Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE: MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1883.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1241, 8 January 1883, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE: MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1883.

The Wairoa Council has (says the Napier Telegraph) done the very sensible thing that was first suggested in these columns, namely to amend the ferry charges at the Waihau and Opoiti Rivers. In the ‘‘Wairoa Guardian ” the Council has a notification that on and after January Ist the ferry charges at those rivers shall be—Sheep, 10s per 1000 ; cattle, 3d per hand up to 50, and 2d pe head over 50.

A reporter (we hope he is an amateur one), writes in the “Bay of Plenty Times," “A horse belonging to Mr Chase attempted to jump a ditch at Greerton on Monday. The ditch proved too high, aud the horse consequently broke his neck and fore leg. This is the sad consequence of a yearning after the unattainable.” Can this clever paragraphist know the meaning of the word “ditch ?”

A burglar got into the house of a country lawyer in America the other night. After a brief struggle the lawyer succeeded in robbing him, Mr. Henry Lewis, of Gladstone road, complains, that some time between Saturday night last and this morning, some mischievous person or persons, at present unknown, slipped some stones down between the shutters of his shop windows and the glass, breaking several panes, or rather rather cracking them from top to bottom. It may be stated that the shutters only reach half way up the windows. It is to be hoped the perpetrator or perpetrators of this mean and mischievous act may be dis : covered and “run in” in order that they may be dealt with by the Resident Magistrate, who will doubtless, if the age of the delinquent admits of it, order a severe whipping to be duly administered. It is high time that the larrikin element in Gisborne should be put down with a powerful arm and a good birch rod,

The Wellington papers record some wonderful cures by Mr Milner Stephen. In one instance a Mrs Clark, described as being well known and highly respected, and who had for two years and nine months suffered from a stiffness of the knee joint which the doctors had pronounced incurable, stating that the oil in the joint had dried up, and that she would be lame for life. Ten minutes after Mr Stephen commenced operating Mrs Clark walked across the room without assistance, and a few minutes after ran across the room declaring that she was thoroughly cured.

The comet which created such a sensation a very short time ago, is still visible, although its brilliancy has faded. It has crossed the milky way, and is to be found in the constellation of Canis Major, and a little to the South of Sirius, and brightest of all the fixed stars.

The Union Company have made arrangements for the Wakatipu to leave Sydney on the 13th instant with the new Governor on board. It is confidently expected that he will reach the “ Empire City ” on the 18th. The Naseby newspaper has had its columns enlivened by an advertiser, who heads his ad. with “ Public Notice of Repudiation of Personal Debts,” and he says he will pay nobody until his debtors have duly paid him what they owe. There were no cases for hearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning. In reply to a remonstrance for a severe critkfUe on an actor, a New’ York journalist publishes the following : —“ Bonhomie goes for nothing with us when the drama is in question and there is the truth to tell. We may like you, personally ; but we decline to lie for you.”

It will be remembered some time back, a chicken, owned by Mr Dickson of the Argyll Hotel, which would have nothing to do with the feathered bipeds about the yards, but sought the company of a cat. The Otago “Daily Times” says:—“A miner residing at Bracken’s Gully possesses a kitten which has evinced a strange predilection for fowls. This singular kitten follows the fowls about all day, goes to roost with them, relieves the sitting-hen, acts mother to young chicks—in fact, makes itself generally useful in the henroost and out of it to the feathered tribe. Perhaps the strangest thing about this kitten is that the hens and roosters let it do pretty much as it likes. The sanguine miner, who is a firm believer in evolution, daily expects that his wounderful kitten will follow- the more useful example of hens.” “ The Jersey beauty,” Mrs Langtry, now starring in America, will extend her trip to Australia. However, we doubt if in the Colonies, the same prices will be obtained as in the land of the Stars and Stripes. We can scarcely run £65 for a box, or £4 and £5 for a single seats.

LONDON SEED ‘TRADE. Messrs. John Shaw and S<N*s report through their agent, Mr Leonard W f Blake, of Christchurch, that the seed maricet during the fortnight ending November 15th, was in a very excited state. Continuous wet and stormy weather in the first part of it still further reduced the prospects of the new English crops, and cablegrams from the United States reported Red Clover Seed extremely firm, and almost every available parcel had been picked up for their own consumption. These two facts caused the market to be very firm for Red Clovers, whilst for AJayke prices have advanced very considerably, the crop turning out very badly. Trefoil and foreign Italian Rye Grass were both somewhat dearer. Rape was wanted for France, but not much was to be had. Canary tended upwards, Hemp rapidly falling. The imports into the United Kingdom of Clover and Grass Seeds during October were 20,750 cwt., value £34,061, against 18j82Jcwt, s value £33.038 in October, 1881,