LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 313, 18 June 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ths Harbor Board mssta to-night. The oontraot qaotion ought to be derided at last, The Maori footballers played New South Wales on Saturday, and boat ttieii' opponents by 12 pointe to 9 points, The man Waddell, who was charged with the murder of Bradord, at Dunedin, was liberated on Saturday, there being nothing of an incriminating nature in the evidence, Mr J. Townley announces that he has just opened up 50 cases new goods and invitee inspection. Among the additions are three harmoniums and one piano. Colonel Brett died at Christchurch on Bunday afternoon. He bad been ailing for some time, but as he was able to take his daily exorcise death was unexpected. The Indian Govaramsnt has informed the Australian Governments that it is prepared to purchase 2000 horses in Australia for army purposes, The large arrivals ot wheat in Sydney have a very depressing effect on the market. Mr Naira, ot Napier, has been fined £5 tor sending in talae returns te the Property Tax Commissioner. Mr Washington Weaver, of " oil" fame, has returned to New Zeeland, and we are exceedingly glad to state that he is now in Auckland. It he can be induced to stay there it would no doubt be a great pleasure to Gisborne people. At the Trust Commissioner's Court yesterday certificates were granted to deeds of transfers from Biki Bangiwhaiteri to Williamson Bros., of Okahuatiu, 1 D ; from Harata Poiwa to R. Harper, of Kaiti section 221. At the R.M. Court on Saturday, there was one civil case heard, viz., Hansen and Co, v, George Wug, claim £6 6s, on a speedy summons. As the defendant stated he did not intend leaving the district at present the case was adjourned till Thursday, The newly imported street scraper was at work on Gladstone road yesterday, and it was so successful that those who made it the basis of a few “ fairy tales ’’ judged it beat to say nothing farther about it. It cost eighteeppence to repair the scraper, and though yesterday the Council’s permanent hand was new to the work, in a few days the price ot the machine would be saved. A London correspondent writes that Mr Rowland Hill justifies the lack of courtesy and hospitality to ths Maori footballers on the ground that it was not an amateur enterprise as repreeented. Instead of a football enthusiast, Mr Hill says be found Mr Scott a shrewd business speculator who thought far more of the gate than of the game.

The Hon. Randall Johnson has taken a house at Exeter and has settled permanently, but he retains bis property in New Zealand and his seat in the Legislative Council, and will make periodical visits to the colony, the first being in October or November. Sydney Wesleyans are taking a leaf from the Salvationists by employing * Sisters of the Mission,' devoting themselves for a given period to evangelistic work among their own seg, It is proposed to establish a fiotpe for the ' Sisters ’ and a rescue Home for fallen women. £ll5O has been raised ;n Sydney already. The various Road Board valuation roils were received in Gisborne by yesterday’s steamer, but there has not yet appeared an order in Council fixing the date of the elect ions. In the absence of suoh an order, which has beep applied for in more than one quarter, it is oodsido;sd better not to fix a date until action is taken by tfle Secretary in accordance with the various Act of Parlia-

ment dealing with the matter. 4 pompany having been formed in Boston for the supply of Edison’s talking dolls, it I soon expeoteq to see London swarming wit them and anew terror thqs added io met)* ■ pol|tan life. Already there is enough of mechanical chattering going qu around us, and, as a question ot supply and demand, w 6 really do not want the Edison mannikins, with their poetry, songs, and whistlings, It is said that the talking apparatus does not easily get out of order. What a pity I As evidence of a storm in the vicinity, the Taranaki News mentioned that on the Saturday bejorg last at the breakwater the seas rolled jn, almost burying the end of the struotnre out ot sight.' Ths dredger, Thomas King, nearly: parted her ruooringj, but her dangerous position was discovered and she was made secure. The boatsheds at New Plymouth, used by the fisherman, wore almost demolished by the tide, and the boatmen had to remove their boats to a place ot safety, The roadway leading to the beach was considerably damaged, The Rotorua passed on without communicating.

A New York correspondent writes Nothing is sadder in the life of this city than to see the wrecks of men who were formerly famous, totter along Broadway. Helmbold, the famous druggist, was dragged along into the police court after » prolonged debauch, and his only chance of salvation seems to be his raoommital to a lunatic Asylum. The first tipie I Helmbold was twenty years ago ; be Was abpat fp step into atnagnifident sleigh drawn by four beautiful horses, with a driver in front; 0“ » nigh box spat, and tw'd laokies behind iu biasing liveries. The slpigE stood in front of his drtf£ itnrt; Which was under the Metropolitan Hotel, and was at that time the most costly and extravagant in its fittings of any similar store in the world. From the summit of financial success he went headlong to ruin j to-day he is dragged- to the pbllfe pen, tomorrow to a lunatic asylum.

A correspondent writes i-»” At » few minutes after 7 o’clock on Friday evening a beautiful double lunar rainbow was visible which far surpassed in brilliancy that you note as having occurred about 6 o’clock. The various colors appeared wonderfully distinbt'in both the original and secondary bow, almdsf as clear as in a solar bow, except that the colors were somewhat dulj gnfi heavy, owing, I suppose, to the comparative weakness of the moonlight. I have observed with interest a number of lunar bows, they have strong attraction for me, but I have never seen one sb strikingly beautiful as the one under notice;.’’ On Sunday night there was another double rainbow, but it was not nearly as Wins} 8» tiiaf of Frjday sight. ” 1 .»

Drafnese and Kok?* in all its various terms by an ’ 4WI - Reliable Method. Send for pamphlet.. ” ilu v Aviur. Oumo, 261 Oollini St., Melbourne,—Ad.

Mr J. A. Laing paued through Gisborne on Saturday last on his way to England. We underxtand that after a abort stay in the Old Country Mr Laing will return to New Zealand, aooempanied by Mrs Laing. At the Mutual Improvement Society lest night (Bev. T, J, Wallis in the chair), the subject " Ought man’s actions to be influenced by public opinion?” wes debated, Messrs Ford and Jones taking the principal parte. The discussion was a very interesting one, and eventually the question wee decided in the negative. The house in which Beethoven was born at Bonn has for some years past been used as a low class music hall and drinking bar. It has now been purchased by some music lovers for £lBOO, and it will be restored to the state in which it was supposed to have been in Beethoven's time. Two or more rooms will also be used for Beethoven relics, after the plan adopted in Shakespeare's house at Stratford-on-Avon. The keeper of the May Island lighthouse, in the Firth of Fourth, relates an unusual incident, They were aroused by one of the female inmates, and upon going to her assistance they found that a foreign sailor had smashed One of the lighthouse windows, pushed a boy through the aperture, and then entered himself. When the keepers demanded an explanation of so strange an event, the man gave the following account His vessel, a Norwegian sohooner, was bound from Norway to Grangemouth with battens, but he lost his way, and did not, owing to rain and fog, see the light on May Island. When the vessel struck, he and his companion leaped upon the rocks. The mate followed, but was drowned, as were also the other members of the crew. One of the lighthouse keepers went out to learn if he could aid the missing men, and in the darkness he fell over a cliff 20 feet high, breaking several of his ribs. The stranger's tale was found to be true. He and his boy companion are now at the Leith Sailors' Home,