Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 45, 21 January 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Ocb Gab Company. — The first general meeting of the Gisborne Gas Company took place on Saturday night, The position ol the company cannot be described as anything but eminently satisfactory, and we cordially congratulate the directors upon the success of their undertaking. Every exertion is being made to push on the work, and before the end of next winter we shall undoubtedly see our town in possession of this great boon. The advent of gas into the borough cannot fail to be the commencement of an entirely new epoch in the history of Gisborne, for not alone will it give us additional com. fort and safety, but it must also have the effect of affording opportunities for the development of several other branches of industry. It affords a cheap, safe, and healthy mode of generating warmth in the winter, no less than a ready means of cooking in all seasons, minus the dirt and labor attendant on any culinary operations conducted by the aid of wood or coal. Then, again, it has of late been largely utilised as an inexpensive motive-power whereby numer. ous industries are successfully enabled to carry on their operations. An efficacious and permanent method of renovating our footpaths, garden-walks, and approaches will also be afforded by the agency of coal tar when applied in the shape of asphalte. In fact, the benefits attending the production of gas in our town cannot fail to give an impetus to many branches of trade, and to be productive of good to the whole community at large. Ouu WaoMHtr.— I Towards midday yester. day our old annual visitor, the Lochnagar, was observed to be making preparations for her departure. The anchor was have short, jib and topmast-staysails run up, topsails and top-gallant-sails sheeted home and mastheaded, and spanker set, and at twenty minutes past twelve she tripped her anchor, and trimming yards, stood out of the bay, to return no more until the next ensuing wool season. We wish her jovial Skipper and his craft a safe and successful voyage.

Harbor Board.—A meeting of the Board will be held to-day, at noon, for the purpose of passing the annual statement of accounts.

The U.S.S. Taiboa.—The Union S.S. Company’s agent here, Edmonds, has received a telegram from the South, stating that the Tairoa will not call here, but will proceed direct from Wellington to Auckland.

A Heavy Wet.—As our old friend Samuel Clayton was embarking last night he met with a rather unpleasant experience. He was attempting to cross from the Noko to the Snark, when owing to the darkness and the total absence of any lamp to guide him, he missed his footing and fell between the two boats. He was speedily hauled on board not much the worse for his bath.

Cheap Cutlery.—Cheap Jack again astounded a large crowd in Lowe Street, on Saturay night, where he succeeded in disposing of a miscellaneous quantity of nick nacks at a price emminently satisfactory to himself, whatever they might be to the purchasers. Amongst other things we saw some cutlery sold which John confidently asserted wassomeof Mappin’s very best Sheffield ware. There could be no possible room for doubting John’s veracity when he announced his willingness to part with his treasures for the small sum of Is. per pair of carvers.

Court MlbsWs Have lheir farewell performance on Satnrdy night to a rather small but appreciative audieneei

The Lath Inthrprovinci.<l Cricket Match at Auckland.—“ The Times having stated that the wicket was surreptitiously watered during the night, in the Auckland matoli, thereby placing th*? Canterbury men at a disadvantage, Mr. Wilding writes to say that the Auckland team were fully acquitted of all blame or share in the matter, and they were even more annoyed at such a thing happening than his men were; The trick is supposed to have been played by some one who had been backing Auckland; as it was stated there was a lot of heavy wagering over the match, Mr, Wilding says in his letter that Mr. Robinson did all in his power to set matters right by offering a new wicket» This was declined, because only the tail of the Canterbury team had to go in, and giving the Auckland men a chance to bat oh an almost new wicket would have been worn than the watered one. The members of the Canter* bury team freely say that but for the liberty taken with the pitch they would have made a much closer thing af it, but they give praise to Arneil's and. Dewes’- batting. The Times wonders why the Auckland papers suppressed all mention of this very material point in the issue of the game.”

Growth of Arrowroot;—The N.Z. Herald says:—“ Our readers will remember that some time ago Mr. J. H. Garner, Rosetta, Epsom drew attention to the suitability of the soil and climate of Auckland for the growth of arrowroot of commerce, Since then a gentleman in Wellington, who has had previous acquaintance with the cultivation and preparation of arrowroot for market, has written tn Mr, Garner on the subjest, Samples of the prepared starch have been sent to Welling* ton by Mr. Garner, who has received, in reply; a letter acknowledging the receipt of the samples, and affirming its superior quality. He stated in the latter that he was so well satisfied with what he had seen that he intended to come to Auckland and engage in. the industry, He proposed going to Britain early in the present year, and while there would endeavour to enlist the sympathies of his friends there in the contemplated enterprise. It is to be hoped that final arrangements will be made, and that a large and successful industry will be established. The climate at this end of the colony makes it adapted for the culture of many tender but high-priced crops which could not be grown in other portions of the colony,”

Writing Under Difficulties.—“ Mr. Jules Claretie, in his causerie in Le Temps gives a pathetically interesting anededote of the elder Dumas, whose statue is so soon to be inaugurated. One night his son, the future author of Demi-Monde, who was staying with his father af a farm-house, and occupying a small room next to his, heard a noise, and going in, found his parent walking up and down his straitened apartment in evident pain. “What is the matter?” he asked, “You can see,” returned his father, “lam taking a walk!” “Are you unwell then?’* inquired the son. “It is nothing new,” he replied with a groan. “ I suffer these internal pains nearly every night.” “But why do you not get advice about them ?” “ They are incurable.” “ And will nothing relieve you ?” “ Nothing I When I am seized like this I get up and pace the room as you see. When it is unusually bad 1 read.” “ And when it is unsupporta bit-?” asked his soxi, “Why then,” returned his father with a characteristic gesture, “ I write I” And so it seems was the fact. For fourteen years, during which time Dumas pere was cursed by these recurrent spasms of the bowels, he wrote many of his most amusing and famous works, being the while in such agony that he often wrote with his right hand and with his left he tried to relieve by pressure the anguish of the attack, This sad fact will invest one's next perusal of Les Trois Mousquetaires, which was one of the books writte under the above circumstances, with a new and almost pathetic interest, — Figaro,