LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 396, 28 December 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At • meeting of the Harbor Board on Tuesday the tender at Mr J. Dutbis, of Wellington, was accepted for the delivery of 3000 casks cement, st the rate of 15/7,

We have to acknowledge the receipt' of •- copy ot the Crown Lands Guide, from the Gisborne Land Office, It is corrected up to 18’-h November, 'lBB9. In a criminal oaae which came before Mr Booth yesterday morning, it was suggested that as the ossa was to ba remanded the prisoner might desire to' communicate With a lawyer about bls defence. Tho prisoner (a natm) explained that he was quite j«abla to afford to engage a lawyer, but it was a qUMSton]wheiher ii vyoqld ga ot shy bss<

It is reported that a gentleman, when visiting Dunedin, bad bis pocket picked of £7O in notes

A party of picnickers, while on their way to the caves on the Wainui beach last Thursday, came across a large shark between 10 and 12 feet in length, which had evidently been washed up and stranded on the rocks. The monster lies some distance from the caves, in the place known as Sponge Bay, Two families, or rather clans, in Kentucky have for years maintained a feud which has disturbed two counties andi has cost numberless lives. It was supposed to have died away ; but recently a girl belonging to the M'Coy faction betrothed herself to a relative of the other, or Hadfield family. The M’Coys at length gave up their opposition, but the Hatfields did not, and when bride and bridegroom appeared in church to be married, they fired through a window, and bridegroom, bride and clergyman all fell dead before the altar. The M Coys armed and pursued them to the mountains, where a skirmish was expected ; and by the latest advices, the sheriff, with an armed posse, was hunting them both to prevent further bloodshed. Yet they say hatred is extinct as a factor in modern life, and a vendetta seems to Englishmen an unnatural and preposterous motive for a sensation novel.

One of the most remarkable feats of photography on record is the photographing of the terrible explosion at Antwerp, or if not the explosion, the immense cloud of smoke produced at the moment. The current number of La Nature gives an illustration copied from a photograph of the hedge cloud that shot up in the air, roughly in shape, like an inverted Florence flask, when the explosion occurred. It has been estimated as being 1700 or 1800 feet across, and according to the journal quoted, the cloud remained motionless for about a quarter of an hour, preserving the form recorded by the photograph. It seems very remarkable that just at the instant some one should have been ready with camera and plate and quick witted enough, notwithstanding the shock, to secure the view in time. The author of the negative is given as M. L. Van-Neck.

The Wanganui Herald has the following interesting paragraph A gentleman of color filed his schedule the other day, and in due course attended the D O.A.'a office yesterday to meethis creditors. The meeting was called for 11 o'clock, and the native was there, as also were two of his creditors, but his lawyer was not able to attend, being at Court. The debtor said the meeting was called for 11.30 not 11, and he was not going toatay there when his lawyer could not be present, and he left the creditors and the assignee looking at one another. Later in the day he was brought back, but an he had spent moat of his time, and apparently some of his money, in making himself jolly, he treated the whole affair as a farce, and business could not proceed. Finally the meeting was adjourned for ten days, when it is to be hoped this rather festive debtor will be able to stand examination. Though the heat of the sun affected him yesterday, next week the creditors may make matters equally warm and not so pleasant. There is a plot of ground at Rothamated upon which wheat has been grown continuously for 46 years without any manure. The average yield throughout the whole period has been 13] bushels, or something more than the average of Russia, America, India, or South Australia The average from a pint at Rothamated which, during the same period was heavily treated with expensive manures, was 36J bushels ; but it is noted that this quantity would not nearly pay the expense of the fertilisers. A liberal supply of farmyard manure (14 tons to the acre) gave an average yield of 33f bushels, the crop afford log a profit at current prices. It would seem as if profit need not be looked for at either extreme of production, but the time must arrive at which it will be necessary to extract from the soil a maximum yield at any cost, without regard to the theories of our present race of economists and financiers.

Rawiri Whatanui, a Ngatiporou native, was charged at the R. M. Court yesterday morning with maliciously damaging the property of Mrs Ritchie, of the Patutahi Hotel. The prisoner acknowledged the offence, but pleaded that he was justified. According to the evidence given by Mrs Ritchie and two natives, Rawiri had on last Monday purchased three gallons of beer, wnich he and some twenty others took out of the hotel and drank between them. Rawiri then wanted another supply, but as he was fractious, Mrs Ritchi-i closed the doors and refused to serve him with any more liquor. Rawiri then threatened to pull the house down, and made a start with the door. After damaging this he went to the windows, and before he could be induced to desist had done damage to the extent of three pounds. An old man who tried to reason with Rawiri received a blow for his pains. The prisoner said being before the Court was a novel thing for him. The reason he had broken the doors was not because the beer was refused, but because he had lost some money. Mr Booth pointed out that the loss of the money was no justification for what had been done. He would fine him £3. He would also have to pay for the damage done, and the coats-£lO in all The prisoner having expressed his intention of '• taking it out,” the Magistrate said that in default the prisoner would have to go to Napier for two months’ hard labor. A sporting writer rays of the Melbourne Cup:—The V.R.C. ty a iding £10,600 to the Melbourne Oup, has beaten the world as far as added money is concerned. The Lancashire Plato of £12,000 is the biggest stake in England, but this is made up of subscriptions from owners,.whereas the V.R.C. does not gat back a shilling of the stake from those who nominate. Last year the raising of the Cup to £5,000 was regarded as a somewhat out-of-lhe way step, but the doubling ot the money within such a short time fairly takes one’s breath away. Caulfield and Sydrey Cups are now insignificant prizes, and it will ba a long time before the A J.tJ. or V.A.T.O. will ba abla to regard themselves as rivals to a club which can give £lO,OOO to one race. As an advertisement ths next Cup will do no end towards giving Eagtaqd and other countries an exalted idea of the flourishing condition of racing in the colonies but at the same time it must be noted that other big stakes are quite out of proportion with‘the Melbourne Cup. The Champion Race, to be rup in March, has only £1,500 added to it, a very paltry sqm in comparison to the Cup, and it look's as though the club intend to enrich their pet race at the expense of weight-for-age events, which really require more assistance than the big handicap, as that can always be kept at the top of the tree in popular estimation by means ot betting and the big sweeps.” An ordjqar? meeting of the Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening. Present: The Mayor (Mr DeLoutourJ'snd Ore Coleman, Taylor, Townley, Hepburn, Dunlop, "and Lucas. The Gas Company wrote offering to supply tar at 4d per gallon up to a thousand gallons, and allow the account to remain for twelve months, so that the Council could have the footpaths asphalted though the Oouneil had not the funds imhand; The Clerk said there would ba no funds Jh handler the work until March; Or Ltfaaa thought the letter should be kept in vww as it wag so necessary that ths wofk should ba done, Or Townley pointed out that the work ought to be done during the summer. Ho would suggest that by next meeting the Overseer ascertain and give the Oounoil an idea of the probable cost of the work and the assistance that would be contributed by property owners. It was resolved that iba niatier 5? left as suggested. The Oversesr (Mr Wilkinson) made a gaaeral report. The Inspector (Mr Faram) suggested that torses be grazed in the' recreation ground, considering it inadvisable (as he had previously suggested) tq keep ths paddock closed for hay- The report was adopted, The' sum of £7 8s was Stated to be the amount paid in to the Council in connection with the grazing. .The-following accounts were pasted—W. Grey £1 0’ 6d, A. Gregg £3 3-, J. Kenny £2 9s, bridges account £1 10s, E. Hooper £3 10<», Fire Brigade account £l, A.R. Muir £2 He 91, Brown and Smaill £lO 18s, Town Clerk £l6 13s 41, R. Robinson £4 fie Bd, T, Faram £l3, E. W1 klnson £l3, Nightwatchman £2 8s 4d, J. Morrison £B, J. Smaill £l, Exhibition Cony, mittee £25 Cr Hepburn Was appointed Hospital Trustee in place of Or Dunlop, whose term had cxplrodjaud he did not wish to be reappointed.

£724,118 was the other day announced as six months profits of the Bank of England When returning from the races on Thursday Mr Hepburn got thrown from his trap, and was bruised about the body.

The settling in conneciion with the Boxing Day race meeting takes place at Cooper’s Waerengabikh Hotel at 8 this evening. From a financial point of view the meeting was very successful. It is stated that it is well known to the Victorian Government that the Chinese have a reserve fund of £lO,OOO to fight the Government and police in the law Courts over the Chinese lotteries, and for “hush money.” At the concert on Thursday evening Mr Townley presented to the winners of the Poverty Bay Rowing Club’s trial fours the oups which were the gift of Mr A. C. Arthur. The successful crew were Messrs Loomb, Lewis, Nutting, and Adeane, and Steele (cox).

The visit made by Mr Stubbs to the South Pacific Oil Company’s ground was not of a satisfactory nature, sundry repairs to the machinery being required before anything can be done. Mr Stubbs leaves for Dunedin today, returning in a fortnight. The yacht Arolf, under the command of Mr Boylan, made a pleasant trip to the Mahia during the holidays. She left Gisborne on Tuesday af ernoon and returned on Thursday afternoon, Christmas night being spent at sea.

Some remarkable shooting was made the other day in Canteroury. In volley and independent firing a total of 149 was made out of a possible 159 by one of the companies. The shooting was so extraordinary that the matter ended in an enquiry.

The South Australian Upper House has given way on the Chinese Bill, so that it will not be possible for the Northern Territory to be swamped by Chinese. It is stated that, in consequence of the stoppage of railway and other works, there are now over 7000 unemployed Chinese in the Territory. The Dunedin factory girls appear to consider themselves a out above the Jack Tars. This is a reply they made to Ltdy Onslow “The Dunedin factory girls present their compliments to Lady Onslow, and regret that previ >us engagements preclude them from accepting her kind invitation to a ball to meet the seamen and marines of H.M. men-of-war now in harbour.”

The annual picnic in connection with the Wesleyan Church was held on Boxing Day, Mr DeLautour having kindly lent his grounds for the occasion. There w.i a large number of people present, and all seemed to heartily enjoy themselves. Besides the ordinary attractions of a picnic the proximity of the river gave additional pleasure, and boating was one of the pastimes indulged in. On Christmas eve the Wesleyan Church choir (under the oonductorsbip of the Rev, J, Ward) commemorated the occasion by the singing ot carols, the sweet melodies being much appreciated. The Salvation Army also mustered in fores. Its success, however, was not complete, the spirit of opposition being rampant. Many young people who ought to have known better made themselves conspicuous in an unenviable way, and in a way of which their parents would certainly sot feel proud. The Salvation Army on Thursday afternoon gave a treat to some hundreds of children. A very happy time was spent in the recreation ground, a variety of games being indulged in, and the Band played selections during the day. Shortly after 4 the children were marched to the Theatre Royal, which Messrs Garrett and McKee had lent free of charge. The children were there regaled with a feast. During the afternoon Mr C. P. Browne took a photograph of the group,

The Napier Telegraph is still whining over the result of the East Coast election. The landgrabbers’ organs lament that the seat could only ba won by ths Whitmore block vote, and the Telegraph goes so far as to upraid the Gisborne people for, we suppose, not having offered to pay the passages to Wairoa of the dual voters in Napier, Some very strong comments are made on the Liberal side, but we have no wish to continue a fight which has already been decided, for some time at least.

An aboriginal getting broken in to the spieler business was a novelty at the racecourse on Thursday. The dusky gentleman could make as much noise as the best of them, and bis skin gave him an advantage over some other people, for he could tell the most terrible whoppers without the symptom of a blush. Indeed the business seemed to come quire naturally to him, and the ring about his “ Now, then, gen’lemen, only one more ticket,” when he had not got one sold, could not be beaten by an expert. He treated his Miori brethren with a special levity, telling them he would take care they would get the lucky ticket, but when they lost that was reckoned as sufficient proof that the amateur spieler was a “sumbug.” Presbyterian Church services:—Matawhero 2.30, St. Andrew’s 11 and 7, Bev. J. McAra ; Ormond 7, Mr Scott. The Salvation Army wish to tender hearty thanks to those who assisted in making Thu . slay’s gathering a success, and especially to Messrs Garrett and McKee, for the use of the Theatre Royal free of charge,—Captain Rowlinds Advt,