COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 28 October 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

See fourth page of the Maid for Markets, a flying monster, rank and fashion, Captain Grundy’s story, &c. A Bank Holiday is announced for the day of the Agricultural Show, Thursday next. Sin Francis Dillon Bell has accepted the Agent-Generalship in London ; salary £, 1,200. Entries for the Agricultural Show close this day at 5 o’clock. Two entries were made at Hawera daring the Secre-t.-u-y’s visit on Tuesday, but others may be reasonably expected from that district by post. The entries from Wavcrley, so far as received, are more creditable. Eleven Sections out of 39 were not applied for by deferred payment selectors. Ten were applied for by one selector each, and these will go without competition at £5 an acre. The other IS sections were .applied for two to six times over, and will he put up to the highest bidder among selectors. Cricket. —The names from which the teams will be chosen next Saturday to play in the match as per advertisement arc; —Wheuuakura Block: Pringle Contts, Arundell, Shields, F. T. Horner, E. C. Horner, F. H. Horner, May, T. Turner, F. Turner, Drake, Nicholson, Gower Bros. Patea side of the river: Jacomb (captain), Petcb, Bead, Heenan, Kitching, Dasent, Taplin, Dixon, Croft, Tcnnent, Bagirctt, A. Black, Owen, Eytou, and Sinclaire. Play will commence at 1 o’clock sharp. A good muster is requested, so that at least one innings may be played comfortably. The committee have asked Mi- Pringle to superintend the getting together of tlic Wheuuakura team. Mr Jacomb, as captain of the Club, will of course look after his team. The secretary reminds certain members that the subscription is overdue. Five Prize Bulls were landed at Patea yesterday from the Patea steamer, brought direct from Lyttelton. They appeared to be in the best condition after the voyage. The steamer loft Lyttelton on Monday ; and being driven by the strong south wind, she took shelter on Tuesday night in the bay opposite Terawhiti, remaining ten hours, and leaving in time to enter this harbor yesterday afternoon, without waiting off the bar in a strong wind. As the steamer ran with the wind, the voyage was not rough, and the cattle stood it well. A few choice sheep were also on deck ; these and the bulls being brought here by Mr Barker, who is removing from Christchurch to open business in Patea as a stock agent and auctioneer. Mr and Mrs Barker and two children came in the same steamer. Wc suppose it is Mr Barker’s intention to exhibit his choice stock at the Agricultural Show next week.

This Land Sale of deferred payment sections takes place at Hawera, at 11 this forenoon. The cash sections will be sold on Friday. Mr W. Govern will offer at auction two building sections in Hawera at Lloyd’s Hotel, at 10 o’clock Friday morning. A Liuel Action is threatened against the proprietor of the Rangitikei Advocate by Mr A. Mc'Minn, formerly its editor. The alleged libel arose out of a quarrel between the Wanganui Herald and the Advocate. The compliments exchanged between those two models of newspaper etiquette are deplorable examples of neighborly contesty. The Advocate also threatens an action against the Herald. Sections in Okoiawa village settlement, a small settlement on the bush side of the Waimate Plains, four miles beyond Normanby, are advertised to be sold. There are 24 sections, averagingone acre each, to be sold for cash at a reserve price of £lO an acre, and no person is to acquire more than one section. Other sections outside these arc offered on deferred payment: namely 19 sections ranging from 21 to 50 acres, at £5 an acre. The deferred payment sections arc to be open for selection next Monday at Patea Land Office and at Hawera. Plan and schedule may bo seen at the Mail office.

Timber for the Pa tea wharf is being condemned wholesale. The miller who sends forward the piles professes to be unable to understand the reasonableness of the inspector’s objections. The specification requires that a pile shall have a certain proportion of “heart” within the outer sap. The inspector sees this timber only when it is deposited near the wharf at Patea—after the cost of railing it to Waitotara and draying it fonvarJ ; anJ lie is reported to have condemned already about 15,000 feet out oI 20,000 on the ground. The contractors have a power of appeal, and as their previously good reputation is at stake we suppose they will S'dc a proper remedy. We hope it will be a speedy remed3 r , for this condemning of timbe 1 ’ to the extent of 3 piles out of 4 is certain to keep back the work of building and levelling. Mon have been idling about the town for weeks in expectation of this wharf building being commenced.

Tun Patea Coach Factoky is to compote in the exhibition of buggies at the Wanganui Agricultural Show. Messrs Williams Brothers sent oft' yesterday a “ commercial buggy ” made to the order of Mr John Dulhie, and this specimen of Patea manufacture is to compete for a prize at the show to-day. The commercial buggy has front and back seat, which arc moveable so that when only one seat is wanted the front one lifts off by a simple mechanism, and the back seat slides forward to the centre, thus giving the carriage the appearance of an elegant four-wheel gig. The style and finish of this buggy are equal to the best work we have seen. Strength and lightness arc attained in admirable combination. The painting is finished with unusual niceuoss of detail, showing an educated sense of color, and the skilful freedom of an artistic hand. It is noteworthy that the springs and every part of the structure have been made at the Patea Factory. The silver caps on the -axles and other mountings in real silver have been done in the place. This two-horse buggy is a beautiful structure ; and the average man will feel weak in respect of the tenth commandment in looking on Mr Duthie’s buggy. A Scandal in connection with the reception of a Maori woman into the Hospital at New Plymouth is generally talked about. She was sent in from the vicinity of the camp—possibly from Parihaka itself—by Older, wo believe, of the Defence Minister, and was supposed to be suffering from fever. She was only an inmate of the Hospital u few hours when she gave birth to a halfcaste child, and it seems a singular fact that the authorities could not give a better idea of the complaint under which the native woman laboured.— Herald.

C?almon-trout Ova for this district arrived yesterday from Canterbury, per the Patea steamer direct from Lyttelton. They were in small tanks constructed with apparatus for ajrating the water at intervals to preserve freshness. Mr Wanklyn, from Hawera, took charge of 2,000 ova for the Acclimatisation Society, to be distributed in neighboring streams ; and Mr G. F. Sherwood took charge of 1,000 ova for tiie Patea river. He will convey them up stream to-day, and deposit them in a place suited to the breeding haunts of this choice and delicate fish. A whaling captain declares that a new breed of whales lias made its appearance in the Arctic seas. They are supposed to have come from the open sea at the Pole. They ai’C very much larger than (he old whales, and very gentle and confiding. Tn former years when a whale was harpooned the rest of the herd threw up their flukes and made off. The new breed do not seem to mind in the least the capture of one of their number. The Kyburn murderer Ah Lee has been found guilty on his own confession. That confession accused his friend Lee Guy of the principal part in the crime, and * theconfessee only of an accessory and very subordinate share. It has been hold good enough to convict one and not good enough to convict the other This is the law. The Australian news is full of rushes that nobody can make anything of. The shiploads of passengers who go every week in search will probably groan that it would been better to have made nothing of the places by staying at home. The voyage thrown in will not make the conclusion any pleasanter. A criminal of the deepest dye has just been executed at the City l- of Grate, near Vienna. Tin's was an Austrian subject named Zollcr, who was proved to have murdered one after another his three successive wives and two step-children. His object in each case was to obtain the premium for which he insured their lives. It was not till he had succeeded with his third wife that the diabolical plot was detected and defeated by l, the vigilance o£ the insurance offices. Struck On,. —The Petroleum Company at Poverty Bay are in groat glee. Having struck a vein of oil 70ft deep they prophesy striking the main reservoir in a fortnight. Considering this is not a kerosene country, “ main reservoir ” is good. But these gentlemen arc not content with one “ main reservoir,” they'talk of the “ neighbouring oil wells,” which they intend shortly to prospect. “ Neighbouring oil wells” (neighbouring fern tussocks and bush would be more truthful) is also good. But why do these enthusiasts spoil everything by adding gold to their discoveries. In real oil countries, the finders of the oil go to the hank for their gold. Here we attempt the gigantic task of finding oil and gold together.