The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1878.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 76, 3 July 1878, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1878.

We are compelled to hold over the re- , port of the Foxton Choral Society's concert, and several other, items of local intelligence, in order to pnblish a detailed account of the meeting at Foxton. Messrs MoNeil, Farmer,, Dalrymple, and McPherson, members of the Manawatu Highway Board, with Mr Macarthur, representing the County Council (the Committee appointed to receive applications for the office of, and decide upon the selection of, an Engineer for the two bodies) met at the Public Hall, Palmerston, on Saturday. Owing to pressure of business, Mr Thynne, the Chairman of the County Council, was unable to be present, but the different applications, witbXtestimonials, had been forwarded to him, and it may be well to , state that by letter, he gave his vote tov the candidate afterwards chosen. There were ten applicants for the office, at salaries ranging from £450 down to £150, the sliding scale being £450, £400, £400, £360, 6 per cent., £300, £200 and a horse, (£350, £350, and £150, the two latter being Mr Thomas Merritt and Mr Martin Boesen, of Falmerston. The ohoice of the Committee resulted in the appointment of Mr H. Haynes, who was unanimously elected Engineer at a salary of £400 per year. Judging from the numerous and flattering testimonials forwarded from the very highest sources, there can be little doubt that the County has secured the services of an able officer. In reply to queries oontained in Mr Haynes' letter, as to whether he would be allowed to practice privately, or, in the erent of receiving the appointment, would have his travelling expenses paid by the Board, the Secretary was instructed to return an answer in the negative in both oases. A general meeting of the) shareholders in the'Manawatu Permanent, Equitable, Building and Investment Society was held in the Public Hall, Palmerston, on Saturday, Mr D. H. Macarthur, Chairman, presiding. The business was of a very light character, being merely the consideration of a proposal to have the Company registered. The Chairman pointed out the benefits to be derived from the proposed course : Firstly, in ihifting the responsibility from off the shoulders of the Directors ; and secondly, in giving the Society a better status in the money, market, It was therefore proposed by Mr McNeil, and seconded by Mr Linton — ''That the JDireotors be authorised to make application to the Registrar to have the Society registered under the Building Sooieties' Act, 1877." The motion was carried unanimously, and the meeting adjourned, . . We are given to understand that Mr Hastie, host of the Halcombe Hotel, has disposed of his interest in both that establishment and the refreshment rooms at the Station, his successor being Mr France, butcher, of Marton. - Apropos of the latter buildings, we believe the work is now fast reaching completion, and passengers in a very short time will be relieved of the forced abstinence to which it has been neoessary to submit since the opening of through traffic On an ordinary line of eighty-'Six miles, there would be no necessity for a stoppage for refreshment, but when from six to seven hawra Ja occupied in the journey, such, a provision becomes not only a convenience, but a necessity. The sons of Neptune are generally act credited with, a trustfulness in the good faith of th'e -world in general, and of the female sex in particular, and Captain Eraser, of the Jane Ilouglas, would appear -to be no exception to, the general rule. Such being the fact, then, it is Dot to be wondered at thatr-r-when an unknown lady accosted him! on Thursday evening last, on the Wellington pier, just as his steamer was about to put off, handing him a baby eighteen mouths ojd,telliug him. to give it to the guard of the Foxton train, from whom it would be received at Palmerston. by a. party of the name of Walker— Jie should take the parcel without asking or knowing mare of the consignor, Qn reaching the above-named port, Mr- Batt, the guard, was duly apprised of the circumstance, but as the worthy skipper knew nothing more of the consignee than that he bore the somewhat suggestive name" of "Walker," Mr Batt steadfastly refused, to ta.ke or give-delivery without a wayJbill. Jn this dtte.rn.ma fc^ 6 Son of the Sea was mournfully parading along the platform, child in hand, smiling serenely under the darta of ridicule and banter levelled at him from all quarters, when luckily he espied getting in. the carriage the portly and matronly person of Mrs Eowley, wife of a celebrated professor of that name. Handing the child in with a smile that won the lady's heart, he begged that she would look after it during the journey to Palmerston, when, as he informed her, the guard would deliver it to its friends. The task was accepted, and all went well until Palmerston was reached, and. Mrs Eowley

stepped upon the platform to resign her charge, when, to his horror, the guard found himself confronted with a demand to take oare of the child wliich he hoped he had left behind in Foxton. In vain he asserted that the child was not his, that he was innocent of marriage, and other declarations suitable to the occasion, none of whioh seemed to convince Mrs Rowley, who drew her own conclusions by comparison, asserting that the child had "black hair and black eyes." In an unguarded moment the unwary Batt lifted up the ohild in his arms to convince himself of the fact, when Mrs Rowley — with an agility not to be expeoted from one of her proportions — rushed to her seat, and slamming the door, placed a barrier between herself and its possession. Here was a dilemma, but Batt was equal to the oocasion, for without a moment's delay he brought the child into the stationmaster's office, and telling the clerk that " Walker " would call for it, rushed out, sprang upon his van, blew the whistle, and before the astonished official discovered that it was a live child which hadj'boen " left till called for," the train was speeding on at a pace never known before. Now, unlike the bacheloric Batt, Mr Cottam was a married man, and the father of a flourishing family. What was to be. done? The poor little fellow could not be left by himself at the station all night, still the kind-hearted Cottam was somewhat doubtful of his reception were he to introduce the youthful stranger under such suspicious circumstances into the bosom of his family, for as a rule, housewives do not take kindly to the the induction into the domestio circle of i babies with unknown pedigrees and antecedents. However, the storm was braved, and the derelict kindly taken care of for the night, in the hope that the morrow would solve the mystery. The morrow did solve it, by the reception of a telegram marked "oolleot," which contained the information " that the little stranger was consigned to aMr Donald Walker." As, however, poor Cottam was not acquainted with that interesting member of the Walker family, he did not think the information by i any means an equivalent for the Is 4d demanded, and considered the last step as adding insult to injury. However, later on in the day, the yeritable^Donald put in an appearance, and claimed the " parcel," stating that it was one which had been sent to him from Wellington for adoption. So thankful was Mr Cottam to be relieved of his unsought burden, that ho forgot to ask for expenses, and up to the present neither the steamer nor the railway have received the amount of fare for the interesting passenger. We- have been informed upon the best authority that Messrs. J. T. Stewart and Knorpp have been instructed by the Government to make a flying trip over the country north of Wdikanae, for the purpose of forming some idea as to the best route for the proposed railway. They are to make two "try lines" — one starting across the Manawatu Bridge at Palmerston, on to Fitzherberton, and down to the head of the Swamp $ {the other starting from Motoa. They would have set out upon their journey at the commencement of the week, bub for the inclement state of the weather. We are pleased to be able to inform our Feilding readers that the oontract for fencing and painting the Wesleyan Church in that town has been let to Mr. Hall. In addition to this, the church is to be varnished inside, new seats made, and a new rostrum — not an old-fashioned pulpit-^provided. It is expected that the cjhuroh will be open for service in two or three months. The ship Hyderbad, stranded of Horowhenu, remains in almost the Bame position she waß in when first driven ashore. The weather during the. latter part of last week NfOB extremely boisterous, but the good ship remains intact so far aa the hull is concerned. ' Captains Bendall and Scott visited her an Saturday, and entertain hopes that she will be got off after about 500 tons of cargo have been landed. Captain Bendall visited the vessel again on Sunday, and reported her position slightly changed by the severe squalls of Saturday night. She lies in a bed of soft sand, and so light is she that it is thought she would remain there twenty years without receiving" any injury. The total amount of insurance effected on the vessel, cargo, and freight is £42,500. A Fiesh Cheating Medicine. When a due proportion of the food is converted into pure, rioh blood the natural nutrient of the body, there is nothing to prevent the acquisition of flesh, provided their be no undue waste of tissue from overwork, or any depleting ailments. We- would recommend , those who desire to see the angles of their frames "rounded off" to use Udolpho WOXFE'S SOHIEDAM ASOMATIO SCHNAPPS, which promotes assimilation of the food and repairs all losses of substance.