Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 40, 15 January 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Gisborne Hospital.—Mr. E. K. Brown, Treasurer of the Gisborne Hospital, on behalf of the Committee, returns thanks for having received from Mr. James Wallace £2O os. 5d., the balance left in hand of the sports lately held at Ormond in aid of the Hospital funds. This is most pleasing, and we congratulate the Ormond people on the success of their energies.

Keeping Holiday.—All the principal business.places in Gisborne will be closed to-day, and from 1.1 a.m. till the evening to-mor-row.

Hiberniocn Comedy Company,—This excellent company of Court Minstrels gave their first entertainment last night in Parnell and Boylan’s Hall. Although a tolerable audience greeted the rising of the curtain the numbers speedily increased until a very good house witnessed the second entertaining part. It would be invidious to mention any particulor artiste where the whole company were so admirable, and we will only remark that in the first part, consisting of a concert, the whole of the songs were rendered with taste and ability. In the second part Mr, J. Cowen, as Julius, F. Cuff, a black servant, succeeded in keeping the house in a constant roar whenever he presented himself on the stage. Mr. Shaw Cross was perfection as a tourist; whilst Miss Vesta Amor again delighted the audience with her fine voice. Miss Mary Vivian made a true Belle of KiUarney, and sang “ The Dear Little Shamrock ” in such a sweet manner as to gain her great applause. Mr. Tom Buckley was the ideal of an Irish car-driver and proved himself a perfect master of jig dancing. The whole of the entertainment is of such a varied character and so excellent in all its parts that it cannot but amuse and entertain every class of patrons. The ballads in the first place fail to delight all lovers of song. Those wishing to secure front seats to-morrow night should go early.

Messrs. F. Millis and Moulton.—These gentlemen again drew a crowded house last night in McFarlane’s Hall. The entertainment was somewhat varied, Mr. Millis causing immense roars of laughter in his impersonation of the Yorkshire Cousin, who sang “ If I Like Butter,” where the barking of the mimic was so natural that it was promptly responded to by a canine friend in the body of the hall, in which it was impossible to distinguish the real from the imaginary dog, resulting in a victory for the biped. In another part Mr. Millis ex.celled himself by singing and walking to the front of the stage, whilst the voice appeared to recede and fade away in the distance behind. He certainly deserves all that has been said as to his abilities as a ventriloquist. Another entertainment will be given to-night, when the programme will be again varied.

Moa’s Footprint.—A piece of sandstone, with a moa’s footprint—9in. long by Bin. wide—was brought to this office last evening by Mr. Morrow, who had dug it off a ’ large block of stone he found on the Gisborne Beach. The impression is very distinct, and, of course, is a curio in its way, being a specimen similar to the one the Ven. Archdeacon Williams sent to the Auckland Museum. It may be presumed that when the moa left its footprint the sand was in a soft state and has since become hardened sufficiently to be designated a stone, although it is easily broken. Verily, that moa left its “ footprint on the sands of time 1” The stone can be seen at the office of this paper. .

Map op Dunedin.—We are in receipt of a lithographed map of Dunedin, which has been well executed by Mr, Thos. George, lithographer, of that city, and should command a ready sale. Poverty Bay Races,—Mr. Hearfield, who bought the right of the cards for the races, has got them up in book form, with weights and colors of the riders, blanks for memoranda, and perforated lists of horses, for the convenience of drawing of sweeps. Tenders.—ln our advertisement columns will be found notices of tenders to be received by the Cook County Council.

Post and Telegraph Guide.—No. 41 of the Post and Telegraph Guide has reached us, through the courtesy of Mr. Shrimpton,

Mr, Croll’s Sale.—We call attention to Mr. A. G. Croll’s advertisement. The sale is genuine, as that gentleman is suddenly called Home on urgent private business, which cannot possibly be delayed,

Chance for Pilot.—Mr. Stubbs, of Napier, is now in Gisborne, on his way to the Southern Cross and South Pacific Oil Springs, which he is visiting on behalf of Southern shareholders, and as the road to the former is a very bad one, anyone wishing to visit the locality would do well to accompany that gentleman.

Wanton Cruelty.—“lt is alleged that there are frequent exhibitions of wanton cruelty in connection with the conveyance of live stock on the railway lines. With regard to sheep it is said to be not uncommon for them to be so crowded in the trucks that several are smothered before they reach their destination. The Bruce Herald says there is not the slightest occasion for these barbarities, and suggests that the officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals should inquire into the matter.”

Frozen Meat.—From the Otago Daily Times of the 7th inst. we learn that “ the New Zealand Shipping Company have contracted to take several millions of pounds of frozen meat to England during the year. If we think for a moment what an increase this means to the wealth of the Colony, we shall enter upon the new year with good hope of the removal of the depression. What with frozen meat, the direct steam service, and the new Bankruptcy Act, trade should begin to look up again.”

Steam to Calcutta.—“ The New South Wales Commission for the Calcutta Exhibition at a recent meeting passed a resolution affirming that direct steam communication should be established with Calcutta by a line of steamers running monthly, and calling at Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane. As co-operation on the part of all the colonies will be essential in maturing the scheme, the Commission decided to forward copies of the resolutions which they arrived at to the Government of India, to the Governments of the Australian Colonies, and to the Chambers of Commerce in the different capitals.”