WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1747, 28 July 1884, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(from our own correspondent.) During the last week there has been little else talked of but election and politics, and' the town has been in a state of great excitement pretty well all the week. For the polling day the weather here was most glorious, the day being like one in spring. Early in the morning people began to congregate about the polling booths, and a s the day wore on the crowd increased, the greater part of which amused themselves by looking at each other, and keeping a sharp look out for any little incident likely to occur that might amuse them, The candidates themselves appeared throughout the whole day to he on the best terms with each other, and with everybody else, but did not appear to take any active part in beating up supporters, By 2 o'clock Cuba-street, opposite the polling booth for To Aro, was fairly, crowded, and the shops in this part of the street had to put up their shutters to prevent their windows being broken by the tremendous, crush. Every now and then a buzz would go through ! the throng as vehicles arrived filled with voters, who were at once rushed by visitors in waiting, who generously tendered their advice gratis as to which way to vote. By about six o'clock many members of tho crowd had found occupations congenial to their tastes, by throwing bags of flour at tho heads of their opponents, and now and then voleys of potatoes, eggs, turnips, <fcc, were let off just to vary proceedings, until the poll was declared, when the uproar was tremendous, all the candidates being cheered again and again as they made their appearance on the balcony. Mr 0. Johnston thanked them for placing him at the head of the poll for Te Aro; ani Mv Fraser, who came next, and the others thanked those electors who had kindly voted for them, But the poor defeated ones gave their thanks in very sorrowful tones, Dr Newman, a3 you are doubtless aware, had a walk over for Thorndon, none daring to oppose him j while Mr Fisher beat Mr Hutchison, late M.H.R. for South Wellington. Another change is shortly to be made in the medical staff at our hospital, for I hear that Dr Chilten, of Christchurch, has been appointed resident surgeon, owing to Dr Keyworth having resigned. A man named Gardner, residing at Kaitoke, had a very narrow escape from death on Friday evening. It appears he had recorded his vote at the Kaitoke polling booth, then freely indulged in the "cup that cheers," and afterwards made for homo, but during his journey his legs became weak and shaky, and ho deliberately sat down on the railway line. Soon after the. down train from Wflirarapa

hove in sight, The driver fortunately saw the man in his perilous position, blew the whistle, and did all in his power to stop the train, but could not check its speed sufficiently to I "wmt the man being thrown by tL &/■' catcher completely off the line, Gardener was quickly picked up, when it was found*|hat he had sustained a nasty scalp Wound. He was taken on in the train, and by the time the Lower Hutt was reached he appeared to have quite recovered, Some little time ago a Mr Coffey, a shipwright, applied to the Harbor Board for permission to erect a slip at a place a little- to one side of Oriental Bay. The fear that any portion of a rather nice walk in the bay shouJHin any way be spoiled by a slipifias aroused the indignation of nearly all the residents in that neighborhood, and a petition has been got up against the slip, and not only signed bv residents in the bay, but by verytt&ny residents in other part of the city/ On Thursday evening a deputation waited on the Harbor Board with the object of preventing Mr Coffey's application being granted. It was pointed out .by members of the Board that the slip was to be at one side of the bay and would in no way interfere with it as a place for recreation, and also the yard and sheds connected with the'slip would be fenced in, so that passerby would not be offended by the sightof old.timber'&c., about the works. This, however, did not appear to satisfy the deputation, but they ultimately withdrew without any satisfactory answer. It seems to me extremely absurd that people should try to put their foot upon the erection of a slip, which would be a great convenience to the shipping of the port, simply because it might give slight ofience to some people going out for a walk. The Coptic arrived here about 9 on Thursday morning from Port Chalmers. She is a fiesh one of our direct liners, owned by the White Star LuAid chartered by the Shaw, Saville, and Albion Co, She is in appearance very much like the lonic and Doric. The Coptic is expected to sail from here early next week, by which time it icv expected she will have shipped at tIA port 6000 sheep and a other cargo. ' There was held on Thursday at the Chamber of Commerce, a meeting of licensed victuallers, wine and spirit , merchants, and others interested in the , trade, for the purpose of taking steps r to form an association for the protec- '■ tion of the interests of the trade • I throughout New Zealand.' The publicans were largely represented. Considerable discussion ensued as to the formation of a committee to draw up » propositions to be submitted at a future I meeting, i News comes from Blenheim that a ) Mr Boldick, of Port Underwood, has found a lot of wreckage, evidently belonging to the fittings of a stealer, , and Mr Boldick feels convinced ®t ; the wreckage is that of the s.s. Kanj garoo, which sank not far. from here t SDme time ago, '■ _ On Wsduesday the police received intelligence that two lads ' Cropp had met a wild man at Kaiwarra^V who tore about the woods most madly, . and flourished a large knife at the f little boys in a most threatening way. f From these accounts it was thought that the individual in question was a most dangerous lunatic, and a constable fully armed was sent out to secure him. Enquiries were made along the Hutt road, and at a slaughter-house owned by Mr Banks, it was learned that a butcher had lost a pig on Wednesday, and hid given chase to it armed with a long knife, and hud met the boys, who camo to town declaring that ! they had met a terrible wild man of \ .the woods,