COLONIAL PRIZE FIRING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 78, 1 April 1874, Page 2

COLONIAL PRIZE FIRING.

The following are the scores made by the Nelson representatives at the Colonial Prize Firing just held at Napier ; the scores are for the five matches for (he Championship, although only one Nelson representative won a prize in those five matches, two of them, Sergeant. Burn and Corporal Croßßtnan, were well up in the aggregate, which the scores will show : — First Match. Judging distance; seven shots.

Masonic Hall. — Mr Chapman, who arrived in the Wellington yeßterday, will give his first entertainment to-morrow evening. He brings excellent testimonials as to the merits of his performances, and those of Miss Ida Bonifon who assißtß him, from the press of the other provinces and of Australia. The Christchurch papers supply particulars of two fires which have been devastating the country in the district of Flaxton :— The latest fire has only been burning about a fortnight, and is divided a little distance from the former one which had been alight for several weeks, but is believed now to have died out. It may be stated that the damage done by the first fire is estimated at £500; but the present one is a most serious affair. It has burned the peat and stumps off 100 acres belonging to Mr Stevenson, about nine acres belonging to Mr Witchell, 11 acres owned by Mr Mulcock, and a like number of acres belonging to Mr Malley. Ou much of this land the stumps bad been got out, and were drying in heaps, but have been burnt up. The extent of fencing destroyed is estimated to be about three miles, and the damage done at £1000. A correspondent, writing to a Canterbury paper, asks how and where the nine hundred immigrants who are to arrive in Canterbury next month are to find shelter? He says: I can assure you, Mr Editor, that I, as well as several of my fellow-paßsengers, who are thus far obliged to occupy a portion of the barracks, have tramped the streets of Christchurch and vicinity for the last few weeks since our arrival, looking for cottages that perchance might be unoccupied, until we are weary and footsore, and somewhat desponding of ever being successful. We have certainly very poor news as yet to send our friends at home. A rather novel way of ejecting obnoxious tenants was, according to the Tuapeka Times, lately adopted by a landlady at the Teviot with great success. After all legitimate means had failed, Bhe tried the following strategy : — Whilst her lodgers (they were man and wife) were locked in the arms of Morpheus, a flood of water, which had been stored in the attic, was let in upon them from the region above the bed. Imagining that a second deluge had set in, or that the Molyneux had overflowed its banks in a mighty flood, they in the shortest possible time, managed to clear out as for their lives, to the no small delight of the landlady, who had watched the result of the manoeuvre with considerable anxiety. 'I here is another butcher claimant in the field. Mr William Williams, who appeared in the Insolvency Court a few daya ago, claims property in Wales and Ireland, known as the Glenravon

estate, which, he states, was worth £21,000 a year some time ago, but is now worth more. Tha claimant is a butcher, and is now iusolvent. Ho confidently asserts, in a very unsophisticated manner, that tha only difficulty in tho way of establishing his claim is the proof of pedigree. Mr Williams regards this as a very simple matter indeed. — Melbourne paper. At Sandhurst some excitement wos occasioned on St. Patrick's Day by Dr Backhaus, the chairman, proposing the toast, "His Holiness the Pope," before that of the Queen He justified his aclion by saying that " there were many parties present who were not Catholics, and he did not expect them to enter into ihe spirit of the toast, or eveu lo drink the toast. In proposing it not the least disrespect was intended towards their sovereign lady tho Queen. The occasion was an ecclesiastical one, and in connection with an ecclesiastical event in which his Holiness played an important part. Individually his Holiness wa9 worthy of all honor, but he did not expect the non-Catholic portion of the assembly to tespond to it." An interesting incident occurred the other day at HollandtowD, in Wisconsin, when no fewer than eleven widows were disposed of in marriage by lot. The facts of Ihe case, according to a report from the committee who arranged the affair, published in the Green Bay Advocate, are as follows: — It seems that there were living in Hollandtown eleven widows and twelve widowers. It was thought by "society" in that place that it would be an economy to have them married, end it was at first proposed that eleven of the widows should mairy the disconsolate relics, but on further consideration it was decided that as there was one more widower than there were widows, it would only be fair to dispose of the widows by lot. The deliberations of the committee lasted for one hour, duriug which time, it is stated, there wns much commotion among the widows, and the widowers were restlees and uneasy. With a view, therefore of ehortening the period of suspense, " the nuraes of the widows," soys the leporr, ♦• were placed at once in a box, as likewise the names of the widowers." The drawing took place at 5 p.m. on Monday, the Bth, when it was decided that Mr R. Mention should marry Mrs Do Braiu, Mr M. Mention Mrs Kink, Mr Bode Mrs Vanderberg, Mr Fursfonburg Mrs Kersten, Mr Wastenburg Mrs Wildie, Mr Verkullen Mrs Perenboom, Mr Weyenburg Mrs Heesaker, Mr J. Kobussen Mrs Tillmon, Mr L. Tenrussen Mrs Van Doren, Mi R. Herremans Mrs Rolf, and Mr Soere Mrs Van Bloemer. The twelfth widower, Mr D. H. Ponterman, showed unbecoming signs of joy at what he irreverently termed his "escape;" but his mirth was of short duration, for the committee are advertising far and near that if there are any widows in neighboring towns who would like to take Mr Penterman, application can be mnde to Peter Kersten, president^ and there is some talk of their sitting en permanence until they have found him a partner.

Feed Fo^tls a Little and Often. •^TlPw'fl r^ery careless method of feeding fowls whe^e;the grain is thrown down in great 1 heaps op the ground or flo.or. v It not. only wasteful, but injuri6d|, to*i^e ? fowls, because they get oV4jr-fed ? aiul'.ii' is in an important reBptioi K contraiyto their habits, for their nature is to ♦'scratch." Watch the . old. b.en, with a brood when she is just le'fc'but of t^e coop. She hardly stirs from the spot, but as soon as she realizes her 1 freedom;) down go her claws into the soil, and' afierward, whenever you see her, she is at it. Always feed, then, noiflore than can be eaten at once, and take iare tliat it is so scattered among Bsse,\ight rubbish that they may have the luxury of scratching for it; If feed is buried in the freßh earth, then they get, with their inouthfuls of grain, something iof use to their peculiar digestive organ^\ Grainy however, should not b|jaTlo'wßd to come in contact with the filthy,, tainted soil too often found in the poultry-yard. j:^ikpuL'diisrG; Children,---" I hate By'Btemi, Lady Bouverie. I have treated each child according to its disposition, fdr rl "th:ey ' valry Strangely in the same family; but yet I have shown to all the Ba^e I ' indulgence, which is a very different thing to spoiling. Spoiling, in my opinion, is permitting the child to bjitfe, everything it wants, whether attFJtea.ble or.mot, and tolerating disobedience. From the moment my children could take notice, I have t^hjVand enforced obedience; but I h&ive. never. spared myself either trouble or-inconvenience to afford any of them the Binallest'iridulgence. Somehow, I really can scarcely tell you how, they have learned to feel their greatest punishment is to see me grieved;, their greatest reward' to please me. They Boop learnt what real sympathy I had for their, simplest pleasures, what real sdrrowfor; their childish troubles, and h^^Hingly'I joined in one, or tried t9 J r§lWe^tfie other. This is all the conjuring I have used." — Tell Mamma. During the trial of a man for murder in. Philadelphia^ a young man sprang past the official, dashed round to the rail of -;/ tbe-ddckl and, with a yell of rage, grasped the" prisoner, who had h^bafck to i. him, 1 by the collar with one hand, and 1 with 1 the other .hand whipped out a villainous-looking dagger from his bosojin, jand made a terrible lunge with it at bis would-be victim's throat. His rage waß so great, however, that the swift blow .struck wide of its mark, and expe^de^ itself in the air. He had thrown the whole force of his strength inljO, the attempt, and; before he could re>.py,er. ; for .-a: s second blow a second offlcen seized 1 his upraised arm, and, witb-the assistance of other tipstaves, forced 1 the murderous assailant away, still kicking and struggling with the strength* and viciousness of a madman. The^jory' subsequently brought in a verdict of not guilty.

Total. Grossman 23 Burn 21 Mooro 17 Second Match. 400, 500, and 600 yards ; seven shots at each range. 400 yds 500 yds 600 yds Total. Burn ... 24 19 14 57 Moore ... 22 21 5 48 CiO3sman... 21 14 3 38 Third Match. 200 yards, ten shots. Total. Crwsman 34 Burn 30 Moore 27 Fourth Match. a:0 jards; ten shots. Total. Orossmau 27 Burn 22 Moore ... ... ... 15 Fifth Match. 200, 500, and 600 yards; seven shots at each raugo. 200 yds 500 yds GOOyds Total. Crossman ... ... ... ... 59 • Bum 57 Moore ... ... 43 The following are their aggregate scores in these matches, whioh were for the Championship : — Total. Sergeant J. A Burn 187 forporal S. Croseman 181 Private C. Moore 155