Thursday Is. Notes

Electrical Installation to Commence

From Our Own Correspondent

Thursday Is., April 21.

WORK will commence soon on the erection of the power house in Upper John Street, and this will be an important step in the establish ment of Thursday Island’s electric light service. Some of the poles will be delivered shortly and the engine is expected in June.

Mr. Kemp, an independent engineer, has opened up business in Thursday Island for the purpose of installing domestic services, so that everything points to an early completion of the whole undertaking. What the light means in the way of convenience and ultimate economy will be only discov ered when it is in use, but the Mayor and Council are to be congratulated on their progressive action and the very favourable terms they have arranged.

It should be remembered by our grate ful citizens that the work thus vol untarily performed by various mem bers of the council has been very con siderable.

Sporting Doings.

The Aquatic Club opened its season very auspiciously, not with a race, but with a subscription dance, which the members’ wives and lady friends help ed to make a success.

The Club has wisely realised the tightness of local purse strings and cut down the entry fees for races to half the former rate. Trophies are now substituted for cash prizes, which is a distinct advantage, bringing more honour to the winners and establishing more firmly the amateur status of the club.

The Sports Club has been reorganis ed and will start on a new lease of life under the guidance of Mr. H. M.

Green, the newly elected president. The objects of the club are most praise worthy and its progress will be watch ed with interest by all who know the value of active sport in promoting good comradeship and health in small tropical communities.

It is to be hoped that the Club decides upon the formation of a keen disciplined football team, which has been conspicuous by its absence for some years past. Two competing teams, principally composed of colour ed lads, would be found for matches, varied by an occasional ship’s com pany. Barriers between the white and coloured races in matters of sport are now completely broken down in most British tropical possessions, and inter racial matches are productive of much good. The coloured men who have kept Rugby going here for the last

couple of years show a good deal of talent and a very sporting spirit in all their games.

The new Sports Club opened with a cricket match against a team from the Malabar, and we hope this enjoyable game will be the fore-runner of many others.

Stranded On A Reef.

The steamer Temple Pier, en route from Hong Kong to Newcastle, passed the port at daylight on March 10 and stranded on Piper Island, 100 miles south, later on the same day. The vessel was fortunate enough to float off on the high tides then prevailing and proceeded on her way apparently undamaged. The vessel did not en gage a pilot at Thursday Island.

Pearling Veterans Visit T.I.

Two pearling veterans, both insepar ably connected with the prosperity of the industry and the district generally, have paid us a visit lately—Mr. R.

Hockings and Mr. Herbert Bowden.

Though neither of these gentlemen are resident here, they make frequent visits to their old home and seem to cherish an affection for the island.

There is something of the “Wongai” (the legend runs that he who eats the fruit of the Wongai tree must return to Torres Straits), discernible here, and neither seem to have lost their liking for the fishing and shooting excursions, which are such a feature of life on Thursday Island.

An Old Tale Revived.

One of those stories of buried treas ure that first arrived in Australia along with MacArthur’s merinos has come to life again, and is to have an other run for its money up this way.

It had its origin in the disappearance of certain governmental funds during a scrap in a South American State over a century ago. The “original plans” of the site of eventual disposal of the treasure invariably located on the Alice River, a tributary of the Mitchell —have been sold up and down the world the last 50 years.

Now they have changed hands again, possibly at a reduced price on account of the depression, and the new owner, who has implicit faith in his purchase, is coming up to Cape York Peninsula by car in May to start operations.

It did not damp his ardour when a local man who happened to be holi daying in Sydney told him everybody knew about the treasure on the Alice.

He just went on with his dream and asked the man from the Mitchell if he could get him some boys to help in the unearthing of the treasure.

“Sure thing,” said the northerner.

“I can get you the very boys that dug up the site 15 years ago for a Yank who came along with the same plans as yours!”

Trochus On The Upgrade

Large consignments of trochus are awaiting shipment to Japan and the price of this commodity is again on the upgrade at about £58 per ton, which is, however, less than this time last year.