COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 20 July 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

The Ed.tor desires to acknowledge the unanimous kindness and favor with which the public have received and responded to the intimadon that he had taken permanent charge of the Mail. The compliments are pleasant, and many of them arc of a substantial nature. New subscribers are being added to the list every day, at a rate that will double the former list in a few weeks. The public of Patea County will be aware that the publication of a superior district newspaper, circulating over' a large area of country, is the best aud : most business-like messenger that could be sent to other parts of the colony as evidence of the character and prosperity of the West Coast. The better the district newspaper is supported, the better will it be able to raise the character of the district in tkc opinion of persons outside its boundaries. The West Coast needs more settlers ; and in order to bring this district under the notice of the travelling public, and especially of substantial immigrants, the Patea County Mail is being posted regularly, by arrangement, to every good hotel n the colony frequented by travellers. Whatever can be done by enterprise of this kind, for promoting settlement in this district, for enhancing the value of land occupied, and for increasing the trade of the district, will be done by and through the Mail. Messrs Iredale Brothers passed through Patea on Saturday, with a lino mob of cattle for stocking their farm at Hawera. Good Templars arc stirring again in Patea. Another effort is to be made to form a strong lodge of this temperance body, a meeting being advertised for this evening.

TiiEDitAFTof unemployed did not arrive by the Patea steamer yesterday. We believe they arc on their way in a Govern ment steamer, probably the Stella, and will arrive at Patea harbor this morning or afternoon. It is understood that at least 100 men will be sent to this port, in detachments, and arrangements arc to be made accordingly. The rate of pay is to be 21s for unmarried men, and 28s for married men, los bcing.deductcd by Government for maintenance of the families at Wellington. The men will be charged Is 3d per day for rations (the usual military rations), but firewood and tents are supplied free. These are intended to be only subsistence wages, so that the men may not be tempted to make themselves pensioners on the Government. There is a colonial obligation to find these men with remunerative work, seeing that the Government has made the mistake of inducing them to come to this colony by paying their passage. Major Noake has now completed his arrangements for receiving and camping the men. This first batch will be located near the proposed Junction Station, and another batch will be set to work on the Railway at Kakaramea. It is desirable, in the interest of exporters, that both ends of the Railway shall be connected at the earliest practicable date with Patea as the harbor of export ; and the river offers cheap facilities for bringing in rails and other materials for, completing the Railway equipment.

The Brindisi Mail closes in this district on Wednesday. Mb Dickson, contractor for the Harbor Board wharf, is inviting tenders for ironworks; and he is to commence operations within a few days; The Patea Steamer bad to put back on Saturday, owing to the gale ; and she remained at Wellington till Sunday, reaching this port by Monday morning's tide. Mr Hearn will leave Patea to-morrow, for Napier, to bring over the Stud ho'-se “ Patriarch." He. expects to be back on Friday week, after which the animal will be on view at the farm of the firnu Kakararaea. Mr Aitchison has taken the contract for building a large superior residence for Mr Robert Reid, of the Upper Hutt, Wellington. Operations have commenced on the sand-hill north of the Hospital, at a beautiful site commanding views of the river valley, with an extensive panorama of forest ridges and rich pastures and coast-line. Football. —The following team has been selected to play against the County team : JR. IJaddeJey’- and Gr. Uag'g'ettj full-backs ; F. Baddeley and W. Dasent, half-backs ; T, Wolncr and J. Barr, quarter-backs ; W. S. Adamson, J. Adamson, W Bryne, Sinolaire, H. Chadwick, W. Williams, A. Gower, (Javanan, Willey, and Goodwin, A challenge has been sent, and the match will take place next Saturday week.

An Entertainment is to be given on Saturday evening, in connection with the Catholic Church bazaar at Patea. Judging by the programme advertised, there ought to be an olla-podrida of local talent. Everybody gives something at bazaars, but this entertainment looks like a device for emptying the already empty pockets of a too sympathetic public. If the great big public is not able to take care of itself, it must just be “ fleeced,” and serve it right! The Bazaar in aid of the Catholic Church at Patea promises to be a success. Many ladies in the district have been working with true feminine zeal to prepare a tempting hon marche of nice things, to be sold at an alarming sacrifice, so far as the purchasers are concerned. Investments arc expected to be brisk next Thursday and Friday ; and it is very doubtful whether the lad}' merchants in smalhvare and nicknacs will consent to give small change in return. All’s fair in love and war—and bazaars. New Houses are springing up rauidly in and around Patea township. Mr Paul is completing a house for himself in his paddock north of the Hospital. Mr Storey has purchased a paddock from Mr Milroy, in the same neighborhood, and is about to build a residence for himself. Mr W. Williams, jun., is contracting to have a house erected near the main road on that side of the town. Another good residence is to be built shortly on the ridge overlooking the river. A new hotel near the Bail way Station is “in the air and other projects might be mentioned which are in process of maturing. Patea District Jockey Club. —The half-yearly meeting of this club was held at the office of the Secretary on Saturday t Present: Dr Croft (in the chair), Messrs Morccroft, McKae, A. Gower, Powdrell, C. Symes, Chapman, and W. Oowern, secretary. It was unanimously agreed that the annual meeting take place on” the 19th November, and that,] in addition to the Derby of 100 sovs. and the Woodside Cup of 25 sovs., a hurdle race, maiden plate, handicap, forced race, and two hack races should be included in the programme) which will be submitted to the public in due course.

Contracting is not in favor with Government officials just now. They are strangely reversing the established principle that all public works and employments shall be let by public tender. The absence of tenders for the supply of stores to the camps of Government employees is a remarkable case in point. Another case is the appointment of an officer as oversocr of the first working detachment. Unless this person is a regular servant of the Government, we do not see why the vacancy ought not to have been filled in the usual w'aj 7 , by puplic tender in the district, with testimonials as to fitness. This is a case which may not come under the rule for public tendering, though the reasons to the contrary are not apparent. The other instance of allotting the supply of stores without public tender is a flagrant departure from a healthy principle ; and we have reason to believe that the Government are likely to hear more of this case, through the House of Representatives, unless it be placed on a proper footing at an early date.

~ Wb understand-.that the contract for the Patea Railway section has been ,signed by Messrs and Downes, of Dunedin ; and the-Work, will' be commenced forthwith. This looks healthy. An agent of the contractors has been in Patea enquire ing the prices of iron-work and of various materials, with a.view to completing preliminary arrangements.

A Remarkable Case of a medical nature came before the district coroner at Kakaramea yesterday. A man had. fallen apparently in a fit, and died within'a few minutes. Examination of the body after death revealed a most curious effect of a tumour in the aorta, a large blood-vessel leading out of the heart. The tumor had formed a cavity the size of a man’s fist, behind the breastbone at the top ; and this pulsating cavity, . beating constantly though slightly against the bone, had gradually worn a dent or hollow in tho bone. The regular action of a soft pulsation against a hard substance had given a new shape to the bone to the extent of beating a distinct hole into it. Dr Keating, who made a medical report to the jury, showed the cavity in the bone to two persons. The tumor must have been a long time in formation to produce by such gentle agencj' an effect so remarkable. As the tumor got larger, there would be an incrcasinQ' tende.uo.v tn.Wt on any unusual effort of the body, such as running or lifting. The crisis came last Sunday, when the man was hurrying or stooping, and the accumulated matter burst into the cavity of tho pericardium, flooding the cavity with blood, and arresting the heart’s action almost instantly. He had not been known to complain much of pain at any time. At a village in Yorkshire the other day a wedding had been arranged. The clergyman was ready in his surplice, and the bride and her friends were anxiously awaiting the bridegroom, when his mother arrived, and announced that her son and his best man had just been conveyed to Leeds prison, there to remain, the one for fourteen days, and the other for twentyone. A crusty old bachelor not liking the way his landlady’s daughter had of appropriating his hair oil, filled bis bottle with Spaulding’s glue the day before a ball to which the girl was inyited, and she stayed at home in conseqacnce. A woman, residing in a village in Norfolk, sneezed her jaw out of place lately, and the ■ married men have been buying snuff ever since.