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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 29, 27 January 1877, Page 2

The s.s. Napier leaves Wellington for Foxton this (Saturday) afternoon, and will leave Eoxton on her return after the arrival of the evening train on Monday. It seems that some hitch has occurred m the arrangements for erecting the Sandon Post and Telegraph Office, inasmuch as tenders are called m our present issue for the completion of it. Carpenters and painters ai'e wanted. Charles Hawkins alias J. Stevens was committed for trial on Wednesday last, for the robbery at Mr Snelson's. A cheque for £47 10s and two of the watches found on the prisoner were identified by Mr Keeling as his. Mr J. J. Beatty, of Foxton, offers a chance to the enterprising. Prizes to the value of £100 are to be distributed among his cash customers, every purchaser of a pound's worth of goods receiving a ticket. The advertisement appears m another column, and the date of the drawing will be advertised m a future issue. Another large locomotive intended to relieve Helen McGregor of a portion of her onerous duties has arrived m Foxton by the s.s. Moa. We congratulate Helen on tho prospect of having her proper complement of holidays, of which, no doubt, she feels the necessity. We have not heard whether the new engine is a lady or a gentleman . The block of land to be sold to Mr Broomhall for the temperance settlement has been fixed at 50,000 acres. The Native title is not yet extinguished. The man Peter Bonnell, who went to Wellington lately m custody of Constable Donnelly, having been arrested m Hawke's Bay, was originally charged m the Wairarapa with altering a cheque of £2 so as to make it appear a cheque for: £20. He obtained payment, and attempted to get out of the colony with the proceeds, but was caught at the Bluff, and brought back to Wairarapa, where he was committed for trial. He escaped from the watchhouse on 7th September. While the Wellington regatta was proceeding, on Monday last, m the second-class yacht race, a boat belonging to the telegraph steamer Agnes- capsized off Somes' Island. A pleasure boat with females aboard picked up three of tlie men. The Hinemoa saw the accident and turned round immediately, and got the boat m tow. One of the three died on board the steamer m about five minutes. There was a cry of " another boat down." Full- steam was at once put on, and a boat lowered amidst casks, oars, &c. Three men were saved and two drowned, out of the boat of the ship Avalanche. Both boats went down like stones. At the inquest on Hans Petersen, who was killed by a fall of earth at the Kaiwarra reclamation works m Wellington, the jury suggested that the contractor should employ more gangers with a view to the prevention of accidents. There have been two fatal accidents at the works within ten days. The " Times " has an article censuring the contractor, and suggesting that contractors should bir liable for the consequences of accidents. A half-caste woman at Kaihu, Auckland, has given birth to five children, four of whom are living.

A new rush near Kuraara is rumoured, but the local "Times" has not yet verified i,t. A mining lease of 15 acres has been applied for, situated at the end of the Sham- ... rock Lead. The "Wanganui Herald" reminds the farmers m the Rangitikei district that "every grain of malt used m the local brewery has toi be imported," and advises them to grow barley. When fowls appear out of order and lose all heart, their food should be mixed with a little linseed mealand a "small quantity" of pepper. A small piece of copperas dissolved m their drinking water would be useful. The Carterton and Taratahi Race Committee having'let the gate's and booths by t ender, instead of selling them by auction, the Wairarapa auctioneers are going to take legal proceedings m order to test the legality of the course adopted by the Committee. A man named McMaher had a harrow "escape from death at Auckland lately. He was loading his dray with pipe-clay at Fort Britomarfc, with one horse m the shafts and another tied behind, when some hundreds of tons of stuff fell suddenly smashing the cart but, strange to say, doing no injury to the driver or to either of the horses. The Wellington " Argus" of a recent date says :— " Miss Stanley, a female ' help,' sued Mr E. J. Beavis this morning for one week's wages for wrongful dismissal. She refused to scrub out a room on Christmas morning and was discharged from her place. Mr Crawford held that Miss Stanley had refused lawful commands and therefore had no ground of action. Judgment was therefore given for defendant." This was rather hard on "Miss Stanley." Some time ago Professor Flower, curator of the Hunterian Museum, received a visit from a lady who handed him a document which proved to be her will duly sealed, signed, and executed. In it she bequeathed her body after her death to the Royal College of Surgeons, of England, with directions that it should be " completely dissected m the most thorough manner known to science," and afterwards "destroyed m the most economical and expeditious manner possible." The will is dated Sept. 20, 1876. The N. Z. " Times " says :— The Anniversary Day was marked by more accidents than we ever remember to have known previously occur m one day. In addition to those alluded to yesleitday, a fatal accident occurred at the Hutt. It appears that a lad named Henry Maidmenfc, son of an old resident m the district, was thrown from his horse and received injuries which resulted m his death. Inspector Atcheson received the following telegram from Constable Stewart yesterday : — " Mr Maidment, of the Hutt, fell off his horse on his head at 6 p.m. yesterday, and died at 6 a.m. today. Inquest at 10 a.m. to-morrow." Several vessels of war are now beiug furnished with the Galling mitrailleuse. These machines, which consist simply of a bundle of rifle-barrels revolving round a centre, are capable of discharging several hundred bullets per minute, and need but two pair of hands to work them. Although, possibly, hardly so effective m action as a score of men would be armed with breechloaders, it is believed that for employment on gunboat service, where a crew of 30 or 40 men have sometimes to cope with hundreds of Chinese pirates, or to make way up a river, the banks of which are lined with hostile natives, these Gatlings will be of considerable service. The following appears m the " Otago Daily Times" of Jan. 13:— Mr William Docherty, late of Hokitika, and now of Jackson's Bay, writes to Captain Turnbull to say that while travelling along the coast to Cascade Point, he came across the wreck of what seems to have been a full-rigged ship. He saw two of her lower masts dressed at the ends to step into a keelson. He also saw some of her spars, which he thinks were topmasts or top-gallant masts, but they were much thinned down by the action of the surf, and the beach for a considerable length is strewed with the fragments of the wreck. The ill-fated ship had evidently been built of cedar. The vessel, must have been wrecked off the Point, because no wreckage is found anywhere within four miles north of it. Very large portions must be sanded up, for her destruction evidently happened many years ago. " When one sees," says Mr Docherty, " the wreck of a ship on the sea shore under such cir<Jum 4 ~ stances, one feels deeply curious to know something more about her," and hence he draws the attention of Captain Turnbull to the matter. The "Southland Times" learns that a schooner has been fitted out at Riverton for the purpose of cruising among the sounds and bays of the West Coast m search- of deposits of guano. It appears that the projectors of the enterprise were successful last winter m procuring a quantity m one cave. This was sold m the Western District, -'and the crops of those farmers who. used it have been so much benefitted that it is. expected there will be a large demand next season. The Dunedin " Evening Star " says : — Some four months ago a prisoner waited on the Chairman of the Visiting Justices, and made application to be allowed to fprm a Mutual Improvement and Debating Society among the prisoners, he representing that, m his opinion, it would probably prove a means ot* elevating the moral tone of the place. Permission was granted: on the recommendation of the Governor: of the Gaol, and upon the applicant pledging himself/for the good behaviour of the members; yTbe.; society was then formed, and conducted m.;

a similar manner to kindred institutions m the city. Papers on various subjects have been brought forward' and , discussed, and altogether the class has proved itself a decided success. „ y , With, the new year there comes into operation .a new contraefcjjystem: for the conveyance of mails between -England and America. The mails are to be forwarded on certain fixed dates by the most efficient .vessels sailing on those dates, and the owners are to be remunerated by a payment per voyage, based upon the amount of correspondence carried each voyage. The scale is to be 2d per lb. for'jiewspagere Uj a^d 2s^4d for letters. • - - y *""*- -yX ~- The " Wairarapa Standard" "says :— -We - understand that; after what "Was '-witnessed at Greytown, the members for Wairarapa East have abandoned ail idea of supporting any motion for the unity of the two counties, but will agree to such an alteration " ? bf- the boundaries as will annex the Awhea Biding to Wairarapa West, and the Masterton and Alfredton Ridings to Wairarapa' iEasV;' or, m other words, as we have from the first rej commended, the Highway districts of Castle Point and Masterton will constitute, one County, and Carterton and JPeatlierston Highway districts the other. These, boundaries will be much more satisfactory than those which obtain at present.