LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 250, 18 September 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The ruffian Daniel Mahouey has been committed for trial for biting off a man's nose at Paikakariki. The Post regcets to learn that the Rev. 0. H. S. Nichollsis kid up with an attack of erysipelas. - A premature explosion of a shell occurred m one of the guns of the Victorian warship Cerberus a few days. ago, rendering the piece of ornance quite useless. The gun weighs 18 tons, and coat £1700. At the last sitting of the Publio Petitions Committee, the petition of George Longhurst, a convict, was considered. Mr Edward Shaw and Mr Gully atteivded for the petition. The further hearing was adjourned until Friday uext. The Shaw, Sarill, and Albion Company's chartered steamer Florida sailed from Wellington on Tuesday for London direct; taking a very large cargo of produce and frozeu meat from Port Chalmers, Lyltelton, and Wellington. She had nearly 14,000 carcases of meat on board. .

The lucky purchasers of the s.s. Triumph will, it is stated, make £20,000 but of their bat gain. A well-known resident of Pahantanui, named Barnnrd McGovern, died very suddenly on Saturday morning last. He had just entui'Ld Prossjr's coach, when ho fell forward on the seat, and expired m a few minutes. The deceased was formerly m the 50th Foot, aud served with the regiment through the Crimean j War. An inquest was considered unnecessary, Dr. Bennett certifying to the cause of death. The deceased, who wan j a shoemaker by trade, received a public funeral ; the Pahautauui Band, of which he was a member, playing the " Dead March." The Hawera Star understands that the Patea Frozen Meat .Company, who are engaged m extensive tinning operations, are now Belling the prime joints of the carcases at l£d per lb, so that a good joint of beef can be procured for some* thing like Is 6d: The concession is, of course greatly appreciated by the townspeople, but the butchers are growling that the reductions are taking away their customers considerably. In a case heard at Ormondville the other day, it transpired that the defendants were Poles, the witnesses Germans, while the Courtand solicitor were of course English.* Some complexity and considerable loss of timo resulted. The difficulty was met by Constable Schultz interpreting the German into English, and a man named Sink turned English into Polish for the aocussed and vice versa. The Minipter for Public Works has promised that a station for passenger accommodation, and also a siding-shed shall be erected at Danevirke, on the opening of the line to (Tahoraite, which is expected to be ready by the Ist of October. The WaipaCwa Mail wishes some member would move for a return of all. lauds reserved for education, primary aud secondary respectively, m continuation of one issued some years ago. We are credibly informed that there aro reserves created which, are sufficient to furnish to one child m every 80 of school age m the colony, uot alone a good educatiqn, but to maintain, board, aud lodge it, if necessary. Our Wellington representative lately paid a visit to Mr Cameron's Tinware Factory .m that city, and was showu a number of large milk cans manufactured to the order of one or two cheese and dairy factories m the south. These cans are made of tfery superior metal, specially imported for thai purpose, and are designed for lht> purpose of conveying milk by cart or railway from the diiferent farms to the factories. Further particulars of these useful and "Substantial articles will be found m our advertising columns. We have seen a few curiosities m the way of trade and interchange m New Zealand, but not much better than is shown by the following paragraph f roni the Herald: — " Here is a little trading problem for an enterprising man to solve. At the Mahai lie large quantities of whale oil m tanks and all kinds of receptacles. It lies there because there are no oil-barrels there to take it away. At Clive there is no oil, but Mr Alley advertises that he has a large number of new oil-barrels to sell. A third party is wanted to buy that oil and those casks, 5 ut -the first inside the second, ftud sell io whole at a good profit." We have received the first number of the Anglo NewZealander and Australian 'Times, a fortnightly journal conducted by colonists for colonists, and published m London under the editorship of Mr G. M. Read. It is an exceedingly well_compUed and interesting paper, and we may safely .proHiot-o.— lafrge HohteJjMuL colonial circulation for it. The p'rintitig is admirable, and it is liberally supported by colonial advertisers, 20 of the 48 pages being filled with business notices, for which it offers a capital medium. I The new journal will do much good m bringing colonial matters prominently ! before the English public, aud we wish ! it every possible success. I A Wellington paper hears that the I incumbent of St. Paul's parish, who is j to succeed the Rev. Mr Thorpe, has been appointed. He is the Rev. Mr Still, who was once connected with the Melanasian Misson, and is not a stranger m New Zealand, having resided m the colony m connection with the mission. For some year* back ho has held a vicarage m England. He is highly spoken of. All, however, will regret the departure of Mr Thorpe. The Wellington weekly, newspaper has arrived at a different conclusion to the Court of Enquiry as to the causa of the loss of tlio Lastingham. According to our contemporary- that catastrophe would have .been averted .had Captain Morrison provided himself with a copy : of u The Wellington,, Almanack," .price' one shilling. Had he devoted the voyage to the study of this interesting publication, he would have known better thaft to run on Jackson's Head. Apart from the folly of the thing, it is, we Post think,. exceedingly bad taste on the part of our. contemporary to use so sad an event as a means of puffing and advertising a shilling almanac of n,o particular merit. ' A Mrs Windsor, aa octogenarian, and one of .the oldest residents of Waikouaiti, says "the Palmerston South Times, had a very narrow escape from being burned to death. ■ By the purest accident, someone happened to call on her during the evening, but finding the door locked, and no movement inside, Constable Bird was communicated with, and he at once burst open the door, when the poor woman was fouud sitHng over the fire m a semiconscious state, with her clothes smouldering around " her.. Strange to say, when questioned, she admitted feeling no ; pain, and m a miraculous manner her body escaped . being burnt. Evidently, however, the nervous system had received a shock, as she died on Wednesday iaorning. The deceased was one of the few survivors of those who came to Otago m the service of the late Mr John i Jones and settled at Waikouaiti." - The following advertisement appears < m the Wanganui Herald :— Wanted known — No danger of small-pox by purchasing Kennedy's coals. The Wellington correspondent of the Wanganui Herald telegraphed yesterday :— The evidence given so far before the Select Committee on the northern railway is largely m favour of the central route. The Minister of Juctice nas commHnicated with all judges and official assignees for suggestions as to the Bankruptcy Bill to be introduced. No-alter-ation.will be made except euch as are necessary to remove obvious defects. The friends of Daniel Strachan, of | Wanganui will regret to learn that he is at present lying dangerously ill m Sydney. While m Auckland he was suffering from the effects of an accident, and by medical advice he went across to Sydney. -iMt 1 Strachan senr., of Wangauui, loft last ovening by the Huia, m order to catoh the Sydney steamer. The Salvation Army m South Dunedin has closed itb doois. This timo last year (says the N. Z, Methodist) the station was m full swing, with a captain and his wife m charge, and with crowded meetings nightly. There is a surrounding population of 10,000 souls. A good many of the members havo sought membership with the Wesleyan Church m the district, the minister of which, though he has not often attended their meetings has always shown great sympathy towords tho Salvation Army

The Marton paper has heard of several complaints from travellers on the railway-line who were delayed lately by what they consider vory trivial matters. " Fancy," they say, " beiug stuck up at a station for four or five hours without knowing what we are to do 1" Then they find that they are delayed merely because there has been a slip of earth on the line. " Why could not the trains go ou and meet, nnd k-t tho passengers walk over the slips of earth ?" they argue. Perhaps tho heads of the department I can satisfy their curiosity. The Rev. De Witt Talmage m a sermon on spiritualism says : I wish I could gather up all the raps it has ever heard from spirits blessed or damned and gather them all on its ewn head m one thundering rap of annihilation.