The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1882. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, 18 October 1882, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1882. NEWS OF THE DAY.

The.Waitara Volunteers have been disbanded. We are sorry to learn that Mrs Henry Jobnston, of Wavcrley, is dangerously ill. Messrs Nolan and Co.’s monthly sale at Manaia takes place to-morrow. There is a numerous entry. We remind our readers that the Presbyterian Church Soiree takes place this evening. On Saturday morning very heavy hail fell at Manaia ; it lay nearly three inches thick on the ground at 9 a.m. The new rifle range at Hawera has been laid off. Two targets are to be erected, one for 200 and 300 yards, and the other for 400 yards. The grand stand at the Wavcrley racecourse is considerably improved in appearance by the recent coats of paint bestowed on.it by Mr F. C. Sparks, of this town. The Slur says that another store, to be conducted strictly on the cash system, is to be started in Hawera immediately by the Messrs Gibson, of Patea and Norinanby. Tenders are invited for erecting the building. Messrs Macfarlane and Swinbourne are energetically pushing on with the station buildings at Whenuakura. The frame of the station has boon all joined, and should the weather be favorable, will be put up to-day. The outhouses have all been completed. Mr Taplin invites applications for subagencies for the Union Insurance Company throughout the district. He has also a quantity of woolpacks on sale which will be duly advertised in next issue. The Steward of (he Hospital seems determined to look well to the comfort of patients, outside as well as in doors, having placed several scats around the building,, and on tlie knoll in the grounds, in anticipation of thaapproaching summer weather. Mr W. Dale held a sale' yesterday of damaged cargo from the s.s. Wakatu. The goods offered were principally builders sundries and the whole were quitted at satisfactory prices. Some woolpacks (damaged) brought from Is 4d to Is 9d. The crops in the Wavcrley district presents a healthy appearance, although the grass seems very backward, and most of the paddocks, which generally look well at this time of the year, are unusually bare. Grass is really scarce in that district at present. The remainder of the week will bo devoted by the Wanganui residents to holiday making. To-morrow the Agricultural and Pastoral Association will hold their show, which will be more than usually attractive owing to the large number of entries. On Friday the Jockey Club's meeting takes place, and the following day the Trotting Club will Lave a day’s sport. An accident of rather a serious nature occurred about three miles south of Wavcrley on Saturday last. It appears that a man, who is a painter, and is employed by Mr Mitchison of Wavcrley, was riding a very quiet horse, when by some chance lie was thrown, the force with which lie fell on the ground breaking his collar-bone. He was taken in a conveyance to Patea, and from thence to Wanganui, where, wo learn, ho is doing as well as can be expected. The excuses of those who occasionally go on the “ spree ” and subsequently are invited to interview “His Worship,” are often both amusing and ingenious. At Comt yesterday, a delinquent pleaded guilty to having been drunk, and naively added that he had been collecting a dividend of Is 7M in an insolvent estate and the happy event had been too much for his feelings. A titter went round the Court, and wo believe there was oven a twinkle in the Magistrate’s eye, but he was after all inexorable, and ordered a contribution of ten shillings towards the revenue.

Mr J. D. Powdvell lias arrived at Wanganui from Kakaramea with , Tally-Ho, Daphne, and Ringleader. The trio are in first rate condition.

x\cceptances and general entries for the Waverlcy Waitotara spring meeting close at 7 p.m. to-night with tho lion, sec., Mr Walter Symes, at Ballam’s Commercial Hotel, Waverley. ' The Tradesmen’s Bull was held in the Harmonic Hall last evening, and although it- was not so well attended as was expected, it was in every other way a complete success. Dancing was kept up with spirit until 4 o’clock, and those present enjoyed themselves extremely well. The refreshments were attended to by- Messrs Kay- andllowitt, Messrs Marks and Brown were efficient M.G.’s, and the music was provided by- Mr Sparks. Tho Wakatu leaves for Wellington to morrow at noon. The vessel has been strongly- repaired, and is now as sound as ever, although only- roughly- plated. She will go on the slip mi arrival at Wellington to complete repairs. The Company intend making every endeavour to carryon the trade till the new steamer is finished and look to the public for their hearty support. Mr Angelo Forrest, the renowned organist, intends coming to Patea shortly 7, to give musical recitals. His performances will no doubt be patronised in the manner they deserve. Pie is now in New Plymouth giving recitals, and conducting the Society there.

We (Chronicle), learn from private information that the new Volunteer regulations are to he issued in about a fortnight. They affect our local companies materially, principally- that each one is not to number more than 63 men, and that the capitation (hitherto a fluctuating quantity) is to be a fixed sum of L2 10s per head. After drill last evening the members of the Rifle Company 7 met in the Drilished to hear what had been done towards filling the vacancies of Captain and Lieutenant. It was stated that requisitions signed by between 40 and 50 members had been forwarded to Messrs Christie and Norman, asking those gentlemen to accept the positions of Captain and First Lieutenant respectively. Mr Norman had written saying that he had not the necessary time at his disposal to enable him to do justice to the position, bnt ho thanked them for their kind offer. Mr Christie had not yot forwarded his reply 7. A letter was read from Lieut. Purnell, of Wanganui, offering to allow any of the Patea Rifles who might be attending the Association meeting at Dunedin to go with Iris men. Vol. Nntsford will be tho only 7 representative of the company. One of the travelling agents of the Australian Mutual Provident Society has been doing a good business in Waverley 7 . A groat disadvantage felt by those who have insured in (his society 7 is having to forward their payments to"Wanganui, and elsewhere. This drawback to the successful operations of the society 7 might be seen to, and easily 7 remeded, by the appointment of an agent in Waverley. Mr Mace, of the firm of Mace and Bassett, builders,' of this town, had a narrow escape from an accident last J,londay. He was turning some heavy 7 piles at Whenuakura for tho railway 7 bridge, and as he was lifting a large piece, his feet slipped, and ho fell backwards, his head striking against another pile behind him. Mr Mace was stunned for a short time, and his head was very much swollen. Had he struck the edge instead of the side of the pile, the consequences would undoubtedly have been serious. The Maoris at Parihaka, say 7 s the Taranaki Herald, have received a message from Te Whiti to tho effect that tho comet is going to fulfil all his prophecies about the end of the world. Tiie comet will decide wiio are good and who are bad in the world, and be advises all the good people—both Maoris and pakohas—to go to Parihaka and wait for the coming end of ail things terrest.iah The bad people he advises to keep away from Parihaka, as they would only contaminate the good, and would bring down greater vengeance on their own heads. This is the story that is being freely circulated among the natives, and it is thoroughly believed by them. A pretty state quarrel has been going on at Timarn. The Inspector reported that the principal State school was not what it should be, and the head-master, the head-mistress, and the mistress of the infant department sent in long reports in reply to that of tho Inspecto.t. These were very voluminous, and consisted mainly of charges and counter-charges by one teacher against another. The infant mistress reported that the unsatisfactory 7 state of her department was due to incompetent assistants, whom she stigmatised as indolent and weak. The “ indolent and weak ” ones did not relish the imputation, and they 7 replied in the Herald to the effect that their superior was mean. The South Canterbury Education Board have resolved to dispense with the services of tho head-master, the head-mistress, and two pupil-teachers. The “ ironclad train,” so often referred, to in the war telegrams, seems to have been a singular affair. In front was an empty wagon. This was intended to shunt on ahead—lho train stopping suddenly from time to time—to explode any ■mines which might have been laid beneath the lines. Then came (ho first ironclad truck, with tho Nordenfelt barrels projecting in front like the horizontal pipes of an organ. This truck was followed by three others crammed with bluo-jackcls ensconced behind sand hags. Then came the engine, behind which were three more ironclad trucks filled with men. Close behind the train followed another with (ho. reserves. During the past month, progress has been made with tho New Plymouth Harbour works as follows : An ciglitcon-feet section of breakwater has been completed, and another eighteen-feet section has been founded and partly built. The total concrete made dining the month is—9B9’4 cubic yards ; total cost of concrete, £1207 Is 7d ; or at tho rate of £1 4s per cubic yard of concrete made and laid. Tho New Zealand Shipping Co. have made arrangements to provide carriage for frozen meat from several centres of population. The Opawa is being fitted at Home and will load at Lyttelton. The steamer Matr.ura goes to Napier. Machinery is coming out to fit either tho City 7 of Perth or the Piako with machinery, the vessel to load at the. Bluff. Messrs Shaw Seville's Lady Jocelyn will load in February at Wellington, and the above with the Sorrento at Port Chalmers will make five vessels ready to lake moat dining this summer. The United Press Association (Limited) is, the Hawke's Hay Herald supposes, the best paying limited liability company in (he Southern Hemisphere. The balancesheet for this year shows oyer 2,000 per cent profit. The only- drawback to this picture of financial bliss is that the Association has a paid-up capital of £39. The Wanganui Herald and Yeoman have been taken over by a limited company.