Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 51, 28 February 1878, Page 2

It may interest our sporting readers (says the Marlborough Express) to learn that the famaus old horse Guy Fawkes has probably run his last race in New Zealand. In consequence, of his numerous victories he has incurred such heavy penalties that his owner, Mr Emerson, we are informed, thinks he would be merely wasting his money by entering the horse for any of the important races. It is stated that Guy Fawkes will be sent to the stud. — Argus 13th. An Auckland merchant named Myers, who was, a short time ago, sentenced to six months' imprisonment without hird labor for fraudulent bankruptcy, was ordered _h« other day to dress in prison clothe*. His courage then broTre down, and he was much distressed. The next day he elected to enter the hard labor class, thus securing better food and a reduction of two months of his sentence in case of his good beha?iour. Writing upon the recant Wellington election, the Lyttelton Times says -. — Of Mr Barton, the successful candidate, we have not much politically to say, for his same has never been associated with politics in New Zealand. He is impetuous and irascible, but he is able, fluent, and industrious, and thoroughly loyal and sincere. A Parliamentary career, on the principle of homoeopathy, may mitigate his forensic asperities. It will probably act as a safety-valve j in which case he will emerge from the hurly burly of the House into the serenity of the Court in a properly subdued frame of mind. The Wanganui Ha aid of Tuesday last says : — "Some bad fish were disposed of about the town this morning, and the effects among the consumers thereof are really alarming. The most painful symptoms have ensued iu almost all quarters where the fish had been partaken of, and people in all ' parts of the town are savagely indignant, and will for some time be suspicious of every member of the finny tribe which may be offered for sale. In most cases where the fish has been eaten, violent headache and a rush of blood to the face have followed, and there are two or three instances which have been brought under our notice where the sufferers are seriously ill. This should be a caution to people to be more careful of what they buy, as it is Btated, with what truth we do not know, that the vendros of the unwholesome article must have been aware of the unsaleable nature o. ths stock,"

A singular accident occurred the other day at Chertsey in the Canterbury district. As the Christchurch train was approaching the station a dray with two horses was standing in front of the hotel one horse being in tbe shafts and the other leading. The dray Vf** heayily laden with machinery. Oh the approach of the train the shaft horse took fright and jumped clean on to the back of the other, knocking him down, and at the same time turning the cart right over. The machinery was smashed to pieces, and after the cart and harness had been cleared away, it was found that the back of the front horse was broken. The poor animal was quickly put out of pain. The other horse was not injured beyoud being grazed about the legs through kicking violently. The horses and machinery were the property of Mr F. B. Pas3more. A requisition (says the Press) is said to be in circulation in Wellington, calling upon Mr Hunter, one of the members for that city, to resign his seat in the Assembly. Mr Hunter has committed no worse sin than that of being always consistent, but never clamorous in his political career. To these serious shortcomings the Wellington electors attached small importance two years ago. Now a portion of the electors think them insuperable objections to the sitting member. The crops of wheat in the Kaiapoi Island district are threshing out better than anticipated. A large crop on Mr R. Coup'sfarm, estimated as a 50-bushel crop, has turned out a trifle over SO bushels per acre, and a crop on the paddock in which the reaper trial was held is expected to ;produce a like result, the oats of Mr Parnham, next to it, having yielded 72 bushels. He has also a crop of champion wheat which will probably not yield not less than 70 bushels per acre. — Prtss. . Female preachers are, says the Christian ' Review, evidently on the increase iu America. It is however, among the Methodist* that they mostly abound, because here they ecjey not only a fair field, but perhaps a little favour. Some of these ladies undertake duty alone, while others are accompanied' by iheir better halves, who act in the capacity ef assistants. Here is a case in point. - A correspondent writing from Indianapolis, tells ho j a Methodist lady preached there night after night for a month to ..crowded ] congregations. Exbaused nature at length gave and the husband was brought in to - assist. The lady would address the people at some length ; and then turning to her husband, exclaim— u Now, dear, you pronounce tho benediction." Ona recent Sunday we are told that no less than nine sermons were preached in Indianapolis by women, but we are not told whether they all had their u dears' 5 with them to pronounce the benediction. The milkmen of Christchurch have resolved to hold a picnic on Tuesday next. Their bill of fare is to eonsist of curds and cream for lunch, and cheese and whey for dinner, _ Sheep stealing has assumed large proportions in Wellington. About ten days ago, says the Post, no fewer than seventeen valuable imported ewes were stolen afc one fell swoop from Mr Finnimore's paddocks on the Ohio road. A Grahamstown telegram of Monday last, says:— A sad affair happened on the Thames River yesterday. A party of naval cadets were coming from Paeroa in a cutter, when a young man at the tiller suddenly sprang into the river, and was not seen afterwards. The body has since been recovered. The inqaest resulted in a verdict of accidentally drowned being returned by the jury. No evidence was elicited to show what caused the accident. The deceased once had a fit, •end it is believed that he had a similar attack yesterday, which caused him to spring overboard. A medical man in a leading country town ' of Victoria (says "_Egles" in the Australasian) a few days ago desired to visit the seaside with his wife. Business was not very brisk, and he saw his way clear for a pleasant holiday. He had, however, one female patient whom he deemed to be past all hope of recovery. Considering it to be useless to remain to see the last of her, he considerately left in the hands of her friends a certificate to the cause of death, with the date blank, and having thus made everything comfortable, started for his favourite water-ing-place. Strange to say, the patient from that time began to improve, and is now convalescent. It appears from a letter written by the Rev. Dr. De Hass, who has been United States Consul at Jerusalem for seven or eight years, that the Jesuits of Europe, dissatisfied with the condition of things in Italy, are making a movement to constitute Jerusalem the seat of the Papal power. Com-^ missioners, Dr. De Hass affirmf^a^f ftl^Mlffi been apppin|edL t^Vfiiflfy&e'^^^^^^^ $$tifl&s& _oirt he Pope on T]J|oTOt-'_iion, to which the wealth of tbe 'Vatican is to be transferred. The Auckland Star says :— " A good story is told by the natives residing not a hundred miles from Alexandra about the doing3 of a Pakeha speculator in land who went up to transact a little business. This European took up a choice selection of Brummagen jewellery, jews-harps, tobacco, and other baits wherewith to mollify the fair wahines and the warriors of the tribe. He was over-' flowing with the mill*; of human kindness, professed the most benevolent intentions, and soon won his way to the hearts of both sexes. In the fullness of his love for the Maoris, he pointed out that they were suffering great loss for want of a mill to grind their corn, and would find it more profitable to make flour on the spot than to sell their wheat to the storekeepers. The Maoris readily acknowledged the truth of his observations, but confessed their inability to furnish the wherewithal to purchase material and machinery for a mill. Here it was that the great heart of their benefactor expanded. He offered to furnish the material free, gratis, and for nothing j to assist them in the choice of a site, and the erection of the mill. The site was soon fixed upon, in the centre of an extensive and fertile plain, and just as the natives were congratulating themselves npon the prospect of unlimited 'soft -tommy' and hot breakfast rolls to vary the customary dried shark and 'spuds,' the pakeha remarked that there was only just one other little matter to be settled, and everything would go along smoothly. He spoke in glowing terms of the fertility of the land extending for miles around the proposed mill site. He pictured it yellow with golden grain as far as the eye could reach; and so worked upon the feelings of an aged rangativa that the latter repeatedly grunted ' kapai|' But as the pakeha's discourse proceeded the chief grew silent, and his heart was dark. The wily philanthropist wound up by Iproposiug that he should become a sort of Joseph to these poor misguided Egyptians; that he should ' boss 'their crops and mill, and, in order to ensure his position, should have a lease of ali the plain for ninety years at a peppercorn rent. Just at this stage an ancient wabine uttered a prolonged 'auel' the old chief rose up, and went for his tomahawk, while another native (who bore a striking resemblance to Te Kooti), was heard to suggest that tho pakeha was a disgraceful fraud, and ought to be incontinently 'patu'd.' The way that European speculator cleared out of that settlement was enough to qualify him for the next steeplechase."

A regular critic haying to leave town, j turned over his work for one night to the sporting man of the staff. This _3 how the criticism on an important concert appeared the next day:—" Time was called about 8 o'clock, and about fifty bugles, fifes, and fiddles entered for the contest. The fiddlers WOU the toss and took the inside, with the chandeliers right in their eyes. The umpire with a small club acted a3 starter. Just be- ; fore the start he stood upou a cheese-box, I with a small lunch counter before him, and j shook his stick at the entries to keep them down. The contestants first started it to 'Landliche Hockzeit by Goldsmark, Op. 26.' They got off nearly even, one of the fiddles gentiy leading. The man with the French horn tried to call them back but they settled down to work at a sluggish gait, with the big roan fiddle bringing up the rear. At the first quarter of the course the little black whistle broke badly and went into the air, but fiddles on the left kept well together, and struck up a rattling gait. At the half way the man with the straight horn showed signs of fatigue. There was a little bobtailed flute which wrestled sadly with the bugle at the mile, but he was windbroken and wheezed. The big fat bugle kept calling ' whoa' all the time ; but he seemed to keep with the rest until the end of the race. They all came under the string in good order, but the judge on the cheese-box seemed to reserve his opinion. He seemed tired, and the contestants went out to find their boitleholder and get ready -Tor the Beethoven handicap. It was a nice e zhibition, but a little tiresome to the contestants All bets are off.