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Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 378, 5 January 1899, Page 2

Mass will be celebrated in the Whatawhata school by the Rev. Father Amandolini, of Hamilton, at 11 a.m. on Sunday next.

The Canterbury-Wellington cricket match, which was played on Tuesday, resulted in a victory for Canterbury by an innings and 127 runs. Mr W. J. Hunter will hold his usual Cambridge sale on Saturday next, 7th inst. Included amongst the entries will be found a large number of wellbred young cattle, pigs, horses, etc. We find an error crept into our report of the meeting of the Hautapu Drainage Board, held last Saturday. The rate that was struck should have been : Class 1, six farthings ; class 2, four farthings, and class 3, two farthings.

We have (writes our Raglan correspondent) a good number of visitors here now. Several Waikato families have arrived, including Mr and Mrs Taylor and family, Mr and Mrs Runeiman, Mr 'All.right, the Misses O'Neill, and several others. Wc are enjoying beautiful weather, flue and not too hot, with splcudid seabreezes during the day. A boy named Harold Clark, son of Mr W. R. Clark, shepherd of Roxborough, near Tirau, was brought down to the Hospital ou Tuesday evening suffering with a badly fractured leg. Tho lad was getting off a waggon loaded with chaff, when he fell under the wheel. He was taken to Cambridge and then on to the Hospital, where he was atteuded to by Dr. Kenny, of whom the lad's father speaks in the highest terms. The Dunedin Star has been advised by Mr Millar, M.H.R., that the Railway Department will bring into operatiou, commencing on the Ist February next, the American plan of " checking " passengers' luggage on all tho railways of the colony. The American system provides for tickets being taken out for the luggage, which is taken charge of by the railway, and can be procured at the journey's end by production of the ticket.

A youth, named James McNeish, sou ot the wellduiown athlete of that name, of Cambridge, was tlmwn from a horse on Tuesday evening in the Thornton Road. He alighted on his head and was carried home unconscious Dr. Murdoch was called in, and after examining the youth, found that he was suffering from concussion of the brain ; however, we are pleased to learn that yesterday tho patient was progressing favourably, and had recovered consciousness.

Objection has been taken in some quarters to the new postage stamp issue because some of them did not include the effigy of Queen Victoria. It appears, however, that Canada has also abandoned that form of loyalty. The new stamp fer Canadian Imperial penny postage, which came into ase on Christmas Day, has no Queen's head, but instead has a delineation of two sides of the globe, with the British Empire defined on its surface, and co'ourcd red.

Owing to the wretched weather on Boxing night preventing a large number of people attendiug the production of the two plays, "An Effective Cure," and " An Unwarrantable Intrusion," at Pirongiu, the promoters have wisely decided to repeat the entertainment this (Thursday) evening. As all those who saw it on Boxing night are loud in its praises, and as the Orchestra has been strengthened by the addition of four more violins, a good show and a bumper house is almost a " dead bird."

During the holidays Mr H. D. Bell, the well-known Wellington barrister, met with a nasty accident. He had chartered a steam tug for a deep-sea fishing expedition, and while the vessel was rolliug outside the Heads he received a bad fall, fracturing three of his ribs and cutting his head rather badly. Mr Bell, however, did not let his accident interfere with the pleasure of his guests, and bore the pain with apparent equanimity. It was only when a doctorwas called in and made an examination that the extent of the injury was ascertained.

One of the earliest settlers of Pukerimu is now vis.ting that locality in the person of Mrs Baker She was formerly .Mrs Comrie, and she and her husband were some of the first to fake up land in Pukerimu. They lived on what is now known as Wai Valley, and they gave the land ou which the Wesleyan Church is built. It is 22 years since Mrs Baker—then Mr 3 Comrie—left the district, and she was greatly astonished at the altered condition of Cambridge, only being able to locate a few of the buildings that then existed. She was also much astonished at the great growth the trees had made iu the neighbourhood, they having entirely transformed it from what it formerly appeared. A number of changes in the Postal Regulations, under the Universal Postal Union Convention, catrc into force on Ist Januaiy. They relate to post-cards, commercial papers, patterns and samples. The following are some of the principal points of alteration :—Postcards, on which nothing but addresses and messages aan now be sent, may have engravings or advertisements printed on the face as well as on the back. Reasonable space for a clear address and for date stamping must, however, be allowed for. Albums containing photographs are to be admitted at printed papers rates. In sending visiting cards (as printed paper), complimentary remarks not exceeding five words, such as congratulations, condolences, good wishes, thanks and other formula; of courtesy, may now be written.

We havo to acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Christmas number of the Canterbury Times. The public itiuii (which was evidently delayed in tnusit, having only reached us on Wednesday) is a "capital production, and contains a huge budget of Christmas literary

A bit of home surgery practised when a splinter i 3 driven into a child's hand particularly deep is its extrac'ion l.y steam. A bottle with a sufficiently wide n:outh is tilled two-thirds with very hot water, and the mouth is placed under the injured spot. The suction draws the flesh down when pressure is used, and tfce steam, in a minute or two, extracts inflammation and splinter altogether. A Frenchwoman may become a doctor, a lawyer, a member of the Board of Education ; she may even be decorated with Cross of the Legion of Honour ; but she may Dot witness a legal document. She iv.ay occupy as high a place as possible in art, business, or commerce ; but she cannot possess her own earnings if she is married, and she can neither buy nor sell property without her husband's consent.

An old lady was lately summoned at a London Police Court for 7s 6d, unpaid dog tax. She pleaded in ability to pay, but begged hard to he allowed to retain her dog, which she had had in more prosperous times, and which was the faithful companion of her poverty. The publication of the case in the newspapers resulted in 250 letters being sent to the Magistrate in the course of a few days, containing money for the old 'ady's benefit to the total amount of nearly £IOO.

A new and highly important invention has been tested by the German naval authorities. It is in the shape of a Greek-Phoenician fire, invented by a Berlin engineer. It ignited on coatact with the air or water, and cannot be queuched by either water or earth. It burns with a brilliaut flame, exceeding big search liphts, and it can be sunk under water or under ground, and when brought to the surface instantly burns into a flame at any desired point. It was tested duriDg the night evolutions off the island of Heligoland, and proved most efficient in detecting the cnenw.

Mr William Waldorf Astor, proprietor of the London Pall Mall Gazette, pays taxes on two millon dollars' worth of personal property in New York. At Christmas he gives to his clerks presents in cash varying from loOdols. to 500dols. It has been a long-established rule of the Astors to collect rents on the first of the month. Recently, however, orders were issued from the London offices of Mr W. W. Astor reading somewhat as follows:—"In the case of families of soldiers enlisted for the war with Spain, disregard entirely tho established rent rule. If such tenants are known to be in financial troubles make every possible allowance. Neither press nor otherwise annoy them, but await the return of the men from Cuba and Porto Rico."

We are pleased to hear that. Messrs Fullerton Bros.', of Ohotc, near Whatawhata, who have had 18 years' experiensc in the busiuess, arc about starting in the flax industry. The machinery is nearly all iu position, and a start will be made on Monday next. One of Price's latest improved mills will be used in the meantime, but the firm have ordered a machine from Messrs Macdonald and Booth, the well known Christchurch firm, whose mills have a great reputation in the South Island, and are said to turn out a better quality fibre. Messrs' Fullerton Bros.', it is reported, have secured a six months' contract at £lB per ton, and have let out a sub-contract for paddockiog, scutching, and bailing to Mr Donnovan, who was employed at Mr Coates' Hamilton mill until last week, when operations ceased.

Chicago did not spring from its ashes a generation ago with greater celerity than New Westminster is cowdisplaying after its recent destruction by fire. The latest riews from the British Columbian city is that tho people are settiDg to work with characteristic energy and determination to build a new and fetter city. It is said that ou the Sunday after the conflagration there were only three stores and two hotels left standing. On the Thursday following -10 stores were doing business and six hotels were ready for the reception of visitors. While waiting for the requisite supplies of timber tor re-building, merchants and tradesmen conducted their business in the roadways of the old streets, Government officials were seen serenely performing their regular routine duties at small tables in the main thoroughfare of the city. The term " informer " is'one that is by no means infrequently, loosely and inaccurately used, and its definition may prove interesting. The Otago Daily Times says that during the summing up iu a recent arson case His Honor Mr Justice Pennefather, on this point, made the following observations :—" I am sorry that counsel for the prisoners have thought proper to speak to you of ' the informer Henderson,' because, gentlemen, 1 may tell you, as a matter of law, he is not an informer. In the grammatical secse of the term, of course, everybody in the world is au informer ; everybody sometimes gives information to someone ; and, in another sense, people lay informations and are informants ; but that is not the sense in which the term is commonly used in law, and it is not a sense from which you ought to draw any inference. The word ' informer ' iias the technical meaning iu law cf an ' app;ovcr,' that is to say, one of a party of guilty men who has turned Queen's evidence and receives money by doing so. Evidence of an informer, therefore, has to be taken with very srreat caution, because it comes from a tainted source. Henderson was severely otSi ss-cxamined, and he has shown, and his testimony has been corroborated, that he never received anything from the Crown, never expected anything, aud is under no promise whatever. The only information he gave was given when he was asked to give it, and, therefore, he is not an informer, and your minds should not be in any way prejudiced by the use of the term."

A meeting of the Vestry of St. Andiew's Church, Cambridge, was held on Tuesday. Present : Ven. Archdeacon Willis, Messrs T. Wells, E. Hewitt, O. McCullagh, O. Kmpson, J. Adams and J. H. Edwards, Plans for the proposed alteration to the vestry and belfry, drawn by Mr S. Mahoney, of Auckland, were submitted by the Vicar, who explained that the sub-committee appointed to deal with the matter had "one thoroughly into it and had chosen, out of three, the plan he submitted. As he wished to get away for a week or two on account of failing health, he had called them together so that the design might be accepted and tenders called for the work. Time was passing, and he thought it wise to put the matter in hand at once, so that the successful tenderer would have ample time to complete alterations before the organ builder began his work in the church. Mr Empson protested against the hurried manner in which the meeting was called, and proposed an adjournment for a week or a fortnight. He was of opinion that extra expenditure was unnecessary, that the organ would do equally well if placed in the chancel, and that there was no necessity for an organ chamber. He thought there were vestrymen who would object to incurring additional expense, and they should have an opportunity of being present aud expressing their views. The Archdeacon was anxious that nothing should be done without the entire concurrence of the Vestry, and assented to the adjournment After a few remarks from Messrs Dyer, Wells aud Adams the meeting closed.

Young New Zealand is nothing if not resourceful. A few nights ago (says the N Z Times') a party of settlers in the Masterton district celebrated the erection of a bridge over theKuamahauga at Te Whiti by holding a " moonlight dance" on the floor of the structure, " which had been previously waxed for the occasion."

Mr Frederick Palmer, staff correspondent of the New Yoik Press, describes the experience of the pilgrims who rushed to Klondike in the spring of last year. He calculate!! that 100,000 men started for Dawson City, each of whom spent, on an average, in the attempt to get there, £IOO, Lc , the rush to Klondike entailed an expenditure of £10,000,000. Of the 100,000, only 30,000 arrived. These who arrived had to scramble with those who were already :here for a total output of £2,000,000 sterling To spend £10,000,000 for the chance of a share of £2,ooo,ooo—that is the way in which the Klondike boom turned out this year. The experience has been bitter, but the lesson has been learned. Klondike is no Eldorado, where fortunes can be p eked up like blackberries ; Klondike is no place in which to make a fortune in a great huny. Most of the pilgrims started for homi', sadder and wiser men, to seek their old vocations.

A young woman named Mabel Chambers met with a horrible death in Melbourne lately —another victim to the dangerous practice of using kerosene for lighting a fire. The girl, who was 22 years of age, was employed by Mr A. O. Black, of Bcnby-street, Mid-He Brighton, as a domestic servant, and at C 30 a.m. she rose in order to prepare for the usual weekly washing. Proceeding to light the fire under the copper in the wash-house, she used as a kindler some kerosene. She appears to have first applied a match to the fire and then to have poured on the kerosene, with the almost inevitable result that the kerosene bui'ot into flames. The fl.unes spread to her clothing, and her skirt was quickly ablaze. The affrighted young woman rushed screaming into the yard. Her cries awakened Mr Ireland, who resides next door. Looking out of his window, he was horrified to see the girl running round the yard enveloped in flames. Hastily dressing he called his son, and both ran to the young woman's assistance. They extinguished the flames with some difficulty, and then sent for Dr. Macansh, who was quickly on the spot. The poor girl was suffering terrible agony. P.verything possible was done to alleviate her pain. There was, however, scarcely an inch of unscorched skin left on her body, and very little could be' done. Her sufferings were very great. She was almost 'roasted, and, after enduring terrible agony, she expired shortly after 2 p.m.