Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 123, 24 May 1878, Page 2

Threepence per head (scalp with both ears) is the price paid for rabbits killed at the Kawarau, Otago. Five years ago rabbits were considered a choice dish at three shillings per couple.

The following item of intelligence Jig contained in the log of the barque Menschikoff, published in the Fiji Times-.— Erom the 14th to the 18th anchored between Santo and St. Bartholomew, working for food and laboronly a few pigs to be bought. About • a.m. on the 23rd the laii was loudly soundad, and on enquiring of the Mallicollo men on bourd the meaning of it they replied, " they have caught and killed a bushman, and are going to eat him." This statement was fully confirmed on the boat going to the beach; it turned out that two bnshmen who had come down during the night had been caught and tomahawked. In the afternoon the bodies were brought down to the beach, about twenty men with them, and after a long talk all sat down but four, who carefully washed and separated the limbs, and threw into the sea what was not intended for human food. On tbe moon rising, tbe laii summoned tbe chiefs and influential men to tha feast on human flesh. This summons their fathers and th6ir fathers' fathers had responded to before them, and their children look forward tq in the future,

Notwithstanding croakers of the colony (says tho North Otago Timet), we have still something to congratulate ourselves upon when we hear of ship following ship to the old country with cargoes valued at from .£IOO,OOO to £400,000 each. The first telephonic line of wires for public purposes in this colony is being erected between tbe Custom-house, Port Chalmers, and tho Immigrants' Barracks at Quarantine Island. Dr. Lemon's telephone is the instrument to be used in this service.

The Fiji Times is offended at the ignorauce of that colony shown by the outsido world. It says:—" We have had occasion several times to notice tho extensive knowledge possessed of Fiji and its geographical position by certain quidnuncs in other parts of the world, as evidenced by the directions on parcels, papers, and letters passing through the Post-office; but it remained for some component number of the '. tallest nation in. tho universe, S>'r-e_, to furnish a specimen of the most thorough benightedneas on this subject as yet encountered, as set forth in an address on a parcel 'lately sent for conveyance, and as follows:— 'Agent Geueral in London; Sir Julius Yogel, K.C.M.G., 7, Westminster Chambers, New Zealand, Fiji.'" The writer of " London Towu Talk," in the Melbourne Argus, says :—" I ara credibly informed that, thanks to the fanaticism of the gallery in a certain house of entertainment (not the House of Commons), the taking of Pleva is now obliged to bo effected by Turkish troops. An acquaintance of mine who witnessed this, and though no Russophile, was not quite able to convince himself that the Times and Duily l\'ewa had so very much misrepaesented matters, remonstrated with the manager of the place upon the deviation frora history. «* Well, sir, we did our best,' he said. 'Wo made the Russians take it for three nights; but " the gods " woul.d'wt have it at any price; and it's our business to please the public' " A Napier paper gives the following description of a lapidary's establishment there:— In Dick«ns-street, without a sign board, and hidden from viaw from the road by an unsightly dwelling-house, there stands Mr Rolfe's lapidary's shop. When we entered the other day we found the proprietor, assisted by his wife, cutting into several pieces, by the aid of steam, a couple of huge pieces of greenstone, worth, we were told, £200, to a Native order. As we statod before, the saws are worked by steam, aud the whole arrangements are most iugenious. The engine itself, imported, we believe, from Dunedin, is a curiosity, being two horse-power, aud enclosed in a box of small size. The boiler is also a strong and compact piece of workmanship, taking up very little room; in fact, both engine and boiler could be packed up in a medium Bize case. The Natives have for some time alone kept the establishment fully busy iv executing orders. Tbe bread on the waters has returned to a young lady at Clappertown, Pennsylvania, after a few years. On December 28, 1873, she met, on a railroad train, a lady who was very ill, and she kindly ministered uuto her and accompanied her to her place destination When they parted, the sick woman offered to reward the young lady for her kindness and attention, but she would take nothing. The old woman wrote down the name and address, nodded familiarly at her, and said, '.' You will be paid some day." The young lady never saw her chance acquaintance •gain, but the sum of 90,000 dollars has been bequeathed to her. The old woraau has no relatives in this country, and loft all her money to the girl who befriended her.

A painful case (says the Home Neios of the 28th March) has just been tried before Lord Chief Justice Bramwell at Leicester. A Mr William Bradshaw, charged with the manslaughter of Herbert Dockerty at a football match, has been acquitted, though only after some little conflict of evidence and with a recommendation from the jury that the rules of football should be altered. In the opinion of the side ou which he was playing, Mr Bradshaw did not transgress the letter of ths association rules, and was a most good-natured and humane person. His opponents seem to have taken a different View of the matter, but there is no doubt that Mr Bradshaw did nothing that he was not strictly entitled entitled to do, and therehe was .in no way legally responsible for the death of Dockerty, who knew well what the rules of football, as played by tho association, are. Lord Justice Bramwell did not see his way to recommending the change in the gam* desidered by the jury, but mildly added, "I think it would be as well for young men to try to make these accidents as little likely to occur as possible."

Mr William Swanson, the hou. member for JTewton in the Assembly, at an educational meeting at Ponsonby rece»tly renewed a phase of the discussion initiated in the Bouse last session,- " Money versus Brains." He was urging the necessity of giving a good educatiom to every child, backing his sentiments with the gift of a £20 bank note, for " see the jgu.e which he (Mr Swanson) cut through want of education. In the Assembly he could accept no place or power simply on account of his deficiency in education. They should make up their minds that there was more wealth in the brains of their child* ren than in their goldflelds, forests, and lauds." Still, withal ,the hon. member for Newton is prouder of his ascent than other men are of their descent, and his shrewd mother Wit, strong common sense, and great natural sagacity, has given him a vantage grouad which many an educated dolt has Bighed for in vain. It is curious to note how cicumstances alter cases ; the member for Newton being "the people's William," is afectionally called hy them "Willie," or «• honest Willie,'- 1 but the member for the Thames Goldfleld being quite another William, the old heathen maxium, vox p puli vox Dei, reawerts itself in " Billy Rowe." The following is from the Evening Post:— Aa fortune's wheel revolves, men go up and down the world in strange fashions. An instance of this came to light this J morning at the Resident Magistrates' Court. A Frenchman,goi»g by the name of Rudolph Laurient, appeared to answer * summons for a small debt. He informed Uv Crawford that, through ill-Health, he was now unable to pay the debt, but he expected shortly to receive 40,000 francs (about £1666) from France. It appeared that his real name was Rudolph de St. Laurient, but on comiug to Wellington twenty-two years ago he dropped the distinguishing prefix, and simply called himielf Laurient. His father was then a wealthy Frenchman, and he had given his sous a good education before they set out to "open the world's oyster" on their own account. Rudolph, however, could not, on his landing find any work suited to his capacities, and' he* therefore learnt the trade of a baker. For some years he worked as a journeyman^ but ultimately acquired a shop and business' of his own. About twelve months ago ho was compelled, through ill-health, to relinquish business, and since that time he had been unable to work, and had consequently got into debt. . Soon after he gave up business he received a letter from France, informing him that his father was dead, leaving 400,000 francs behind him, of which 40,000 was willed to Rudolph, the remainder going | oliisiljrothcrs and sisters. He employed Mr. Travers as his solicitor, and he had now proved his claim, but the money would not bo received by him for three or four months, as tne necessary instructions wore only remitted by the last mail. Laurient produced letters to prove the truth of his statement, we tnink that if we were that man's creditor we would wait for a few months and get our money, m preference to sending hira to gaol

Some people talk a great deal about the high price which land and house property is fetching in the colonies, but the following extract from a letter received by last mail from Loudon oclipses everything :— -'You talk about your specifications in laud, &c , and making your £1000 or £1/500. I will just tell you of a little affair, the accuracy of which I "can vouch for. The Corporation of the City of London own a coiner bit of ground, not in the heart of the city, about the size of the Trafalgar Hotel, Nelsou. It was let by tender for .£2,500 a year. The Ulan who got it sold out* and made £2300 clear profit. The person who bought is building premises on it to cost £12,0U0. He sold hi? intcrost in the land or title to it and the building for £29,000. The person who bought sold again for £35,000, and this person sold again for £58,000, aud the building is not half fiuished yet. How do, you like that idea of making mouey ? It licks trade into fits. I'here are lots of money to be made here in the same way. Thero is ono thing, land is always improving in value here, and, in -fifty years' time, it will be worth half as much aguin as it i 3 now."

" Eve's Grandmother," writing from London to the San Francisco Chronicle, says : — A consignment of quite a novel character is just about to be made to New Zealand. The wild rabbits have so over-run that colony, aud the efforts at extermination on the part of the settlers have hitherto proved so' unavailing, that an agent bas been despatched to the old country, whose mission is to collect five hundred stoats and weasels to be sent out as colonists to the antidodes. Now stoats and weasels arc wary animals, not easily trapped, and it is thought thero may be considerable difficulty in fulfilling the order for so large a number. Still the" New Zealaud farmers and landowners aro hoping for the best, and meanwhile proved the gcni.-inencss of tneir grievance by subscribing .£SOO to defray the expenses 'of the consignment.

At the annual convention of the American Daiiy men's Association,* held at Cleveland, Ohio, on the Sth ult,, a New York chemist gave an account of the process of the manufacture, by the Uuited States Dairy Company, of the so called "dairy product" oleomargarine, or suet " butter." He went on' to claim that when an inventor discovered that a pure and healthful product could be" manufactured from the fat of animals, to take the place of the miserable rancid butter which now floods tho market, and at such a price as to be within the reach of the poor as well as the rich, he conferred a great benefit on mankind. It was stated that the company referred to had up to last March treated over 8,000,0001bs of fat for use in the manufacture of "artificial butter," and that very large contracts for it are now offered to them.

A curious story of snake-charming is told by the Ovens Register as having happened on Sunday, February 28th. in the house of Mr John Carmody, farmer, Whorouley. His daughter, a girl about 14 years of age, was in the kitchen with her brother, two yearyounger than herself, and two other children younger still. The girl was singing, and the boy accompanied her on a sort of impromptu harmonicon, made of an ordinary hair-comb covered with tissue paper. The girl happened to look down to the floor, when, to her horror, she saw that a black snake sft 4in long was coiled round her leg, with about 18in of the head part resting on the floor between the boy's legs. The boy instantly jumped on the table, and the girl by a spring succeeded in throwing the snake off her leg and landing it iv the fire-place. Assistance being got from -the next house, the snake was at once despatched. It is believed that the singing of .the girl and the sounds produced by tho boy on his impromptu instrument had charmed the snake from the boards of the floor, and he had stealthily wound himself round the leg of the girl, when he could at his ease listen to the music.

Te Kooti has written a letter to the Government, of which the following is a translation-.— "Te Kuiti, May 14,1878. To the Government — Friend Sir George Grey, salutations to you. Friend Mr " Sheohan, salutations to you— lhat is' both you and Sir George Oroy. Friend Mr *Shoehaii, should you (Sir George Grey and yourself) have received my letter, which points out the cause of my transgression— if you see in it any fault, please inform me, in order that 1 may know. For yon are -tho light (or lamp) now, and you utter tho words of light, of goodness, and of love to tho Maori. You also teach that troubles may not arrive Jdu ring your days. My word .is, your management isvery;good, is exceedingly good; no - man has taught in that mannor before; no trouble will now befall us. Salutations to you both, and to your Council. Suffuient from your sinful slave, Te Kooti te.Turnki.", Te Kooti is evidently shrewd eneugh to perceive that the days of murder and rapine aro ended, and the prospect of an early and final settlement of all differences between the Government and the .Kiugites warns Te Kooti of the necessity of making his peace with the Pakeha, and, if possible, securing an amnesty

A somewhat curious set of .circumstances is related in a letter received by the last mail by a resident in Napier from Meaford, in Upper Canada. The writer,, says the Telegraph, commences by asking whether there is such a place as Nelson anywhere near Napier, and then goes on to state that about tweuty-years ago a Mr Pierce Went from Meaford to Australia, leaving his wife and child—a girl —in Meaford. Shortly afterwards the wife had a son. At first Pierce used to send his wife money occasionally, but after a time'-'liis remittance's ceased, Pierce having then left Australia and gone to Nelson in New Zealand. About 16 years ago, Mrs Pierce saw in a newspaper an account of a shipwreck that had occurred near the New Zealand coast, Mr Pierce being among these drowned. The person drowned was, however, another man bearing the same name. About the same time -Mr -Pierce received a letter, stating that his wife was married again, wliich was not true. Matters remained in this way for some years, the wife believing the husband dead, aiid the husband believing the wife to have married again, until about two or three months ngo, when - a letter from Mr Pierce, inquiring about his family, dated from Nelson, was received by his brother in Canada. This has led to the son starting directly for New Zealand in quest of his father,- tho wife being away at the time on a preaching tour, she having lately acquired a religious mania; but it is hoped that when sho Teams that her husband is alive, she will recover her normal state of miud.

Ifc will be remembered that some time ago a Maori named Pukeroa got into evil repute at the Thames in consequence of a belief that he had, by means of witchcraft, injured natives against whom he had grudges. The feeling was so strong against him lhat he was placed under police protection and was brought to Wellington and then taken to Lyttelton, from \yhenee he was forwarded to Chatham Islands; lie continued to support his character us a man possessed of powers which were "no canny" by threatening to kill all who nnnoyed him. He did not threaten bodily violence, but gave it to bo be understood that by the* help of the powers of darkness, or mukutu, he would destroy all he considered unfriendly to him. In support of his character as a wizard he asserted that he regularly received midnight visits from the Governor and the Premier, who were both willing to assist him in destroying the Maoris. These threats so , frightened the natives of the islands that several of them have written to the Government begging that Pukeroa may bo taken away.