Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 111, 21 April 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

R.M. Court.—There is likely to be another long Court day to-mo rrow, as the cause-list thows no less than ten cases set down for hearing. Trust Commissioder’s Court.—The only business that was transacted at the Trust Commissioner’s Court this morning, was the adjournment of the hearing of three blocks, viz., the Wharekaka, the Orika, and the Hotuataka, till Monday next the 28th inst. The Soudan.—By our latest telegrams General Gordon’s despatches inform us that the loyal troops have gained two more victories over the rebels and have the latter surrounded. Cholera.—That terrible Eastern scourge cholera has again broken out in Calcutta, where it is already committing dreadful ravages. The Wairarapa.—This fine vessel is now being fitted up with Haslam’s patent refrigerating machinery, and it is anticipated that the apparatus, which will be capable of freezing 1000 sheep, will be in proper working order by the time she arrives in Auckland. Swimming.—The first heat of the quartermile race for the championship of Australia between Kenny and Mclndoe was won by the former in the splendid time 6 min. 38 | secs. The Mails.—An Auckland paper says :— “Loud complaints are being made about delays in the delivery of letters from the South. Delays are specially noted between Wellington and Auckland. C. Smith’s & Co.’s Sale.—The stock of Miss Shakespeare’s Fancy Repository, were sold to-day by Mr. C. Smith, at his mart, when the many useful articles brought exceptionally good prices. Gisborne School.—Mr. Hill, the Inspector of Schools, arrived by the Wairarapa this morning, in order to hold a sort of intermediate examination of the children of the Government School. The Coming Election.—We hear that the cards are being again shuffled for a fresh deal, and that Mr. DeLautour intends taking Mr. McDonald’s hand with a view of trying his luck. One thing is certain—Mount Ida is played out. Electoral Rolls.—The electors rolls for the year 1884-5 are now on view at the office of the Council, Lowe-street, and at stated places of the several ridings. Notice of any informality in the same must be given on or before the 31st May.

Gisborne Institute.—We have much pleasure in calling attention to the announcement which appears in another column to the effect that a meeting in connection with the above will be held in the Gisborne School Room on Wednesday evening. We trust that no efforts will be spared to push the institution forward, and that every exertion will be made to counteract the reaction which invariably sets in after the first excitement of a new movement dies away. We hope to see a good attendance upon the above occasion as the lectures will undoubtedly prove most instructive.

Mr. P. Barker’s New Residence.—Notwithstanding the persistent manner in which certain enemies to his peace keep the above gentleman tolerably well employed in attending law courts and lawyers’ offices, he has yet found time to look to a few of his own concerns, and has certainly found out the happy knack of making himself comfortable, as any one who may feel disposed to view his new homestead on the Whataupoko will see. The building is certainly one of the handsomest, though possibly not the largest in the Bay, and consists of a two-storey building, surrounded on three sides with a bold Bft. wide and 14ft. high verandah and balcony, the latter having a light and gracefully ornamental iron rail in front. On entering through the handsome portico you pass under the tower into a spacious hall, 9jft. wide by 49ft. long, at the end of which "springs the newel staircase leading to the upper storey, and from thence to the tower room, from which a most magnificent view of the whole Bay, as far as the eye can reach, may be obtained. The wing which is near com pletion, contains nine rooms, five upstairs and four down. The dining and drawing rooms adjoin, and a pair of large folding-doors enables the two to be thrown into one which would then make a splendid room 36ft. by 58ft. and 14ft. high. The whole building is constructed in the most substantial manner, the beams and rafters being of such substance as to lead one to imagine that they are looking at some building intended for heavy storage. In fact the whole structure is such a judicious blending of beauty and strength as to make it one of the most credible of the many noteworthy ones of the combinned skill of Mr. W. P. Finneran, as architect, and Mr. W. O. Skeet, as builder, that the Bay can boast of; and we cannot do other than wish its genial proprietor long life and happiness (in spite of the compan’ys maleficient spirits) to enjoy the comforts of his enviable homestead.

The Schoolmaster Abroad.—Lawyer: You say you made an examination. What did you find? Witness: Oh, nothing of consequence, only a beggarly array of empty boxes, as Shakespeare says. — Newly-appointed Magistrate: Never mind what Shakespeare says. He will be summoned, and can testify for himself if he knows anything about the case. J Battery Tournament.—The competition for the two events, compulsorily left over from last Easter Monday owing to the length of the programme, took place at the range on Saturday afternoon last, when some very good shooting was made, especially by Sergt. Pavitt and Gunner Thelwal, who headed the the list in each event. The distance was 200 yards, five shots being allowed to each competitor. Revolving target:—Capt. Winter 2, Gunners Hansen and O’Meara 0, Gunner Thelwal! 3, Sergt. Turton 3, Sergt. Pavitt 3. Running deer :—Gunners O'Meara 1, Hansen 1, Thelwall 17, Capt. Winter 0, Sergt. Pavitt 10, Civilians E. A. Pavitt 6, Prin 1, Ingle 5. The prizes in the first event were: —lst. Dress shirt and gold stud ; 2nd. A pipe ; 3rd. Bottle of lavender water. In ihe second:—lst. Box of tea; 2nd. Mr. Ratcliffe’s prize; 3rd. Mr. Beveridge’s prize, Several other other matches were fired off afterwards among themselves. It is expected that the third competition for the Champion Belt presented by Mr, A. McDonald, will take place on the 24th of May, Barefaced Distortion.—The following barefaced distortion and exaggeration is worthy of a prominent place in the annals of the most mendacious class of litary ravings to which it belongs. It is entirely unnecessary to make any further remarks than to point out that the following extract if from a leading article which appeared in our last Friday’s contemporary re Land Court procedure :—“ Mr. Brookfield refused to hear Mr. Harris, and ordered hint to stop speaking. Mr. Harris, speaking in Maori, insisted on his right as a native to address the court, and continued to speak about an hour; and hence was witnessed the Judge being obliged to submit to what but for his insensate provocation would be an affront. Now comes the best of it. On Saturday Mr. Harris (the gentleman above referred to, and whose name has been made such vile use of in the above), forwards the following gentlemanly contradiction to the same journal:—“ Sir, —Permit me to state that in reference to that portion of your leader in last night’s issue which narrates what took place between Judge Brookfield and myself, your informant has exaggerated, and although I cannot accept the Judge’s ruling on the question of subdivision as being correct, I found ihe judge then as courteous as he always has been on the many occasions upon which 1 have had to address him.— Yours, &c., E. F. Harris, Gisborne, April 19, 1884.” One would have thought this slice of leek would have been swallowed decently, but not so ; and the crowning point was put to the whole affair by the following characteristic preamble placed in front of the above letter, and which is certainly worthy of Machiavel himself :—“ We have received a letter from Mr. Harris on. this subject, and we desire in reference to it to say that Mr. Harris corroborates our statements fully, except in the minor point to which he refers."

Political Forecasts.—Without assuming any of the mysteriously knowing style sometimes put on by would-be political weatherwise seers, we have every reason for surmising that some atmospheric disturbances are taking place in the ministerial regions, and although the signs are at present very indistinct and the rumblings afar off, yet a very perceptible fall in the political barometer indicates a storm. Of course it is impossible, considering our isolated position, to know much beyond what our exchanges and telegrams bring us, and the deductions to be made therefrom; nevertheless, we were fully justified in informing our readers a short time ago that it had leaked out that some move was on the board relative to native lands dealings, and that the first effect of the same will be seen before long in the suspension of all transactions in native lands, possibly, it is surmised, with a view to the resumption of the pre-emptive rights of purchase by Government. This supposition has been greatly strengthened by the remarks which have fallen from the different members of the Ministry, no less than from the Premier himself. But all our doubts and fears must shortly be set at rest, and some stirring times may be looked for on the re-assembling of Parliament, if not before. The Rangitikei Emigrants.—The 300 immigrants which arrived in Auckland by the above vessel appear to have been quickly absorbed. According to an Auckland paper writing the following day, “ The single young men have all disappeared, while fully twothirds of the single girls have already been engaged, and there appears every prospect of the whole shipment speedily settling down into certain and remunerative employment.

The Weather.—After a welcome period of magnificent weather a rapid change took place yesterday, when indications of a buster from the S.E. set in. The fine and genial warmth of the morning was succeeded by a cold chill afternoon, and the evening fell with sudden gusts and heavy squalls of rain. Towards midnight a good gale was blowing with a heavy sea running outi ide ; but as the dawn approached the wind gradually subsided and old Sol again smiled upon the scene, the sole remaining traces of the Borean rumpus being seen in the heavy swell which rendered the Snark’s duties somewhat difficult. The Wairarapa, on coming into the Bay, through some rather remarkable blunder, anchored right on the inner patch, notwithstanding that the buoy was placed there for the special purpose of preventing such an occurrence. The consequence was that ii> was found dangerous in the extreme, and most difficult to transfer the passengers. Every now and then a heavy sea would break over the little craft and howsers were snapped like packingthread. The stancheons and bits were carried away. On Captain Kennedy getting on board he persuaded Captain McNeil to weigh and run over under the Head where the cargo was transhipped with tolerable facility. Another thing was plainly demonstrated, viz., that the crew of the Snark, (two men), will prove totally insufficient for the winter months during bad weather; and had it not been for the gratuitous help rendered by our wharfinger (Mr. Thomas), on the above occasion, whose assistance was most essential, there is every probability that the transhipment of passengers would not have been effected in the satisfactory manner it was.

Sanitary.—The Leader gives the following which should claim wide attention :—An important discovery in the treatment of night soil is reported to have been made by Mr. Forbes Victor, of Ballarat, who is stated to have invented a compound, a powder (which can be very cheaply made) which will deodorise the most offensive matters, and entirely remove all disagreeable or injurious smell. Mr. Victor takes the nightsoil from the city council, and treats it at his depot. He uses no pits, nor any apparatus beyond a shovel and a plasterer’s fork, and the nightsoil gathered by the city collectors during the past few weeks may be seen at the depot in huge mounds, thoroughly devoid of smell, and presenting the appearance of heaps of loose, dark earth. The mounds have been examined by Drs. Bruce and Woinarski, who in their capacity as health officers for the city and for Ballarat shire, certify to the fact that the depot can do no injury to health. As the night carts arrive at the depot their contents are run into beds formed against the heaps of little embankments of the treated stuff. In the bottom of these bods is placed a layer of refuse charcoal, and as the soil runs into the pans Mi-. Victor sprinkles his composition upon it. When the night’s collections are all in he puts a layer of bark, horse manure, sawdust or street sweepings over them, and throws Irme upon the top. So completely does the deodorant do its work, that ten minutes after the carts have gone there is no odor to tell that they have been in the locality, or left their ill favored loads there. In the course of the next day or two the stuff is thrown out in heaps, which are scentless, and no more remarkable in appearance than mounds of dark earth would be. So completely are the disagreeable qualities of the matters changed that anyone might walk between, or over the mounds, without having any suspicion that they are composed of butchers’ offall, rotten fish and all th? ordure and obnoxious waste of the city. Farmers who have tried the manure declare that they have had wonderful results from it, and describe it as an excellent manure', free from all unpleasant smell, and splendid for top dressing.

Death of a Jockey.—Press telegrams of to-day confirm the reported death of Mr. W. Brimner, brother to Mr. J, Brimner, in the employ of Mr. D, Page. We hear that the unfortunate man was driving a waggon into Kamo, and while decending an incline, the horses took fright and bolted. In his endeavors to apply the break, he fell and becoming entangled in the wheel had first his leg and then his arm torn off, and finally his head was completely severed from his body, the trunk presenting a horribly mangled appearance. The Salvationists.—A Melbourne firm has received the following letter enclosing £2 :— “ Gentlemen, —Whilst in your employ I appropriated for my own use what was yours, but through attending the meetings of the Salvation Army I have seen the error of my ways, and my conscience tells me to refund what is not mine, and the Salvation Army teaches all men to do right and be honest in all things. Enclosed you will find the amount in full. Yours (signed), 4 Saved by Jesus.’ ” The Pillory.—The following description of a pillory scene is from the Gentlemans Magazine ot 120 years ago:—“A man about 60 years stood on the pillory in Cheapside. The populace fell upon the wretch, tore off his coat, waistcoat, shirt, hat wig, and breeches, and then pelted and whipped him till he had scarcely any eigne of life left; be was once pulled of the pillory, but hung by his arms till he was set up again, and stood in that naked condition, covered with mud, till the hour was out, and then he was carried back to Newgate.” Too Bad.—A bashful young man, accompanied by a gusher of 18 summers, was the other day travelling by railway. A jocular friend sat behind the pair, and seemed immensely interested in their conversation, which was not by any means brilliant. On reaching a tunnel the friend knocked the bashful man’s hat off. ran his fingers through his well combed locks, kissed his own hand vehemently, and then slapped his own face and subsided just as the train emerged into the light of day. Of course all eyes were directed to the young pair, who seemed the reverse of comfortable, and the verdict, although only expressed in looks and smirks, was unanimous that the bashful youg man had been properly paid out for his impudence.—“ Under the Verandah.”