Untitled

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1065, 25 April 1882, Page 2

Intelligence from Constantinople and Paris inform us that strong reinforcements had been despatched from the latter city to Tunis, and that the Porte is making arrangements for doubling the strength of the Turkish troops in Tripoli. Mrs Langtry has been offered, and has refused, £3OO per week, a carriage and pair, a coachman, and a footman, to go “ starring ” in the provinces. In refusing she states her intention of forming a company and proceeding on a “ starring ” tour, on her own account.

We learn with regret the decease of Miss Nesbitt, sister of the late Dr Nesbitt, who was for many years Resident Magistrate in Gisborne. The funeral will leave her late residence, Nesbitt Road, this afternoon, at 3 o’clock.

Thomas Raikes, carpenter of the Rotorua, accidentally fell down the hold of that vessel last Friday in Auckland, whilst watering some horses. His right temple was laid open, aud from the state of the wound no hopes are entertained of his recovery. He has a wife and family at Port Chalmers. The “ Direct Supply Store,” of 249, Queenstreet, Auckland, notify elsewhere in our columns, that they are direct Importers and Manufacturers of China, Glass and Earthenware of all descriptions. Their stock is far too large for us to enumerate, but their prices would appear to be moderate in the opposite extreme. We should recommend dealersand tradesmen to “ read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest ” the quotations in the Company’s advertisement.

Mr Buchanan from the South, and Mr Dargaville, M.H.R., from the North have arrived here on business connected with the N. Z. Native Lands Settlement Company. We understand that Mr Robert Rhodes of Lyttleton has taken up 500 shares in the company. The Native Lands Court has just given its favorable decision in three cases in which this company are interested. The Natives regard these decisions as just in the main, as no doubt they are in fact. A meeting of shareholders will be held at the offices of the company today for despatch of business. Any legitimate business bringing “ grist to the mill ” is welcome to Gisborne, and will meet with hearty support from the public and from the Press.

Australian and N.Z. mails via San Francisco, which left Auckland on Feb. 28th, were delivered in London on April Bth. In the list of arrivals by the Rotorua, from Auckland, we notice the names of Mr Allan McDonald, M.H.R., and Mr J. M. Dargaville, M.H.R. 1.0.0. F., M.U.—A meeting of the Loyal Gisborne Lodge will be held to-morrow (Wednesday) evening, at 8 o’clock, in Townley’s Buildings. Mr George Humphries, General Blacksmith, Wheelwright, etc., advertises that he makes and repairs agricultural implements of all sorts and descriptions on his premises, at the Shoeing Forge, Matawhero. Mr Percival Barker and Mr M. J. Gannon notify elsewhere that all persons found trespassing, on and after this date, on the Whataupoko Block, in pursuit of game, will be prosecuted. Mr C. A. De Lautour, Secret-ary of the New Zealand Native Lands Settlement Company (Limited), notifies that a meeting of shareholders in that Company will be held at their Offices, G 'sborne, at 12 o’clock noon on Tuesday, the 25th of April. Dr. Alfred John Leggatt, M.R.C.S.E., and L.S.A., late of the Indian Medical Services, notifies that he intends, at the expiration of six weeks herefrom, applying to be registered as a Medical Practitioner in the Colony of New Zealand. The St. Petersburg authorities have discovered a mine which has been constructed in the neighbourhood of Moscow to destroy the line of railway over which it was expected the Czar would shortly travel. The existence of the mine, which was charged with dynamite, was lately reported to the authorities. Eighty persons have been arrested as implicated in the plot against His Imperial Majesty’s life. Cairo telegrams convey to us the intelligence that Ismail Youke Jassa, Minister of Finance, has hypothecated the pub'ic revenue in order to raise funds. His financial agent has been expelled the country since these disclosures were made. Arabi Pasha, the leader of the National party, repudiates the transactions of his colleagues, and disavows all connection with them. Apropos of the situation, a plot to murder Arabi Pasha has been discovered. Several Circassian officers of the Egyptian army have been arrested in connection with the matter.

In reply to a request by the Cook County Council the Government have placed at the disposal of that body an additional £1,500 to complete the Gisborne-Wairoa Road as far as Waihau, the previous appropriation for this work, viz., £2,500, being absorbed in carrying on the works to within eleven miles of the Waihau township. The tenders which were sent in for the remaining sections of this road, will, therefore, be opened at the meeting of the Council on Thursday next. It is to be regretted that the past four weeks should have been lost in waiting for the reply of the Government, but owing to the changes in the Ministry, this delay may be easily accounted for.

A man named Thomas Connor came into town yesterday afternoon, and reported to the Police that two bodies, one of a European man and the other a Maori woman, were found buried near the bank of the Waikanae. Sergt. Bullen judging from the excited demeanour of the man, came to the conclusion that he was suffering from the effects of drink, and sent Constable Walsh (with instructions not to lose sight of Connor) to make the necessary enquiries into the matter. Walsh, on arriving at the spot indicated, found that these suspicions were correct, and accordingly returned to town with Connor wh<> was locked up for safe keeping. He will appear before the R.M. to-day.

A Southland Volunteer contributes the following as amongst his experiences at the Dunedin review :—“ 1 was one of those selected as a picket, and I went on duty accordingly. After we had marched for about two hours we were halted and ordered to front, and those who wished were requested to take a drink. One of the party (belonging to the G Battery) instead of going to the fountain went into a hotel close at hand and got a drink there. The Volunteer referred to was but a recruit and used to Invercargill all his lifetime, and never saw a fountain in the street before. To his surprise, upon coming out, he was taken in charge and sent to the guard-room, where he remained two hours that night and about five hours next day.” Mr M. R. Miller, the well-known auctioneer, of Napier, notifies that he has received instructions to sell at the Rissington station yards, on Tuesday, 2nd May, about 45,000 longwool Lincoln cross-bred sheep, Hoggets, ewes and wethers, of from 2 to 8-tooth, about 20,000 of which are ewes, now being served by choice Lincoln rams. The sheep will be sold by sample lots of about 300, and a guarantee will be given that these are a fair cut out of the various flocks. For the last four years all old sheep have been culled from these flocks and sold ; there is an age mark on all sheep, which will be shown with the stock-book. The sheep will be sold in lots to suit purchasers. There will also be offered a stud flock of 750 choice Lincolns, consisting of 520 stud ewes and rams, and 250 their progeny. These sheep are all bred from 210 pure Lincoln ewes the property of Major Jackson (now Messrs McLean and C 0.,) of Waikato. The sale will commence at 10.30 a.m., after which the surplus plant will be sold. The terms offered are liberal.

Another instance of the facility with which rogues sometimes impose upon their unsuspecting victims by means of manifestly transparent artifices was given recently in Melbourne (says the Leader), when a recent arrival from New Zealand, named Thomas Mayne, was beguiled out of a sum of £2OO by the notorious match-box trick. Mayne, who only arrived by the Ringarooma last week en route to Europe, was met outside the offices of the Orient line of steamers by a man who stated that he had taken a passage in the steamer John Elder, sailing to-day. As Mayne purposed proceeding to England in the same vessel an acquaintance was struck up on the strength of their being about to become fellow passengers. The man suggested a drink, and led his too confiding dupe to Kelly’s Hotel in Flinders-street West, where they were met by another man, who produced a match-box, which Mayne was challenged to open. Bets were freely made upon the result, and before long Mayne found himself minus of £lOO in notes and a cheque for another £lOO by the transaction. The police are engaged making enquiries, but up to the present have discovered no clue which would lend to the discovery of the identity of the swindlers. From the Hawke's Bay Herald we learn that Thomas Mayne was for some time a policeman stationed at Kopua, in the Seventy-mile Bush. The modus operand! is as follows: —A box is casually shown to a man suspected to have some cash, and the owner offers to bet that it cannot be opened. The owner leaves the room for a minute on “ urgent business,” when a confederate shews the “ greenhorn ” how to open it. When the owner returns the greenhorn of course takes the bet. Another box, which cannot be opened, is then substituted, and the confederates of course pocket the cash. At latest advices the victim isero of Mayne had not taught. It is strange that a policeman, of all men, should be dup.d by such a well-known trick.

General Skobeloff is described in the London Times as handsome, frank, generous, and simple in his habits; also, a great favorite with the common soldiers, who, under such a leader willingly endure the greatest hardships. We (Mail) have been shown a reminder of olden times in Oaraaru. It is an old manuscript—a storekeeper’s account. Those must have been prosperous times. How will farmers feel when they are reminded that oats were then 18s 6d per bushel and flour £2O 10s per ton ? And just contemplate drinking tea at £5 6s a half-chest! Yet these prices were paid, for the account was receipted. The Parramatta Evening Times relates that a lively dish for Sunday’s dinner was discovered in the bottom compartment of the cooking stove in Mr Spiers's kitchen. Just before the family proceeded to church, it was deemed advisable that the fire underneath the stove should be made up and things put in proper order for the baking of the joint for dinner. A peep inside the oven was a natural sequence to this proceeding, when a living snake was seen comfortably coiled on the lower shelf and shooting his forked tongue about as though licking his chops in anticipation of participating in some of the good things in course of preparation.

A bald-headed man, a fool, and a barber were travelling together. They had to pass the night in the open air, and so to guard against any dangers, it was agreed for each of them to take turns and keep watch. It fell to the lot of the barber to keep first watch, and the others fell off to sleep; meanwhile the barber having nothing to do thought he would shave the fool’s head of hair, which he did, without even disturbing the sleeper. Soon, however, his watch was over, and, therefore, he roused up the fool, who put his hand to his head to scratch it, and immediately cried, “ Why, you called the bald-headed man instead of me.”

Fish bones are very dangerous, and great care should be taken when cleaning fish to prevent the bones entering the hand. Lately (says the New Zealand Herald), Mrs Filmer, the wife of William Filmer, carpenter, Onehunga, was received into the Hospital with diseased finger-bone, caused by a bone of a schnapper penetrating her hand, while she was engaged cleaning the fish. This happened about a month ago, and Mrs Filmer thought she extracted all the fish bone at the time, but subsequently the finger showed signs of poisoning, and the finger-bone became affected. At the Hospital, chloroform was administered and the finger amputated by Dr. Philson. The Wanganui Herald says:—“ We are informed on good authority that His Excellency the Governor applied some time since to be relieved from the Governorship of the colony, on the ground of the unpleasantness of his relations with the Ministry and the hostile tone of the Ministerial Press. Our authority states that the reply of Earl Kimberley was to the effect that he (Sir Arthur) knew the high position in which he stood with the Liberal party at Home, and that he should pay no attention to such hostile criticisim or differences of opinion as that to which he had referred. It is said the reply of the Colonial Secretary only half reconciled the sensitive Governor to his crosses.” Mr Stout writes to the Dunedin Star as follows : —Sir, —At first sight it might appear that the motion of the Attorney-General (Mr Whitaker) to change the venue of Te Whiti’s trial was that justice might be done to the Maoris. I regret to state that I believe it was made for no other purpose than to stave off the trial till after the meeting of Parliament to allow one of those disgraces to New Zealand legislation—a special Act—to be passed. If the Ministry had desired that Te Whiti should be tried in Christchurch, why was he not tried at the April sittings? The sittings in New Plymouth begin at. the end of this month or the Ist of May, but just as the trial seems at hand, lo! the venue is changed, and Te Whiti kept longer in gaol. Is this fair?”

The Hobart Mercury relates that several of the officers of the Rifle Regiment visited H.M.S. Nelson one day lately, with a view of seeing the sailors at general quarters. The manseuvres over, the blue jackets were allowed the usual ten minutes to have their forenoon coffee and cheese, and in the meantime the officers were in quest of the many wonderful things which are to be found on board. The torpedoes were under discussion. Compressed air forms one of the chief elements in worknig these destroyers, and the way in which the torpedoes were charged was being explained. “In the lower part of the ship is a large air reservoir, where the compressed air is kept in,” said the cicerone, “ and when it is required to be let in the chamber of the torpedo, this valve,” suiting the action to the word, “is turned on” (performing a similar motion), when lo! a fearful rushing noise was heard, and a general stampede followed in the messroom, where the sailors were just beginning to enjoy their coffee. The poor cook let fall a big dish of soup, and then dropped on his knees ; sailors parted with their soothing cups and morsels of cheese, and made for the portholes as fast as they possibly could ; a few only remained, and to them the fun was immense. It appears that when the two valves were open—not intended to be, of course—the compressed air was allowed free egress, and rushed out with tremendous force and noise, so that the bewildered sailors thought a torpedo had burst.