The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1886.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2453, 16 November 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1886.

Mr P. H. Wood announces his next fortnightly stock sale at the Taratahi yards for Thursday 18th instant. Tho entrioa already include 800 shoep and between thirty and forty head of cattle, besides all classes of horses. Further entries are invited.

According to an Auckland paper it is stated that the first eighteen miles of the •North Island Trunk Railway through tha King Country will be completed in loss than two monthß, and shortly afterwards be ready for trafflo.

A few dayfl ago (says the Manawatu Herald) a dog tax cellector called at the house of a settler, and being jokingly told that the owner did not intend to pay tax on a pet terrier, cooly dragged the animal away and shot it with a pocket pistol, The owner thought the collector was simply joking until tho pistol was fired, whon his feelings gaveway, andho soundly thrashed tho collector round tho paddock, and then issuedaßuraraonsforf 20damagea for the destruction of the animal. The case will come on for hearing at the next sitting of the Foxton Court, when probably a cross-action will also be heard, In the meantime the tax collector is spending a few days in retirement. The New Zealand Herald says that a rather novel marriage took place at the Catholic Chapel, Panmure, recently, when Mr Kent, of Howick, waa married to Mrs M'Grath. The bridegroom is 73 years of age, and owns some property in Howick. His wife was buried nine days before the Becond marriage, and when the parties to the high contract appeared at tho altar, they did not know each other. Kent has a crippled son of about thirty years of age. The bride has a large erown family. On their way home from the church the fates wero against them. The trap upset', and the newly wedded couple wore thrown out, but did not sustain any serious injuries. ' i

The ordinary monthly meeting of thn Maunceville Itoad Board will be held on Saturday, 20th i u st., at 2 p.m., instead of on tho following Saturday. :At the regular monthly meeting of the Masterton Masonic Lodge, 1430, E.G., held last evening, Bro, S. H. Wiokerson was elected W.M, for the ensuing twelve months. .

A writer in the Taranaki News says that a master in one of the New Plymouth schools has tho following method of punishing ohildien, viz., by putting a piece of penoil between two fingers, holding the hand pressing the fingers close, and then winding the pencil round. This punishment is said to be agonising. At_ the Olirißtcliureh Metropolitan .Meeting on Friday Pasha won the Metropolitan Handicap of 300 sora, ljr miles, carrying BBfc. 121b. beating Hermitage, and Trickster, and coveringmiiatanco in 2rain. 41eecs. On the samewßßForester won tho Flying, HandicajHHw eovs, five furlongs, with 7Bt_3lb Wl .He had eleven others behind 1H including Pasha, 9st. Foreßter lSchoroughout and ivon easily. Time Iminß sec. Totalisator dividends, £lO 15b an«£l46a. An extraordinary piece of good fortune has overtaken two young men named Phillips, employed recently on the Epiphany Church contract, Auckland. It is reported, that while engaged at ,their work toy received a letter from England, informing them of the death of a wealthy uncle, who had left £243,000 to be divided among 42 nephews and nieces, Tho two young men referred to will each receive £IO,OOO as his portion. They were to have commenced work this week on a contract at the reservoir, but it is hardly necessary to say that they will make room for others less fortunate.

Those interested in the question of peach culture, blight, &c,, may like to know what is being experienced by growers in othor parts of the Colony. The Whatawhata correspondent of the New Zealand Herald wrote last week as follows Two seasons ngo attention was drawn to the fact that the peach trees 011 the other side of the river, where lime has been freely applied to the land, were free from the prevailing blight, but this season, like peach treeß in other places, they have Buccumbed. Latterly it had been hoped that tho peach blight was becoming a thing of the past, but the last two weeks or more have shown that in Waikato, at any rato, this is not so. The leaves are beginning to shrivel again as in past years,' and there is every appearance of a general return of tho disease.

A young man, a lunatic, named Reuben Scrimshaw, residing with his parents at tho Lower Hutt, made a murderous attack upon his mother on Saturday morning last, says the Press, It appears that some years back tho same individual was charged before Mr Manßford, R.M., with being of unsound mind, but on his father promising to become responsible for his good behaviour, he was allowed to remain under his parents' care. Sinco that time his manner haß caused considerable annoyance to tho residents at the Hutt, but he has always been harmless until Saturday last, when he stripped stark naked, and beat his mother until sho was covered with bruises, and then attacked her with a knife, inflicting severe wounds on her, evidence of the struggle being plainly visible by the marks of blood on the floor. A young girl who was in the house at the time ran to Mr Fitzmorris, a neighbour for assistance, but he being out, she went to Constable Harnett, who duly arrived, but by this time the unfortunato maniac was quiet. Scrimshaw was taken into town i yesterday morning by Constable Harnett, and on the certificates of Drs. Robortson and Fell was committed to the Asylum. Thirteen months ago a Mr Braham "commenced business," as the phrase goes, in Napier. He started with no capital in caßh, according to his own statement, but had £SO worth of stock. | Shortly afterwards he received a present I of £l3O worth of jewellery, which was converted into money and put into his " business," He is now a bankrupt with liabilities set down at £480183 3d. He values his present stock at £244, and his furniture at £4O, but at a meeting of creditors held a few days ago the Assignee stated that tho stock might realise £7O. A little ciphering will show at what rate per year this "trader" went to the bad. He no doubt had a career behind him, but that will hardly console his creditors, who probably sigh for such an alteration in the Bankruptcy Act as will render " commencing business," and finding it a much more serious undertaking than it appears to be at present.—H.B. Herald. MrT. B. Hannaford, of Auckland, is a matrimonial agent, and a man of energy. In his circular he calls himself a 'vehicle' —meaning, probably, a wheelbarrow, or a hearse, but that is only his modosty, He also says that he has been "tho unaided vehicle" in bringing together 131 couples—and yet not one of these couples has killed him. His business seems to lie chiefly in the country, where a farmer may bo living "twenty or fifty miles away from where the bevy of damsels are stationed," and regarding that farmer he wails thus— " Were tho out-settler to leave his farm to seek a wife in some distant city or district, what is to become of his flocks and herdß, his house, and all tho belongings in the interim ? Will his cattle feed themsolves ? Would his crops be self-gathered, or his fields self-tilled 1 Nobody appears to think they would, so Hannaford supplies this distent hungering soul with a wife, and in his capacity as a vehicle chargo3 a fare of £5 in advance. He also makes rigid inquiry into charactor and undertakes to detect all" practical jokers and thoso of a morbid complexion." When the jokers and the people with a complexion are found out he" makes Auckland a perfect Hades for them to reside in"—in other words, he deals out heaven at £5 a head' and supplies the other place gratis. A remarkable custom exists among the Roumanians living in the westerley Carpathians. Every year, at the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, a market is held on the creßt of the Gaina, from 6000 to 6000 feet above the level of the sea, and here all the marriageable girls of the entire district assemble with their parents in order to be claimed. Mothers aunts, grandmothers, and various female friends contribute to the dowry, and this completed it is carried to tho market on the Gaina in neatly mado trunks, decorated with flowers, and carried by the family's bost horses. Cattle, bees, and other household requisites are also added' to the dowry. On the Gaina every family which _ haß a marriageable daughter occupies a distinct tent, .in which the dowry is exhibited, and in which the bride-viewers aro expected. The bachelors too, are accompanied by parents or relatives, in whose company they inspect the girls who are eligible. Tho young men bring the best they possess, and each must particularly come with a girdle of gold or silver. After the brides are choson, the public betrothal takes place, being conducted by a hermit who lives in this lonely spot. The mark of betrothal is not a ring, but a beautifully embroidered handkerchief. The betrothal is in many cases prearranged, but the ceremony must bo gone through all the same. Venetian Blind and Revolving; Shutter many aotory. All Blinds guaranteed of tho very best description. Price list on' application to R, W, Hcnn (late Henn and Hansen,) Poueke Steam Venetian Blind and Revolving Factory Wellington.—Advi :

Mr C. F. Barrington, railway porter, Featherston, has applied to be adjudged a bankrupt.

Messrs L. J, flooper & Co., have a new advertisement in another column, announcing special attractions and novelties for the summer season.

An agency of the Now Zealand-Govern-ment Jjife Insurance Department has been opened at Maunceville at the local Post Office, where policy holders can in future pay their premiums.

Messrs Lowes & lorns add to their list of entries for Wednesday's Stock Sale 120 fat wethers, suitable for freezing, and one quiet well-bred bull. Messrs Jas. Brown and Co, announce a sale of household furniture and effects on Saturday next, by instructions of a gentleman who is leaving the district, to be followed by an auction of iron mangles groceries,, and sundries. Messrs Lowes and lorns hold their fortnightly stock sale at their Masterton yards to-morrow, their list will embrace 1150 sheep, including fat, stores, ewes, and lambs, 60 head of cattle of all olasses. Several draught horses, hack, and harness horses, 1 brake, 1 waggonette, implements, pigs and sundries.

Among tho recent purchasers at the late Christohurch show were Mr J. Rayner, who secured the three champion Lincoln ewes with lambs at foot, and a prize Lincoln ram, Mr A. W. Cave, who invested in two first. prize Lincoln hoggets and a prize ram, and Dr Hosking who purchased throe Shropshire Down hoggets. We regret to hear, that another old Greytown resident has suddenly passed away. Wo refer to Mrs Hornblow, who died yesterday afternoon without any previous symptoms of illness. The deceased lady, who leaves behind a large family, was to all appearand) well and hearty at midday yesterday, but soon after she was suddenly seized with a fit, and instantly expired. The funeral takes place on Friday afternoon next.

A Sydney paper thus discourses Long years of Government extravagranco have taught tho N.Z. people how to get revenue out of most things—even other people's misfortunes. Bankruptcy is a line art in the Britain of the South, and after a gond many attempts, the Government liayo learned how to make it pay. Last year there was 1870 bankrupts in the colony, and the fees paid into the Treasury under the new Act came to £18,526. The Government paid tor managing and winding up the estates £9,917, and, of course, pocketed the odd £8,609. The sum wasn't much, but it was on ahe right side of tho ledger, and it was no doubt comforting. Meanwhile the creditors got on an average three shillings and a farthing in tho pound. Let us hope they were comforted too.

A luckless swain in another colony, say Victoria,_ whoso assets amounted to nil, thought it would bo a good thing to woo tho daughter of a wealthy squatter-fellow in the vicinity. But though he wooed with vigor, he felt that it was necessary to show some signs of a resumption of specie payments to conciliate the mercenary pa, and a deep scheme was concocted for this purpose, The financier was taken ill in the lady's drawing-room, and foil on tho floor with a dull, sickening thud, and when brought back to consciousness he felt he was dying. Accordingly, a friend was sent for to make his will, and with the family gathered round his couch he feebly bequeathed two silver mines to the deeply moved parent, a gold mine to ono of the daughters, and to the othor—the lady of his choice—he left two Gwydir River stations, enough shares to swamp the Sandhurst Exchange, and half a city 111 house property. The dying man afterwards took a turn for the better, and is now quite recovered, but wo regret to say is still single. Tho lady is married, howevor, and her suitor thinks ol altering his will.