The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 53, 2 March 1878, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1878.

The storm in a teapot whicli was recently raised by Mr Gray, aud has been raging so furiously for the last few days blew itself out at 7 o'clock last night. The ex-Coun-cillor, by offering himself to the ratepayers for re-election to the seat he had voluntarily thrown up, invited from then*, an expression of their opinion of his late eccentric conduct. Yesterday he got what he asked for. At 7 o'clock Mr Sharp, the Returning Officer announced the result of the polling to be, Crewdson, 419, Gray 179, and consequently declared Mr Crewdson to be elected. The two candidates addressed a few words' to those who were present, and the proceedings terminated with a rote of thauks to the Returniug Officer. The total number of voters who polled was 336. A^ dissti-.uc.ivi-; fire occurred at Mr Allport's farm at Stoke last night, resulting in tlie loss of four stacks of wheat and one of barley, roughly estimated to contain in all about 800 bushels. The fire originated in one of the wheat stacks, and js supposed to have been occasioned by the straw heatin"from having been stacked while daiijp°. Every assistance was rendered by the neio-'li-bors, but no efforts of theirs could save the stacks, owing to the strong south-west wind that was blowing at the time. The corn was uninsured. The census will be takeu throughout New Zealand to-morrow night. Papers have been left at all the houses, and these have to be rilled up in accordance with the instructions by which tliey are accompanied. Professor Hennicke and Madame Stella will give one of their clever conjuring performances nt the Masonic Hall this evenin-? Some of their tricks are described as being* simply marvellous. The return cricket match between the married and siugle men of Takaka Valley was played on Friday, the 22nd of February and resulted iv a victory for the siugle men who scored 32 aud 69, against 23 andll made by the married team. In the evening the players and a few friends sat down to an excel lent dinner at the Junction Hotel the chair being taken by Mr Wilmot Care After dinner it was decided to resuscitate the old cricket club, and between 30 and 40 members were enrolled. Mr W. Page sen , was elected President, and Mr Wilmot Cave' Treasurer and Secretary. On the followine day another match was played with a similar result to that of Friday's gan)", the single men scoring 37 and 66 against their opponents 17 and 55. Double figures were reached by A. Langford 11, and 11. Ll o vd 16 on the married side, and Hunter 10 and A. Barnett 10 for the single iij.cn The howling of A. Barnett and \V. Page, junior on the singlo side, and of W. Barnett and Lloyd on tbe married was very telling. Tin-* Coliingwood County Council met on the -iOth inst , when Mr Packard was elected chairman in fche place of Mr Lewis