RAISING THE 'QUICKSTEP' AND SNAGGING WAIKATO RIVER.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 628, 30 May 1876, Page 2

RAISING THE 'QUICKSTEP' AND SNAGGING WAIKATO RIVER.

Tiie above steamer which was successfully raised last Tuesday by Mr Alexander Nicol, tho WSN Co' a ship carpenter ; to whom great credit U clue, made her first trip up river yexterday, for tho energy he showed in tho matter. She was sunk on tho sth and was afloat again on the 23rd instant, so that no time was lost over it ; and it was lucky that sho ttrb got up on Tuesday, for the* river roae the day after, whioh would have increased the difficulty of raising her verj much. "We nreglid to say that wo were misinformed, when we stated a few issues ago that the 'Quickstep'was "hogged" or "broken backed," *nd would hare to be broken up. As we hare since staled, she had two planks, twelTo feet long, knocked out of her, and this ia the extent of the damago. We really think the G-overnment should do Bouiothing towards clearing tho rirer of mags ; tho Waikato Steam Nayigation Company have had three iteauurs and sereral barges snagged •and sunk within twelve months. During the summer several snags shewed up in some newly opened channels through the sand, and as these were blocking the way of the steamers and bavges, Mr It R Hunt, the Company's manager, blow them up with lithofracteur, but the Compauy caunot afford to blow all the snags out. It is in fact a duty which requires the attention of the Public Works Department, for tho removal of the mugs would tend to lessen tho danger of the river navigation, and so reduce freights, and consequently increase the traffic to the of tho railway. As Sir Donald McLean u still in the district, wo beg to draw his attontion to the matter.

Crowdbp Our. — Owing (o tho late hour of receiving corroajiondenco from Alexandra nnd othtr lounl matter we are reluctantly compelled to liol.l ovor tho Ittter of our Auckland sporting oorreiponckmfc on the J£ll«ralio r&cey to our next.

]?AT Cattm. — We learn that Mr Foriest, of Cambridge, will start for Auckland on Thursday with fnrtj head of fat cattle for tho market of June the Bth.

Sale of Hamilton- Fhuhy Toll.s — Mr J. Knox will sell to-morrow, at the Hamilton lie*], the lease of the Hamilton ferry service ior tlio ensuing twelve months. Immediately a r ter the ?a.le ho^ill offer to competition severul troop and draught hors"s, to the order of the oillcer commanding the district.

Tin? AVay to Discover Indistinct Brinds. I — During Hie hearing of a case m tho R-'sidei t M*»istrate'« Court on Tuesday, Mr Wnddell, whoso experiencj of matters appertaining to stock has been extonsive, stated that an almost infal'ible w»y to discover indi<tmct brands on cattle or horses was to bathe tho parts about the region of tho brand until tho skin or hide got heated. Dy tins means the bruud would fee muda to stand out in distinctness.

Yduxo Hamilton Kickists.— Ypsserday the youthful Hamilton teuin, a newly fanned club, olnofly scholars belonging to the Itev MrDaviß* school, who were the victors in Saturday's match, stood for their likencssos to Mr Low, photographer, in Victoria-street. The negative was an oxceodiug good one. Tho likisnoajes are distinct, and tho lads aro well grouped, the smaller ones sitting in front, tho older ituiiding up behidd taem, — some 10 in all. Copies of tho photograph will be ready for issue to the boj s and for sale to their friends in tho course of a ■ few days,

BoonuLL. — Og Saturday last a roost interesting match waa played between tlio pupils of the Kevd Mr Davis school ai.d Mr Dam era' juvenile seminary. The guine was Used for two o'clock, but, with tlio usual unpunetuahly win -h unfortunately characterise* the colonial rising generation, the ball was not got uuderweigh before 3or 2 55. It had been origmallj arranged that fliteon " mon" should compete on each bide, bat only twelve from Mr Dans', and the same number ir^tn Mr DanverV, put in an appaaranee. The "We*t Side won the toss, and chose to kick down wind toward* the township. Pillii.g, jun, commenced the proceedings by a good kick wli" and from th*t time until 4.45 the boys were at it, hammer aud tongs, with an interval of only (ive minium. For the D-mveraiaua Odium (back),Uydp, Jonee(who«e running wa§ the thtme of great aJniirition) Wi-re always there when wnntedj aud for D^nis' 1 >t J. Neweli, G. Cox, E. Pilling, Hopkins, and Yon Stunner, caught our eye oftenesfc in feats of Hgihty and afronfrtli. The schooli were represented by the following lad* :— Duv %'— E Filling (captain), G. Cox, Newrlll, llopkim, Jolly, A. Cox, Yon Stunner, McQ-lushan, Beere, O'Kei'ff ■. Danvoru' — J. Mai tin (ciptain), P. Jours, W. Odium, W. Jones, J. Martin, jun, K. Martin, Morrissuy, StoLei, Andrews, ll ill, Andrews, jun. The result of the game wus in farour of Mr Da /is' school, aud the following was the score : — D<itis' -1 gonl, 4 touch dovrni, 9-10J force dowm ; Unnrers' — 1 goal, 0-2 forco downs ; Davis thus winning by 8 poiuts, We hear that a return mutch ii soon to bo played between the rival •chools. The piny on both sides w»i really very good, tho rulfs beins; well understood.

Tub " Herald's" Ai.ex*.ndba. Repostiko. — Kcports of current events like anything also tan be made to otvier, to suit tho taste of fc)>o furchnscr. This appears to bo the caso with the Allowing, which is flavoured nccording'y to suit tie Opposition palate, and professes to be a reoort of tho proceedings at Kapiha on Friday : — " Tho oonferenco to-day was a long one. Tho Kkig, wi h Takerei or Tawhia and Te Tuhi, renaming cloiod with Sir Donald McLean fioai duner to tho despatch of the canoe, and is likely to remain during evening. Ifunia To Jfgukiiu wai again prominent by his absenco. Tihs is rataer significant, at he U known to be a staunch adiorent for the return of the Waikuto lands. AUauhau informant itates :—' Tapihanahas not pit in an appearance to-day. Ho is somewhat uider a cloud by his known sympathy with the Government;. His reception by his old party yieterday was very chill, consequently ho returned to Alexandra a few houn after his arival. Ta, a childless chieftain of rank, has aked for ono or two white children to bo sen*, fo' adoption, It is ulso rumoured that Sir Dmald McLean has promised to send a grist mil to Kopu. Our Htuhau correspondent says : —Yesterday 'a discussion was on the land question, and the Sing and his Ministers insisted upn the return of tho Woikato lands. Upon ths basis alone, they wid, could a thorough and peroanont understanding between tho two races be arrived at. The Defence Minister said he ooild noe admit this, as a great portion wus sod, but there might bo probably a largo slico resumed. Tawhiao said half the land might be acceptable to them, and even then it would havo to jo confirmed by the other Kingiics. It is »lsi understood that a free pardon to all criminal fornn a portion of the King's programme, butthat is not on the tapis yet. Telegram* from tbeNative Minister are hourly arriving, and Minsters nre hard nt it consulting and replying. Tht belief in well informed circles is to tho effect that tho Government is not prepared to agree to all fie concessions which the N.itive Minister thiix* ought to bo made to King Tawhiao, but thvyure preparod to leave mattera to a very great exieit in the hands of their colleague for approi f »1, jubjoot merely to the deuisioa of Paiiiawaut. ,

Tv Awajujtu Land Sale.— We would remind onr readers that Mr Kennedy Hill'g sale of allotments in Te Avramutu comB3 off to-day at noon, at the Central Waikato Hotel.

Tnu irriDi.NrAL Hotel under Mr Perkins became noted as the resort of country settlers and other* interested in sporting matters, as well as for the excellence of its ntcommoilation. Mi Perkins has returned from a six mOnshs sojourn in 'Fr sco and the States, and has re-entered on the occupation of his old hostelry. The simplo announcement is quite sufficient to attract his friends aga'n to their old rendezvous in that queen of the cities of the South Pacific, Auckland.

Host Perkins at Home Again. — The "Licensed Victuallers' Gazette" gives the following account of Host Perkins return to the Occidental, in Auckland, after his sojourn in the States : — " An old colonial, who hag been sojourning in America, returned to Auckland by the last mail ateamer. On landing he made tracks for the Occidental, and on reaching that hostelry called for hnlf-a-dozrn • sparkling' to shout for liia friends. Tho wine being produced, he went down on his knees and th inked God he was back in New Zealand. Why should this returned New Zealnnder bo thankful that bo has escaped from a free land to this o\er-taied and heavily burdened colony ? He hag told mo the reason. It is this. He says that in New Zealand when you go out in tho morning you can tell the wife of your bosom with confidence the hour at which you will return to your dinner. The wife says, as she hands the brushed hat, ' Reuben, dear, what time shill I get dinner ready ?' Your answor at once is, • With the blesjings of Providence I shall be home again at five, my love,' and the hashed mutton ia ready at that hour accordingly. But in America things are different. When .1 man leaves hii house there his wife calls out to him, ' Shall you be home to dinner ?' 1 Wei',' lie refleo's, ' I calculate I will if I don't get sliot or knifed, or guess if I can get bail. Just pass me down my six shooter and tint bowi ••' A man in tho States goes out each day or oieh night wihh his life in his hands. He dots not know whether lie will get a bullet through his left uhe k if he refuses to drink with another. He doi's not know when ho will be called on to 'drin' in telf-defenep, or how soon he may be r.ctoJted by " Wull, stranger, T guoes I'm going to ma'cu a hols through your darned carcase,' and bing coes the revolver ; while, if he should prove a trifle more active than the other, and kta his six shooter fly first, ho must b™ prepared with buil as aoon aa he is taken up lor the murder. America is n fino country ; but I begin to eoe why that liberal hearted old colonial thanked God on his knees that ha wat safe back in the parlour of that Lotel with a whole ikin ; we dra'ik his think-offering as he handed out the gild pieces to the landlord in payment thereof." Sunday Schools — In his sermon on Sunday evening, the F.ev Mr Culder ve/y itrongly reprobated the ctreieseucas on the part of ptrenta in Booing that their children attend school on SnnJny afternoons. Of one hundred children on the roll of St Peter's Sunday School but forty were presajt on thit afternoon. The fact is to bo regretted, but wo fear that not only the par-en's are to bl> n mo. As a usual rule children nre anxious to attend theae schools, and no grtater punishment can be inflicted upon them lhan to prevent them do\nt> to, and at tho simp limauariints arc the las) to be lH«'y to hinder their at^en lanci*. If tho disinclination to attend re-t with tho chi'dren, and we fenr it dot's so, then some other cause than iip^thy on the part of tho parcnt-t mu-t he louked for. There must >>c a want of attractivenes* in tha schools themselves and their umni^em -nt, for, as wo lme said, our exp'riemo le.uls us to Uy the blame anywhere thin with the children themselves. And as rcj;»rds St Peters school we have at ouco a enuso in the oil reme p-uicity of teachers. Ike effect of tins is that the children cannot bo drafted mt) a sufficient numb'T of olneses to keep thoue nearly of ;m ago together, — that tio classes contain moie ch'ldren than any teacher can po^ib'y keep amused aid interested, and that the one cla^conliins children too old and too young to bo upproacheil with tho »arne style and matter in teach ng. Surely in townships of the growth of Hamilton thoie could be found a sufficient numbe" of young persons of, either sex to undertake the duties of Sunday to 1001 teachers. Tina should be a difficulty easily to bo got over; and mdcc \ it is most desirable that it should be so. The Sabbath school has always been a mo«t useful institution, but nfver wai i« co essentially important as now, when in the cimmon echoohi of . the province it is forbidden to instruct in or even touch upon religious umtton. Tuo only opportunity hundreds of children will now have of learning the precept* of the religion they profess and the teachings of their bibles, will be that afforded by the Sunday schools, and therefore no>v, mora than rver, the clergy and their congregitions should spare no eiF.jrt in making these sch »ols as pt letic.Uly useful and mttrartive an poa-ible, not only to very youn» children, but to boys of from eight to fourteen years of age, who may not unfreqmmMy be seen on the Sunday playing at pitch and toss in our streets, but who even frequent the cricket ground on the Ngaruawalna road to paaa the Sunday afternoon at ihe game of football.