Untitled

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 851, 25 January 1883, Page 2

Pebsonal.—We are glad to hear that Mr Dickenson, schoolmaster at SeafMd, is progressing rapidly towards recovery from his late accident. The ’Frisco Mail. —Mails for the United Kingdom, Europe, and America will close at the Ashburton Post Office on Saturday morning at 10 o’clock. A supplementary mail will be despatched per express, to close at 5 p. m.

Narrow Escape prom Fire. —Last Sunday a fire broke out in the chimney of Mr Thos, Richardson’s house at Seafield. The strong nor’-west wind which was blowing at the time caused some sparks to fly among tho grass and hedges close to the house. With some difficulty and the strenuous efforts of the inmates of the house the fire was got under, fortunately before any damage was done. Cricket. —A match will take place tomorrow between the Married and Single on the Domain Cricket Ground, to start punctually at 3.15 p.m. The following are tho teams :—Married : Dr Leahy, L. F. Andrewea, G. W. Andrews, Curtis, Saunders, Beard, Marsh, Buchanan, Amos, Purchase, Crisp. Single : Castelli, Jones, Wroughton, Shury, Hutchison, Hart, A. *‘ooks, J. Fooks, E. Fooks, Pixley, and Quinlan.

Christchurch Cathedral Choir. —We would remind our readers that the Cathedral choir, which has justly earned a reputation for its excellent singing, intends to give a grand concert here to-morrow (Friday) evening. The choir has recently been visiting Otago, and have succeeded in delighting the Dunedin people, who say they never heard such music before. The concert will be under the direction of the Rev, W. H. El tin, precentor, who will bring with him eight men and twelve boys. The proceeds will be given to the Choir Boys’ Summer Trip Fund. Coursing. —A meeting of the Ashburton Coursing Club was held last evening in the Somerset Hotel, there being a very good attendance. It was resolved to request the following gentlemen to take office for the ensuing year .—Mr D. Thomas, to be President of the Club ; Mr Shearman, to be Vice-President; Mr F. Main waring, Se i-etary ; Mr W. Zander, Treasurer ; Mr Chatteris, Judge ; and Mr Leitch, Slipper. The annual subscription was fixed at a guinea, and the rules of the Canterbury Coursing Club were adopted. A committee, consisting of Messrs Mcßae, F. Hill, U. Brittan, and the officers of the Club, was appointed for the purpose of arranging with the farmers for leave to course over their land. It is proposed to hold the first meeting of the season in the first week in April, and as there promises to be no scarcity of hares, the Club will no doubt be even more successful this year than they were last. Horticultural Society. —A meeting of the Committee of the Horticultural Society was held last evening at Mr Jones’s room. Present —Messrs J. Sealy, T. Sealy, Mayo, Davidson, G. W. Andrews, Collins, and Poyntz. The secretary said he was sorry his action in the matter of getting up the Spring Show should have caused any ill-feeling, but his only object in so doing was with a view of advancing the interests of horticulture generally, and he trusted the Committee would view it in the same light., On the motion of Mr Collins it was resolved to accept the secretary’s explanation as satisfactory, and that the Committee now proceed to to cany out the work of the Society. Messrs G. T. Smith and J. Clark were elected members of the Committee, subject to their consent, in room of Messrs Permain and F. Lewis. The following gentlemen wore appointed to canvass the respective wards : —No. 1, Messrs G. T. Smith and A. Harrison; No. 2-, Messrs Collins and Poyntz ; No. 3, Messrs Simmonds, T. Sealy, G. Andrews, and F. Mayo; Nos. 4 and 5, Messrs Davidson, Elston, and S. Patter ; Tinwald, Mr Jos. Clark. It was decided to hold a prize distribution in connection with the Autumn Show to be held on March 3rd, and the secretary was instructed to get 500 tickets printed for the same. It was resolved that special entries be required for all special prizes offered, except where otherwise specified by the donor. Messrs Sealy Bros, offered a special prize of LI Is for the best collection of vegetables, open to amateurs only, The full special prize list will appear in a few days.

Informal Nominations.—A rilmor has reached our ears that the five gentlemen' nominated by .the temperance party as Licensing Commissioners to - day, are informal. The Late Captain Macfarlane.—The Illustrated London News contains a portrait of this late Waterloo veteran in its issue of Dec 2nd. The portrait, which is a very fair one, is taken from a photograph by 0. Lawrence, of Christchurch.

Correction. —A printer’s error occurred in“A.B’s” letter, published in last night’s Guardian, which materially alters the meaning of the writer, who is made to say, “ Now, I assume that the person in question,” etc., whereas the passage should read, “ Now, lam assured that the person in question,” etc. Colonial Bank.—The report of the Directors of the Colonial Bank to be presented at the meeting on January 31st shows the nc 1 - profits for the half-year to he L 20,234, and the amount available for division to ba L 12,500, which they recommend to be thus applied—add to reserv fund, L 5,000 ; payment of dividend at 7 per cent, per annum, L 14,000; balance carried forward, L 2,500.

Dummyism:.—At a meeting of the Otago Land Board yesterday the following motion by Mr Stout was carried;—“That, in the opinion of the Board, the Chief Commissioner should obtain and submit to the Board a report on the various agricultural and pastoral deferred-payment holdings, so that the Board may ascertain whether it bo true that dummyism exists, and that some holders are non-resident on their holdings.”

Tbe Effects of Cumulative Yoting.— At the public meeting on Monday night for the election of a School Committee for Dunedin 696 persons voted, and nine votes were rejected as informal; 252 voted for one candidate, 140 for two, 141 for three, 81 for four, 30 for five, 9 for six, and 34 for seven. It is asserted that persons only on a visit to Dunedin voted, and alsa that one person got as many as four voting papers, and gave his candidate twenty-eight votes in all.

Forbes on NkwZealand.—The following characteristic opinion of New Zealand, given by Mr Archibald Forbes, has appeared in a Melbourne paper;—“Now Zealand is a country at once fertile and rugged—characteristics of Scotland. The climate is more or less pleasantly variable also characteristic of the northern country, and I am informed that the soil here grows 80 bushels of oats to the acre, so that it is impossible for anyone to go without his porridge. The climate is also eminently suited for the maturing and preservation of whisky, and I have also observed that thistles grow to unparalleled dimensions, and further, that the complexion of the ladies is not only good, but apparently lasting.

Uoax, at Upper Waihao. —The Waimate Times publishes the following report from Mr John Hunt :—“ Tn the beginning of November last year Mr Willetts ->nd myself went up the Waihao to prospect for coal, and after carefully examining all the outcrops on both the north and south branches, we decided to start boring on the first bend of the south branch, just above the Forks station. We accordingly did so, but were completely driven out by artesian water, which we struck at a depth of 130 feet. This water gets on the top of the coal from the south branch, where the coal crosses the river. There are two seams of coal on both rivers, but they run together in the deep ground, as shown in enclosed sketch. We then started to drive the top seam on the south branch, which is the key to all the coal in the locality, this particular situation possessing the following advantages above all others, viz., it is 15 to 20 feet above the river, into which all the refuse can be thrown ; there is a good floor, good roof, and the coal is easy to work. It is steadily thickening, and we can get to the second seam by driving. It is moreover easy to get ventilation to any part of tho coal either by an air shaft or drive. The pit will turn out a first rate lignite, second to none in the country, and is alongside of a good metalled road to Pudding Hill, and only two miles from the Forks station. It should be one of the main sources of freight to the railway, and a great boon to the district, and fortunately needs but very little capital to work it.” A Case for Enquiry.—A meeting of

the creditors of Caleb Froggatt, grocer and grain speculator, was held in Invercargill yesterday. The bankrupt started in a small business eighteen months ago, and has failed for L 3,200, in addition to which friends had paid off L 2.300. The assets are stated to be worth L 1,200. The bankrupt was subjected to a close examination. He asserted that he had been advised in his speculations and money matters by Mr Bateman, Secretary of the Farmers Co-operative Society. By reason af that gentleman’s glowing accounts he had speculated to the extent of Lll,ooo in grain to ship to Melbourne, and made losses by the speculation. The Registrar in Bankruptcy informed the meeting that from what he knew officially, the bankrupt should be closely examined re hia transactions with Mr Bateman. This was done, and it appeared that the bankrupt had been guided by Mr Bateman, who advised him to keep two banking accounts. When he opened an account at the National Bank, certain persons were his guarantors for an overdraft, and it was arranged that the proceeds of his speculations should go to the credit of the overdraft. Mr Bateman did not hint that by opening a second account he (the bankrupt} would be able to dupe hia guarantors. In the first case he bought flour for Bateman, and got the money from him to pay for it. His brother had paid LI,OOO for him, and R. D. Yule had paid L 1,300 on a j'oint speculation in grain. A motion for a searching enquiry into the bankrupt’s dealings with Messrs Yule and Bateman was carried unanimously;

The Kingston Fire. —The New York Sun says of the fire at Kingston, Jamaica ;— lC George P. Forwood, agent of the Atlas line of steamers, received additional particulars of the fire by cable, last evening. He said the fire originated near the water front, and the sea breeze that prevails during the evening fanned the flames inland. The fire extended about one and one-fourth miles along the water front from the wharf of the Royal Mail Steamship Company. Nearly all the buildings were one and two stories high, and made of wood. There was no Fire Department, and the negro natives who composed the great part of the population were probably too much frightened or too lazy to control the flames. Forwood showed the following despatch from McDowell and Hankey, agents of the Atlas Lino in Kingston :—‘ Half the city is burned. McDowell’s office is destroyed, but our wharves are saved.’ Richard Anderson, agent of the Wilson Steamship Company, one of whose boats plies between New York and Jamaica, said he thought the fire was a godsend to Kingston. ‘lt was a miserable town,’ he continued, * filled principally with lazy, shiftless negroes. Their wives do all the work, while they attend to the home consumption of rum. We have to depend on the women entirely for coaling our steamers. If the fire Ins destroyed the business portion of the town all the Government offices are gone. Nearly all the buildings are frame structures, only one and two stories high. The Government officials did not reside in the town, so I suppose they did not lose much. H. 8. Henry, who is a large importer of coffee, sugar, and fruits from Kingston, said the interests of merchants who do business with Kingston Would not be much affected by the fare, as the natives would be the principal sufferers.”