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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2200, 26 May 1908, Page 2

A small snake., measuring about 7in in length,..and about an inch in girth, was discovered iii a case of pineapples received from Queensland by a Carterton resident.

To-morrow evening, in the 'Baptist Tabernacle, the Rev. AV. Lamb will deliver a lecture entitled “Cliritianity as distinguished from the Ohurcli,. tho body of Christ.”

Owing to the heavy rain yesterday morning, tho Poverty Bay Rifle Association’s shooting competition, which was to liavo been held at the Maltauri range, was postponed indefinitely.

Miss Dulco De.unor, tho talented young lady hailing from Feathcrston, who won the short story competition instituted by Che proprietors of the “Lone Hand,” has taken to tho stage as a member of the Taylor-Carring-ton Dramatic Company.

Tlio Telegraph Department has just completed the Connection of AA’harerata. and Morere by telephone. This will now enable Gisborne people to telephone direct to Morere and AVairo.v, and will be of undoubted value to all subscribers.

“Empire Day” will be celebrated at the Mangapapa School to-morrow afternoon at 2 o’clock, when the children will salute the flag, and addresses will be given by Mr. AV. L. Rees, Captain AA’arren, and the Rev. F. AV. Ciiatterton.

Dairy factories in the Hawera district are now commencing to work every second day, instead of daily as previously, a sure indication of the rapidly-iapproacliing “olf” season. There is still, however, a slightly increased milk supply compared with the same period last year.

The sacred concert to be given by the Gisborne City Band is to be held on the 14th of next month. A very good programme has been arranged, and as it is the first sacred concert to be held for some time, it is probable there will be a large'attendance of tho public. '

The following tenders have been received for the new warehouse that is to be erected for Messrs L.D. Nathan and Co. in Customhouse Street: F. G. Spence (Auckland) £6620, GeoSmith £6637, Black 'Bros."' £6937, Webb and Son £7157, Guthrie and Coleburne £7200, J. Somervell £7724. It is ■ understood that Mr. Smith’s tender has been accepted.

A short sitting of the Police Court was held yesterday mowing at- tho Station. Two first offenders for drunkenness were convicted and fined 5s each with 2s costs or 24 hours imprisonment. A native named Matu was charged with having protected game in his possession and was fined £1 with 2s costs in default 48 hours imprisonment.

“When is the Government going to throw open for settlement the blocks of -land lying idle in our district?’’ asks a settler, writing to the “New Zealand Herald” from Upper AVai T totara. “It is a. pity that a. district like ours should Jjo kept hick, because a sluggish Government can’t .wake up enough to open up) such splendid land as the Rangitatau Block.”

The following unclaimed letters are at the Gisborne Rost Office: —From United Kingdom—H. I. L. Alder, N. Duggan, Mr. Garwood, Mrs. J. King, Mr. Leach, H. Lister, A Still ; from New South Wales—V. Fitzgerald, A. Macfarlane, F. ltyan, M. B. Slusher; from Victoria—:G. Gorrie, T.’ Williams, J; If. Young ;from Norway ■ —o. Antonsen ;from Germany—Y. P. Hansenjfrom Tasmania—J. Leonard; from United States—Miss C. Solway.

A Dunedin citizen, fond of statistics, has taken the trouble to calculate which is the cheapest town in the Dominion. He made .a list of household commodities, wliich in Dunedin he found oamo to £l. In Auckland the bill came to 19s lOd; in Invercargill to £1 Is; in Wellington to £l-2s; in Christchurch to £1 0s Od; and in Napier to £1 4-s. He therefore awards the palm to Auckland, with Dunedin a good second.

A large Maori stone anchor has, by the courtesy of the Maoris, pome into the possession of the curator of the Dominion Museum (Mr A. Hamilton). It comes from Paremata, and weighs between two hundredweight and three hundredweight. 'lt is really a large boulder of very hard stone, and is most laboriously pierced ■to take the primitive cable attaching it to the boat. The hole that

lias been drilled through the stone about three inches from the surface varies from 2.)in to fin in width. Tlis anchor has been broken in

places, but some of the piieces are beside the main body.

“What about the Blackball bungle?” asked a.'questioner at Dr Chnpiplo’s meeting at Alexandra. The candidate repilied that he deplored the delay and indecision of the Government in the best interests of cin Arbitration Act. “Then why do you supipiort them?” the questioner persisted. “If you had a horse with a splint,” the doctor rejoined, “would von shoot him or blister him and keep him going?” The Ward Admitrslration. had made mistakes, lie ad it i 1 but he prefererd to put a few tlisters on and keep them going. Loud laughter and applause followed. The first “Empire Day” social of the Gisborne Volunteer Fire Brigade was held in His Majesty’s Theatre la6t evening, and was a great success. Lliere was sm attendance of about 190 couples, who danced a pirogramme of twenty dances to the music pirovided by 'Miss Moore’s orchestra. The floor was in excellent order. '• Messrs Sawyer, Webb, Lownds, Holdswortli and. Bringbam acted as M.C.’s, and Messrs A. and J. Thompson and Lapiidge (secretary) worked hard to ensure the enjoyment of everyone. The stage was tastfully decorated and furnished as a drawing room, and games of various lauds were provided for those who did not dance. The simpler was catereu for T>y Mr. Woofcton in first-class style, the tables being elegantly dressed out with choice flowers and evergreens. Just prior to the suppier interval the Superintendent (Mr. John Townley) piresonted, as a memento of the social, a. ladies’ gold bracelet to the holder of ticket No. 126, who piroved to be Miss Knock, and also two liars, to commemorate long service in the brigade to Messrs A. and J. A. Thompson. ■

As a result of investigations by Detective M'lLeod, two boys, one aged eight, tlie other eleven, were brought before Mr Konrick, S.M., at Balclutlia one mqrning last week and charged with attempting to set fire to tlio Balclulha District High School, with intent to burn it down. The evidence showed that they put a match to the towel in the lavatory, hoping thereby to free themselves from further attendance at school. The towel burned away, but did not make a blaze, because piece by piece fell off and went out before doing any damage. This was outside the childfen’s calculations. They both pleaded guilty, Mr Konrick, after listening to the case as presented by tho detective, said that lie did not wish to enter a conviction against such young boys, and after talking to thorn in a fatherly way Hie Worship discharged them., the parents undertaking to pay for the damage.

Tho constable on duty at the Treasury building in Melbourne, one night last week, discovered a littlo boy, apparently about two years of age, wandering about Macquarie Street. Tlio child was well-dressed and well-nour-ished, but could give no account of himself. The officer took charge of him, and found a note pinned on his collar, which read as.follows: —“To whom miy gut my child, —J hope you will be good to it, for God’s sake. 1 have kept it till I cannot keep it any longer. 1 have no homo, no friends, and have no work to go to. It has broken my heart to do what I am doing, but I know if the State gets it, it will be better off, for they will look after it. For God’s sake, pity a heartbroken, young mother.” The child was taken to Ormond House.

Tho working man is, not tlio only grumbler about the increased cost of living. Tho AA’ellington Hospital Board arc much concerned over the many ways in which tho hospital’s food bill has mounted up, and attention was drawn at yesterday’s meeting to the big increase in expenditure under this head. It was explained by the Hon. C. M. Luke (chairman) that some items were those which had been held over from the previous month, but much of tho increase was duo to the wonderful way in which provisions had gone up. There had been a considerable rise in butter, so great that he intended discussing the position in committee; bread had gone up, and milk showed a substantial increase compared with last year, quite out■ oi proportion to the increased number of patients.

AATiting concerning the Queensland Lind purchase of Mr iScrimgeour, formerly of Otago and Hawke’s Bay, in conjunction' with Mr Hugh ltoss, of AGctoria, the AVnirarapa correspondent of the “Dominion” says it'is claimed to be one of the biggest land deals recorded in the history of Queensland. The property m question comprises several important estates, .and covers about 200 square miles. ‘lt'possesses a frontage of fifty miles to the Maclntyre and Callandoo Rivers. The stations were sold as going concerns,' with sheep, cattle, and horses. The price paid is understood to have been something near. £200,000. Mr Scrimgeour has not been any great length oi time out of Hawke’s Bay and previously lie was a well-known settler in Otago, where his knowledge of land and stock brought him well-deserved success.

Some .excitement was Icaused in Queen Street, Auckland, last week by the eccentric conduct of a young .man, who chose the principal business thoroughfare of the city to promenade up and down in, with his nether garments tucked up to an indecorous height. The spectacle of this barelegged individual walking coolly along attracted a large crowd, who followed closely in his wake. Tho man took no notice of his audience, and turned into A’ulcan Lane, with the throng following. Somebody, evidently a friend, -tapped him on the. shoulder, and indicated to him tlie rapidly-approaching form of a. constable. The mail was quick to act on the hint. He darted into a little right-of-way, and immediately the policeman had gone into tho adjoining building to look for Uni, under the belief that he was secreted there, the fellow reappeared, “clothed, and in his right mind,” walked- calmly down to Queen-street, ,-iiid disappeared. Tho constable searched the vicinity for some minutes before he gave up the pursuit, and none of the onlookers seemed to feel it their duty to tell him that the man had got away.

A romantic and pretty story is told by a Dunedin gentleman, who is the son of a very o ld resident of Ballarat East. Ho left his home (says the “Otago Daily (Times”) when 16 years of age, going abroad to seek his fortune, intending some day to return homo with his pocket® ‘well lined. But Damo Fortune never smiled, and finally he settled down in New Zealand, where he married and brought up a large family. Though lie had written to Ballarat to find'out whether his mother "wa6 alive or dead, ho obtained no reply, and the letters were returned, so for many years lie was under the impression that his mother was dead:' Recently, however, some Ballarat people happened to be talking to ono of liis daughters. The name was discussed, and finally by writing to ono of his grandchildren lie found out that his mother was still, living .and 87 years of age. He immediately journeyed to Australia, .and the reunion of mother and son, after a lapse of 50 years, can well be imagined. He found his mother in bad health, and as ho has to return to his family, he looks forward to leaving her again as one of the hardest tasks lie has had to face during his life. '

European convention does not trouble the Maori of the far North in the matter of chirstening ids piccaninJpes- There are no high falutin’ English Christian names of the “Adolp-Jius-h ltzclarenco” type, but some exceedingly quaint things are perpetrated occasionally (says the “New Zealand Times”). Two young Maoris living near Hpkianga are just getting old enough to comprehend that their loving parents bestowed upon them Christian names, life-long labels, of the most embarrassing description. In 1896 the Waimea rebellion occurred among the natives, and some were arrested for treason. While one of the prisoners lay in Mount Eden Gaol, Auckland, awaiting his trial, lie heard that- his wife had presented him with a son. Not long afterwards the trial took place, and another prisoner, almost simultaneoutly with the news of his sentence, two years’ hard labor, received tidings "that he was the father of a babv girl. These births occurred opportunely as a means of carrying down to the next generation a reminder of their parents" exploits so the hoy rejoices in the name of “Mount Eden,” after the gaol in which his father war, incarcerated, and the girl answers to the extraordinary title of “H ard Labor.”

When the bicycle tracks promised by our worthy Mayor are completed in the main streets, the local authorities will lose a lucrative income from fines inflicted oil footpath trespassers. Theso sums may ho profitably invested- in dinner knives at ten pence each at Parnell’s Saturday Sale 30tb inst. only. ' •

A STICKLER FOR ACCURACY. Tile following anecdote is at present making the round of semi-offi-cial circles in Khartoum (sa.vs the Cairo correspondent of the “Pall Mall Gazette’’), and certainly deserves reproduction:—A little while ago a young telegraph operator was sent to a lonely station in the remote regions of the interior. From the small cabin which served as his dwelling and his office lie could hear the roar of lions from a distance. This having occurred several times during the few days after his arrival, he became very much terrified, and despatched the following wire to headquarters:—lmpossible to live here. Surrounded day and night by lions, elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses; hyenas, wolves, crocodiles, hippopotami, etc.; beg for transfer. Two or threo days elapsed, and the poor, besieged

operator received no reply, which increased- his uneasiness. Another official, who was stationed in the same district, paid him a visit shortly after this, and the terrified operator related to him his woes and showed him the telegram lie had sent. His visitor . commiserated with him, hut pointed out that the list of wild boasts detailed in the wire was a little exaggerated, as no wolves exist in the Soudan. Immediately another telegram flew over the wires to headquarters from the forlorn operator at the far-away station, and the following was its wording:—Referring to my wire No. X please cancel word /wolves.” When the last mail left, it was not known whether the forlorn operator had had his request granted. JJis earnest desire for accuracy ceitinny merited some consideration, was wircr to the "SM. Herald”:—

developing the sounds. But for the tumultous Straits in jotweou, Picton would no doubt, as the Hon. C. 11. Mills has just prophesied, quickly become practically '* suburb ol Wellington. Some day nos dream may become true. Picton '•'* f<> be the northern terminus of tile Main South railway. When that great undertaking is completed, then we may begin to talk of a fast ferry service across the Straits. Meanwhile the beauties of the Sounds distinct draw largo numbers of tourists. An interesting - engineering undertaking :is proposed to inako these beauty spots more accessible, at the same time opening up the country for settlement. From Picton to Havloclc by water is sixty miles. The Minister of Marine, on liis recent visit to the district, inspected the Onapua Neck, through which it is proposed to drive a tunnel 400 yards long, making a channel through which oil launches could run. Its construction would cut the sixty-mile journey down to five miles. An estimate of the cost is £40,000, but it is stated that a contractor is willing to do the work for less.' The only difficulty is that the tides in, Pelorus Sound are 3ft Gin. higher than in Queen Charlotte Sound, so that unless locks are provided, the channel would be a millraco most of the time.