LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2462, 9 February 1893, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

State Farm. — The Government State farm will shortly be inaugurated on 1500 acres some miles beyond Feilding. Reaper and Binder Trial. —The Adriance Reaper and Binder may be seen at work this afternoon in a paddock on the Arowhenua estate. Meeting at Mount Peel. —Mr R. Thew will address the ratepayers in the Sootsburn schoolroom this evening on Timaru Harbor Board matters. Tbmuka Road Board. — The monthly meeting of the Temuka Road Board was adjourned on Tuesday for a month, there being no business of importance to deal with. Rate op Interest. — An Auckland telegram says: — The banks decided on Tuesday to reduce the rats of interest on bank deposits for twelve months from 5 to 4£ per cent. Masonic. —The Brethren of St. John’s Lodge, Temuka, are requested to meet at the Lodge Room, at 1 o’clock to-morrow, for the purpose of attending the funeral of the late Bro. Joseph Woodhead. Geraldine Rifles.— An inspection of arms and accoutrements by the officer commanding the district takes place this evening. Members who cannot attend must send in their arms prior to the parade. A Trivial Charge. — At the Mosgiel Police Court, Denis O’Brien, was charged under the Police Offences Act with working on Sunday in stacking a crop at Wingatui. He pleaded guilty, and was fined Is without costs. The Weather. After a fortnight’s almost continuous fine weather rain again commenced to fall last evening. A great amount of harvesting has been done, but as much yet remains to be done it is to be hoped the rain will not long continue. Crown Lands for Selection. A reserve of 102 acres at Gapes’s Valley, will be open for selection at the Land Office at Christchurch on Monday, February 20th. Particulars as to choice of tenure, etc., will be found in onr advertising columns. Oraßl. —Proressor Montague delivered a series of four lectures in the schoolroom. On the evenings of Sunday and Monday his subjects were “ Science and Religion,” “National Characteristics,”and “Marriage.” On these occasions the room was well filled, and while the lectures were instructive he sustained the close attention of the audience by his elocutionary powers and able mimicry. The amusement he afforded was attested by frequent bursts of laughter and applause. Timaru Hospital. The following is the return of patients in the Timarn Hospital for the month of January. 1893 ; Patients under treatment at date of last return: Males 14, females 5, total 19 ; admitted during month : males 15, females 3, total 18 ; totals treated: males 29, females 8, total 37. Discharged during month: Cured: males 15, females 6, total 21 ; relieved : males 1, females 0, total 1; dead .- males 1 (James Wheeler) ; totals discharged : males 17, females 6, total 23. Remaining under treatment: males 12, females 2, total 14. Out-patients treated during month; males 5, females 4, total 9. A, “ Cropping Bee.” — Our Amberley correspondent writes : A farmer living near Amberley recently lost one of his eyes through an accident, which necessitated a lengthened stay in the Christchurch Hospital. Meanwhile his 100 acres of grain was ripening and fit for harvest, with no one to look after it. His neighbours met and considered the state of things, and have proved friends in need by cooperating and cutting, stocking, and stacking the crop at their own cost, some finding labor and others refreshments. The action is the more commendable as many had to travel some miles to the work, and that at a season when each could ill spare time to work for others.—Lyttelton Times, A Bankrupt’s Story.— A man named J. E. Wade, a farmer at Kurow, who has sought the protection of the Bankruptcy Court, told a story at the meeting of his creditors which some of those present found a difficulty in believing. He attributed his failure largely to having lost a parcel of notes and cheques for £355. He had hid the money for some time, carrying it about for some days and leaving it at home on other days. One day he was away from home at a neighbor’s with the money in his pocket, returned late, and when he got home found that he had lost the money. He went back along the road to look for it, bub could not find it. The bankrupt stated that he did not know of any proposal he could make unless it was that one of the creditors proposed to send him to gaol for seven years. Comedy Lectures. Elsewhere Professor Montague advertises a continuance of his comedy lectures at Geraldine. Last night he lectured at Geraldine to an enthusiastic audience, and his wit and fnn were well received. To-night and Friday night his lectures are again free of charge, with collections to defray expenses. On Saturday he speaks of marriage, when a small charge is made for admission, and a charge will also be made on Monday evening, when, after the usual comic lecture, he will throw in half an hour’s legerdemain. The professor is spoken well of by a|l the leading papers wherever he has been in the colony, special mention, |r i -Gn£r given of his brilliant flights of keen wit. / Obituary— We very’ much regret to chronicle the death of Mr Joseph Woodhead, youngest son of Mr George Woodhead’, of Milford. The deceased gentleman was in perfect health until he was attacked by typhoid fever a couple of K/qeJfs hgo, and to this ho succumbed yesterday morifing. Mr Woodhead was only 42 years 10 months of age. and was therefore in the prime of life. He was one of our oldest and most respected residents, and at the time of his death occupied a seat on the Temuka Road Board. He was a good a good father, and no one could know him without entertaining the highest respect for him. News f'f his death was received with the deepest regret by' knew him or any member of the family to which be belonged. He leaves a wife and ten children to mourn his loss, and we bog to tender them onr sincere sympathy. £ Wonderful Conversion.— With regard *to a paragraph which recently appeared in • this paper stating that D. M. Ross had been converted to the Roman Catholic faith since his entrance into the Lyttelton gaol, we now find that this was scarcely correct. As soon as a prisoner enters a ; gaol, he is, amongst other questions, asked to what Church he belongs. This question was asked Ross, who replied that he belonged to the Roman Catholic Church, and, of course, he was entered in the books of the gaol as such. Ross is so well known down here that everyone was surprised when it became known that he had become a Catholic. Of course Ross had his own reasons for giving his religion as Roman Catholic, but it is very well known that he was not one before entering the gaol. This bears out the contention that many persons of other denominations enter themselves in gaol books as Roman Catholics, and that this is how the per centage of Roman Catholic prisoners is so large.

Immigration and Emigration, —The arrivals in New Zealand during January were 3418 persons, and the departures 1513, leaving a gain to the colony of 1905. In the same month last year the arrivals exceeded the departures by 673. Dunedin. The valuation of rateable property in the city of Dunedin is £251,100 as against £251,810 in 1892. The decrease is attributed to the fact that while depreciation in value has been operating, very few new buildings have been erected during the year. Sudden Death. —A young man named John Quigley, 21 years of age, a shoemaker died suddenly in a fit at the Carlton Club Hotel at Newmarket. The medical evidence at the inquest showed that death resulted from failure of the heart’s action in consequence of congestion of the lungs. Amalgamation. —The Marine Department intends to appoint permanent examiners of masters and mates. Two officials will be selected, who w ill make periodical visits throughout the colony for the purpose of making examinations, and local examiners will be abolished.

Prohibition.— The Rev. L. M. Isitt has informed the American committee that recent events have rendered the obtaining of the direct veto of such paramount importance that he has determined to give up his proposed trip to the Prohibition States and to spend the time between this and next Parliamentary election lecturing throughout New Zealand. Fatal Accident.— Mr Rhody O’Malley, proprietor of the tramway between Hokitika and Kanieri, was killed on Tuesday afternoon. The horse got frightened and bolted. Mr O’Malley endeavoured to pull it in but by a sudden jerk he was dragged on to the line under the car, which partially went over him. He managed with assistance to reach his hut but died on his way to the hospital. Breaches of the Land iCT, —The investigation recently made by the Land Department into the alleged breaches of the Land Act in the Taranaki land district, resulted in information being obtained which led to proceedings being taken to punish the the offenders. There are a large number of cases, involving many individuals, and the charges include dummyism, making false declarations, conspiracy to evade the Act, and perjury. The penalties range from forfeiture of the land to forfeitures and fines of £SOO and long terms of imprisonment. In every case it is an individual and not members of associations who are involved. Mr O’Hara Smith, of the Lands Audit Department, is at New Plymouth instituting the proceedings.

Sad Case.—A young' woman, giving her name as Mrs Friend, died at the house of a midwife in Cuba street, Wellington, on Monday. The woman had been confined of triplets. One child was born alive on Friday night, and the other two children were born dead on Sunday night. When medical aid was sought, the woman was lying in her bed pulseless, blanched, unconscious, and dying. The doctor concluded that there had been severe hemorrhage. Deceased was between thirty and forty years old. At the inquest on the body of the woman French, otherwise Friend, otherwise Death, who died on Monday afternoon after her confinement under suspicious circumstances, a verdict was returned that death was due to hemorrhage. The jury added a rider, that if the midwife had called in medical assistance after the birth of the first child the woman’s life might possiby have been saved.

Vote of Confidence. —The Hon. Mr Reeves addressed a well-attended meeting at the Town Hall, Havelock, on Monday evening. There was a good number of ladies present. He expressed himself well pleased with the scenery between here and Nelson. He spoke on the advisability of Ministers meeting the electors in all parts of the colony, and ridiculed the idea of Ministers being on the stump. He denied that town had been set against country or class against class only as far as was actually necessary to effect important reform, political or social. He reviewed the sweeping charges brought by the Opposition against the Government, He was favourable to the remainder of the Crown lands being reserved for settlement, and approved of the purchase of the Cheviot Estate. He complimented the labour members, and justified the action of the Government in appointing Justices of the Peace from the working classes. He was very severe on Mr Eolleston. A unanimous vote of thanks to Mr Eeeves was recorded, and a vote of confidence was passed in the present Ministry without dissent.

Gold Field,— Mr Seddon has received a telegram from the inspecting engineer in reference to the reefs at Wilson’s River gold workings. About 200 men are on the field. A large reef was discovered at Wilson’s river and 121 b of stone crushed in the mortar, which gave 4dwts 4grs of gold, equal to 36ozs to the ton. Judging from the lode in the prospector’s claim, and the large blocks of quartz in the creek bed and in the river, with gold all through them, there is a great probability of a rich reef being in this locality. He has instructed Mr 'Turner to make a survey and see if a road can be made from Cromarty to the reefs, a distance of about four miles, but if practicable a tramway would be much cheaper than a road. —The Inspector of Mines has forwarded to the Minister a farther report upon the auriferous reefs at Wilson’s river, Preservation Inlet, and on the works in progress there. He says : “ The river bed is all being worked from about a mile and a-half below the present road line up to where the reef crosses the river, and some are working above the line of reef; but it is only in very dry weather that any workings can be carried on. All the men state that they make very good wages when they can work, but sometimes they can only work six days a month; therefore very few have averaged £3 a week since they commenced, and some have made only tucker. With regard to the prospects of the locality developing into a large reefing district, there is nothing done at the present time to show whether will be got beyond the prospector’s claim. No stone is visible where gold can be seen in any of the other claims, but there has been no work done to test the reef. The lode exposed on the south side of the river is different from that on the north side. The best stone on the south side is near the surface, and on the footwall side of the lode, whereas on the side the rich band of stone is on the hapgipg walj. ejdfi, and should this band run for some distance it will yield a large quan tit. 7of gold. Ip certainly the richest band of stone I have seen in the Middle Island.”