Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 414, 5 December 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

An official enquiry into the cause of the fire at Mr. Pearson's 'arm, was held in the Courthouse j before E. H. Caiow, Esq., R.M., on Wednesday last. Inspector Thompson conducted the enquiry on behaf of the police. A jury of twelve was sworn, and Mr. W. Mears elected foreman, after wlich the scene of tho fire was visited. , On the return of the jurymen. ' a number of witnesses were examined. Mrs. Pearson being the principal one. Messrs. M*Millan, Anderson, Peaison, and H. L. Squires were put ot oath, but nothing was elicited from any of them that would throw any light on the origin of Ihe disaster, and the jury returned the foDowirg ver<lictj — " The jury find that the house Utely occupied by John Pearson was destroyed by fire on the 17th November; but there is to evidence before them to show in what way -he fire originated, and they would add that tiny cannot see any just cause for this enquiry bring held, seeing that the police offered no evidence of a suspicious character." The usual monthly meeting of the Lawrence Fire Brigade was held in the Commercial Hotel on Thursday evening. Captain Armstrong occupied the chair. A latter was received from the Mayor, appointing C.iptain Armstrong luspector of fires. The Secretary was instructed to write to Messrs. A, -and T. Burt, Dunedin, asking when the engine would be ready for use. The Secretary was also instiucted to write to Mr. A. Hill Jack relative to the" amount of money promised to the Brigade by the insurance companies, and asking when it would be remitted. It was resolved that Messrs Arinstroug and Hills wait upon the Preshyterian Church Committee and ask them for the use of the church bell to give the alarm in cases of fire. It was proposed and carried that the Secretary be instructed to forward a list of the names of the members of the Brigade to the Clerk of the Court and officer in charge of the Police at Lawrence for their information in compiling the Jury Lists. It was decided to procure badges for the use of members, so as to distinguish them from ordinary civillians, Iv accordance with the Bye Laws, tbe names of Messrs. Low, M'Pherso'n, and Pressly, were struck off the roll for non-afctendanco afc meetings. Messrs John Menzies, - J. Tafctersivll, G. Needham, and J. Murray, were proposed as members of tbo Brigade. Mr. Hiils gave notice of motion that at next meeting he would propose that the number of members be increased from sixteen to twenty. • • The meeting then adjourned.

A VERT interesting ceremony took place in the Clyde Town HftU, on ' Tuesday morning, when Mr. Christopher, of tbe Bank of New South Wales, was presented with a purse containing 100 guineas, and a handsomely illuminated address from the inhabitants of Clyde and the surrounding neighborhood. The names of the subscribers to the testimonial were appended to the address, The presentation was made by the Mayor, B. Naylor, Esq., who in a suitable speech highly eulogised the character of the recipient.' Mr, Christopher, iv reply, thanked tbe Clyde people for their handsome, and to him unexpected present. He assured them that be had the welfare of Clyde and its surroundings very much at heart, having resided there so many years, . and should always feel it a pjeasurejx) do anything that lay in his power for the benentrof -the district. After the presentation, tbe President of the Hospital. J. Hazlett, Esq., presented Mr. Christopher with an address on behalf of the Hospital Committee, whose signatures were attached to it. Mr. Christopher replied in a .suitable manner. This address was also beautifully illuminated by Mr, George of Dunedin, and they hive both been elegantly and neatly framed. It must be very gratifying to Mr. Christopher to know that his viirfoas disinterested services in many good woiks were' so thoroughly appreciated by tho inhabitants of the Dunstan district., Mb. Carew now presiles over sixteen different Licensing Courts. VAL' Vose announces in our advertising columns tbatjhe will appear in tbe.Asseinbly Room, Lawrence, on Monday and Tuesday evenings next. Ffoni the opinions of the Dunedin Press we believe this Rifted ventriloquist is really worth hearing. During his sojourn in Dunedin as a member 'of Smith's Combination Troupe, the Princess Theatre was crowded nightly. His wonderful power of throwing his voice to any. part of the stage was, the wonderment and delight- of the audience. Since leaving the metropolis^ Val Vose has been travelling through the northern parts of the province, and drawing crowded houses, and we havt.no doubt that he will be equally successful here. Val Vose is accompanied by Miss Jennie Payne and Professor Saunders. The former is a ballad singer of some merit, 'and Professor S.iunders's musical talents are highly spoken of by the press. Mr. W. HATIiS informs us that it is his intention to celebrate the opening of the Beaumont .bridge, us soon as the Government complete the approaches thereto. ■ • : „ The tender of Messrs. Wears and' Whittet has • been accepted for contract 1,002, the formation pitching, and gravelling of 100 chains of road between Tuapeka and the Teviot. The amount is £1,634 6s,

Wb have to acknowledge having received from the Government printer the Statistics of New Zealand for the year 1873, and the appendix to the journals of the House of Representatives. , Tkotjt have been acclimatised in Lake Wakatip. and may now be seen frequently disporting themselves alongside the Qaeenstown jetty. Measles are gradually spreading through the country districts. At Clyde, Alexandra, and Blacks, this epidemic has already made its appearance, and we are informed that there are now a few cases in Cromwell. A grand ball under the auspices of the Masonic Order, was held in the Town Hall, Clyde, on Tuesday last. The attendance was large, and comprised the elite of the Dunstan district. The Clyde Brass Band was engaged for the occasion. Mr. J, Hastie catered the refreshments. A splendid shower of rain commenced to fall on Thursday afternoon and continued until Friday morning. This timely rainfall will do an incalculable amount of good, as the grain crops and pastures were suffering from the effects of the dry parching winds of the previous month. A MEETING of the members o? the Tuapeka Jockey Club will be held in the Victoria Hotel this evening, to arrange the programme for the forthcoming meeting, and to consider the desirability of erecting a permanent Grand Stand. In answer to the queries of one or two correspondents who are desirous of learning a simple method of watching the phenomenon of the transit of Venus across the sun's disc, Mr. Ellery, the Victorian Government astronomer, has supplied the following notes, which will be useful for the guidance of amateur observers :— "Observations of the transit of Venus across the sun's disc, will be principally confined to the determination of the exact time at which the planet's disc enters upon that of the sun ; and those particular instants when the outer edge of the planet is in precise coincidence with the sun's edge, called internal contacts, will be taken. These contacts occur when Venus first shows as a full round disc, and again while she still shov/s a round disc just before egress. Such observations require the use of good telescopes well mounted, with apertures of not less than 3in. or 2£in. ; they also require the use of a good clock or chronometer, and the exact local mean time or sidereal time. For simply viewing the phenomenon very simple apparatus will be sufficient. To good eyes protected by deep colored or smoked glas, Venus will be visible after she is well on the sun's disc. Any ordinary telescopes, and even blffocular, opera or field glasses,, will give a better view ; but, whatever telescope is used, great care is necessary to protect the eye from the intense glare and heat concentrated at the eye aperture v and if proper sun-shades are, not provided with the telescopes they must be improvised before attempting to look at the sun. for many have lost or injured their eyesight by not attending to the most neeessaiy precaution. Deeply colored glass, especially a piece of deep red, and a piece of deep green or blue together, would bo found very safe and pleasant ; a piece of blue and green, or deep neutral tint, will also do nicely. If none of these can be obtained, the oldfashioned smoked glass will form an excellent substitute. The proper method of making this is:— Obtain two strips of thin clear glass, say sin. long by 2in. broad ; around the margin of one of the surfaces paste a strip of thick writing paper about the eighth of an inch broad, and smoke this surface by holding the slip over a handle with a long wiok or a small keroseDe flame (without chimney), taking care to warm the glass gradually at first, or it will crack. The proper density of the blackening, can be got after a few trials. After the right kind of smoked surface has been obtained, the second glass can be fastened over it the strips of paper will keep it from coming in contact ; by pasting a strip of thin paper over the edges so as to hold the two glasses together a dark shade for observing the sun is formed, which will last any length of time." The following is another description : — Shortly after one o'clock in the day telescopic observers will see a slight indentation on the Sun's disc at a point just below the part of the Sun which will then be furthest to the right. About half an hour afterwards tbe whole of the planet will be seen fairly on the disc, but clinging, so to speak, to its edge. It will then gradually pass over the disc in a slanting direction till the time of egress, when it will leave the Sun nearly at that point which is nearest the horizon— i.e., at the bottom of the Sun. At about a quarter to six the whole thing will be over. Those who have astronomical telescopes hardly require •to be reminded that the first external contact will take place on the left side of the Sun's reverend image. A good binocular, armed with a shade of coloted glass, will give a fair view of the greater part of the transit. I fc should be remembered that it is extremely dangerous to look at the Sun with any kind of telescope unless it is properly protected. As a pis aller a piece of smoked glass may be used by those who have no other means of viewing the transit. The planet will be visible on the Sun's face as a black dot, even with this simple appliance, when once it is fairly on the disc, the apparent diameter of the planet at the time being about one-thirtieth^ part of that of the Sun. As the transit advances, however, the Sun, so to speak, gets canted over, and thus the appearances described above are produced. The following are the approximate times of the phenomena of the transit as viewed from Lawrence: — ; First external contact — lhr. 9min p.m. First internal contact— v»» **intn p.m. Last internal contact— shrs. 17min p.m. Last external contact— shrs 48min p.m. The times here given are N.Z, mean or telegraph. All those who have telescopes should use them on this occasion, and they should carefully record, at the time, everything that strikes them _as ! being worthy of notice. There is no saying when or how some 'fact worthy of attention may be brought to light. It is not unfrequently the case that a phenomenon escapes the notice of hundreds of observers, and yet it is Been by one or two. At all events, no possible harm' can result from keeping a .record of facts observed, even should these turn out to be unimportant. . :. The following .were the principal ,matj«rs of local importance considered' at ' the * Waste ,Lauds ßoard'slast meeting :— Mr. William Moss applied to purchase section 52, block XIX. Tuapeka East district. It was reported that there Was no' objection to the application being granted. Applicant, who was a market gardener, hn<3 planted the ground, --and brought it into a state of improvement. The Board would not sell ground until it had been surveyed, and the application was deferred, pending a survey of the whole block being made. —Mr. John Sellers applied to have the lease of his sections 17. 18, 19, block 111., Benger district, exchanged for one urdar the Act of 1872.. .-Approved.— Mr. Win, M'lndoe applied for a license for irrigation' purposes, under section 65, subsection 1. of the Waste Lands Act, 1872, in block 11., Tiger Hill. Resolved— " That the ' application be granted, as far as it can be recorded on the maps ; and if it cannot be recorded on the maps, to be actually surveyed by the applicant."

Feom late telegrams we learn that Tambourini won the Wellington Cup value £200. Three horses only started Tarn winning easily. Propessob, Black and T. B. Gillies M.H.R. arrived in Lawrence on Wednesday afternoon, and after visiting the Blue Spur in coriipany with Mr. E. Herbert, left on Thursday morning by the up-country coach. We are informed that the Tapanui mail will be forwarded via Clinton at the commencement of the New Year. Owing the late hour to which the R. M. Court sat yesterday, we are obliged to hold over our report till next issue. Some undefended cases were disposed of. The case of Ryan v. Cowan, a claim for damages for burning a fence, resulted in a judgment for plaintiff for £5 and costs.' The case of Mark v. Best, was commenced and adjourned till Monday week. In the Licensing Court all the applications were granted except one of Mr. CoghilTs for a temporary license for a booth at the Havelock races, which was adjourned to enable him to produce an authority from the sports committee to erect a booth. Thb annual show, held under the auspices ! of the Tokomairiro Farmers' Club, at Milton on Thursday, was a great success. The Hero arrived at Auckland on the morning of the 3rd. instant. The Marquis of Normanby, family, aud suite, were passengers by her. The ceremony of swearing in took place • in front of the Government House. Most of the shops were closed, and strings of banners displayed. The oath was administered by the Chief Justice. Afterwards, the Superintendent presented an address, setting forth that peace was reigning between the two races. The Governor briefly replied, and the ceremony was closed. The Governor is not expected to leave for Wellington till Monday.