LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 632, 11 July 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A meeting of members of the Union Chess Club, and others interested in chess, is called for this evening. The second concert of the series being held in the Church of England Sunday-school room, is fixed for July 21. The libellous artio’e which has got the Wei lington Evening Press into trouble is said to have been written by a Wellington lawyer, and not by the editor of the paper. We have received Typo for June. It is quite as interesting as usual, and among other information there is some correspondence from Gisborne, dealing with recent events concerning journalism. The Tyser Company’s steimer Hawke's Bay will not call at this port to load frozen meat as previously announced in these columns, but her place will be taken by the barque Mataura, which will arrive here in a few days. Mr Drake, the former editor of the Beefton Guardian, who at the last general election was defeated for the Inangahua seat by Mr R. Beeves by a single vote obtained on scrutiny, is now manager of a silver mine at Zeehan, and finds it more profitable than politics would have been.

A number of the friends of Mr Fred O’Meara met him at the Masonic Hotel on Thursday evening, and took the opportunity of presenting him with a handsome memento prior to his departure for Westport. The presentation was made by Mr D Bourke, and there were many warmly-expressed wishes that the popular young man who was leaving the district would have success and happiness in the course of his future life. A pressman told off to interview the Rev. Mark Goy Pearse at Melbourne wrote out his questions and submittal them for the opinion of a brother scribe. The latter interpolated one question without the knowledge of the interviewer. When Mr Pearse noted that the reporter had a list of questions he asked t r it, saying that it would make the work shorter. Alt went well until the last question was reached, whan the rev. gentleman fired up in a most unceremonious style, and,wanted to know the meaning of it. With horror the reporter then read the question, “ Do you happen to have the price of a drink about your clothes ?” He is supposed to have made an undignified flight to cool his fevered brow by a drink of lemonade. Lieut.-Oolonel Porter, bis son, and one of his daughters, had a rough experience in Wellington on Sunday. They were out driving, and the vehicle, while going along a rough place, tilted so much that Lieut.Oolonel Porter fell out. The horse, frightened by the occurrence, began bucking and over turned the vehicle, and breaking the shafts galloped off towards town. Being unhurt himself, and finding his children also safe, Lieut.-Colonel Porter started off after the runaway and came up to him entangled io a fence with two legs broken. Seeing he wae too seriously injured to be of any use. the Lieut.-Colonel borrowed a gun and shot the animal.

The Otago Daily Times of June 20 has the following paragraphMr John Smaill, of the firm of Messrs Brown and Smaill, engineers, Gisborne, gave an exhibition In lower High street on Saturday of a patent life saving apparatus invented by him for single or double buggies. The apparatus, which is of very simple construction, consists of small plates attached to the harness, by means of which the horses ean be liberated from a vehicle, in case of neeeseity, by ths driver without getting out of the trap, The plates have attachments which communicate with a lever under the control of the driver, and ha can readily operate this lever so as to set the horse or horses free whenever the occasion requires him to do so. This was amply demonstrated on Saturday in the presence of a large number 0! spectators, who were greatly interested jand pleased with tbi exhibition

A new advertisement from Mr H. Lewis appears in this issue, there being a big clearlog sale now on at Mr Lewis' store. At Wesley Church to-morrow evening. Mr Gibson preaches on “ The preservation of our Liberties,'* making special reference to the Battle of the Boyne. Some of the Sydney papers showed up Sir Henry Parkes’ inconsistency by quoting from his speeches, and giving contradictions in parallel columns. One paper maliciously says that it would be more to the point if two speeches 0! Parkes were quoted in which there were not contradictions. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Thmeday, the case G. Burnand v. A. E Tomlin, claim £4 10s, for horse hire, was heard ; Mr Rees appeared for plain'iff. and Mr Chrisp for defendant. Judgment was entered up for £1 ss, being amount paid into Court, and plaintiff was nonsuited for balance, with costs 13s. There is likely to bs plenty of buehfalliog work in Poverty Bay district this season, and there is a substantial advance on the starvation rates that existed some time ago. As much as 30s a week is now obtainable in exceptional oases, and seventeen men leave for the Tauwharepare Block this morning, with work guaranteed till Christmas. By the Land Bill pip-chasers may have the choice of three systems, but the maximum area is being restricted to two thousand acres. Under the freehold system purchasers do not get a Crown grant till certain improvements are made. Residence is not compulsory, so that there is no need to dummy. Under the deferred payment system residence is compulsory after three years in the bush and one year in the open. With perpetual leases the conditions are the same, only that the right to purchase is done away with. Full provision is made for special and village settle ments to be proceeded with. Small grazing runs are retained, and the area which can be held by one person or company of purely pastoral country is restricted. Dummyism is met by imprisonment. Land Boards are given extended grounds for enquiry, and when a'prima facie case is disclosed are bound to prosecute. The Dobson-Kennedy Company conclude their season in Gisborne this eveniig. Although the weather has all along been against them they have had such excellent houses as prove the Company to be the most popular that have visited Gisborne. When a season of six nights was announced, there were many who thought that some of the performances would have to be before a vast array of empty seats; but just the reverse was the cass. Even when the season had been extended to a fortnight, and the nights were miserably cold and wet, the audiences were such as to prove the great popularity of the Company. Not only has their acting been greatly admired, but the individual members of the Company have made many friends during their stay i» Gisborne, ana their future course through the Colony will be watched with interest.