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Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 106, 21 December 1878, Page 2

Failing to Provide.—l. B. Mendelson was summoned for failing to provide sufficient maintenance for his wife and two children, the latter aged 8 months and 13 years respectively. Mrs Mendelson not understanding English, Mr J. Siogert was sworn to act as interpreter. After hearing the statements of both sides, the magistrate ordered defendant to pay 27s 6d per week through the Court. Defendant's language and bearing towards his wife while in Court were so coarse and heartless as to draw down upon him a well-deserved rebuke from the Bench. Assaoll Case.—OnThursday D O'Brien was brought up at the R M. Court, charged with being disorderly in a railway carriage and with assaulting two railway servants. O'Brien came from Timor u on Wednesday in the Point train, and on the way behaved in such a manner as to annoy the other passengers. On the guard, T. Quinn, requesting him to be quiet, he challenged him to light, and used very bad language. On nearing the Washdyke station the guard again passed through the carriage in the prosecution of his duty. The prisoner, who had continued disorderly, again threatened him and made an attempt to strike him. In order to avoid a scene in the train, which had now reached the platform, the guard got out, not expecting the piisoner to follow. He did so however, and struck the guard from behind knocking him down and injuring severely —so severely that it is probable he will not be able to resume his work for a month. Several of the passengers got out and got the prisoner down preventing him from doing further damage till the train started. Of course he was not allowed to proceed futher. When the train started he attacked the station master MrGould ( knocking him clean off the platform on to the rails! A young man who had got out at the station came to Mr Gould's assistance and the two managed to master him. "If I had not been assisted.'' said Mr Gould, "1 expect I should have had to stand up and fight him till further notice." O'Brien was sentenced to a month's imprisonment with hard labour.

Kelly's Gang.—A' late Melbourne telegram says:—"The Victorian border towns are now ea';h garrisoned by ten meu of the permanent artillery force to prevent raids on them by the Kellys. The drivers, stokers, and guards on the railways are armed with rifles and revolvers. The gang have threatened to raise the rails if they are not pardoned and allowed to leave the colony.

South Canterbury Coursing Club. — A meeting' of the committee of this Club was held on Wednesday evening, Mr B. Thompson in the chair. A. h:tt:r from

Mr L mcelot Walker, of Four Peaks, was read, in which that gentleman stated that lie was unable to accept the Presidency of the Club. It was resolved to invite Mr M. Studholme,~of Waimate, to be President. ' Tlu advisability of taking some steps to secure the destruction of hawks was mooted, anl it was stated that a certain Gun Club in Otago had been assisted by the Provincial Acclimatization Society. Alter home discusbiou it was resolved, " That this Club a Iveitise that it is prepared to give a shilling for each hawk's head brought to the secretary, and that the South Canterbury Acclimatization Society be asked to bear a share of the expense." Mr Thompson said he would be glad to give information as to the best way of capturing hawks to anyone who should apply, by letter or personally. It was resolved that the'committee hold'their next meeting on the Bth January, when it is probable that, the date will be fixed, and some arrangements be made, for the first coursing meeting of the Club. We have to thank the secretary for supplying us with a copy ■ of the rules of the Club. They are very neatly got up, -well printed, and bound in limp cloth. The rules are similar to, if not a transcript of those of the North Otago Club. Thirty-one rules relate to the management of the Club, and thirfcyfour others to proceedings in the field, or to matters connected with running of stakes. In each department everything that could conduce to fairness and order seems to have been thought of and embodied in the rules.

Tha-PPing Hawks. Sportsmen, and farmers' wives anxious for the safety of their chickens, will no doub tbe interested in the result of a resolution passed by the committee of the South Canterbury Coursing Club at a meeting held on Wednesday. . An advertisement which appears in another column offers ' a shilling for each hawk's head taken to the secretary of the Club, Mr G. Bdton. A well-known sportsman reconunmds the following as the most successful plan for capturing these depredators, the enemies of other bird-life, wild and domestic : —lt is wellknown that hawks do not swoop upon any carcase lying upon the ground. They like, if possible, to take a quiet observation before attacking one, in order to see whether any signs of life are manifested. Whenever it is possible they will for this purpose alight on any elevated point near the booty. This characteristic suggests a plan for capturing them, which has proved most successful. A stake, say of four-by-three, and about four feet long is driven into the ground near any fresh carcase, and a com nn.\ rat-trap loosely attached by a lino or chain is placed on the top, without bait. The bird alights on this to make a quiet survey of wh-'t he imagined wou'd he his dinner or supper as the case, might be. If the trap be fairly set the rjsult will be so disastrous to him that In wi 1 wish ho had never been born. Any person s-tting a trap in this way should be humane enough to attend to it pretty often to put ciptives out of their misery as soon as possible. It is uo joke, even to a hawk, to be " fixed " in such a way. It will not be neecessary to brimr a carcase near the trip—the stake can be driven into the ground near the bait. If no dead sheep or lamb or other large animal is handy, a small dead bird may be fixed to the stake by a piece of fencing wire so as to stand clear of the stake a few feet. The bird being quiescent, the ha vk will not swoop down upon it, but will settle on the stake to make enquiries. If a common rat-trap is used, it will rarely happen that a hawk will capsize it by alighting on the spring. Hawks are not perchers, they require a somewhat broad base to stand upon. The table of a trap is just the thing. Youngsters trapping hawks had butter knock them on the head before taking them out of the trap. They will learn why if they do not do so

A Case of Lunacy.—Thomas George was again brought up on Wednesday, charged with being of unsound mind. Evidence of some of his vagaries, sufficient to prove his insanity, was given, and Drs Rayner and Hayes certified thereto as medical men. He was accordingly 'ordered to be sent to the asylum. Dv Hayes stated that prisoner's father became insane when about forty years of age. Prisoner did not in conversation betray mucn mental aberration, and if confined in an asylum would probably conduct himself quite sanely. He, Dr Hayes, would not be much surprised if the •man were sent back, since two other cases sent from this Court had been so. These cases were those of Michael Healey and Elizabeth Hart. The first was an undoubted idiot, and the second suffered from puerperal mania. Since being discharged from the asylum she had been confined, and had been instrumental in causing the death of her child. Her first child had also to be separated from her. Yet Dr Coward. said these were not fit cases for the asylum. He could attribute this to nothing else but ignorance, and did not scruple to do so. Therefore he should not be surprised if this man were sent back. Dr .Rayner endorsed the remarks of his colleague relative to the action of the Superintend ;nt of the asylum in discharging the two cases referred to as unfit subjects. Such a proceeding cast a slur upon the medical man who certified, nnd the Bench who committed.

Beeaking Up ok the Temxika School. —This school broke up yesterday for the -Christmas holidays. .j\hich will extend over tlnee weeks-. The children \vei - e entertained in the cricket ground in the P.irk with races and otln t\ games, prizes, rseful and ornamental, being given to the fleetest. They were then regaled with tea and cakes. Afterwards, various games were indulged in till a late hour, kiss-in-the-ring being the most 'popular. We sent a repoiter te the ground to give a full account of the proceedings. When, on his return, two or three hours behind time, we asked for his copy, he panted out, "Havenun!—been, too bus}' —too much fun 'fritin'!" We excused him this time, as he was among old acquaintances.

Waitohi.—The members of the Wes leyan Church, Waitohi, hold a tea-meet-ing in their church on Christmas Day. i. public meeting will be afterwards held. As the day is a holiday, no doubt the church-ground will be pretty well thronged, and especially as we do not hear of any other particular claim upon the attention of the Waitohi people. New Saw Mills, Geralbinb.—A day or two ago we visited Messrs Gibson and Muslin's new saw mills in the Raukapuka bush. They are situated in the picturesque gully west of the Roman Cathoiic Church and close to Mr J. Dean's cottage. The plant of the mill is not very extensive, but is as much so as the comparatively small quantity of available bush will warrant the proprietors in erecting. Owing to the bush being close to the mills, and to its being on a steep hillside, it would not be worth while to construct a tramway for bringing the logs to the mills. The logs are " broken down " by hand, two pairs of sawyers, working steadily, being able to keep the circular saw going, .and at a cheaper rate than, under the circumstances, a "ver+icti '■ could do. The circular is driven by a double-cylinder engine of 10-horse power, made by Robey and Sons, Lincoln. The barrel of the boiler is ornamented, with an illumination representing the various medals taken by the maker at different shows, and it is pleasing to note that a New Zealand medal is assigned one of the most prominent places. The proprietors are having shedding erected to cover the whole of the works. Sin;e the work was commenced the weather has been so line that the want of covering has not been felt, but should a change ojcur of course a protection would be required. The work is progressing very well indeed. Mr Gib son informs us tl.at they are now cutting at the rate of about 80,000 feet per month. A large proportion of the timber in the bush being black pine and totara, and these timbers having now become scarce in the market the new mill will no doubt be well patronised.

Holloway's Pills.—Sick Headaches. —Thousands suffer from this worrying annoyance when the body and brain are depressed in warm damp weather. Holloway's purifying Pids present, a ready means.of cure for indigestion, biliousness, and flatulency ; in debilitated constitutions and nervous habits these Pills are the best restoratives ; they correct all the unpleasant consequences of torpidity of the liv'.'r, they remove distention and never fail to secure regular action. For all abdominal ailments Uolloway's Pills are the safest possible medicine, they at once give ease and comfort, and naturally strengthen the who'e series of organs concerned in the process of digestion, and will be found useful in every household.