Untitled

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 833, 4 January 1883, Page 2

Property Tax. — A notice interesting to all liable under the Property Tax Assessment Act appears in another column.

Caledonian Society. —A meeting of directors of the above Society ia called for to-morrow evening, at 7 30, at Quill’s Hotel.

Inquest. —At the inquest held at Auckland on Mr Smith, who was formerly of Christchurch, the verdict was “ death from natural causes.” The pout mortem showed extensive heart disease. Costume Cricket Match.— Those interested are reminded that a meeting of gentlemen will take pla-.e at the Commercial Hotel to-night to discuss matters connected with a contemplated costume cricket match, in aid of the Library funds. The Clarence River Disaster. Letters received state that among the passengers saved by swimming at the wrack of the steamer New England at Clarence Heads was the Rev. W. Watkin, principal of the Three Kings Institution, Auckland. Flemington School. —The annual distribution of prizes in connection with the above school will take place in the schoolroom to-morrow evening. The distribution will he followed by a concert, and given propitious weather there should be a good attendance of visitors.

Piano Tuning. —Herr Otto Schweers has now arrived in Ashburton, and the musical portion of the community desirous of securing this well-known tuner’s services will find particulars of his visit in an announcement in this issue, or on application to Mr Weeks. Sporting. —A race for LLS a side will take place on the Ashburton course on Wednesday next, between Mr Cockle’s Lady Helen and Mr I. Thompson’s Steel Dust. The distance will be l£ miles, and each horse is to carry 10st 71b. Some interest has been excited concerning the capabilities of the respective horses, and bets are being freely exchanged on the result. Dunedin Caledonian Sports .At the sports yesterday, the ten mile race was won by O’Connor in 57mins. 2seca. Burk, who had 220yds start was 25yds bshind at the finish. There was a good deal of excitement about this race. In a champion 220 yards race, three Canterbury men started against one Otigo. Hulston of Canterbury won. The Otago man got a wretched start. Lbciure. —The Eev. Dr Stephenson will give one of his highly instructive lectures this evening at the Town Hall, and a perusal of the synopsis, which appears elsewhere, foreshadows a capital evening’s entertainment, as well as giving some idea of street arab life in London, with which most of our readers are but faintly acquainted. The story which Dr Stephenson has to tell will no doubt be listened to by a large audience. A Successful Fair. —The Wanganui Fancy Fair completed last night a season of eight nights of the most successful entertainment ever given in Wanganui. The total receipts at the doors, inside shows, and from the sale of goods was £7OO. The expenses were heavy, but is is estimated that the share of profit contributed to the Fire Brigade building fund would be £2OO. The fair will be removed to Fielding, opening on Wednesday next, and subsequently Hawera and other places. Maccabe. —ln our advertising columns will be found a notification from Mr Maccabe’s advance agent, to the effect that the hero of “Begone, Dull Care” will give one of h’s popular entertainments in Ashburton next week. The residents of Ashburton should not fail to see this really wonderful and amusing entertainment, as Maccabe has no equal in his particular profession in the world. Wherever he has been, crowded houses hive been the rule, and we hope Ashburton will not be the exception in this respect. ThiTFlowbr Show.— The weather was not of a kind to induce people to leave their homes last evening, but in spite of this the Flower Show in the Town Hall was well patronised. The Volunteer Band played a number of selections in excellent style, and this added considerably to the enjoyment of those present. In the prize list as given in yesterday’s issue there were one or two errors that call for correction. Mr James Porter was awarded first prize for twelve round potatoes, and not Mr Hunt ; and Mrs James Porter took first place for the following special prizes :—Best collection of antirrhinums and for the best collection of dianthus.

Scarcity of Labor in Akaroa.— Grave fears are beginning to be entertained as to there being sufficient labor on the Peninsula to get in the cocksfoot. The crop is a very large one, and growers are offering twelve shillings a day in some cises, and in others no less than twopence a pound for all threshed. It is hoped that these high wages will attract men from elsewhere ; if it does not, we are afraid much of the harvest will have to remain unreaped. This is more to be grieved at, as the sample promises to be a peculiarly good one this season. We (Aharon Mail) are glad to hear that purchases are still being made at fourpenci a pound, and it is to be hoped it will not fall, or a', the present high rate of wag e it would prove unreraunerative. Another Suez Canal Required. —Says the Pall Mall Budget : —There is a very strong feeling amongst British shipowners in favor of the construction of a new canal across the Isthmus of Suez, but we very greatly doubt whether half-a-dozen of them can be found to support the alternative scheme of a fresh-water canal from Suez to Alexandria, which was recently described in the Times. They are dissatisfie i with the existing canal, because (1) it is exposed to interruption by complications in Egypt; (2) because it is not deep enough ; (3) because it is not wide enough ; (4) because it imposes so much delay upon ships in transit, forty to fifty hours being often taken, instead of seventeen, in passing from Suez to Port Said ; and (5) because of the excessive charges levied by the Canal Company.

An Australian Prabojt.—“A Victorian,” writing to a contemporary on the subject of the Hon. W. J. Clarke’s elevation to a baronetcy, and approving of the bestowal of the honor, gives the following sketch of that gentleman’s public spirit and liberality :—“ He stands alone in Australasia as a perfect Peabody. Every hospital—yes, every charity—in Victoria, and many outside it, have been most liberally treated by him. The amount of good he does is really not known ; he is always doing it. He heeds not sects ; churches of all denominations have been recipients of his bounty. He is the farmers’ friend, too. At his own cost he brought out Mr Mclvor, and paid him a a large salary to lecture to and instruct the farmer. Spontaneously ho doled out LI,OOO to the famine stricken of India. The wail from China, too, he head; si also the distressed Jews in .Russia. He topped the list ol the heavy contributions sent by colonists to the Mansion House for relief in Ireland. In fact, I believe a Hat in detail would fill your paper of the money he has distributed for public good. Had they not heard what a noble, generous man he was when singling him out for the marked distinction —the first Australian baronet. I hope our contingent of the first Federal Council will be composed of men of the stamp of Sir W. J. Olaike, which, however, is a vain hope, for he stands quite alone—a man of great wealth and great benevolence. The combination is a rarity.”

' Promotion. Mr J. Sawyers, the manager of the Wellington branch of the Bknti of Australasia, who has been promoted to the Inspectorship in Australia, was entertained at a dinner on Tuesday night. Acknowledgment. —We have received from Mr C. Braddell, the local agent of the National Insurance Company, a very prettily designed almanac for the present year, which we desire to acknowledge with thanks.

A Narrow Escape. —On Tuesday, as the last train from Southbridge was within about a mile of Prebbleton (says the Lyttelton Times', the engine-driver observed a little child about 18 months old on the line Ho whistled repeatedly, but the child had not sense enough te run away. The brakes were put on, but the engine was not stopped in time, and the cow-ca'cher pushed the child off the line, bruising one side of the face and head rathi-r badly. She was immediately taken to the doctor and attended to, and yesterday was doing very well. Tuesday’s Stock Sale. The fortnightly stock sale, which takes place on Tuesday next at the Tinwald yards, bids fair to be an important one, both as regards the number and quality of the stock to be offered. Messrs J. T. Ford and Co. will offer a line of 900 merino ewes, from Ihe well-known Anama run, and Messrs Matson, Cox and Co will also submit to the hammer 1,000 merino ewes and 1,000 merino wethers, on account of D. Olliver, Esq., of Westerfield, besides 1,003 merino wethers (with a few ewes among them) on account of other owners.

The Regent Accident on the Port Line. —An inquest was held at the Clarendon Hotel, Christchurch yesterday, touching the decease of James Thompson, who met his death, it is supposed, by falling from one of the Lyttelton trains on New Year’s Day, as detailed in our Tuesday’s issue. The deceased was a laboring man, 47 years of age, and according to the evidence of his widow had lately given way to habits of intemperance. The jury, without deliberation, returned the following verdict :—Deceased had been found dea 1 on the railway line, but there was no evidence to show how he came by his death.

The Lyttelton Graving Dock.—A. report of the luncheon in connection with the opening ce-etnony of the new graving dock at Lyttelton appears in elsewhere. A slight accident occurred during the firing of the salute on the arrival of the Acting-Governor at the dock. A gunner named Washer, who was carrying cattridges from the limber to the gun, was standing with a charge in his hand too close to the muzzle while the gun was being sponged out. There was a strong wind blowing at the time which carried a spark from the gun on to the cartridge which Washer was holding, and exploded it, inflicting some aeveye burns on the arms, breast, and neck, the front of the tunic being also completely burnt away. Sale of Thoroughbred Stock. —An extensive sale of racing stock took place at Auckland yesterday, with the following results :—Three-year-old filly by Hippocampus —Yenus Transit, 20gs, Mr M. Smith ; yearling filly by Hippocampus— Yenus Transit, 20gs, Mr Ellis ; yearling colt by Musket —Yatterina, 185 gs, Mr P. Butler ; yearling filly by HippocampusSlander, 140 gs, Mr J. H. Pollock ; yearling filly by Maribyrnong—Peeress, 180 gs, Mr Pilbrow ; Herculaneum, 2 years, by Yattendon —Peer ss, 125 gs, Mr M. Smith; Fishwoman, Piscatorious, Hipporina, Toi (with foal at foot by Musket), and Maori were offered, but not s >ld; Maid of Honor, stinted to Musket, 295g5, Mr J. Bennett : Tim Whiffler, 300 gs, Mr M. Smith , Prince Charlie, by Papapa —Una, 30gs, Messrs Mackay and Shaxpeare. Australian Federation,—Who (writes the Federal Australian ) says federation is not advancing in railroad spaed in this part of the world 1 Already Victoria and New South Wales—or, say Melbourne and Sydney—are bound together by geographical unity by the unreakable iron link, and now the fiat has gone forth on both sides for the similar union of Victoria and South Australia, or say Melbourne and Adelaide. Withinaweek the Parliaments of the two c d mies have given their sanction each to its own share of the grand undertaking About 190 miles in all will require to be laid down at a coat, they say, of about a million sterling, and this truly international work will be completed within the next 18 months. A through line of 500 miles will then convey the traveller from the shores of Hobson’s Bay to the shores of St. Vincent’s Gulf without a break. Is not this federation, aye, and confederation into the bargain ?

New Zealand Educational Institute. —The meeting of delegates from the various Teachers’ Associations throughout the colony was held in the Normal School, Christchurch, yesterday, for the purpose of considering the possibility of forming an Institute. A committee was appointed to draw up a constitution for the proposed institute. Mr H. Cape-Williamson was appointed one of the secretaries to the Conference. By wire to-d iy we learn that it was resolved to establish a New Zealand Educational Institute, to consist of teachers of Associations and Institutes in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago, and such other associations as may hereafter join the Institute. A sot of rules were adopted, the principal ones being, that each Association shall be entitled to one representative for the first twenty members, and one for every additional fifty names beyond the first twenty names on the roll or membersnip. It was resolved that the Council shall meet annually (during the Christmas vacation), and that a general meeting of members shall be held every two years.

Holloway’s Pills. —The chiefest wonder of modern times. —This incomparable medicine increases the appetite, strengthens the stomach, cleanses the liver, corrects biliousness, prevents flatulency, purifes the system, invigorates the nerves, and re-instates sound health. The enormous demand for these Pills throughout the globe astonishes everybody, and a single trial convinces the most sceptical that no medicine equals Holloway’s Pills in its ability to remove all complaints incidental to the human race They are a blessing to the afflicted, and a boon to all that labour under internal or external disease. The purification of the blood, removal of all restraint from the secretive organs, and gentle aperitive action are the prolific sources of the extensive curative range of Holloway’s Pills. [Advt.]