LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 324, 13 July 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr Rees left for Wellington last night, his object being to interview Government in regard to his settlement scheme. A proposal to hold a West Coast Fire Brigades’ Demonstration on Boxing Day is Under oonsideration in Wanganui. The Harbormaster. last night received a telegram from Captain Edwin, foretelling a northeast to north and west gale, with rain. Praise from an impartial and competent critic can be relied on as genuine, and this is how that excellent trade journal Typo allude 8 to the Gisbobnb Standard : “ The Gisborne Standard, the best conducted paper in Poverty Bay, celebrated its second birthday this month (June). Many happy returns 1" In response to which we say, " thank you.’ 1 An interesting point was raised in the R.M. Court on Thursday in a case where a married woman was sued for an account arranged to be paid by her, after her husband’s bankruptcy. It was contended that there was no evidence to show that the married woman had any separate property at the time she entered into the contract. A case—Palliser v. Gurney—was cited in support, in which it was decided that a woman to render herself liable on a contract must have some separate property at the time she enters into it, and the fact that she afterwards acquires property m-ke-nn difference. The matter was adjourned fora week. The season for tree planting has now arrived, and on excellent opportunity will be given next week io persons desirous of purchasing any description if iree or plant. At Messrs Graham. Pitt, and Bennett's mart on Wednesday morning there will be disposed of a splendid assortment from the well-known garden of Messrs Bull and Son, Nurserymen. No further guarantee of the quality of the articles is required. At the City Rink this af te neon a children’s rinking carnival will be held. If the weather is favorable the carnival ought to be a great attraction, apd a large number of children is expected in from the country, to taka part in the affair. Apart from the great pleasure which is at all times associated with the rinking pastime, this afternoon's Carnival should rftvs a happy termination of the midwinter holidays, and ba an occasion which ought to commend itself to parents as an opportunity for allowing their offspring two or three hours’ enjoyment as a set-off to the dreary, moping time the children must have had of it during thia wet and miserable week I and ths parents themselves might find it very pleasing to have a look in at the Bink. The last carnival was a great success, though the weather was at ths time intensely warm and most depressing to rinkers. Several prizes are to be given for the costumes this afternoon. The rinking begins at 2 o’clock. Captain Holdaway, of the Sslvati n Amy, formerly of Gisborne, seems to have had a well attended meeting at Wellington to hear his aooount of twelve months work among the natives. He was accompanied by five converts, Ta mates (a chief) and his daughter Maria , Pirihe and his wife Mary, and an old man named Miro, who created gome amusement by brandishing a long spear which he carried in his hand. They bore testimony that through the work of the Army they had been led to give up drinking, smoking, and all other evil habits. Captain Holdaway, in his address, referred io the trials that had come upen him since he started work among the natives. At Wahgaobu a telegram had soipa announcing the dsc'h of his father, at Waaggqui his wife had died suddenly, and only tbit afternoon he had received a telegram telling ol his m&ihes'a decease, Rut, although thus bereaved, he was move than ever det, trained to lay down his life for the ralvation of the Maori race,

The following explains a recent cable meesags from Sydney On a lonely beat, payoud any immediate assistance, and unarmed; Sava with the ordinary policeman's baton, a sonetab’e of the Darlinghurit division attacked tfirca men armed wiffi firearms who were attempting to bffeak into the house of Judge Stephen, On the' Glenmote. Road- The constable’s baton and handcuffs were practically useless, for while one of the burglars struggled with him another shot him in two places, rendering him helpless, and then, before the alarm could be raised, they all decamped. “The origin, nature, and work of the Angels ” is the subject with which Mr Haro is to deal with on Sunday night in the Theatre. All are cordialijr- invited to attend.

The annual meeting of subscribers to the Public Library takes place on Monday evening next.

A correspondent chips off the following:— TotbeEditor.— Sir,—As many of your corespondents are wanting to know where our only borer is, I will tell them in song where he is perhaps. Not having the sung written yet, I will send you the chorus Perhaps he la In Yankee hnd with a girl so tai-, Perhaps the ping hu blown out, and he's flying through the air, Perhaps he’s dead, perhaps h isn’t, perhaps the game is over. Or perhaps he's up at Ormond, playing pigs In clover A couple of weeks ago we referred to a highly coloured cablegram which appeared in the colonial papers. This is how it appears in the Melbourne Argus:—'* Thursday Island, June 24tb.—A Frenchman named Louie and a European partner arrived from the Kaitow River on Saturday, reporting that there had been a severe engagement with the Tabooras, or throat-cutters, on the evening of the 6th or 7th ipat. A native woman, resident in the locality, when out gathering fruit, discovered the Tabooras to bi in the neighborhood. She returned hastily to the European camp in great terror. The party, consisting of Louie, his partner, a native missionary, and a native chief, prepared their firearms, withdrew from their habitations, and took up positions beside the trees. They sent the woman out again to decoy the enemy, This ruse bad ths desired effect of bringing the Tabooras within range just before dark, When the enemy was within close quarters Louie’s party opened fire with terrible effect. They report having killed nearly 50, but probably this number is considerably exaggerated. They captured ali'e, two men, who will be brought here by the Rev. Mr Savage in the cutter Mary. The Tabooras are the same tribe of wandering natives who, about three months ago, out off the head of Martin, who was a partner of Louie." Even the above is only the story of the Frenchman who took part in the affair, but it reads very differently to the report sent to New Zealand. Decoying a lot of unarmed savages td a place and then shooting them down with superior weapons is no doubt very brave, and the fact that a missionary is mixed up with it may throw a halo of glory over the engagement, but somehow we lack the enthusiasistio disposition that would enable us to thoroughly appreciate it | indeed, to our mind, it is a cold blooded slaughter which only differs from murder in the respect that it was done on a big scale. What wonder is it that savages who are treated in that way take every opportunity to wreak Vengeance upon the traders 7

Messrs D.ivore and Moore's Minstrels performed last night, but were again extremely unfortunate in regard to the weather,

The body of a man about 83 years of ago was found in Arcadia paddock, near Murchison, Victoria, the deceased having, it is supposed, died from exhaustion and starve tion. The body was lying in a small pool of water, end was clothod in only a shirt. It is believed the deceased was a man who threw away his swag at Walka and ran off through the paddocks. English letters were found in his swag addressed to Wm. Jennings.