The Patea Mail. Established 1875. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1080, 12 October 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

♦ ■ Mr Hyams, the telegraphist, left for his home in Wellington by the afternoon train on Tuesday. Mr Hyams was much better, and,lns here are in hopes to learn of his speedy recovery. A society is being formed in Auckland for the prevention of cruelty to animals. The Governor is to be requested to be Patron, Bishop Cowie Vice-Patron, and Judge Gillies President.

Several truckloads of bullocks went down to Wanganui by the afternoon train on Tuesday, their destination being Greymouth. The animals were knocking themselves about somewhat severely while in the trucks. One bullock was left behind at Manutahi. He broke his neck during the process of trucking. Mr E. F. Miller will open business as clothier and outfitter in a few days. He has taken Mr W. Dixon’s premises. The date of Messrs Nolan, Tonks and Go’s Hawera sale has been altered from Thursday to Wednesday, Oct 17. A patient at the Taranaki hospital named Mrs Claridge, who arrived there some time ago from Hawera, suddenly disappeared on Wednesday morning. She had been suffering from slight derangement of her mental faculties, and she left the Hospital evidently in a condition of temporary insanity. She was arrested, and brought up at the Police Court on a charge of lunacy, but, His Worship considered the best,course to bo adopted was to remand her back to the Hospital, which was accordingly done, and she has been placed under close surveillance. Messrs P. Mahony & Co., have a new business announcement in this issue. We notice that this firm have been appointed agents for Messrs Nelson, Moate, and Co.’s celebrated teas, which took the gold medal at the Chiistctiurch Exhibition.

We have been requested to state that owing to Communion service in connection with the Presbyterian Church in Patea there will bo no service at Manutahi on Sunday next.

A Dunedin paper says :—The Salvation Army has recently suffered a good deal at the hands of the larrikins of the city, who occasionally amuse themselves by bespattering the soldiers with mud, and throwing bad eggs and other missiles at them. This may be very good sport for the larrikins, but naturally it does not suit the tastes of the members of the Army. Complaints have, therefore, been lodged with the police, and they determined to keep a sharp look-out. The result was that a little boy named Wiley was caught in the act of pelting the Array with eggs while engaged in an open harmony meeting on a vacant section off Stuart-street. He was brought up at the Police Court yesterday and charged with the offence. The Magistrate said he hardly knew what to do with a culprit of such tender years, but ultimately made up his mind that it would not do to send him to prison, so the lad was discharged with the usual caution ; and his Worship took occasion to make a few remarks concerning the Army. He thought that they to a certain extent invited assaults of this kind by their processions. So long as they kept on their own promises, he remarked, they were entitled to the protection of the police, but when they went marching along the public roads, and almost inviting these assaults, he thought the matter should be looked at in a different light.

Regarding the alleged discovery of the remains of Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat, the London Daily News of August 2 says “We have received a number of letters anxiously inquiring about gophir wood and the fabled discovery of the Ark in a glacier on Mount Ararat. No further details have arrived as to this interesting 1 find,’ and we fear that the survival of the Ark must bo reckoned with the late descent of a monstrous meteorite, which crushed a whole house somewhere ‘ out Texas way.’ The imagination of the fair East and of the West is lively, the Oriental like the Occidental journalist is impulsive. Wo are inclined to believe that the report about the Ark is due to the invention of some Levantine pressman envious of the achievement of his brethren on the boundless western prairie.” The fact appears to be that this story of the Ark is an old one. It went the rounds of the Colonial Press some years ago.

The little perforations which divide postage stamps, and which have been applied to so many useful commercial and other documents were the invention of Mr Job Freeth, who died at Masterton a few days ago in his 83rd year. Ho arrived in this colony, says a contemporary, in 1857, and for a time had charge of a school in Wanganui. He afterwards pursued the same calling for a while at Hangitikei, and subsequently exchanged his occupation for that of a farmer, removing to Masterton about four years ago. He was also the inventor of several other useful things, which wore patented. His invention in connection with postage stamps was a very simple one, but its value can hardly be over-estimated. It has doubtless saved the commercial world many years of valuable time in the aggregate-

The New Zealand Shipping Co.’s Fenstanton left Lyttelton for London on Wednesday. The ship Wcstlan'd left Plymouth on 11th August for Wellington. She has on board 324 Government. immigrants, as follows :—Families, 137 souls ; single men, 59; single women, 128. Of the above, 63 are for Hawke’s Bay, 8 for Marlborough, 23 for Nelson, 29 for New Plymouth, 18 for Greymouth, and the remainder for Wellington. The successful use by British troops during the Egyptian war of some hastily armed railway trucks drawn by an ironclad engine, has induced the Spanish Government to order the immediate construction of a specially-designed train, which in time of war will bo available not only as a means of rapid transport for men engaged in the cutting and repairing of railway lines, but also as a depot for engineering stores, and as a moveable fortress. This novel man-of-War will have a crew of eight officers and 166 men, all of whom will in case of need eat and sleep on board, and arrangements will be made for the further accommodation if necessary, of another hundred men.

Mr Coworn will soli household furniture and sundries at Mr W. Dixon’s promises to-morrow at-2 p.m.

The circus could not perform in Patea last evening, to the intense disappointment of the juveniles. There was a hard N.W. gale, which caused some damage to the tent while it was being erected. Weather permitting the company will play at Waverley to-night, but will visit Patoa again after their southern tour. It is to bo hoped Mr Woodyear will be more fortunate when he comes again.

The Waverley left Wellington at 10 o’clock on Thursday morning, but is probably under shelter, ilhd may arrive by to night or the morning’s tide.