LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 68, 10 July 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It will be seen from a letter which we publish elsewhere that the Mayor has received a letter from the Minister of Public Works, in which he states that the specifications for the completion of the Timaru and Waitaki Railway are in preparation. We don't doubt this for a moment, and think it very likely that they will be " in preparation " for some time to come. The reply to the resolutions forwarded by the Mayor has a genuine ring of red-tapism about it which one cannot help but admire.

The Oamaru Football Club played a scratch match on the Cricket Ground on Saturday last. There was a fair attendance, and some good play was exhibited during the progress of the game.

A meeting of members of Court Pride of Oamaru, A.0.F., will be held this evening, in the Oddfellows' Hall, at eight o'clock. A full attendance is requested. The Rev. P. P. Agnew conducted Divine Service in the Masonic Hall yesterdaymorning and evening. The congregation was large on both occasions, and the rev. gentleman delivered two very able discourses.

We learn from the Telegraph Department that mails for the Australian Colonies, per Ringarooma, close at the Bluff at 11 a.m. on Wednesday next. The "Lyttelton Times" of the 3rd inst. reports the following narrow escape from a serious accident: —" Just after the Courtenay coach had started from the booking-office in Cashel-street on Saturday, a little fellow, who was crossing the road, ran in front of the horses, was knocked down, and his instant death appeared inevitable. The boy fell between the two horses, who, with most remarkable instinct, .opened out without touching him, and the coach passed over his body as well without harming him. Fortunately, the child remained on his hands and knees till the vehicle had passed. He then got up, looked at his muddy condition, and trotted away home, - apparently none the worse for his mishap. "|

The Auckland " Heraldreports that, on a recent afternoon when the rain suddenly came down in large drops, which to all appearance was indicative of a squall, one of that paper's staff, who happened to be on the wharf, skedaddled for the only available shelter—the watermen's house. While there in company with many whose business is on the deep, the following growl was heard from a robust skipper, (a son of Erin), whose barque had been over two months in filling, and not yet full, "Well, I've been in many a bad place, but Auckland beats all; here nearly three months in port, and not filled up yet Another old salt hard by, turning over a quid of tobacco in his mouth, put in his oar, and remarked, " I say, Cap'n, I'd advise you to charter the Harbour Board dredge. I guess she'll fill you up soon." We ("Argus") have heard of many a theatrical season ending in bankruptcy, but we never before knew of one which began with a notice to creditors. It was reserved for the " New Zealand Times " to introduce this novelty. Thus Messrs. Howard and Bates' announcement this morning of the commencement of the new season concludes with these ominous words :—" Creditors must produce all Bills of Exchange or Promissory Notes for the purpose of endorsing the dividend on the same, and all Proofs of Debt muit (sic) be stamped in accordance with the Act." We are quite unable to comprehend the meaning of this, and we are also puzzled, in common with the creditors of William Anderson, of Greytown, to understand the following special notice, issued above the signatures of George Thomas and John W. Stevenson, trustees, to creditors in that estate, that "monthly tickest(sic) (23) available for any night, transerable (sic) during the month, may be obtained from Mr. Jackson, Lambton-quay, for £3 12s. "Atlas," iu that outspoken London paper, "The World," thus comments upon the Queen's recent visit to Germany : —"At last we know all about it! At last we have been informed on official authority why the Queen of England, under the disguise of the Grafin von llosenau, quitted her country, leaving her Parliament in full session in the discussion of a most important and delicate matter, and, taking with her the Foreign Secretary, whose services might have been indispensable, and an eminent physician, whose presence might have been life and death to numerous patients, hurried off to Germany. Not with the view of any matrimonial scheme for the Princess Beatrice, as some people said; not to escape the uproarious welcome proposed to be given by certain interested people to - the Prince of Wales on his return from a pleasure trip, as other people insisted. No; the Court Circular makes the matter clear to us, in the following passage, in its usual luminous way :—A visit was paid to the tomb of Her Majesty's lamented sister, Princess Hohenlohe, on the first morning after the Queen's arrival, which was her Majesty's principal object in coming to Baden. There it is ! And if any great foreign complications had arisen during Lord Derby's absence, or any of Sir William Jenner's patients had died, it would have been consolatory to know that all had happened iu such a worthy cause."' The natives, as a rule, are not a miserly race; in fact, their character is rather the_ reverse of that. However, an old native named Tuhang--e, but better known as Atu, who has for years been about the tov.ai of New Plymouth earning money by chopping wood, &e., died on Sunday last, in his whare, on the Devonlinc. Mrs. Gyde, we (' 'Herald") believe, had been attending on the old man whilst he was ill; and on Sunday evening last, whilst dying, he kept pointing with his finger to something under him, so she mentioned it to Mr. Stockman, who, on looking under the deceased, found a leather liavresack, in which was £34 4. Gil. in half-crowns, shillings, and sixpences, bearing the marks of old age. Three or four years ago when a Mr. Howard, of Auckland, was down here buying wool, he met Atu, and spoke to him, when the native pointed to his breast. Mr. Howard thinking he wa3 perhaps hungry, was putting his hand in his pocket to give him some money to buy food with, when Atu drew from beneath his coat some dirty rags, and placed them in Mr. Howard's hand. On opening the package it was found to contain £6O, which Mr. Howard carried into the bank, communicating to the native authorities what he had done. Mr. Pan-is tried to get Atu to go to the bank to have the amount placed in his name, but the native refused to do so. Tnhangae belongs to the Taranaki tribes, and was taken when a boy as a slave by the Ngapuhi, but was set free by them.