The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1888. The New Zealand Devil Fish

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2966, 2 August 1888, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1888. The New Zealand Devil Fish

The late Victor Hugo devoted a whole volume to narrating the horrible toil and superhuman endurance of a man wbowas caught in the fell embrace of a devil fish, Nothing less than three volumes would, however, be adequate for depicting the suffering which this Colony has undergone from the fearful monster of the cuttle species known amongst us as "railway jobbery," New Zealand has always a tentacle from this enemy digging into, her flesh and draining her life blood, The Northern Trunk Railway has been one;\the East and West Coast railway has been' another; the district railway ring was a third; and Mr Pylte's Otago Central lias been a fourth. Other' feelers are constantly waving about in all directions ready to grip; and no ministry yet in New Zealand has been strong enough to fight the devil fish, but has always mado terms with it, and allowed one tentacle after another to take hold. Wo are glad to observe that the present Ministry has made some sort of a stand against Mr Pyke's Otago Central Bill, but even here their opposition has been of the mildest possible character, and has almost assumed tho form of ft compromise. For a weels past it has been doubtful whether the Ministry were adverse or favorable to the Otago Central tentacle. Like a copper token, the Ministry has two sides, and it has been understood that if tails favored the project heads would be against it, The appearance or re-appearance of a tentacle is the danger signal for ministers aud members, The late MrDarwin, writing of the cuttle fish proper, remarked:—"l was much "amused by the various arts "to escape detection practised by one "individual which seemed fully aware " that I was watching it. Remaining " for a timo motionless, it would then " stealthily advance ■ an inch or two, " like a cat after tfmbiise, sometimes "changing its-colour." The great naturalist might just as well have been describing the political cuttle fish, deceiving the onlookers, making Stealthy advances, and watching the Treasury as a cat watches a mouse. The Government perhaps deserve some credit for having at last voted against the further progress of Mr Vincent Pyke's tentacle. It is considered as much as a Ministry's life is worth to obstruct a political devil fish, but it is quite possible that though the Ministry have been openly hostile to this political cuttle, they have satisfied the ogre by some private promises of plunder. Many blame Sir Harry Atkinson for not giving a decided l<>ad to the House in this matter, but the old soldier, no doubt, is alive to the situation. He will let M.H.R.'s weary themselves with a fruitless game of grab, and when they are anxious to go home, he will force them all round to do bis bidding and to accept his programme.

Tenders aro invited for falling scrub and light bush in the Alfrodton district Particulars are given in another column,

A soft goods firm in Dunedin at a meeting decided to forward through the Chamber of Commerce a numbor of recommendations.and suggestions for the better defining nf the Customs Act, to avoid evasions and the chance of goods being passed free at ono port, and at others duty<being charged, A numbor of items are recommended to-be changed from apparel and clothing, 25 per cent, to hosiery, 20 per cent,. others to draper;, and various other oljanges are suggested.

Wild dogs have becomo such a nuisanco and increased to so serious an extent in parts of the Wairarapa as to necessitate united action for thoir destruction. Miss Linda Gilbert is an American prison reformer, In hor iiftccn years' labour she has established twenty-two libraries in the prisons of difforont States and found"' omployraont for 0,000 exconvicts. ■

The domocratio American dearly loves a coat of arms, President Cleveland uses one, by reason nf his decent from Sir Guy de Olovoland, who commanded tho English spearsmou at tho battlo of Poictiers. .-..•••

Mr G. S. W. Dalrymple, EsMo Agent, of this town, roports tho salo of throe hundred acres of grating land, Ruamahunga, for £I2OO, and two building sito3 in Cole-street, Maaterton, containing under half an aoro, for £l5O. The Whitehall Review says that a knowledge of the Russian lan?uago' is spreading in the army is .evidenced by the periodical announcements of the names of oflicors who have satisfied tho Civil Service Commissioners as'to their proficiency in that mast difficult tongue, Examinations in Russian aro now to bo held half-yearly under a recent order of. the Horse Guards, and as a result of the attention which is being given to (he. laugunge in the apnies'of threolndian'prcsipossess a fully qualified ; lb our letter/from issue-that the Town Board has determined to construct a footpath through the main street, of a mile in length, and to kerb the same. This is. asigu that the members of the Board know their business, and nfter going, to the expense of forming'Jah'd makinga side walk will not see their efforts rendered futile for tho want of a little ratra expenditure In the Borough of Maaterton. to kerb a footpath is quitotexceptional,; thercsultisthat soon, aftor a'now. one''is made the travel gets trodden into the water tables and the money. expended thereon Is wasted. However, it perhaps doe 3 gool otherirays, for it gives constant employment to an extra man with his horse and cart in renewing tho gravel,

A residence in Church-street to which the finishing touches are now. being applied almost marks a new era in the architectural history of Masterton. This structure, which has been designed by Mr H. Bland Rowlatt for Mr A. W. Hogg, is altogether different' to the ordinary rank and file of dwellings in the town. A Btecp-pitched roof, a couple of bow windows of. a novel pattern, and an artistic combination of colors in which a chocohte-colored roof contrasts well with the light green facings of the body of tho dwelling stamp this edifice as the most picturesque residenco in the neighborhood. The exceedingly pleasing impression created by tho exterior is confirmed by an inspection of the interior, whero commodious and well-lit rooms are adorned with new arrangements of'our beautiful AVairaiapa timbers, which so readilyadaptthemselves|to ono who understands the decorative art. Throughout the whole structure the prevailing impression is the introduction of new and improved ideas, and an effective but tasteful combination of tints and coloring. The architect may fairly be felicitated on the succoss of his design, and Messrs Brown, Rodgers and Co., on the skill with -which they have carried out the work; while Mr Hogg may be congratulated upon tho possession of perhaps tho prettiest villa in tho Wairarapa, • It is, no doubt, a fine thing for a newspaper or a magazine to have a Queen as a contributor,. .especially, if, Her Majesty will sign her name to her articles, And so-few Queens ate literary that enterpiising editors may be pardoned for struggling frantically: for a few leaves from a Royal portfolio. _ The Queen of Roumania, who has written a good many graceful things under the nam'o. of; "Carman Sylva,' 1 is in the happy position of being the desired of all editors, When she was lately in Vienna, she was' beseiged with requests, for articles and poems for all sorts of publications. Big cheques were in the air-; and with a little diligence Queen Elisabeth might have supplied herself with pin-money equal to a whole year of her husband's civil list. But Queens, even in Roumania, have little time to spare; and "Carman Sylva" doclined all the flattering offers that were made to her, with one exception. The editor who succeeded did so because ho had the tact to say nothing about money, and to touch the Rojal authoress in her weak spot. The weak spot is a passionate love of (lowers; and the astute journalist promised that if "Carman Sylvia" would givo him a contribution, he would, in return, plant a largo bod of Alpine flowers in' tho Royal gardens at Bucharest. Her Majesty accepted tho graceful offer, and in doing so gavo a proof—which it is good for tho world to have occasionally—that money, although it will do much, cannot accomplish everything. An oxhibitir at tho Napier Poultry Show on Friday was tho victim of a trick to test'his acquaintance with his own birds. He knew the position of the pens, and his two birds which had been on the top. tier wero put on tho botlom, and tho judgo awarded his. birds a first prize; When the exhibitor came to see how his pets had fared at the hands of the judges he-was furious at seeing the two top pens with a second prize, and the bottom ones with n first, Pok ing the first prize with his stick, he pointed out all the bad points to show that tho creatures were beneath contempt; and then referring to the top exhibits which were moping under tho disgraco of a second prize,' he showed in what respect they wore superior to the othors,' tthon lie had quite finished, the honorary Secretary informed him that the pens had been shifted, but that tho judges would be glad of his advice and would alter thoir decision.—Telegraph, The Aslrurst correspondent of the Manawatu Tiroes relates the following adventures of an unfortunato family in that district. " Pioneers to not expect all " \>m and skittles" in the bush, but Mr flans Smith, a Bteady, hard-working settler in the Foxton Small Farm Association, has had misfortune enough to drive him out of tho place, in the short time he has been on his section. When starting for 'his holding with a load of provisions, in crossing the Pohangjna river the tailboard of the cart dropped out and away went a grindstono, broad, coffee, tea, bedding, and boxes of various kinds into tho river, about half his load being lost. A short timo alter one child chopped off the end of another's finger, then another cut his leg with an axe, then came near burning and gouging his eye out with a fjrp stick* Next, tho father foiling a small tree, it sprang back, fell on his leg, broke it a littlo aoove the ankle,.,imd pinned him to the around. His otyn son and a neighbor's boy being near, managed to get the tree off. Smith .put his leg straight himself, but had to wait till next day before Dr Porter, ol Palmerston could get to see it. About three days after his oldest boy, nbout 11 years old, gashed tho inside of the calf of his leg with tho blow of an axe. lam very sorry for him and his wife, ton niiles up the river, only ono neighbor for miles, three or four small children, while the father and boy need all her attention,

"Messrs Boss and Mtiir report tho sale of twobuggics>and a ; dray;yesterday,Vand say that trade is feyivipg.',! .. ■ %J,[ Thd.'lyttelton: Harbor.; decided to offer to lenae thoir dredging plant to the Wellington Harbor Board for £ISOO for six months.' '. ,'/''

The business of the House yesterday was of desultory character.. The evening was taken up with a discussion on the second reading oj tho,Crown and Native Lands Eating Act Repeal Bill which was ultimately passed a stage.

: Among the New Zealand exhibits at the Melbourne Exhibition 13 a trophy of wool showing all the varieties of scoured fleece wool, and giving tho statistics of the industry. The trophy is 33ft high, surmounted by a stuffed pure/bred llomney Marsh ram, which was presented for the purpose by Mr A. Matthows, of the Wairongomai station, Wairarapa.. ■■•

;A wrcstlinp match:has been .arranged botweeh G; Pearce and H, Dunn, to tukp place 'next'; Saturday, evening, at the HaWora town' Ball, for £25 a-'aide and all gata : .money. '. Pearce defeated Hudson about two years ago. -. Dunn is the champion of New. Zealand; ,Tho match will bo "wrestled in the; five'.recognised : - The members of the Mastenon Foot-; , ball-Club- are ■ requested /to roll: up for' practice on the .01ub's.'ground';onSatur-- : d'ay;aftcrhdon next.. In view, of •several important "how t under arrangement both senior';and junior members', should puVin an-appearance,' -' ';'.

, Fifty-five years after the publication of ''Vivian Grey,"andwithin afeWmonths of his death, .Lord Beacbnsjeld again camo' forward as a' novelist, The copyright ?ot' " Endyinionj" . for Iwhich "he received £IO,OOO, will hot expire until 1920."*"" i^China tea has during tho last -three years lost ground in this Greatßrituih,- at an accelerated speed..' In 1885, the total' deliveries into the United Kingdom amounted to 123,842,000)b5; tho year" following, tho quantity diminished a littlo more than 5,000,0001bs; last year witnesses a further shrinkage of over 21,000,0001b5. . . '

: A special meeting of the Mastcrton Comotery Trust was' held yesterday to consider tenders for tho lease of a paddock, adjoining the Cemetery, and an offer of. Mr W. Noill of £lslos per annum for three years was accopted, The members present were Messrs Payton (chairman), J. McGregor, and A. R. Bunny.

It is announced that tho United States Courts at Fort Smith, Arkansas, have closod up all business, aud adjourned till August, becauso " tho appropriation by Congress is insufficient to enable the marshall to pay the fees of tho necessary witnesses,' 1 Among tho cases thus postponed are thirty-five murder cases, The gaol is full of prisoners, and has been so for months. Meantime Congress is spending hours daily in discussing what to do with the enormous surplus in tho Treasury, Tho result of issuing a Jubilee coinago has beon to lay up, in cabinets, drawers, aud what not, something like half a million of gold. Who has ovorseen a£s pieco tendered 111 payment, ' Yet the mint issued a quarter of a million pounds' worth of £5 pieces. The coinage, of £2 pieces ainountodto the value of nearly £200,000. Who has seen one paid over a counter ? Sovereigns and half-sovereigns' will also be hoarded because they were coined in the Jubilee year, so that when wo say that half a millions worth of gold has beon put uselessly by during the' last twelvemonths, wo nro probably well within the truth.—Court Journal, Messrs Lowes and'.-lorns hold their fortnightly stock sale at thoir Masterton yards yesterday, which was largely attended by buyers and others interested. The sheep yarded, numbering 2300,- were as a whole of good quality, prices a shade 10w0r...> The cattle, 140 head, were medium classes' all round, and.were difficult to sell at previous low ratos. They quote the following prices :—Fat wethers, from 10s to Us lid; fat ewes, 9s lOd to 10s; store wethers from 7s Od for small to 10s for forward condition; empty owes, 7s Gd to 0s j ewes in lamb from 5s to !)s; lambs, 7s; merino ewes, 3s 4d. Steors, two to threo-year-olds, 57s b'd; two-year-olds, 41s: heifers from 35s to 455; yearlings to oightcen-months old, 25s to 30s; dairy cows, 80s to 80s, Draught horses, £lO to £lO 9s; hacks, from £4 to £7 ; trap and harness, £lO 12s 6d; old dray, £4: pigs, 7s Od,

Tho Black Death appeared in Cyprus in 1347, and traversing Sicily and the islands of the Mediterranean, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany, reached England in August, 1348, penetratod to Sweden and Poland in 1349, and reached liussia in 1351, Florence is said to have lost 60,000, Vonico 100,000, Norwich 51,000, and London 100,000 by this pla«ue; 30,000 Minorites died in Italy, and 124,000 Franciscan friars in Germany, At Avignon, tho Ehone was consecrated by the Pope, that the bodies of the dead niiqht be cast therein, as the churchyards wero already full. Altogether Heckcr estimates that Europe lost during the Black Death 25,000,000 of inhabitants.

Advertising Cheats.— It has becomo 80 common to write tho beginning of a elegant, interesting article, and then run it into some advertisement, thatwo avoid all such cheats, and simply call attention to the merits of Dr. Soulo'b American Hop Bitters in as plain hSnest terms as possiblo, to induce peoplo to givo them ono trial, as no ono who knows their value will over use anything else, "Providence Advertiser."-'

A Losing Joke-A prominent physician of Pittsburg said jokingly to a lady paitent who was. complaining of hor contiuued ill-health, and of his inability to cure her, "Try.Dr Soule's American Hop Bitters I" The lady took it in earnest, and used the Bitters, from which blio obtained permanent health, She now laughs at the doctor for his joko, butho is nob so well pleased with it, as it cost him a good patient, "ITarrisburg Patriot," " Opportunity flies, O Udy, As tho cloud that quick doth pass; Oh, mako use of it I lifo is precious, If wo let it go—alas." So we thought as wo looked ujon some extraordinary awl startling bargains that are now offering at: the surplus stock sale, To- Aro House, Wellington, For instance, look at theso sills, upon which tho new tariff lovioa the enormousduty in reality of 28J percent., or 5a Bjd in tho £, we ava actually offering plain surah silks, in bronze, olive, myrtle, grenat, and claret, at CJd per yard (0, goalie public, don't Askus the original price), at the surplus stock sale, To Aro House, Wellington, At the same time there is a special lot of fapcy broche Bilks, in brown, olive, aud myftle, at CJd per yjird j an oxquisito lot of fatin.aml ottoman striped eilks.t'willcd satin checks, and matalasse striped silks, : in tcbac, seal, cardinal, gronat, navy, gold, cream, sky, ruby, pipk, at Is 6J per yard; aud also, some special fanjy brocade satins, in salmon, sky, gold, cream, white, etc. at Is lid per yard, fee thorn at the snphis stock sole, To Aro House, Wellington, Talk of opportunities, hero is one, and a grand one too, If'you. let it go and allow them to pass from you at Te Aro House, Wellington, thore is only ono word to be applied tg such an error-*alasl-Advt, -.

reporton tho putbreakoE'Boabj'in sheep was brought inthe'Legislative'Oounofl yesterday.'The Committee'condemned ;tho action,of the Department, and 7 : recommended thatthe report bo'printed.'. This. wTwliSetßed.;to•withoutdißOUßsioii. Intllo'LowerHouVe also the administration 'of the; Department was criticised, and it was resolved togivo effect to the' Committees report .at once. .

' Mr Spurg'oon has written as' follows., to theEev. W.Jaihes.Aberdare:—"l beg you to thank tho, membon of theCalvan-; istic Methodise Association for their vote of generous sympathy. .; Mourning oyer a great evil in some of the churches, I sacrificed peaco, friendship, and repute; to be clear of it. My protest was resented and judged to bo needless... Tho, discussions which followed, have, I grieve to say, more than justified my charges. A compact which was made without my concurrence, also bears on its forefront proof that grave errors exist in overy ..quarter wherein they were denied, ■,'■' It' has cost", me many wounds' and much dishonor to have been the accuser; of brethren, and it is; still niore'painful: to. find, their" great.errors'are.not,regarded as serious by-t.he mass of professors; My only, course is .to separate, paths; not; however, separating myself from any .denomination::? who Vlioldv.pie; 'faith'btico delivercd,t6 : the ThTo lpye of the,'"Lord:.:'and;of s his Ciospel'is.afar stronger bond of union than any dciioniinatitinal dißtiiiptibri caii evor be," ■'' .