Manawatu Herald TUESDAY. MARCH 81. 1899

Manawatu Herald, 21 March 1899, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY. MARCH 81. 1899

To-morrow morning several memjers of the Foxton Tennis Club proceed to Mr H. Hammond's at Waitohi, md play a match against a combined earn of Sandon, Lower Rangitikei md Waitohi players. The absence of wo or three of the best players in the local team is unfortunate. John Darroch, aged 20, William Turner, aged 18, and Ferdinant Holm started for Wellington in the halflecker Irene from Day's Bay on Saturday, and the boat was found capsized on Sunday. It is believed all chree have perished. A young man named Cutts was to have accompanied hem, but at the last he declined. A young lady honoured a children's oarty not long ago with her presence, oroceeding there with a sweet little jirl in a sulky drawn by a pony. When he time arrived for returning home he young lady harnessed into her uilky a pony which she thought was ler own, but which, it now appears, lad never been in harness before, •ihe noticed the pony did not seem to be in such good condition as when the mimal was used earlier in the day, nit concluded that it had taken some- j hing poisonous which had made it look so thin. This necessitated a tightening of the harness, but the fact j hat she had got the wrong horse did I iot occur to her. However, every- * ling was in readiness for a start, but lie found the pony averse to going iome, and could not account for its inwillingness. She used all the pretty persuasiveness for which she is famed .0 induce it to trot, but budge the pony would not, and finally comnenced to make things merry to the reat amusement of the heathen 'hinee. Then it was that one of her fiends suggested she had got the \rong pony. On a most careful examination being made, she found to ;er dismay that her own pony had >een left behind, and that the pony jhe had vainly endeavoured to " drjve" did not belong to her, Tableau I

The shootißg season for native game opens on the 31st March, and closes on June, in the Wanganui district, while for imported game the season opens on ist May and close on 31st July, in each case both days being inclusive. So tar no Gazette notice has appeared when the season opens in this district. The amount of reading matter purchased at railway Stations bookstalls by the travelling public apparently varies greatly at the chief centres of the colony. For while the annual literature at Durtddtii station amounts to £io6 I«s, In Christchurch it is only £70, and in Auckland £48, Wellington being a wretched last so far as this j branch of revenue is concerned, with but £15. Alarming rumours ate current regarding the health of the Pope. The doctors in attendance declare his organs are healthy and that he is only suffering from illness dtte to old age. W. N. Cathro, solicitor, ot Feilding, was arrested at Napier on Thursday night by Constable Norwood on a warrant charging him with the theft of about £1200 at Wellington, the monies of John Prior* A Russian mine owner admits the discovery of Andree's body was a hoax. The Gatton inquiry has been adjourned indefinitely. The police hape to examine further witnesses later on. Mr A. E. Remington, the professed opponent of Mr Geo. Hutchison for the Patea seat, is now addressing the electors. He is standing in the Liberal interest, and has created a very favourable impression. The Wanganui Chronicle says he is indeed a fluent speaker, and seemed to command the attention of his hearers without any difficulty whatever. When the Union Company's steamer Wanaka was passing through Albany Pass on her way from Singapore to Newcastle, a stowaway named John Anderson jumped overboard, having his few belongings lashed to a small plank. The Pass at this point is about half a mile in width, the steamer being in mid-channel at the time. Notwithstanding the distance, the current, and the fact that the sea thereabouts is infested with sharks, the man succeeded in getting ashore, safely. At an Horticultural Show not a long distance away from Dannevirke two local schoolmasters were appointed judges of paintings, with the result that the first prize for water colours was given to an oil painting, and first in oils to th.c water color. « Both these gentlemen teach drawing, but their painting education has been sadly neglectep. The Duchess of Cleveland, mother of Lord Rosebary, who recently celebrated her 77th birthday, is an ardent and constant traveller. " She has only lately returned to London from the Cape of Good Hope and the Transvaal. The rabbit export merchants down South are already pushing business, and offering in some cases £1 per thousand for the right of rabbitting on some large properties, and it is reported that one firm of runholders in Central Otago are getting £150 for their rabbits this year. The freezing season starts' next month. Trapping for the tinning factories has already started. Princess Marie of Roumania, wife of the Crown Prince, collects perfumery bottles, a fad in which she resembles her grandmother, the late Empress of Russia, who left a beautiful assortment of these articles, valued at £5000. P. Keith, of Hawera, leaves for Australia next week with the racehorses Pokomoko, Nipapu and Bradshaw. D. Morrighan, the well-known cross country rider, will accompany che team. A pension applicant in the South, with £350 out at interest at six per cent., at seven per cent., £100 in the bank at 3^ per cent., and a house to live in, has been granted a pension of £ 9 a year. A movement is on foot among the members of the legal profession who practice in the Police Court in Auckland to petition the Government in favour of the retention in Auckland of Mr Brabant, S.M.,who, it is rumoured is being transferred to Palmerston Morth or Masterton. In the alleged perjury case on Thursday (says the Taranaki Herald), Mr Barton cross examining Mr Stanford S.M., who was a witness, as to his mode of taking notes of evidence md as to whether certain notes were the words actually used by a witness or the examining counsel's words agreed to by the witness. " Can you show me," asked Mr Barton, "any note where the answer is ' Yes ' or % No ' ? " "If a witness answered ' yes ' or 'no ' to a question the words of that question would be taken down. " For instance " said Mr Stanford, " if the question was asked, ' Is Mr Barton <oing to keep us here all the afternoon ? " and the answer was given • Yes,' the entry I would make would be l Mr Barton is going to keep us here all the afternoon." A pin them dropped and woke up the constable. The custom of compelling school children to write lines as a punishment was condemmed by several members of the Nelson Education Board at its last meeting. The children rushed through their lines as hurriedly as possible to get them finished, and in many instances the hand writing was permanently affected. The opinion was express that all Boards should make some representation to their teachers on the question of this very undesirable practice. The Rev. Leonard M. Isitt, is expected back in the Colony in MayAll applications for his services on his return have been booked. Nothing can be done until the date of his arrival is known. Mr TV E.Taylor, M.H.R., purposes spending two or three week in. Taranaki after the 26th of this month. He will then return to Christchurch, and I afterwards tour the Colony as far as practicable*

The absence of a child from school in Switzerland, unless in case of illness, is punished by a tine, the amount ot which is daPy increased. If it is suspected that the child's illness is shammed, a doctor is sent by the school authorities, and when it is convinced that the suspicion in correct, the parents have to pay his fee. Amateur photographers in Russia are obliged to secure licenses. There are said to be more than 1437 cycling clubs in England alone. silver plate; valued at £1,500*000. Last year in Paris 24,340 horses, 257 donkeys, and 40 mules were killed and consumed as food. There is a species of frog which dwells in Tasmania whose croak fesembles the bleating of a lamb. About half a million pairs of boots are stored every year at the Army Clothing Factory in England; The rfdni jani&s Carroll states that he again intends contesting the Waiapu seat against all-comers. The largest standing army is that of Russia, 800,000 men ; the next in' size that of Gdrtilariy 1 &i,Odd', the" thifd that of France, 555,000; the fourth Austria, 323,000; after which comes Italy, with 255,000; Britain, 210,000; Turkey, with 160,000 ; and Spain with 145,600. Upon a farm in New Jersey every operation, including growth, is said to be carried on by electricity —electric E loughs, electric sowers, the crops eing brought to perfection in half the ordinary time by means of an electric current, while at night the farm is bright with the rays of electric lights. The Oamaru Mail has good.authority for stating that the Government have decided to take the Eldersile estate, minus the part reserved by Mr Reid, at the owner's amended offer of the land at £7 per acre. Possession will be given on April 1, 1900. The President's chair, used at the Wesleyan Conference at Christchurch is an interesting relic of the early history of Methodism. On it stood John Wesley on an occasion when he preached at Stockport. The chair is of oak, unholstered in red velvet, and bears a tablet setting forth its history and various owners. A gentleman in Wellington has' received a letter from a Marton sportsman describing an adventure in which he took part when out after trout the other evening. He saw through the dusk what he took to be a " rise," and promptly made a cast. He was astonished to find that he had hooked, n>t a four-pounder, but a grey wild duck. The bird was hooked in one of its wings.