The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1883.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 835, 6 January 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1883.

Cricket. —A cricket match between the “ Bricklayers and Carpenters ” of Ashburton will be played on Saturday next, on the Domain ground.

Sporting. —The distance to be run in the race between Steel Dust and Lady Helen on Wednesday next, will be 1J miles, and not miles as previously announced. Concert. —The annual concert in connection with the distribution of prizes to the children attending the Flemington School came off in the school-room last night. Ther# was a capital attendance from the near neighborhood, and the large audience enjoyed the programme exceedingly. The performers hailed chiefly from Ashburton, and, as will be seen from the following programme, included among their numbers several well-known vocalists :—Voluntary, Miss Gates ; song, Mr Gates ; song, “ Come back to Erin,” Mrs Craighead; duet, “Come o’er the Moonlit Sea,” the Misses Gates; song, “ Vicar of Bray,” Mr Craighead ; song, Vlra Manning; song, Mr Gates ; song, “Kerry Dance,” Miss - Sinclair ; song, Miss Gates ; song, “ Banks and Braes.” Mrs Dunn. Big Gooseberry Contest. —The entries for the big gooseberry contest closed yesterday, at Mr Cambridge’s shop, East street. The fruit shown was very fine, and, although only four growers competed, the samples were very superior to those shown last year. The following are the entries, the result, and the respective weights of the twenty berries exhibited :—lst, G. T. Smith, lib Joz 12gr ; 2nd, Charles Smith, Allenton, 15koz 1 drachm ; 3rd, G. H. St. Hill, 13Joz 40gr ; 4th, W. Smith, Lagrahor, 12£oz 30gr. It will thus be seen that Mr G. T. Smith was the successful competitor, his gooseberries being nearly an ounce heavier than the others. Mr W. Smith also exhibited a splendid lot of gooseberries from Lagmhor, which may now be seen in Mr Cambridge’s shop. The prize is an engraved pewter, which, on this occasion, as will be seen above, goes to the Smithfield nurseries.

Sooth Rakaia Road Bord. The usual monthly meeting of the above Hoard was held on Thursday last. Present—Messrs 0. N. Mackie (chairman), Holmes, White, and Allan.—The Clerk reported on the works done during the month. The alterations to water race crossings and culverts were not yet completed.—Correspondence was read from Messrs J. L. Fountains, manager for Sir John Hall, and Alexander D. Mclb wraith, manager for S. Bealey, Esq., complaining of the manner in which the South Rakaia poundkeeper kept the books, and stating that in very few cases was a record kept of earmarks or brands. Several sheep owners on the north side of the river had found their sheep with the earmarks altered, and upon making enquiry they had been informed that the sheep had been purchased from the Rakaia Pound, but no record of the same could be found in the books. It was resolved that the letters be acknowledged. The poundkeeper’s books were then inspected by the Board, and it was resolved that the poundkeeper be instructed to keep his books in strict accordance with the Act, and to keep all brands and earmarks strictly recorded; also to insert the names and addresses of all persons purchasing any stock from the pound. A'l sheep sold were to be distinctly marked with a brand, to be supplied by the Board. The Clerk was instructed to procure new books for the pound, and to inspect the same regularly.—A letter was read from Mr Silcock, asking to be allowed 5s extra on each f jrd in his contract, on account of his having to cart the gravel such long distances. It was resolved that the application could not be entertained.—P. Clifford wrote, asking for an extension of time to complete his contract on Gardiner’s road, as he wished to go harvesting. It was resolved that as Clifford had always given satisfaction in his contracts a two months’ extension be granted.—The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote, stating that he had placed to the Board’s creditthe suinof Ll3lßs, being a portion of the proceeds of purchase money for cottagis at Methven. Accounts to the amount of LlB5 12a lOd were passed for payment, and (he Board adjourned.

I.O.G.T.—The Star of the EaafrtMge, 1.0. G.T.,'meets to-nigh't.’ ? \ *(',’} 1 Withdrawn —The timber advertised fof sale at Tinwald, on Thuriiday Ms T, Bullock, has been withdrawn’.fi'ajjji sale/ Scratched. —Owing to having met with an accident, Wilberforce has been scratched for all engagements at the ensuing Summer Meeting of the Wellington RacingjClub.

Fatal Accident. A mason’s laborer named Aitken, employed ’at the new High School buildings, Dunedin, yesterday fell from a stone wall only 18in high, along which he was walking,- and broke-, his neck.

That Printer Again. —An amusing printer's blunder crept into an Oamaru paper on Thursday. In the account of the local sports satisfaction is expressed at the fact of there being an absence of “ protestant grumbling. ” Of course protest and grumbling was meant. Caledonian Society.— A meeting of this Society was held last evening at Quill’s Hotel. The directors present were Messrs Anderson, Wilkie, McKenzie, Robinson and Mcßae. Letters were read from Messrs Ireland and J. McLean Dunn. Accounts amounting to L 36 6s Id were passed for payment, and other routine business transacted, when the meeting adjourned' sine die. Cheese and Bunter Factory.—A meeting of the Directors was held at the Company’s office yesterday afternoon. Present—Messrs J. Orr, S. Revans, J. Clark, Anderson, Wilkin, and Wheeler. Mr Orr was elected chairman of directors for the ensuing year, and Mr S. E. Poyntz secretary. A letter was read f; om the Wakanui Committee appointed by a public meeting of residents, in reference to the establishment of a branch factory at Wakanui, The Directors having considered the matter, it was resolved to communicate their decision to the ‘chairman of the Wakanui Committee. After some further business had been transacted the meeting adjourned. The Australian Blondin. —H. L‘Estrange, the Australian Blondin, made an attempt to cross a portion of the Middle Harbor at Sydney with a bicycle on a tight-rope on December 23. Although it was announced that the rope was to be 300 ft high, it was not more than 30ft above the water. Owing to the unsteadiness of the rope, L’Estrango, ,had much difficulty in balancing himself on the bicycle, and he had scarcely gone a hundred feet when he fell into the water. L’Estrange fell clear of the bicycle, and was promptly rescued by some boats with out havimg sustained any injury. He did not make another attempt, and shortly afterwards the steamers, with their disappointed passengers, returned to town. The Joyce Massacre. — Apropos of this murder the following story is current in the West of Ireland Mrs Joyce, one of the murdered family, witnessed the sinking in the lake of the bodies of Lord Ardilaun’s bailiffs ; but was so terrifi- l that for some time she did not venture to tell anyone what she had seen. One night, however, she could ho longer keep it to .herself, and described to her husband what she had seen certain men do.; This was overheard by their son, who shqrtly after, being bullied at school by another boy, cried out, “ I suppose you want !t'd murder me and throw me into the lake, as your father did the bailiffs.” The boy having repeated this to his father, the latter and his confederated determined upon their dreadful crime of massacring the whole family of the Joyces, in order to put out of the way such awkward witnesses of their former guilt. The story seems too circumstantial to be untrtte ; nor is it easy to see why it should have been invented. At any rate, it offers a very sufficient explanation of the massacre,, the motive for which has never been very clearly made out.

Prize List. —The following is the prize list of the Flemington School:—Class IV.: Alexander McQuiklin, Bertha Smith and Bella Anderson equal ; spelling, Bella Anderson and Bertha Smith equal; geography, Bella Anderson ; grammar, Bella Anderson ; history, Elizabeth Anderson ; writing, Thomas Page 1, Margaret Lockhard 2, William Small 3 \ arithmetic, Ellen Sheehan and Elizabeth Anderson equal. Class Ilf.: Reading, Esther Anderson ; arithmetic, John Holland ; spelling, Robert Fleming ; geography, Robert Fleming; writing, Robert Fleming 1, John Fleming 2, William James Anderson 3. Class II.: General proficiency—lst section, Martha Fleming; arithmetic, Martha Fleming (special prize); 2nd section, Stewart Huston 1, Lucy Anderson 2, James Holland 3. Class I.: General proficiency Wallace Smith 1, William Fleming 2, James Lockhead 3. All below Standard I. received a present Of a book. Sewing : Isabella Anderson, Bertha Smith, Minnie Fleming, Liicy Anderson. The “ popularity ” prizes were awarded as follows: —Boys : John Holland. Girls: Bertha Smith and Nellie Fechney.

Steam Services. —The splendid fleet of the Peninsular and Oriental Company has been strengthened by the launch of a new vessel, designed for the Australian line, and having a tonnage of 4,752. This fine steamer, christenedthe Ballarat, has engines of 4.501 horse power, and is a capital example of moat of,, the improvements in marine engineering and architecture. There was a pleasant' inaugural lun- heon 00 board, and among those present were Sir Saul Samuel, Sir A.' Blyth, and some other well-known and distinguished colonists. The equipment of the Ballarat reflects great credit indeed on the princely Company to which she belongs. It includes, infer alia, a very complete refrigerating plant ; and, as r,o the deco ations, the “ music saloon ” is an example of what floating palaces some of our Australian liners have become in these days of luxurious voyages. By the way, how rapidly our mercantile marine is how growing. We find on referring to the latest and most authoritative figures on this head that the total value of our mercantile marine is now in round numbers fully L12G,000,000. Of this stupendous sum L 00,000,000 represent steam vessels. This is not all ; our ships are believed to carry in these days fully five-sevenths of our total imports and exports, and these are roughly valued at L 500,000,000. — European Mail,

Norway’s Liquor Laws.— The liquor laws in Norway are somewhat restrictive, and sometimes give trouble to travellers who are not prepared for them. The license to sell wine and beer is distinct from the license to sell spirits. All (he hotels have the former, but very few of them have the latter, even in the large.! towns. The consequence is that the traveller has no difficulty in procuring beer or wine at any time, but if he should ask for cognac, he must wait till it is procvred for him from a house or shop which has the spirit license. No spirit is sold anywhere, not even in the licensed houses, between five o’clock on Saturday night and eight o’clock on Monday morning. This system leads to a great deal of dodging and trickery. Knowing the difficulty of procuring spirits at hotels, the traveller supplies himself at the larger towns, and carries brandy or whisky with him in his valbe. Should he, unfortunately, run short, he will have little difficulty in getting a bottle of cognac or Irish whisky from the landlord, and will find it entered in his bill as “old sherry.” The London Times thus comments upon this system :—“ This is how over-strict laws defeat their object. They do not prevent drinking, and in the case of Norway they have not put down drunkenness, while they tempt honest men to risk their credit in devices which can hardly fail to have a demoralising effect. ” |

Libel — The Supreme Court ha 8 granted a rule nisi fop/a new trial in the libel case recently tried at Invercargill, Dr Lewis vl Southland Times Company. - .Suicide. — : A farm laborer named.. John .Wilson committed suicide at"- Watiganui; yesterday, by taking arsenic. It, is siijppqsed that he was insane, caused; by disappointment in love. ~ ' f V f >

Woman’s Rights. —At the Christchurch Police Court yesterday Catherine Duggan was charged with assaulting her husband. The “ lord and master ” testified that ha believed his wife was of unsound mind, and the case was remanded. . A Disgraceful Charge. — A the Tharfies Magistrate’s Court yesterday an old man named Noltoh was charged with incest. It was alleged that the accused was the father of a child by his own daughter, and both the wife and daughter of the accused gave evidence against him. The case was ’dismissed, the Bench not considering the evidence sufficient to warrant a committal.

Divorce. —At the Supreme Court (in Chambers) at Auckland yesterday, in the matter of 0. O. Montrose (the well-known Press man) v Montrose and .William Baker, an application in which 'petitioner seeks to be divorced from his wife on the ground of her adultery, there was no appearance on the part of either respondent or co-respondent. The final hearing was fixed for the ensuing civil sittings. Bush Fires. —At Carterton (saysa Wellington telegram) several bush fires are raging, and the place is full of smoke. There is a large fire on the north side of Belvedere road, near the railway line. Several houses are in immediate danger, and all the neighbors are working with buckets and fire-engines. The wind is high, and as timber and rubbish is plentiful and dry there will be an exciting time during the next few days to save housek.

The Harvest. —Cutting the oat crops is now pretty general throughout the country. Already a good area has been cut and stocked, and given fine weather the wheat crops also will be very soon ready for the reaper and binder. Harvesting operations have been commenced in South Canterbury, and the crops promise a splendid yield. Our neighbors across the Rangitata,- in common with those of other agricultural districts, are complaining of a dearth of hands.

“Lambing Down.”— The alleged case of “lambing down”(previously noticed in our telegrams) will engage the attention of the Resident Magistrate at Wellington on Monday, when Mr Hardcastle will be called upon to decile a claim of L3O ma'de by a man “from the country” against the proprietor of a well-known hosterly in the city. The circumstances of the case, as detailed by the plaintiff, are somewhat peculiar. He states, that shortly before Christmas he came down from a station for the purpose of spending hia holidays in the town, and took up his lodging for the time being at the hotel kept by defendant. At that time he had in his possession an order for L3O on a firm of merchants here, and. about Ll2 in notes and gold. Both the money and order were placed in possession of the wife of the publican for safe keeping, and he then started on a drinking bout. At the end of three days the landlady informed him that he had spent, over L 42 in various ways, and intimated that his room would be better than his company, whereupon the man went to the police station, and asked that proceedings might be taken against his hostess. This the police authorities found themselves unable to do, but the man was recommended to see a solicitor on the subject, which he did; with the result that a summons was taken out for the recovery of the amount of the order, plaintiff having ascertained that the defendant had cashed it at the warehouse of the firm on whom it was drawn. Holloways Ointment and Pills.; — Notable Facts.—lntense heat augments the annoyances of skin disease and encourages the development of febrile disorders; therefore they should, as they can, be remove by these detergent and purifying preparations. In stomach complaints, liver affections, pains, and spasms of the bowels, Holloway’s ungent well rubbed over the affected part immediately gives the greatest ease, prevents congestion and inflammation, checks the threatening diarrhoeaand averts incipient cholera. The poorer inhabitants in large cities will find these remedies to be their best friends when any pestilence rages, or when from unknown causes eruptions, boils, abscesses, or ulcerations point out the presence of taints or impurities within the system, and call for instant and effective curative medicines.— [Advt.]