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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1191, 2 November 1882, Page 2

Tenders are invited for the carriage of 90 bales, more or less, of wool from Okahuatui. Applications are to be made to Mr R. H. Fisher, to whom tenders must be delivered not later than Monday the 6th inst., at 4 p.m. There is a splendid specimen of the kauri growing iu the Hikurangi district, Wharigarei, stated to be the largest kauri tree in the North. It is 15 feet in diameter, and the barrel 95 feet without a single branch. It has been computed to contain 155,000 feet of timber. There is said to be a kauri tree at Mercury Bay 25 feet in diameter, but tho barrel is considerably shorter than that growing at Hikurangi. The Agricultural and Pastoral Society were holding a meeting as we went to press, a report of which will appear to-morrow. The Gisborne Literary Musical and Dramatic Entertainment will take place this evening at Parnell and Boylan's Hall, when wc trust to see a full attendance.

It will doubtless astonish many persons to know that a new trade iu springing up amongst the Chinese of Melbourne in respect to cats. At the present time there are several persons employed by some of the Chinese collecting the animals, old ones being preferred, for which they get two shillings per head. Whether they use them for soups, or their favorite dishes of ducks, fowls and perk, which make a delicious mixture, is a secrat in tho trade. We have known from the moht reliable source for some time past that tho cats have been collected for the Chinamen, but after they leave the trappers’ hands it is only known to the almond eyed individuals what becomes of them. One of our reporters has made every effort in order to detect tho use the feline species are put to, but without avail. In his researches he has dined at Chinese restaurants, and endeavored to trace tho defunct cats, but failed to detect poor pussy. Whether the old toms are used by private Chinese gourmands to give body to the soups or gravies, or whether they are chopped up into mincemeat, or mixed with fowls, &c., or are prized only for their fur, is known only to the initiated. Perhaps they may be used by the Chinamen in a medicinal way, similar to the iguana,. It is nevertheless a fact that some Chinese are buying old cats up at two shillings a head. Mr Rutherford, M.H.R. for Bruce, said, in his speech the other day at Milton, that ho was perfectly satisfied that if the honorarium were reduced to £lOO they would have a House much improved in character. The great want in the House was to get more members imbued with the serious nature of the duties they hud sworn to perform. The wife of a prosperous gentleman who has lately settled in Melbourne (says the Australasian) sent to Paris for a costume by Worth for the forthcoming Melbourne Cup. The costume, which was en suite, and complete to boots, gloves, parasol, &c., arrived the other day ; was unpacked, admired, and laid out in the owner’s dressiugroom. Before having it placed in her wardrobe Mrs Grosgrain went into town for the day, but having forgotten her purse, returned home sooner thun she|had intended. Proceeding at once to her apartment she discovereed the housemaid arrayed in her new costume to the minutest particular, and poising in undisguised admiration of herself in front of the chevul glass Naturally incensed she remonstrated rather sharply with Miss O'Brien for her impertinence, but she was rendered speechless by the audacious retort, “ Well ! you’ll admit that 1 look butter in it than ever you will !”

The result of the International Rifle Shooting at Creedmore on September 14 was as I follows 200 yards score : Americans, 331 ; } British, 342. 500 yards score : Americans, ■ 343 ; British, 378. 600 yards score : Arne- ! ricans, 343; British, 344. Aggregate score I three ranges ; Americans, 1043 ; British, i 1056. The Wimbledon Cup, for 1000 yards, ; presented by the National Rifle Association ; of America, was won by W. Bridmoi’e, hil : score being 45. Humphrey, one of the beat > shots in the English team, was coached by ’ his wife. The shooting on the loth was i equally adverse to the American team. At the 800 yards the score was : Americans, 271 ; British, 323. 1,000 yards : Americans, 236 ; British, 307. Grand aggregate for the two days'shooting : Americans, 1,805; British, 1,975. The Hawke’s Bay “ Herald ” gives an amusing account of Mr Pillict’s return to Christchurch. It was unostentatious to u degree. The very honorable member for Stanmore came up from Lyttelton by the train which reaches Christchurch at 7.55 a.m. In addition to a bludgeon, ho hud with him a fierce looking bull-mastiff which he lugged along by a cnain and excited to constant i watclifulness by alternate coaxing and threats. “ But,” says our informant, “tho j brute i.e., the dog—“ seemed ashamed or the work.” However, Hippolyte might have saved himself all the trouble, and preserved his equanimity. There was no infuriated mob; there was no tar and feathers ; there was not even a single Stunmore larrikin, Hippolyte might have beaten his bludgeon to a ploughshare aud kicked his dog iubv fiddle uf next weak for all that anybody uured. .Hq wag neither a taro nor a rftftrtyy.