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Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 958, 1 June 1883, Page 2

The Government intend inviting tenders in the colony for an iron bridge, which is to be erected over Jetty street on the Southern railway line from the Dunedin station. About 660 tons of iron will be used in the bridge, which will be 660 ft long.

An enquiry is going on before the Visiting Justices into the management of Lyttelton Gaol. The proceedings are private. Hulbert’s hatter’s shop in Christchurch was burglariously entered on Wednesday night, but very little property was taken away.

At the inquest on John Reid, found dead in his bunk at Lyttelton on board the Wanaka, a verdict was returned of death from disease of the heart. It is said tnat 30 men in Christchurch have been engaged as navvies to go to Queensland ; wages 9s a day for two years and passage found. At the inquest on the man Cardoza, burned in Aynsley’s Hotel, Mosgiel, a verdict of accidental death was returned. There was no positive evidence as to how the fire originated. Four firemen of the British Queen, for refusing to work, have been sentenced to imprisonment, with hard labor, two for four, and two for two months. It was stated in Court that the expense of delaying the steamer would be LIOO a day.

It is notified in the Gazette that cotton yarn, linen yarn, jute yarn, and woollen yarn for use in the manufacture of car* pets, and coat hangers for use in the manufacture of coats, shall be exempt from duty upon importation into (the colony. The Board of Governors of the Wellington College have resolved to memorialise the Government to make provision for the establishment of a University College in Wellington, similar to those long established in Dunedin and Christchurch, and the one recently inaugurated in Auckland. Vickers, who escaped from the Dunedin gaol, was captured yesterday afternoon at three o’clock by Constable Meldrum, who had been in the saddle since six a. m. Vickers was hiding in the fern at Mullocky Gully, nearly twenty miles from Dunedin. The constable covered him with his revolver, and he offered no resistance.

Over 400 people met in the Harmonic Hall, Patea, on Wednesday night to hear Major Atkinson. The hon gentleman repeated his Hawera speech, and entered fully into local questions besides. The proceedings, which were lively towards the end, lasted until a very late hour, but a vote of thanks and confidence was carried almost unanimously.

A man named Michael Donovan was brought to Blenheim from Wairau Valley yesterday with his threat badly gashed, and windpipe partly severed. He had been drinking heavily, and is believed to be suffering from delirium tremens. He disappeared on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday morning went| to an Accommodation house in a fearful plight. He had apparently, from the jagged appearance of the wound, tried to cut his throat on a barbed wire fence. His head also is badly battered, it is believed with a stone. It is thought that he will recover, A large and very influential meeting Wanganui settlers was held yesterday afternoon, Mr F. R. Jackson in the chair. Messrs Buchanan and Beetham, of Wairarapa, made a long interesting statement as to the operations of the Wei lington Meat Export Company, and the meeting resolved, on the motion of Mr R. Pharazyn—“ That the settlers of the East Coast do all they can to assist the Company, both by taking shares and exporting stock and produce, as soon as satisfactory arrangements can be made for the transportation of the meat from Wanganui or other ports on this coast, either by rail or steamer to Wellington. ” An influential Committee was appointed to canvass the district to further the views of the meeting.

A very pleasant social gathering took place in Beecher’s Hotel last evening, the occasion being a dinner given in honor of Mr D. M'Farlane, who has recently left the railway service for the purpose of engaging in trade as a grocer in Ashburton. The chair was occupied by Mr Arthur, stationmaster, and the vice-chair by Mr Stephenson, local foreman. In the course of the evening, Mr M'Parlane was presented with a testimonial, in the shape of a silver watch, suitably inscribed, and a gold albert chain, with a greenstone pendant. Mr Arthur, in making the presentation, referred to the good feeling that had always existed between Mr M'Farlane and his fellow employees during the ten years he had been in the service, and the speaker concluded by wishing the guest of the evening every success in his new undertaking. The recipient of the testimonial suitably replied. Louis Lyons Levy, a Wanganui commission agent, and a trustee in a great number of insolvent estates for years past, was brought up yesterday charged with fraudulently removing property belonging to his creditors, and within four months of filing. The evidence showed that four packages of miscellaneous goods, valued nearly atLIOO, were shipped to Auckland, addressed to Levy s wife, and brought back last week by the trustee, who obtained an order of the District Court to seize them. The defence is understood to be that the property belongs to his wife under a settlement deed, and that the prosecution was instigated by spit* on the part of the trustees, and without direction of the creditors, who have already accepted a composition of 10s in the £ Levy was committed for trial, and bail was accepted. We observe from the local Chronicle of Saturday last that the Wanganui Dairy Factory Company have taken the wise step of sending a special agent to the Fleming ton Factory to minutely examine the system in operation there. The gentleman selected for the duty is Mr J. E, Wilson, a d he went south by steamer on Friday morning. If all the reports we hear are true, our contemporary goes on to say, the management of the Ashburton factory must he admirable, and it may confidently be expected that the result of Mr Wilson’s journey will be most advantageous to the company on whoso behalf he is acting. Mr Bowron had a good deal to do with the establishment of the Ashburton factory, and the system in operation there no doubt exemplifies his views ; but even he may have gathered some further knowledge with regard to his speciality, and the Wanganui company will do well to avail themselves as far as possible of his very lengthened experience.

A letter which, after travelling about for more than nine years, returns in a good state of preservation to the post-office whence it was first despatched, should be kept as a curiosity, and a species of testimonial to the care taken by post-office administrations of what is entrusted to them. At the Elberfeld Post-office (says the European Mail) a letter was returned the other day whose peregrinations are thus related. It had been put in the box at the same office - on July 3rd, 1873, its destination being Nicolajiewisk, in Siberia, where the son of the writer of it (a seaman) happened to be. When it arrived, however, the latter had gone away with his ship, so the letter, after re-orosa-ing Siberia, returned in the course of three years to Elberfeld. The seaman’s father having learned that his son was at Hong Kong, re-directed the envelope, and once more, in Octobe-, 1876, the letter started on Its travels. When it reached Ohina, however, he to whom it was addressed had left the country ; so it followed him about from one place to another, always arriving just too late, until at length it found its way back again to the Elberfeld post-office, where, with the consent of its writer, it ia henceforward to be preserved with all the respect and consideration due to such a much travelled letter.

The business of the Mutual Fire and Marine Insurance Company has been taken over by the Union Insurance Company of New Zealand, which accepts risks and takes over all insurances. Under the terms given by the Union shareholders, the Mutual will probably lose only 9d per share. The cause of the step was the excessive insurance competition in every portion of New Zealand. Mr Dobson, General Manager, in his report to the directors, pointed out that there was nO opening for a profitable business. A meeting was held on Wednesday evening in the Arcade Chambers for the purpose of founding a Young Men’s Society in connection with St Stephen’s Church. There was a good attendance The incumbent, in a few opening remarks, said that he thought that the objects of such a Society as it was proposed to found should embrace the spiritual and also the bodily and mental development of its members. It was resolved that a Society to be called the St Stephen’s Young Men’s Society, be formed. The incumbent was elected President; Mr George Jameson, Vice president; Mr Arthur Wylde, hon. secretary; Mr Pavitt, jun., treasurer ; a Provisional Committee of five members was also chosen. It was arranged to meet on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7.30 p.m.

The following extract from a private letter received in Ashburton, may prove interesting as showing the present state of agricultural affairs in England. It is dated Essex, April 18, 1883:—“ We are having now excellent weather, and the people’s spirit is rising about the crops. The farmers, and indeed the proprietors, are in a sad condition. The harvest last year appeared good and was got in well, but the crop threshed out badly, and the return proved very deficient. There have been several poor harvests, and then the immense supply of cheap corn from America has quite taken away the old consolation of high prices. One of the agitations in favor of the landed interest is for the fairer distribution of local taxation, and I think the demand seems a just one. One does not easily see why, for instance, the whole of the relief of the poor should be got from one kind of property; which, though in Queen Elizabeth’s time it constituted nearly the whole property of the country, is not now above one seventh part of it. I see in the papers this morning, that a resolution moved by Mr Pell pointing in this direction, was only lost last night by a majority of l 4 in a full house, which indicates that a change will not be long in arriving. ’’ At a meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board a gratuity equal to six months’ pay was voted to Mrs Rich, widow of one of the Board’s inspectors. During the past month 35,260 tons have been dredged in the harbor. The revenue of the Board during the same period was L 3,885, of which wharfage was L 1,028. The question of the lighting of the harbor by electricity was brought up, Mr E. G, Wright moving—“ That no deviation be allowed in the contract entered into between the Board) and the Electric Light and Power Company for the lighting of the harbor of Lyttelton.” He thought they would find that the expense would be exceedingly great. In the first instance, the amount pud to two attendants, without wear and tear, was L 7 19s per week. The lamps near the dock were burning with a fair amount of brilliancy, but at the end of the circuit they were somewhat dim. If the lamps were all burning fully, he thought that sixteen lamps were sufficient to light the harbor. Again, the company had violated the contract by putting a cable between the moles, which was a dangerous matter, and was done simply to save the company some hundred yards

of cable. Now as regarded the contract price. This was to be LI,OOO, but he found that the Board had already expended 10 per cent, on this sum in extras. The .attendants had to work very long hours, and it seemed to him that the company had been making ,th*se experiments in a great measure at the expense of the Board. If they had the additional lamps spoken of, they would have to pay L2do for the dynamo, and LBOO for the additional lamps. He thought that they would find that the expense of this system was far too much for them. As to the cost being 4d per hour, this was quite out of the question. After discussion, the motion was withdrawn.

Hop Bitters gives good digestion, active liver, good circulation and buoyant spirits. Read larger.—[Advt.] Drowsiness, biliousness, pains and aches, and ague, Hop Bitters always cures. Read.— [Advt.] Wanted Known—That J. Meech is importing all his own goods, which enables him to sell cheaper than any other furnishing house :n Ashburton. He has every class of furniture to suit all parties, from the kitchen to the drawing-room. All kinds of cutlery, crockeryware, fenders and fire-irons, iron beadsteads, carpets, table cloths, matting, and druggetting. A variety of tinware and other cooking utensils, etc. A splendid lot of Vienna chairs in walnut and maple. Feathers, flock, horsehair, and wool for furniture and mattrasses —in fact every article for house furnishing. Owing to facilities afforded to him, enables him to sell cheaper than if in East street. Furniture exchanged, and parties selling out will find that he 'gives the highest price for furniture. All kinds of furniture repaired; practical workmen kept. Agent for the celebrated Dunedin blind-maker. Spring window rollers kept in stock. Carvings and turnery sold to the trade. —J. Meech. Note the address, next Bullock’s Arcade.— [Advt.] Holloway’s Pills.—Weary of Life Derangement of the liver is one of the most dangerous of diseases, and the most prolific source of those melancholy forebodings which arc worse than death itself. A few doses ol these noted Pills act magically in dispelling low spirits, and repelling the covert attacks made on the nerves by excessive heat, impure atmospheres, over-indulgence, or exhausting excitement. The most shattered constitution may derive benefit from Holloway’s Pills, which will regulate disordered action, brace the nerves, increase the energy of the intellectual faculties, and revive the failing memory. By attentively studying the instructions for taking these PilU, and explicitly putting them in practice, the most desponding will soon feel confident of a perfect recovery.—[Advt*