LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 71, 13 July 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

_— ■—+ We learn from a private telegram received in town, that the case cf Paterson v. Dunn, an action to compel specific performance of a oontract for sale of a section of land at the rear of the European Hotel, Oamaru, was tried in the Supreme Court, Dunedin, to-day. Mr. Macassey, instructed by Messrs. Julius and Balmer, appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Haggitt, instructed by Messrs. Hislop and Creagh, for the defendant. Judgment was given for the plaintiff on all the issues. The lease, for five years, of sections 22, 23, and 24, block XIV., part of Slaughter House Reserve, was sold at noon to-day, by public auction, in the Council Chambers, by Messrs. Connell and Clowes, Mr. John Church being the purchaser, at the upset price of £4 each per annum. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, Ann Lloyd, charged with being drunk and disorderly, was cautioned and discharged. Mr. T. W. Parker, R.M., presided. Under the heading "Shanties," the "Waitangi Tribune " says :—" A magnificent row of shanties are being constructed 'along the western side of the hill bounding Itchenstreet North, in Oamaru. The enterprising speculator evidently has an attack of dwellinghouses on the brain, if they can be so denominated. At any rate they are not calculated to impress visitors to the Northern metropolis with the idea that the municipality is attending to the laws of beauty inside the town belt." It is, after all, well to see ourselves as others see us, and we are inclined to agree with our Waimate contemporary that the aforesaid buildings are not an ornament to this portion of the town. It is notified that the monthly inspection parade of the Head-Quarters Companies will be held on Wednesday next, the 19th inst., at 7.30 p.m. "John Smith," in the "Bruce Herald," writes:—"The district of Tokomairiro has been visited by a plague—not of locusts, but of life insurance agents. I dare say that most of my readers are painfully aware of the fact, and have consented to have their lives insured in sheer desperation. The life insurance business is conducted in various ways. The first agent who made his appearance in this township is a sleek, comfortablelooking man, with a merry twinkle in his eye. He approaches his victims carefully and pleasantly, asks a few questions about their temporal and spiritual' welfare, and then gradually directs the conversation to the subject of life insurance. If the intended victim does not fly at this stage of the proceedings, he is a lost man. The deluge of figures that follows will render him utterly powerless to say no, and he will sign the usual form of proposal without a murmur. The other agent is quite a different fellow. He commences the attack by asking you to have u drink, then hands you a good cigar, and goes straight to the point. He is a tall man, and when once he gets warm on the ! subject of life insurance, and catches you by ! the shoulder with one hand, while he uses the other for gesticulatory purposes, it is all over with you. In order that the public may enjoy, during a few months of the year, a perfect immunity from annoyance, I would suggest to the Government the desirability of appointing an open season during which life insurance agents may be shot." The health of Field-Marshal Molke is said to be so delicate that he feels it necessary to retire from his post as Chief of the Staff of the Army. His successor will probably be Major-General Count Wartensleben, Chief of the Historical Department of the Staff, and the well-known author of several military books. The Count has arrived at Rome. It is now believed that the French army, in spite of what ha 3 been written to the contrary on the subject, is making great progress every way. In Paris, the cavalry regiments are being drilled to take the rail at night time, and by "the lantern dimly burning" a squadron rides up to a station, dismounts, pile 3 arm 3, unsaddles, installs its chargers in the railway boxes, packs up hay and corn, and takes its j)lace in the carriages. Once ready for a start, orders are given to disembark, and man and steed are broken to th'is new service— conve3 r ance of cavalry. A contributor of the "Xew Zealand Times" says : —" Mr. Pyke, you made a very funny speech, and I can honestly assure you that some of your jokes were new, which at the present day is a good deal to be able to say in compliment. 3g|j(hati little bit about the Piako Swamp benafroabject to the direction of Divine Providence and Mr. Murray was not quite new. Many years ago, during the American rebellion, I heard Mr. Disraeli state sarcastically that the United States were under the special protection of Her Majesty' 9 Government and the-Almighty." A writer in the "Bruce Herald " says : " The ' gentlemen' who came from the North for the purpose of showing the people of Otago how a daily newspaper ought to be conducted, have made a very bad start. Last Wednesday's "Times " contained a full report of the Financial Statement, while the " Guardian " of the same day only contained a portion of the Premier's speech. The Northeners have a grea,t deal to learn before they will be able to bring out a newspaper to rival the ' Times.' " /

The "Rangiora Standard" understands that a block of no less than 12,000 acres of land was purchased last Week by the Hon. W. Robinson, in the Horsley Downs district, Canterbury-. This is one of the largest single sales effected by the Waste Land Board of that Province for many years! past.' The Government land sales have been very heavy of late, and have surpassed anticipations. Well may the hon. gentleman deserve the nickname of "Ready-money," by which his friends often distinguish him. An entertainment, consisting of songs, readings, and recitations, was given last evening in the Tees-street Hall, by the Star of Hope Lodge, 1.0. G.T. There was a large attendance, and the programme submitted was most creditably got through, several of the performers receiving more than average applause. The singing of the National Anthem concluded a very enjoyable entertainment.

Another attempt is being made to establish a third evening newspaper in Christchurch. The Melbourne correspondent of the "Daily Times " telegraphs : —" Just as arrangements have been completed for running a steamer between Java and Port Darwin with telegrams, the Edinburgh is on the eve of picking up the broken cable ; and when the repair is made there will be through communication to Singapore and Penang. The engagement of the steamer Lyeemoon on the very day the Edinburgh reached Daz-win was a stupid bit of business, and now it is probable that a thousand or two of pounds will be tin-own away for nothing." The Greymouth Fire Brigade are about to commence a series of competitions to test their efficiency against the various brigades on the West Coast. A challenge has been sent to the Hokitika Brigade for a friendly match on July 4, each team of competitors to -work on its own ground. The competitions will consist of teams of eight men a side, who are to set up the engine at a stand-pipe, connect two seven feet length of suction hose, run out thirty feet running hose, connect, and raise a' thirty foot ladder to a building not less than twenty-eight feet high, carrying the hose and branch on to the roof, and deliver water from the branch. Time to be reckoned from the first movement of the engine, when starting from a distance of fifteen j r ards, to connect with the stand-pipe, to the delivery of a jet of water. "Saunterer," of the "West Coast Times,"is respon ible for the following :—" A pair of trousers- caused considerable commotion in a place of worship on ar-recent Sabbath. A lady was observed to take her seat with/ a pair'of these male garments hanging gracefully over one of her shoulders. It is only fair to say, however, that the lady was under the impression that the garment in question was her husband's overcoat, and she was only made aware of her delusion when her neighbour in the pew in which she took her seat called her attention to the inappropriate garment. The fair neighbour who did this kind action happened to possess, singularly enough, a tailor for a husband, and her possession sat beside her. The kind lady took the unmentionables away from the original introducer of them into the place of worship, and passed them on to her husband, who is reported to have grabbled them with suspicious eagerness. Things remained in statu quo until about ten minutes before the religious service concluded, when Mrs. Taylor started her fair but unsuspecting neighbour by uttering, sotto voce, the following remarkable WO rds—'Mrs. , what do they want doing to ?'" The "Arrow Observer" reports that a rather desperate case of attempt at suicide occurred last week at Half-way Bay, Lake Wakatip, by a man who has been cutting wood there in the bush, and working horses and dray. He, with a razor, or some such instrument, in one stroke gashed his throat deeply from ear to ear, then severed his windpipe a little above it, and then cut his throat again very low down. The unfortunate fellow was brought down to Queenstown in one of the steamboats. Dr. C. Jackson sewed up the wounds, and it is believed he will recover. An "Engineering Apprentice and Native Youth of Eighteen " writes to the " Sydney Morning Herald" to take exception to a statement that in New South Wales a youth of seventeen or eighteen is commonly not so well editcated as is a youth of fifteen or sixteen in England. He requests that his letter may be inserted "in your valuable journal" to show that the natives " cannot quietly stand to be sat upon." He also spells oblige with ad. Under the circumstances, his letter cannot be considered valuable as evidence for the defence.