TOWN NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 15, 13 April 1867, Page 3

TOWN NEWS OF THE WEEK.

The great event of the week—the Champion Rifle Match, came off* on Monday, at the Hutt Race Course when four out of the five prizes were carried off by Otago, J. Chisholm of that Province obtaining the Champion Belt. J. Cundy, of the Featherston, W. A. Grace of the Hutt, W. Edwards of the Porirua, and E. Gibson of the Wanganui Rifle Volunteers being the representatives of this province, and of these four the Wairarapa man obtained the highest score, which unfortunately was not sufficiently high to secure one of the prizes. Out of the fourteen competitors the following seven made the highest scores:—

J. Chisholm (Champion Belt and £100) 42 W. Lacy (Silver Medal and £75) ... 36 W. D. Smith (Silver Medal and £SO) ... 35 W. Craigie (Silver Medal and £3O) ... 35 W. Richardson (Silver Medal and £20)... 31 W. Hazard 26

J. Cundy 25 On Tuesday the Governor distributed the prizes to the successful competitors. At a private meeting of the shareholders of the N.Z.S.N. Company it was resolved that any attempt to windup the Company at the present moment would be seriously injurious to the shareholders. One of this Company’s boats—the s.s. Queen, Captain Kreeft, was wrecked on Cook’s rock, in Cook’s Strait, and went down in 60 fathom soundings. All hands were saved. The vessel was uninsured, and her nominal value was £BOOO. Passengers and crew lost everything they had on board.

Amongst the passengers who left for England in the s. s. Rahaia on Monday last were Mr. Robert Stokes, late of the “ Spectator,” Mr. R. S. Ledger, formerly agent of the I.R.M. Company, and Mr. and Mrs. Keene (formerly Miss St. Hill) from the Kaikoras.

Major Richardson has been nominated a member of the Legislative Council, and all we shall say of the appointment is that he looks and feels more like a peer than any other member of the peerage. Mr. Fitzgerald has had a select dinner party at Christchurch, when he modestly told his guests that no ministry had been formed in which he had not been urged to hold a prominent position. It would have looked better if he had got some one else to make the statement. A fire has occurred at Christchurch doing damage to the amount of £SOOO. The Bank of Auckland is to be closed, its manager was about to bolt, but thought better of it. Amongst the passengers by the s.s. Rakaia for Panama were Mr. William Carr Young, who has been appointed by Mr. McAndrew to negotiate in England the formation of a railway from Dunedin to the Clutha.

The steam ship Mataura arrived at Wellington from Panama on Thursday morning. Besides running short of coals, sh6 was detained three davs at Panama for the arrival of the West India mail steamer. Sir George Grey and suite embarked on Wednesday in 11. M. S. Brisk for Marlborough and Nelson. At, the latter place great preparations are being made for his reception. A Frenchman, by name John James, cook at the Victoria Hotel, was found drowned on Tuesday last, in the Te Aro stream. He was suffering from the “ horrors” at the time, but whether he fell into the stream in a fit, or threw himself in, there was no evidence to show.

An official statement just issued shows that 351 lives were lost by the colliery explosion near Barnslcy, and it is thought probable that there are one or two volunteers whose names have not yet been ascertained. Of the 75 brought out of the pit only five are now alive. There are, therefore, 276 bodies now in the pit and a considerable time must elapse before any attempt can be made to explore the workings.