LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1012, 3 October 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Winchester Fair.— The fortnightly Fair takes place next Thursday at Winchester.

TitE Queen's Bounty.—Mrs Moss, of Winchester, was delirered of three daughters yesterday lnoining, two of which are bring. This entitles Mrs Mos» to the Queen's bounty of £5. House Parade. The annual Horse Parade, under the auspices of the Temuka and Gteralcline Agricultural and Pastoral Association, takes place next Tuesday. Entries can be made with the secretary, Mr Will*, up to 9 30 o'clock on the morning of the parade.

Tkam Accident.—A lad named Frederick Williams, aged li, was proceeding to his home ar, Newto*, near Wellington, by the eight o'clock tram, when a sudden jerk threw him off the tram car on which he was tnvelling, and both wheels passed over his body. He was removed to the hospital, but died almost immediately after arrival there,

Temuxa Eoad Board.—The monthly meeting of the above Board takes place today. B. M. Court—At the above Court yeiterday, before S. D. Barker, and J. Mendelson, Esqrs., J. P., W. Storey sued T. Wyatt for £3 14s 6d and judgment was given by default for the amount claimed and costs. Served Him Eight.—A man named John Ryan, who had got Whangarei settlers to ad» ranee small sums of money to him by claim ing to hare found a payable goldfield at Hikurangi, has been sentenced to two months imprisonment for false pretences. Gold Discovert.—The Te Aroha reef on the boundary of the Bonanza claim, uncovered a we«k ago by the proprietors, was again broken down today, and the show of gold is even better than before. A specimen taken out by a reporter goes to Auckland to-morrow in charge of Mr Olliffe, who was on the hill soon after it was broken out.

The Australia* Crickktbrs.—The Australian cricketers were entertained at a banquet last Tuesday evening at the Criterion Hotel in London, prior to their departure for Australia, by the colonists now in England. Sir H. Barkly, formerly Governor of Victoria, occupied the chair, and during the evening warmly complimented the cricketers upon their successes in England. Two hundred and sixty guests were present. Bank op New Zealand.—The twentyfirst anniversary of the Bank of Zealand will be celebrated on Monday the 16Lh instant. The bank has flourished without doubt, and if it continues going on as it has up to the present, it will have a large portion of the colony in its hands another 21 years hence. As a bank we have nothing to say against it. but as a hnd monopolist we must say indeed that we would far rather see the land in the hands of private individuals.

Pickpocketing.—At the Police Court last Saturday, in Dunedin, James Hartley was charged with stealing £2O from the pockets of Alexander Leckie at the Hunt Club races. The evidence showed that Hartley and two others, Madden and Mison (already committed for the same offence), shepherded the prosecutor, and eventually one of thtm put his hand in prosecutor'! pecket and took out the sum named. Hartley was committed for trial.

Extbksite Frauds.—A remarkable and almost unparalleled series of frauds has been brought to light in Bombay. Some six or seven of tke largest coal importers thera have, it seems, been systematically robbed, and the total amount of their losses will probably reach 15,000 tons of coal. One firm is eur. rently mentioned as having been robbed to the value of a lakh and a quarter, another to the the value of 60,000 r or 70,000 r another of half a lakh, and so on., but these figuref must bo received with caution. The prin* ciple on which the frauds were worked is very simple. A dealer with an order for 100 tons of coal arranged with the Sepoy to take twice or thrice the amount. That is all. It is easy to bribe a man drawing ten rupeos a month.

A Dbunken Jubob. —At the inquest on the body of Symonj, at Christchurch, the rerdiot returned was that he died from the effects of an overdose of laudanum taken medicinally. By some oversight a drunken man was included in the jury/and he puzzled both the jury, and the Coroner by asking whether, if, according to Scripture, a man's life could depart m the twinkling of an eye, a man's life could not also be saved in the same space of time, for which he was promptly ordered to sit down. The evidence went to show that Symons had been in the habit of taking laudanum medicinally, and had bought the poison according to regulation. He was sober at the time and told a friend on Wednesday morning be was unable to sleep and was going to take some laudanum.

Air Eccskbic Millionaire. —The will of the late Mr Jones, the millionaire, who has loft so enormous an art treasure to the nation for exhibition at the South Kensington Museum, contains many amiable singularities which will interest the public if they are made fully known. Among other legacies are bequests to every one of the cooks yst living who ever roasted or boiled in his service. These functionaries, to the number of 9 or 10, are of the female sex, and are all mentioned, with great exactness, by name, although the tracing and discovery of their whereabouts will, in many cases, give some trouble to ths lawyers. Mr Jones also leaves a legacy " to the greengrocer who helped my servant to wait at table." Ther6 is a naivete in the bequest which somehow speaks well for the candeur and quaintness of the latj army contractor. Mr Jones's large fortune was amassed during the Crimean War,

The Sparrow Qt/estiox. —Mr Travers says in a letter to the Post: —lt would bo well if lion, gentlemen in dealing with this question would take the trouble to read the evidence given before a committee of the Hor.sc of Lords on the subject of sparrow clubs in England, and if they should still retain any respect for the intelligence of that august bod/ they would probably be disposed to change the opinions above expressed, rfot many years ago the agriculturists of Hungary succeeded in getting the sparrow proscribed by law, and he disappeared from the land. Within five years from that time the G-overn ment were compelled to spend 23,000 rix dollars in reintroducing him from other countries. In the Worth Island, and m the northern parts of the South Island, the cultivation of valuable decidious trees was practically impossible until the large cicida had been greatly reduced in numbers, and if Mr Acland had seen, as I and many others have, the sparrows actually engaged in destroying these creatures and devouring them, he might probably change his opmion. The nestling sparrow cannot eat hard food, and careful observation has shown that a pair of parent Sparrows will bring upwards of 3000 insects to the neot in the course of a, single d»y to feed the brood, ,

The Railway Accident. —The name of the man who got hurt on the railway near Orari last Friday night, and who was taken to the Timaru Hospital, is Daniel Loney. He has so far recovered that he has been able to leave the Hospital. He would undoubtedly have been killed only for the cdweatoher throwing him off the line. This ought to be a warning to him to give up drinking, and never again go to sleep on the railway liae. -,. r

Earthquake.—Tremendous shocks of earthquake were felt here at 20 minutes to 11 o'clock last Sunday night. It was the severest, earthquake we hare ever felt, and *shook houses.to their foundation, without, imwever, doing any damage. The direction appeared to be north and south. It was different'from ether earthquakes inasmuch as that it wa § not accompanied by the peculiar oscillating motion, but appeared to come with a sudden jerk. The first shock was comparatively slight, the second made a noise like distant thunder, but the third was nob so heavy.

Vital Statistics. The vital statistics for the quarter ended September; 30 for Temuka were : births, 43 ; marriages, 4; deaths, 9. For the month ended September 30 i births, 18; marriages, 1;h detfchi, 4. It will be seen that the birth rate is nearly 5 to 1 over the death ra*-e, consequently the population must be increasing very rapidly. Ihis is enough to set people thinking. If industries are not started, and employment found for the population,what will become of the rising generation ? Tke only solution of the question is to start industries. The Native Trouble,—Major Kemp has addressed the following letter to the Wanganui Herald : —" Friend, at a meetingiof the Council, held at Ranana on the 29th ult., it was resolved —' That any person connected with the Murimotu Company (whether it be their half-caste interpreter, who understands both languages, or those deceitful persons concerned in the Murimotu lands, or th« lawyers acting on behalf of the Government, and others connected therewith), persisting • o come within our boundaries at Wanganui, and Murimotu, will be violently turned back.' Enough.—From your friends Major Kemp."

Buggy Accidbmt.—Mr Gordon Wood was driving Master Gray, son of Mr K. F. Gray int» Timaru yesterday, and when near Mr Simon Norton's place a calf ran across the road and threw down the horse. Mr Wood and Master Gray were thrown out of the buggy at the same time, and the ; horse, taking fright, bolted along ihe road and never stopped until it reacted the Washdyke. It is .very extraordinary how the horse was able to clear everything without either harness or buggy sustaining any injury. Master Gray was slightly bruised, but Mr Wood sustained no injury. Mr Wood borrowed a horse from Mr Fitzgerald, and pursued the runaway, overtaking it at the Waskdyke, not a bit the worse for the journey.

Mr C. J. Kayner invites tenders for removing and altering billiard room, Temuka.

Tenders for a number of works for the Temuka Road Board close this morning. Mr W. Postlethwaite invites tenders for cutting gorae fences on the Raukapuka estate. Mr Michael Healey has a notice ia our advertising columns in reference Jto the draught stallion Chance; Mr W. C. Andrews, poundkeeper, Genldine will sell a strawberry heifer, to-morrow, if th« same is not previously released. Mr K. F. Gray will hold a sale of lire and dead stock at his rooms to-morrow. Ho will also sell on Thursday, 12th inst., the Temuk* School buildings, etc., situated on fire i-acre sections.

Messrs Maclean and Stewart will hold a large sale of property, both country and town, at their Salerooms, Tunaru, to-mor-row. Full particulars appear in our advertising columns. The same firm announce that they will attend Winchester Fair next Thursday, when they will off;r some prime fat sheep and cattle; and Pleasant Point, next Friday, fat and store cattle and stfeep, dairJ cows, etc.