Untitled

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3010, 8 October 1878, Page 2

We have heard the point discussed pretty often lately, which colony possesses ,the greatest length ot railway open for traffic —Victoria, New South Wales;- or New Zealand ? The following table, which the Morning Herald (Dunedin) acknowledges from a report on the Victorian Eailways for 1877, would appear to set the matter at .rest, and it is further .interesting,from the fact that it gives the lengths of railway lines opeja- in several European States, Canada and the United States, with populations and other particulars: — • ■■■■■.-..

Me Thomas Spencee, with his accustomed generosity, has kindly placed at the disposal of the Union Cricket Club a section of the cricket field afc Parawai Gardens, and lately the members of the Club have gone to considerable trouble in mowing and .rolling the wicket. The Clujb now numbers between twenty and 30 members. - -

These was a clean sheet at the B.M . Court this morning.

De. ScHWA?iZBACH, the celebrated oculist and autist, arrived yesterday afternoon and is staying at the Pacific Hotel, where he may be consulted on all diseases of the eye and ear for a week or so. The doctor has been wonderfully successful throughout his Australian and New Zealand tour in treating obstinate'cases of deafness and impaired vision, and he has.also performed some of th>s most/delicate and difficult operations known to ' modern science. On his former visit to Thames Dr.^chwarzbach relieved many distressing cases of imperfect sight and hearing.

■We are glad to learn that 1 there is likely to be a review of-the Volunteers on the Thames on the Prince* of Wales' Birthday, and arrangements are now in progress to get some of the Auckland companies to join in the-proceedings.

A tbibutee, named Frederick Le Man-, quais, had an artery in bis head cut this morning by. a small though sharp stone dropping on him wb'le at work in tho Kuranui Hill mine. ■'• The wound bled freely, a cut about on. inch long having been inflicted. Medical aid was procured and the cut speedily dressed, and he will be able to. resume fus work in two or three'days. ,

At the last meeting of the Committee of the Thames Hospital it was resolved that when JJr. Schwarzbach should visit the Thames, his opinion should'be obtained on the case of Samuel Kobinson, who has been in the Hospital for a very long time, totally blind, and also on another case, that of an out-patient— Uolemai, Who lost the sight of one eye while employed stonebreaking some time ago. Tv pursuance of this, resolution the President (Mr John Fi'ater) waited on Dr.. Schwarzbach this morning, and the latter at once consented to examine the patients, but suggested that they should wait upon him. at the Pacific as he had all his instruments and apparata there. This was, of corvse, at ont> acceded to, and the patients Visited the doctor about noon. Oolemab, it was found, has irrecoverably lost the sigh*", of one eye, and as an oper.ii.ion would not probably .restore sight to tne optic affected, Dr Schwarzbach -cqnßiderid it. would be useless to perform an oper ..^ion. The If d .liobinson was very carefully examined, but it would appear that his sight has be'en completely and hopelessly destroyed—probably the result of some brain or spinal diseased Dr Schwarzbach gave careful attention to both cases, pnd that too gratuitously, as the sufferers are -parents of a charitable institution ;'and we .believe that the Committee w'U acknowledge his services by a letter of thanks signed by the President, Vice-Presideat and Secretary. _ '..' •

An.open lodge meefc'n'* was held last night in the Templar Hall, pot up by the JNorthein Pioneer Lodge, 1.0.G1T. At 8 o'cWk the doors were opered to the H public, and very soon the commodious half was conveniently filled. Mr George JS. Phillips took the chair and explained the reason of "his having done so/ Proceedings were started with a song by Mr S. Meachem, fairly given, after .which the Chairman made some good opening remarks, quoting passages from the new book introduced into the public schools which contains some gjod matter showing the evil effects of alcohol "on the< system. Mr Cocks, jun., was then called upon, aud sang " The Pretty Little Mermaids," which took very well.- Mr J. Jones addressed the meetirg, prefacing his remarks by saying he had difficulty in deciding what he should say to them, seeing -that every argument for and. agaiist strong drink had, probably been presented to them; but he believed the object of "such meetings was lather : io keep the gre -t quesi/ion of total abstinence before them than cohvin:9 thorn, that, the arguments us:d were sound. He clearly showed tie .fallacious characte' of some non-abstame:'s\ arguments. A duet by Miss Cleave and Mr W.Gribbl~— : " Flow; on thou Shir ng River "—w&3 decervcdly applauded, and. one o. 1 two vei'ses were repealed. The Clnivm:\n announced that •it had been cxpeccd that tin J?ev. Mr Bond (of AncHpnd) would be prisant, but illDers bau caused his aasenr3; however, he wss gla^ to say 3ro, Re^r J. T. Hinton would sprak ins e»H, whi^h he ■ did, and in a manner wa'cii cer.ainly should have mide an itnpressior A so.ig by M; Jones—"Pall, pull tc^ether, boys," in'wlr'ch the audTtnee pTeitlvcly joine 3in the chorus.^—was well rendered. Eeadings b r Eros. John Scott .and Nodde* and "Ah, Ah,-little Cupil" a son^by Miss Cie .re, foUowfid, all bei.ig well reCfcivei " Tje M'nu;e Gan at' Sea." by Messrs Cock s and Meacheai, was the last item on the. programme, fairly performed. The whole formed a pleasant evening. Mr Wit Gribble played the accompaniments. . "'. ■' •

The annual meeting of the Cemetery "Committee took place at the Borough Council Chambers yesterday, thers being present—the Mayor, Messrs Brodie, Carpenter andf Hanseri. The-following is a' brief precis of the business :—Mr Carpenter , reported that nothing definite had been done with reference to the proposed cemetery at To^ara Point, in consequence of a death in the family of* Taip_ri, the. principal owner. With reference to an offer from Mr W. Dowdeu,. of the Newton Pottery. Works, to supply the Committee with his patent errthenwaye grave pegs at a, less cost than the wooden oneS now in' use, it was decided to ask Mr Dowdeh to give an estimate for 3CCO pegs. A letter was read from Mrs Fox (widow of Dr Fox) concerning a claim of £9 7s 6d made by the committee for a burial lot taken up by her in the Shortland cemetery. She did not see the justice, of the claim/ It was decided to write to Mrs Fox's agent requesting the payment of the sum. A leiter was read from the-Parawai Highway Board staging that they oonsidered.it only fail? that £11, their share of the cemetery overdraft, should be remitted, as they had incurred considerable expense in repairs to the' cemetery road. No decision was arrived at with reference to this maiter. ,An application »for a burial lot made by Mr H. Driver, was deferred. tiU after the visit to t-'hortland Cemetery, Theannualb Jauce sheet was read as follows :— Shorthnd Cemetery, .£lB 18s ; I'ar: va Cemeleiy, £10 lls; rent from WiLon's piddoclss, £16 4s 6d ; Bank of New Zealand, oterd aft, £88 18s' 2d; cash in secretary's hands, October Ist, 1577,18s Id ;' cash advanced, by .treasurer, £1 3s 3d; to al 1 receipts, £136 13s. The.expenditure had been:— Shortland Cemetery, £37 5s 3d ; Tararii Cemetery^ £23 4s 6d.; tools, &c, £2 13s 7d; sundries, £1 9s ; printing and advertising;, 15s 9d ; Wilson's paddocks.. £4 17s 6d ; and seeds, £6.14s ; interest to. bok, £3 10s 6d; law costs, £2 9s 8d; amount of overdraft Bank' of New

Zealand, 30th September, 1877, £53 13s 3d; total expenditure, £i 36 13s. The'cprnmittee then proesededl to visit the cemeteries. The Tararu cemetery was first inspected, is id was found to be in excellent order. It was decided by the committ3e to erect a fence along the edge of precipitous bank near the road leading to the cemete"ry.. The party then proceeded to the Shortland cemetery, where the s?xton pointed out the lot applied for by Mr Driver, and informed the committee that a child bad been buried there some years ago. T,he committee decided to let Mr Driver have the lot provided the father ot the child interred there did no'u object to the removal of the remains. It was also decided to burn off some fern land and prepare it for burialpurposes. The attention of the committee was attracted to the 'disgraceful siate of the Hapo Greek crossings and'it was decided to erect a bridge at a cost of about £200. The Committee instructed the Mayor to write to the Friendly Societies and the various clergymen^ with a view to raising funds for the erection of a small house at the Shortland Cemetery for'the convenience of clergymen and for the general improvement of the grounds. We have several times of late had to notice instances where persons possessing capital have come to this province and invested largely in land, and we are glad to learn that the process is still being continue!!. By this me ins the position of ihe province will unquestionably become greatly improved, as the amount of land under cultivation will.be materially increased. We learn that Mr Studbolme, of Canterbury, has purchased from a citizen of Auck'and 10,000 acres of land; on the Piako, the price paid being £40,000, or £4 fer acre. Major Jackson bas, we t alieve, sold his fine farm at Ran?iawlra,: near Te Awamutu, for £13 per acre. Waikato lands are now much sought after, and at present ceveral intending pur-; chasers are inspecting properties in the different settlements, with a vi«w to completing sales and setting.: We hear that one Southern speculator who has lately arrived in Auckland has been largely in: vesting iv city and suburbrn properties, and during the last few weeks has made investments to the extent of about £10,000. -^Herald. ' ,■* •■ •—' -■ ?;.'. .