NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 88, 10 November 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

The English. Mail.— We have been requested by the local postmaster to announce that the outward English mail via Colombo-Brindisi will close at Palmerston on Friday next, at a quarter to eight m the evening. Borough Sale Yards.— We have to draw attention to Mr Amesbury's gale, which tnkes place, at his Yards, Eangitikei Line, to-morrow. A detailed account, of the various lott to be submitted, appear elsewhere. The Melbourne Cup.— ln another column we give a tabulated statement of all tho winners of the various Melbourne Cups, together with their owners, the weights, and the time m which the race was done. From it it will be seen that although Grand Flaneui was four second* behind Dam well, the winner of last year, still it is the second best time on record. A Maori Rivival.— We have been given to understand that there is a great Maori revival at present being carried on by the Nutives on the Napier side of Woodvine. The participants, who are not Hau Hans, are under the spiritual care of a Native Pastor, who earnestly and continually exhorts them to penitfnep. the consequence being that there a i- e most devout pray era four times a day. Our informant, who was an «y«-witDess, says tho services are carried out m the most appi'oved form, and aro altogether most edifying. Another. Postponement.— There sftems to bo some fatality over the holding of the sittings of the Supreme Court, Wannanui. Three times already has it been postponed, and on Friday a telegram was received from Judgo Richmond, announcing that as ho had to proceed direct to New Plymouth, he would not be aMe to sit at Wh.ng;i.nut until this day week, the 17th. As thero is a host of witnesses bound over fi'om Manawatu, we would not be surprised to find, on account of the repeated alterations, that one or mo''e of them visited Wangaaui on tba wrong day. " Save me from my Friends."— Mr we beg pardon — the genial gentleman who occasionally notes the doings of Palmerston for the Wanganui evening journal, thus writes about the new venttn-e and its promoter: — " Oil (lit that another newspaper is about to be started m this town under the guidance of a 'Journalist of Tt.rpute' and lengthened experience on this Coast." The itnlics are ours, but it is too bad of the Soribe to poke f,un at the ilhiijtrious stranger; and worse still for the join nal above alluded to to throw ridicule upon its protege by inserting such, biting suthe. Distressing Accident.— We regret to hear that Mr Patrick Cavanagh, settler, of Stoney Cieek, met with a nasty accident on Saturday. It appeals he was riding into towt. to visit a friend when the horse he was riding — a very skittish on — shied to one side and threw him heavily to the ground. The sufferer wai conveyed back to his house, and the services of Dr Machlacblan were quickly brought into requisition, and that gentlemen attended to the injuries received, which we beliere compr;sed ft broken leg and a severe shaking. They say that accidents, like other misfortune!, generally come m troop 3, and this is the third which wo have been callod upon to chronicle dv"ing tho week. News of an Old Friend.— Our readers will be, pleased to Lair — from a letter received a few days ago — that the Rev. Mr. Newth and family arrived safe at their destination ; not, however, without having experienced a ve'',v rough passage. We know it wiil be a uiutler for regret to his many friends and well-wishers m Palmerston to learn that ho was compelled to take l;iis departure from the colony without receiving the arrears of stipend due to him by' the Diccessn Synod. This failure of. duty on the part of that body is the more reprehensible when it i 3 considered tlio very great efforts which were put forth by the congregation of All Saints to redeem their promise, and the generous manner m which its members came forward and did so. A Double Defeat.— Tbo Halcombe Cricketers appear to have no belter luck this seaion than that which attended the Canadians on their English tour — being beaten m every conttst. On Saturday fortnight they tried conclusions with Palmerston, only to sustain a crushing defeat and their match on last Saturday with the Feilding learn had no better success. The Feildingiies went to the wickets first, and succeeded m scoring GS before they were disposed of. The visitors next wielded the wil'ows, but their innings closed for 35, j while the representatives of Feilding made nea'ly three times — or 94— before the last wicket fell for the second time. The principal features of the match was the butting of Wrightson, who made 22 ; and the brilliant fielding of Sherwill and Samson, the former of whom mada three difficult catches one after another. Local Industry — Mv C. Trickle bank would appear to be making rapid strides m the manufacture of certain articles at his brick«making works. In addition to that industry he is now devoting his attention to the manufacture of drain pi pei, the machinery for which, after a d«al of trouble and expense, has at last been staged m good working order, driven by a s(«.un engine of 2^ h.p. Mr Tricklebank hai laid pipes for draining lm own ground. %w\ they have answered even beyond h>s most sanguine expectation* — ground that previously was quit* swampy, being m good ploughable order m two or three days. We unde i> stand that a small stock which was mada have been bespoken. The pipes, ib may bo mentioned, can be made either with or without caps, or turned for , any curva that may be required. We do ' not doubt but that there will be a great damaud i'or thase pipe» 3 tlia nature of tin

grounds fn many parts fully justifying the use of a large quantity. Mr. Alexander M'Donald and his MClS3ion. — Tim facility with which Mr. M'Donald not only concluded tha negotiations with the Natives for thejjpurchase of the land* on this Coast, but tattled the difficulty of tht stoppage of the Batch road, is not only a high tribute, to his ability, but a very strong reproach upon those officials who have allowed the dealings m connection with the purchase to extend over year*. During the few months m which Mr. M'Donald ha« had th* matter m, hit hands he has succeeded m putting no less than 45,000 acres at the disposal of the Government, beside bringing to a successsful issue a very delicate transaction m connection with the ferry over the Manawatu on the Masterton side. Some comment was made at the time of Mr. McDonald's appointment, at the very singular conduct of the Government m taking on a fresh man at the very time that they were malting wholesale dismissals, but we must say the results of the step have been q.uite sufficient to silence the most captious, and adds another to the very few actions for which the Hall Ministry deserve credit. A Distinguished Traveller.— Mr. Proctor, the emineat astronomer and lecturer, passed through Palmerston en Saturday evening m company with his agent, M>. Smythe. Wo doubt since his advent m the colonies he has had a somewhat varied experience, and certainly that of Saturday was by no means pleasant. Leaving Wellington m the coach m the m.oruing, on accoiiHi of the swollen state of the rivers, and m order to catch the evening train at Foxton, no sloppage could be made for dinner, and the consequence was that neither of the above gentlemen broke their fast from starting until Haleombe. was reached. We bad a telegram on Friday from Mr. Smytho, m which an offer was made to that Mr. Proctor should lecture m Palmer-, ston on Saturday night, if a substantial guarantee were given. On account of the shortness of the notice we did not think it wise to accept the offer, and consequently Palme'-ston has missed a ebance. of hearing one of the first ast'-onomers of the age. Mr. Pvochor lectured m Wanganui on Monday, last night, and will continue this, and tomorrow evening, after which he proceeds to Nelson. Mr. Suiythe, however, on Saturday evening, promised that if the sailing of the steamer for that port did not fall m with bis arrangements, be would give the people of this town an opportunity of hearing Mr. Proctor. " They Sailed Away, m a Gallant Baroque." — It was not the ".Royal Neil and hia fair young bride," but; a fourwheeled trap with a quartette of gay young sparks on pleasure bent. The day was Saturday last ; the hour, the cool of the evening; and the starting-place, the Palmerston Square. The " turn ort >J and occupants were the envy of most present, the admiration of nil ; and the dashing way m which the driver handled the ribbons nearly caused an obtrusive spectator a «evere " bonnettin^" for suggesting that the party should carry a doctor. They vanished into space at the rate of 2.40 on a plank road, and all that was left was envious thoughts j m the breasts of those remaining of pleasures m which they were to have no share. The see-re tua.i changed. The TJangitikei road resounded with the clatter of the horses'- hoofs ;. the brewery was reached, with its conic&l roof towering high high — high as the h.opes of the travellers, when the scene zvas changed, and the let;?, arms, and forms of four masses of humanity might have been seen first gyrating m space and next sesking ungraceful posi. tions m the wayside ditch. The scene was changed, and half an hour from the glorious start a mournful procession was wending its way townwards. Walking between two detached shafts was Rawson, a fine specimen of a bipod, about twenty hands high, Durphy followed, holding the cause of all the trouble by one ear, his face being as thickly covered with a layer of mud as if he were going to have a mould of his countenance taken. Gherkins and his friend brought up the rear, their duty being pushing before them the mangled vehicle. Miles'* boy, who narrowly scrutinised the procession, and from whom we hare these notes, " says that the two latter kept their gaze steadfastly upon the ground, but whether that was necessary to their occupation or otherwise, lie would not venture to offer an opinion. S.ia transit gloria Saturday The Fitzherbert Goldfield.— For the past feyv days there have beea all sorts of reports as to the results of the pros* pectors' work m Fitzherbert, but for some reason or another there appears to be a desire to wrap the affair m mystery. When the prospecting party took, its departure, some three or four weeks ago, Mr. Deards spoke to our representative, asked him not to be led away by false reports, nor publish anything which was not authentic, further promising that when information was reliable, be would furnish it to us. We agreed to this ; and notwithstanding that we wore aware that a messenger had xeturned m the course of the week, we kepi faith with Mi. Deavds, waited for] him to call upon us, and refrained from referring to the matter m Saturday's issue. As, however, Mr. Denrds has not kept his word, we, m the interest of the public, now publish the vailing rumor, leaving it our readers to prep'ace the'r own estimate upon its value. Mr. Groodisson informs us that his ion Harry, brought m a packet of quartz on Wednesday, which was fastened with teal ing wax before leaving the camp, and delivered into Mr. Deard's hands intact. The rumor then is that the contents of the parcel was crushid on Saturday, and found to contain soz to the ton ; but we very much question if this be true. MrGoodisson said his son tried to get some information as to the yield, bui; he was kept completely m the dark, and the consequence was that he, m company with Mr Otto Tiller, a gentleman of undoubted integrity and a most experienced quartz miner, started on Monday morning to take poiaesiien of the reef from whence the stone has been taken. We have also heard that a second party provided fwith a month's provisions, started yes! erday. llv G-oodisson claims the first right to the reef for hii son, and as he started on Monday, no doubt he is determined to maintain it. We give, the above facts simply for whai they are worth, and by no means wish it to be understood that wo a'-e biassed one way or the other.. A New Industry. —As eaoh day passes by we are called upon to chronicle the initiation of some industry which is consequent upon the development of the district or the progress of the tow.o. Ac« cepting an invitation from Messrs. HanloiT and Co., we on Monday paid a visit to the Monumental Works which they have established m Terrace-street, and must confess wo were agreeably surprised at the nature and extent of their operations. A aeiat little show room has been erected m which lomb-stonr s of. nil iize*, prices, varieties and styles arc exhibited. The material of which the tombs are composed, being a concrete of sand, cement, and other ingredients renders them far more durable and lasting than the ordinary stons used for that purpose, while — as can be «ecn upon inspection — it is capable of being polished to the smoothness of glass. One of the largest which lias b aeu madi—four feet six by two

feet— constructed m the orthodox shape and fitted into a socket which could hardly he. distinguished from, polished granite, -we were informed could be purchased f«ri?4, w.hile. smaller, ones ranged upwards from £2 10s. Perhaps the most chaste pattern which was m. the colltction was a plain cross, standing about thfflfl foot high f rojn the pedestal^ at its feet being a most rustic arrangement of stones laid m a layer of green m,oss. The art, however, which Mr. Hanlon is perfect* ing need not be confined to monumental works alone,;b.ut can |be. extended |to halli door, step* and pathways, which possess the recommendation of thorough cleanliness and the most lasting durability. The composi-, tion of which all the articles are. made, like the. celebrated Qamaru stone, has the faculty of becoming harder theloneer it is exposed to time and the action of the. weather, and as a proof of its bona fides Mr. Hanlon is prepared to make good any defect which may be experienced during the. years for which he will give a guarantee. Of course it would be out of place to give a detailed account of the various prices, but we are assured that either- tombs, steps, or flagging, can be supplied at rate 3 which will defy competition when other and inferior materials are supplied. The Melbourne Exhibition.— Through the courtesy of Mr. Pier* Warburton we hare received a catalogue of exhibits m the New Zealand Court at the Melbourne Exhibition. In addition to a detailed description of each item, the, little volume is full of- the most interesting statistics and "information with regard to this ; colony. And while upon this particular point, we must pay a just tribute to what may be termed the Yankee smartness of the Westlaud Committees, who have managed m some way to introduce into the work eight pages of information bearing upon the climate, mining, land, trade, timber, and other resources of, that Provincial District. As no other part of the colony is touched upon, it must be confessed that the representatives of Westland\. have dpne-a stroke of pplioy,. add stolen a march * upon, their less astute fellow colonists." TJnder,the,head of furniture and accessories appears mention of one of Mr. Warburton'e exhibits as follow*: — "Chess table, top of kauri, ornamentad with New. Zealand ferns m splash work, legs of rimu." Again, under the head of " If avigation and Life Saving "• appears the model canvas folding boat, of which we gave a description prior to its being forwarded. Mr. Warburton, and Messrs." Duigan and Lloyd, are the. only exhibitors -from' Pflltnerston, and as the former was fortunate enough to obtain a certificate at the Sydney Exhibition, we lirust he will, have even greater luck this time, Amongst' the paintings and drawings we notice, a ' drawing m sepia and ptQcil, by Mrs. Halcomhe, of" The Town of Feilding," biside ja water color, "Lake Ehea, OLagp.'' The same, lady also exhibits * Sketches* of. New Zealand Ferns and Forest Trees, by the. late W; Swairiaon, Esq., F.E.S. Mr. Palmer, of Fo^ton, has forwarded " River Scenery, West. Coast," and,, "Km. Warra Warra Gorge, Wellington." JTuder th'e class of Sp ilpture,and Die Sinking, Mr. John W. Ja.kson, has on view " Eacehories," being" kn engraving on glass, the etching having be3n done with the point of a file, ground fin\ by A. Milne. - In Eaw and Manufacturid Products Mr. Harcombe has exhibited eig it specimens of native ornamental woods j table show in* totara-knot and honeysuckle, rewa-wa. As we,, said before, Messrs. Djaigan and Lloyd, o£ thistownand Wanganui, are also represented, their exhibit being a hogshead of ale, made entirely from New^ Zealand-grown malt and hops, and we shall await with some curiosity to see whether the Victorians will endorse the very high estimate which the people of New Zealand put upon the " Crown " brand.