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Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 653, 3 June 1882, Page 2

The Court. —Nothing at the Police Court to-day.

The late Mr Liddle. —ln chronicling the death, at the Hospital, of Mr Liddle the other day, wo stated the cause of death as “ typhus ” fever, whereas we should have said “ typhoid” fever.

Lawn Tennis on Board Ship. —On board the Orient Company’s Lusitania on her last trip to Australia, amongst the improvised amusements were cricket and lawn tennis The former was managed by having an awning spread and curtains extending from them to the rail of the ship, to prevent the ball going overboard.

A Painful Case,— We learn from Dunedin that a case of a somewhat painful character was heard at the Resident Magistrate’s Court there yesterday. A well-known solicitor (Mr J. H. Harris) sued a client for a small debt which his son, also a solicitor, had collected. The son declared his father had given him authority to do so, but the father declared there was not a word of truth in the statement. The magistrate gave judgment for the plaintiff, on the ground that the defence must prove that the person collecting had authority to do so. He said he placed belief in the statement of the plaintiff. It is understood there are a number of cases of a similar character, and it is not improbable the matter will be further heard of in Court.

Temporary Rea ding-room. — The upper chamber of the Town Hall has been converted, as previously announced would be the case, into a temporary reading-room, and the long table is now covered with English and Australian illustrated papers, Loudon Punch's, and a variety of colonial journals. Access to the reading-room is obtained by the side entrance to the hall nearest the Somerset Hotel. Subscribers only are admitted. A few books not detroyod by the Library fire are available for circulation, and these fortunately are of a popular description, suitable for fireside reading. In a short time now a consignment of new books will bo arriving from Home. We trust that the public will not be “ backward in coming forward ” to enter their names with Mr Douglas as subscribers, so that the interest in the Library may be kept alive until such time as the now building is erected.

Tenders. —The Upper Ashburton Road Board invites tenders for shingling. Masonic Concert.—A grand Masonic concert is announced for the evening of Friday, June 10th, at the Masonic Hall, Tancred street. Tickets are obtainable from members of the committee, whose names appear in our advertising columns. ' County Council.—Mr Thomas Taylor, of Waterton, was to-day nominated for the seat rendered vacant at the Council table by the resignation of Mr Hugo Friedlander. There being no other candidates nominated, Mr Taylor was declared duly elected. Hotel Changes. — We learn that Mr John Beecher, formerly of Bruce’s Hotel, Akaroa. and more recently of the Woodbury Hotel, Waihi Crossing, has taken over the Central Hotel, Wakanui road, from Mr Sam. Brown, who, wo believe, will not, however, leave the county.

The South Express.—Yesterday morning, on the arrival of the express train from Christchurch, the grease-box and the iron work in connection with the Pullman car was found to be in an overheated condition. The carriage was immediately detached, and the train proceeded on its way without it.

Saved Twice in Two Hours. —There must be a special providence watching over the lives of sailors. At Auckland on Thursday night a sailor, belonging to the Annie Milbank, fell into the harbor while in liquor, and was rescued by a Maori. Two hours later he fell in again, and was rescued a second time.

The Waimate Steeplechase Course.— As some owners of horses engaged at the Waimate Steeplechase meeting, on the 15ch hist., do not like the present course on account of its rough state, and have intimated their intention not to run, the Club have got a new one two miles from town with splendid going. A Big Bullock—What the bills call “ the mammoth bullock ‘ Tichborne,’ ” was on view to-day at the rear of the Somerset Hotel. The “ show ” was patronised fairly during the day, and the general opinion was that the animal was a “ boomer.” “ Tichborne” will remain on view during Monday.

For the Fiji Trade. — A new boat for the Union Steamship Company was launched yesterday at Port Chalmers, where she was put together. She is built entirely of mild steel, and was turned out in Messrs Denny Bros.’ yards. She is named the Waihi. She is 80 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 8 feet depth of hold, and is intended for the river trade in Fiji, where she will act as a feeder to the company’s boats trading between Fiji and this colony. Beetroot Wine. —Beetroot wine has been made successfully by a French agriculturist with a view to supply the deficit caused by the ravages of the phylloxera. As beetroot furnishes a considerable amount of alcohol it was decided to submit the pulp to the same process as the grape, and the experiments produced an agreeable wine, which is to be reported upon by an official commission. As beetroot is easily cultivated on almost any kind of ground, this appears to open up another industry. The Local Government Circular.— At a special meeting of the Grey County Council, the circular of the Colonial Treasurer respecting local government was considered. The result generally was unfavorable to the proposal, and a resolution passed some time ago by the Council, to the effect that substantial aid by way of subsidies should be granted to goldfields counties, was re affirmed. The following resolution was carried: —“ That in the event of any of the present sources of the revenue being, by legislation, taken away from the county, the Government be requested to substitute grants in aid equivalent to such loss, to ba charged against the colonial revenue.” All those to Itood Boards were passed over without comment. It was agreed to recommend the election of the chairman by the ratepayers, in the same way as mayors, but to be elected for three years instead of one. A Mermaid. —Some years ago the pleasure-loving public were astonished at the perfortnaucees of “ Natator, the ManFish.” According to the Home papers, an exhibition of a similar kind is now drawing crowds at the Oxford Music Hall, London. A lady who appears on the bills under the appropriate name of “ Lurline ” goes through a series of fish performances in a tank constructed for the purpose, manages to remain beneath the water for two minutes and forty seconds, and occasionally succeeds in accomplishing the three minutes. Besides this, while beneath the surface she pares and eats an apple, and uncorks a bottle and drinks Ihe contents. But the most graceful part of the exhibition is the concluding portion, when, having fastened an ordinary chair to the bottom of the tank, she dives beneath it and returns through the back rails witii all the ease aud graceful undulatory motion of a fish, aud this she repeats again and again, and all in a space not greatly exceeding her own length.

Don’t Practice What They Preach—lt is truly a molancohly thing, remarks the Rangitlkei Advocate, to behold the champions of the people doing over one after another to the camp of the enemy—the ruthless and remorseless land speculators. "here used to be a chosen band of “ Liberals,” who made the working men believe that they would fight valiantly and faithfully to the end they would see that the doctrine “ the land for the people and the people for the land ” should be carried out to its fullest extent—woe to the land speculators 1 It was pleasant to sea this band of sturdy patriots battling bravely in the noble cause. But, alas for human instability ! First, Ballance and Stout became land speculators, then followed Sheehan and Rees. Yet the working men had one fervid champion left. Amongst the faithless, Do Lautour remained faithful. But, sad to record, even ho has deserted at last. We have received a circular anont “ The New Zealand Native Land Settlement Company,” which has a capital of half a million sterling, and, marvellous to relate, Mr 0. A. De Lautour’s name is signed to this circular as secretary ! Our London telegrams stale that L 75.000 worth of this company’s shares had been sold at par. Evidently Mr Do Lautour’s company is going in for land speculation on a big scale.