Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 85, 9 April 1872, Page 2

Hokitika Races. — In the Times' report of the Hokitika meeting we find the following amusing description of one of the events '—Maori Race of 5 soys.; catch weights, female riders; one mile and | a half. Harriet, . 1; Jx\s-,"2. ■ Th/is race created an immensity of amusement. I Three horses started, /Matawai being jthe

one not placed. But there was scarcely any chance of its gaining a place, as at the very start the horße broke away amongst the crowd of spectators, knocking tbcm over like so many ninepins, and disposing of i(s rider very quickly. The Maori young lady who rode Harriet used a side-saddle, but Iris was ridden manfashion. At the first, round, Matawai's rider came lo grief just near the grandstand, the laughter at which mishap was of the most boisterous kind ; she was, however, quickly raised and went off the course. At the second round the rider of Iris, having then a lead of over 200 yards, also came to grief, and ns she was not so fortunate as to recover quickly, Harriet was enabled to takn the lead, and come in a winner by a quarter of a mile, amidst great cheering. The Trotting Race which followed appears to have given rise to considerable dissatisfaction. The Times says : — This was a run off of tbe dead \ heat of Monday. Creeping Jenny very soon made up the 80 yards distance given to Snowdrift, and forged ahead, but in the last round Creeping Jenny was pulled in by Martin, but so clumsily that it was seen hy everyone all over the course. Snowdrift therefore came in a winner by several lengths amidst the hootiug of the people on the course. When the shameful swindle became so apparent, the losers demanded that the bets should be off, and but for the fact that the stewards put off their decisiou until tho evening, some extra amusement would have been afforded in the shspe of some dozen or two pugilistic combats. Extraordinary Double Suicide at Wanganui. — The Wangauni Herald sayg : — « Tho "Wanganui Bridge has soon obtained an unenviable notoriety pertaining to well known and favorite places for suicide. The quiet of (he town was disturbed on Friday night the 29th of March, by a rumor that soon gained ground that a double suicide, or a crime of even deeper dye, had been committed on the bridge. A crowd soon gathered, and the | facts of tho case, very meagre in their details, soon became known. Ifc appears that a lad named James, was coming across the bridge from the Campbell-town side, j and on getting a third of the way over, he saw a man and a woman standing talking on the carriage way near to the iron work j dividing it from the footpath. When j within a few yards he saw them walk j serosa the bridge to the other side of the carriage way, aud there continue their conversation. There being nothing in what the lad had seen to attract bis attention, he walked over. On arriving near the toll-house, he heard a heavy splash in the water. He told the collector that he had seen a couple standing on the bridge and described tbeir appearance as well as he could. The splash was also heard from the s.s. ' Go-ahead, 5 lying at the Government wharf, and a boat was | put off to find out the cause. On arriving underneath the bridge, a gentleman's white ' hat, of the 'bell-topper' shane, and a lady's white straw hat with brown gossamer on. were found floating on the water. Tbe police were immediately communicated with, and they instituted a search for the bodies. The men on the steamer who heard the splash in the water, state that they also heard a second or two afterwards, two weak cries, apparently from some persons in the water. A sound described as a moan, shortly after tbe fall, was also heard by Mrs. Blair, on the other side of the river. At the time of this tragic affair, the tide had begun to flow, so that the bodies may have "been carried away some distance up the river, aod on the ebbing of the tide, down a^ain. The hats found were identified as belonging to *i man named Richard Crossing and his wife. They had lately arrived from Sydney, and were in treaty for some land. A transaction had taken place, Crossing having bought Mr. Townsend'a farm on the Brunswick Live. A variety of rumors were soon afloat as to the cause of the suicide, one being tbat the unfortunate man had received a letter ou Thursday from Sydney, containing news of the failure of the firm in whose care he had left his money. Tbe loss preying upon his mind, might have induced depression of spirits, ending in the commission of the fatal act. Whether the female was a willing participator in the suicide or not, is open to question, but they fell into the water together as but one splash was heard. The police upon making enquiries, found a roan of the name of Robert Luscorabe, a servant of the deceased couple! He states that Crossing came from Sydney, where he has left a wife and family, and brought the female with him, passing her off as his wife. He does not know whether his master knew of any failure, but lately he bad been in a dtsponding Btate, and on Good Friday afternoon, he gave him; (Luscombe) a watch and pocket book to keep for Mm, and later still a roll of notes. In a pocket book was found a letter bidding farewell to bis friends, and intimating contemplated suicide. The couple were seen about

8.30 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel, where they had called for some refreshment, partaking of hot brandy and water. The mau was a Btout elderly individual, apparently about 55 years of age, tbe female ouly about 20." The body of the female has since been found, and an inquest held upon it, when a verdict was returned of ' Found drowned." jV^The Inangahua. — The Inangahua aerald of the 27th March gives the iol- j lowing glowing account of the reefs: — "Very excellent stone has been struck in Hunt's claim, No. 1 North, Sbiel's. A mag- | nificent sample of stone, taken rom tbe face I of the reef in the prospectors' claim, Lurry's, is now on view at Oxley's store. Tbe stone is thickly studded with gold, and places beyond doubt the extraordinary richness of tbe reef. Its width, as at present exposed, is nearly three feet, A smaller sample, one pouud in weight, has been crushed and yielded one and a-half penny weights of pure gold. The slriking of the reef on Monday in M'Leau's claim, Adam Smith's iiue, produced some excitement. Tbe present value for a full share is from £300 to £400. The reef at present struck is oft. 9in. thick, with thoroughly payable prospects." — Iv contrast to tbe foregoing, wo extract the following very gloomy account of Quartzopolis from the W. C. Times of the 23rd ult : — " News to hand from Reefton, from private sources, give anything but an encouraging account of the present state of matters in that district. There was a large number of persons eougregated there, who, for the most part, are living upon each oilier, and a large proportion are idle, waiting for work to do. To those who have speculated in she claims the prospects of profitable returns seem removed to some far distant period, as without machinery, the value of their investments is scarcely likely to be realised, while the difficulty of getting machinery up iuvolves so large an expenditure ot capital as to present obstacles to a successful issue not easily surmountable. Meanwhile, the claim-owners have to maintain men on the ground at wages, so as retain legal possession." For remainder of news see fourth page.

A Californian Merchant praises New Zealand and Australian, wools, and estimates their value at, in grease, Is. 4d., and washed, 2s. lld. per lb, &c. He adds, " I know these wools are the most valuable in the country, aod we might possibly go to a much higher figure than the above." A Subscriber tell us io confidence that the Eoglish Missionaries are iryins to educate the subjects of the late King Theodore, and hope for great success, as tbese people have always been ABC mans. This is dreadful, but what can we do ? Editors are constantly insulted thus. An American photographer has struck but a new line for himself "by getting a horse, on which ladies unable to ride, and not wealthy enough to own such a creature, may be photographed. Here is an extract from his advertisement: — " Ladies unaccustomed to riding horseback can mount and control the 'fiery untamed steed ' without danger. This is the first horse ever kept in a photagraph gallery for the use of customers, and for style and beauty he has no equal in the State. Riding habit furnished free." If our local photographers were to follow the example of the enterprising Yaukee, he would soon have a gallery of the portraits of all the servant girls iv Wanganui. — Chronicle. Mr. Anthony Trollope's sketch of Queensland society, as given in his letters to the Daily Telegraph, are uot regarded with unmixed satisfaction in that colony. The Brisbane Courier writes as follows : — ft We fear that should another popular writer visit Rockhampton he will not meet with so hearty a welcome as that given to the special commissioner of tho Daily Telegraph. He will not be publicly feted or privately bored, as people will not again run the risk of entertaining un veracious writers unawares. It must be confessed that Mr. Trollope was, in racing phraseology, a • dead take-in.' Among tbe good advice which he gave under the genial inspiration of champagne, was a rebuke to the local press. ' Hit hard as you please,' he 6aid, ' but write what at tbe time you feel to be tbe truth.' Comparing the popular novelist's afternoon speech with bis letter to the Daily Telegraph, we are constrained in all friendliness to say 'Physician, heal thyself.'" To such an extent has this feeling gone, tbat we observe the " honorary secrelavy to the East Moretoo Farmers' Association " has been empowered to " draw up tbe draft of a reply to the misrepresentations contained in ' Antipodean's ' letter," a document which Mr. Trollope will find perfectly withering. Good English History. — Messrs. Bailliere & Co., of Melbourne, have succeeded in procuring in Hull a complete file of English papers from 1799. The file is composed of the Morning Chronicle from 1799 to 1820 aud then tbe Times takes up the continuance. The journals are bound in volumes, and most of them have already arrived in tbe colony. A few volumes have to come to hand to complete the dates from 1799 to 1871. As showins the difference in journalism of the past aud the present, we may mention that the account of the battle of Waterloo in the Morning Chronicle takes up ODly about a third of a column. After the account of the battle follows a list of killed and wounded, occupying nearly a column. The whole matter is compressed into a space that to. us of modern days seems incredible ' Many a column would be now occupied with so important a battle as that of Waterloo. Our forefathers were however, compelled to be satisfied with what they could get. To the SuPEßSTinous.-It is considered very lucky if, on Christmas Eve, the youngest child in the house finds under the doormat a Bank of England note. It is unlucky to eat a mince pie in the house of a Quaker, a prothonotary, a surrogate, a sinecurist, or a sworn select vestryman. If the sun shines on Christmas Day between 8 and 9 there will be a considerable reduction in the Estimates, hut if it snows the Bank rate of discount will be raised during the next 12 months. If you are a single man, fair, under six feet, and a good linguist, and will get out of bed between 12 and 1 on the morning of. New Year's Day, and walk for two hours to and fro over London-bridge with a crooked florin in your pocket, you will he sure to meet your future wife (should you marry again) at an evening party in the suburbs. If the first thing you see when you come downstairs on New Year's Day is a black cat, beware of crossing a hridge till the apples are in blossom; but if it is a grey horse, you may partake of pork pie without fear of consequences. If ayouug unmarried woman eats three raisins running in a Christmas plum-pudding which have not been atoned, and wishes three wishes while she looks over her left shoulder into the glass and throws a handful of mistletoe berries on a peat fire, without mentioning names or moving a muscle of ber face, she must not be surprised, provided the wind is in the right quarter, if events happen as she desires.