COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 11 December 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

A Weeki.y Supplement of II columns is presented with this issue of the Mail.

The schooner Jane Anderson is expected to be floated into the channel next Monday or Tuesday. She is no*' injured.

It is desirable that the new lino of coaches between Hawora and Opunake, three times a week, should be utilised for carrying regular mails.

Ax Industrial Exuirition is to be held in Wanganui next March, to comprise objects of art, science, and industry. The proceeds are to go to the public Library.

The jurors who have not yet been paid for their attendance at tlie sitting of the District Court at Patea last week should call at the R.M. Office on or before the 15th, or their claims will not be acknowledged.

The programme of the New Year’s Day sports of the Patea County Caledonian Society is published to-day. The value of the prizes amounts to £7O. Nominations will be received by the secretary through the post or personally on the 2Sth, at Messrs Chadwick Bros.’ office : and a good day’s sport is anticipated .

Those Maori gentry who arc imprisoned on Ripa island are getting too saucy even to carry their own food into the wards. The usual sauce for saucy prisoners is bread and water. This was tried, and the Maori lords of that island are now glad to carry even bread and water as a penance for refusing roast beef and potatoes.

A Bush Fire near Normanby was raging on Thursday. We are informed that some bush along the line of Berry and Newman’s railway contract was fired to make a clearance, and a strong wind carried the flames over settlers’ land to an alarming extent. Tents and whares occupied by workmen along the line of railway are reported to be burnt The lire continued into the night.

A man fell into the river near Wanganui wharf late on Tuesday evening, just as a steamer was leaving for Wellington. Mr J. L. Whitford took off his coat, leapt from the steamer, and reached the drowning man, G. AY, Pearce. But he grasped and floundered so much that lie would have drowned his preserver had not a boat come to the rescue just in time to save both in an exhausted condition.

A deep well is being sunk at Marton by the Borough Council. The district suffers from drought in summer, and there being no surface supply of water, a well is being sunk 200 feet deep in the belief that a copious underground stream will be tapped. It is now 170 feet deep, and the cutting has passed through blue clay with shells and bits of timber at 107 to 137 feet: the next 40 feet being blue sand with shells. The price of the 200 feet contract is £2OO, and the cutting has occupied 9 weeks for 170 feet. Four men arc at work, and one had a narrow escape from being killed by a falling bucket.

The dredge for AVangauui harbor was launched on AYcdnesday. The dredge had been brought from Dunedin in sections, and put together during five weeks. The launching was watched by a crowd of people, and Miss AVillis baptised the prow with a bottle of wine, naming the craft Ruapehu, after the up-river mountain. Mr Ballance, chairman of the Harbor Board, stepped on deck and made a short speech of happy augury for the good and great results to be attained by dredging away the mud flats. A similar dredge had done grand work at Greymouth, and he trusted that in six months there will be the same depth in the AYanganur river as on the bar. AA r o hope so too. The success of the experiment vrill be important for Patea, and we should wish it well even if it took away some of our trade, for the general benefits to the district would more than compensate for any particular loss.

The paddle steamer Samson yfas sold this week in Wellington to Mr W. Hickson for £3OO.

A Yankee machine for hatching chickens by artificial heat is in operation in Willis-strect, Wellington.

A charge of furious driving was brought at Hawera on Thursday against John Waters, driver of the coach which was smashed against Manawapou bridge six weeks since. Our report from Hawera says he was committed for trial at the next sitting of the District Court, and released on bail.

The School Ixsx j ectiox at Patea will be held on Monday and Tuesday, by Mr Foulis, who was at the Whenuakura school yesterday. He will take Kakaramca school and Manutahi next: then go on to Hawera and Normanby. Patea parents who arc disposed to give money towards prizes at the examination may hand it to Mr Kenworthy, secretary.

The full programme of the Patea Garrick Club’s entertainment is published to-day. This dramatic performance promises to be the most complete that has been attempted by Patea amateurs. The three plays chosen are light and amusing, while affording scope fora display of local dramatic talent. The orchestral music will include a violin solo.

Whoa the circus troupe were embarking from Wellington on Saturday night, some difficulty was experienced in inducing one of the young elephants to go on board the steamer Wakatipu. The efforts of the men wove fruitless. Suddenly the keeper, a Yankee, shouted to the big elephant, “ Tommy, come here and put him into the box !” The animal hesitated not a moment, but pacing quickly up, actually shored the young one into his box.

The result of crashing the gold quartz found in Manawatu is now known. Two parcels were sent to the Thames for crushing by the best machinery. One parcel, weighing 113 pounds, yielded at the rate of one pennyweight fifteen grains to the ton. The other yielded three pennyweight seven grains to the ton. This proportion of gold would not pay to work by present machinery, but as the quartz was taken from the cap of the reef in each case, the proportion of ore lower down may bo larger. Te Whiti has expressed himself in a very decided manner respecting Tuhiata. He said recently to an educated halfcaste, from whom our informant obtained these particulars, that his (Tc Whiti’s) song had always been peace, and that had this Maori (Tula) followed his words he would never have committed the act. Te Whiti’s words were, “ I am in no way responsible. He must bear his own punishment since he followed his own way. I have always preached against bloodshed. My song is the song of peace. The Maori has bitten like a cur ; lot him die like a dog.—Taranaki Herald.

The Cattle Wharf at Patca Harbor, constructed under contract with the Harbor Board, was completed yesterday, just inside contract time, which expires next Monday. Mr Dickson has done the work in a substantial and praiseworthy manner, and although a long delay occurred in getting timber on the ground, through the failure of a sawmiller, the contract time of five months is not exceeded. The approach to the new wharf has also improved the access to the lower old wharf: and the convenience for driving cattle to the yards is now very good. The new wharf will need a shed for storing goods, and we suppose this is in contemplation. The yards will hold about 200 cattle, there being a large yard to hold about 140, and a smaller one within it to contain 60. The pen for sheep and pigs seems conveniently placed for running the animals on to the steamer along an enclosed gangway, screened from view of the water. This pen will hold about 200 sheep or pigs. The wharf area is not boarded, but laid with gravel. The frontage will berth two steamers, and the depth of water close up will average 12 feet at high spring tides.

Sharks are infesting the Lyttelton harbor. The illness of the Viceroy of India, from sunstroke, is no longer serious. An amateur hangman at Oamarn, who executed Ah Lee, has applied for the job of hanging Tuhi, the Opuuaki murderer. A sale of 29 acres of Maori reserves between Foxton and Wellington w r as advertised by auction, but the Government have prohibited it. The land had passed into private hands by somearrangement not yet made known. We learn that tiie receipts at Waitotara arc larger than at any other railway station on the line with the exception of Wanganui. Is not this an unanswerable argument in favor of extending the line northwards ?— Herald. We understand that a re-survey of the railway route between Wavcrlcy and Patea is to be made immediately. The object is to utilise the section at Patea harbor by connecting it in a continuous line with Waverley. The through line would thws be brong'bt dowxi the swamp side to Patea harbor, and continued northward up the valley to Kakaramca.

The Pilot signalled to two steamers outside the bar yesterday, that they should not attempt to enter the river till Monday’s tide. The prevalence of gales from one quarter has been extraordinary, and the western spit has worked farther across than has been known since the harbor works commenced. The narrowness of the channel at the point of the spit makes the entrance risky, and the pilot is acting with a proper caution in keeping a safe margin. The steamers signalled to were the Wakatu early in the afternoon, before high tide, and also the Patea some time later. Both went to Wauganui to lie inside till Monday. The neap tides are now at the lowest point, and as the

springs are beginning to make, it is calculated that by waiting till Monday, a delay of three days, there will be plenty of water for safe navigation The outward scour may break through the spit at any moment, when the channel will resume its usual course and condition. The long prevalence of high winds from the north-west and north has had a similar influence at the entrances to Foxton and Waitara. Navigation has been practically suspended during neap tides at both places. The Patca bar is not exempt from this influence, and cannot be until the breakwater is carried farther on to the bar to straighten the outward scour. Probably the construction of a wooden breastwork on the west side, which Sir John Coode recommends to be gone on with until funds arc obtained for continuing the larger work, would have the effect of diverting the west spit into deeper water, and thereby giving freer play to the outward channel scour. A number of spurious coins arc in circulation at Auckland. The shilling pieces are excellent imitations, and almost perfect in minting. It is said the Government have determined to refuse Mrs Hansford’s application for a pension, in virtue of her late husband, such a payment being outside of the law. Salmox, —A salmon, 17lbs weight, full of spawn, was caught in a lagoon at (ircymouth the other day by a hoy, who, not knowing what it was, took it home and cooked it. A Duffer, —News from Invercargill says the Stewart Island reef is a myth. Acting under pressure, Reaper, the prospector, was obliged to open up the tunnel, where the lead was said to be buried. After about 20 shovels of dirt bad been washed a solitary speck of gold was found, and although the supposed leaders were followed for a considerable distance into the bills, no reef could be found. The specimens found by Reaper are proved b}' experienced miners to be nothing but mundic. Miners arc returning. Rodakow Watches,— Attention is called to the price-list of the Rodanow Manufacturing Co., of Boston, published in another part of this issue. It will be seen that the prices quoted arc immensely lower than Englishmen are accustomed to pay even for inferior watches. The firm was established in 1849, and has gained prize medals at the Exhibitions of London, Paris, Vienna, etc., for excellence of manufacture