The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 69, 10 March 1876, Page 2

Th e Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1876.

The return cricket match between the Nelson and Wakefleld Clubs will take place at Victory Square to-morrow, commencing at 10 o'clock. The monthly firing for Lieutenant Godfrey's medal by the members of the City Rifles took place at the Company's range this morning, when it was won by Corporal Burns with a score of 52. Considering the shortness of the notice there was a very good muster last night of the City Volunteers, who paraded at the Post Office, and marched thence, headed by the Band, to the wharf, in order to give a parting cheer to the Northern representatives, including Gunner Bell, the Carbine Champion, who wore the belt on the occasion. Arrived at the wharf they were drawn up in line alongside the steamer, and gave three hearty cheers for their brother volunteers on board the Taranaki, which were loudly responded to from the steamer, the Band, as she moved off, playing Auld Lang Syne. The volunteers then returned to town where, prior to being dismissed, they gave three cheers for Sergeant Crossman, who had done so well at the colonial firing. The Kev. Mr Mavell, late of the Grey Valley, has been nominated to the cure ol Merivale, Canterbury. Complaints of want of employment are coming from the Taranaki province •since the Waitara railway has been completed. The Hawke's Bay people are expecting auother batch of immigrants, aud are not happy in the expectation. An official has remarked, " that he trusted the next lot of new comers would be healthy and tfcrong enough to ' eat up ' those who have recently arrived, or their chance of obtaining employment would be infinitessimal." " xVIr Waterhouse says of Wellington:— From the scents that assailed one's nostrils in all parts of the town, it seemed to hita that either the Inspector

of. Nuisances had no sense of smeller if he had, it was absolutely neeessaiy to take him by lha scruff of tho neck and. push* his nose into a nuisance in order to show him .where it was. The Inangahua Times says thafc in spite of the caterpillar nuisance, ngainst which complaints were so rife at the beginning of spring, moafc of the crops in the Inangahua Valley Jiave turned j out remarkably well this year. The produce haa certainly been a littlo behind time, but thafc drawback has been fully counterbalanced by the extra weight of the crops. Ifc is informed that one of the largest farmers in the district is anxious to import some sparrows to devour the caterpillars which infest hia land, but he is afraid that the birds, like the Government) immigrants, will not remain where they are wanted to, but migrate to some other part of the district. Ifc is suggested that all the farmers in the district should club together to acclimatise 1 the birds. . | The Times says :— The demand for imported fruit in Westport will in a 'season or two be materially lessened, | by reason of the quantity of home grown fruit in the various gardens, now coining into full bearing, in and around Westport. At one garden up the river there is at present at least half a ton of I peaches nearly ready for plucking. Afc ( the Maori pah, too, are some trees well laden, although, owing fco mishaps, not so heavy as in previous years, and in a score of other cultivations good yields may be seen. Yery few people, remarks tho Southern Cross, have any knowledge of the progress which the belief in " Spiritism " has been quietly making in Auckland during the past three or four months. During this period seances have been held almost nightly in many places in Auckland, at which many converts have been made ; and the movement has spread to Buch an extent tbafc family seances are becoming quite common. "We learn, however, that aa Auckland clergyman — whose reputation stands high for scientific research in the discussion of polemical subjects — has determined to investigate the phenomena of spiritual manifestations, and with this object has been holding seances, fco which the most advanced spiritists in Auckland have been invited. A strange story is told by the Kew Zealand herald : — When the Queensland Government established a system of direct immigration they desired to bring out young women of the artizan class as servants. Amongst these immigrants was one who, it was discovered, was subject to "fits," and these fits were certainly unaccountable. She was placed in hospitals and refugas, where she became to all appearances cured, but on being sent sent to service the fits returned. The Queensland Q-overnment sent her back to England. Just then the New Zealand system was started, and the young lady was determined to make another effort for colonial settlement at Government expense. She succeeded. When she arrived in Auckland, however, the " fits " returned. She was sent to the hospital, where she became, strange to say, free from her infirmity. She was sent to various situations, the last one being at the Thames, but the " fits " returned, and she found an asylum at the Thames hospital. Ultimately the Auckland authorities paid her passage to England, but the young woman vows that she will come back to the colony j again. * At Ben alia, Victoria, a distressing and fearful accident occurred to a little j boy named Bueril, about seven years of age. A boy named Fawkes was leading a horso from the river. The boy Bueril came up behind, and catching i hold of the halter, entangled his hand lat the wrist. The horse shied aud dragged the boy, pulling the hand clean off the arm. The hand was afterwards picked up. After lingering half an hour tbe poor little fellow died just as Dr Nicholson arrived. Only a short time ago, writes the Forbes Times, Dr Horatio Coster ton received an appointment of surgeon to the Forbes District; Hospital. Independently of the assured income from that source, there was a large private practice waiting to be appropriated by any competent steady professional man — a practice tbafc would yield from £1000 to £2000 per year. After holding the position of hospital surgeon for a few weeks, Dr Costerton forfeited the appointment, and removed to Con- j dobin, wbere he only remained a short time, and, becoming ill, again entered the hospital as a pauper patient. A week ago he died and was buried, away from friends and home, and with not a soul in attendance to given the semblance of mourning or regret at tbe termination of a wasted and ruined life. Tbe following are some of the graceless flowers of rhetoric so freely employed in the Victorian Assembly — "an unmitigated lie ;" " you dare not say that outside;" " a low mean skunk;" " I do not take any notice of what gorillas say." These are the arguments flung from side to side in that body which is supposed to represent the wisdom of the colony. An amusing telegraphic mistake was recently made in India. A gentleman, the owner of a racehorse called Saturn, wired to a veterinary surgeon of the name of Pogson to " come and look at Saturn's ring-bones." The clerk, however, thinking fco correct the sender's apparent ignorance, telegraphed to Mr Pogsen, the Madras astronomer, to f( look at Saturn's rings." , Mr Pogson accordingly began to study the planet through his telescopes, and has sent the result of his observations to the various journals.

The Argvs haa published a retum showing that 2080 speeches were delivered in the Victorian Assembly 'last session, and that the only result of ; the legislation has been the passing of three short and almost formal measures. The Grand United Order of Oddfellows has had under its consideration the propriety of opening juvenile lodges, and an application made to the last district meeting met the warm approval of the district officers. Tbo first lodge of this description was opened at Yelta (sßys the Yorhe's Peninsula Advertiser, Adelaide) on February 22, in connection with a lodge of the Order already established tbere. A juvenile lodge is to be governed by a committee of five, chosen from among the members of tbe adult lodge, and is to be conducted by a president and financial secretary, likewise eleoted from tbat lodge. When any member of tbe juvenile lodge has attained tbe age of 18 be is to be transferred to the adult lodge, the juvenile branch paying the expense of his initiation.