Untitled

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3058, 3 December 1878, Page 2

Theeb was a clean sheet at the B.M. Court this morning. The anniversary soiree in connection with the Shortland Wesleyan Sunday School will be held in the- Church, Willoughby street, this evening. After tea i the meeting will be addressed by a number of ministers and friends. The Secretary of, the Board of Educa- - { tion notifies in our advertising columns that the examination of candidates for district scholarships, and certificate! of proficiency, will be held here and at Auckland, commencing on the 18th inst. Farther particulars will be given in a future advertisement. Mb O. Wakefield, accompaied by Col. Fraser, R.M., Mr Brodie; County Chairman, Mr Aitken, County Engineer, and others, left here to-day for Coromandel in the steamer Memsahib. The appointment of James Monteith McLaren, Esq., to be Mining Inspector, for the Hauraki. Goldmining District is gazetted. We have to thank the Government Printer for the volume of Local and Personal Acts passed during the late session of Parliament. ' We have received from Messrs Frater j Brothers their Share Investors' Guide for December. Tbinitt Church, Tauranga, was struck by lightning on Saturday week last and damaged to the extent of £200. Mb Waiteb Fbickeb wishes it to be known that he is not the " well-known painter " referred to in a paragraph in Saturday's Star'; that he has not any claims upon " the doctor," nor does the description apply to him at all. The 'police are looking for the owner of a wedding ring, which was found in Pollen street. The ring bears certain marks, which, if described by any person claiming it, will be handed to them by Mrßullen. It is with great regret, says our Wai* kato contemporary, we have to state that Major Glare—so well known and so' universally liked and respected by the inhabitants of Waikato—is lying dangerously ill at his house in Cambridge; Some three weeks ago, an attack of cold led to dropsy, and the disease took 'such hold of Major-Clare's system that medical assistance was powerless to arrest it. The ordinary recourse of tapping was resorted to, but this gave only temporary -relief. The Major's family have gathered round him, and it is with sincere regret we learn that his condition is most precarious.

The following table—extracted from the ..Registrar General's Report on the vital statistics of the' Boroughs- of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hokitika and Invercargill for the month of October—gives the population, number of births and deaths, and proportion of deaths to the 1000 of. population of each borough :—

A piece of footpath much frequented by the public—that from the corner of Albert street, along Queen street to Cochrane street —has been partially asphalted. The break is in front of the Provincial Hotel and Government buildings. If these frontages were asphalted a great convenience would be provided. Gould not some representation be made to the Government in the matter to get them to do their share? . •. . ; We have had left at the-office by Mr Hetherington some specimens of lead ore from the Tararu find. They are very likely looking, exceedingly heavy, and, as was remarked by an expert, excel* lent stuff "if there is plenty of it. Per. sous interested or possessing practical knowledge are invited to inspect the specimens. • A 'new explosive agent has just been discovered by Professor Emertou Keyuolds in the laboratory of Trinity College, Dublin. It is a mixture of 75 per cent.

of cbl rate of potassium with 25 per cent, of a body, called sulphurea. It is a white powder, .and can be ignited at a rather lower temperature than ordinary gunpowder, while the effects it produces, are even more remarkable. It has been successfully used in small cannon, but its discoverer thinks it will be df more service for blasting, shells, torpedoes, and like purposes. While ordinary gunpowder leaves about 57. per cent, solid residuum after explosion, this leaves but about 45 per cent. It can be produced at a moment's notice by a comparatively rough mixture of the ingredients," which can be transported and handled without risk so long as they are separate. The sulphurea discovered by Professor Reynolds can be procured in large quantities from a. product of gas manufacture which is now. wasted.

A kind-hearted gentleman at East Saginaw, Michigan, died the other day, and with his last words requested that his will be read during the services, and in the presence of the mourners. This was done, and every person present, even the deceased's most casual acquaintances, were astounded to find that each had been left a handsome legacy. Even the undertaker and his assistants got $10,000 apiece. The concourse followed the coffin to the grave with swelling hearts, and wept amply over their departed benefactor. The next day a clause was discovered stating that the testator wasn't possessed of a cent, as a matter of fact, but had drawn a will calculated to show his good feeling towards mankind and to set an example to those who had the requisite ducats to make people happy. The legatees have since formed a dancing club and mean to give a German over his grave the very first moonlight night.

One of the strangest things in connection with the Paris Exhibition (says the writer of " Science Gossip " in the Leader) is the refusal of Mr Edison of any medal or other token of recognition for his phonograph, and the reason assigned does not diminish, the. wonder. It was exhibited amongst the instruments of precision, but the jurors of that class decided that it had no business there, and sent Mr Edison to the jurors of the class of telegraphy. Their decision was that the instrument was of no vjalue in telegraphy, and they refused the medal. It would therefore appear that Mr Edison must go unre-j warded, or there must be a special jury' empannelled to award it to him. He is not the only one who has been badly used in Paris. The engine which drives the English machinery was' injured by having emery powder put into its bearings, whereby they were very much cut up, and the regularity of action of the engine deteriorated. The perpetrator of this malicious act has not been tracked. If the public are satisfied, the exhibitors are not.

Auckland .. Thames .... Wellington.. Nelson •Christehurch Dunedin.... Hokitika .. Invercargill.. BOKOUGII. 13,732 5,425 19,037 6,603 13,402 22,491 3,244 3,761 • Estimated Population. 5S 22 67 24 59 76 6 25 • Total Births. Total Deaths. 22 2 17 3 14 31 6 Proportion of Deaths to 1000 of. population. 1-60 0-37 0-90 0-45 1-04 1-38 1.37 : -• T0ta1.... . 337 95 • • • •