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Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1607, 13 January 1886, Page 4

The carelessness <of some people m the uso ot matches was exemplified at Sir George Gray's Island of Kawau, on New Year's Day, when he had the grass at the back of his residence fired by some excursionists to whom he had thrown open his mansion and beautiful grounds. At Cambridge, Waikato, the drought is so, severe, that the^fownspeople are obliged to pay four shillings a Joad for wll the water ihey use, which is carted from the river. ; . ; ' The 14 Australian firemen who will take part m the intercolonial competition at Napier, towards the end of the month will arrive on Saturday next. On the following Saturday, ,30 firemen from various parts of the colony will arrive by steaijier and 69, by train... ln all, 23 brigades will be represented, a very | good muster the Hawke's Bay Herald thinks. The ladies working pjarty at the Borojgh Council Chambers were busily engaged duriug yesterday afternoon and evening, m making clothing for the Stratford fire sufferers. Several, donations of ready made clothing were received during the day from ladies who were unable to be present. It is hoped that all work m hand will be finished during to-day, when operations will be snspeuded until it has been definitely ascertained whether more assistance m the shape of clothing is really required.-' —Chronicle. ■ 'Here is rather an amusing Voluntetr shooting story, for the truth of which a correspondent vouches :— " About a year since a local paper gave .a list of prizes won and scores made m a comuetition'at Exmouth. Two noughts brought up the rear., The one 'noughter' was rewarded with half^a-crown and the other with threeand-sixpence. This was passing strange, but not so s.trange , as the. explanation for the difference between the two awards. The' three-and-sixpenny winner had fired. more shots than his less fortunate comrade, so he was rewarded for his more numerous misses with an extra shilling." After ail, this was bufcthe"carrying out of the regulation which prescribes the firing of a certain number of shots as the test of efficiency, without regard to the effectiveness of the fife.