LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1121, 3 January 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Triumph.— The Triumph floated at high water on Monday. An effort will be made to get her off this week. Doo Registration.— The Clerk to the Geraldine County Council advertises the names of the persons deputed to receive the dog tax in the Countv. Mr F, W» Stubbs for the Levels | district, Mr- John Lawson for Temuka, and Mr Newman for Mount Peel. A Serious Charge.— The Age in a recent article, charged the police of Victoria, not only with conniving at the recent sweep frauds, but boldly says they _ shared the ‘plunder.’ Whenever letters were pested to the promoters containing cheques on which to found precautions, the s'weep’toen "invari ably had timely warnings, and declined to accept the missives. Woodbuet School Treat. —The annual school treat took place at Woodbury on Friday, Dec. 21st, 1883. There were plenty of good things provided by Mr Georgeson, of Geraldine, and the afternoon was spent in racing, etc. After tea the prizes, which amounted in value to £ls, were distributed. Three cheers were given for the Committee and Teachers, and the little ones returned to their hemes well pleased with their treat. The Reason.— “ JUgles," in the Australasian, writes: The farmer hadn’t been to the kirk for four Sabbath days, so when the Rev Mr Sawdust met him on the road he resolved to take him to task. He began by asking for the wife and children. He was told they were all well. “ You’ll not have been well yourself—l haven’t seen you for some Sundays ?” This in the accent of insidious interrogative. “ Well, the truth is, minister, you’ve been here four years, and never a bit of green grass hare I got. I’m just clean perishsd with the drought! ”

The 3.8. Tohgamiko.—The New Zealand Shipping Company cn Tuesday, at 4.30 p.m. # despatched their splendid steamer Tongariro for London. She took altogether thirty-one passengers, and a full cargo. The steamer (say* the Press) has received first-class despatch, and a word of credit is due to the Company’s stevedores, Messrs Cameron Bros, for the celerity with which the immense amount of cargo was handled. The next of the Company’s steamers is the British King which is looked for to arrive in Lyttelton from Wellington early on Wednesday morning. If the weather keep* fine, it is the hope of the Company to send the King away on Saturday next. The Tongariro steamed straight away from the wharf to sea on what is wished may prove the fastest passage to London on record. Oub Qiteek.’ —The following is a verbatim report of a speech, in giving the toast of * The Queen,’ at a recent agricultural show dinner in Scotland : —The Chairman began —Now, gentleman, will ye a’ fill you glasses, for I’m about to bring forward * The Queen.’ (Applause.) Our Queen, gentlemen, is really a wonderfu’ woman, if I may say it; she’s one o' the guid auld sort, nae whigmaleeries or falderale aboot her, but a douce daecent body. She’s respectable beyond a doubt. She has brought up a grand family o’ well faured lads and lassies ; her auldest son being a credit to any mother, and they’re a* well mimed. One is nae less than married to the Duke o’ Argyle’s son and h*ir. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, ye’ll maybe no believe it, but I once saw the Queen. (Sensation.) I did. It was when I took my auld brown cow to Perth show. I remember her well; such colour, such hair. (Interruption, and cries of ‘is it the cow or the Queen ye are proposing ?’) The Queen, gentlemen; I beg your pardon, but I was talking about the cow. However, as to the Queen, eomebodv pointed her out to me at Perth Station, and there she was, smart and tidy like, and says I to my mysel’, ' Gin my auld woman at hame slips awa ye need not remain a wido.r anither hour longer.’ (Cheers.) Now, gentlemen, the whisky’s gud«, and the night is long, the weather is wet, and theroadsare soft, and will harm naebody that comes to grief. So off wi’ yer drinks tae the bottom. ‘ The Queen.’ (Cheers.)

A Sagacious Hobsk.—• The Southland News tells the following interesting storj ; They have a horse at the Bluff which is a popular favourite. He works on and about the wharf, and his name is Jemmy. He is sagacious, 1 nimble as a cat' and gentle withal. The way ho can dodge trucks in and out on the wharf i* something wonderful. He is up to every movement, know* his work, in fact, as well as a man—a good deaf better than tome men. The latest instance of his cleverness, one might almost say possession of reasoning power, as related to us borders on the marvellous. A siding extends from the main line into the New Zealand Loan Com pany’s store, Inside the building the rails have a platform on each side about 3ft. high. The space between the rails and platform on either side is barely sufficient for a man to stand in when a truck is passing. A curve in the line prevents anyone at the far end of the building from seeing any obstuction at the entrance. On the occasion in question Jemmy was at the far ejjd hitched to a truck that was about being removed. Just then the railway hands or storemen had run a truck in at the front of the store. Jemmy not seeing this, started his load, and as the rails decline to the street at a somewhat rapid pace, when about midway he saw the other truck advancing. Another second and he would have been doubled up and crushed between the two. With lightning rapidity he took in the situation and decided what to do. Turning his head he, with his teeth, pulled the check rope connecting his harness with the truck, and then raising himself on his hind legs stepped off the track, on to the space between it and the platform, on which like a trained circus horse, he placed his forefeet. In this position he was safe. In much less time than it has taken to describe it the truck* had collided, but not even a hair of Jemmy’s tail was touched. He quietly re- | mained in his unusual position until the line was cleared, and then went about his work as if nothing extraordinary had happened*

Waipapa Lighthouse. —The lighthouse’at Waipapa Point was successfully lighted up on New Year’s night.

Concert. —The New Year concert of the Geraldine Philharmonic Society will in »1 probability be held on or about the 22nd instant.

The Intbepeotincial Cricket MatcHv— The interproyincial cricket match, Cantorbur j 1 r. Auckland, concluded on Monday, Auckland winning with four wickets to spare.

Picnic. —The Choir and Sunday School

teachers connected with St Church, Tomuka, are requested to meet at the Parsonage, Temuka, at 9 a.m., tomorrow. Geraldine Annual Parish Festival.— The annual parish festival of St. Mary’s, Geraldine, will take place on Wednesday next. Further particulars will be given in ■ future issue.

The Suicide Mania.— An elderly man named Thomas G. Pickers, who had for a number of years been employed by the Wellington City Council, committed suicide yesterday morning by hanging himself. He was 64. years of age, and had been in depressed spirits for some time.—A man named Robert Muir attempted suicide in Wellington on Wednesday by throwing himself into the harbor. He was rescued by some young men. . >

Judge and Jurt,— Mr Justice Moule sentenced a rural prisoner in England in the following words: —Prisoner at the bar, your counsel for the prosscution (bisks you inno* cent, I think you innocent. But a jury of your own countrymen, in the exercise of such common sense as they possess, which does not seem to be much, hare found you guilty, and it remains that I should pass on om you the sentence of the law.. That is that you be kept imprisoned one day, and as that day was yesterday, you may go about your business.

Remedy fob Coed Feet.—People who write or sew all day, or rather those who take but little exercise, may warm their cold feat without going to a fire. All that is necessary is to stand erect and very gradually to lift one’s self up upon the tips of the toes, so as to put all the tendons of the foot at fall strain. This is not to hop or jump up or down, but simply to rise—the slower the better —upon tiptoe, and to remain standing on the points of the toes as long as possible, then gradually coming to the natural position. Repeat this several times, and by the amount of work the tip* of the toes are made to do in sustaining the body’s weight, a sufficient and lively circulation is set up. Even the halffrozen train passenger can carry this plan out. * It is one rule of the * Swedish movement ’ system; and as motion-warmth is much better than -fire-warming, (persons who suffer with cold feet at night can try this plan just before retiring to rest.

Welcome Reteeat Lodge, 1.0.G.T., No. 44.—The regular meeting of the members of this Lodge was held in the Good Templars’ Hall, Geraldine, on Monday evening last. Bro. G. H. Patrick, in the absence of the W.C.T., presided, who opened the meeting in du® form. The minutes ot the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The roll was then called, and the following declared absent: W-G.T., W.Y.T., W.F.S., and th® W.D.M. Two candidates were proposed for membership, and duly elected. After the usual routine of business had b'en despatched, the Lodge was thrown open for harmony, whe* songs and recitations were given by Sister Kirby, and Eros. Willoughby, Hoskinf, Bothun© and Hayward. It was resolved that the nomination of District Deputy Grand Worthy Chief Templar take place next Lodge night, and also nomination of Grand Lodge representatives to attend the Grand Lodge session to be held in OamarM on April 17th next. The Lodge was then' closed in peace and harmony by Bro« Patrick, at 9.30 p.m.

Alleged Mcbdeb.—A man named Wm« Pearce has been arrested in Dunedin for the murder of Matilda Hancock. The two were cohabiting together. Both were abandoned characters. The woman has been frequently convicted for drunkenness and prostitution ; whilst Pearce only a few mouths since came out of gaol after serving eighteen months on a serious charge. The woman was stabbed on the 29th last., and died on Monday, at noon, and Pearce was arrested the same afternoon on the charge named. Pearce and Hancock had been drinking together on Saturday, and had a quarrel. There is some doubt whether any one was present when the stabbing took place. The wound is a gaping one on the left side of the body above the hip. The woman lingered in her own house till about one o’clock on Monday morning, when she died ; and about eight o’clock Pearce reported to the police that the woman died suddenly during the night. The police found the body with the wound on it and several bruises. The woman was lying on a mattress. An inquest was held on Monday afternoon at which the only evidence taken was that of Pearce, who deposed to the identity of the deceased. He had known her for eleven years, and had lived with her for four months. She had a daughter seven years old and she herself was forty-two. A post mortem showed that death resulted from the Wound. The woman is the divorced wife of a man who was a well-known publican in Dunedin some years ago. Later news from Dunedin states that it has transpired that Dr Copeland was called in to see the body of the woman Hancock early on Monday morning. It is behoved that there were several persons present about the time of the quarrel between the two, and that a M>s Boyd can giro material evidence. This Mrs Boyd attended to the woman after the occurrence, and her evidence will probably be taken at the adjourned inquest on Friday. Pearce’s last sentence was for stabbing a man, for which he got twelre months. He is a fish hawkery

Honesty the Best Policy.—An anmsing and at the same time instructive incident, showing the retribution that sometimes follows those who endeavor to evade the Land Tax Act, has recently happened in connection with one of our large landed proprietors (saya the Melbourne Ags). For some reason or other the owner of a large estate transferred to his wife a valuable portion of it, placing such a valuation thereon as put it outside the provisions of the Act. Upon appeal, however, the wife’s estate was held to be to a small degree subject to the tax, but the exemption on £2500 in value was at least secured. Eecently the lady died, and, unfortunately for the husband, without making a will, the result being that the estate held by her goes one-half to the husband and one-half to bis deceased wife’s brothers. Not only that, but the probate duties are rather high in such cases. The result of the transferring operations therefore is that whilst saving the sum of about £3O in land tax, the loss will be at least one-half of the estate, which is valued at thousands of pounds, and the corresponding probate duty on the whole property. Mr R. H. Postlethwaite, Geraldine, advertises for a cowman. The Temuka Road Board invite tenders for a number of works. Messrs Taskei add Co, butchers, Geraldine, announce their prices for meat, in another column.