LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 351, 8 February 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day the monthly meeting of the Geraldine County Council will take place in the County Council rooms, Timaru, at II a.m.

The next census in New Zealand will be taken on the first of April. Throughout England and the whole of the British dependencies, the census will be taken on the same day.

In the walking match of seven miles, at Auckland, between Brett and Fernandez, the former won by half a mile.

Captain Sheet has been appointed Chief Surveyor to the West Coast Land Commission, and will for the present be stationed at Hawera.

The Colonial Treasurer has received a letter from Hokitika signed by a Catholic enclosing three £1 notes (conscience money) due to the public revenue for some time past.

At Gallon’s Bay, Lyttelton, on Saturday morning, a stone weighing from 30 to 40 pounds, rolling down the hill-side, struck a girl of 12 years, daughter of Mr Edgar, on the head, causing concussion of the brain. It is feared the accident will terminate fatally. A fatal accident happened at Waikaka near Christchurch, on Thursday. A daughter of Mr S. Mclntosh, aged 15, was thrown from her horse, when her foot caught in the stirrup, and she was dragged a considerable distance. She died about an hour afterwards from concussion of the brain.

Volunteer J. D. Willocks, ex-champion, has entered for the Nelson meeting.

Oa Saturday, at Invercargill, young Scott concluded the feat of walking 112 miles in 24 hours. He put on a capital spurt at the finish, and came m two minutes before the expiration of the stipulated time.

It will be seen from our advertising columns that Messrs E. Hutton and Co. have been obliged, through unforseen circumstances,'to limit their, stay in Temuka to only two weeks more. It is but just to Messrs Hutton and Co. to say that on all hands we hear the best account of them. Had their stay been only a few days there would bo no test of the. justness of their dealings, but a firm who can hold out so successfully for such a number of months, is the best proof that can be given that the goods they sold, and the prices they charged, have given, great satisfaction. Changes in the Home establishment, we understand, makes it imperative for the Temuka manager to be at head-quarters, hence the sudden closing up. Even as citizens wo will miss them

A fire, attended with fatal results, occurred at Newton, Auckland, at ten p.ra. on Saturday night. A house, occupied by Charles Whittington, a driver, was destroyed, and his three children, Herbert Christopher Whittington, Sarah Olive Whittington, and Milly Whittingon, aged 6 years, 3 years, and 10 months respectively, were burnt to death.

Our railway officials perform strange freaks at times, , What on earth could have led them to change the name of the South Rangatata Station to thatof Woodbridge. Surely, when we have a Wood-

biiry a few miles off from it there is enough of timber without any more timber heads trying to spoil our fihe'Maori names What could be better than many of these names. Take for instance Waimato, Waitohi, Oaraaru, Tiraaru, the Kangatata or Arpwhenua. Some people have queer tastes, and must be always meddling and muddling when things are right to make them wrong. A better business for our railway officials to be after would be to put some of the stations in decent order. The Arowhenua station, for instance, is a disgrace to the district; no female can eater its precincts without being spattered with dirt and mud, rotten straw, or hay. Surely the railway authorities could afford to have it cleaned out at least once a week. They would be better employed than in demolishing our fine Maori names. A sad story of privation at sea, in which two men were ten days and nights in an open boat, has just reached Liverpool. The information is dated 7th November, and states that the schooner City of Chelsea, Captain Godwin, had arrived at Cedar Keys, and landed two men, natives of San Bias, who had been p ; cked up at sea. It appears that the men left San Bias for Colon, when they were suddenly overtaken by a heavy storm, which blew them out to sea. They soon lost sight of land, and, having no compass,' lost their way. In this condition they drifted about fourteen days and nights, and were eventually picked up by the (’ity of Chelseu. When rescued, the poor fellows were almost dead from hunger and thirst, not having had anything to eat for the four previous days and nights. When fallen iu with they were eighty-six miles from the nearest point, and Captain Godwin decided to take them to the nearest point, which he did.

Some of our leaders may probably have seen the following, but it is so good we cannot resist giving it. A bashful young peasant was greatly captivated by the charms of a pretty girl in his own station in “life ; he was exceedingly anxious to for her to marry him, and had often resolved to do so, but for so far his courage had always failed him when the opportunity arrived. However, one night he resolved to hear his fate in spite of his modesty, so he started off to spend the evening with her. When he arrived, to his joy her parents were from home, and she was sitting at the kitchen fire with a big grey cat lying at her feet. Jamie sat down beside her, but not a word could he say, till at the end of half an hour, he inwardly resolved to “ finish this business so, acting on a “happy thought,” he placed the cat upon his knee and stammered forth : “ Pussy, ask Lizzie will she marry me ? ” Lizzie blushed and smiled, butmauaged to say : “Pussy, tell Jamie I’ll take him.”

A big, good-natured doctor wes desperately in love with, and had been twice refused by, a fair-haired little woman. But instead of his disappointment curing his love, it only made the passion grow the more intense. After the last refusal he told her that if ever she changed her mind to let him know, as his love for her was inconquerable, and he would, be proud to be her husband. Some months later he was driving home from seeing a patient, when he saw his lady-love riding in his direction. Supposing she would merely bow and pass on, as she had often done before, he did not pull up his horse. But the moment Miss Dixon came up to him she reined in her horse, stopped, and called out : “ Won’t ypu stop, Dr Hill ? ” He raised his hat, and replied : “ I shall be happy to do so;’’ then waited for. her to speak. She was gazing at the ground and blushing deeply ; but, looking up, she filled the doctor’s honest heart with surprise and gladness by saying : “DrHill, I have been closely watching you lately, and seeing nothing but goodness and noble-mindedness in your character, and believing you will make an excellent husband, I am willing to marry you.” The Clutba Leader says :—“We have received from Mr Hugh Bower a plant of the tobacco grown by him in his garden inßalclutha. It is about four feet high, and is very strong and healthy. We were surprised to learn that the seed was 14 years old before being sown. Mr Bower has proved that tobacco can be successfully grown here, and we believe he is about to commence the curing process, so that we may shortly have another profitable industry established here

We are reliably informed (says the Bruce Herald) that good gold has been found in the bed of the Clutha rirer, not far from Balclutha. Some rich specks of the metal were extracted from a load of stones in the main road. This unexpected discovery led to an eager inspection of the stones in the locality where the ‘‘ municipal ’’ heap was found, and sufficient specks were found to induce “a new rush ” of diggers in the neighborhood. It is staled that the late Lord Mayor (Alderman Tntseott) during his year of office entertained no less than 12,000 visitors at various banquets, dejuncrs, Asc., while more than 5000 other distinguished personages partook bf his hospitality at reunions, conversaziones, or the like. The Hawera correspondent of the Wanganui Chronicle says that settlement in that district goes on apace, numerous buildings being in course of erection both iyiiiuiMniiiiiM

allotments on the plains; anti, notwithstanding the season of the year, ditch and bank fencing is being proceeded with. What has been put up seems to stand well, despite the predictions to the con trary of the pioneers. The pigs have had a hard time of it, as both pakeha and Maori have been active in the work of extinction. Nowhere in the district is progress more noticeable than in the bush country between Normauby and Stratford. Large areas of bush have been felled on both sides of the road, and the majority of those who purchased land immediately after the “ Maori scare ” have comfortable homes on their holdings, with neat gardens attached, and a few acres under grass. Bush settlements, as a rule, advance slowly, as men with capital have been tardy in purchasing bush, while fern land was to be bad, but the Ngaire settlement seems to be an exception. It numbers amongst it occupiers a fair sprinkling of the wealthier class of. settlers, and although the land is not yet 12 months sold, their mark can be seen in the extent ot some of the clearings. The Minister of Education has (reports the Age) subject to the approval of the Boards of Advice, given Mr Howard Haywood a general permission to lecture in the State schools of the Colony. The lecturer has visited nearly all the schools in New Zealand, also a number of the New South Wales schools, where he has met with every support from the committees and masters. The lecture is upon “New Zealand as I have seen it,’’ and is very interesting from the fact that a number of beautiful views, illustrative of the Colony, are exhibited during the evening. All attending these lectures will be able to obtain an idea of what the sister Colony is really like, and the progress that has been made during the past few years.