COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 11 September 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

The Weekly Supplement is given with ibis issue of the Mail. The down coach on Thursday lost a wheel when approaching the hotel at Whonuakura. The Cadets’ Ball was hold last night in Paica Town Hall. It was an immense success, and wc shall have, more to say of it. Gold is being found at Cape Tcrawhiti. Three parties are at work. One man has obtained a grain to every two sbovcl-fuls. The Pile Driving at the new wharf is now in progress, the steam machine being at work. The river bottom is unequal in formation, some of the piles going into sand and others into iron-stone rockDriving into the rock is a slow process. William King, of Waitara war notoriety, is now an idiot; and our New Plymouth correspondent telegraphs that King’s people arc taking him to Paribaka, This shows how the infatuation is spreading.

The hospital inquiry at Wellington has resulted in the dismissal of the nurse and warders who had charged the matron, Miss Sutherland, with drunkenness. Mr M'Gregor, of Normanby, has offered to advance £SOO for constructing a bridge over the Waingongova, on the Normanby road to the Plains. Mr Bryce promises consideration. Mr Ho witt has agreed to transfer the town lease of the vacant section next to his shop in the main street to a new settler from tiic Wairarapa district, Mr Uongez, who intends, wc believe, to erect a goodsized builder’s store. A Successful Saul uk Stock on the farm of Mr MTvittrick was held yesterday. The day was fine, and the attendance very large, representing the best class of buyers; and the auctioneer, Mr. Cowcrn, got some spirited bidding for the better part of the stock. Milch cows fetched over £U; cows and calves went at£G; storecows in calf,£4 17s Gd; draft horses, £4G odd; trap horses, very fair, 30 ; riding hacks, good, £25 odd. The cows wore generally a desirable class of stock. Mr M'Kittrick will retire from farming with the satisfaction that he has had the best sale in the district Many sundries fetched extreme prices. Town Hall. —A Patea resident asks ; Could not the Town Hall Company ho persuaded to have the stage of their hall made a little more presentable. Mr Holditch, who is painting the scenery, &c, for the Waver ley Town Hall, has nearly finished there, and no doubt could make our hall look more like what it should bo for a small sum.” This question suggests another. Who and what arc the Town Hall Company of Patea ? We should l-’kc to know also when they meet, what they do, what arc their profits, when was their balance-sheet presented, who the directors arc, how much they have spent in paint, what school of architecture their hall is supposed to represent, and when their next meeting of shareholders is to be held. The 'Patea School Committee met on ff'lmrsday evening ; Messrs Aitehison (chairman), Gibson, Tregear, and Rhodes being present. Amongst correspondence was a letter from the Education Board, slating that half-capitation only would he allowed in future ; from Mr Dyer, asking consideration from the Board, Ids salary having been reduced £37 10s, or nearly 1G per cent ; also reporting increased attendance at school, the number on books being—hoys IM, girls 83, with an average attendance last week of 123. Most of the evening was occupied in consideration of a complaint by Mr F. O’S. McCarthy in connection with the late examination of High School pupils, his sou having been omitted by Mr Dyer from the regular examination, yet at a supplementary examination the hoy obtained the highest number of marks. The meeting was adjourned for further consideration of this ease, and communication with Wanganui. Through the sweeping reduction in capitation, as well as in teachers’ salaries, steps will have to be taken at the adjourned meeting to raise means to pay cleaning and other expenses formerly covered by the capitation allowance. Patea Meat ought to be famous throughout the colony. Here we arc at the end of winter, when stock arc in their lowest condition, yet the appearance of choice carcases hung in the local butcheries is a spectacle not to be equalled. Travel is the best education in this matter, and any one conversant with the comparative qualities of meat that is pasture-fed through the winter must bear willing testimony to the grazing capabilities of Patea pastures. The meat that comes off them at the end of winter, when bite is shortest, is not to be credited without seeing the best samples. Some coast pastures which get the salt spray arc specially valuable for their feeding qualities through the winter. Mr Keith’s farm on the Whenuakura side of Patea river is noted for carrying almost unlimited stock. Ho sold a hundred sheep for butchering the other day, and one of these was hung last night in the shop of Messrs Gowland and Adamson, and was an exhibition in itself. Though not the fattest in the lot, this animal was a monster specimen of winter feeding, weighing 152 lbs. A carcase like that in Wellington at this time of year would produce a sensation. People would mistake it for a prize calf. Another sample of Patea winter feeding was a young bullock hung in the same shop, from the farm of Mr Sbeahan, Whenuakura, weighing 8321b, only 2 years and 4 months old, and as fat as a stall-fed prize os at the Islington Christmas cattle show. Patea has a “ local industry” which cannot be equalled.

Cricket. —A scratch cricket match is contemplated for Saturday afternoon, to open the season at Patea. Wickets pitched at two o’clock, weather permitting. The Speciality Troupe will repeat their entertainment on Saturday evening in the ilnwera Town Hall. They go on to New Plymouth, and then to the South Island. Mr W. Dixon announces the transfer of bis ironmongery business to Mahoney and Co., and the continuance of bis separate business of painting and decorating, at his former shop opposite the Court House. The assault ease connected with the Whenuakura school is adjourned till Tries day. Mr Weiss lias summoned Mr Hugh McLoughlin for assault, and the ease will be heard at the Patea Court. The Rifle Match between the Wanganui and the Patea corps takes place today, and judging from the scores made by the local volunteers 1 ately, this match should be a very closely contested one. A handicap rifle competition will also come off at the Patea range. The man who makes the highest score in tin’s handicap receives a fowling piece given by Mr S. Taplin, to be fired for only once. At the R.M. Court yesterday, before Captain Wray, a man named Joseph Minto, laborer lately at Waitotara, was charged with stealing a horse, the property of Mr D. Williamson, Waitotara. L'ho prisoner had been arrested at Christchurch. Tiro owner of the horse gave evidence, and had identified it as having been sold by the prisoner to Mr 11. Erskine, at Patea. The prisoner had, sold or pawned the animal for £7, and decamped about a year and a half ago. Ho was now committed for trial. Fire Brigade. —The first annual meeting of the Patea Fire Brigade took place on Monday evening, at the Albion Hotel. The annual report showed the Brigade to be strong in number and well organized* though wanting additional equipments to enable the men to cope with emergencies. The balance-sheet showed £l7 os !)d as cash in hand; also an “ accident fund ” of four guineas. The year’s expenditure had been £l2, chiefly in buckets, ropes, and grapnels. 'The officers were rc-olectcd thus:—W. Dixon, captain; A. Chisholm, lieutenant ; C. Beamish, foreman ; A. Haywood, treasurer ; J. A. Wilkinson, secretary. After business, the Brigade adjourned to that pleasant rendezvous the supper-room, Host Haywood having provided at a nominal charge a “ spread ” which could hardly be exceeded. Loyal and patriotic toasts followed fast and faster, but the speech-making was heaviest in honor of local toasts. Mr Chisholm proposed the prosperity of tire brigades throughout the colony; responded to by Mr Thurlow and Mr Campbell, visitors from the Wanganui brigade. Mill, I. Davis toasted “ the ladies,” claiming this privilege as being the oldest (and happiest) married man in the company; while the ladies found a champion to respond in the youngest bachelor (poor fellow !) Mr Wilkinson. 'The prosperity of Carlyle (lie meant Patea) was toasted by Mr Arthur Haywood with flowing eloquence, and responded to (upon invitation] by Mr G. F. Sherwood and by Captain Dixon, the latter speaking for the Town Board. A compliment to the press closed the pleasant anniversary.