TATARARIKI.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 183, 3 February 1893, Page 3

TATARARIKI.

[from our own correspondent. I notice in an Auckland paper of a recent date’ that a child six months old has been poisoned at Oamaru from eating berries of the Datura Stramonium. This plant belongs to the Solanacea family, many of which are poisonous, such as the Atropa Belladona, Hyoscyamus or Henbane, Nicotiana and ethers. There are two or three different, kinds of Datura, and one particularly (Datura fragrens) is very commonly grown around and Te Kopurn ; it is also known botanically by the name of Brugmansia, but is more generally spoken of as the Trumpet flower, or Trumpet Lily. I c innot say positively that this particular kind of Datura is poisonous, but would advise persons having the care cf children to be very cautious how they allow their c' arges to have access to the yourg shoots, flowers or seeds.

The unfortunate man Thomas Ohenall who hanged himself in Auckland had been working in this district some few months ago; He was gum digging on the Kopurn Spur fora while and before that had been working on Mr Vincent's farm. He seemed to be a quiet inoffensive man and bad the name of being a good workmanThe old woman is terribly annoyed on account of the Editor passing through the district without paying us a visit. True we bad no vmery and no strawberries and cream, but wc had the twins and a brand new baby and other things equally interest ing. She particularly wished to induce the Proprietor of the Bunn to bring out an illustrated supplement occasionally and instead of wasting columns of valuable space iu giving a description of the Hobson County, to publish views of our public buildings, churches, etc. About the first on the list in Betsy Jane's opinion should be the opening'of the Tatarariki Pound. This picture might be rendered quite historical as well as interesting, more especially if the artist slightly drew on his imagination for a few details. The members of the Council might be represented in a gioup near the entrance ; the Chairman in his robes of office presenting the keys to the poundkeeper, while Mr Hammond carried a copy of the Impounding Act on a velvet cushion and the surface man with barrow, pick and shovel as a guard of boDour. The weather (confound it) Was been something atrocious since the first, of ‘93 I asked the oldest inhabitant if lie ever remembered a January like it before, ahd of course he never had, I might have expected as much, these oldest inhabitants never remember anything, I also made enquiries of my friend Mr Perry as to the rainfall and temperature for the first week of the year, but I thought he would have snapped my head off. He happened to be wet through at the time which might be some little excuse, but still I could not help congratulating myself upon not being a cross, grumpy, bad-tempered old bachelor like some people. A number of Austrians (between 30 and 40) have arrived here to try their luck on our guratields It is well known that these people can live where the ordinary working man would starve ; also that they are as much as possible non consumers of dutiable sroods, and their presence among us not at all desirable. They take all they can get, make a close prisoner of every shilling they obtain, and eventually clear out leaving us much poorer than we were. And still we object to Genera] Booth s lambs and impose a poll tax on the Chinamen. Many of your readers will remember Bob Campbell who was camped at Tatarariki fra number of years, and who was in charge of Mr Seymours branch store.—For some time he suffered very much from what was supposed to be indigestion, until at last he became so ill as io necessiate his removal to the Auckland Hospital, There the doctors told him he was suffering from cancer of the stomach, which caused his death on the 13th January at the residence of Mr Butcher, Union Street, Auckland. He was a man who was thoroughly upright and honorable and wa« much respected by all who knew him.