A DEBT OF HONOUR.

PART I.—A CRUMB TO A MOUSE.

It was a wet forenoon o£ a January day, ju«t two ycava ago, when tho usual gang ot idlers that h.uu about tho lei'ry wharves were delighted at having tho monotony of gazing out from under tho dripping awn ings broken by the singular movements of a couple of policumcu. One of these well fed guardians of the peace was on his knees beside a hole broken through the flooring of a neighbouring dock, and engaged in angrily issuing evidently diaregaided com mands to some fugitive concealed beneath, while his fel ow, with equal profanity and perspiration, endeavoured to pry up n loohc board l'u iher along, for the purpose of also gaining a cess to tne oll'ender. ".What's in)! What's the mutter?" asked the bystanders, crowding up, while the paasengera coming oil' the just-landed ferry-1) »at stopped to look on. The policemen, however, ignored the inmiiires lcvcllod at thorn with all the haughtiness pjcu iur to the Celtic muuicip >I otlicial of the period, for it is hardly noc«waary to Bay both belonged to the favoured race which Americans, with re markable modosty, employ to run their own country for them. But when a bustling citizen who Wft* evidently ii merchant and taxpayer, paused ami said brusquely, " Hello, there, Miko ! YVuat are you nftor, I'.ity" on-! ot tlin brass luminaries looked u;i and growled : " Nothing but n wharf rat, stir."

" Then why iliiln'l you scud in a cloy if

i.-: a nit?" returned the m'i'«liaiif, iniii'c.'Mtlv. l>ut tlißeont'niptii'UHC iticism of lii-> i/norftiico about to lie made by the o!'i<rer w.n interrupted just then by the criiM of ,'lie roilcnt in question, which appeared :\1 tho lirwt mention- .1 aperture in coiiHcnn -nre of a vigorous clubbiuu admin istered liy one of tlie policL'intu, who liail finally succeeded in removing the plank, The captive thus scoured w.is an index rribal <y dimiuu'ive ani prop'storously <lirty nivhin, w th tho blitcK st eyes auil reddest head imaginable. *h tho police mm ilrA!!tt>'(l him into the dayli^hl by his threadinirr collar, and perched him, trcm liliiiK "-i.il whimperiii}?, on a table near al luuul, a sh-mt •■! Rpprccintivc gratification w>ut up from th" bystander. fNothing tickler tli! risibilitio< of your ordinary street crowd mi muc.li an v little jjouilittu pain and .'-uU'erin^' exhibited gratis. Looking at tii" spectatcle in thi.« popular :iad kindiy fasliion, there \va> indee I muub cause fiir ni-riimciit. Nothing sadder or luofo jj'tt Cvi could h • imagiuod thau that IL-. 1-• liuiiiicr-piiichoil, bare-footed, ragged Wj, ire. with it- unliine'y ayedaud withurnd f;?iv, white with despair at the consum mation i>; lie nne ti-rrible dread of it-; owner I brici life- lie had been "took up." "What's he dime?" asked a scvoh lonkinj; mm, eagerly. " Not boen fi^litin^ d'j-s, ehv"

'•'i'liu b,V'', is't," responded nuc of the Idufj-eoiiteil magnates, leisurely [ratting "[> lii-iiclnb. "Oh! he's only wan 'or (him wharf nils. as lives bcnallic the wlwrvus hern, n\i' stales from the projooio schooneri o'nights. We be running thiiu all in now for vagrancy, an' oudaccnt exposure, by raison ov t.tim g'n'ii^ in schwinimin' cvrry foiv.» nii:iMli'M wiilou! their clothes. It's afthor this devil we've boen for n wake or ciion:. It.-* no nsu thryin' tor catch wan o' t-liioi folloys n the wather. They schwini laike a I'mlt, begorra tliimdocs, and they've more hole* ter-Hchlip inter than the ecla th uinselviK, pothcy have "

' Ah! " "aid the .-evere-looking man, who was a> officer of the S.P.C.A. " I wan in hopei it Was a case for me," and hu walked oil" much disappointed,

Tlic wharf rat ceased his low, terrified snivelling long enough to put|in a plea thut lie u-.u not :t vagrant, but «nld p;i|iers ; that lie only slept uudernenth tli'i wliart' because it nid'nt co-t anything; that lio di.l'ut know it wa< any harm to go in swimming, and other excuses common to grant criminals. One of the otlicsra strolled oil' to look up an express wajon to convey their captive to liea'l-qiiarteH, This he did partly l.ji'UM! lie would involve a los-tot dignity to eonvej so ins ig.iilicant a pris mer throii /h i.i- siroi-ls and partly because lie had a friend in the expr«-s ollice who was always good for a "divvy" ou these little jobs. The other guardian majestically reposed after hi* exertion •on a hawser post, after impressing upon the child that an immed iate cessation, of its blubbering would obvint1 the nces-ity of having his head c.ivml in with a club.

Mcanwhiie several other passors to and [row the furry loitered to gaze at the strong hand of the law in full operation and to ask the prisoner's oii'ence. One of these \va.s a sleek and benevolent minister of an up-town church, but a< ho was hurrying home to write a pathetic sermon on tho lex;'of the good Samaratin In had no time to wanto upon latter-day Philistines, and so he passed by on rhu oiler side.

Another was a gieut mining cipitali.st, bur it always made him angry to look at people that were p'tor anc dirty and vulgar. lie had been poor and dirty and vulgar himself once, and he now regarded all such attributes as direct personal reflections, no to speak. So he stepped frowningly into the fine carriage that was in waiting and rattled oil".

The next citizen wlii stopped to look on \va* a political economist, who spoke three tvu as alweek on suffering Ireland ao<l ame lioiitiug the condition of the working masses. Hi s soul sickened at the injustice ot society, ho lvcdto say, and, parsing long enough to make a shirt cult' note on the fearful increase of crime among children, he, too, went oft'shaking his head.

And then another millionaire chanced by. One of those continually haunted by a four of being themselves left in poverty and want some day despite their present wealth And By this 010 clutched his purse tighter than eve, and gave way to a couple of gigging wom.'n; who weie the next comers. Does not some writer suy that sweet charity and holy piety dwell always in woman's gentle breast? Kut these were Son Francisco women oi the period, and so they tittered with one breath : " "What a horrible little brat. " and then minced on toward the matinee

Mcan«hilo the brisk merchant first men tioned walked rap'dly up Market-street, like a man every moment of whose,time meant coin. But when he had proceeded about three squares, his pace, tor some reason, seemed to grow slower and slower, and from tints to tinvn ho jerked his head impatiently and said "PakaWl" indignantly to himself as though he was engaged in combatting some unwelcome mental im pulae that persisted in presenting itself to hi* consideration.

The fact was, this brusque, imperative man of trade was troubled with a most un common and annoying alFect'ou of the heart, called humanity. It was so un natural and singular a disease for a grown man to possess now a days that the mer chant wfw very properly ashamed of i.; not only that, bnt it seemed this \va< an here ditary affection that persevered in making itaolf Jelt, and impelling its possesor to do all surts of inconsistent things in the mo»t absurd manner possible, Lett to himself,

tlte merchant was wealthy, respectable, a man of influence, ana a church mombcr, In fact, he possessed a'l the necessary qualifi cations for being selfish, uncharitable, self centred, and inhuman, audit irritated him to the las', degree. Just when he was about, for instance, to imitate his wealthy neighbours aud evade subscribing to some charity or perpetrating nay other kind ac tion, to bavis this siliy little inborn imp of humanity actually torment him into doing the very thing his worldly training taught him m 'st to avoid.

H« had noticed, too, that this diseaso— though it is not an epidemic, the reader will understand—alway* affected him most when most happy and contented himself, and as he was iv a more than usually serene mood just then he was imnoyed but not surprised to hear a familiar little voice in his breast say, and keep saying : "Remember tbc loving little child you kixscd when you left home just now, Sup pos« it were sitting there, instead of that wretched little waif, crushed nnd despair ing. Come ; stop thinking of h'«w your neighbour .Jones would act, but go back and si-e if you can not do something for the boy,"

A.s we have said, he fought against this ridiculous impulse for a lim-, but it ended in hU turning at la«t, and re trad nj his s epa with that sort ot half-injiued, half shamefjiced expression many men put on when they set about a good ac ion, for some a.s yet unsolved reason.

" "What'a your namo ?" he grullly nsktd of the child, who by this time had been pitched upon the seat of the waggon which was about ready to start.

".Snub,"'replied the small hoodlum, eyeing his interrogator;' moment in a so>t iH despairing stupor. Tne house of cor roction for six months, which lie knew wis the fa'c that awaited him, was m»re -much more—to his kind than tho mere disgrace and punishment it implied. It meant, in addition, just what bankruptcy and ruin itoe.s to ihu business man. Long before his release the particular street-corner at which lie si>:d his papers, and the sole and e<|ui tiblc right to occupy which In: liad de funded from his fellow-merchants at tlio espouse of many a namely fought intle and bloody rose, would he gone for ever. " Snub what ? " said the merchant.

" Walkur.or sum'hin' like that," said tlie grimy midget, after a moment of uttompted rucot ociion. " T!ie boys call me onnv 'Snub,' that's all." -Why?" He shook his head in auswiy, although Hie shape of his inliuitesinial no-e supplied thu necessary information. " Whcic'« your mother'; " "Cone dead." "Wh.-n? 11 " Duuiio — lon^' tiino — "forodad ran away." " A way where? " " And Si you shift for yourself, and sell papers'; Hum. Why do they call you a wharf rat ?"

" Dunuo. I ain't no rat," said the red headed pigmy, explanatorily, au<l»nincvrlut warmed into a show of interest by the more kindly voice of the stranger.

" Woll, no; you are hardly big enough fix-a rat," laughed the other. " You're more like v mouse, and so I'll give you a ciuinh."

And as just then the wa^on started, the merchant «topped into a cab and tohl the driver to hasten to the city hall, and he devilish quick about it, as he was missing an engi^einencat the merchant's exchange. As for "Sulib," he watched the queer gen tinman out of sight with a kind ot apathetic curiosity. Thu rat had been no inured to " chafHtug " and other branches of popular street amusement, anil so used to rid'cule on account of his puny frame and bristly red hair, that it dill not surprise him to s*e this gentleman %o oil", like everyone else, in spite of his steady eyes and clear voice For "Snub" didn't clearly rcincmbar to have ever heard a kind voice before, iv the whole course of his brief career. He was still musing over the novelty when tho wagon turned into Merchant-street, and the sha dow ot the jail again fell over his benumbed little soul.

IJist the man witli the kind voice was there before him, chatting nlFubly with the captain in charge

" How much will the malefactor's forfeit bail come to?" he asked,as the exposure charge was booked ■' ion dollars," said the clerk, with a

If an angel from heaven had risen out of tie floor slow music and offered " tinub " a whole pot-pic at once, after two day's fast ing from bad busine-s, as he had dreamed one did, ha would not liavfi been more asto nished than he was then to behold the stran ger take out a hu»e handful of dazz ing gold and toss down a shining ten. '•There, Mr Mouse," he said; "there is your ciumb. Your bathing bill is set tled "

" Does yer menu I kin go now, mister?" gasped the prisoner, for a moment too stun ned to grasp the fact.

"Yes"' said the gentleman ; and then, winking at the clerk, lie continued : "But, you know, I only lend you this money. I expect you to pay it back in a year, yon uudorstand."

lint even while they were all laughing heartily at so rich a joke, the wharf rat raised his little clenched paw and said, with an earnestness that even made the callous specials look nround :

'•J'll do it, fir ; indeed I will—l hope I may h* struck dead if I don't I"

" Well, then ! see that you do," said his benefactor, with assumed gravity, " or I shall think you nre nut a mouse ot your word."

" I Uopa I may bcslruckdcad !" repented tho pigmy solemnly, so solemnly, indeed, that the merchant felt, he couldn't' cay why, a sort of lump rise in his throat, as lie sear ched hii pocket for a supplemental four-bit piece.

" No," said the small dealer, declining this last firmly, " I have 40 cents—that's enough fur the papers;" and hurriedly glancing at the clock which showed the hour for the afternoon issues had arrived, he was gone like a flash, for to be late then meant the total risk of his small capital, and amcnl or two skipped until the loss was made up.

PART II.—SIXTY CENTS WORTH.

I wonder how many passengers on the Oakland ferry ever speculate seriously on what they would do—in fact, on what would happen—should they fall overboard on the trip.

if-such gloomy calculations filled their minds, and impelled by them, the passen ger strolled forward or aft on the main deck to inspect the life-boats, lie Mould not need to possess a very int'inato knowledge of nautical affairs to bo ominously impressed by what he would see.

Ot course, we all know that a general law requires each steamboat, in addition to other life-saving facilities, to provide a number of life-boats in proportion to the steamer's capacity. These are, in the language of the specifications relating thereto, " to be Blunt; on the main deck, kept in constant working order, ready for instant use, and deck-hands familiarized with the work ing of the same by weekly drills." 'Hie in quiring passengers referred to would uoiice, we repeat, that on the ferry lines re

ferred to those regulations aro practically ignored. The boats, he would perceive, arc slung on davits, stout by rust; the lowering tackle solidified into iron-like rigidity by tho use of paint; tho life-boats tncmselves covered by an elaborately fastened canvas hood, and the oars fastened inja sort of rack, and the whole apparatus tied, strapped, and incumbered in-a manner perplexing to the the most ready-finaered sailor, much less to the chuckle-headed, slow-moving deck hand of the period. A very impartial little calculation would then sliow the astonished passenger in (jueetion that should he fall overboard, or jump over and then repent him of the act, as most suicides do. it would be at least fifteen [minutes, v\ all human probability, before lie could be reached. Adding this cheerful result to the fact, statistically proved, that not moie than four persons out of a thousand, inclu'lingswimmers, can keep afloat for t*n minutes in smooth water with their clothes on, the passengers would doubtless conclude by keeping as far away from the side railing in possible, and even read the next published account of " A Determined Suicide " on the ferry line with as much scepticism as interest.

And yet our steamboat inspectors do not look as if a few hundred indirect mur ders weighed *cry heavily on their passible minds, somehow. It was December again, <an<l lacking a fitw days, a year had slipped by since the lion had reversed the fable by gnawing the net for the mouse to escape. That morn ing the merchant, who, for some inscru table reason, resided in that corporate ceme tery known as Oakland, had lired the ima gination of his little daughter by reading at the breakfast table tun inspiring news that two baby tigers had just been born at Woodward's gardens, a necessary se quence lie had finally yielded t • the man date of the domestic despot that she should be conveyed * rthv.-ith to 'hat realm of juvenile delight. So papa, mammi. and the golden-haired midget in the family lea'i look an o.irlv bo-a for the city—the jjrowo folks g-av- ly pr> tending, for some ridiculous reason peculiar to grown folk everywhere, that they did not themselves care to look at the animals, but that it wouldn't do to iru.st the miiso altogether in such a place.

A.s the ferr.-boat nearcd the wharf on the city siiie the mother w»h in the cabin engaged in the discussion of nursery myste ri s with sume neighbouring matron, while the merchant, who had descended <o the lower deck with the child, was head over oira in a political disquisition icgarding the new cabinet. Little Lillie, at length getting tired of liangin,l to ilic unrespon sive big forefinger of her father's hand, trotted off unnoticed to the side of the boat to peer timidly from beneath the gangway rail at the great t ill poles that were sweep ing close pa-1 us the boat, cn'crcd the slip. They reminded her of so many soldiers on parade.

An the steamer's bow crunched against the piles with a more than usually violent preliminary jar, a sudden inarticulate shout roc from the passengers. The little bundle of chubby prcttincss had tottered and dis appeared over the side.

"My God!" shrieked the paralysed father, as the crowding of the boat against the .slip nhut the drowning child from sight and rendered help impossible "She will be crushed under the wheel."

'■ Bide ? back !" shouted the passengers to the pilot, and while the frantic screams of the hysterical mother chijled their hearts, and a dozon kindly hands restrained the insane father from aimlessly leaping from the opposite side ; the engine bells jingled furiously, and the huge mass hated and then began slowly to move outward again.

Hoping ag<insthope, the coolest of the passengers crowded to the rail, with boat hook', until, after what seemed an eternity of time to the white, watching faces abov, a narrow streak of water was revealed, which grew wider and wider.

" Well, I'm d—d !" said one of the deck hands, who was peering under the side, •' If a wharf rat hasn't got it."

Hut the shudder caused by th's strange remark was unnecessary, for presently the eager eyes above behold swimming below them a creature whose close-cropped head and bead-like eyes sutllicicntlv resembled a rat's but which in. reality belonged to an under-sized boy swimmer, a master of the art withal.

Floating behind him with witli its fair head upturned and resting upon toe wiry little shoulders that struck out so man fvlly through the churning water was the merchant's little daughter. Towing the insensible infant by [moans of her long su::ny cut.'s passed overjbis slumlders, andgripped firmly in his mouth, the boy struggled on to the nearest pile, to which he finally clung like the small, amphibious animal he really was.

A boat-hook twisted into the garments of the girl Hf>rm relieved him of his charge, which was placed in the trembling awns of its nmther, whose heaven-raised eyes told plainly that she felt the baby's heart still beating againi-t her own. As they lowered the hooks again to draw up the almost equally exhausted rescuer the men noticed that the drops that Ml back from his clothes made a red stain on the water. As thny lifted him gently over the edge of the wharf and laid him down on his back, a terrible wound, extending around his fide and cutting clear through two of his ribs, was exposed.

" Stand back ?" said one of the men "to the crowding bystanders, " Mutt have dived under the wheel f r her."

The lookers on drew back aghast from tho puny wot form lying there on the slowly expanding carpet of red Mood which throb bed from his mangled side.

In tne awe-struck silence the low sobbing of the reviving baby nearby was heard, at which sound the wounded biy slowly op"iied his eyes and smiled faintly. " Where is he?" said a strong voice, shaken with. emotion, and the merchant pushed his way through the ring aud knelt tenderly by the pitiful little figure. " God bless you, my little man. What can Ido for you"?" and then, in a shocked tone, he added, " Why, he is wounded. Some odo fetch a doctor at once I"

'"Tain'.t no use," whispered the boy faintly, and then beckoning to the merchant to bend closer, he said in irregular gasps, " Does yer savoy the mouse ?"

The merchant looked perplexed. " Yer don't know me, but I know'd you and the little gal too, as soon as I seed her drop. I'm the boy what w.as tooked up." " Yes; yes, I remember, but youmust'nt talk untii the doctor comes, my poor fellow." " 'Taint no use. I'm goin'," said the small mouth. "Here, take that out aud count it," and he indicated a lump that protruded from a pocket of his wet clothes. Tbc merchant gently withdrew a rag, in which was rolled a lot oFsilver.

"Count it," persisted the lad earnestly. The man wonderiugly oboyedfaud then said there were just §9 40 in the bundle.

'■ I said I'd pay you back this year," said the boy in a fainter whisper and with a disregard of his terrible pain that was mar vellous; "but leant now ; I'm agoin', and I'm 00 cents °hort!"

And he said this with so earnest a look of distress and shame at his failure, that through the miud of his wet-eyed creditor iavoluntarily passed a thought'of the petty P'ivations, the ceaseless little acts of

self-denial, the half-fed days and shivering nights that were expressed by each of the battered dimes and hoarded nickels of the slowly acquired sum he hold in his hand. " JS ever mind the money," said the father in a choking voioc ; "my baby is worth all the money in the world to me, and you have saved her life." .As he .'poke a sudden thought dimly brightened the eyes of the battered little tradesman. Accustomed as he was from his earliest moments to lijjht the despprate battle of existence with hi« hunger-sharpened faculties on the alert for every advantage and offset in his pigmy bargains, he a9Ked: " Is gals worth anything ?" It was evident that saving another life, or losing his own, wa« a small matter beside his anxiety to pay tke debt of honour that weighed npon him. He asked the question incredulously, though. The few girls of "Snub's" acquaintance were ■wretchedly ineffectual creatures, unable to compete in. tke paper trade and proportionately worth less and insignificant. "Yes, yes ; mine is worth ever so much,* said the parent gently, and hardly knowing how to frame his answer lo tlio odd question. "Sixty cents?'' persisted Snubs. " Oh ! yes—much, much more -but—.—" " Then," whimpered the child, with an effort, but still trinmphautly. " We're square. I said I'd do it—a«d I have !" and his eyes closed.

" Can't I do something for you, my poor little hero?" said the merchant through his tears, for the ju»t arrived physician bad turned away, shaking hia head. "Do you wish for nothing ?" The little black eyes opened dully a nvment, pondered, and closed again. "I shoird l'ke Skinny Smith to have my corner." Themmmur came faintly and f;ii-oft. And then, having thus made his brief will, he choked, and a,* the blood oozed thinly from his littl* drawn mouth he whispered but one word mere : •' Square !" " It is beginning to rain," said one of the bystanders, in a husky voice. " Let us carry tlio little chap home." But the wharf rat had gone home already. — Sen Francisco Post.

Sad Lore Affairs of a Prima Donna.

THREA.TEXED I!Y A SWEETHEART. ftIAIUK KOZK contributes a page to the con temporary memoirs which prove that the life of a prims donna is not alt"gether a happy one. She had but recently made her debut in Paris in IS7O. Letters from un known worshippers bombarded her from all sides. All Paris, in fact, was in raptures over the charming singer's "Heine Hortcnsc," a Bonanurtist revival. The very iirat night fsbe reaped such a crop of letters of adoration as served to light a week's iires. The court was enchanted with the success of the opera, and Mile, t'oze was accorded the honour of singing at the Tuileries. It was the night of March, 1870, made memorable by the cipher despatch to Napoleon, as he tat listening to the diva, informing him of King William's studied rebuff of the French Minister, Bencdctte, under the lime trees at Ems. Keturning home, Mile. Koze found a letter from a well-known Marquis, declaring his passion, and threatening to destroy himself should she prove obdurate. In the confusion of the declaration of war she had forgotten the sanguinary lover, when one night, at the popular concerts given in aid of the National Guard, she re ceived another appeal, this time conjuring her to meet the Marquis lv the middle of the Bois de Boulogne at a certain hour of the night. In case of failure, she would be met the first time she left her apartments and her face destroyed with vitriol. Horrified, the singer sent tUe letter to the police. They directed her to atfcmd the readccYoiis, and when the ardent lover ap- Soared he was seized by a body of gen armes and hurried to SL Lazare. This was not the end of the adventure. While the Prussians wero lxsseiging Paris the per sistent Marquis made himself known aiain, writing laconically to tha terrified prima donna, " Amour oil vitriol. I have Bwora to have you or disfigure yon, and I will do it." That very night, as she sat in her room, a noise was heard on tlio wall. A man could be seen climbing to the balcony, but just as he reached it a sentinel fired and the Marquis fell to the ground dead. Mile. Koze declines to tell the name, but the pamter De JNouville declares that he knew him.

Printed and Published by thoPn prietor, Uenb* Brktt, of Symonds-Btreot, at bis G'reral Printing Office, Wyndham-streot, in the Pro. vlnco of Auckland, New Zealand. I Saturday Mat 13, 1882.

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, MAY IS, 1883

4



A FEW USEFUL HINTS SUGGESTED BY THE NEW ZEALAND INSURANCE COMPANY. How To Prevent Fires : " Keep m*tchos in metal boxo\ and out of the reach of children. Wax matches aro especially dtingerou9, and should bo kopt out of the w*y of rats and mice, and novor thrown ok the floor alight. Bryant and May's, Ball and Black's, or Letchford's SAFETY MATCHES—to strike on the box—aro the best. "Fill kerosene lampa only dnr'ng daylight, and never near a fire. Nover buy the cheapest oil, get tho best. " Deposit no ashes in wooden boxes or barrels but in a non-combustiblo repository, removed a Bafe distanco from wood-work. Place no ashes or light under a stairoaso. Bo specially careful with tho ashes from Waikato Caal. " Nover pile up partially burnt wooii »gainst the chimnoy; scores of houses hare been burned in this way in New Zcalann. Never put, fire wood inside tho fonder or on the stove to dry. ''Never oxamina a gas-meter or gas-pipe by artificial light. Nover take a light into a room full of escaped gas. " Avoid placing a light near curtains or dra pery ; or taking a light into a closet, ■ "Dd not read or smoko in bed at night. "Place shades over gas-lights in shop win dows, and keep goods a safe distance therefrom. '' Permit no smoking in warehouses.especially where Roods are packed or flax is stored. " Stove-pipes should bo nino inohoa or more from wood, enclosed in non-oonvoustiblo sub stance, fiud carried four foot above the roof. "Hatchways and other openings in tho floors of stores factories and warehouses, should bo always closed at night. Closo iron doors be twoen floors when not required to bo open for business Havo a fow buckots always filled with water, available in oaso of aooidenta. Stores should havo an iron tank of watar, always filled, on each floor.l "Buildings in which cotton waste, rags, or oil aro used for cleaning and oiling machinory should have an iron box to hold the same, as these substance* aro liable to spontaneous igni tion, and. it neglected, may constitute an element of very serious danger. "Havo your chimnoys regularly swopt, at fixed intervals; at least onco in throe months." Useful as these precautions may bd your greatest safeguard is to INSUItE AGAINST FIRE IN TUB JJEW yEALAND TNSURANCE /M). QUEEN-STREET, AUCKLAND, rpHE AUCKLAND GAP COMPANY, JL Limited. PURVEYORS OF LIGHT, HEAT, & POWER, Gas fittings, Gas Apparatus, and Gas Engines In Stock. FORT-STREET, AUCKLAND.



Gazette Notification. Extract from, New Zealand Gazette, 3Wft March, 1882;] A ITERATIONS AND ADDITIONS t\ TO THB SCALE OH1 FARKS AND ; CHAR6K3 IN KORCa ON THK NKW ZBA" LAND RAILWA if 6. In accordance with the By-laws for the New Zealand Railway*, fixed by Orders in Connoll dated the 6th January, 1881. and the 22nd aep. tetnber, 188J, the fol owing scale of charges for ■■> the purposea epeclfled below is hereby fixed. In lien or in addition to tbatatp'esentin force, and nucli scale shall come Into force from and after the 10th April, 1882. PART I-PASSKSGBH& Travkhkbs' Annual Tickht*. Travellers' Annutl Tickets, available ovor the whole of the New Zealand railways for one year from date et insue, will bo charged £50. PAET IV.-LOCAIi KATK3. AUCKLAND BBCTIO.V. Passenger Rates. Ist Clace 2od Class From To 8. H. 8. Bi «. d. a. ri. b. rt. a. d, Auckland Morniogalde 10 16 0 9 12 The Pttto for freight of goods, Classen A.JJ, 0, D. K. between Auckland and Onehuuga, la hereby cancelled. HKL^hviLtK Timber Sup; Loading kauri 1o«b at Heio-BVllle timber slip Will be charged -Ud par 100 Mipoifleial feet. PART V.-THKOUGH RATES. AUCKLAND S'-OTION. The rates for river truffle ure hereby cancelled . Goods of Clawt a a, B O, D. X, between One hun^iu and Auckland, will be caarggd at per ton as follows:— :" Between Auckland and s.ii.C,Li. X p. 6. b. d. ~ OnehnngaTown .. .. J I) 4 0 Oneonnca Wh»rf .. .. 5 3(16 The rate to the wh»rf inclndes charges ot wharfage and delivery to chips in truoka alone, side the railway wharf, whips'goods by weight or measurement according tj thlps" biU of lad. in?. The following rate 3 will ba cbargei at per ton on goods, Claßßes A.B.UD.K, carried between Auok and and Gnuhuiiga and the stationn Htatn<i below :— Station. ABODE . | ". d. a d. s.d. s.d. a.d. Obinewai _ _ ..SVII2B/8 23/9 17/9 12/0 Hnntly |3R/I) WU 23/!) 17/tt 12/0 Taupiri .. _ ..37/8 31/8 2?/9 17/9 J2/0 Nraruawahla .. ..39/0 33/0 23/9 17/9 12/0 Pukete JO/O :il/(l 24/0 ls/0 12/2 TeKasa .. ... .. fc./n 31/0 2J/0 18/0 12/2 Hamilton Junction .. 10/0 Ufli 24/0 18/0 12/ i Hamilton iO/C 31/5 21/1 18/4 12/3 Rnkuhia |?/0 w/fi 26/0 20/0 12/8 Ohaupo 45/0 38,2 VII 21/4 13/0 < Lake Koad _ .. lfi/n ;j9/h 23/0 22/0 13/2 NK»ro-o 17/0..,9,10 28/8 22/8 13/4 reAWamutu .. .. iftO 10,8 2J/4 2X'd 13/6 PART VII. L'LASSIVICATIOX OK GOODS. Furniture, loose in tacking, matting; straw bands, partially or wholly exposed. Kato and a quarter. Special goods. Owners' risk .. Class A. Rabbits, dead, at owners' risk .. .. Clasa C. PART Vlir.-WHAUVES. Auckland Section, Onehunga Wharves. Wharfage Rates. s d Cattle and korses, per head .06 Sheep, pigs, and goats, per head .. ..0 1 Bonednsr, guano, and artificial manures (imported), conveyea by rail .. .. Free. Other goods, cla'S H.y«rt.v> 16 Timber. Class K. carried be railway, at per 100 fret superfljial Hi.a rquivaiunt.. 0 2 Tlmb6r, Ola-a X, nut CHni.-<l liy ■ allway .. 0 * Goods of Cla?se.i L. >, f, p r ion _ ..10 Nativecoal „ Free, - Bhnll«, undrespea bnilding (tone, or shioglo, per ton .. _ 0 6 ; Wool, sheepskins and rabbltsklon, In bales not over 4. owt, per hale .. _ ..0 6 Flex, In bale* uot over 2 cwt, per bale _ 0 X Fonr-wheel vehicles, each SO Two-wheel vehioleH. eann .. _ ..2 6 All othor goods, weight or measurement at the option of the wharfinger, per ton .. 3 6 400 gallon iron tanks, each 10 Poal'ry of all kinds, per head .. ..0 1 Minimum charjef i» all onsen .. ..0 6 Soodßtraoshipoed intoothor craft for despatch to places outside the Manukau Heads from nhtpßlyiui; alooK'ine the vibarves will be auh jeot to full wharfawe charge;. Goods traDsbiuped into other oraft for des patch to places within the Manukau Heads ; from ships lying alongtidn the wharves Will be. subject to ha.f wharfage charge?.' Not*.—l he wharfage on goods. Classes A. B. C. O, and X, carried by rail between Auckland Station and Onehunga Wharf, is covered by the i ail way freight. Tolls. B. <J. Haohveisel lying at the wharf, per work- ; ing dey or part thereof, per ton gross register up to 160 ions 0 0£ For each ton above 15j tons, per working day or part thereof 0 01 Minimum charge, per working day or part thereof ; .. 2 6 For every wagon using the wharf, drawn by one horse, each time 10 For ouch additional hor*o OS Kor each express cirt or other vehicle, drawn by one horsa 0 8 For every barrow or hand-truck, each ; time _ _ 0 2 Cranage. For use of crane on wharf,per ton.. ..0 6 Exceptional cargoes (as may bo determined by the Hallway Dupartmem) to be charged per day* or otherwise by tpeoiat arrangement, '.the charge for oninago aoes sot includo the cost o( hau'age to the crann when the goods have beet previously deposited at a distance therefrom. The working hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p m. on week-daj s. Hkikusville 'VThabf. Wharfage Rates. All goods loaded or unloaded from or into boats or other craft into nr from boats or other oraft lying at the rail way wharf, will be charged the ordinary wharfage rates. Dated this 29th <Uy of March. 1882. JOHf HALL. Minister actlnn for the, Minister for Publia Works. V\/"E havo just received another Large - * Shipment of Linens and Cambric Hand kerchief s, &c, direct from a Belfast Manufac turer. Handkerchiofa, from 2d each; Towels, 4Jd; Men's White Shirts from 2a Cd; Table .from 75d each; Tablecloths, from 3s lrd; unbleached Table Damasks 54 inches wide. Is per yard : a splendid assortment of Ladies* Ulster's from 8s 6d, with silk lined hoods; also a la1 ge lot of Ladies' Jackets hand somely trimmed at 13s 6d. 19s 6d, and 22s 6d: <<-.*' the nowLaco Nottingham Curtains scolloped and bonnd all round, from 10s 6d; and other makes from 3s lid. Wo are sure that an in spoction of our goods and prices will prove that readers of the Star will save money by pur chasing at Wm. H. Smith's Cheap Drapery Warehouse, Corner of Queen and Alexandra- Streets, Army and Navy Hotel. r |\A.KAPUfcA LAKH. — Coach leaves JL Post-office, Devonport, daily at 7.20.10.30 a.m., and 2.30 and i3O p.m., returning at 8 and , 11.15 a.in., and at 3.15 and 5.15 p.m. Sunday?, leaves at 11 a m., 2.30 and 4.30 p.m. Faros, one shilling each way. Special trips when necea- Bary. saddle horscß anrt Ml kinds of oarriaiteß for hlre.-OUVBtt MAYS. Livery Btables. Devonport. WALTER BAYNE, Kybbr pass, UNDERTAKER Of 20 years' experience. Funerals conducted with dispatch, and at prices to dofy competition.