LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1177, 22 November 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An Actor in Tboublb.—Yerdi, the actor, has filed his schedule for £lOl3. The assets are £469, consisting of £1 in cash and £468 in jewellery in pawn.

Nearly all Gone.— The amount of the Dunedin £200,000 harbour loan, which will be available after paying all liabilities, will be £105,000. The Mosqiel Woollen Factory,-- The Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company’s profits for the year amount £8164. The Company will pay a 10 per cent dividend and add £5384 to the reserve fund.

An Unfortunate Explorer.—A telegram from Cooktown announces that Mr George Morrison, who was despatched to New Guinea by the Age, has been speared by hostile blacks, obliging him to postpone operations for some time to come.

Geraldine County Council Election. —Mr Robert Mackay was on Monday elected to the vacancy on the Geraldine County Council caused by the resignation of Mr C. G. Tripp, the member for the Mount Peel riding. Bail.—To morrow evening a ball will be held in the schoolroom, Woodbury, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the purchasing of prizss for the children attending the school. Danoing will commence at half past eight p.m.

The Native Minister.— The Hon. J. Bryce is still at Te Awamutu. He has had an in* er view with Rewi on Native affairs 1 Rewi desires to postpone the discussion of the question till the arrival of Wahaniu, who is coming down to Alexandra. The Native Minister is reticent as to his plans and move ments.

Ceicket.—Last evening a meeting was held in Geraldine, for the purpose of forming a Juvenile Cricket Club. The youngsters are shoving a laudable desire to emulate their elders in learning to play the manly Eiigltsh game, and we trust when they are in the field, playing matches against other Juvenile Clubs in South Canterbury, they will give a good account of themselves. Gbbaidini Racing Gnus.—An important meeting of members of the Geraldine Racing Club will be held tbii evening, in the Crown Hotel at 7 p;m. for the purpose of consider* ing the advisability of removing the race meetings to the old course. As this is » matter affecting Geraldine generally it is to be hoped that there will bo a large attendance of members to discuss the question.

Tee Native Petition.—Enquiries made regarding the letter alleged to have been written by the Maori Members to the Abori* ginies Protection Society, have elicited the fact that it was written in Wellington during the session, by a European named Mbßeth. A.copy of the letter has since been offered to the Press for publication, ab the nioderate price of twenty fire guineas, but it did not meet with a purchaser. It was alleged the money was required by the natives, but Major To Wheoro denies baring ever author - ised anything of the kind, and be farther wishes to contradict the statement cabled from London, that the letter charged the New Zealand Government with preventing Tawhaio from visiting the Queen. Sam of Town Lands, Gerald inb.—As the time draws nigh for the sale by Government of town sections in Geraldine—the sale itself, as advertised, taking place at the Courthouse — it is a matter of considerable surprise to many that plans of the same are not available for inspection except at the railway stations at Orari, and Winchester. One would bar# thought at least that a plan would have been sent to the Courthouse. At the present time would, be purchasers are quite in the dark as to how they are laid out. It would be as well if the Commissioner of Crown Lands were to rectify the defect as soon as possible as it would be all the better for the Treasury,

Strange Phenomenon at Lake Taupo. —Remarkable disturbances in two of the largest lakes of the colony have been reported to Dr. Hector. A letter from an officer-in-charge at the Armed Constabulary camp at Taupo states that last month a schooner was moored partly out of the water at a jetty near the outflow of the lake, and shortly after noon the water was seen to retire and leave the vessel high and dry. The water returned to its normal level in ten or fifteen minutes. At another place, where the outflow approaches the rapids, two men of the A.G. force were bathing in a warm pool near the river bank at higher level than the water flowing from the lake, and they noticed the cold river water suddenly flowing into their warm pool, the river sinking to its usual level in a few’.minutes. The water of the lake must have been affected to about 20in. 1c is thought this was due to volcanic action.

Auction Sale.— Mr K. F. Gray, will «eU by public auction to*niorrow, on tbe premises, in Temuka, those large and commodious and centrally-situated premises, known as Ollivier’s Auction Booms, together with a quantity of furniture and other effects.

Peel Forest.— Oup correspondentwrites : “ Heavy rains have prevailed here during the past week, with some heavy showers of hail. The rivers are very high, and many of the paddocks are flooded. The bags of sand placed at the approach of the Orari bridge have been totally carried away. One would have thought that bags of sand would have lasted there for ever ! Publio traffic is again suspended. I wonder who invented the sandbags? It must be something new to most of our builders.” Fibi at Woodbttbt.— At about 11 o’clock on Monday night last a stable belonging to to Mr D. Morrison, at Woodbury, was burnt to the ground. So fiercely did the devouring element take hold of the building that the very piles themselves were burnt even to the ground. Fortunately the horses were let loose shortly before their owner retired to bed at 10 p.m. A horae-powsr chaffcutter was badly burnt, and all the harness was destroyed. There is, up to the present time no clue as to how the fire originated.

A Hailstobm in Southland.— Under the heading “ Scarcely Credible ” the Southland News gravely states that, “ from a private source we are informed that on Wednesday during the storm, hailstones of great size and hardness fell in the Wairio district. In a house at Nightcaps, which had only galvanised iron without lining as a roof, two young men were seated, and they aver that one large hailstone, or rather peice of ice, broke through the iron and struck one of them on the foot. The story is not “ credible, ”or “ creditable" to its authors. The Rabbit Pest.— The Lake Wakatipu Mail says:—lt has been reported, on reliable information, that a disease, similar to tuberculosis, has made its appearance among tho rabbits in this district. The said disease has effected nearly a c lean swamp of the rabbits on the freehold property of Mr. 0. 0. Boyes, Kawarau Falls Station. It has not, however, confined its effects to the freehold, as there have been large numbers of rabbits found dead on the run besides. If such should turn out correct, and should the disease spread, it will bo a boon to squatters and farmers; but it must be borne in mind that similar cases have, from time to time, been reported, and they are only local clearances; viz., at the Dome Range, Southland, some three years ago, and likewise on tho Obelisk Range about the same time, when the labbits were, in the Spring, found dead in quantities, although no poison had been laid.

Enterprising Civiii Servant. -On the Bth of October last, MrK. F. Gray sent a telegram to Wellington making inquiries re the proposed Temuka Borough. Yesterday he . received a letter in reply to it. It therefore took between 6 or 7

weeks to get a reply to the .telegram. At a meeting in Christchurch, recently,; the Minister of Public Works stated that the reason a certain letter forwarded from that city' some three months previously had not been answered) was it was pat under a paper-weight, and it remained there unnoticed. We should like to know how often in the year Government paper-weights are

lifted. It will shortly come to this, thal

when a man sends a letter to a Government office making enquiries it will be necessary for him to add a codicil to his will empowering his heirs and executors to open the communication when it comes, as he has scarcely any chance of getting it in his own life time. The third or fourth generation is the most likely to get a reply. Thb Floods ik Otago.— News from Palmerston states that Foster, another of the passengers in the buggy from which Hobbs lost his life, died on Monday afternoon. He leaves a wife and two children at Palmerston. The conduct of the two young Sloans who went to the rescue of the party on Saturday night is spoken of in the highest terms. One of them dived after Foster, and brought him out by the hair of his head. They had a small boat, and it capsized, and both had to swim ashore. At an inquest on Hobbs the coroner specially thanked the Sloans on behalf of the jury. Mr Charles Eddie, Manager for Mr Thomas Calcutt, who is Valuator of Lands taken for Public Works purposes by Government, was proceeding in a single buggy to meet a train at Goodwood station. He was warned of the danger, but made light of it. He crossed the Pleasant River Bridge safely, but hi* buggy was completely washed away at a dip in the road, over which the river was running. Some men on a hill near by saw tne accident, but could do nothing. Eddie’s body was found on Sunday morning a quarter of a mile away, and the horse a short distance from the body. The buggy has nob been recovered.