COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 16 December 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

Cole's Cikous is travelling through the South Island, and has visited Christchurch.

Chickkt. —The Nelson team are to play at Wanganui on the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas,

A reward of £4OO is offered at Dunedin by Mr Proudfoot for the discovery of the incendiary who set fire to the tramway shed. No clue is yet obtained.

At Gisborne, an engineer has reported that a reef near the entrance to the river is suitable for a breakwater, and a depth of 24 feet inside can be obtained at a reasonable cost. A flood in the Waitara river on Sunday damaged the new wharf, some of the sheet piles being swept off. Half an acre has been washed away above the bridge.

Sentence of death was pronounced yesterday on Tuhi, the native prisoner tried at Wellington for the wilful murder of Miss Dobie at Opunaki, He will be hanged about three weeks hence, the usuage being that three Sundays shall elapse between sentence of death and its execution. If he could be hanged near the scene of the crime, the effect might be wholesome. Butter Extort to England is attracting some attention. Fresh butter in London ranges between Is and Is Gd a pound wholesale through the year. It often sells at over 2s retail at the West End, but the samples must bo first-rate for that market. The ordinary samples of fresh butter sold in London arc poor stuff, in which no householder can have confidence as to the ingredients. Much of it is tasteless, much is colored ; and adulteration is so general that people become callous, and cat the stuff as a necessity in the hope that it is at least harmless. And this is usually called fresh grass butter ! It is a “ trade term,” and that is the best that can be said of it.

Mu Inspector Foulis completed his examination of Patea School on Tuesday. He took Kakaramoa yesterday, and will be atManutahi to-day, proceeding thence to Hawera and NormanW. The number of passes and proportion of marks will be made known shortly. It is interesting and not a little instructive to spectators to watch the process of examination. Scholars are taken in classes, according to attainments, and one class stands before the Director for questions in their particular subjects to bo put to each student in rotation. In grammar, for example, No 1 is asked to read a page of the class “ reader,” in which the teacher has drilled that class. If he reads without stumbling at words, and marks the pauses to indicate an appreciation of the sense, pronounces correctly, and reads with a good confident tone, that student is credited with marks for correct reading. Then he is tested as to knowledge of grammatical structure by naming, say, all tire pronouns used as nouns in one soloctod sentence, and explaining which nouns they stand for. If he shows weakness in this test, he may be asked to pick out the adverbs in the same sentence, indicating also the verbs they assist and qualify. Each student goes through a similar process, Avith a different passage and different parts of speech. Few subjects of study arc better suited to develop the understanding of children than exercise in grammar analysis. The study may be made quite fascinating to young minds, and is worthy of a teacher’s highest efforts. Inspectors too may show an example of cultured gentleness by the easy skill with which they draw from each student such knowledge or understanding as may have been instilled into a timid trembling youth, who is too apt to lose confidence under brusque, peremptory, authoritative questioning by an awful Inspector. Severity of tone is not desirable where severity is clearly not intended. Let the child feel a cheerful confidence in facing an Inspector. To induce that, the Inspector adapts his manner to the child’s sensibilities, or he faffs in his own first duty.

[ The tenders for a bonded warehouse in Patea are for labor only.

Madame Thiers, wife of the late President of France, is dead. The Lincolnshire farmers’ settlement on the Te Aroha block, upper Waikato is gazetted. The amount to be paid for 17,G00 acres is at rate of 34s per acre. At least 225 adults are to be settled on the land, 120 to embark for this colony before end of next year, and the remainbefore end of 1882.

A London telegram states that the necessary capital for constructing an inter-oceanic canal through the isthmus of Panama is fully subscribed. Baron de Lesseps, the French director and manager of the Suez Canal scheme, is to be managing director of the Panama Canal.

The Harbor Board at Wanganui have decided, by 5 to 3, to suspend farther improvement works for six months, in order to test the operation of the dredge in removing the mud flats between the bar and the town. A division was taken on Tuesday thus ;—For constructing training walls at the heads, Messrs Bamber, Ballance, and F. R. Jackson. Against the expenditure, Messrs Lowes. Laird,- Morgan Lundon, and Watt. The Dramatic Entertainment this evening, by Patea amateurs, is now an assured success so far as public patronage can make it so. The Town Hall is likely to be too small for the occasion. The orchestral band will probably be a pleasing surprise when the public hear it for the first time this evening. It is desirable that the audience shall be all seated before the overture commences at ten minutes to eight. The full programme will be found in another column. Tickets will not be required by those who are taking part in the music or dramas,

A rumor of gold quartz discovered up the Patea river has been in circulation here. Our Hawera correspondent also mentions it. The locality of the find lies inland of the Ngaire swamp, up the Mangachu stream, a northern tributary of the Patea river. It is said that Mr Barclay's survey party found bits of quartz speckled with gold along the course of the stream, and that the proportion of gold looks tempting. It is well known to a few old settlers in Patea who have been far up the river that the indications of gold are numerous, while in particular places the “color” can be found in every spadeful. The time cannot be far off when the inland country along the Hue of the Patea river will be prospected by practical miners. The idea of forming parties has been mooted here lately, and the coining summer is likely to see the project put into practical shape. The opening of a gold-mining settlement up this river would be a valuable market for local produce.

Francis W illiamson, whose estate is now being wound up in bankruptcy, has sent tbc following letter to the creditors’ trustee, dated from Waverley, 10th Dec.:—“ Dear Sir, —Mr Williamson lias shown mo your post card of the 9th instant requiring his attendance at your office on Monday next, and he informs me he is utterly without funds, and could only comply with your request by borrowing the money for the journey. He is quite ready to attend on yon if as trustee you will defray bis expenses; or he will fully answer in writing any questions regarding his accounts which you may desire to put to him.—Yours faithfully, W. G. Hindu.” Upon this communication, the creditors of F. Williamson may well ask how it is that a bankrupt is able to employ a lawyer to write a letter for him, while the poor bankrupt is quite unable to pay bis expenses in coming from Waverley to Patea. Debtors who do not meet their creditors in a fair and candid spirit are unworthy of any leniency which creditors would ordinarily show. The whole of a debtor’s actions must bo taken together as evidence of the motives which actuate his transactions. This debtor should be judged accordingly. Honest men can feel no respect for shuffling insincerity.

Mr Jackson’s stock sale at Hawera

takes place to-morrow; The public offices at Auckland are. to be connected by telephone.

Properties for sale or lease in Hawera and Pa tea districts are announced by Mr G. V. Bate. The Education Department is to be transferred to Mr Dick, and Mr Rollestou will take charge of mines.

The Timaru breakwater is now finished to the extent of 900 feet, and vessels drawing Id feet can now lie inside.

It is rumored that the Host and Times at Wellington have bought out the Evening Chronicle newspaper. Mr Maginnity, Secretary of the Telegraph Department, has tendered his resignation to Government, and it has been accepted.

A women fell ill at a remote farm station in Taranaki, and as a doctor could not be induced to visit her, the husband put her in a cart and drove to the Hospital. The women was then found to be dead. The steward refused to receive the body, which was driven back and an inquest had to be held. The Patea Town Board held a special meeting last night, and nominated four members as trustees of the Recreation Ground, to act -with three others to be nominated by the County Council, in accordance with a letter from Government, The Board’s nominees are Messrs Sherwood, Dixon, Adams, and Taplin. Te Aroha, —A telegram says the prospectors are putting in a drive to cut the leaders at a lower depth, and intend sinking a winze on the special leader. Many business places have been erected, but there is comparatively little mining work done on the field as yet. The warden’s opinion is that the gold, field will extend over a large area, even into' the blocks included in Patetere. Several claims Lave been formed into limited companies, and scrip issued.

An application was made by the Caswell Sound Marble Company, now in process of formation, for certain privileges and a bonus for the first export. The Minister of Lands now replies that 11 the Government has carefully considered the proposals and concessions you have laid before it, which cannot be entertained in their present shape, as they are beyond the limits of what the law allows, or the Legislature has contemplated. The Government is prepared, however, to give its favorable consideration to any proposals that may come within the provisions of the existing law which may be recommended by the Land Board of Otago, the body with which the promoters of the company should now communicate. On the company being successfully established, the question of granting a bonus as proposed in the prospectus will be considered.”

The s.s. Wakatu came into the harbor yesterday, with a good cargo direct from Wellington. The captain reports that the channel is now very good, the freshet having cut away the spit and made a straight entrance. This fact will reestablish the good reputation of the Patea harbor. A stoppage like that of last week had not occurred since the breakwater began to straighten the channel on the bar: and it could not have happened now except for the extraordinary prevalence of stormy winds from one quarter during many weeks. The steamer Patea came in on Tuesday morning with full cargo from Wellington, having waited since Friday. If the freshet in the river had not occurred just when the bar was at its worst, the same beneficial effect Avonld have resulted from the spring tides which are now daily increasing the outAvartl scour.

According to the Madras Mail , the Queen is preparing Avith her oavii hands a descriptive catalogue of the numerous presents that have been made to her since she ascended the throne. Every gift, great or small, is to be illustrated by photography'.

A Massachusscts husband and wife were recently travelling with their twenty one children.

M’Dowell Brothers of Wellington, are the successful tenderers for the entire stock-in-trade (between £4OOO and£sooo) in the estate of T. S. Wyraond, draper, Nelson, at a large discount.

Mr H. S. Tiffin, of Napier, has brought from Japan two curious Buddhist shrines, which arc reputed to be between 500 and 600 years old. The Hawke’s Bay Herald believes it is his intention to present them to the Wellington Museum.

A Gambler’s Fortune. —M. Benazet, whoso revenues came from the gamblers at Baden, left six million pounds to his widow. She was forty years old, and recently became insane. Being cured by a young physician named Thulic, she settled £BOOO a-year on him, and married him.

The proposal to send an Australian Football team to England is assuming a definite shape. It is said that Haimnerton, Murray, and Sweet (all Dunedin men) will represent New Zealand.

Bret Harte is dilatory to the last degree, A Paris paper offered him IOOOdoIs for a story, but he took life easy, failed to have his copy ready in time, and was cvrtly told to keep it for gun-wadding.

So much cheaper is bookbinding done in England than in the United States, that 1000 volumes belonging to the Astor Library were sent over and returned band- , somely bound, including all charges, for considerably less than they could have been done in protectionist America.

A Sydney despatch says three camels, which belonged to the Burke and Wills’ exploring expedition of 1860 and 1861, have been captured near Wilcannia, on the Darling River, in the north-west of the colony.

It is really disgraceful the way the public funds are squandered. The breakwater at L3 f ttelton is another example of this. So insecure is its foundation, and so unworthily is it constructed, (hat it is feared that if people in anything like numbers assemble on it during the regatta the whole structure will give way.— C, Times.

The Post says that the Government will soon discontinue giving aid in the shape of employment in the Middle Island, and that notice to that effect has been given to the officers in charge of the works on which ‘‘ the unemployed” are engaged. There is said to be an increased demand for labour in the Middle Island, which is likely to still further increase as the harvest approaches.

Edison’s electric light has come down in the world, we learn by the Suez mail news. He offers private families a jet not better than an ordinary gas jet, and of a heat only one-fifteenth less. Cheapness is now the only virtue he claims. Where does the economy or advantage come in ? Somebody thinks ho knows, for a company is advertised in New York to place this light “on tap ” anywhere in the city— Canterbury Times.

From time immemorial the fishermen of the Mediterranean shores, of Cornwall, and of the Scandinavian coasts, have been directed in their work by lookouts stationed upon dill’s to discover the approach of the finny schools. Of late the enterprising fisherman of Norway have called to their aid the electric telegraph, laying down more than twelve bundled miles of wire to bring the fishers into instant communication with the watchers, and to notify the fish merchants where to go for supplies. The Norwegian coast gives employment to 40,000 fisermcn during a large part of the year.