The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1882. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1046, 21 December 1882, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1882. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Winchester Fair. —Farmers and others are reminded that the fortnightly fair takes place at Winchester to-day. Bank Holidays. —Monday and Tuesday next will be observed as holidays by the Eunk of Xew Zealand in this town. Wool Sales at Ti.uaru. —Messrs Maclean and Stewart and B. Wilkin and Co., of Timaru, will hold their first sale of the season to-morrow. The IsLS.W. Election.— The defeat of the Government in the recent elections has been most complete. Out of 75 members returned 55 arc hostile to the Government. Temuka School Committee. The monthly meeting of the above Committee took place last Tuesday night, and a report of the proceedings there at appear in another column, Untortdnate Firemen, —At the fire at the Alhambra Theatre, London, the other day, several firemen engaged in extinguishing the flames wore killed by the falling of burning material.

The Oddfellows’ Stobts. —Our readers are reminded that, the entries for the above sports will close on next Saturday, The handicaps will be kept open until 9 p.m. Wahanui’s Reply.—Mr Bryce has re ceived an answer from Wahamu to his letter. The reply is very brief. Wahanui disclaims, on behalf of himself and his people, any idea of throwing Tawhiao overboard, and says that Mr Bryce’s words shall have due considera tion, but does not intimate any intention of calling a native meeting, Quite NeabEnough.—On Saturday evening as the train from Invercargill to Dunedin was passing across the Taieri Plain, an aerolite descended within about one hundred yards of it. There was a flash and an explosion, the latter sounding as if fifty thousand rifles had all gone off at once. The passengers congratulated themselves that the visitor from space fell clear of the train. At it Again.—Amos Jas. Tudball, from Canterbury, who has been very patronising as a big speculator in land, and appeared anxious to purchase, and who has in been introduced to good society in Invercargill, besides living well at hotels, was apprehended ou Monday night on charges of obtaining money by false pretences by means of valueless cheques. Tudball completed a sentence of four years for forgery last year.

Damages.—ln the Supreme Court, Invercargill, to-day,Cuthbert Cowan, a runhoxler at Benmorc, was sued for seduction by the father of a servant girl named Christina Hemmingsen, aged 16. Damages were laid at £6OO. It was alleged the girl was seduced by the defendant in his house, and gave birth to a child in July last. The defence was a total denial, and brought proof that a young man was seen with the girl ou several occasions. The jury, after a long absence, returned a verdict of £IOO damages and costs. Plains Watek Supply.—We understand that a petition has been signed by the inhabitants of the Rangitata district requesting the County Council of Geraldine to construct water races in their district similar to those in the Ashburton district, and promising to become liable for the cost. The petition has been signed by 23 landowners with an acreage of 12,780 acres. There was only one landowner in the district who refused to sign the petition, giving as his reason for not doing co, that the expenses of making the races would be more than the value of the water. We are glad to learn that there is only one man of that idea in the district, and we hope that he has seen the error of his ways by this time. Milneb Stephen in New Zealand. —Milner Stephen gave a public exhibition of bis professed healing powers in the Theatre Royal, Napier, on Eriday, and created great astonishment by apparently instantaneously curing partial paralysis, rheumatism and like affections. The patients certainly walked away professing to be cured. In one case a deaf and dumb boy was made to bear, and he repeated words after Stephen. It is reported that he has since fallen from grace and cannot speak. The so-called cures are brought about by breathings and blowings and stroking with the hand, assisted by red flannel on which Mr Stephen breathes, and bottles of what he calls magnetised water and magnetised oil. His performance was the talk of the town that night. The Chbistchubch Wool Sales.—The second series of wool sales for the present season were to have been opened ou Tuesday at the rooms of Messrs 11. Matson and Co., R. Wilkin, and J. T. Ford, Giving, however, to a serious disagreement arising between vendors and purchasers no sales were effected. This disagreement arose from "the fact that the sellers had determined to make a charge of id per lb to cover the cost of delivery, instead of following the old plan of making a fixed charge per bale. The buyers declined absolutely to purchase under the new regulations, and walked out of the rooms after the reading of the conditions. Negotiations were begun between the buyers and sellers during the afternoon, in order to settle the difficulty, the former recognising that some charge was reasonable, and the sales will go ou to-morrow, the basis of agreement being that, instead or id per lb, buyers will pay 2s per bale, or 2s 6d if delivered at the Christchurch Railway Station.

The Linseed Industry,— We have been informed by Mr K. Sando, broker to the Linseed, Oil, Cake, and Libre Company, that 1000 shares have already been taken up, and that the share list will close on the 30th of this month. It is very satisfactory to find that almost all the shares have been taken up in this district, only a few having been sold clscwherc.'This shows that there is a good deal of enterprise and public spirit in this district, which needs only arousing to accomplished wonders. The people have by their action in this matter shown how erroneous the conclusions of the Paper Mill directors were when they attributed failure to want of enterprise in the people of the district. The stigma which was then cast upon the district, has been removed, and it now takes its place in the ranks of the most enterprising places in New Zealand. We congratulate the people on the result which has been attained in this matter, and it gives hopes that we shall soon have to record the floating of the Paper Mill. Too. much credit cannot be given to Mr Sando, as it is to his zeal and energy success is mainly due.

Coekkction.— A few issues ago a para graph appeared in this paper which represented incorrectly the position Mr J. W. White occupied in the K.M. Court. The paragraph stated that he appeared “ for the plaintiff and defendant in the same ease, and pulled both through in a manner that satisfied all parties.” This was incorrect, and the mistake arose in this way:—A man named Walker, sued Mr Swinton, of Winchester, for the detention of some things belonging to him, and Mr Swinton sued Mr Walker for money which ho (Walker) owed to him. Mr White was engaged by Mr Walker, to appear on his behalf in Court, but through the mediation of Mr White both cases wore settled out of Court. When the Urst case was .caked, Mr White applied to have both cases withdrawn, and said he appeared for the plaintiff in this earn and for the defendant in the next. Mr Walker who was plaintiff in the llrst case would of course be defendant in the next case, and Mr White would have only acted for one man all the* time. Put our reporter, having no knowledge of private arrangements, misunderstood the state of affairs, and inferred from what Mr White said that he appeared for plaintiff and defendant. There was one tiling in the transaction which would naturally lead any one to the same conclusion. There was no one present on behalf of Mr Swinton to consent to the withdrawal of his case, and this led our reporter into the mistake as much as anything else. He naturally thought that when Mr AYhi e asked to wi'hdraw the ease on behalf of Mr Swinton, and spoke of acting for plaintiff and defendant, that he occupied that peculiar posi'ion, and indulged in a joke at his expense. Mr Swinton some days afterwards called our attemion In the error, and after making inquiries found that our statement was wrong. We now hasten to make the correc.ion, in justice to Mr White. There was certainly no*lung further from our in'entions than to mis represent Mr White, but as the mistake occurred wo feel iu duty bound to make the correction and to assure him of our regret'at it having ever taken place. [

Impudent Robberies. —At the Dunedin Police Court on Tuesday a man named Hensburg was sentenced to six months’ for larceny. He pleaded guilty to two charges, each of an impudent character. In one case he walked away with a portmanteau left by the owneron the railway platform fora few minutes, and in the other he went into an auction room, and taking up a gun walked off with it with the utmost composure and assurance. The N. Z. Oil Spbings.—At a meeting last Tuesday of the Southern Cross Petroleum Company, 34,000 shares were represented. Mr Wi'sou of Christchurch, and Mr Morley of Napier, held proxies for 25,000 shares. The meeting met to consider an offer, made by two local gentlemen to lease sections of 50 acres each of the Company’s ground on .tribute, giving the Company 10 per cent. Mr Wilson moved and Mr Morley seconded a resolution which was carried by a large majority—• T 1 at the shareholders are decidedly adverse to leasing any portion of tho 2000 acres of the Company,s ground on tribute until such time as the property has been effectually prospect ed, and that it is undesirable to bring this questaon up at the annual meeting of shareholders.” There was a lively discussion, nearlv all local shareholders advocating the principle of tribute. An amendment calling on the Directors to draw up a scheme for the leasing of ground on tribute was rejected, only 13,000 votes being recorded for it. The Directors had prepared no resolution, as they heard a block vote would be given by Messrs Morley and Wilson against the tribute proposals. Some shareholder* - present could not vote, not having paid the., last call. ; The Stinging Tree.—The ‘ Stinging-tree,’ of Queensland, Australia, is a luxurious shrub, pleasing to the eye but dangerous to the touch It grows from two or three inches to ten. or fifteen feet in height, and emits a disagreeable odour. Says a traveller: ‘Sometimes while shooting turkeys in the shrubs, I have entirely forgotten the stinging-tree till I was warned of its close proximity by its smell, and have often found myself in a little forest of them. I was only once stung, and that very slightly. Its effects are curious—it leaves no mark, but the p-in is maddening; and for months afterwards the part when touched is tender jn rainy weather, or -when it gets wet in washing, &c. I have seen a man who treats ordinary pain lightly roll on the ground in agony after being stung, and I have known a horse so completely mad after getting into a grove of the trees, that he rushed opsn-mouthed at everyone who approached him, and had to be shot. Doga, when stung, will rush about whining piteously, biting pieces from the affected part.” The Suetital or the Fittest—A scientific view of drunkenness is that it helps the process of natural selection of the fittest by speedily killing off the fools. The expression of this opinion by W.Matthieu Williams, in the ‘ Popular Science Monthly ’ for October, is as follows: ‘We now require some means of eliminating these coarse, more brutal, or purely animal specimens of humanity, in order that there may be more room for the survival aud multiplication of the more intellectual, more refined, and altogether distinctively human specimens. It is desirable that this could be effected by some natural or spontaneous proceedings'of self extinction, performed by the specimens themselves- If this self immolation can be a process that is enjoyable in their own estimation, all the objections to it that might otherwise be suggested by pur feelings of humanity are removed. Now, the conditions are exactly fulfilled by the alcoholic drink of the present day, when used for the purpose ,of obtaining intoxication.’ A South African Gold Rush.—Ano the f*’ gold rush is taking place in South Africa, where the report (says the Colonies and India) of enormously rich finds of gold being made at the De Kaap, in the Transvaal, are engaging the attention of all classes to the exclusion almost of every other topic. At Spitzkof one digger is reported to be turning out over lOOoz of gold a week ; a neighbour of his has from 20 to 30 men in his employ, all successfully engaged iu the all-absorbing search for gold. A third man reports having picked up Hlb weight of gold in six weeks by • merely turning over the stenes. On the banks’ of the Kaap 60 farmers claim that their lands are gold-bearing. But this very fact makes one rather suspicious as to the reality of the assertion, for if the land in question wa» really auriferous it would seem more likely that the fortunate owners would endeavour to keep the matter secret until its wealth had . been proved. Undoubtedly, however, gold has been found, and iu considerable abundance ; but caution should be exercised by those ’.vho meditate the ‘rush.’ A shrewd observer remarks that those with money arc not so eager to join as those without ;. and this indicates that tho permanent gold-bearing capacity of this new field has not been absolutely proved as yet. The existence of gold in the Transvaal has long been known, and there are vast stores of other min*i*als, ■ which, if not so fascinating as gold, will eventully repay working even more thoroughly than the precious metal itself. There i* always the risk' that ‘ rushes ’ of this kind will entail much misery on disappointed speculators and prospectors ; but an accesiion of fresh population in a naturally rich ‘ country cannot be regarded as otbewise than an advantage in the long run.

The Wat to do it. — Wm. A. Berry, who filed his schedule a few days ago (says the ‘ Wanganui Chronicle ’) called a meeting of creditors on Wednesday afternoon last. The debtor (who is, wo believe, a carpenter) filed his liabilities at £39 13s 6d, and his assets at nothing whatever. His creditors, evidently not wishing to waste time as well as lose money, did not attend the meeting, and the District Court has now to appoint a Trustee. If there can be found a certificated accountant in bankruptcy to whom it is easy to extract something from nothing, no doubt Mr Berry’s assets will he administered —otherwise there will be no trustee as well as no ( estate, and the debtor will wait the three years named in the Aot, and be fully discharged as a matter of course. Mr Berry -is well acquainted with this mode of freeing oneself of liabilities, having gone through it at Last once before. As the circumstances illustrate the beautiful bankruptcy law of New Zealand, we will record them. This debtor filed his schedule on the 6‘th October, 1879, returning his liabilities at £234, and his assets at nothing. He discreetly avoided i applying to the Court for his discharge, and quie:ly waited the three years, becoming a free man quite as a matter of course. Encouraged by the success of that experiment, i he is now trying it again, and there can be little doubt that he will attain to the same result, one Thomas Eastbury, has recently laken the benefit of the Act, and, while he shows the large sum of £ll7 due to his creditors, the assets are nil in this case also. There will not be much competition among the commission agents or accountants for poor Mr Eaatbury’s estate.

Tub Creswicic Mixing Accident. —The most terrible mining accident which has ever i happened in Australia, occurred in the Australasian mine, two miles from Croswick, on December 13, ab about G o’clock in the morning. It appears that some years ago » shaft Xo. - was put down about half a mdc from Xo. 1, which was then abandoned. At intervals bores were put up in order to test j, the correctness of the' plans, . which that the old workings and

and 260 feet away, and 40 feet below the new drive, and thus everything was understood to be safe. The accident happened as follows : Two men were at work in the new drive, when they broke ‘-through to the old workings When the water came through both made for the plate, but the ruth of-.auusaw- so great that their lights were blown out. They managed with difficulty to climb the ladder to.the surface. The alarm was .given to John Hodge, the captain of the shift, who again gave it to the men in the faces of the reef. He found the water driving everything before it, and went back to No 5 rise at the end of the drive. The water by this time was about five feet deep there. He pulled several men out of the water, some having to swim to the bottom shaft. By twelve o’clock there were over twenty feet of water. The roll was then called, and it was found that 27 miners were missing. Pumping was immediately started, but the pumps could not gain on the water, which kept rushing in with great force. Over 50,000 gallons per hour were pumped out and everything possible done to convey air below. At one o’clock the pumps were gaining, and by two o’clock the water was perceptibly decreasing. The scene at the mouth of the shaft was terrible. Hundreds of relatives of those below crowded round the claim, throwing everything into disorder.

Banquet to a Sydney Merchant. — A Northumbrian paper says : —A graceful and deserved compliment was paid a day or two ago to Mr Christopher Newton, the largest dry goods merchant of Sydney, New South Wales, and who will be remembered in this neighborhood as a Northumbrian, brother to the late and uncle to the present Mr Newton, saddler, of Grainger Street, Newcastle and Chollwton. In May, 1871, unfavorable circumstances in trade compelled Mr Newton to arrange with his creditors. Eleven years later, his business having prospered in the meantime, he returned to this country and informed his friends and creditors that it was his desire to make good the deficiency of 5s in the pound on the account of 1871. This he did, paying over the large sum of £40,000. Struck with the upright character of the man who acted thus, the general feeling was expressed that some suitable present should bo made him to mark their sense of his noble conduct. A committee of merchants was formed, and after the feelings of Mr Newton had been consulted, it was determined to present him with a steam launch, to be named the ‘ Northumbria,’ and also to present Mrs Newton with a gold ring set in diamonds and a gold bracelet set in rows of diamonds. A few days ago a banquet was held in his honor in the Albion, Aldersgate Street. A largo number of merchants and manufacturers of the city were present. In the course of the evening the Chairman (Mr John Scott), proposing Mr Newton’s health, spoke in the highest terms of the manner in which Mr Newton had acted. He said what .Mr Newton had done was a noble act, and he trusted that the good example set would go further than to those around that table, or to those in this country, and would be told of Mr Newton in other parts of the -world as an example of the integrity and stability of the British Merchant. These were times when such acts were rare, aud, therefore, he prized it the more. He then presented Mr Newton with a model of what the launch, is to be.

The Milton Pottery. —An open verdict was returned by the jmy which investigated the recent lire at the Milton Pottery. The Bruce Herald gives the following particulars about this industry ‘The latest outcome of the lire as the Mi'ton Pottery is very disheartening to all interested in the progress of the district. The Company is to be placed m liquidation, and the Directors have decided to recommend the shareholders that the assets be turned over to them in the chape of paid-up shares in a new company. The resolve to place the Company in liquidation did not arise entirely through losses sustained by the lire, although, had it not been for that calamity, it is not likely such a step would have ;been decided upon. To show the position of affairs, we may mention that two years ago, when the Company commenced the manufacture of white ware, prices were settled upon a satisfactory basis with the men then employed, and a year afterwards at Martinmas, according to Staffordshire custom, a new arrangement was made at a small advanca, and the men were perfectly satisfied and content. Disaffection has however. been imported with the new bands lately arrived. The agreement made by the Manager with these men at Home was that they were to receive from 25 to 50 per cent above Staffordshire prices, and a firm was mutually agreed upon whose tariff was to form the basis of their scale of pay. Hut two or three of these last arrivals speedily showed a spirit of discord, and held meetings and consultations which culmina' ed the day before the fire in a demand for a rise in price, which would have brought them up to about 70 per cent above Home rates, The Manager reasoned with them, and pointed out that he could import at that figure, and if the men received an advance of 70 per cent, and the cost of other labor was three times as high as at Home, and other expenses proportionately greater, how could they compete with the Hone market ? But the men would not listen to reason. Then came the fire, and then the end, or the beginning of the end - It may also be mentioned that it was stipulated that in the event of the men in one branch of the trade striking, the agreement with the whole was nullified. It will thus be seen that these two or three men have not only thrown themselves out and rendered themselves ineligible to claim compensation, but they Have placed all the imported hands in the same fix. This being the case, the Directors felt that they would not be Justified in incurring a large expeutiture while so little reliance eoidd be placed upon the men, and we are informed that it was on this ground, more than any other, that the decision was arrived at to liquidate the Company. Wc have foreborne commenting on the above facts, but simply place before the public a plain statement of the circumstances which have led to the piesent unfortunate state of affairs. Unless they confine their operations to coarse ware, the Manager con siders that it would he folly to start again without erecting a three storey building with all modern conveniences to contain the plant, and this could not be done under from £7OOO to 10,000. By the stoppage of the pottery works many of the hands are left in a stale bordering on destitution, and somethiug must be done to relieve their more immediate necessities. Those in greatest need are the recent arrivals, but nearly all are in great difficulties.’

Messrs R. Wilkin and Cu., will attend the Winchester Fair to-day. On Saturday next, Messrs Maclean and Stewart will sell the privileges in connection with the forthcoming Caledonian Sports at Timaru on New Year’s day.

Mr J. Tangney notifies that he lias now the largest stock of boots and shoes in South Canterbury. He wishes Iris friends and customers, a “ Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” and invites inspection of his

goods. Holloway’s Pills.—Epidemic Diseases.— The alarming increase of death from cholera and diarrhoea should be a warning to everyone to subdue at once any irregularity lending towards disease. Holloway’s Pills should now be in every household to rectify all impure states of Hie blood, to remedy weakness,

and to overcome impared general health. No thing can be simpler than the instructions for taking the corrective me licine, nothing more efficient than its cleansing powers, nothing umre harmless than its vegetable ingredien's Holloway’s is the best physic during 'he summer season, when decaying frai s and unwholsome vege'ables are frequently deranging the bowels and daily exposing thousands, through their negligence in permitting disordered action, to the dangers of diarrhoea, dysentry, and cholera. —Aovx.