The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12,1874.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1777, 12 September 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12,1874.

We are in receipt of the New Zealand Gazettes, several numbers of Hansard, and a number of Parliamentary papers. A WABEANT appears in a Gazette of the 3rd instant constituting Hamilton (Waikato), a place at which sessions of the District Court of Auckland shall be held, and the interTftls ot the same. Thb Magnet Variety will give a performance this evening, in the Theatre Boyal, the occasion being for the benefit of Mr. James Mcliver. The night is happily chosen tor » benefit, and, as the programme is a very attractive one, the proceeds will likely prore substantial. We understand that in consequence of the death of Mr. Andrew Beveridge, Provincial Solicitor. His Honor the Superintendent will proceed to Auckland on Tuesday morning to ,be present at the funeral of his deceased law adviser. The projected visit to Ohuiemun will therefore have to be postponed. Mr. Holloway, delegate from the English ""Laborers' Union, at present visiting the Thamw with the Superintendent, rode out to Puriri to day in order to have a look at the country. If this gentleman makes notes while on hi* travels he ought to be able to report fully of New Zealand on fcii return to the *ld country.

Constable Gback returned from Hikutaia last night, whither ho had gone to report upon the accident which resulted, in the death of Black Jack. An inquest •was considered unnecessary, the inquiry eliciting similar facts as to tho manner of deceased's death to those previously published. Tho body was buried at Eikutain.

The Jewish festival of the New Y«ar ; was commenced to be celebrated last evening, and will be continued this evening. The building chosen for a temporary, synagogue is the Masonic Hall, Queen-sfcroefc; and the members of th» Hebrew pewuaoion on the Thames have, with very little Accessories, transformed this hall into a neat little synagogue. .

At the Academy of Music this evoning Miss Msggie Knight, Mr. Jofenny Gourlay and other artistes will make their first appearance in a variety entertainment. Mies Maggie Knight will be remembered by Aucklanders for the cleverness she displayed as a child in many parts at th« old Theatre Royal in Auckland, and Master Gourlay is favorably known here in connaction with the talented family of his own n*me. Particulars may he seen in our advertising columns.

It is said that over £2000 were paid in cash to natives at Whakatiwai on account of lands in this district; this in addition to a large sain in the shape of raihana or orders. We are informed that a good portion of the ready money found its way to (he stores of those pakehan who sold eatables and drinks, while the orders were negociated with the vendors of clothing. Such a sum or sums dividedamongstthefewpersons doing business at the "great native meeting" must have made business profitable during the short time it lasted.;

We learn that Mr. Jamea Mackay, jun., has succeeded in effecting the purchase of the Piako lands in additi on to those previously purchased. The extent of land now acquired by the Government in tho Hauraki District is very large, and as soon as [ih6 country is opened a great impetus will bo given to the progress of the Thames. With a prosperous goldfield and a large area of country for agricultural and pastoral purposes, the Thames should become one of the most progressive settlements in the colony; especially when the management of its affairs becomes vested in an administrative body locally elected, asd possessing substantial revenues.

Thebe is a rumor that the Crown Prince of Holland will marry the Princess Thyra a sister of the Princess of Wale*. This will, in the course of nature, make the Princess Queen of Holland. The King of Denmark, her father, is one of the poorest monarchs in Europe, and has perhaps the smallest kingdom. He has done remarkably well with his large family. One daughter will probably be Empress of Russia, the other Queen of England. One son is King of Greece, another will be King of Denmark, and now another crown comes into his family. To have children reigning over England, Russia, Greece, Denmark, and Holland is a great achievement in th« way of honors and powers.—New York Herald.

Fbom an advertisement which has appeared in our columns it will hays been rieticed that Mr. J. H. Jefferson, stationer, is about to hold an art union. The principal prizes are valuable pictures, and comprise three oil paintings, several oleographs and a number of very beautiful specimens of illuminated ■writing, or rather printing. These are mounted and framed, the oils and oleographs in very handsome gilt frames, and the illuminations in what is known as the Oxford frame. There are fourteen principal prizes, and in addition each subscriber not winning a chief prize will become entitled to a photograph or other picture unframed, so that in the drawing there will be no blanks. The number of tickets is limited to 60, at £1 «acb, so that early application is necessary to onsure a chance in tho drawing.'

One midsummer day, wlien iEolus slept, and the thermometer stood in the nineties, a lady entered a shop and asked for parasols. The obliging proprietor spread out before her samples of a large and t tried stock. " Hare you any of this shade a size larger ? " said the lady. The sizo larger was produced. "I think on the whole. I prefer the size smaller." The size smaller was presented, " Have you any of this size a lighter shade blue ? " The required shade was brought out. " Haven't ■ you any of this kind with a crooked handle ? " The shade with the crooked handle appeared. " Have you any with the crooked handle not 80 heavy ?'■'. said the lady, and so continued her inquiries for every conceivable size, shade, and weight impossible in the line of parasols. After nearly an hour had been thus consumed the fair shopper gathered up her handkerchief and gloves and moved for the door. "Can't I sell you a parasol ? " inquired the exhausted proprietor. "O, dear no!" replied the lady, i" I was merely inquiring the prices. I am going into mourning, and have one for sale."

The following amusing story appears in a contemporary :— " A new-chum Chinaman, whose knowledge of English was limited to a few of the cardinal oaths of our language, was esgaged a few days since to cook for a gang of men who wore at work on a station. The first day all went well, but on the second, John, to his horror, discovered ho had no meat to cook ; and as John had no one else to apply to, ho began to pray to hia Chinese gods, who sent an answer to hia pray«r in the shape of a traveller who had been amusing himself with catching rabbits. These he delivered to John, and, while the heathen was busy, with a diabolical smila moved a litter of puppies from the place where they lay, and then impressed on the brain of the Celestial that the proper name for tho animals he had just been at work on was ' puppy.' As Johu knew no better, he assented with a ponsive smile, and by the time ths men re« turaed ho had them served up ready for dinner. The dish was highly relished, and all went well until one asked John if he had any more. The answer quickly came, ' JNo more puppy ; welly good puppy, welly good.' A fearful nrisgiving instantly reached every stomach ia the company, and one made a bolt towards the place the puppies inhabited; and to his horror, found they were gone. With a yell he informed his companions that they were poisoned. The result was a ruah towards John, who bolted through the door like lightning, and nothing has since been . heard ef that Chinaman. The next thing was to go to the nearest fence, over which th»y spent the next half-hour in a vain attempt to: briag the coles of their boots up through their throats. While thus engaged, the wag who had played the trick quietly replaced the litter. The feelings of the men, when

I they returned and found the puppies, can be ! better imagined than cur pen can describe."

Ik the K. M. Court yesterday, a case was heard, ia which, a publican sued a citizen for a certain amount, tho prioa of refreshments. Plaintiff" avcred strongly that defendant was indebted to "him in the. amount claimed, nnd dofend.tiit a» strongly protested that he wsm not. In eucli a case which aro you to believe.- To arrive nfc.'truth when trifling discrepancies of this sort occur is no easy matter. Th« simplest mode would bs to take a little from the assertion of each, and believe half way ; thus you would bo allowing a kind of margin for the imaginative powers of the respective disputants. As it happened in thi* case, the Magistrate did not require to ruck his judicul brains for any accurate conclusion, aathe law laid down that tho publican could nofc recover. Hence tho defendant went away witk an additional conviction of his tinspotted character, and plaintiff went away with his opinion of the law on this particular question slightly altered for the worse. Moral —" If wither a borrowor nor a lender be 5 for loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."

Thb Borough Council hare, recently undertaken a piece of work which was veiy much needed, namely the formation of n piece of footpath in Eyre-street (beach) between Willonghby and Richmond streets, for want of which tho residents havo for some time past been threatened with destruction to their gardens and fences. The work is being done partly at the expense of tbe Borough and partly by contributions from the resident!. It is to be regretted that the Borough Council could not see their way (o continuing the footpath right along the beach to the Shortland Wharf. It is a public thoroughfare that is very much used, and fpr gome lime past has been in a dangerous state owing (0 the continued encroachment' of the «ea. The ratepayers in the neighborhood havo been taxed for yearn past without receiving any benefit from expenditure in that; locality, and they reasonably object (or some of them) to contributions towards a work which is required as much in the interests of the public as for tho protection of those who happen to live in the immediate neighborhood. The division of the Borough into wards would be a step in the right direction, aa then ratepayers could reasonably look io some one representative to guard their interests when" money is being voted.

The following strange opitaph appears on one of the gravestones in tho Hokitika cemstery. It is certainly an anomaly as emanating from the friends of anyone deceased :— " Memoria in JEfcerra of Ellen, second daughter of Thom&s and Christiana Newhouse, of Freston, Lancashire, England, pasted into everlasfing rest, 10th day of September, 1873, aged 53 years, caused, by a cancer, and inflicted upon her, 7th day of January, 1872, by a person the law denominated her husband For this brutality she sought justice in vain at the 8.M.0., H." Several verses of poetry then follow in the same strain, ending with "His demonial ruffian soul ia indelibly branded with the terrors of the state. Justice yat for the eister dear our lives and souls we ever consecrate." The Hokifcika Leader of the 20th ultimo:.says that this extraordinary epitaph w»s oh Monday removed by the Borough Council as trustees of the cemetery. It is still in the possession of that body, and there is, we hear, a possibility of proceedings being taken against the person who put it up. Ifc is rather singular that the publication of the scandalous production in a newspaper should be tho first intimation that the trustees received of its existence. We are told that, though not exactly superintending its erection, ona of the Borough Councillors was present at the time, and saw nothing objectionable to it. Whether this were co or not, we cannot positively say, bub should hope luch a statement is a mistake.