LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 211, 20 October 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The schooner Waiapu left Auckland for Gisborne via coast ports and Mercury Bay on Saturday last. We have received a full text of Mr Rees' settlement scheme. It is too long to republish, but we shall make comment in due course. There was a great number of passengers on board the Mararoa, which called in yesterday, and many came ashore to have a look at the place. Mr Washington Weaver arrived from Auckland yesterday. We understand that he will make a start next week to push on with the oil works. A wonderful coincidence—Mr Weaver returned yesterday, and this morning we give news of a terrible explosion on board a vessel laden with petroleum. The case Borough Council v. W. Maude, which was to have been beard at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, was further adjourned till the 27th instant.

The organ recital at Holy Trinity Church last night was a great success. The musical programme passed off splendidly, and was a genuine treat of the most refined nature. The church was crowded. A proposal to raise a loan in the Upper Wangaehu Road District has been carried. There were only two ratepayers on the roll, representing five votes, and both these voted in favor of the proposal 1 A witness in a civil case in Wellington recently stated that there is a rata tree growing at Maharahara, a few miles from Woodville, measuring no fewer than 22 feet in diameter. The tree so far as oan be ascertained is as solid as possible, and is 69 feet in circumference.

According to the Rev. J. Berry, in a sermon he preached last Sunday at Wellington, oatmeal and the Bible have made Scotchmen the finest race in the world. A vile newspaper adds—We think he might have said a good word for whisky and snuff, A meeting of creditors of the bankrupt P, F. Daniel was held at Napier on Monday. The debtor did not put in an appearance, and a resolution was carried that the Assignee take the necessary steps to compel the bankrupt to produce a statement of his assets and liabilities.

Miss Florence Nightingale, the heroine of the Crimean War, is now a confirmed invalid. The long hours of standing during her hospital work affected her spine, and she has been an m patient at St Thomas’s Hospital. She is now in her sixty-ninth year. The Fire Brigade, we are pleased to hear, have no reason to despair of getting a representative team despatched to take part in the annual demonstration. The subscription list which has been started is meeting with liberal response, and it is well that it should be so, for it is clearly the duty of property holders to give the Brigade every encouragement.

Masterton has struck out in a new line—a Total Abstinence Insurance Society. Each member enters into a bond to abstain for 12 months under a penalty of £5 and loss of all benefits. During the continuance of Ute bond each one pays 5s a month into the general fund, and at the end of the year the flues and contributions are divided among those who have kept their pledge. The managing Committee of the Presbyterian Church have resolved to accept Mrs A. Graham’s kind offer of her grounds at Pina Tree Bank, for a garden fete, to be held during the second week in December next. This is meant to take the place of the annual soiree usually held at this time of the yesr. Committees have been appointed to carry out the arrangements.

By last night’s steamer Mr Harry Clayton one of our most popular, though quiet and unassuming, young men, departed from Gisborne, with the intention of trying his fortune in a more extended sphere. He was a very promising member of the Gisborne Rowing Club and had been connected with the Garrison Band since its formation. He was in the service of Messrs Graham, Pitt, and Bennett for a considerable period, and now goes on to Wellington. His many friends will wish him every success.

A party of five ladies had a very unpleasant time of it on the holiday this weak. They were out driving, and when near Roseland, on the town side, the horse was frightened by an approaching bicyclist. The gentleman, seeing the danger, dismounted as soon as possible, but it was too late. The horse swerved, capsized the vehicle, and scattered its fair occupants in the dust. Fortunately none wera seriously hurt, but the sevrra shaking and startling sensation will not soon be forgotten. The vehicle was disabled for the time being. The cricketing season opens at the Hapara this afternoon, when all cricketers or lovers of cricket, in the district, are invited to be present, it being intended to select teams on the ground. It is anticipated that the popular game will have a better time in Gisborne this season than it has had in times past. The one great drawback—the want of a good ground—will still be a deterrent to anything like the success which woqld bo certain under other circumstances, but energetic spirits can always make the best of what they have got, There is a good ground at the Hapara, and the return fare is only a shilling. The outing itself is worth the money, whether one goes with the intention of playing cricket, or as a spectator. We have received a pamphlet from Mr R. McAlister, formerly Provincial District Auditor, entitled, “On the Theory and Development of the Removal of Statutory and Judicial Officers of the Qrown by the Government of New Zealand.” It includes a brief introduction and a number of official documents relating to Mr McAlister’s removal from office and retirement on compensation. Mr McAlister argues that his was a life office, tenable during good behaviour, and not terminable st the will of the Government. This contention he argued forcibly before the Public Petitions Committee, and in correspondence with the Treasury, but neither would accept it, and Mr McAlister was compelled to accept £978 16s 6d as compensation, but under protest, and without prejudice to kny legal claim he might have in respect to the tenure of his lata office.

Judgments wera given far plaintiff, in the follawjng casax, heard at the Magistrate's Court oh Thursday;—W G Colville v U S S Company, claim £25, ooate £6 4a; 0 C Lucs. V P Barker, claim £3013a 6d, costa £7 6a; £ M Browne v L P Bullen, claim Ils, costs 8s; G K Turton v J Boland, claim £2 18a, costa 16s. Judgment summonses—Harbor Board v M Macdonald, claim £2 Is; ordered to pay the amount forthwith, in default two days' iijjpriaonment. Harbor Board v A Weston, olaiui £lB Ifla 3d (ordered to pay the amount claimed forthwith, in 'default' eighteen days’ imprisonment. J Wallace V E P an^ 1 ' SI Cowen, claim £ll9s; an order was made that the amount be paid in one week, with the alternative of 48 hours’ imprisonment. E. Adeane vJ H Mason, claim £3 18s; defendant was ordered to pay the amount by monthly instalments of £l. R Moore v W C Ofllhpbell, claim £llss; ordered to pay the amount forthwith, ot id default two Jays' imprisonment,

Mr F. Faram, pupil teacher in the Gisborne School, has temporarily taken charge of the Patutahi School. A severe drought is being experienced throughout New South Wales, and the agricultural outlook is very gloomy. Raron Reuter, the telegraph king of Europe, keeps a secretary whose sole business it is to investigate and relieve cases of distress. The retirement of Mr Blackett is spoken of in Welling .on, and Mr C. Y. O Connor is mentioned as a possible commissioner of railways. It is proposed to light Christchurch by electricity, power being suppled by the River Avon. It is estimated that the saving will amount to £l5OO a year. At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday W H Clayton sued Peter Kane for £6, d images done to some trees on the plaintiff’s property, VVhataupoko, by Kane's bullocks. The evidence of Mr Clayton and three witnesses having been taken, the defendant was fined £1 with cists, £2 17s.

It is reported, says a contemporary, that a special settlement for New Zealand escaped prisoners is to be formed either in Australia or San Franciso. Jonathan Roberts is to be president and Sudolph Radka secretary. It is proposed to employ discharged gaolers and ex-detectives as farm hands on the settlement.

Some public men have little respect for the honors conferred upon them by an indulgent country, and Sir George Whitmore does not do much towards sustaining the dignity of his title when he “stoops ” to sneer at a respectable member of our community because that person happens to differ from him. He alludes to “ a person who signs himself ‘ File,’ whether that is his real name or not.” We ean assure Sir George that File is a gentleman and not a whit more.

An impudent case of horse stealing has been reported to the Auckland police. The owner of a horse turned it out last Friday morning into a well fenced paddock at the junction of Sentinel and Jervois Roals. At midday he missed the animal, and thinking that someone, hard up, was desirous of making bis passage to Melbourne, by disposing of the animal at the saleyards, he went down to one of the saleyards, and found that his horse had been duly numbered and sold.

The crash in the Panama Canal scheme is said to be approaching very rapidly. The final collapse has been;temporarily postponed by the authorisation of a lottery loan by the French Government, though without any guarantee or responsibility by the State, A vast cash investment of about £50,000,000 drawn mostly from the savings of the French poor and middle classes will be utterly wiped out when the inevitable end comas, and a terrible blow will have been inflicted on the French nation. There is said to be no hope for the enterprise unless one or more of the Great Powers ou'sida France comes to its relief, a thing which the United States Government might not approve of, inasmuch as all the plans are prepare! for the Nicaraguan Cana! scheme, which would be carried out under the direct sanction of the Washington Government,

The largest case of goods that ever left the United Kingdom was shipped from London in the steamer Wilcannia. The case contained a composite railway carriage made by Brown, Marshall and Co., of Birmingham, tor the Melbourne Exhibition. It may be mentioned that the case containing the railway carriage was 31ft long, 10ft wide, and weighed 18( tons. Printed instructions were issued by the London and North Western Railway Company to all stationmasters and other officials between Birmingham and London, giving them full directions as to what was to be done when the case reached their stations, for the case being so wide it was unable to pass another train. Camden Town was successfully reached, and from this point it was taken on a trolly, drawn by 14 horses, to the South West India Dock, where the Company's derrick soon transferred the case to the deck of the steamer.

Struck oil at last 1 Mr Weaver has returned and a gusher may be anticipated to cheer our hearts at Christmas time. But why wait till Christmas time, when one of our main desires can be immediately satisfied? That main desire is prosperity—prosperity means comfort and contentment—comfort and content, ment can be obtained by simply going to Messrs Garrett Brothers' and purchasing a pair of their superior boots. Where everything is of the best there is no chance of the buyers being “ sold ” as well as the boots—the boots are certain to be sold, but the buyers (from this shop) never. Mr Weaver's return has given cause for satisfaction—Garrett’s boots always did give satisfaction, whether on the oil fields of Pennsylvania or the sands of Gisborne. It is even hinted that one of the reasons for Mr Weaver returning to Gisborne so soon is that he wished to secure the comfort and contentment of which we speak.—Ad. The belief in witchcraft (says a Wairarapa paper) would seem to ba still pretty rampant among our Maori friends. We are informed that the Wairarapa Native Committee recently cuino from Greytown, and held a sitting at Masterton, for the express purpose of investigating a case of alleged sorcery. The allegation is that a married woman, at the Akura Pah, being the daughter of a Tohunga, or Wizard, inherited in the black art, and that some time ago her son, having made love to a native girl at Te Ora Ore, and his attentions being scornfully rejected, she threw a spell over the girl in question, causing her illness, and eventually her death. Before her death she stated that she felt a huge stone being rolled on her, and after ber demise Wi Waka (the venerable) having examined the body, declared that he had found the witch’s mark. The committee, after hearing all the evidence, found the alleged sorcery proven, and the supposed witch and her husband have, in consequence of their unpleasant position, changed their camp from Masterton to Greytown.