The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JDNE 10, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 137, 10 June 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JDNE 10, 1874.

The Executive. — The labors of the session being over, Mr O'Conor started this morning for the West Coast overland. Mr Shapter and Mr Rout, we understand, are about to visit Motueka to inquire into the spread of scab among the sheep in that district. Resident Magistrate's Court. — Levy v. James. Plaintiff, for whom Mr Pitt appeared, claimed £2 7s 6d for certain oysters token by the defendant from his oyster bed near the Custom House Hotel. Judgment for amount claimed and costs. Wesleyan Church, Hardy-street. — The anniversary of this Church was held yesterday, the Rev. T. Buddie in the cbair. Prayer was offered by the Reg. D. Dolamore, and the meeting was addressed by the Chairman, the Reve. D. Dolamore, W. Keall, W. B. Marten, and Mr. Boese, M.P.C. The choir added greatly to the pleasure of the meeting by singing several pieces during the evening. The sermons on the Sunday were preached by the Revs. W. Keall and T. Buddie. We shall print the report to-morrow. Artizans' Entertainment, — Last night's entertainment attracted, as usual, a crowded audience, who throughout the evening were most demonstrative io their applause. The first part was entirelymusical, and the songs, especially those of a comic character, were all of them well received and most of them encored. The melodrama, " Luke the Laborer, or the lost Son," which formed the second part, was remarkably well acted, and brought to a close an entertainment that, taken as a whole, was one of the most satisfactory yet given by the Society. We understand that the performance will be repeated in a fortnight, when the proceeds will be handed over to the widow and five children of a mechanic who recently died in Nelson. A fine bay horse in California was found suspended, ono morning from a cherry tree, by the neck, and dead. He had been left bitched to a branch of a tree, which had grown so rapidly during the night, that it raised him off his feet and hung him. And they don't think of fencing in California. A very curious complication occurred at the Kilmore Race Meeting, Victoria, on Easter Monday. It was generally expected that Victorian would be the only starter, and consequently nearly all the treble-event bets commenced with his name. It turned out that the race was a walk over for this horse, but, as he broke his back at the first hurdle, and the judge gave it as no race, the question arose as to how the bets stood. The backers of the horse declared lhat it was a walk over, coming to the post was enough in a jumping race to claim the stakes, while on the other hand, those who gave tbe odds were as positive that, as Victorian had not got over the course he had lost the race. It was urged if a horse cannot get round, how can he win a race, but the Grand National rule which applies also to hurdle races, is, "If a horse be weighed for, mounted, and proceed to the starting post, and no competitor appear, he shall be considered the winner." Therefore, Victorian is a winner, although he broke his back. A " sobrr doctor " for the Tuapeka district is amongst things advertised for in the local journul, as wanted. A firm of seedsmen in Dunedin are doing a large trade in exporting fern roots to EDgland. By the Margaret Galbraith lately they sent home five tons. They also send home large quantities of dried ferns. These like the roots, arrive it is snid in excellent condition, JJ The Yass Courier evidently doesn't go in for indiscriminate adulation of the powers that be. In a "publication received " paragraph in a late issue ia the following :— « The March number of the Australian Illustrated News is. a very creditable number indeed. Tbe Ministry of New South Wales are faithfully pourtrayed, and an uglier lot of fellows we never set eyes on." The following amusing Pickwickian Btory is related in tho West Coast Times, of Saturday: — A rich story is told of one of our members, who is likewise a member of a higher Assembly. It appears that one night this week, after being engaged in earnest debate until eleven o'clock, he retired to his hotel, where he lit a candle and sauntered quietly to his usual place of repose. Meditating it might have been on the component parts of an Executive, or oa

thepast history of the County, the first subject being one he will moat probably be called on to consider at no distant date, and the other, a matter with which he is thoroughly, conversant, he placed his lighted taper on his dressingCable, extinguished his- cigar, removed his white beaver covering, withdrew his gold pin from his checked scarf, and hung up his overcoat by the tape fastening which hangs from the velvet collar. He was about to divest himself of further Wearing apparel, when behold ! - a head popped up from the couch he had occupied for the past fortnight. " Halloa! What brought you here, old fellow ?" inquired our described occupant of the apartment, to the stranger; " You have no right here, and I have to request that you find a room elsewhere, as this is mine and has been for some time." " You will pardon roe," replied the stranger, " but this is the number we were told to take." " We!" ejaculated the member, "who are we?" Just then a few curl papers were observed in biding behind the head of the stranger; and the member remained not even to apologise, a duty he did not neglect, however, on the following morning, when the married gentleman expressed his astonishment that he had omitted to lock the door before retiring. Some months ago a speculator purchased from the Tasmanian Government tbe right to fish for the first submarine cable laid in Bass's Straits, and long since abandoned. He has chartered a vessel and procured a report from an experienced engineer, and a company is in process of formation to utilise the cable. All right to the cable was sold for £5, and if it is ever recovered from the vasty deep, the probabilities of securing a profit on the purchase are good. The professional gentleman entrusted with the task of reporting thereon states the total amount recoverable to be about 160 nautical miles, and as to the condition of the long submerged wire, quotes as an illustration the case of the Dover and Calais cable, which; after a submergence of nine years, showed a loss of only two per cent on the iron covering. He says tbat the value of the recovered cable may be reasonably estimated at from £25 to £30 per mile. An Alabama paper says: — On Saturday, February 23, a girl named Elizabeth Moore, daughter of Albert Moore, living in the north-east corner of Cleburne country, Alabama, was returning home from a neighbor's house, whither she had been sent on an errand, when she felt something heavy strike upon her shoulders, and the next instant she was borne to the ground. She says that her first impression was that she had been seized by a panther or some other wild beast, but soon felt the talons of what proved to bean eagle clutching her sides and arms, lacerating the flesh in a fearful manner, and with its beak pecking her on the head, she was carried some distance on the ground. Pretty soon the eagle, having secured his prize, with claws and bill firmly fixed, raised her from the ground and sailed along at from three to four feet above the earth for some distance. Occasionally she was dropped, on the ground, but the eagle would as often raise her again, making new and serious wounds with his talons in her body, and bis beak in her head, till at last he reached the height of ten feet, and attempted to light on the limb of a red oak tree on the roadside, when his hold again gave way, and the girl fell to the earth seriously stunned and hurt. She was unconscious for a time, then clambered over the fence near by into her father's orchard, and began making the best of her way to the honse, near which she was met by her mother, who had been attracted by her screams and was hastening to her relief. The most remarkable part of the matter is that the girl did not see the eagle at all. A shawl which had been securely fastened about her head, so as to project over her face, hid her rude antagonist frooT.her view. The track along which she was dragged, however, was plainly visible in the road. The girl Elizabeth is fourteen years of age, and weighs between eighty and ninety pounds. The eagle has been twice seen by the hunters, who are making every effort to kill or to capture him. A noted hunter of South lowa fears that be bas been the victim of a " sell." He has a gun that scatters shot badly, so tbat it is not much account. A while ago he saw an advertisement in a city paper, offering to send information whereby sneh " scattering could be prevented, for 50 cents." He sent (he money, and waß informed that he should put in only ono shot. A New York journal eaya : — " The New York Diamond Company exhibited yesterday the largest diamond ever imported into this oountry. In its rough slate it weighs 80 carats. The design and cutting of this gem were done personally by I. Hermann, president of the company. It was found in tho South Africa diamond-fields, and was valued in the rough at 10,000dol. It lost 33 per cent, in cutting, and is now valued at about 40,000d01. It is not for sale, but was exhibited as a choice specimen of a new branch of industry established in this city, which has so far advanced that it now rivals in results of workmanship the best efforts of the diamond workmen of Amsterdam. Five months* time was occupied in the cutting, and the brilliant, although slightly off color, being a delicate straw shade, is a marvel of beauty. When disturbed by any movement it seems to pour out new floods of light until the eyes are dazzled by its splendour."