The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1085, 12 September 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Government are about to undertake a very necessary work upon the banks of the river, just above the Boiling Down Company’s place. A considerable quantity of land there has been washed away, and, as a protection to the .railway embankment, it is proposed to construct a stone wall from the point at the trestle bridge to meet the wall already built by the Harbour Board. The new wall will be similar in design and construction to the old one, and tenders will be called so soon as the plans have received the approval of the District Engineer.

The accident to the Grafton at Westport appears to be more serious than was first supposed. The vessel is high and dry at low water, and she shows signs of being strained. Her machinery is also out of order and her propeller broken. Assistance and appliances are being sent down from Wellington. The election of commissioners of the Waverley Town Board will be held tomorrow. Mr C. H. Beresford notifies elsewhere that all claims against Mr A. Nathan in connection with the Patea Manutahi contract must be forwarded by Sept, 30. or they will not be recognised. Shippers of cattle in the Hawera district have been much disappointed by the failure of the Macgregor to trade in and out of Waitara with regularity. ■ A charge of illegally rescuing cattle from the pound was yesterday brought by Rupert Jacomb, Poundkeeper, against Robert Carter Gowland, and George Gowland. Mr Barton appeared for the prosecutor, and Mr Hamerton for the defendants. On account of Captain Wray’s absence in Waverley, it was necesary to obtain two Justices to occupy the Bench, but the notice being so short they—Messrs Christie and Tennent—found it impossible to go into the case, and suggested an adjournment till the afternoon. Mr Jacomb,however, said that would seriously inconvenience him, and it was ultimately decided that the case should be adjourned till Friday next.

Mr Chaney, the Hawera Post-master, has obtained six months leave of absence, commencing Oct. 12.

The old chief Tauroa was taken into custody this morning for indulging his Bacchanalian propensities too freely. It appears that coming from the pah this morning by railway ho managed to get deadj drunk, and was lying about (he station in that condition when “ run in.” This no doubt will prove a surprise to the natives, as in the old days of coaches they behaved much as they liked.

A great many fields, especially those long and narrow, are always ploughed the same way. Simply changing the direction of working will often make a great in. crease in productiveness. The furrow cut across the old furrows is not stopped by the same stones, while new soil is opened to the growth of plant roots. —Boston Cultivator.

A sample of Southern Cross petroleum after being refined was tested yesterday at the company’s office at Christchurch with most satisfactory results, and was pronounced quite equal, if not superior, to the best American oil.

At Timaru on Monday a child named Ellis, three years of age, was drowned in the river at Silver Stream while playing with other children.

County ratepayers would do well to observe a notification re payment of rates in this issue.

Mr R. Clark, a student from the South Kensington School of Art, is nowin Pateav and proposes opening a class in painting from nature, both in oils and water colours. Ladies or gentlemen wishing to avail themselves of tins opportunity can learn particulars on applying at Mr Kenworthy’s. A lecture on “ Musketiy ” was delivered at the Harmonic Hall on Monday evening, by Sergeant-Major Henry. The audience, though not large—being confined almost entirely to members of the Patea Rifles—was appreciative, the lecture being listened to attentively throughout. Sergeant-Major Henry’s remarks were restricted to the Snider rifle, which is the one in use among the Volunteers here. Ho first debated on the importance of the weapon being kept perfectly clean, as nothing else would prevent rust ; also, that great care should be taken not to allow the barrel to become bent or dented, the first being the result, he said, of applying the rifle to purposes for which it was never intended, such as the carrying of weights bn the barrel. Attention should also be paid that the rifle was not discharged while the bore was choked up, as often happens by the end of the barrel coming in contact with the ground. A habit which prevails among many persons of “ plugging ” the trigger for the purpose of lightening the pull was specially characterised by the lecturer as injurious to the weapon and dangerous to the user. The necessity of being able to judge distances fairly well was treated upon, and the Sergeant-Major stated (hat in his opinion, it was in this respect that the Boers had the advantage over the British troops in the late war. Various other information, invaluable to knights of the trigger, was given in the course of the evening. A vote of thanks to the lecturer terminated the proceedings. Before those present dispersed Sergeant-Major Henry expressed a wish that the noncommissioned officers should become acquainted with the use of the stadiomoter, an instrument which is of great importance in accurately measuring distances. ; The Secretary of the Acclimatisation Society at Hawera received advice from the Secretary of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society on Saturday that the trout ova shipped per Tarawera to Wellington would be forwarded to New Plymouth by theHawea.— Star.

The Wellington City Solicitor has resigned his position on account of the publication, by officers of the Corporation, of correspondence in such a manner as he deems reflects upon his performance of his duties by conveying erroneous impressions.

The greatest natural wonder in California is the famous Yosumite Valley. While the Falls of Niagara are only one hundred and sixty-three feet in height the highest fall in the Yosemite Valley leaps down sixteen hundred feet without a break ; a second lower fall, six hundred feet; and a third, four hundred and thirtyfour feet—-there being eleven distinct falls in the valley. The Auckland Observer publishes the following billiard-room incident: Two gentleman started playing billiards at the Albert Hotel the other night. One of them rather prided himself on his skill with the cue, but the other was evidently only a novice. The latter speedily parted with several half-crowns, but with the perverse obstinacy of muffs generally persisted in playing. Then Bill Lyons made a few soft bets on the amateur, who also backed himself, and in the course of a few games, he improved so rapidly in his play that about £l2B had changed hands, Mr Roberts being amongst the principal victims. Lyons made a haul of about £3O, and the innocent amateur won about £6O out of the swag. It transpired (hat the amateur was a crack player from the South. Then the losers used some expressions commonly in use at sea, and swore off billiards for ever.

We learn from Auckland that Messrs W. E. Redmond and Walsh arrived by the Zealandia. Their movements are undecided, but they probably leave by the Tarawera on Thursday for the South, going, it is said, to Dunedin direct. In an article on the “Southern Empire” the Australasian gives figures showing that the export and import trade of the Australian colonics is of an annual value of about one hundred millions, equalling that of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Spain put together ; and that the colonies in 1885 will transact a larger commerce by about one-sixth than did Great Britain in 1833, fifty years ago ; while, with respect to the shipping, the aggregate inward and outward tonnage of the colonies in 1882 was over ten and a half millions, and the tonnage of the United Kingdom in 1832 was under seven millions. The Australasian thinks that in view of such facts, the representations of the colonies on the subject of extending the Southern Empire were entitled to the most earnest and sympathetic consideration which the Secretary of State for the Colonies can give them. The following instance of a bad relapse is furnished by the Auckland Star :—“The Blue Ribbon Army succeeded at Dargaville on Monday evening in obtaining ten new converts to Good Tempi arising The recruits, however, afterwards visited the hotels to bid farewell to their old companions, who insisted on celebrating the event in champagne, to which the now Ribbon men showed no reluctance. The rejoicing lasted until midnight, after which there was much singing and window breaking, both at Dargaville and Mangawharc.

The Council of the New Zealand Rifle Association have, we believe, decided that the annual meeting shall ho held in Auckland about the end of February.

An entertainment and dance will take, place in the Town Hall, Kakarameo, on Monday, Sept 17. The proceeds will bo given in aid of the hall fund, ' r ._ > The business people of Opunako, following the example of those of Hhwora, have started a Mercantile Union.

The Opunakc paper s’ays that Mr GeoiHarden, engineer and secretary to the Parihaka Road Board, has fenced in a suburban section at Efahotu, and has commenced building. The same difficulty is experienced in working the electric light in - the Victorian Parliament-houses ns in Wellington. The Argus says : “ In the Assembly the lamps went out again the other night, and but for the gas, which is always turned on in the chandeliers as a preemption against accidents, the Chamber would have been left in darkness. The Council light was also intermittent in power during the evening, rising and falling at short intervals. Defects of the above description are wholly ascribable to the unsteady running of the engines by which (he electricity is generated, and when proper supervision is exorcised there is no difficulty in keeping up an effectual light in either Chamber.”

The Lyttelton Times editor has received a threatening and abusive letter from an “ O’Donnell ” in conscrpience of a loader animadverting on the assassination of Carey which appeared on Monday morning.

A patient in-the Napier Lunatic Asylum dreamed he bit off one of his fingers, and when he awoke ho found he had actually acted this dream, the finger being at the side of liis bed.

Mr W. Wils'oh, the Chairman of the Provisional Directors of the Meat Freezing Company, is of opinion that they will bo able to send away at least 50,000 sheep averaging 751b each the first year, and more afterwards. He considers a tannery will have to be established here, a gentleman in the leather trade having assured him that the skins from this coast are the best in New Zealand for making leather. Vanity Fair announces that the Dow-ager-Countess of Crawford and Balcarres has offered to lend to Her Majesty the Queen her villa at Florence. The Queen has accepted the offer so made, and will, during the autumn, proceed to Florence and take up her residence at the villa. The name of the villa in question, which is one of the most beautiful in all Italy, is the Villa Palmier?. It is not in the town of Florence, but in the country a short distance out, in the direction of Fiesole, and was made by Boccaccio the scene of the Decamerone. It was here that the late Earl of Crawford died, and hence that his body—which was later stolen from the family vault at jpunecht but finally recovered —was sent to England.

It will be noticed in the advertisement of the sale of leases that sections 37 and 15 block 10, Opunake district, have been withdrawn. They’ have been so withdrawn at .the request of the natives, who require them for bush reserves to provide them with timber for fencing off theii lands from the leased sections, and for building purposes. The extension of these leases from 21 to 30 years has been much approved of by settlers and others on the coast.

Mr E. Ellery Gilbert, the well-known pianoforte tuner, will visit Patea about the 14th inst., and Waverley on the 17th,

In Turkish Kurdistan an infant has been born with a beard and a moustache, a perfect set of 32 teeth, and no less than 40 dis, tinctly formed fingers. Its behaviour from the moment of its birth has been far from satisfactory. It is excessively noisy and violent, and owing to the cruel bites it inflicts on all who come within reach of its mouth, it has been found necessary to extract all its front teeth. Notwithstanding this disfigurement, the child’s appearance is, if not prepossessing, at least imposing. No one who has seen it. as it lies in its cradle, stroking its beard and pulling its moustache with its 40 fingers, is ever likely to forget it. A Lansinburg firm has almost completed a paper steamboat for a Pittsburg Company. Its length is 20 feet. It has seating capacity for 25 persons and a carrying capacity of 3 tons. The sheathing is a solid body of paper fths of an inch thick. A bullet from a distance of four feet neither penetrated nor made an abrasin in it.

A party of bailiffs who had taken possession of the house of one Samuel Gunns, at Thrapstohe, Northamptonshire, received a terrible treatment at the hands of an. infuriated debtor recently, Mr Gunns first locked the men in a room, ond then threw a hive of bees amongst them. The agony of the imprisoned bailiffs must have been fearful. It is not surprising that the perpetrator of the ingenious outrage has been sentenced to a month’s hard labour in gaol. Immediate steps arc to be taken to float a woollen manufacturing company at Timaru. The Christchurch Meat and Produce Freezing Company have received a telegram from London advising them to delay ordering the machinery for their works until after the arrival of some very important information by the mail. This, no doubt, refers to improvements which have been recently made in freezing machinery, whereby a great saving will probably be effected. This news (says the Press') must be regarded as highly satisfactory to the promoters and shareholders in the new Company, meaning as it will reduced charges, and consequently increased profits to the producers. .. It is reported on good authority that Mr J. E. Redmond, M.P., is to be married to a daughter of Mr Thomas Dalton, M.P. for Orange (N.S.W.). Persons have gone to the Christchurch police station and asked to be locked up for the night, as they had no means. Their request could not be complied with, as they did not answer to the police idea of vagrants. We learn from the Star that the Catholics of Stratford have accepted the tender of Mr O’Dea, of Patea, for building their church, the price being £l5O.

, A Dane who has been apprehended for setting fire to five farm-houses near Copenhagen confessed that he was the author of the great conflagration at the Victona Docks, London, in February, 1881, and that two days afterwards he set fire, to a large warehouse at London Bridge—on both occasions his object Icing to obtain plunder. New Zealand flax is now being put to practical use by the Railway Department and the carriages on all lines are provided with flax matting in place of the cocoanut formerly used. Captain Cook was the discoverer of Dusky Sound, says a writer in a Sydney paper, which is (ho largest of the West Coast Sounds in New Zealand. Its character on a bright and beautiful day is all the reverse of what such a misnomer implies. It was in this Sound that Cook first discovered that dainty addition to our vegetable diet—spinach. This little fact is nearly forgotten in the recount of that great navigator’s other discoveries. It should be carried to his credit, however, in like way as the discovery of the potato is to that of Raleigh, Mrs McKlinchy has been kindly interesting herself on behalf of a family named Turner who recently arrived from Home, and who are in considerable trouble through tiio death of one of their children. As the family are without means, Mrs McKlinchy has taken round a subscription Hstand succeeded incollecting thesum of £8 in small amounts. She has left the list at our office for inspection, and desires to thank those who have assisted the object she had in view.