The Patea County Press, AND Manutahi-Waitotara District Guardian. “Be Just and Fear Not.” THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1887. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 10, 24 November 1887, Page 2

The Patea County Press, AND Manutahi-Waitotara District Guardian. “Be Just and Fear Not.” THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1887. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Fire Brigade practice this evening. Indiarubber was braught to Euroj)o from South America in ITtSO, It is computed that there are about one million blind people in the world. During the last century one hundred lakes in the Tyrol have subsided ami disappeared . “ So far so good,” as the boy said when ho had finished the first pot of his mother’s jam. In one of tho French schools there is a magnet which is capable of lifting four times its own weight. Tho sculling-race, Hanlan versus Beach, will be rowed on the Nepean river, on Saturday next. Bod clothing manufactured from paper pulp, strengthened with twine is one of the latest novelties.

A man who had a scolding wife, being asked -what ho did for a bring, replied that lie “ kept a hot house,” You should never judge a man by tho umbrella ho carries. Nine times out of ten it belongs to somebody else. Tho Continental armies now collectively number about ten million men, all in an advanced state of preparation for war. The Duke of ‘Westminister is brother-in-law to Ms own daughter, his second wife’s brother having- married his daughter. In England, in 1811, the consumption of tobacco per head was thirteen and throe quarter ounces. Now it is one pound seven ounces. There are two periods in a woman’s life when she does not bko to talk. When one is wc never knew, and the other we have forgotten. At an examination a boy was asked,

What arc the warmth-producing foods '1 Ilia reply was, “ Cayenne pepper and Ja:iudc:i ginger.’ ’ The steward of the Hospital wishes to acknowledge with thanks, tho receipt of some Graphics from Mr Christie, for the use of the patients. Among tho conditions of sale by an frisk auctioneer, was the following: The aighest bidder to bo the purchaser, unless 'ouio gentleman bids more. Lawn tennis is played in China with coolies to do all tho running. The same ‘‘ liihi'al vassals save their masters’ legs .mou cricket is indulged in. An application in Chambers, in tho ease of -Bryce v. Hutchison, for an order to jompel the latter to produce Ids hank 'nook, was granted by the Chief Justice. A remar-• cable engineering feat has been performed m America. An iron railway bridge, weighing 1(500 tons, has been shifted bodily some distance further down.

Several valuable Highland estates wore offered at auction in London a short time ago, but not half their former value cbuld

bo obtained, and some of them wore withdrawn. Tho Chinese wore the first people to make wall paper stamped to imitate embossed leather. Tho Dutch imported such papers about the lust of the sixteenth century. Tho postage on letters from Germany to Australia is now twenty pfennig—rather less than twopencn-halfpenny. The postage on letters from England to Australia is sixpence. Hero is a lovely advertisement: “Board and lodging. - -Wanted, a lady, who would have no objection to sleep with another in a public road, where omnibussos pass every five minutes.” The losses or poverty of British landlords are attested weekly by frequently ten, sometimes twenty, columns of advertisements in the Times, of sales of estates, town mansions and contents, libraries, and jewels. An old coloured woman, who has been gradually turning white for several years, has just died in Michigan. Tho greater part of her body was at last a healthy lily white. Her ancestors arc full-blooded negroes as far as is known. Competition among steamship companies is carried to the extent that one firm of owners advertise that they take steerage passengers from London to New York for fifty shillings, which includes food for about twelve days. Thunder has never been heard more than 14 miles from the flash of lightening : The report of art illery has reached much greater distances, Tho cannonading at the Battle of Waterloo was heard at tho town of (Tv4l. in tho North of France, about ilo miles from the field. Several of the French railway companies and oti. r public bodies have resolved on ha viugtheir printing done on given instead of white paper. The reason for the alteration is that they believe tho combination of white paper with black characters endangers the eyesight of their workpeople. The Golden Bay Argus of tho 12th hist mil. informs its readers “that tho Rev Mr llullel (lately from Auckland), will shortly arrive to Uikecharge of tbeCollingwoud parochial district, and will hold service in St Cuthbert s church, on the 20th instant.” It will be interesting to note, how quickly other parochial dLi rids can bo sup]died with clergymen, as thcCollingWeod cure was only rendered vacant by the advent of the Herd Mr Clarke to this district. At the I‘, M. Court. Tcumka, a man was brought up. charged with having wilfully and feloniously entered a house with intent to commit a felony. The report goes on to say that, after several witnesses r.e.d given evidence and accused had ;■ Levii that he was in bed at Ike time of i:..« aidged olh-nce, and was not thetv at oil the magistrate dismissed the cate, es h j“ had no power to deal with it, the iiUor.iU’.tion being bad. He also advised the ace mod not to go into the house a Hunt •>r be would bo severely dealt with. About e.s clear a case of “nor guilty, but don’t do it again,” as could conveniently be tad.

The dusky aboriginal is not quite up to the ramifications of pakeha law, Some time ago one of those worthies became indebted to a professional gentleman in town, and being what is technically known as “ long winded ” had been requested to interview the 3b 3M. on the subject of payment. The interview being only partially satisfactory, an interview with the bailiff was arranged, but this turned out equally unsatisfactory, and for some two years the dusky brother has kept aloof. To-day, however, he rode into town in all the pomp and glory of the owner of a good horse, and his surprise may be imagined, when, on walking down .lie .street.he espied the bailiffin full charge of the steed, before its owner had been off its back an hour. Dusky has agreed to pay up.

A jocular discussion took place at the Borough Council on Monday, when the resignation of the temporary clerk was under consideration, as to the insertion of the word “ Accepted ” instead of “Received.” in a resolution before the Council. councillor ' generally being of opinion that the wo: cD had the same application, but euphony was better served by the former word. One councillor, _ however, though quite agreeing with the idea of the words being synonymous in the case under notice, thought there was a decided difference between receiving and accepting a bill of Exchange. The councillors being chiefly business men, seemed to be peculiarly unanimous on this latter point, and the alteration was agreed to nem con. A “best on record” amongst terpsichorean devotees was put together at the Harmonic Hall, on Tuesday evening last. The occasion was the last of a scries of private dances, held during tho past winter, and, being the last, ft was decided that the last dance should bo played till everyone was tired out. "With this benevolent intention, the entrancing strains of “ Invcnzione,” filled tho Hall, and the floor was quickly covered by waltzing couples, anxious to have a “last dance.’ The tiring out process proved longer than was anticipated, and, at tho end of twenty three minutes, three couples were still threading the mazy waltz. The pianist, however, who had already played all the evening, at this stage cried content, and Mr R. W. Hamerton kindly relieved him, and continued the playing up to the close. At the end of an hour and fifteen minutes one of the remaining three couples gave it best, the dancers thus being reduced :to two couples, and these dancers had become on such good terms with each other, that there seemed to‘be no probable limit to their dancing power, but, unfortunately, cramp seized one of tho hands of the pianist, and compelled him to stop, thereby leaving the dancers master of the position after one hour and thirty-five minutes dancing, without a stop or rest of any - land. How much longer they would have continued if tho music had not stopped, remains, of course, a mystery, but in the meantime, tho record is by no means a common one, and wo are inclined to think “wants beating.”