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Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1052, 22 March 1879, Page 2

The Hamilton Choral Society purposes giving its second concert on the evening of tha proposed Volunteer Review, probably Easter Monday, 14th proximo. Filial Piety.— A resident of Cook county, Texas, has a set of furniture made from the tree on which his father was hanged 10 years ago. We would draw attention to the alterations in the advertisement of Messrs B Tonks & Co., who have on sale all kinds of American carriages, expresses, buggies, harness, organs, clocks, furniture, machinery, &c. Railway Time Table.— -A notification appears, from the General Manager, that on and after Tuesday, the Ist proximo, a new time table will be issued, when passenger trains will leave Auckland for Ohaupo at 7 a.m. and 4.15 p.m., and Ohaupo for Auckland at 8 a.m. A goods and cattle train will also leave Ohaupo at 1.20 p.m., to which, we presume, a passenger carriage can be attached, thus affording very nearly the same facilities for transit as at present. Who is She ?— The « Star,' of Thursday, says : — A charming young lady who has distinguished herself in musical circles by her precocious taleut, disappeared from home last Saturday, and has not been seen since. The police received instructions to search after the run-away, and have, we believe, traced her to Waikato. Before leaving, she drew £50, her own savings, from the bank, and has, therefore, apaplo funds. The cause of the escape is not known with certainty — by some it is attributed to an affair of the heart ; by others to family disagreement and youthful impulsiveness. The difficulty, however, caused by her flight is aggravated by the fact that the young lady's parents were on the eve of departing for England. It is hoped, however, that she will return voluntarily to her home in time to join them. TnE 'Star's' correspondent, referring to Hiroki's defiant attitude at the Jfarihaka meeting, says it came about this way: — " There is a Government reward of £200 offered for his capture, and last evening a white man and half-caste tried to earn the blood-money. There is no need why their names should be disclosed. . They went for the reward, but were frustrated. Hiroki goes around with a tomahawk and double - barrelled gun when the whites are present in tbe kainga, but sits as any other native in the villages ; otherwise, he lives in a whare ou tho east side of the creek, close to Te Whiti'B. Ho has many sympathisers among the natives, and, from all I can learn, he is held and protected as the blood-money for tho Plains. This is one of the subjects they want Mr Sheehan to discuss with them. They want Hiroki thrown in with their reserves. There action is the result of a desire for race conservation. I \ras told by some native* that his capture could be easily accomplished, but theft I'ohu and others want

his safety to be secured. It appoars there is no direct evidence against the man for the murder of McLoan, but only circumstantial. Tho direct evidence aa to his ' killing McLean, it appears, can only be ! obtained from his own confession. The fact, however, remains that he is at Parihaka, thrust in a prominent position, and held.as part of the price of tho land." Wb are glad to learn th*fc the injured hand of Mr Burnett, of Ngaruawahia, who by the way is a partuer of Mr Diokeson's in the brewery, and not his foreman, as erroneously stated, ia progressing favorably under the skilful care of Dr Waddington. Liroe Onion Crop.— -Cambridge is no way behind Auckland in the matter of onion-growing. In the garden of Mr G. J. Neal at the wharf, Major Hay taped off one perch in the middle of a good-sized patch showing, when weighed, the splendid crop of 18 tons, 12. owt., 3 qrs., 12 lbs. to the acre. These were to have been shown as they grew had not the Show fallen through. 100 onions weighed 80lbs. The onions were brown Spanish, and the seed was grown by Mr Ripley at Hamilton. As a the work 'of construction of the Hamilton traffic bridge proceeded, it became evident that there would be a considerable cost, beyond the contract price, for extras. The Borough Council made application to the Government to meet this cost, and have reoeived the following reply : — " Public Works Office, Wellington, Maroh 13, 1879. — Sir : I am directed by the Minister for Public Works to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of Feb. 19, relative to the extras on the Hamilton bridge. The Minister notices that you base your request for further Government aid oh the ground thatthe plans of the bridge were prepared by it — a circumstance which must have saved the Borough of Hamilton a considerable sum. The Government, having exhausted the vote, are unable to provide the amount required for extras, but, under all. the circumstances, the Minister will consent to pay one moiety thereof provided the Berough find the other. — I have, &c, John Knowles, U.S.P.W.— To His Worship the Mayor of Hamilton." We learn that Mr Le Quesne has let his new hotel, Hamilton East, to Mr Edwards, now of the Waitemata Hotel, Auckland, for a rent of fourteen pounds per week. Hotel businesses seem to be worth having in Waikato. Kerbing Victoria and Grev-sxreexs. — Tenders for laying timber kerbing in Victoria and Grey-streets will be reoeived by the Hamilton Borough Council up to | noon of Monday, the 31st inst. The preliminary notice of the sale by auotion, by Messrs J. D. & K. Hill, of the household furniture, carriages, horses, and effects of Mr Alfred Cox, about the middle of April, appears iu another column. Messrs J. D. & K. Hill will hold their usual fortnightly sale at the mart, Hamilton, of furniture, produce, oats, flour, cheese, &c. ; also, a lot of new furniture, to be sold without reserve. A Teacher for the Rangiaohia school is wanted, and applications will be received by the Chairman of the local committee, up to to-day. The teacher's wife will be expected to teach needlework and I the junior classes. Monoahoi Bridoe. — No eligible tenders having been received for the ereotion of a timber bridge, with concrete abutments, over the Mongahoi creek, at Te Awamutn, fresh tenders will be received by the • Board, up to noon of the 28th inst. Lisien to this my snarling masters, ■ listen to this, and never again dare to i speak disrespectfully of pressmen. The Rev. De Witt Talmage, in holding forth on the profligacy of the city of New York, ' says : — " I shall speak of my second night > of exploration. I have begun to stir the I cities, and, God helping me, I will go I through. Ido not know what course I will take in these Sabbath morning ser- ' mons, but whoever else will be crowded 1 or kept standing outside the doors, I t charge the trustees of the church that t they give full elbow-room- to journalists, since each one is another church five times *" or ten times or twenty times larger than ' this august assemblage, and it is by the ; printing-press that the Gospel of the Sou of God is to be preached to the world. May the blessing of Almighty God come down on all the editors, reporters, and • compositors." (Murmurs of approval.) Murmurs of approval, indeed, why there should have been thunders of applause, for if any class of men are badly in need of Heaven's blessing, it is the unfortunate members of the Fourth Estate, who are j toiling aud moiling from week's ends to week's end, in order to illuminate an unL grateful people. On behalf of all the Press folk in New Zealaud, from the c biggest editor to the most diminutive } devil, I return my sincere thanks to the i Rev. De Witt Talmage. May his voice never grow weaker nor his shadow ever . be loss,— " Frank Fadge," in •Saturday Advertiser.' » Farm Sale of Live and Dead Stock.— i To-day, at Te Awamutu, Mr John Knox will hold a clearing-out sale of Mr T. Slater's dairy cows, bull, heifers, and L calves ; also, his valuable horse stock, i farm implements, furniture, and dairy , utensils. A quantity of hay, sawn timber, stores, and an acre of growing winter • green crops will also be offered. As the sale commences at 2 p.m., there is every opportunity for settlers to attend from all parts of the district. Speaking of Dr Wallis V meeting and of Mr Curtis's Bill, the 'Herald' of yesterday Bays i — " Anyone that says he desLes'to preserve the Education Act, and yet hesitates to declare that he will vote against Mr Cartis's Bill, is an enemy, and means mischief. Dr Wallis, after a good deal of ingenious fencing, substantially declared that he would support Mr Curtis's Bill. We do noi intend to refer at length to-day to the speech, but mast protest against the attempt made to show that Mr Curtis's Bill woald not injure the efficiency of the present systsm. Every body knows 1 quit-d well, that if such a bill was passed, the first practical effect here would be, that the schools erected in Hobson -street on the stimulus of the Rev Father Hennebery's eloquence would receive State aid. Other schools of the same kind would be erected in different parts of the town and suburbs, and would all ba aided from tbe public purse, and all assisting by the money which they drew from the religions denominations which had established them. In those country places where the members of the Roman Catholic body where the strongest, schools in connection with that Church would be established, which would receive subsides, and there' would be no room for any other schools. People not of that denomination would either have to send their children to that school, conducted by a Roman Catholic teacher, or allow them t > remain ignorant. Everyone knows that the working Of Mr Curtis's Bill would destroy the present system, if lt were not so, it would not be so great a favorite with those who are so strongly oppoied to the present Act, and who have worked systematically against it. American Prairie Fowls. — The following particulars, respecting the American game, known as the prairie fowl, just introduced into Canterbury by the Acclimatisation Society, may not be uninteresting : — " The prairie ohioken in its native country always keeps in open

ground, and never resorts to tho timber, its favorite feeding ground being stubble fields. They negt in low, marshy ground, where the grass is high. They are very prolific, the hen bird laying, on an average, sixty eggs in a nest which she scoops out in the open ground. They take turn and turn about to sit on the eggs, the male taking the female bird's place when she is off feeding. It is impossible to tame them in any manner, so that they are valueless as a domestic bird; but considered as game, they are far finer shooting than the English pheasant. The proper time to shoot them is when they are about half grown — that is from the age of three and a-half to four months. It is almost impossible to make thorn rise during the heat of the day, as they can run at such speed through the j grass that a properly-trained dog cannot rise them. An average marksman can shoot the entire covey early in the morning, when the dew is on the grass. One abso'utely essential condition for the successful rearing and propagation of the prairie fowl, when removed from its native locality to another, is to choose as far as it is possible the same open and grass country to which it has been accustomed. Sportsmen in America always go for the young birds so as to save the old birds for breeding. In rising, the young bird soars about two feet above the grass, and flies very rapidly at that level, and as a rule on a curve to the right or left. Another peculiarity of the bird is that all those that the sportsman misses fly round and meet together generally about a thousand yards away. There is .jrory little reason to fear but that the prairie chicken in New Zealand will prove successful, as they are extremely prolific and hardy, aud the climate of the colony is, if possible, even more favorable to the birds than the severer winters of California."