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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 828, 8 February 1868, Page 2

Cart Licenses. — The effects of certain broad hints to the carters about their nonliability to pay licenses to the Town Board have already shown themselves. On Thursday, a case was brought before the Resident Magistrate, where a carter refused payment. It was adjourned for fourteen days. Wanganui Grammar School. — Through an oversight in Thursday’s Chronicle, the names of the newly elected Committee were not all published. We now supply the omission : Messrs Anderson, Ballance, Allen, Nathan, Aitken, Caiman, Mason, Hutchison, T. Kells, and Watt (treasurer). Fun even in Advertising. — One of our good friends, who likes his joke, and likes to make himself and all around him happy, writes — “Stop my advertisement for a man and his wife, as I have got a man without a wife that I am to make trial of — Nae women hae I in serving station, Gude keep me aye frae a’ temptation.” Turakina Common School. — The annual meeting of the rate-payers of the Turakina school district was held on Thursday evening. There was a large attendance ; the school-house being quite filled on the occasion. Some misunderstanding or disagreement had arisen between the committee and the teacher, and the partisans on both sides mustered in great force. We understand that Mr McMinn leaves the school, unless some new arrangement be come to.

Prospecting. — By the Hawke’s Bay Herald, we learn that the prospectors from Napier have got rather near the confines of our own district, where they have met with some interesting indications. It appears that the Messrs Sweeny were seen a few days ago by Messrs Locke and Hamlin, prospecting at the source of the Rangitikei river. They had met no opposition at the hands of the natives, but had made no discovery of gold, although minute particles had been obtained whereever they had tried. They had, however, discovered a seam of coal, which will prove useful at some future time when the Patea becomes settled.

Native Lands Court. — This court was opened yesterday by Judge Smith and his native assesors in the Freemasons’ Hall. There was a large attendance of Maoris. The business will likely attend over some considerable time. A Hint to Correspondents. — Sydney Smith, a good authority on this subject, says :— “In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written ; you have no idea what vigour it will give your style.” The Bank of New Zealand. — The Bank is now taking possession of their magnificent new premises in Victoria Avenue, which are just about finished. The business will be conducted there on and after Wednesday next. The building is one of the finest, if not the finest, in Wanganui, and is an ornament to the street in which it stands. Fatal Accident at Rangitikei. — We are sorry to learn that Mr Ross, who has recently come to this quarter from the Middle Island met with an accident yesterday which has ended fatally. Mr Ross had leased the property in Lower Rangitikei belonging to Mr Holgate, and while out riding after some cattle, one of the stirrup leathers of his saddle broke and he was precipitated to the ground. He was taken up lifeless. We have not learned any more definite particulars. He leaves a wife and family. Dinner to Mr Fox. — The private or semi-private dinner to Mr Fox having passed off, the public one is now to follow, on the principle, we presume, of the “old English gentleman,” who when he feasted the rich did not forget the poor. It is fixed for Wednesday next in the Oddfellows’ Hall, when Mr Harrison, member for the district, is likely to take the chair. The dinner, it is stated, is to be non-political, which is rather a pity than otherwise, seeing there is some anxiety to know what line of political action Mr Fox means to take up. The circumstances of the country are much altered even during the few years of his absence from if, and he may well claim the right of shaping his course accordingly. Sheep Stealing. — Suspicions, says the Otago Daily Times, are entertained by several runholders that sheep stealing has been carried on very extensively in the country south of the Molyneux. Some years ago, in one season between shearing and the month of March, Mr Clapcott lost at Popotunes about a thousand sheep ; and the numbers lost by Mr Spooner and other runholders, if mentioned, would appear fabulous. At first, it was supposed they had died through eating the tutu plant; but this hopothesis did not unravel the mystery, for no carcase were found. Extensive losses are reported in the Pomahaka and surrounding districts, one proprietor having discovered a large deficiency for which he cannot account. At Kuriwoa, forty-three wethers were taken out of a fenced paddock in one week, and a reward has been offered for information concerning them. The runholders are proposing to enter into an association for mutual protection, and to offer large rewards for conviction of the thieves. Great assistance might be given to the police by shepherds, hotelkeepers, and ferrymen, supplying information of flocks driven across. If such wholesale depredations are continued, it may lead to the passing of an Ordinance requiring all stock owners, butchers, and others to keep a stock book shewing how and where their stock was obtained, the book to be open to examination by the police.

The Storm and Earthquake. — On Monday and Tuesday last the indications of atmospheric changes by the glass were almost unexampled in their character, clearly indicating that if Wanganui were not to have a hurricane very soon it would only miss it. The wind was variable and came in stormy gusts but nothing more, though it was very certain we had just caught the skirt of a tempest, since then — yesterday — we have had stormy weather ; but reverting to the indications of the previous part of the week we find by Southern papers that it was even so, that a storm devastated the coasts. The Canterbury Press says that at about four a.m. on Monday, the wind sprang up from the S.E., and gradually increased to a gale. At noon next day (Tuesday) a whole gale was blowing from the S.E., in fact, old salts reports that they have not seen such for the last nine years from the same quarter ; a tremendous sea was running in harbour, and all the vessels were labouring heavily and dragging their anchors. The ship Melita, when our report left, had dragged to within a dangerous distance of the ship Beautiful Star, but as all the vessels were rapidly losing ground, no immediate danger was anticipated. The cutter Antelope had a narrow escape of going on the rocks, and other small vessels had great difficulty to hold their anchorage. Great difficulty was experienced by the watermen in getting off to the s.s. Gothenburgh, which arrived in harbour at 3 p.m. Such was the violence of the gale that the oldest inhabitants aver that they have not seen anything to equal it. — Having some connection as occurring about the same period that these agitations had taken place it is interesting as well from the fact itself as to note the differences in time and intensity that the shocks of earthquake of last week took place throughout the South Island. A shock of an earthquake was felt in Lyttelton on Saturday morning, at about ten minutes to eight o’clock. The shock appeared to run from west to east, and lasted about three seconds. It appears to have been most felt at the north (upper) end of the town, many of the inhabitants in which state that their houses were much shaken at the time, the vibration being considerable. The earthquake which was felt in Dunedin on the 24th ult., seems to have prevailed generally over provinces of Otago and Southland. At Waikouati the shock was felt on Friday night. The time of the shock is stated to have been about half-past six o’clock, and the vibrations was of several seconds’ duration, seeming to be from north to south. Generally, however, the shock was not felt by the inhabitants. At Riverton a severe shock of earthquake was felt on Friday, the 24th ult, at about 6.15 p.m. A low rumbling noise was heard, followed immediately by a strong vibration of the earth, causing buildings to shake very much. The shock was not perceived in Invercargill, although remarked by residents at the Bluff, at Winton, and elsewhere. The Director of Meteorological Stations reports :— “Martendale, January 25th — A smart shock of earthquake was felt here last evening, at five minutes past six. There was no perceptible noise. The vibration continued for nearly a minute. The barometer had been perfectly steady for three days at 30.091 inches. It has since fallen slightly. The weather at the time was fine, but slightly overcast with cirris and cirrostratus ; a dead calm, temperature 70deg., humidity 70deg.”

The Duke of Edinburgh. — It is supposed that the Prince will reach Auckland about the 20th of March, and be in Wellington most probably about the middle of April.