LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 499, 28 August 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr C. F. L“wis, land agent, reports the sale of Mr Harris’ sheep run at Hangaroa to two Southern gentlemen. The figure was a satisfactory one. Constable Gray is expected to arrive from Napier by the Australia to-morrow morning to take charge of the local police station during the absence of Sergeant Carlyon. There will be no meeting of the Union Literary Society this evening. Intending contributors of papers for the meeting next week, ore.requested to inform the Secretary, Mr Mann.

The Chinkees are beginning to push their way in Gisborne. One is about to open a grocet’s shop near the Masonic Hotel. People who have got well into the books of all the other tradesmen can now take their cash to the Chinamen’s shop.

The L. and M. A. Co. have received the following cablegram from their London office, dated 28f.h August :—Wool : The Antwerp sales of Australasian wools closed at level of prices of last London sales.

The witnesses in the Streeter murder ease leave for Auckland by the Australia tomorrow morning. The case is set down for hearing on Tuesday next. There are eighteen witnesses to leave. Constables Reddell, Farmer, and Law go up. Messrs J. E. Foster, J. Holloa, and Butene have also been subpeenaed.'

To the Editor: Sir,—ln your paragraph concerning the Acclimatisation Society you sav that “ sportsmen ” are to be asked to pledge themselves next season not to shoot hen pheasaois. It is quite erroneous to refer to persons who would do such a thing as sportsmen,' for genuine sportsmen would regard such persons as little better than poachers.—l am, &0., Sfobismin. The entertainment at the City Rink this evening is an assured success so far as attendan e is concerned. All the reserve seats have been engaged, and ticketshave gone off rapidly for the other seats. Those who are to perform have practised assiduously, and it is expected they will quit themselves very creditably this evening.

“ An evening with friends ” was the nature of the mee'ing on Tuesday evening of St. Andrew’s Literary Society. There was a large attendance, Mr Smoill presided, and an excellent programme, consisting of songs, readings, and recitation, was given, Songs were given by Misses G. Adair, Steele (2), Sutherland, Good, and Messrs Mitchell and Armstrong; tradings by Misers Evans (2), and a recitation by Mr Armstrong. On next Tuesday evening Mr Hugo will deliver a lecture on “ Popular superstitions regarding certain numbers.".

A remarkable instrument was exhibited at the post office.jubilee Ofinvprsngione, called the electro-phonoscope. It is claimed by the inventors that the eleetrc-phonoscope solves the question of “ visual telegraphy ’’ (if such a phrase may be employed). The sender of a message from a distant station appears in person before hie correspondent, and with a telephone, it is possible not only to speak to him, but also to see him and to watch the expression of his features. The instrument is a perfect complement to the telephone and will illustrate what telegraphy is likely to be in 1990. This English invention has forestalled Americans

The Rvdney Referee thus goes into eustacies about Murphy, the lightweight pugilist: — Billy Murphy has done a lot for Australian pugilism. He has whipped nearly every man be has been matched against, and has been downed by none. I very much doubt if there is a man outside our chores syho could lower hi-' flag at the present time. The very flower of England and America have met him and found him invincible, and he wrested from the fighters on the other side of the Pacific Ocean the emblem of superiority and brings it home to us in triumph. Well may we bs proud of him and his deeds, for is he not our champion 1 Has he not shown the world at large that at his weight there is no man breathing who can call down the wiry son of the land of the Kangaroo ? Ido not want to boast. I will not say that the day will never dawn when our featherweights will fall, but I have a perfect right to lift up my musical instrument, and pour forth ppa ns of praise to the wiry little wonder who has proved that there is no one alive at the present time who can whip him, and consequently us. Some of ths scribes on the other side tell us that Murphy’s head has swelled until they can’t get a hat big enough on the whole continent to sit on it. That’s a pity, but I don’t believe it. He is proud of bis many hard won battles, no doubt; but he will surely not be foolishly vslh, fot ’lf he is his victories will bs spoilt in our Byoe»

A meeting of creditors in the estate of Frank McDonald was held on Tuesday. From thirty to forty hack and draught horses are advertised for.

The steamer Australia left Wellington at midnight on Tuesday for this port.

The local branches of the labor Unions will probably be called on to contribute their quota to the strike fund. Special strike allo wane 2 is made to all men called out.

If the maritime strikes were to occur during election times it would take about four days to travel from the 0110 loading centre to the other in the East Coast district.

A large number of new names are being added to the electoral roll prior to the general election. Every person entitled to vote should make certain that his name is on the roll before it goes to the hands of the printers.

The Borough Councillors who shortly retire by effluxion of time are Messrs Lewis, Luors, and Taylor. We understand that a l th-ee will seek re-election, and they are pretty certain to be successful, each Councillor having a good record. At the Police Court on Tuesday morning S. Doleman was fined Is and 7s coats, for removing some soil from a road on the Kaiti. A second conviction was, by consent, entered up in the case W. H. Atack v. H. T. Jones, and the points involved will be argued before Judge Couolly in Auckland. The Shields Gazette (England) announces that Mr W. B. Beaumont,M. P., for Tyneside, has given the large sum of £250,000 for the founding of institutes at York and Newcastle for the education of miners., to . whose hard and often ill-paid labour the hon. 'gentleman ascribes his wealth. The gift is also made in memory of his wife. The I,otd Mayor has been starring it in Edinburgh, and startling the kindly Scot with all his paraphernalia of sheriffs, flunkeys and tinsel coaches. The contrast between the glory of his equipage and the squalid retinue of hackney cabs, which composed tha Edinburgh part of the procession, was quite as striking as the difference between the turtle soup and porridge which form the •staple-food of the separate municipalities. The people of the city turned out in their thousands to welcome and applaud Sir Henry Isaacs as the first Lord Mayor to visit the northern capital. The Poverty Bay Turf Club held their arin'ual meeting yesterday afternopn. The report and balance-sheet, which were considered tnost satisfactory, were read and adopted. Mr J. W. Johnson was elected President of IhiOlub, vice Major Pitt, resigned. The following committee were appointed :—Messrs J,' Clark, D. Dobbie, W. Wethered, G. J. Winter, A. C. Arthur, C. D. Bennett, end F. Parker, The programme for the Spring Meeting ' was arranged as follows: Maiden. Plate 40 sovs, Spring Handi. cap 125 sovs, Hurdle Race 60 eovs, Flying Handicap 70 sovs, Forced Handicap 30 sovs, and two £lO Hack Ureas The Stewards appointed were:—Messrs Wethered, Arthur, Dobbie, Clark, Harding, Orr, P. Bourke, J. O. Dunlop, Donner, and Winter. It was decided to hold the meeting on the Park Company’s grounds.

“ P -3 ” has the following on the woman’s suffrage question :—Sir John Hall lost no t'me in trying to give effect to his fairfrienda’ demands I And Hodgkinson a‘kod him as a matter of d -cenoy not to proceed with thia outrage I Funny terms, doctor ; you'll be getting a wigging from those seventy Christchurch ladies 1 He’ll plead Parliamentary privilege I He said ha was shocked, and Verra'l delated that it was only a little of Sir John Hall’s well-known lanikinism I The gay old dawg I Sir John would chuckle I Staid old boys who never got into a row in thier lives always feel a sense of gratitude if they are accused of larrikinism 1 Verrall will have to look out for squalls 1 He said the vote might just as well be given to children and dogs as to women 1 Well, children and dogs couldn’t make a much greater mess of things than the most of the present members I Nor fliht more over trifles I Sir John funked it, and backed out gracefully ! He ought to have put it to ths vote and exposed the humbug of a lot of the talkers for woman’s rights 1 Perhaps he’s not quite “ sound on the goose ’’ himself yet! “Anglo Australian” writes:—There has been sold at Sotheby’s something which is equally unique and interesting, this being the very rare collection of specimens of native clothes, made by Captain Cook during his three voyages in the South Seas. There was naturally much competition for this rarity, and it was eventually knocked down to Mr. Edward A. Petheriok, of Paternoster Row, for £8 5”. I should say a wonderful bargain,

taking all things into full account. Ths specimens are bound up in a neat small quarto calf-bound volume, and are numbered, there being some preliminary letterpress, describing the character of the clothes, and giving sundry highly interesting facts regarding the same. The volume thus curiously interleaved with these remarkable specimens and relics is over a century old, but it and the samples themselves remain in an excellent state of preservation. Among the specimens are some exceedingly fine cloths which were worn by the dancing girls, and exercised, no donbt, a most fascinating effect on onr early voyagers. These transparent fabrics are beautifully wrought, and would do credit to tha West. Other cloths are worked in attractive patterns and tasteful designs, and it is no way surprising that one who may be held as a good judge of such stuffs says unhesitatingly that some of these native productions would really do credit to Manchester. It is in truth a marvel how such fabrics were ever made by such a people, and evinces an invention, coupled with industry, which prove that the natives, when visited by Captain Cook, were in many instances reaching quite an advanced stage of civilisation. When the River Darling is low, crossing a mob of cattle is a comparatively easy task ; but when the waters extend for miles, as is at present the case, it requires considerable tact and pluck to accomplish the feat, and to Mr John Burgess, writes a correspondent to the Sydney Mail, great credit is due for the very successful manner in which he piloted 1000 heed cf cattle from Palpararalstation, Queensland, across the flood waters recently at Wiloannia, Many of your readers are probably not acquainted with the method of crossing. Burgess has two trained leaders, a cow |lO years old, and its calf, 7 years old, which, by the way, is much larger than the cow. These leaders are made to swim across and stand on the oilier aids, and by bellowing attract the attention of the mob, and they gradually follow in, and, unless special care is exercised in avoiding a rush, the cattle arc apt to get entangled with one another by the horns, or get smothered, and in this way losses are almost certain to occur. Burgess, in a nude state, rides his celebrated horse Tomtit just below the cattle, to prevent them from ringing, and by frequent[use of the stockwhip manages to keep them well together. Tomtit is trained to the business, and is used by his owner for the sole purpose of crossing cattle. He is a wonderful horse in the water, and never seems to get tired of swimming about. When a bullock shows signs of drowning Burgees secures the whip round the horns and catches old Tomtit by the tail, and he swims across and Burgess drags the bullock after him. He has saved many a bullock in this manner. Burgess crossed 45,000 head of cattle on thia horse last year, an-1 only lost one. Of course, to having trained leaders and such an excellent horse as Tomtit (who ia now in hia 16th year, and whose name ia familiar to all Queensland drovers) Burgess’s success is in a great measure due.