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Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3113, 8 February 1879, Page 2

The Hawera correspondent of the Wanganui Herald telegraphs that at a tangi on Sunday night on the Wai mate plains, Te Ropiha raised the question whether anything was going to be done to stop the surveys. Patu Warau, a leading native of good influence, replied that the surveys would not be interfered with. His fighting with the pakehas had ended at Te Ngutu-ote-Manu. This was unanimously agreed to, and repeated to Major Brown and Mr Williams on Wednesday, at a meeting in presence of the leading chiefs and Titokowaru.

It will be remembered that on Thursday we published a telegram stating that Mr J. P. Jones, of Wellington (recently of Thames), had disappeared and no tidings could be heard of him. A prirate telegram states that still no information as to what has befallen him has been obtained. It is with regret we hear this sad news, and we are sure the relatives of the missing gentleman will hare the heartfelt sympathy of their Thames friends. We may remark that since the above was in type we have seen a letter from Mr Jones to his married daughter here, written the day before he mysteriously disappeared. The letter contains no internal evidence of mental aberration, neither does it betray any symptoms of depression or reference to bad times ; but is cheerfully worded. . The inference of Mr Jones' friends, therefore, is that he has met with some accident.

The Herald's correspondent wires the following:—The Sirdars are leaving Kabul, and fighting for the succession. Turkey has ceded Khotana to Persia. Astrakhan, where the plague is raging, is completely isolated, and surrounded by a military cordon.

A values, who ia now in receipt of his answers from the ratepayers to whom he sent notices, informs the Lyttelton Times tnat some ludicrous errors have been made by people in filling them up. In many instances the intelligence that they contain is more amusing and embarrassing than useful. One gentleman informed him on the document (which, by the way, was not sufficiently large to contain the information, and a supplementary sheet of foolscap had to bo introduced) that he had various properties in different parts of the Provincial district, others in the North Island, and an interest in some property in the Old Country. This interest was that when his mother died (which he took care to inform the valuer was a matter of expectation by every mail) he should own onethird of it—the remainder belonging to his two brothers. The value of these properties was, however, given, and the information required was easily abstracted from them. Another declines to give the value of his land, as he does not want to sell, and he will not, therefore, venture to hazard an opinion as to ita value; while others send the sheets back empty. Taken all round, in about one out of every five instances a correct answer is given.

At the R.M. Court yesterday a female witness was giving evidence with a little two year old in her arms. First there was a difficulty about swearing the woman, as both her hands were occupied holding the " kid," but this was got over by placing it on the floor of the witness box. This wakened thechild, and it caused some amusement by repeatedly telling Ls mother to " come on home" in that interesting nerve-shaking cry peculiar' to children arrived at that interesting stage of existence. This at last got unbearable; the B.M. fidgetted, the reporters looked savage, while the Clerk of the Court and other officials evidently wished they could indulge in the luxury of tall swearing. Finally, in despair, a tall, handsome, bearded policeman seized the little imp, and bore it ■creaming and kicking out of the Court. The indistinct yells lasted several minutes outside the Court, notwithstanding that the gallant constable dandled it in a truly paternal manner.

This ia how an ex Thames man speaks of a recent balloon ascent at Sydney, which he witnessed: " The balloon would not rise more than 20 feet, and we, the spectators, were informed that there was not enough gas. I guess if we had —— from the Thames there that balloon would hare gone up—at any. rate there would have been no scarcity of gas." The Board of Governors of the Timaru High School have resolfed to call for competitive designs for a school to hold 200 pupils, and cost £4000. A Southebn telegram says:—Major Roberts and G. C. Cooper, commissioners, hare concluded the enquiry into the charges against Warden Broad, preferred by the sergeant of police. The charges completely broke down. Much sympathy is felt for Mr Broad.

A good story is told of an incident which occurred in Auckland some years ago, that, notwithstanding the time which has elapsed since it occurrence, is too good to be lost. About a dozen years ago stevedoring or discharging ships was a very profitable employment, as very little watch was kept on the lumpers, and many a bale of merchandise was found short of the invoice list and nothing said about it. One of these lumpers, who will be called Bill Smith, was notorious for his pilfering —a regular victim to kleptomania. While discharging a large ship Bill came across a large quantity of gun shot, and immediately resolved to convert some of it to his own use. He had done it before, and realised ft handsome sum for it from

a well-known gunmaker. He smashed open a case, and. disposed as many pound bags of the shot about his person as he could conveniently carry, and after tea took them down to Mr 's, the gunmaker. " Good evening, Mr /' quoth Bill; " I have some shot to sell." "Oh, have you?" responded the gunmaker ; " I don't want it though; I have a lot come out by the " (naming the vessel Bill was discharging). "Well, you^don't want it then ? Good night." And Bill left the shop rapidly, for his narrow escape. He left for the Waikato next morning early.