another vouches for a potato large euongh to provide food supply for a gang of Irish roadmakers for a week, and lastly from luvercargill comes a monster melon which was introduced to Sir A. Gordon during his introductory tour. Now, I've noticed you've failed entirely in unearthing anything up here, so to rescue you I've raised the following goose story from the Devizes Gazette :—" At Littlecote farm there is a goose in the possession of Mr Russell, which was presented to his father on his teuth birthday. Mr Russell's father died some mouths ago in his 70th year, and a3 the goose was aged when given to Mr Itussoll, senior, and is yet alive, it is thus known to be orer 80 years old, and" is supposed to be nearer 100 than 80 years." The negotiation of one of her gooseship's drumsticks would, I should think, prove interesting although somewhat unproductive to a hungry feeder. Oddfellows. — Thirty- nine years ago— Thuivday, the 7th April, 1842— the first Oddfellows' Lodge iv New Zealand was founded in Nelson, the spot where the meeting was held being tho fern-covered hills just above where tho new State school nosy stands, near the Saltwater bridge ; the number of members — nine. Gold and silver were scarce in those days (says the Nelson Evening Mail), aud it was not without some difficulty and the exercise of a little self-denial on the part of the limited number of founders that the funds were fortcoming wherewith to form the capital of the ue*v lodge. But each gave what he could afford, aud on the coins being counted it was found that they amounted in all to fifteen shillings. Gradually and steadily the number of the members of the Order has gone on increasing and year by year tho funds have been accumulating, until now thn former has reached 624 and the latter £7,720 14s 6il, the odd shillings and pence just about representing the original capita). The receipts for the year 1880 were £1.403, and th«di»burwmtota£962 the latter including

payments to fourteen widows and twentyseven orphans. Of the nine men who instituted the Order in New Zealand but one remains, Mr C. P. Kearus, now liYiag-^ iv the Waimea. From the result of their labors we may all learn the lesson not to despise the day of small things. Medical.— The Government advertise for a duly qualified medical man to undertake the duties of resident medical superintendent of the lunatic asylum at Wellington. The salary offered is only £400, with residence. Catching the Boers. — Here (says the Diamond News) i3 a good story from Potchefstroom, for the authencity of which we can vouch. While the Boers were digging trenches to the powder magazine one evvening, as usual, the horses were let out of the Fort to water. The horses being old chargers, and it being certain that Boers were in the neighbourhood, the animals were turned out without headstalls or haltera. They rushed straight to the vlei at which it was customary for them to slake their thirst. Out of the trenches came the Boers, seized and mounted the horses, and were for ridiug them into the town. The bugler in the Fort sounded the " Horses in at a trot," and straightway the whole of them turned and made for home, carrying their unwilling freight. The Dutchmen threw themselves off right and left, but four were carried right into the camp and promptly taken prisoner. Frugal Statesmen.— All of the recent Presidents of the United States are said to have saved money. Mr Lincoln is spoken of as having laid by over £50,000. Johnston saved £60,000. The salary in their time was only £25,000, while it is now i' 50,000. Grant is generally supposed to have saved about £100,000. He only had the increased salary for a small part of his term. Mr Hayes is supposed to have lived on £10,000 a year, which will make 'us savings £160,000 at the close of his term.