DISTRICT NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3678, 13 November 1912, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

j .•* PORT AWAXUI. | \ [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] ■ PORT AWAXIJR Nov. U'. 1 The weather (luring the- past week jias;' been hue and vary warm and the roads round hero are as a consequence in good condition. The roadway at" * ort A wanui is now receiving jnucli- ( needed attention in the way of rejn-nrs-at the hands of Mr MacXama-m, contractor. Tlio only shipping to report is the Squall, which landed the following cargo hero last Saturday:—Farm implements* shearing machinery shearing gear, station stores, and, building material. No vessel lias called' here since, hut it is anticipated that the first wool lighter will arrive on Monday next, tlieh 11th instant, when about 200 hales of wool will be shipped for Tokomaru. _ Shearing is now in. full' swing. I visited the To Heringa shearing shed on Thursday and this station will shear some 4000 sheep, which are expected to yield about GO hales of wool. Mr Barton, 8.M., arrived here today with his party of attendants and Court will open on Monday. The list of cases to he heard is as follows:--Civil, about SO; two informations re' serving Natives with liquor, 1 assault (Maoris implicated), 1 assault (information by police), 1 application for prohibition order, I adoption ease, and 2 new and 3 renewal pension's. Owing to the sitting of the Court a large number of people are at present in Port Awanui and it is honed that trade will be much brisker during the next week. The bathing season has commenced and a fair number visit the beach — which is well adapted for this purpose —each morning. Tennis will he starting next week. The strawberry season is also now coming on and promises to be a good one. MOTH. [PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] MOTTJ, Nov. 11. The plain and fancy dress ball in aid of funds for the Public Hall, which took place on Friday evening last, proved a huge success! The weather was fine, and 'settlers- came from as far as Whakarau, Matawai, Marumoko, aiid Whitikau, several visitors being also present ■The ballroom was beautifully decorated throughout, and special praise is duo to Mrs. Ruby for the artistic manner in which the supper table vas arranged. The floor Was in splendid order, and thirty-five couples danced to excellent music supplied by Mrs. Quirk (piano) and Mr. Glen (piano). Extras were played by the Misses 'Wright and Roythorne and Mr. Hugh Wilton. The following were a few of the prominent figures in fancy costumes: —Mesdames V. P. Thomson, Ret I Cross nurse; Morten sen, Roman lady; RiAiy. Powder and Patches; Hansen, Eastern lady; Richmond, Gipsy for-tune-teller; the Misses Williams, Poppy; Box, Turkish lady; Wright, Spanish dancer; M. Hansen, Irish girl; T. Petherbridge, Folly; Messrs. Arthur Morrison, Suffragette: V. P. Thomson, Midshipman; Glee-son, clown; Mo-rtensen, Spanish bull fighter; E. Jackson, Red C. ; Henry Hanson, Marquis of Iniari: Lewis Carroll, Dick Turpin; Brown, American cowboy;, and Jules Hansen as Baby caused much merriment throughout the evening, with a dummy hanging from 1 iis neck and at times having a drink from a baby's bottle to stop him from crying. Dancing was kept up until the early hours of the morning, when people began to drag their wearv legs homeward, after a. splendid night’s enjoyment. The committee may feel well satisfied, as this is the most successful ball held in Motu for some time, and will -lessen the debt on the hall by a considerable amount. A very severe hailstorm was experienced in the district on Sunday afternoon, and some of the hills have still a covering on them. The weather lastnight and to-dav has been exceptionally cold, and people are' beginning to think they have, jumped back into the middle of winter again. The settlers of the district- will be pleased to know that the widening of the Pakihi Road, which was suspended by ,th'e Public Works Department a few weeks ago, is to he recommenced straight away, contracts having already been let. The contract for the forming and metalling of Phillip R-oad has also been let, and will be commenced by the contractors early next week. The work on this road when completed will make a. big improvement to the township. At a meeting of the local school committee on Monday evening, it was decided to nominate Mr. J. R. Kirk for the vacant .seat on the Hawke’s Bay Education Board.

A clergyman, who was one of ihe speakers at a. drawing-room men*mg in Sydney recently, told a new story (if a fountain. ‘'They call it a fountain, you know,” he .said. "It s a ■sort of big kettle, with a fnip near the bottom, and it is kept on the tiro boiling all day long, so that you can make tea at ;my time.’’ The old man of the western homestead, where the clergyman was then visiting, said there must be something 'wrong with the fountain, as the water would not : flow freely, so lie unscrewed the tap, 1 and started) poking about witn. a j wire. “And.” said the relator, ho found a crawfish in‘the bbtt nn of the fountain. The water for the tea had | been running through the crawfish for the past two months.’’ When the laughter had subsided, he added, “All the flavor was out of the crawfish when I had the tea, but what must it have been before?”