The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 100, 28 April 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1874.

Harmonic Society. — Members are remiuded of the rehearsal at Ihe Provincial Hall this evening.

H. J. L. Atjgarde quotes National Insurance shares at 33j.' per share. Business done this day.

Inquest at Wakefield —An inquest was held . ..yesterday, before the Coroner and a jury (of which Mr. H. J, Tunnicliff was foreman) at Upper Wakefield on the body ot Richard Savagp, when a verdict was returned to the following, effect: — "That the deceased died from inflammation of the lungs, being tlie result of a fall from the Nelson wharf into the water."

Nelson Faces. — Theso races tak« place to-morrow, and give promise of excellent sport, especially the steeplechase, for which four horses havo accepted. A rumor having got abroad to the eflect that the Grund Stand was somewhat slinky, we are requested to slate that it has been examiued by Mr Scott, who reports it to be quite - safe.

Meeting of Parliament. — A telegram has been received fiom the Hon. Mr Yogel, staling that tbe Parliament .will be summoned for the despatch of business on tho 3rd of July.fi

The Kennedy Family. — It is difficult to find terms in which to speak of last night's entertainment. It was perfectly novel, most amusing, and yet in some of tlie songs there was an amount of pathos that went fo ihe hearts of the Scotchmen and Scotchwomen who wero present. The first part was undert;ikeu entirely by Mr Kennedy, and consisted of Scotch songs, interspersed with explanatory remarks and humorous anecdotes. He has a. jovial hearty manner with him which has a telling effect upon his audience and carries them with him entirely, and, added to this, he possesses a melodious voice, which is heard to groat advantage in such songs as "My am fireside " and " Tho land o' lhe leal." In the second part the younger members of the family are. tbe principal performers, aud their glee singing is indeed a rare treat. Anything more sweetly and tastefully sung than "Tbe cloud capt towers " wo do not remember to have heard, and the catch "Would you know ray Celia'a charms" fairly took the audience by storm. Mr Kennedy's Highland song "Allister Macallister " was capitally sung, and rendered vastly amusing by a nasal — we can scarcely call it a vocal — imitation of the bagpipeß by the male members of the family. The entertainment on the whole is one that we can highly recommend, and we venture to predict that tbe house will be as crowded as it was last night on every occasion that tl c family appears ia Nelson.

Death of an Old Settler.— A fine old British soldier who has for many years been a resident in Nelson died ou Sunday last at tho good old age of 88. James Armstrong entered the army when quite a boy in the year 1798, and rose to be Color- Sergeant in the 41th regiment. He served under tbe Duke of York in Holland, and was all through the Peninsular Campaign, At (he storming of Bergen-op-Zoom he was shot down but was dragged out cf the fight with the loss of the right hand and portion of the arm. This entitled him to the munificent pension of ninepence a day which he has been in receipt of for sixty years. He was a steady sober man and was highly respectod. Wo hope our volunteer will turn out at his funeral, and bury the fine old fellow with milifiry honors.

Cricket Matches. — In consequence of the funeral of the late Mr Savage taking place yesterday, the annual closing game of the Wakefield Cricket Club was postponed until Saturday the 2nd of May. — -The return match between the Spring Giove and Waimea West, Upper Schools took place on Saturday, at Spring Grove, when, to judge (rom appearances, immense interest was taken in it by all the boys from both villages. In the matches between the two schools, the Waimea Wiest always claimed .' the victory, but this time the Spring Grove turned the

tables on their opponents, and won by six wickets to go down. The scores were : — Waimea West first innines, 24 ; seconJ, 19 ; total, 43 Spring Grove, first innings, "31; and 13 in second, with loss of four wickets.

Licensing Court.— The adjourned sitting of the Licensing Court was held ibis morning. Wholesale licenses were granted to W. J. Scott, brewer, nnd MorrisoD, Sclapders, and Co. Packet license to John Walker, master of the Lady Barkly. Colonial wine licenses to Christopher Frank, G. W. L:ghtbnnd, and James Smith. Two of these applicants were not present, nnd the Resident Magistrate said that in all future caees the attendance of all applicants would be insisted upon, and no licenses would be granted in their absence.- — W. R. Paruienter was granted a license for the Royal Hotel. The Resident Magistrate stated that it was scarcely right to allow the substitution of one name for another at tho last moment, nnd that such irregularities would not be permitted for the future. — Huf?h Cottier, Mitre Hotel. — This was an application tbat was postponed at the laet sitting of the Court to enable the police to report more fully upon the conduct of the house. The Inspector said that he hnd no further report to make, but was piepared to adduce evidence to substantiate what he had said at the previous eittiDg, that the language used io tho house by prostitutes and others frequenting the house was so bad as to be a perfect nuisance to tho neighboring house. After consulting the other Commissioners, the Resident Magistrate said that the complaints against the house were so grave tbat the Court would be fully justified in refusing the license, but they should not do that. The police, however, would be instructed to keep a strict watch upon the house, and if they reported against it next year a license would be refused to the applicant. License granted. The Court then broke up.

Agricultural Statistics. — The Gazelle of Thursday last gives lhe following returns of the amount of land in cultivation in Nelson iv February, 1874: — Extent of land broken up but not under crop, 3778 acres; in wheat, 2000 acres; in oats, for green feed or hay, 2607 acres, for grain, 3267 acres ; in barley, 1020 acre* ; in permanent artificial grass*. 43,650 acres; in potatoes, 962 acres; in other crops, 590 acres. Total number of acres under crop, including sown grasses, 54,697 acres. Tbe electoral district of Motueka, which includes Waimea West, had lhe largest number of acres iv wheat, potatoes, and " other crops," the Grey Valley in oats, the Suburbs, including Waimea East, Stoke, and Wukapuaka, in barley, and Cheviot (part of) in permanent artificial grass. In the Province of Taranaki, the total number of acres under crop was 43,182 acres, and in Wellington 276,951 acres.

Fire at Spring Creek. — We {Marlborough Fxpress) regret to hear that on Thursday evening last three stacks ef barley belonging to Mr Richard Matthews, of Spring Creek, were discovered to be on fire, and although every effort was made they were all destroyed. Nothing is known as to the origin of the fire, but it is suspected to be the work of an incendiary. A person returning home from a dance about midnight observed the fire and aroused Mr Matthews, otherwise the remaining three stacks would have shared a similar fate. The loss is estimated to be upwards of £350, no insurance having been effected.

Mr Christopher Holloway has telegraphed to the Superintendent of Taranaki tbat he will endeavor to visit that province io about six weeks' or two months' time.

The following is from the *' Danbury News": — A Newark (N.1.) husband brought home a hunk of molasses candy for his wife the other evening. His wife wears false teeth. The candy was of an adhesive.nature. She helped herself to a generous hunk, planting both rows of teeth in it. There they remained. Strenuous were the efforts to release them, but she was Dot successful. She wanted her mouth free that she might say something to him, that the candy not only prevented, but the tone of which from its prominont quality, it debauched. But she could not get her jaws apart. Then she went to the sink and dropped the whole mass, teeth and, candy, in a basin. Again ebe looked at him as if she was on the point of saying something he would be interested in; but every effort was broken up and destroyed by the orphaned jaws. Imagine a woman in such a fix. Think of the mighty thoughts surging and battling through her brain;- think of the current of eloquence bursting from her throat with a roar and striking out into the air a vapour; think of the blazing eyes, tbe distended nostrils, the trembling frame, the nervous hands. Picture her thus tearing the miserable candy from the glistening teeth; comprehend, if you can, O, man! the velocity with which the freed teeth were slapped into tbeir place, and with which that wretched man subdued his merriment and tore out of that house.

A Southern American editor says his contemporary drinks so much whisky that mosquitoes biting him die of delirium tremens.

Strangers visiting Augusta, Me., while the snow was in the streets, are particularly cautioned not to kick any old hats they may notice in their path, as several citizens have had their heads seriously bruised in this way before they were dug out.

TnE Bey. T. L. Tudor. — A congratulatory soir o to the Rev. T. L. Tudor took place recently iv the Odd fellows* Hall, Wanganui. Thomas Powell, Eeq., in the chair. The Revs. Taylor and Hogg wtre also on the platform The chairman introduced the Rev. T. L. Tudor to the meeting, and congratulated the parish upon his nomination. He also referred to the high estimation in which the Rev. gentleman was held at Picton, where be was presented with a valedictory address and a purse of sovereigns. He had no (*oubt that the rev. gentleman would be equally popular here. The Rev. T. L. Tudor returned thauks for the reception accorded him, and proceeded to give a description of church government in other parts of the wot Id. He concluded by expressing a hope that the congregation would never have cause to regret its choice. — Wanganui Chronicle,

A company is in course of formation for building railway carriages aud waggons, and general railway plant, whose wotks will be in Wellington.

Iv Otago a lease was recently executed iv which a clause was introduced reseiving certuin rights iuregaid to the shooting of game.

In the Waikalo district to "strike iie" seems io be a matter of no consequence. The Southern Cross says that "a month or six weeks ago a valuable discovery was made in the Waikato district, near the coal mines, in the shape of a flowing stream of petroleum. Due publicity was given to tho fact, but since that time no steps have been tnkeD, so far as we are aware, by the Provincial or General Governments to turn the discovery to commercial advantage. It is time that steps wore taken to utilise this and the other nalurol resources of the province."

The Wellington Independent is informed that 1322 loaves were bsked by the Co-operative Bakery Society one day last week, making a total ot 4691 baked during the week, in addition ton large quantity of biscuits and small goods. The society have purchased some improved biscuit machinery m*de in Melbourne, and are about advertising for tenders for building another oven

and making alterations to their premises in Willis-street. When these aro completed this will be the largest and best arranged bakery in the colony.

The Westport Times cays : — "A disgracefully personal nrticle haß been published in the Buller News, rtflo ting on the business transactions of the proprietors of the Westport limes and Evening Star papers, and more especially on the personal character of our editor. Wo make no present comment thereon, as the matter has been referred to our solicitor, and will in all probability, form the subject of an action for libei, but we would suggest to the proprietors of tho Buller News, who are lut novices in journalistic enterprise, (hut they play a very risky game in permitting their paper to become a vehicle for. such disgraceful effusions as appeared* on the 21st met. They jeopardise their own good fame, as men who assume to be worthy of honor and respect."

A long and dreary sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court, Dunedin, was lately relieved by the hearing of an amusing' case of a peculiar nature. It was an action to recover money paid on the promise of marriage ; and the plaintiff — an old man, to judge from his appearance — was dispossessed by the Court of the claim against the lady he was " struck " on. According to the account it*- the Times, he first met the female in Princes-street, and formed a " familiar acquaintance with her;" but this did not last long, for the severance of his connection was strangely nbrupt He corresponded, walked out with her, and lent her money to purchase the " marriage outfit;" but on popping the question, she told him to go to a warm place. Tbis, however, he declined to do, preferring the bracing though changeable climate of New Zealand fo one which is popularly supposed to be highly impregnated with sulphur. These statements were admitted by the defendant, and with tho assistance of her counsel she obtained judgment, with costs.

Mr. Frank Buckland writes to Land and Water: — During my stay North last week, I saw when inspecting a salmon river, a remarkably strong, active, intelligent boy, between four nnd five years, playing about a weir. The father told mo a curious story about the cbild. Last Christmas he was taken to see the pantomime in which monkeys performed a great part. The scene so impressed the child's mind that the next morning he imagined himself to be a monkey. Ho would not speak, and no kindness nor threats would make him speak a single word; he would not sit' at table with his brothers aud sisters at meals, but would only eat out of a plate placed on the ground, out of which he ate his food, being on all fours. If anything to eat was presented to him, he always put it to his nose and smelt it, just as a monkey does before eating it. He was continually climbing up trees and throwing down boughs, and grinning at the psople below like the monkeys in the pantomime. When his father tried to correct him, the little fellow, still on all-fours, ran after bim and bit bim on the leg. He wouid serve his brothers and sisters the same if they teased him. This curious monkey fit lasted until a few weeks ago, and the idea has now quite passed out of his head I wonder if this story may possibly be of any use to Mr Darwin.