PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monday Evening, December 5.

Patea Mail, 5 December 1881, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monday Evening, December 5.

Volunteer class firing took place this morning, Sergt Kells’s squad firing at 6 o’clock. The following are the scores and names of those who passed the 3rd class. Corp. M. Carey 53, Corp. H. Chadwick 53, Vol. E. Mercer 45, Corp, Hudson 44, Vol, W. McCarty 42, Yol. R, Stroud 40, Vol. M. Burke 39, Yol. J. Handley 38, Vol. H. Baylis 37. Mr Macarthnr lias been elected Mayor of Feihling, by a majority of 21 over his opponent, Mr Higgin. Mr Whitmore, who is suffering from dropsy in the Hospital, is somewhat better, but the case is serious.

Natives have been returning from Parihaka, and holding drunken revels at each pah, as one or other detachment broke off at different points and took lea,ve of those going southward to Waitotara. A few stragglers passed through Patea on Saturday and to-day. A big spree was held near Manutahi on Friday. A waif from the sea has been picked up near Patea heads, and forwarded by the Pilot. It was a bottle containing a scrap of crumpled paper, with these words written in pencil: “in danger of Being drowned ship unrnanagable—rudder gone one of crew over Board skipper gone mad Jack Bearnard ship Mary & Jane Newcastle NSW (On the back of the paper:) Immediate Belief wanted Another two hours and all is gone.” A ship of this name is said to belong to the port mentioned, and the relic may have a melancholy interest, A few such relies have proved to be hoaxes, and we need not hastily conclude that a ship is actually wrecked, from evidence of this kind. The Hospital Steward desires assistance to provide an extra dinner for patients at Christmas and New Year, Hotel-keepers are warned against billiard-playing after ten o’clock, as the police have orders to be vigilant. The Patea prosecution did not fail, as some papers have reported, but the Bench treated it as a first case, and gave a caution. The inward ’Frisco mail is expected at Auckland next Sunday. Mr Ivess is fighting vigorously for a seat at Wakanni, one of the Ashburton districts. He was opposed by two local lawyers. One broke his arm by falling from a horse; and the other lawyer, Mr Purnell, is going to the poll against Mr Ivess. Mr Hutchison said at Patea, in a tone of lament, that he had no section of the press on his side. Some remarks on his candidature appear in another column. Bishop Hadfield is visiting this part of the Wellington diocese, and preached in Patea Church yesterday, morning and evening. Two queer decisions on registration of electors are discussed in an article on the first page. Maps of Patea County (old area) can bo had at the MAiL-offi.ce ; a fresh supply received. Also township maps, four on one sheet, namely Patea, Waverley, Kakaramea, and Hawera.