LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 184, 18 August 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Charlie Watson again in trouble—24 hours “ The Sorcerer ’’ is to be put on the boards again to-night. In our advertising columns apneara a notice with reference to the ’ ‘ Zealandia ” brand of boots. Tenders for leasing allotments in the Matawhere estate must be sent in to the office of Read’s Trustees not later than noon to-day. It is rumored that the Native Kills will not meet with narticularly smooth treatment in the Council, and there appears to bo a danger ol them being thrown out altogether. The Government is apparently but little supported in the Council. At the last meeting of the TTawke's Bay Waste Lands Board an application was received from the Patutahi Road Board for the whole of section 133, Patutahi. Dfi acres, for gravel and timber purposes.—Thirty.five acres were granted. Mr R. Harding was granted two months’ leave of absence. The many Gisborne friends of Mrs .7. A. Laing (who on account of her delicate health left with Mr Laing for 'England a short time ago) will be clad to learn that that ladv ia in much better health, and the dootora are sanguine of her recovery in a short time, Mrs Obamherlin has received cablegrams to that effect from Mr Laing. Miss Doran returned from Auckland by yesterday’s steamer, and, as will he seen hv our advertising columns, she is fullvprenarod to meet the occasion, having brought with her a number of fancy dress costumes, which are now in great demand for the ball to be held next week. Gentlemen are requested to call in at once and make their selection, or they mav be disappointed. The costumes, it is to be understood, are for hire only. The ball promises to be a grand affair, “ Hana the Boatman ” will ba produced on Monday night in McFarlane’s Hall. Mr Arnold, tor whom the piece was written, has plaved the leading character for many hundreds of night, having started in ths play in London, the provindra, sll over Scotland, and in Australia has not yet been booh In any Other character, ths aiiroMa of the niay bslng so great that It tan tor weeks both In Melbourne and Bvflnay to audiences that were only limited nightly by the capacity of the theatres.

Onr Melbourne correspondent writes, expressing his delight with one of the Exhibition musicians, a Jew named Herr Benno Scherek. He states:—l heard this gentleman perform a few evenings ago at the German Club, Among other astonishing things he did was to play ” Home. Sweet Homa,” on the piano and violin at the same tim«, using one hand for the piano and the other for the vinlln-bow. ' He rested the violin against the piano, and used his eMn to do the “ fingering ” part. Afterward, he played the air with one hand and one foot, striking the notes with his boot with marvellous precision.

Replying to Major Steward, the Minister of Lands stated that the Government proposed to expend £10,000 on the establishment of labor settlements.

There are said to be fully 500 men on the Mahakipawa goldfield, the entrance to the Valley being quite a canvas town, for there are over 50 tents pitched in that locality. A telegram from Invercargill states that it is reported that the coal shale deposits at Orepuki, owned by Mr Cassells, have been sold to a Sydney firm for £12,000. The firm will erect works for the distillation of kerosene and other oil from the shale.

It is said that the French Government is about to build aw absolutely unsinkable man-of-war. This will be accomplished by the use of cehdose amorpke, a product of cocoanut fibre, so elastic that if pierced the hole closes of itself. Frozen meat first appeared in our export return of 188'2, and such has been the progress the industry has made in the interval that it is calculated that during the year 1888 New Zealand will send away fully 1,000,000 carcasses of sheep. It seems incredible that a man should be lost and perish iu the snow in Australia, but such was the case about a fortnight ago ■in NewSoutn Wales, between Bathurst and Lucknow. His body was found about two mile) from his home.

Out Ormond letter meets the fate of much less interesting matter—held over —but one item is too good to keep back. Here it xs—- “ Fancy. Charlotte and Alf have done it at last. IVell, it has to come to this pass sooner or later with most of us. More power, long life, happiness, and prosperity to them.” A horse from a “clever” stable, whick bad been running as stiff as a masher’s collar for some time, was at length “sent for the sugar ” and won hands-down. “ First rate gallop that! ” remarked one of the clover division. “Yes,” snapped a by-stander, “the first straight race he ever ran.” In a* sermon Mr Williams, a Wesleyan .minister of Christchurch, described

poverty and utter destitution in New ZeaUhn and in Christchurch iu particular, as being something appalling, and said the city " was wicked enough to bring down the fiery judgments of the Almighty." Among the special prizes to be given at the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s show is a sum of five guineas given by Mr G. L. Sunderland, of Patutahi, for the best pen ot twenty ewe hoggets, unhoused and unclothed, and that have not had their wool locked, oiled, or dressed in any other manner, To be led on grass only, no ensilage allowed.

At the Protectionist banquet in Wellington wines and spirits were rigidly excluded, and those who could not allay their thirst with Colonial ale, forated beverages, and Te Aroha mineral water, were in a miserable plight indeed. One or two-members of the Upper House left early, perhaps for this reason. After dessert oiifls of Auckland grown tea were handed round, with which everyone professed to be satisfied, At Christchurch on Wednesday evening three men employed at a bakery went to bed end left a bucket of coke burning in the room. When the head baker went to wake them at 2 a.m. next morning, he found that the men were insensible from the fumes of the. coke. He immediately opened the door end window and then sent for a doctor, under whose care two of the men recovered, but the third is still in a serious condition. Termer, who heat Gaudaur the other day, is just 24 years of age, and ia credited with possessing a splendid physique. He ia sft. Sjin. in height, and weighs, in racing trim, list. 61b. He is said to be a most genial young fellow, and by his good humoured manner gained many friends during bls visit to England, It is no secret Beach and Deeble considered him the best man the champion Beach had to row against, and as he seems to have improved there would be some danger of his taxing away the championship if he rowed on the Parramatta at his best. A southern merchant, says the News, who recently visited Napier saw at the premises of one of our local seedsmen a sack of seed pens (Yorkshire Hero), which had been cleaned fo oendingto the Melbourne Exhibition. The exhibit took his attention, and recently lie has written asking if 100 sacks ot various garden peas could be supplied now from Hawke's Bav. Unfortunately only some three sacks are available, which quantity is 'too small to operate with, and the farmer's price is too high for export purposes owing to the extra expense of dealing with small crops. A novel event was run at the cycling tournament in Nelson a few days ago, in the shape of a half mile obstacle bicycle race. Each competitor was required to carry an open nnbrella, measuring not less than 3ft. across. He had to keep it in his hand as he dismounted, lifted his machine over some half-dozen 2ft. high obstacles, and remounted. Some of the umbrellas, kindly lent for the occasion, were quite unrecognisable by their owners when returned. There were also some falls more amusing to the spectators than the tumblers, and one machine was badly damaged. At Morton, near Gainsborough, the mother of three children of tender years fell ill of smallpox, and was eventually removed to the Smallpox Hospital. Not one of the neighbors volunteered to take care of the woman or the children, and the authorities did not deem it their duty to interfere with the children. Under these distressing circumstances the Rev. E. Keene, curate of St. Paul’s, showed that he has the true courage of a hero. He visited the woman’s cottage for several days, doing the housework, and dressing and giving food to the children, and putting them to sleep. Then, when the woman was removed to hospital, he took entire charge of the house. At length his example stirred several ladies into action, and the children are now placed out among friends.