The Southland Times TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1870.

Southland Times, Issue 1191, 4 January 1870, Page 2

The Southland Times TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1870.

An information was lodged with the police yesterday, to the effect that during Sunday evening sundry articles, amongst others, several dozens of lemonade, had been stolen from the booth occupied by Messrs Johnson and Cooper at the Caledonian games. As the sports were not concluded till a late hour, these gentlemen had found it impossible to remove all their surplus stock, &c, without encroaching upon the Sabbath, and, thinking things safe enough within the walls of Hfae "enclosure, preferred leaving them there until Monday morning. A number of boys had, however, scented the prey, and, with that catlike facility in climbing for which colonial youth is remarkatye, some of them easily surmounted the wooden palisading, and pass d the plunder over to their accomplices on the outside. A little girl in the neighborhood observed the interesting operation, and, we understand, identified one of the delinquents, so that it is quite likely the whole batch may yet receive a thorough good whipping as a warning for them to restrain their kleptic pr>pensities even- in the face of such strong temptation as is presented by imperfectly protected piles of cakes, lollies, gingerpop, &c, &o. The fire-bell pealed forth its warning notes shortly after three o'clock on the morning of Saturday last. It turned out that an unoccupied cottage situated at tbe corner of Jed and Yarrow streets bad been discovered to be oniire. Before any person had time to reach the Bcene of the conflagration, those in the immediate neighborhood had the devastating element pretty well subdued, and no further damage was done, save the destruction of the building in which the fire had originated. Several members of the fire brigade were on .the spot, but their services were not called into much requisition, as we have already said, the activity of those on the spot, and a plentiful supply of water from the wells in the locality, had "subdued the flames. We believe that the cottage was the property of a man named Ablett, who is engaged in the pilot service at the New River Heads. He had been in town on the morning of the previous day, but left in the forenoon for the scene of his labors. No clue has yet been found as to the origin of the fire, but something may come out at the inquest, which is to take place to-morrow. It is said the building was insured. ; ' A most extraordinary affair 1 (says the Oamaru Times) which looked very like an attempt to commit murder, occurred on Christmas morning. The following are some of the particulars : — Between six and seven a.m. Sergeant Naden was aroused by two boys, who informed him that there was a man up the road near tbe White Hart who was smashing in doors, and threatening all sorts of mischief. The Sergt., thinking probably that it was merely some drunken rascal, went out, taking only a baton with him as a weapon of defence in case of need. On arriving near the White Hart he found several people watching the movements of a man who had just crossed the fence, and was running with a tomahawk in each hand towards the hills. Sergeant Naden gave chase, and being the better runner, overtook him, when he 'wheeled round and lifted the tomahawk to strike. The Sergeant sprang forward and grasped the weapon, which, after a struggle, he succeeded in wresting out of the man's hand, and then took him into custody. , It appears that the prisoner's name is Abraham Forsith, and he resides near the upper end of Thames-street. Early on Christmas morning he went to the house of a neighbor named Mrs Williams, and tried to obtain admittance, using frightful language and threats. Smashing in a panel with his fist, he undid the lock of the door, and threatened to take the life of a daughter of Mrs Williams, who was at the time in the house. She made her escape to the house of a Mrs Richardson, and Mrs Williams, who was in bed in another room, hearing a noise, rose up in bed, when prisoner' came in and threatened to take her life. She fled by the back door to a neighbor's — Forsith, who was armed by thi3 time with a tomahawk, in pursuit. The poor woman succeeded in getting under the shelter of the friendly roof, and then at once nearly swooned away. The door being closed in the face of her pursuer, he kept walking round the house, striking it with: his fist, and making use of terrible threats. By this time the young woman was returning with Mrs Richardson, when Forsith made at the former, as if to strike her with the tomahawk, calling her opprobrious names, and threatening to kill her, when he was prevented by a woman who lives with him throwing her arms round him. Other people coming up, he made off for the hills, having picked up a second tomahawk, and brandishing one in each hand. It was just at this time that Sergt. Naden arrived, and Forsith had thrown away one weapon, no doubt to facilitate hia flight: What followed is already told. Our friends at a distance (says the Bruce Herald of the 29th nit.) will understand the temperature in which we in Tdkomatriro are supposed to hay« maintained an existence for some weeks past, when we say that the thermometer! has frequently risen to 125 degrees in the sun, and in the shade 98. The oldest inhabitant (we forget his name), says he never felt so much pandiculation in any parfc of Her Majesty's dominions, and suggests that if his friends ever expect to visit him alive, they had better come on Saturday first* New Tear's day, as he fears he may .be melted to a fluid state shortly, if the present weather continues much -longer. The bar at the Otago Heads is reported to have silted up a foot and a half from the effects of the easterly winds which have recently prevailed off the coast.

At a baptismal service on Sunday Hat in the Wesleyan Church, Manners -sti-eat (s»ys the Wellington Independent of the 23rd), a rather unusual thing was presented to the congregation. A mother and her daughter attended at the churfcb. each to have their children baptised, while the mother, g"andmothe"r, and great grandmother combined, acted as godmother to both children. .From the Fiji Times of Dec. 4 we learn that a new article of merchandise has been discovered on' Vanna Levu. The bush is fouud to abound^ with the bulei, or Indiarubber tree, and the nati7es get the sap by strippiag off the leaves, and call it drega quruquru. Captain Barrack is trying to procure a shipment of it, so as to ascertain its value as an article of export. Tbe natives want teaching the proper way of tapping the tree, for by breaking off the leaves they are killing the goose that lays the golden egg. The, Timam Herald understands that the erection of the boiling-down establishment at the ' Washdyke will be immediately commenced, the plans bavins beea prepared by Mr Williamson. Mr Moodie, the agent of the Company, is now oa a visit to Timaru, for the purpose of pushing on the work. Rewi has already given a proof of the sincerity of his promise to make a slave of Te Kooti — should he be able to catch him. He has a-: gang of prisoners, among whom is the chief Te Hqra , engaged in digging wood out of the river for firewood, and it is reported thatTe ffeuheu is shortly"to be transferred to his care to be put through 'a similar course of hard labor. ! The Li/Vetlo/i Times of the 27fch ult. says,: — | "Mr William Pa+terson, of Prebbleton, cut a paddock of oats on Monday and Tuesday last. : The crop is estimated to yield fully sixty bushels | an acre. We learn that 2s 6d per bushel has been offered for new oats." | The harvest this season (says the Ocrmaru Times of the 24th ult.) is likely to be /unusually | early. We understand that on Totara and Ardeowau stations alon<», there .are 800 acres of barley which will be fit to cut in a week or ten days. The second experiment (says the Wahotip Mall) for the introduction of trout into the j district is now on trial and near its completion, as far as transit of the fish is concerned. On Thursday last a special messenger was dispatohed 1 I to Iftvercargill for the object of taking charge of young fry (64 in number) ; and a tele"gram has since been received, stating that the U return j journey was commenced on Tuesday morning K«t, and they will probably arrive at Queenstown this evening — it is to be hoped all slive arid in healthy condition. We are sure the enterprise; has the best wishes of everyone; but, nevertheless, there have lately .been attendant circumstances which impress the minds of some with forebodings that the work, if not an entire failure,' will be partially so. It is far from our desire to be deemed aUrmists ; nor do we wish to reflect, on those who have taken the. task in hand* The Council have taken every precaution ; they could not, we believe, have found a .better and more trustworthy person to take charge of t'.e freight than Mr John Burn ; the pond and race have been excellently and securely formed under the supervision of the Public Works Committee; and Mr Cope. The Antrim steamer proceeded at: daybreak ,'thig-. morning for the purpose..>. of ! brinsting the fish up immediately on their arrival at Kingston. But it is to be feared the elements j have conspired against them. Thunder-storms have been floating around the country, especially?! in the Dunstan district ; and should a similar state of things have occurred in the direction of j Southland, it is much to be feared the action of the electric fluid on the metallic vessel containing the fish has jeopardised their lives ; unless precaution was taken on the approach of a storm \ to place them in some earthy pool. These are our doubts ; — may they be groundless. [5.30.— Since above was put in type the trout has arrived — that consists, we regret to state, of okh only. Every care seems to have been taken ; but the greater number died the first day, in consequence , of extremely hot stormy weather. The newspaper lately started in Hokitika, tbeEvening Star, breathed its last on the 18th uH.-, and the plant, &c., is announced as'biing' for saler by auction. It would appear as though news« : papers were not such profitable properties as most* people imagine. An Auckland paper states that the men at work in excavating the ground for the erection of the new offices of the New Zealand Insurance Company, have succeeded during their dinner hours in completely taming a patriarchal-looking old rat, which comes out regularly at meal times from one of the many openings leading into the cutting, and quietly takes its allowance' from the hands of the workmen. The suspense is over (says the TuapeTca Times of the 25th ult.), and the worst forebodings of the croakers realized in the case of the Wetherstones' Deep Shaft. The bottom has been reached, but, unfortunately, it has not proved the subterranean Eldorado some sanguine prophets foretold. On Monday the whole working plant; and machinery, &c, were sold by Mr Hay to Mr Mackney, Wetheratones, for £16 10si Tbe= Committee are, of course, rather chagrined at the failure of an enterprise they have so gallantly persisted in amid all sorts of difficulties. We recommend them to seek for consolation in the treatise Peri Bathous, in the erudite memoirs of ' Martinus Soriblerus. We (Daily Southern Cross) understand that the news as to Te Kooti and his movements which has recently been published is not regarded by the authorities as at all such as need cause alarm or uneasiness. It is not believed that Te Kooti intended to make any attack ; but, whatever may be his intentions, he and his i followers are thoroughly hemmed in by the colonial forces and friendly natives. At the receipt of latest advices Te Kooti had not crossed into the Ngatimaniapoto country, and it is believed that his followers are not numerous. The contract for the erection of the Lighthouse at tbe Nuggets, has now been completed. The erection of the lamp has been commenced . and is expected to be completed in about two months! The lamp is a very efficient one; the machinery is of a complicated nature, and, taken in connection with the very fine scenery in- : the neighborhood, the district will no doubt prove one' of ! considerable attraction for visitors during the summer months. | The Victorian Q-overnment haa voted £2,600 to the children of the late Reyd. Mr HilL j Several good-sized lively young trout have recently been seen in the Tokomairiro pond.

■Unfortunately for those who contemplate ] with pleasure a trip to Ruapuki, the weather, bo long fine, broke on Sunday, and a southerly gale, accompanied with constant cold rain has continued up to the present moment. The holiday cruise of the " Ashley " on Monday had there* fore to be indefinitely postponed, much to the regret of- all concerned. The rain we are glad to see, as it was much required fot the crops, but its absence could easily hare been borne for a <lay or two longer, so as to have allowed the "'whole programme of amusements for the season to hare been comfortably gone through. It is said that about 300 persons had arranged for joining the steamer's party, so that the jaunt would, no doubt, hare been a most enjoyable one under favorable conditions of climate. A settler iv TaranaM has managed to make a ■useful footbridge with fencing wire, a correspondent of the local paper describing it as follows : — A very short description will enable any one to construct a similar bridge, the hide girths sold by the saddlers are good models of Pearson's bridge. It is simply a web, formed with five fencing wires, disposed horizontally under an inch floor, holes are bored through light bearers of 3x2 about 2 inches from the top edge, the bearers are spaced, to suit the lengths of the boards laid on them, and to fasten lisfht post 3, to carry two wires on each side, for hand rails ; the floor on the bearers is formed with nine fourteen 'feet boards, nine feet by six inches ; laid three abreast and lapped, space being forty feet six inches, with a raised rim of two feet, the wires are fastened to a cross beam fixed to trees on each bank, and shows the fertility of resources of the builder ; of course'the details might be improved, bat it was a temporary work, executed with limited means and experience. The Tuapeha Times of the 18th inst. Bays that the cheap drink movement in Waipori continues to excite the indignation of publicans, and the intense gratitude of sinners. The enterprising pioneer of threepenny nips had a number of posters "distributed through Lawrence. The publicans of that city do not appear to be much rejoiced, and occupied sometime in tearing down the placards. " Ooe good result has followed the reduction of price at Waipori, namely, the happy riddance from a majority of inveterate swipers, who hare hurried to take advantage of the opportunity of a cheap burst. ; :.] 'The Auckland Weekly EeraU of the 11th ult. •ays :— " Qne^f the most important industries of •the province, not even second to the goldfield "itself, has received an impetus during the past week. Private letters from England place us in possession of the pleasing intelligence, that flax sent from this province, when dressed in London, realised no less a sum than £108 per ton. Max 5s almost of more importance to this province ithan the goldfields themselves, and fully as reimuneratire a one to all concerned. Before long iwe shall see the natire flax of New Zealand bei come a regular crop on every farm which has : soil capable of growing it, until flax will rival ■ wool as a staple of the farmer's produce." ] The late elections in New South Wales seem to have aroused considerable feeling on both sides, and " brickbats and rotten eggs " are reported to have been "plentiful" on some occasions. In some remaiks on the defeat of Mr Cowper, a candidate for the representation of East Sydney (that gentleman having 'occupied a seat in Parliament from the time responsible government was granted to the colony), the Sydney Mail says : — He, however, is not the only man who seems somewhat to have changed sides. A few years ago no one would have thought that, Mr David Buchanan would have been the chosen champion of Protestantism and of loyalty as opposed to Fenianism. Mr Buchanan's style of oratory is nothing if not vigorous. Its strength lies mainly in its adjectives. His quondam friends and present enemies have taken special delight in disinterring, from the printed records of the past, some of his remarks encomiastic of Fenianism and Roman Catholicism, and these quotations contrast somewhat oddly with his more recent deliverances. The . late denunciations of Popery do not harmonise with the previous denunciation of the Reformation as a " precious farce." Out of the same mouth proceedboth blessings and cursings. Men of Mr Buchanan's stamp should, if possible, avoid print, for, in their impetuosity, they are apt to be very rash, and, though they may come, in the course of time, .to modify their views, they cannot destroy all copies of their lectures and speeches, which remain as a perpetual armoury for opponents. " Oh! that mine enemy had written a book !" I While the Boston papers are discussing the question how best to enforce the new liquor law, a correspondent of the Springfield, Massachusetts, Republican, shows how the law is not enforced at all. He declares that there are more than 500 lager-beer sa'oons in Boston which sell whisky, gin, and German wines not only on week days, but on Sundays ; that one hotel at least sells liquors as openly as it did under a license ; and, more than all, whisky cocktails are drawn from soda fountains. This is only the old " striped pig" in anew form. The, customer calls for "soda," and gets what he wants, and pays for. One of the chief charms of Radical restrictive legislation is that it makes even moral Bostonians cheats and liars.