THIS DAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 10, 12 January 1875, Page 2

THIS DAY.

Mabin, Trustee in Estate of W. S favor t, V. SCXANDERS. This was an action brought by the plaintiff, as trustee in bankruptcy of "VV^Stavert, to recover the sura of £1124 Is lfa, being the amount of cerrain book debts claimed by the plaintiff as belonging to Stavert's estate. The defendant had collected the book debts under ihe authority of an assignment of them to him made by Stavrrt on the 12th day of May, \ 874. This deed the plaintiff impeached in the present action, as having been made Hfter Stavert had committed an act of bankruptcy, of which the defendant had notice, and therefore void as against Stavert's trustee in bankruptcy. Mr Pill appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr Conolly and Mr Pitt for tbe defendant. The case was a rfreary one throughout, the only item of interest that croppsd out during the ln.aring of the evidence being the correct statement of Stavert's affairs, which has not yet been made public. Mr Mabin, the trustee, stated that the total liabilities were £30,000, and the realised assets £1000, and book debts £1500. The case was a 1 ill proceeding whin we went to press.

A man named Angus (says the Westport Times) who had been working on the road contract tit the Niuetntte, Westport, deliberatelj committed suicide by walking into the Buller lifer. He had been indulging in a holiday bout of hard liquor, and on

Sunday sight required watching to prevent him doing violence to biuoaelf. Next he suddenly made for the river, and resisted all attempt at succour. Bernard Cunningham pluckily followed him into the stream in the effort to drag him back, but bad at last to give up his hold to save his own life. The body has not been recovered. The G. R. Argus of January 8 says: — It has just been discovered that the town of Abaura and every living thing in it had a narrow escape from total obliteration. A waggoner named Lardi passed through it the other day with bis team, and shortly afterwards the children playing about the main street began picking up fragments of a black glittering substance, which turned out to be blasting powder. The waggon was followed, and the powder train was distinctly traced to about a mile from the towD, where the driver had stopped. It was then found, and the finders obtained the information with hair stand • ing on end that there were over fifty barrels of blasting powder among the cargo in the waggon, and that one of them had been broken, scattering itß contents in all directions. Every precaution was used by throwing water on the loose powder, and taking other measures to prevent the probability of an explosion. The waggon had to be unloaded and repacked, as the floor of it was covered with powder, and when everything was considered safe tbe driver was allowed to proceed. There surely should be some notification given to the public and the authorities that such a large quantity of dangerous freight was in transit. Had another team been following Lardi's, the ironshod feat of tbe horses coming in contact with the road metal would be certain to ignite the powder, and there is no knowing what would be the result. Inquiries are now on foot, and if it be possible to punish Lardi, civilly or criminally for his negligence, proj ceediogs will be taken at once. A melancholy case of self-destruction took place at the Inangahua Landing on Thursday evening, the victim being a road contractor named John Walker, who resided at the Landing. It appears that he had been drinking for the last week, and on Thursday evening, after partaking of something to eat at Mrs Thomson's, suddenly rose during the absence of her hußbnnd and stated his intention to drown himself. He tbrew himself into the river, and Mrs Thomson's screams attracted the attention of her husband and Mr Brandt, storekeeper, who were on the opposite side of the rivei\ They at once rowed across, and on learning what had occurred, lit torches, and searched for the body, which they recovered in about twenty minutes. Tbe body was conveyed to Reefton yesterday, and lodged in the Police Camp. — Herald January 5. Writing on tbe subject of the cession to Great Britain of the Fiji Islands, tho New York Herald remarks : — " The formal cession ot these islands to England is important only as tbe beginning of her probable absorption of most of the other groups lying between New Zeniaud in the south and the Sandwich group in the north. Our Government, perhaps, will have nothing to say upon the subject except that the independence of tbe Sandwich Islands must not be disturbed." A new temperance beverage, to which the name of "Exo," has been given, has been patented by a Victorian manufacturer. It is described as being " most agreeable to the taste, very [ refreshing, aud possessed of excellent ; tonic properties ;'* but, of course, tbe materials of which it is composed, and their proportions, have not been disclosed. We have all heard of the "tune the old cow died of," but Weatport possesses a band whose performances are the opposite of Orphean, if the Wettport Times is to be believed. That journal flays that a dog recently died under the efFects of a performance by the Westport Town Band. Cattle Owning Extbaobdinary. —An American contemporary says that Mr Samuel W. Allen, of Texas claimß the title ot the largest herdsman in the world. He owns no fewer than 225,000 head of cattle. He has one ranch eighty miles long and forty wide, between Nevada and Colorada rivers, the largest on the continent, which pastures 120,000. Two others accoramoda'e respectively 70,000 and 35,000. These cattle subsist on native grasses of a part of Texas. The herds require the attention of at least 400 herders and branders, and tbe use oi 300 horses. Mr Allen brands 60,000 calves every year to keep up the supply. (For remainder of News see fourth page.)