LOCAL AND GENERAL

Temuka Leader, Issue 804, 22 December 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Death From Drowning. —One of the crew of the Penguin, named William Gunn, fell into the water from that vessel last Friday and was drowned despite every effort made to save him.

Decline in Price op Oats. —A telegram from Melbourne states that the oat market is si ill declining. The New Zealand Mercantile Agency Company have been requested to suspend shipment.

High Com-Missioneeseip op Fiji.— -It is stared that Sir A. Gordon, Governor of New Zealand and High Commissioner of the Pacific will shortly be relieved of the general supervision over the Colony of Fiji.

As Apt DErismos. —At a meeting at Hokitika Hr Fitzgerald was asked to define "Conservative” and “Liberal,” and ho replied, the Conservative is a man in office who intends stopping there, and the Liberal is a man who intends trying to turn him out. (Roars of laughter.)

A Wait From: the Sea. A bottle containing a slip of paper on which were the following words, has been picked up near Patea“ In danger of being drowned j ship unmanageable —rudder gone—one of the crew overboard, skipper gone and Jack Bearnard. Ship Mary and Jane, Newcastle> N.S.W. (On back of the paper): Immediate relief wanted ; another two hours and all is gone.” A ship of this name is said to belong to the port mentioned, hut the relic looks too much like a hoax.

Temuea Brass Band.—On Tuesday evening last the Band played several selections of music on the vacant piece of ground opposite the Crown Hotel. The public gathering was not bo great as on previous similar occasions, owing no doubt to a heavy mist falling at the time. Those who were present, however, were gratified at the efficient manner in which the Band, under the leadership of Mr Stratton, the bandmaster, played the following excellent selections of music :—Quick march, Hawthorn Valse ; overture, Confidence ; polka, Turtle Doves ; mazurka, Lovely May ; overture, Zulieka ; quick march, Bon Jour ; waltz, Rustic Queen ; grand march, Albion ; God Save the Queen. Payment to Volunteers.— On Tuesday last Licut-Colonel Paeke, arrived in Temuka for the purpose of paying the Volunteers for services rendered at the front. In the evening the Volunteers, twenty-three in number, under Lieut White, their officer, assembled at the Royal Hotel, whore Lieut-Colonel Packe, in a few words, expressed his gratification at the pleasing duty ho had to perform on behalf of the Government of the country. He then proceeded with the business of the evening and each Volunteer left Ac room well satisfied with the amount he had received, and expressing willingness at the same time to place his services at the disposal of his country should he be called on to do so. Colonel Packe left here yesterday for Tiraaru, and will go on from-'that town to-day to Ashburton, where he has similar durios to perforin. A Hardy Volunteer. —Hero is a sample (a contemporary eaya) of the stuff of which the Scottish volunteers who attended the Edinburgh review are made. Private Boyd, Lockfoot, a veteran souter nearly 70 years of age, and an enthusiastic member of the Maxwelltown volunteers, breakfasted at Lockfoot on the review morning ; at one o’clock he walked to Dumfries, a distance of sis miles, when he joined his coi-ps and proceeded with it to Edinburgh (74 miles). Afrer enduring the fatigue and drenching of that memorable day, he returned to Dumfries the following morning in bis wet clothes, and walked to Lockfoot. arriving home at 4 a.m. He changed and refreshed himself, and was at his business before eis o’clock. Well might his comrades exclaim on heaving of bis feat, " Well done, auld Boyd ”

The Weather. —During Monday night and Tuesday morning a Wellcome rain fell throughout the district, thereby doing incalculable good to the crops that were beginning to get parched for want of rain. Slaughterhouse Regulations. — A notification appears elsewhere to the effect that, a special meeting of the Geraldine County Council will be held on Tuesday, January 24th, 1882, for the purpose of confirming a modification in the Slaughterhouse Regulations as now in force within the Geraldine County. A copy of the proposed modification appears in our advertising columns. The Late President Garfield.—For forty-two clays the four surgeons attendant on President Garfield—Bliss, Barns, Woodward, and Reybuan—charged the Government 4200c101a, or lOOdols each per day. Dr Agnew’s bill for the same number of days for “ consultations, operations, and visits,” was 32,G0Q dels, and Dr Hamilton, for “ visits and consultations,” rendered a bill for a similar amount ; the medical men’s services amounted to 87,000d015. (£17,520). New Year’s Day Sports.— The South Canterbury Caledonian Society will hold their seventh annual gathering in Tirnaru, on Monday the 2nd proximo, on the new Agricultural Show grounds. Nominations for the handicap races, (boys excepted), must be sent to the Secretary by 6 pm. on Saturday next. In order that visitors from the country may bs present till the close of the sports late trains will be engaged.

Native Afjaies. —A Wellington correspondent to the Cbristchurc’ Press states that Mr Bryce had telegraphed to the effect that Natives held a feast at Parihaka on the 17th hist, but that there was no attempt to hold a regular meeting; and no speechifying took place, So far as he can learn there was no endeavor made anywhere to revive the style of meetings hitherto held there on the 17th of each month. Mr Bryce has been among the "Wanganui natives who were expelled from Parihaka, and finds them quite cheerful and content in their proper districts ; even two of their chiefs who were greatly irate at their enforced removal, have nqw got over their vexations and seem thoroughly acquiescent and resigned. The Jews of the World. — A handbook giving a general account cf the Jews, just issued by Dr R, Andree, estimates their total number throughout the world at about 6.100.000. Only 180,000 of t': a race are to be found in Asia, 400,000 in Africa, 300,000 in America, and 200,000 in Australia. The great majority of the race, more than 5.000. live in Europe- Roumania contains a far larger number of Jews in proportion to its population than any other European country, namely 7.44 per cent, while Norway contains only 33 individuals of the race. The local distribution of the Jewish population in different countries is traced out with great pains by Dr Andree. Tnus, in some of the Government districts of Russian Poland the Jewish inhabitants constitute from 13 to 18 per cent of the population. Although for the whole of Germany the Jewish element is only per cent of the population, in the city of Berlin it has increased to nearly 5

per cent. Somnambulism. A remarkable case of somnambulism (says the Melbourne Herald) in a youth suffering from bronchitis came lately under the observation of the medical officers at the Melbourne Hospital. About 2 o’clock in the morning the constable on the Simpson’s-road beat was startled by what he thought to be a most extraordinary apparition. An animated object dressed in a nightgown was walking along the road slowly. Evidently not {lightened of ghosts, the constable approached the object, and though it came in “ such unquestionable form,” he determined to arrest the object, and on touching it lie found that it was a human being soundly asleep In the meantime the person had awakened from his sleep, and on inquiring what he was doing at that hour of the morning in the streets, and in a semi-nude condition, the youth replied that he was going somewhere on an errand. He gave his name as James Drane, fifteen years of age. The constable wanted to take the unfortunate home, but being unable to indicate his place of abode the constable took him to the Melbourne Hospital, where he was admitted. It was found there that lie was also suffering from bronchitis. Next morning he felt very weary and prostrate, which, according to observations, made by eminent physiologists, is the usual condition of somnambulists after a night’s adventure. Political Economy. —lf there is any truth in the following le f ter which a correspondent signing himself ‘‘ Navvy ” has written to the Southland Times, the economy practised on our railways in that district is peculiarly political, and requires immediate reform ; —“ SIK, —It would be worth your while to send a reporter around to examine the trollies or no-go carts that have been sent to the Invercargill section lately from Dunedin. Such a waste of material, time, and money I have never before seen, and, judging from appearances, they are of no use or ornament. They are as rough as badgers, and look as if they had been put together bybush carpenters instead of the boasted tradesmen they have up north. They are very light, but are so stiff that it will require a horse to each gang to move them. But what of the old ones ? Are they going to consign them to the flames, so as to erase all trace of the “ bear inspection ” work turned out in the Invercargill workshops some two or three years back, because it is a well-known fact that the fioliies in use for thove last two or three years (maybe more) are, in a certain degree, as good as ever. Pity “ Weathereye” has not seen them, he would then be able to tell the truth, and say that work that was of no earthly use was done at Dunedin that would at some very early period be consigned to, no one knows where ; and, in my opinion, it matters but little, and it’s a lasting shame on the engineering skill of the man under whose instructions they were thrown together."

The 1.0.0. F. Sports. —Wo understand that Messrs Vincent and Co., brewers, Christchurch, have given a cup a special prize to be competed for at the Odd-fellows sports under special conditions on Boxing Day. Heligoland. Negotiations have been opened by the German Government with Earl Granville to arrange for the transfer to Germany of the small Island of Heligoland, in the North Sea, situated about 4G miles N,W. on the mouth of the Elbe and Wear Island, which has been in the occupation of Great Britain since 1814. It does not exceed an area of 5£ square miles, and is of no practical importance. We would direct attention to Mr J. M. OHivier’s, and Mr P. Coira’s advertisements in another column, in regard to Christmas Ales, specially brewed for the festive season.