NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Issue 949, 23 October 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Evening News discontinued publication on Saturday. The plant has been purchased by Mr Houghton who intends removing to another district. The jobbing plant has been bought by the proprietor of the Ma/L. The Government inspection parade of Volunteers takes place to-morrow night. The Rev. Mr Thomson, of Patea, is to preach at Wayerley next Sunday, morning and evening. A special meeting of the Borough Council will bo held this evening to receive tenders for Road work. The Government have secured a gravel pit of three acres of Mr T. Southby’s land, Whenuakura, which, when stripped, will be the best ballast pit on the Coast. Ilompton, the absconding commission agent at Christchurch, whose defalcations amount to over £IOOO was arrested at Hpringfield on Saturday. We are glad to hear that Mr 11. F. Christie, of the Bank of New Zealand, who has been seriously ill during the last few days, has sufficiently recovered to enable him to leave his bed. So soon as his health permits, Mr Christie will take a well-earned holiday, Mr G. Don, of the Wanganui office, having arrived by coach to-day to relieve him. Last Saturday being so wot the cricket match Town v. Country was not resumed. The committee of the Paten Club, in answer to a letter from the Manaia Cricket Club, wishing to play a match with them at Ilawcra, have replied as follows : “ That the first eleven of the P.C.C. would be willing to piny the Manaia Club on Saturday, the 28th instant, on our’own ground, play to commence at 10 o'clock sharp.” The letter was sent on Monday, the Kith instant, but up to Saturday the Secretary had received no reply. A telegram was sent them on Saturday requesting an immediate .answer. If no answer comes to this, the match Town v. Country will be resumed next Saturday. If, however, the Manaia Club accept, the names of the local team will be published on Friday. A match with the Wanganui Club is being arranged. It is to be hoped that members of the Club will now commence to roll up for practice if they desire to hold the laurels they won last year. We hear that the match on Saturday between Hawera and Manaia resulted in an easy victory for the latter.

It is with regret that we learn that the wife of a well-known Waverley settler bad to be removed to Wanganui last Saturday, on account of ber mental condition. The Waverley Assembly was wound np on Friday by a ball, at which a number were present. Another ball given by a number of the leading: Waverley settlers, is to take place next Friday. The Wakatu was unable to get away yesterday, owing to the bar being dangerous. A slight fresh in (be river lias made some improvement, and she leaves to-day at 5.30 p.m. The annual sheep return for the Wanganui district gives the following numbers for Patea and Hawera Counties ; Patea, 1879, 91,646 ; 1880, 69,687 ; 1881, 74,887. Hawera 14,863 ; 1881, 18,852. Mr E. C, Homer, the trustee in the estate of Mr T. Haywood, sen. has filed (ho report and statement with commendable promptitude. The programme and list of special prizes in connection with the Patoa Agricultural and Pastoral Show appear in this issue. Entries will be received up til) 5 p.m. on Wednesday, The privileges in connection with tbo Waverley-Wailotara Race Meeting will be sold by Mr F. R. Jackson, at Ballam’s Commercial Hotel, Waverley, on Saturday nextA commission agent named 11. Ilempton lias disappeared from Christchurch, leaving behind him a crop of forged promissory notes, &c., to the amount of £IOOO. He has not been seen since Saturday. The wind blew last night with sufficient violence to smash one of the windows in Mr J. Donncly’s shop. In contrast the the weather to-day has been exceedingly fine, while we bear that at Wanganui it was both blowing and raining heavily. The Whenunkura railway bridge is fast approaching completion. It is a substantial structure, about 300 feet long, and forty-five feet above watermark. It has nine spans of twenty feet each, and two of sixty feet, only one of which has now to be constructed to render the bridge of use to the railway contractors. Mr W. Cowern will bold an important sale at Kakaramea, to-morrow at 11 a.tn., under instructions from Mr James Slater, general storekeeper, who is removing to new premises opposite the hotel. Conveyances will run from Patea during the time of sale, free of charge,-commencing at 9 o’clock.

The Annual Meeting of the Patca Caledonian Society was held on Saturday evening. The new officers were elected, and a programme for the forthcoming Sports decided on. The amount of prize money this year will he considerably larger than last, the total being no less than £95 6s, as against £72 3s. The sports promise to bo very successful, and the liberal prize list will, no doubt, have an effect upon the. number of entries. A report of the meeting appears elsewhere. At the last meeting of the Hawera Borough Council the following tenders were received for furnishing the Town Hall Webb & Co., £235 ; Arthur(Patea), £194 ; O’Neill & Wilson, £‘2oo 16s 9d ; Duffil Brothers also sent in a tender which was said said to total £l9l ; but on examination it was found that this did not include the cost of a number of articles for which alternative prices were given, and which, if added, brought up the total up to £212. The recommendation from the committee was that the lowest tender be accepted. Councillor Bate moved as an amendment that O’Neill & Wilson’s tender be accepted, and advocated ‘ the preference being given to local men, seeing that the difference was so small. Councillor Thompson thought it would be cheaper in the end to give the work to the local men, for they would be always on the spot, and ready to set right anything that might be wrong - Councillor Partridge said if the tenders were equal he would haVe been ready to give the preference to local men, but he favored the acceptance of the lowest tender. Not to do so would discourage outside competition in future. Councillor Winks took the same view. If a man could cart things twenty miles, and then beat local lie should have the work. The amendment was carried, and O’Neill & Wilson’s tender accepted.— Star. At a meeting of the School Committee on Friday there were present : Messrs W. Aitchison (chairman), D. Smith, W. Ho wit t, E. Holtham, T. Eyton, and J. Ken worthy. The head master reported 261 scholars on the roll ; average attendance for week ending Gth October 205, and for week ending 13th October 202. The second master (Mr F. Augustine Flood) desiring to leave this district for Auckland, formally tendered his resignation. It was resolved to apply to the Education Board for a certilieated teacher to fill the vacancy. Mr Flood docs not leave till after the examination in November. It was resolved “ That tin's Committee exceedingly regrets the determination Mr Flood has come to of resigning Iris appointment as teacher, and that the Chairman and Secretary be empowered to certify to the painstaking zeal and ability shown by Mr Flood in carrying out his duties.” Tenders for addition to school were received and ordered to he foi warded to the Board at Wanganui. Various suggestions were made for raising funds for school prizes, viz., entertainment, private solicitation, or voluntary donation. An entertainment was considered risky, private solicitation rather out of the Committee’s line, and income from voluntary contributions extremely doubtful. The matter was deferred. The increased capitation for the quarter to 30th September just enabled current accounts to be paid, but left a debt on older IransacliotiS of over £ll. with no chance of funds till next year. An application to the Board for £ to £ grant to subscriptions privately raised for school purposes was refused. Tim Chairman and Secretary wen! instructed to again apply, and represent the urgent necessity for these old claims being satisfied. Fred M’Cabe, the ventriloquist, was a great joker. Some years ago lie was on (be Mississippi, on board one of Ihe Steamboats, and, making an acquaintance with (ho engineer, lie was allowed the freedom of the engine-room, lie sat down in a corner, and, drawing Ids bat over Ids eyes, seemed lost in reverie. In a few minutes a certain part of (he machinery began to squeak. The engineer oiled it and went about Ids business. In another few minutes the squeaking was again heard, and the engineer rushed over, oil-can in hand, to give the oil'ending spindle another lubricating. Again he rushed to his post, and again the spindle began squeaking louder Ilian over. “Jupiter,” he yelled, “ thodarned thing's bewitched.” More oil was administered, but the engineer began to smell a rat. Pretty scion the spindle squeaked again, and slipping up behind M’Cabe. the engineer poured half a pint of oil down the joker’s hack. “ I guess that ’ere spindle won’t squeak again.” And it didn’t.

Texarkana is a phenomena! city. It lies in the two States of Texas and Arkansas, hence its name. The State hne runs through the centre of its chief street, and on each aide ia’a population of 3000. It is considered the gateway of the southwest. It is only eight years old,-but has all the airs of a city of twenty-five years. Four rail-road linos centre there. It has an Italian-like climate, tramps are not tolerated, the Sunday law is enforced, money is plentiful, and the people prosperous. The Lincolnshire farmers, says the ‘Thames Advertiser,’ appear dissatisfied with their new settlement at Te Aroha, and large numbers arc leaving the district to try their fortunes in other parts of the colony. Two or three families returned to the Thames by the river steamers, and profess to be only too glad to get away. One lady, indeed, in her hurry to leave forgot to bring with her some valuable property, which she will be obliged to send back for. Chicago is about 50 years old and contains a population of over 000,000- It is just 11 years since the greater part of the town was burnt to ashes, 25,000 buildings were destroyed ; the estimated loss was 290 million dollars. 100,000 people were rendered homeless, and about 250 supposed to be burned to death. Contracts for re*building were signed while old places were still burning, and in 14 days after (ho fire 300 new buildings wore up. A week later 4,000 buildings were in course of erection. Porkopolis as it is sometimes called is the second city in America. An Auckland contemporary says : “Specimens of beautifully-developed and well-ripened oranges, grown on the estate of Mr 11. Hobbs, M.H.R., at Pokeno, Auckland, have been exhibited. They were remarkably clean, and free from all kinds of blemishes. From Pokeno to the North Cape is a distance of 250 miles, and in all that an occasional settler has proved the suitability of the climate and soil for orange and lemon-growing. The time will, no .doubt, come when (ho industry will he engaged in as a matter of business, and when that part of the colony will he able to supply the markets of the southern districts with the semi-tropical fruits they require.” A few days ago, a Mrs Moss, residing at Winchester, in the district of Timaru, presented her husband with the somewhat rare gift of triplets ; and Mr Postlethwaite, M.11.R., has, wo learn, written to the Government requesting that the usual Queen’s bounty may be granted to the worthy couple who, even prior to this late addition, had been blessed with a numerous family. There can be little doubt of the Government acceding to the request, especially as the amount will not need to be placed on the Estimates. A shocking accident occurred on the night of the Ist October, at Morargo station, about fifteen miles from Denilquin, in Australia. A man named Ludlow camped with his wife and children under a tree adjacent to the woolshed. At the time Ludlow was away looking for ahorse. Avery heavy wind storm was blowing at the time, and when he returned a tree had been blown down, smashing the cart in which the children _ were sleeping, killing one and severely injuring another. His wife is so badly hurt also, that she is not expected to recover. When the dead child’s body was extracted it was found that the skull was horribly frac tured. The San Francisco correspondent of i? northern paper writes ; —“ The morbid taste that some people have for the horrible has been largely- demonstrated in Washington, from which place a friend of mine has lately come. He tolls me that there is the greatest excitement over the hide of Guiteau, and also the coffin and the rope which hung him. At the present moment the skeleton of the assassin swings gracefully over the backbone of his victim in the museum ; the coffin has been cut up into small pieces, and distributed among hundreds of people whose passion is bric-a-brac, and the rope lias been similarly distributed. But the worst, the very worst, and most disgusting part of the business is that the skin of the malefactor is doled out to admirers of such trophies, and is actually being made into ornaments to append to watch chains, &c ; while the screws of the coffin are worn as charms by the officers of the gaol.”