LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 50, 16 December 1867, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Taeataiti Post Office.—Our Taratahi friends have now their wishes fully realised by having a Post Office in their district, Mr Carrington, although not Gazetted now receives and despatches the mails from his store on the regular post days. Tub Tetegkaph in the Waieaeapa. The first messanges were received and sent from Fcathei ston cn Saturday last, more in order to test the line, than formattefof business. It is gratifying to add that the line was in complete order and further, that we are now in telegraphic communication not only with Wellington, but the Whole of the Middle Island and we trust we will soon be able to announce to Napier and Auckland. Caselbeeg’s New Store.—We leam that the tender for this gentleman’s store at Featherston has been accepted by a Wellington firm, and that the building is to be immediately proceeded with. The timber which was supplied by Mr Hooker of the Belvedere Saw Mills is as fine a saiajwe-jis we have met wit';.

Tils Ax.fr-_i>tcn Sm vli, Fatih ; A'ssccutio::. —Si vend settlers during llit kst tWtsight have been paying a vit-it to Alfredtoii, (lately called the Upper Moroa) with the' object'of making their selections and becoming members of the Association. They complain that th* only drawback is the want from Laap don’s to the block, of a road. VVc believe' 'that Mr Baird, who has lately been prevented by exploring the Tauherenikau valley -thaO' other pressing matters from proceeding with the work as speedily as be would about to spend the £lso.which was voted last -session. The sections require numbering,'sb <<Qa> parties selecting may be able to know of their pegs, and fnrnish tha csamS -tovMr J. listers, who, has taken a dec-a jAddively interest in all matters connected with tbo wchlwe and-progress of .the; A^sociatiOh.''' Gbbttown Road -Boaed.-—Thlb Bhafd met this day :~Preshnt, Haft' Uily, Chaitthiaa. J. Tucker, 11. H. Jackson, end TbfcempEual The Chairman' read aietter; .rebated fiotn tho Provincial Seexctarypacknowledging receipt o Bsst f off Tenders, ;abd,«t»ting of these .wqrksj'will .■cxceed £Sw),iaad (hat so

■account of the service, &c. The. Board in'strasfed the Secretary to reply giving extract from {ninates of 30th November. Extract referred to — u Moved by Mr Tocker, that the * Treasurer pay In £IOO to the Government on account of the accepted contracts, and that the Chairman be requested to write, to the Treasurer asking him to do so.” Mr. T. Benton had an interview with the Board with regard to deviation of Tocker’s line of road on the Heifer Station. The Board decided to visit tlie line on Saturday, the 14th ihst., to meet at , Mr T. Tocher's, Tauherenikau, at 10 a.m. ."Proposed and carried, that the collector be in- . ;struoted to take out summonses for those persons who have neglected to pay their rates. The Board agreed to expend the sum of £l3 in forming the road from Greytown to junction ‘ of road, leading to Morrison’s Bush. The Board instructed Sir Lucas to call on the Treasurer and ascertain if the £IOO had been paid into the Treasury, and request Trim to pay in what amouut he has in hand towards the roads now*in progress. The Chairman signed the Supplementary Assessment 801 l and ordered it to be posted. Objections to be heard on Friday the 27th instant at the Courthouse. The Board thenj adjourned to Friday week, the 27th December. The Cavalry. —On Saturday last Mr A Magianity was nominated Cornet of the Greytown division Mr J. E. I. Boys was elected ■*eijt.-major, A. Yvakelin, serjeant and R. Skeet, Corporal. The Tabatahi Road Board. —This Board met at the School-house, Carterton, last -Saturday at 2 o’clock. The Chairman inforni■ed the meeting that he had at last got “the map” but we are sorry to inform our readers that the map .is found to be inaccurate, some 5 or 6000 acres of land alone on the Taratahi ■ Plain are not marked off, though manyof the sections have been occupied for years past. Of course no rates can lie collected till a correct map is furnished. It is the wish of the Board to get to work end we trust tb it the powers that be at Wellington will furnish a map that -can be worked. The roads known as Francis lane and Carter’s road were brought before the motice of the board, after some considerable discusssion it was agreed to make Francis line and also Carter’s road on condition that the Carterton Road Board did tlnir portion. Mr Hooker’s application was received and bis ■attendance was requested next board day. Mr Preston’s application was received and granted. The Chairman was authorised to advertise "for a -collector and to inform the of the inaccuracy of the map. The Board will not meet again till Saturday the 21st. Pigbos Match, Tachehinkau.— This match •came off according to advertisement, at Mr Rowe’s paddocks, on Tuesday last. Sixteen competitors entered the field. The first trap Teeing opened at 4 o’clock p.m., each competitor firing three shots. The result was that there were three ties, viz:—Messrs E. Vennell, H. Wardell, and G. Beetham, The firing of tthe ties caused considerable interest. In the first round each killed his bird. In the second Mr Beetham missed, while Mr Wardell and MfAVennell killed. A third trial consequently took place, in which Mr Yennell missed, and - Wardell killed his bird, and consequently took the prize. This was the first match of the lend which has occurred in this district, and great interest was felt in it. The prize won an this match deserves special remark. It was Jt’ewe bred by Mr Spearing, of Featherston, out of a ewe bred by Mr Ludiam, of the Hutt. She is a remarkable animal, well shaped, and as far as we know of greater weight than any •sheep wiiich has been bred in this valley. She was weighed after the match, and found to exceed 2301b5. Extraordinary Attempt to Commit Suicide at Westport. —On Friday, November 15th, (says the “Westport Times”), while a number of yersons were assembled in the vicinity of the Court-house Reserve, waiting for the commencement of the proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court, piercing screams were heard to proceed from a small detached hut on the opposite side of the square. Constable John ■Paul immediately rushed thither, and on enter ing the house found a woman who passes by the name of Nancy Dawson, but whose real name is Charlotte Dawson, stretched upon the floor, with her head partially propped up sgaimt a bnnk at one side, and with a horrible gash in the throat, from which the blood was pouring in streams. In her hand was a small ivory-handled dinner, or dessert knife, covered with blood, with which she appeared to have inflicted this injury upon herself. A man with his dress disordered and without his boots, was kneeling upon her body, and apparently attempting to restrain her from further mischief. The constable immediately ejected him, perceiving him to be either in a state of drunkenness or excitement, which unfitted him from being of any effectual assistance. The immediate cause of this fearful attempt at self-destruction is at present a mystery, although -there can be no doubt that intoxication has something to do with it. She was before under the charge of tbs police, while suffering under what are caled the “ horrors” produced by an access of “delirium tremens," and she was even then exceptionally violent and unmanageable. Her history, as far as known, is a romantic, though a melancholy one, quite in. accordance withthe terrible deed she has now committed. She Claims a late monarch of England as her progenitor, and it is said her education and manner seem to warrant the probability of the assumption. In her cottage there were certain evidences of refined taste, altogether opposed to her apparent condition. Among others, we observed lying on the table, in the midst of bloodstained rags, and beside a bottle of gin, a volume of Carlyle’s Life of Schiller—a curious accompaniment of such a scene. Notwithstanding these evidences of comparative competence, she is said to have been, or to have fencied herself in a state of the most utter destitution, having parted with a number of expensive dresses, ornaments, and other matters •t sums ridiculously below their real value, and “planting other things in neighboring tents, where she appeared to think that they would be safe from seizure. If she can be kept quiet, there is little fear of the wound proving fatal, bat it requires the utmost care ■ma the part of the attendants to prevent her nirther injuring herself. The man who was zonnd m such suspicious proximity at the time of the occurrence, was locked up, and will be charged with being drank and with being in the womaffs house for an unlawful purpose, under Section 4 of-the Vagrant Act. RmSOEO-P.TBUMO.VIA OS THE WfiST CoAST. — This disease, says the “West Coast Times,” Las made its appearance amongst the dairy cattle in the Totara district, causing heavy loss to dairymen, but we have not heard of any loses by tbe batchers., It would be well that a careful enquiry should be made how the . disease came into the district; if it has only dwwn, as we believe, among dairy stock, the i piferenee is that it has been brought overland, : wjffgtnated- here* as-this class of stock is «Ma% brpnght from Canterbury,— a district and where great ' it should first be , .disease has been brought-in that ' ttdd. if.g/ doubtful whether any