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Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 811, 6 December 1882, Page 2

The Dunedin Police and the “Act.”

—The Dunedin police yesterday secured convictions for raffling horses, and intend proceeding against the managers of the Benevolent Carnival for holding lotteries. Cricket. To-morrow and Friday a match will be played between a team selected from the local Banks and eleven town players, principally chosen from the Ashburton Cricket Club. Play will commence each day at 4 p. in. Memoranda. —Messrs Andrewes Bros, announce that they have just opened up a choice lot of Christmas goods.—Messrs D. Macpherson and C>. announce that they will, on Monday 11th inst., re-open the City Butchery establishment, and will be prepared to supply prime meat.

Homeward and Australian Mails. — Mails for Australian Colonies, United Kingdom, etc., via Hobart, will close at the Bluff, per s.s. Wairarapa, on Friday, at noon. —Mails for the United Kingdom, etc., per s.s. Sorrento, via Suez Canal, will close at Port Chalmers to-morrow (7th) at 11 a.m.

Auckland v. Canterbury. —The match Auckland y. Canterbury termina-ed yesterday, and resulted in a win for the Canterbury team by 27 runs. The opposing teams appears to have been very equally matched on the whole, although the Northerners are admitted to be stronger in some departments of the game than the Christchurch men. The Aucklanders have gone to We lington, where they play on Friday and Saturday. Banquet to Archibald Forbes. —Mr Archibald Forbes was banquetted last night at Dunedin, the affair being under the auspicies of the Caledonian Society. Between 60 and 70 were present, including many of the leading residents. Mr Bathgate proposed the toast of the even ing in a happy speech, referring to the many gifted men of the Forbes family for generations past. Mr Forbes, in reply, made a humorous speech, which was greatly applauded.

The Burning of the Milton Pottery Works. —Concerning the fire at Milton Pottery Works yesterday’s Bruce Herald says : —" It was at first considered by some that the fire breaking out where it did could only have been the work of an incendiary, but we have since learnt that a quantity of wet straw had been lying in the shed for some weeks. This would, undoubtedly, heat, and as fresh straw was placed upon it the previous day this may have caused the fire. Nothing can be known for certain as to the intentions of the Company until the directors meet, but it is most probable that temporary appliances will be put up, so that as many of the hands may be employed as possible, and the works kept from remaining at a standstill.

Sunflower Culture. —“ Ango-Austra-lian ” in the European Mail writes :—A curious industrial project has just been brought under my notice. This is nothing less than planting sunflowers in some at present rather unproductive lands in the Thames Valley. One of the main objects of the present scheme is to obtain oil—one acre of sunflowers usually yielding fifty bushels of seeds and each bushel a gallon of excellent oil. It happens, moreover, that the sunflower supplies the best bee food in the world, and as in New Zealand and certain parts of the Austral continent bees abound, it might be worth while, perhaps, to jtake the hint and combine bee keeping with oil culture. The two pursuits would surely be very profitable if systematically carried out. Not long ago, in San Diego, California, one bee master raised six thousand pounds’ weight of sound mercantile honey in a single year. The sunflower, by the way, is, I believe, really indigenous to Central America, and there frequently attains the amazing height of 20ft, and forms a conspicuous and splendid object even in the midst of the startling flora of that subtropical region.

The new Governor of Western Australia.—ln our cablegrams this evening we notice with pleasure that an old Canterbury resident, Mr F. N. Broome, who arrived here in 1857, hut returned to England in 1869, has been pr to the governorship of Western Australia. Mr Frederick Napier Broome occupied a sheep station in the Malvern district, near the Waimakariri river, for some years, and it was at this spot his wife, Lady Barker wrote her work, “Station Life in New Zealand.” Mr Broome, during his residence in Canterbury, wrote several poems, which commanded no little attention from the literary world. He also took an active interest in literary work, contributing a number of well written articles to tho London Times and other journals This resulted in his getting an important office in the former influential paper, which he immediately left New Zealand to fill. We take the following from the “ Men of the Time “ Broome, Frederick Napier, son of tho late Rev. F. Broome, rector of Adderley, Hampshire, was born in Canada in 1842, and emigrated to Canterbury, New Zealand, in 1857. Visiting England in 1864, he married Lady Barker, returned to his sheep station in New Zealand tho following year, but in 1869 came back to England. Almost immediately on his arrival in London, Mr Broome was employed on the Times, and was for five years one of the special correspondents of that journal, which he represented in Russia at the marriage of tho Duke of Edinburgh. He has hold the posts of Secretary t > the Committee tor the completion of St Paul’s Cathedral, also to tho Royal Commission on unaeaworthy ships. He has contributed prose and verse to the “ Cornhill,” “Macmillan,” and other magazines, and has published two vols. of poetry “Poems from New Zealand, 1868,” and “ I'he Stranger of Scriphos, 1869.” In February, 1875, Mr Broome was appointed Colonial Secretary of Natal, and in February, 1878, Colonial Secretary of the Island of Mauritius.” This makes the second Canterbury sheep owner and runholder who has been appointed to tho offi.e of Governor of Western Australia, Mr A. Weld, at one time a resident of Canterbury, having filled that office. What makes Mr Broome’s appointment more pleasing is the fact that he is a selftaught man, and has risen through great energy to his present proud position. Wo hope he may long enjoy it.

Jem Mace and Slade;— Jetn Mace and Slade, after giving a boxing exhibition in the Theatre Royal, left Auckland by the mail steamer for San Francisco. Sunstroke. —Two cases of sunstroke occurred at Queenstown a few days ago, one being attended with fatal results. In both children were the sufferers, and and the one that succumbed was aged ten years.

The Spiritualistic Healer. —Milner Stephen, Spiritualist, arrived at Auckland from Sydney by the Australia. He intends lecturing on his alleged healing powers. This man created quite a furore in Sydney, and his door was daily beseiged by hundreds of the lame, halt, and blind who professed, many of them, at least, to derive great benefit from his ‘‘laying on of hands.” A Thrifty Man. —The fallowing shows what may be done by “ turning everything to account,” as the old adage says. The liangitikei Advocate mentions that Mr Wm. McDougal, who has taken up land in the Kiwitea, when the road line was felled and cleared, sowed grass seed on it, and had such a fine crop that he cut the grass and saved the seed, the result being that he had enough seed to sow 30 acres of land. Bicycling. —Messrs H. A. LeCren and D. G. Moore, two young bicyclists of Timaru, says the Herald, last Thursday took a trip to Oamaru and back on wheels. They started about 2 a.m., and running against the wind, reached Oamaru at 11 o’clock. They started back at half-past 2, and reached St Andrew’s about half-past 8, and it being then dark, they finished the journey homeward in an.express. The distance “cycled,” about 95 miles, is a very good day’s journey.

A Jockey Amongst the Ladies.— At a ladies’ hack parade on a recent afternoon at the Blenheim Show, some amusement was caused, so says the local Times, when it was discovered that one of the lady riders was not a lady at all, but a wellknown jockey, who had donned female attire in order to enter for the competition. Any student of anatomy could see at a glance that the jockey referred to did not represent the female form divine, but there were very many present who regarded him as a very swarthy, awkward descendant of Eve. Carbolic Acid as a Cure tor Consumption.—We clip the following from a Melbourne exchange :—“A gentleman suffering from consumption, and being annoyed greatly by mosquitos, placed pure carbolic acid at his be iside. It not only proved a protection against them, but it is reported it had a very benefi.ial effect on his lungs. The remedy is so simple that anyone afflicted with this disease would o well to give it a trial. The carbolic vapor inhaled destroyed the bacilli. Carbolic acid possesses many valuable properties, probably many not yet recognised practically.”

The Murder Near Auckland. —The inquest on the body of Ellen Crowley was held yesterday at Whitefoord Park Tunanga creek, near Auckland, by Captain Kellop, Mr Hesketh watched the case for the prisoner, who was present under police escort. The evidence of the daughter wont to show that the affair was the result of sudden frenzy on her father’s part. Hesketh’s cross-examination of the witness was to set up the plea of temporary insanity. Some of the jurors wanted t) aid a rider of temporary insanity, but the coroner told them it was not a question for their consideration. A verdict of “ Wilful murder ” was returned. A Powerful Mushroom: —A striking instance of the enormous power of cell growth is given by Public Opinion, as having occurred a short time since in a grain elevator at Buffalo, New York State. “ The asphalte flooring was over a foot thick, in two layers. The upper layer was seven inches thick, laid hot, rolled down, and thoroughly cooled four years ago. Below was an old floor of tar and gravel six inches thick. A curious bulge in the floor was first noticed, covering about a square foot. In six hours the floor was burst open, and a perfectly formed mushroom, with a stem two inches through, and a very wide cap, made Us appearance. Elsewhere the floor is smooth and unbroken.” Sale of Crown Lands. —The last number of the Government Gazette contains a notification respecting a sale of Crown lands at the Town Hall, Ashburton, on Tuesday, 16th January, from which it appears that upon the above date between 30 and 40 sections in the town of Ashburton, of about 1 rood each, will be submitted to auction, the upset price averaging Ll2 per lot. A number of rood sections in the township of Orari (upset price L 7 10a), suburban land at Orari, land on the north bank of the Rangitata, and deferred payment land, Rangitata and Tinwald, will also be offered at the same time ; and on 17 th January, at Messrs Davies and Co. ’s salerooms, Rakaia, two 1 rood sections, township of Rakaia will be submitted, the upset price being Ll2 10s ; also three lots, township of Horndnn, and 17 sections ranging from 2 to 5 acres each ; suburban laud, Rakaia; and five 5 acre sections, deferred payment land, Rakaia village settlement.

Postage Stamvs. —We have received from the proprietor, Mr D. A. Viudin, of Sydney, the first number of the New South Wales Philatelist {a. quarterly journal for stamp collectors), a neatly got up little eight-page publication, full of interesting matter for those whose hobby lies in the direction of amassing postage stamps. The pursuit would appear to be a popular one, according to the journal under notice for the editor tells us—“As evidence of the spread of philately, there are at present published to my knowledge 8 papers in Great Britain, 16 in the United States, 1 in Brazil, 1 in Chili, 2 in Columbia, 4 in Canada, 2 in France, 1 in Switzerland, 2 in Denmark, 1 in Spain, 1 in lloumania, 7 in Austria, 10 in Germany, 3 in Belgium, 1 in Japan, and 1 in Russia, making a total of 60 published in 9 different languages. Of stamp papers that have not survived to date, there are over 500.” We must confess that until we saw the Philatelist we had no conception that stamp collecting occupied such a dignified position as it would appear to ■ njoy. Hero is an extract quoted by the Philatelist, from the Court Journal: —“Stamp collecting is not at all confined to schoolboys, but has a la ge number of votaries of every age in all known quarters of the globe. South American Republics and distant colonies have as ardent collec’ors as Europe, while every capital and many important cities have their Philatelic Societies. There is as much difference between a collection of high order and that of a schoolboy, as there would be were the object entomology or numismatics. The vast amount of labor and research given to the subject by leading amateurs would astonish anyone who held it as a trivial pursuit, eg, ‘ The postage, and telegraph stamps of Great Britain,’ lately issued by our President, Mr F. A. Philbrick, under the auspices of the London Philatelic Society. Many collectors spend hundreds annually, and LI,OOO to L 1,500 is not a big price for a collection. One collection recently brought LB,OOO, and there is one existing far more valuable. A fairly good collection, such as now, would number 30,000 specimens. Last year L 240 was given for two stamps, issue value Id and 2d, postmarked, and issued in Mauritius in 1849. After this, old china is of small account.” We once heard of a man whose hobby was collecting turnpike tickets, and had in our ignorance hardly ranked old postage stamps much higher than the literature of the “ pike.” We know better now. Still, wo fancy we should think twice or even thrice before parting witli L 240 for a couple of obsolete letter stamps.

ShOW.-c— A list of special private prizes in connection with the approaching Summer 'Floorer Show will elsewhere; : ' Rifles. —Ten members of the Company mustered, at the rifle range this raoinihg at fiVie o’clock, and v > are glad to notice that the shooting showed an improvement on previous records. Captain Douglas and Sergeant Vaughan were top scorers with 41 points each, Private. J. Leitch being next with 36. Coming to Ashburton. — We are glad to learn that definite arrangements have been made for the appearance in Ashburton, for one night; of the king of war correspondents, Archibald Forbes. A resident in town got a telegram yesterday announcing that Mr Forbes would lecture hero on the night of the 15th inst.

Cheap Beer. —The latest freak of the Melbourne larrikins is to victimise the Carlton Brewery by abstracting ale therefrom without going through the process of paying for it. They have rigged up a syphon of a somewhat ingenious kind, which they insert at night time through one of the open places in the wall into one of the casks in the interior. The beer is thus drawn off, and the thieves have thus been enabled to obtain a supply of liquor without much difficulty.

Ashburton Licensing Committee.— The quarterly meeting of this Committee was held to-day at Tinwald. Present— Messrs H. T. Winter, D. McLean, W. H. Zouch, and J. Iveas. Mr Winter, in the absence of Mr Grigg, was voted to the chair. The police report of the licensed houses in the district was read and found satisfactory. The transfer of the Waterton Hotel from Patrick O’Shannasaey to John Mager was confirmed. An account for the rent of the hall was passed, and the Committee adjourned.

Free Passes fob School Children Wanted. —A deputation from the Dunedin School Committee waited on the Hon. Mr Johnston yesterday asking that once a year school children should be granted a free railway ticket into the country for the benefit of their health and to visit their friends. Mr Johnston, in reply, said all concessions made in connection with educational matters must be done by the Minister of ; Education. He ’ (Mr Johnston) sit there simply as a carrier’, and if the Minister of Education desired to issue free railway passes to anyone, all he had to do was to apply to him for them, and get them on paying for them. The matter was beyond his province.

A Touch of the Gold Fever in Wellington. was quite a flutter, in town on Monday, says the Wellington Times of Friday last, about the Empire Gold Mine, a newly-opened claim at Terawhiti. At quite an early hour a wellknown sharebroker was making anxious inquiries for Empire stock, much to the astonishment of shareholders, no one on the directory, of the Umpire company having received late intimation from the mine manager of any find, good, bad, or indifferent, in the workings. We believe the industrious sharebroker found his reward in securing some four thousand shares from unwitting holders, at prices varying from L2O the thousand to Is 6d per share. As the day waned, however, prices stiffened, and shortly after sunset the mine manager (Mr Hewitt) made his appearance at the office of Mr Ladd, the legal manager, with a parcel of very good specimens, and the gratifying information that the lode had widened out to 4 feet, and was showing good golden stone. He was quite astonished to hear of the excitement in town, as he was under the impression that no one knew of the find but himself, but at the same time remarked that he noticed the stone he had left in the tunnel on Saturday night had been turned over, and some of it, apparently, abstracted. Also, he observed some people about the claim yesterday afternoon, and his suspicions being excited ;he hurried into town and reported progress to the directory. He was,, however, too late to avert the “ having ” of two or three shareholders taken off their guard. That, however, is about the extent of the raid. The stock is now well held, and we believe that the utmost dispatch will be used to put machinery on the ground, and make the Empire mine pay its way. This news is very gratifying, as it shows that the Terawhiti goldfield is likely to come to the front after all as a substantial producer. The Empire claim is situated on the face of a steep hill, the base of which is washed by Cook Strait; Ohau Bay is just beyond it. It is about three miles from the Albion claim. The specimens brought in by the manager showed gold freely, whilst the stone was of a very superior character.