LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 284, 9 April 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The monthly meeting of ths Hospital Trustees will be held at the usual hour tomorrow evening. The Harbor Board meets to-night, when the contract question" and tha Engineer's position will be discussed. Mr Washington Weaver left on Sunday by the Waihora, which goes on to Sydney, Where is the Board of Consolation now 7 The ease of McDonald v. Bank of New South Wales is set down for hearing in the Supreme Court this morning, Major Porter arrived from Wellington on

Sunday, and it is reported that ho has been appointed Native Land Court Judge. Another young Gisbornite left by the steamer on Sunday. Mr Edwin Evans want on to Auckland, at which place he has received a satisfactory appointment. Jurors in waiting were notified yesterday evening that they would not be required till Wednesday morning, and then only those that are residing within five miles of Gisborne. At the Supreme Court yesterday W. J. Mossman was arraigned for sheep stealing. The case occupied the whole day, and about 5 80 last evening the jury retired, return ing shortly afterwards, bringing in a verdict of not guilty, Messrs Gully and Nolan were for the Crown, and Mr Brassey for the aecused.

A meeting of the Fire Brigade was held last night for the purpose of discussing matters with regard to inviting outside teams to take part in the annual competition to be held on the 24th May. It was decided to send invitations to all the Brigades in the North Island and a programme consisting of eight events was drawn up. The Rover Football Club opened their season on Saturday, Sides were selected on the ground by Messrs Lemuel and C. Lewis, the Utter’s team having the best of a good game. The afternoon turned out rather warm for fast play. The Gisborne Club set the ball rolling next Saturday.

The formal opening of the rinking season took place on Saturday night at the City Rink. There was a large attendance, and the presence of the band made the evening a most enjoyable one to both tinkers and onlookers, the former being especially delighted with the smoothness of the floor and the invigorating weather. There were many learners noticeable, but all have made sufficient progress to be in no way an obstacle to other skaters. It ia evident that though there may have been a subsidence of what was termed the “rinkomania," there is no lessening of the popularity of roller skating as a pleasant and healthy recreation. A pattern of the " Maltese” billiard table,

the invention of Mr W, F. Crawford, is now fixed up at the Albion Hotel, and is being tested by a large number of players. Though at first the new method of construction does not meet with the favor of those who have become habituated to the old style, a little practice, we are given to understand, soon does away with the prejudice, and a person who first learned to play on the Maltese would most likely have a similar prejudioe against the old fashioned table. At any rate Mr Taylor will be only too pleased that players should test the table for themselves and form their own judgment. It is claimed for the table that a great novelty is introduced without materially altering the existing game of billiards, and that the new combinations give a fresh interest to each of the old games. An official enquiry into the stranding of the brigantine Clansman was held before Mr D. Johnston, Collector of Customs, on Saturday last, In cross-examination Henry Matheson, master of vessel, stated he did not consider it was safe to run alongside the breakwater, tha channel being so narrow, and also because it was low water at the time. He had been in and out of the river in a boat several times and he would not head the vassal for tha pier, as it was dangerous, He was not aware where the rooks were when the vessel grounded, and thought he was far enough to the westward. The evidence of the harbor-master, the mate, and one of the seamen was also taken,

“ Jack,” one of the Napier orew who visited Gisborne, in his account of the trip (published in the News), after saying the six days were the jolliest he had ever spent in his life, concludes:—Before closing I must say a word of thanks on behalf of the orew and the N.R. Club generally to the Gisborne people. No good mentioning names for 1 would have to give the names of everyone in Gisborne, We had horsesand traps placed at our disposal whenever we wished for them. Everyone vied with the other in doing acts of kindness to us; and then you should have seen the crowd that rolled up to witness the raoss, mostly ladies. No wonder “bow ” nearly tore the side of the boat out when they ohesred our orew. It's wonderful what a lady’s presence will make a fellow do, J know I felt a second Hanlon, We will lie low until they come down here next Mason, and thsit try and show how mush we enjoyed our week's slay in Giabptnc,

The Maoris, so says the Bolton correspondent of the Athletic Journal, are great smokers, as about a hundred cigars the other day only served a dozen men, and then they pulled out pipes afterwards. It is perhaps the rule in New Zealand to smoke cigars in quietude 1

Several erroneous statements have recently appeared in the papers about the Queen’s will. Tbe real truth is that her Majesty's will was made in 1876, and it is a document of portentous length, being engrossed on vellum, quarto size. It is bound up in a huge volume, which is secured by lock, and at the end there are several blank pages for codicils, of which, up to the present, the Queen has made three, one early in 1879, after the death of Princess Alice ; another in the summer of 1884, after the death of the Duke of Albany ; and another recently, which deals exclusively with the Jubilee gifts. Anything moving to-day in town? Nol I don’t think sol They keep on hying to move Fisher I Ah! And he remains the same calm undaunted George, does he ? Yes! Says people make a great deal of fuss over a very small matter I So they do I I don't believe the people of Wellington care who runs the blooming Government, so long as they can get enough bread and mutton to eat, and baccy to smoke !—Puff. There is an editor in New York who understands exactly what a comprehensive occupation editing is. He conducts a periodical intended for the edification of youth, and naturally he has to provide plenty of fiction. This is how he does it. He takes one of Lord Lytton’s novels, gives it a new title, alters the names of persons and places, and cuts out every passage that does not commend itself to his notion of what is good for youth, then he adds fresh chapters of his own, and interpolates appropriate paragraphs into such parts of Lord Lytton’s text as he has left standing. Having constructed a really good plot and infused a little style into Lord Lytton's writing, be signs his own name to the story, and the trick is done. This is the royal road to " novel writing,’’ and the editor ought to patent his plan and make his fortune,