Untitled

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 7, 10 November 1883, Page 2

On Thursday ne ruing last, several cases ware called on, at the R.M, Court but were all adjourned. Ths Melbourne Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, after investigation by a aub-committse, has recctnmended Professor Sample’s system of horse-training as being most human.

Commodore Erskine has officially called the attention of the Victorian Government to the large number of desertions Which take place from Her Majesty's ehips of war in Australian waters.

The following is a sample of what County Councillors are called upon to deal with during the small hours of the night (literally rendered) i—“ I maintain a butchers cart is Hot a legitimate trade as unuch as a largo establishment in town wo will say pays rate- insurances taxes out of number employlabor &o and up comes a cart under our nose undersell you by two £ per bullock and pays nothing as taxes, Now will you get passed in the Council a by law. and tax those carts and make them pay like their betters make them pay a hawkers license—ln the latge towns meat is up a penny a lb—l propose to do the same."

A gentleman, whose spacial business is to deliver official documents containing a polite intimation that certain pecuniary considerations have caused some friend to manifest a strong interest in the recipient’s welfare, had one of these missives placed in his handthe other day for delivery to a gentleman up the Coast. On arrival he found that the object of his solicitude had long sin m departed for Te Reinga. Being somewhat perplexed, under such peculiar circumst; n :es, as to his best mode of action, he hesitated as to what course he should pursue. But his doubts were speedily set at rest by a Maori friend informing him that “if he wanted to serve a writ iu Te Reinga ho would have to employ an agent of the Native Land .Settlement Company ” The following anecdote is told of the eccentric Lord Redesdale—Eearly one morning he made his way to the mansion of the Earl of Luoan. He was dressed in sporting garb, for he was going to attend a race meeting, his hat was on axvry, and a cigar was between his lips. He rang at the front door, and the earl’s best man—an exquisite of the first water—answered the summons, "lathe earl at home?" “No, sir! The heart is not a 'one ” He mistook the caller for a sporting servant, very likelv seeking employment “ Do you know if he has gone to Windsor, my man ?" “ No, I don’t know hif e’ as gone to Windsor. But I’ll tell you what Ido know. You’d be doing yerself a wast deal o’credit hif you’d honlv just run round to the sign o’ the Bell an’ Crown, hand fetch me a pot o’ ’alf-an’-half.” “ All right, where’s your money ?’’ “ Wy, bless you, I don’t find money for them as I had to hanswer the bell for 1 'Aven’t you got a sixpenny bit of yer own ?” “ I guess I can find one." And away his lordship went, really enjoying the business, and shortly returned with a tankard of foaming half-and-half. The valet drank it with a keen relish, emptying the pot, and offered to return it, with—“ There, my good fellow—l’m much—” But the visitor put the pot back, and cut the speech short with “Return tile tankard yourself, my man ; ami, when your ma-ter returns, be i kind enough that Lord Ri-desdale called ’’ I His lordship left the dazed and confounded I valet supporting him-elf against the door I post, the pewter-pot tailing to the fioor, his face the picture of horror and despair, looking all the world like one who wished he had never been born !

Messrs Fraser Wyllte & Co, announce that at their usual Hale to-day they will offer a feOjd second hand drag and several hack*. Wells Aahey late of the Otago gold fluid is advertised for, in this issue by Captain J, W. Barry,

The Lyttelton times, in its tables of vital statistics, still represents the population of Auckland as 17,077, whereas the Gazette has for a lo g i ne had it a* 27,074.

A movement is on foot to erect a monument to the late Captain Webb on the banks of the Severn, the spot where be first saved life.

The Sable Orphans performed Let night at Makaraka to a crowded house. Everything went off sueceaaftiUf and the audience swemed highly satisfied with the entertainment by the appUuse they gave to the performers. The petition to Government got up by the VVairoa people for the purpose of obtaining a mill service between WairoA and Gisborne, arrived h*re by the Southern Crosidh Wednesday) Uttd is now at the County Council Offiofy awaiting the signatures ot the resident* of thia town. Already a number of names arb down, and it is filling rapidly. Lord Duncarne, the future Larrarsham, is shortly to be married to a professional lady named Nellie Lemar, who, with her sister Kate, has been the reigning star for some lime at one of the leading variety shows. She attracted the attention of the Prince of Wales by her singing of the song “ Go and Inform Your Father,” and since that time she has been advertised as the Royal favorite.

Mr W. W. Brown, of Tolbga Bay, has lately suffered a severe loss when the schooner Gisborne made her last trip from Auckland, she brought 4500 feet of timber consigned to Mr Brown, and on Sunday lust she discharged icon the beach at Totogi Bay, where it was left During the night it started raining and caused a freih in the river, and the timber was w.ifthod away out to *<?& and lost.

Mu Hannay, a magistrate, has, it seems, hit Ob a ««w idea in dealing with, a prisoner who came before him on a charge of being drunk and incapable. The man’s face was terribly bruised, either from tumbling about while drunk, or from fighting. The case having been proved, the magistrate enquired of the chief gaoler whether he had a lookingglass in his room. On being informed that he had, the gauler was ordered to take the prisoner and show him his face, and then liberate him, Mr Hannay remarking that it that exhibition was not a warning to him he did not know What would be. The prisoner WAS accordingly shown his disfigured fjtJe in the glass and discharged President Arthur is said to be fond of playing practical jokes. A party o f his friends being on a visit from Now York the President had shown them through the White House. They were loud in their praise of the improvements in the Presidential mansion, Coming through the east room, or general-reception room, Mr Arthur haltedj aud said, in the most serious manner ‘•Do you see that coloured man standing over there ?”—pointing to a Well-preserved specimen of the African race. “ Well,” continued the host, “ he has a most remarkable history.” “ How so ?” “Guess,” said Mr Arthur. An exile-king ?” said a Uewitclv ing young lady, a member of the party. “Au ex-street ccnrnissioner ?” observed a practical Wall-streat broker. “Neither” said the President. “Listen I He hue been sbld into slavery over seven hundred limes.” “ Impojsibie I” “ Fact, I assure you,” said Mr Avliu .-. The coloured man was called over and questioned. “My good man,” said the Wuil.sureet brokerj r ‘ is it true tbit you have been sold into slavery more than 700 times ?” Tne son of Ham showed his white i.eth aid bowed, “Remarkable!” was the gbubral response. “ What are you doing how ?” was asked. “ Well, boss, I’m travelling with Mr Rial’s “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin” coiroany. lam put on the auction block every night aud sold.”

We (Wellington Pant have been permitted to examine a most ingenious contrivance for the use of marksmen. We refer to the wonder ful little tubes invented by Mr Morris, of Birmingham, for insertion in the barrels of rifles and carbines, mid which are attracting a coueide.' .ble amount of attention all over the Woild, on account of their extreme simplicity and great utility. At the brbech end there is a brass boss th at fits the bore above the cone. Beyond this the barrel is screwed into a piece of larger calibre, which forn:B the chamber, in which there is an exi tractor, The rim of this enlargement enI lively fits the oounter-siuk for the rim of the I cartridge, and the ordinary extractor in Its I turn works the extractor on the tube. The i whole arrangement is very simple, and the ! veriest duffer cannot fail to adjust the barrel |in a few seconds. By inserting one of these I tubes into an ordinary shot gun the latter is at once converted into an effective smallbore rifle. The cartridges used are about a fourth of the Rize of those required by Snider carbines, and are more than 300 per cent cheaper. The great object claimed by the inventor is that, by the use of these tubes, rifle practice can be carried on in an ordinary building just as well as iu the open air. A set of ingeniously constructed targets accompanies each tube, and by fixing them up at one e.id of the room the 600 yards sight can be employed at a distance of 40 or 50 feet. The invention promises to be nne of the most useful patented for some time. With a view to thoroughly test the invention, the Government have ordered a supply of the Morris rifle tubes. As the inventor claims that, by using his tubes in conjunction with the ordinary rifles, target practice can be carried on in a drill-shed with as much efficacy as if the usual butts and distances were employed, and at a cost of les* than one-third of the present system of firing-