NEWS AND NOTES

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 105, 7 January 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

T-b.*_ Rabbit N'c.usa.nce. — In consequence of Meßi'!». Sneleon and M'Neil refusing to act as triiaicoa under the lta&bit Itjuiaance Act, the Government have made fresh ap-,-jt.tii.tuioats, and lti£ onlcitild will noey'-be Messrs. JDalrymple, Poilevin, James Linton. Robert Lint.!), aud Jeiusen. .. Visit oc a Cabinet Minister. — It is not o '-ten that P'll'tiorston is graced .witli "thpse-'favoured individuals, Cabinet Aliniaters, but such was the case on Monday, when the il^u. Joan Brveso, the Natives Minister, made a~ short -Bojourn m town. The? hon, gens 'email arrived by the morning-* train from Wangnnui arid" took his departure by the evening" one for Foxton. The CuioicE-r Matcii . with Marto*n.— The contest between the Marton and Palmerston Club- Ukes plai-e to-day on the ground of the former. .CJufort-nnately for the local men, the accident Lo Charles' has deprived them of one of the hqst, if not the' best bat? m the team, beside crippling them m the bowling. Tiiese are the members .who willdo battle for Palmerston :' — Staite, aiarrincr, Marin, Pimm, Lloyd, "Ylowlem, Doyle, Samson, 'Watson, Warburton, and Seafcou. The EnrcATroy Board.— As the current year is now at its e-lose, m accordance with .che 64th clause* of the EdncatSon Act,; 1877., public meetings will be held m the various schrol-houses m thai County, on Monday, tho 2tith of January, for tiie purpose of receiving* tlie annual, reports of the school committees for the pa_t year, aiiu to elect new committees for the ensuing year. We believe the various eoiituiilteed will then bo culled upon to elect three members to the Education Board, but qf that due notice will be given. EiicoATiOjsAi/.-^-We would wish- to In-, rtimate to those parents desirous of placing children und ■■? the tuition of the Misses Young, that the first quurter of the year commenced on Monday, and .consequently no time shfiud be lost, so that the children should be* classed according to to their efla ciency. The hoon of having a high-clasa school m the district is one which cannot be too: highly. valued, and consequently we trust the ladies will meet with sufficient ro-. compense and putromige to repay them for their euetrprise. The Great Spud Country. — Jackeyt own hasj,iUvays occupied a prominent position for the cultiireof nf that esculent— the menly pojatoe— and this year there^ia very iiLtlu likelihood of havhig its laurels wrested from it, if the specimens shown to us by Mr. Sharman are an average of .the gcnoiul crops. They, were of the order known as*" kidneys," any one of them being a good rae_l for a p.loughaum, — a class of agriculturists to whom, it is generally believed, nati! re has been extremely bounti-* ful m the matter of appetite. Tkr Turn* ot? thb TrDE.--Ib is with extro.ne HAtisfHction-Hiat- we call attention to a notification from MessiM. Pownall and Co., Wellington, 'announcing; that /they will shortly be prepared to place a large sum of monay m tjiq market upon,moder,ate terms. A little while ago and acccmorlation of the kind offered vya3 almost as di- ' (Hcult to obtain nk the 'Philosopher's' Stone"*, and consequently tlie coming relaxation ia the hvuirtv" market is an'ogrceable change. ■ . In Afti'icuiiO Moaris.— - We regret •to 3eo that the fate of nhr old and re-'pectod eionteiuporary, tlie A r <*.t> 2-j,la.ii Ti.r,is is > sealed, ■in'" baFore the end" of the present week it is likely to be a thing of tlie past. A notifications m its columns in'i nates- that that a mpotinar is to be -held to-div to voluntarily wind up the Co.apiuy, and tins added to the many and different reports' of '.Lin-KilgiimaLiuiij -may- be taken as :a veiiy. sure index of its approaching dissolution. Under the title pf the Independent .it has. done good servicein the ranks of journalism, and it '■» by no -»ior*riR v n. cheerful sign that after a long and nscfuLcareer it should be now allowed to expire of inanition. Tub Valttation op tub Hi&hwa? Boaho. — According- to the: report of Mr. Linton, valuatoi* to the Board, the aggregate rateable value of property within its jurisdiction will be uonsitleiably over £40,000, which it i\\e per cent, will return rate..} to the /value of over £2003. This is largely m excess of last year, find while su^h a result must be eminently satisfactory to the people at largo, it is JooiduJly a matter for congivitulation for the ratepayers most- interested that that tlie increased niters have been obtained from new settlers rather fch.in au, extra levy! upon the old ores. From the -length of time, occupied m the operatt<- ri, ami the extreme care exercised by Mr. Linton that no .holding should escape a fair impost, wo feci convinced the /estimate of , the valuator will give, aaliafaction alike lo ho P-inyLan-l ra f epaver3. •"''BbxTXff the Fox." —In the Old .Country Ihere is a, species of 'amusement amon-?-**!-. 'juveniles of the mnle sex. known as "boxing the. fox." This interesting l'.ttle jrime is played "*>v one or. more^ boys , with 'thi.'vish i> -oeli vibie - ', entering an orchard during; the abse.nee of the owner,* an<l helping Vhonsel'ves w.it'iout "tint, leave, Or. liberty. From an advertisement - which :ipp.:".i-s olse-tvliora it would appear t'lu; the operation has been localised and extensively practUvsd, Mr. Dalrymple of Te Matai, being tih'o vWim iftlected. As that gentleman offers £5 for the conviction of the' dep.'cdalor, it would be wc.ll that, the " free selectors," should be somewhat careful m their opti.ra.lio as. .•■...- The Bohougu Elections. — Only one of the two -npniieies for seats at the Borougii Oouuo'l has been liiled, the second being still vacant, trough the failure of any c.;oi-*t'd:Hf» to nominate m time. The only nomination reoeiveel no to the time prescribed by law was that of John Bouluer | Dungan, nominal ed by Edwin Brightwell an-T- Sulomnn Abmhains. It was grnerally.. underwood t.'wif- My. M'NpiTwas coniins forward, and that knowledge no doubt kept i others from nominating; unfortunately, howe.ver, that gentleman uiidtook-.tlio .day, nnd honee the election of but oiie-nneli-date. As will be seen iv another column, the Returning Officer has taken the ne'eesa:»ry steps for remedying the omission. Compumentaby Oonobbt to Mb. WF. BAKEtt.-^Those who have had the pleasure of hpnring Mr. "Rnker n-n'ori his former visits to Paluierston, will uo doubt be.delightcil to leah*i that he will a'rain make hie appearance on next Tuesday night. The preliminary aunouncuincnt appears elsewliere, and the full prbsramme will- appear m our next issue. In add is :«»n to himself, we uncVrsfcand that Messra. Q-ilbert, Robinson, and others fr."'*en "Wanganui i will take part m the entertainment, while we feel assured that the list will be well supplemented by tho I dent of Palmerston*. Like Unto a great many others, the " crisis "hft»; not hpen too kind to Mr. Baker,nnd as he was ever renej y arjd, willing to jg-ratuitously give his services -when called , iipAi, we look to him receiving, what, he well deserves— .'' a bumper house.'' ' ' " Impobtant to Voiuntbbrs. — The following ciwiOar has been forwaHed by 'Major Kfoiiko'tQ the commnnding oJleera of -rr 13. throughout the district :—" The at,-" tention 'o? -"omminding -officera is hereby -.drawn -to Clause 67 of -the Volunteer Resulatipns, -which they will h<i good enough to have read to those under their command. They will ,be careful to exact for theinaelve***. as 'well as their officei'9 ? |that deference

which the rules of the service, military etiquette, and good breeding ele-naml, and wliich teuels so much to preserve that eliseipliue,*"WhicH is es ; ,eutial to all military-bodies. Drill -Instructors are required to be especially paritouiar in" this respect, so that, they may teach" by example, as well as by precept."; Sj far the above is all very well, and, to use a conation expression, "reads like a book,- and wore we convinced that it was an emanation of a desire for tho good of the service, would be wqrthy of commendation. Unfortunately, however, for such a supposition, taken m conjunction wich another circular memorandum received at the same time, She conclusion is forced upon us tliat the whole proceeding is nothing more nor less" than a covert snub to the Brill-lustructor, which considering the indefatigable ze.d at all time 3 displayed by "-Sergeant-major Bezar, rs wholly uncalled for. If the gallant major wore really concerned for the. welfare of the service, he should be so-ry to be told that the efr\rbt ol his last ukase has had quite a contrary effect. SW : instance, it had been 'the euston. Of the' Drill-Instriictor to visit Palmerston at stated intervals, when his duties at Wangar.ui so allowed. Tliis course was stopped, and the consequence is that instead i-E tho fortnightly drill hitherto given to. the corp3, move than uonble that time has elapsed since his last visit. If the Major Commanding bo av.xiou< to air his authority, it is to be hoped that he will seek some course which will not •fffect the efficiency qf the various corps UilaOr his cou trol. .-.--'.

A C'iSNii£B_>_*'s Deadit CiAws. — Several Mexienns were m camp at the mouth oF Memphis Creek,. Utah terrilory, and were Ipa^ about, the fire, when one of them, Telstoro Crucas, saw a large centipede") fully,' nine 'inched long, travelling slowly over- his" leg. Knowing that the least motion would make it sink its 'deadly claws into his skin, •without moving his leg he got out his revolver, and waited until the least had almost reached his knee, when slowly putting the raguth of the pistol "to its head, lie' pulled and the centipede was gone. But a centipede's claws are quicker than gun- ' p_wder, and Criuus began. to cr.iinp m a few minutes, the track of the reptile alon-r his leg turned a'browrish yellow and t'-.e sp t where it w.a.s killed was swelled up frightfully. Cruoas rapidly grew worse and :i. little over ..f out hours afterwards died m great agony. But the most singular part of the story is "tliat the bullet from Cruets' pistol cut a. small nipk m the . foreleg of a mule that was sta^ ling near, and. at -daylight next mornJhg the mule was also elead. with his leg so swollen that th,e skin hail burst iv several places. . . ! Latest Mabriagb Cebe*m:o*sy. — Ameri : can marriage customs are nnrked by a gqod d<jalof freedom from the b..ueluge of t ruelitions and old-world obsorv.rice. In fact, a man and woman can be made one m the States wiih nearly as much facility as, .whennot agreeing m the unified condition, they can be . separated into two. But it is questionable whether a stranger weiklin? ceremony ever took place than ih.ih whu-b the Reverend Mr. Munso.n, of Missouri, recently performed, he himself being both celebrant and bridegroom. Mr' * Mumon advertised that, on a certain evenir.g; he would, preach a sermon m three pnrta, and, having thus attracted a large congreg'ifcionj proceeded 'to .expound the doctrines of repentance and holiness. Foir the "third part lie took as bis text the parable of the Ten Virgins; but on reading the words " Behold' the bridegroom cometh," the pastor, to the amazement of hisrfloek, stopped short, and descended the pulpit stairs, a young woman at the same time emerging from one of the pews and advancing to meet; him. Joining hands, thojgenllemen fir<t and then the lady, solemnly declared tliat they took each other "for better or wor.?e," afterwards kneeling while the reverend.-' 'bridegroom offered up a prayer. This over, Mr. Munson again mounted the pulpit, anei resumed hid discourse is though nothing had happened. Its theme was the Last Judgment.