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Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3348, 15 September 1879, Page 2

The polling for tho adoption or rejection in tho Borough, of Thames of the "Public Libraries Act" took place today. Very little interest appeared to be taken in it, and Mr Davies and his subordinates appeared to haro but little to do. The poll closed afc <t o'clock, and resulted as follows:—For, 271; against, 43.

The Coromandel Steamship Company's new steamer Coromandel is advertised to leave here for Coromandel on Thursday next the 18th mat. This attempt of the Comp any to institute direct steam communication with Coromandel is highly commendable, and we trust our business men will giro it all the support they can.

The dance in connection with the Cosmopolitan Quadrille Assembly will take place to-morrow evening instead of Wednesday as previously arranged.

De Turnbull, in addressing a meeting of Christchurch electors, said that the Christcburch election would cost Sir George Grey the heavy end of £1000, but he did not regard that as important principles were at stake.

In the Waikato Times, the proprietor of which is the newly-elected member for Waipa, we notice that that gentleman is classed neither as a Ministerialist nor Oppositionists, but as an independent. Mr Whilaker professes Liberal views.

According to a Southern correspondent of tho Wonganui Herald, Mrs Montgomery, the late wife of the member for Akaroa, was the first oil painter in the colony, her power in likenesses, especially children, commanding universal admiration a few years ago in Christchurch, when a local art exhibition was held there.

f^OtJE readers will be pleased to see that there is some probability of the native affair shortly being settled by the handing over of the culprits to justice. The outsettlers are beginning to complain of the long delay, and the apparent adoption of a " taihoa policy." We, however, have good reason to believe^that tho Government have thoroughly made up their minds to have Pakara and Epiha, and in the face of the decision of the runanga there should be but little difficulty about it.

An interesting cricket match between the teams picked from the Waio-Karaka and Kauaeranga Boys Schools, took place afc Parawai gardens on Saturday afternoon. The game commenced at half past one, and was carried on with the greatest good humor by the youthful knights of the willow. The match resulted in a victory for the Waio-Karaka team. The following were the scores made :— First Innings of Kauaeranga C.C.: G. Martin b Campbell 1, W. Onyon b Me Cullough 1, H. Stephenson b Campbell 2, Veale (caught by Scott) 1, Gerring b McCtillough 4, Furnace b Campbell 0, A. Martin b Campbell 0, Moore b McCullough 1, T. Spencer b McCullough 0, Wilson b McCullough 2, Wilton not out 0, byes 4, wides 1; total, 17. — First Innings Waio-Karaka C.C: Herivel (picked up ball) 6, Brownlee st Veale 3, C. McCullough b Furnace 2, Campbell b Furnace 5, Hales b Furnace 0, Whyte b Furnace 0, Miller b Gerring 8, Scot C. Furnace 0, Flemming, not out, 1, Baiter b Gerring 0, Eowo c Wilson 1, byes 3, wides 4; total, 33. Second Innings Kauaeranga C.C.: Furnace c Campbell 0, Veale b Campbell 5, A. Martin b McCullough 6,,. G> Martin c Hales 6, Gerring c Hales 1, Stephenson c Hales 0, E. Spencer b Campbell 0, Wilson b McCullough 1, Onyon stumped McCullough 0, Moore not out 3, Farquhar c McCullough 2, byes 4; total 27. Second Innings Waio-Karaka C.C.: Flemming b Furnace 5, Miller b Furnace 0, JRowe st Gerrinjf 1, Kernel st Furnace 14 Hales (leg before wicket) 10, Campbell b Gerring 22, McCulloush c Gerring 3, Scot c Moore 0, Whyte st Furnace 1, Baxter (not out) 2; Brownlee (run out) 8 ; byes 3 ; total 69.

This is what a Wellington correspondent of the Marlborough Express thinks of Mr A. Saunders, M.H.R., who will soon be within tho jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, under peculiar commercial circumstances :—" Tho member for Cheviot is a representative of another rotten electorate. There are 1174 names only on his electoral roll. He came into the House with some reputation, but leaves it with none. He came into the House to support the Premier, but has been his bitter opponent, and odo of his most violent assailants. A man as devoid of political principles as of the knowledge of the use of the aspirate ; o renegade of the clearest water ; over his broad disc no gleam of political honesty can bo found. He dared to traduce tho Premier, calling him the common enemy ; being unworthy to unlatch his shoe strings or black his boots.

The Ohinemuri recruits are at practice. The captain, to a recruit who misses the mark: " Stupid! Hand me your gun and watch me ; it's the simplest thing in the world." He shoots —and misses. "Do you sco ?" ho asks not at all disconcerted ; " that's the way you do. Now," shoots again, and hits the same place, " and that,",he remarks cooly, "is the way some others do that I- might mention." Eire 3 again, and hits the mark. •* And that," he remarks, proudly, " is the way I do it."

Time and place: Albert street, 9 a.m. Dramatis persona: Member Mechanics' Institute Committee and beery bargees from Bird -in - Hand Hill. Member M.1.C.: "Mr Blank, will you favor me by voting for the Public Library." Beery Burgess : " Taas ! I'll vote fur Library, or any other man if he'll •bout. (A pause.) Won't shout, nye ? Well, I won't vote fr'im. Mornin'"

The Pinafore mania took a strange shape in New-York, where 2000 or 3000 persons assembled to witness the play "on a real ship, on real water." The ship was 110 feet long, and was fully rigged asja inan-o'-war. A San Eraneiaco paper says t—" Her sails were 'loosed to a buntline,' her gun-deck ports were closed, but on the main deolc were

four broadside guns and two boafchomtzers ; tbore was the wboei in front of the cabin, the.capstan, the ropes coiled up around the > fife-rail, the starboard anchor down—in short it was a good representation of a ship of war. The orchestra was out of sight in the forecnstlo, but not ' out of sound.' »Tbe action was in the centre of tho main deck* and when the sailors departed they went down the fore-hatch, while the Admiral, the captain, his lovely daughter, and the sisters, cousins, and aunts disappeared at tho proper times into the cabin. When Little Buttercup came on board she came in a boat aloue, aud was met at the starboard gangway by a gallant tar, and sang the first stanza while in the boat. The sisters, cousins, and aunts arrived in the same way. When the boat containing Sir Joseph and Hebe arrived there was a commotion on board. There was a salute, and tho yards manned by men who were as agile, and eridently understood whatthey wereabout as though they were real man-of-war's men. Then there was a file of marines who did their duty, notably the silent drill, so well as to win merited applause. When tho Admiral left the ship with Hebe ha sang his 5' I'm Monarch of the Sea " after he had boarded the small boat, and while preparing to start. And over all and above all was the strangeness of the surroundings, # the water and the sky, the reflection of the opera in the lake, tho immense audience scattered around the shore of the lake, giving a novel, not to say,weird, appearance."

Now • that our coal mines are being worked on an extensive scale, it might not be inadvisable for the owners of miues to turn their attention to the new invention for breaking down coal known as "the air-compressor." It is likely to supersede powder for blasting, and is far more efficacious, while free from the dangers which usually accompany the use of explosives. Tho process may be briefly described as follow* :—When a seam of coal has to be operated on a hole is bored in the face by a boring machine to a considerable distance, after which an iron cartridge is inserted, which is attached to a pipe leading from an air-compressing machine, 4 feet 5 inches long, 3 feet 4 inches high, and 20 inches wide, and weighing about S-icwfc.- This machine can be worked by two men, the compressed air being driven into the cartridge until it explodes. These machines have already compressed air 14,2001b3. per square inch, and ifc is thought that they will work up to 26,000ib5. to the square inch. When the explosion takes place the result is not the same as in the case of powder! Some five or six tons have been moved at one discharge, but there is no hurling of large masses to a distance, thus endangering life and limb ; there is no filling tho drive with smoke, thus rendering the vitiated atmosphere of the mine still more unendurable ; there is no danger of an after explosion through the flame coming in contact with the gases of the mine. The coal breaks down gently, and with less smell; the men can safely stand near the place while the charge bursts; they can resume work without waiting for the smoke to clear away ; and the charge of tho compressed air is said to have the effect of reducing the temperature very considerably.—Herald.

It is stated that the cost of the Kellys' pursuit has already caused £20,000 extra police expenditure.

W. Delaney has accomplished the feat of covering 118 miles in 22 minutes less than 24 hours at Fielding. It is stated that this is the first time such a feat has been accomplished in New Zealand, and Delaney's admirers are of opiniqn that at the great six days event, which is to take place at Sydney, he will make the pace ▼cry " hot" for the other competitors. Delaney, it is said, undertook the task simply to satisfy himself as to his own powers, in anticipation of the contest for Sir John Astley's cup. ' *

Copies of the song " My Own-New Zealand Home " nre now on sale. May be obtained of all book and music sellers, or of the author J; Gbiqg, Pollen street. Price 2s. Postage—New" Zealand, Id, Australia and Great Britain, 2d. — [Advt.]