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Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 977, 23 June 1883, Page 2

The installation of officers of the St John’s Lodge, No 1858, E. 0., took place yesterday afternoon at the Masonic Hall, Tancred street. Bro W. H. Gundry, P.M., 18°, performed the ceremony in the absence of D.D.G.M. Bra Thomson, and was assisted by Bro Braddell, P. M, Somerset Lodge, E.O. ; Bro MoFarlane, W.M., Thistle Lodge, S.O. ; and Bro Hector Dempsey, St John’s Lodge, E.C. The following brethren wore then installed, viz ;—B, G, Crisp, W. M. ; B. Saunders, I. ; 0. C. Fooks, S.W. ; A. Curtis, J. ; J. Tasker, S.D. ; J. Ourtis, J.D. ; W. H. Gundry, Treasurer ; T. H. Zouch, Secretary ; H. A. Gates, Organist; R. Cullen, Tyler. Bro Gates presided at the organ during the ceremony, and at its close votes of thanks were accorded to the officers, and general regret expressed that P.M., Bro Edward Saunders, was about to leave the district. Among the very few nuisances with which Ashburton has to put up with is the dog nuisance ; but this trouble is a severe one. Neighboring farmers are continually complaining of their sheep having been worried by vagrant curs, and every now and then advertisements announcing the intention on the part of sheep owners annoyed by losses in worried sheep—of laying poison en their lands, appear in the papers. The poison resource is the last the farmers have, but it is usually effective, and we know of several curs, with a deep-seated fondness for live mutton, that have been tempted to cake it dead with a reasoning of strychnine, and gone in consequence to the lands where sorrow and strychnine are alike unknown. The fondness of town residents for dogs, and the propensity of those pets to worry sheep have cost the farmers of the county more money in worried sheep than could well be calculated. But the dog nuisance does not stop at sheep worrying. A case was laid before us this week in which a big lump of a retriever, wearing a collar and all that, but given to breaking his tether-rope, regularly takes charge of a neighbor’s garden every evening, planting himself just opposite the back door, and no one dare make exit or entrance by that door during the whole evening and night. The perplexed ratepayer wants to know how to rid himself of the form of dog nuisance that annoys him, without getting into trouble with the owner of the dog. Speaking for ourselves, we think we would try a peace-offering to the retriever in the shape of a piece of mutton seasoned with the saipe sort of stuff as the local chemist uses to season wheat intended for sparrow feed. If the dog would not go to sleep after p feed of that sort, be might be induced to become permanently somnolent by a short course of lead administered by » percussion cap through an iron tube. ,

A Maonic ball, in honor of the retiretent of 3ro Edward Saunders, late W. M. i the S’John’s Lodge, took place at the' lasonic Hall last night, and was well ittendet Mr Weber’s band from Christharch .applied the dance music, which vas all that could bo desired, and the refreshients were entrusted to Mr T. Taylor who supplied a very excellent spread The floor of the fine hall was in capita) order for dancing, and most of those >ho came stayed till an early hour this lorning, and apparently enjoyed the dnce immensely.

Tb Juno Company gave their third and nal performance in Ashburton last nighl but it cannot be said that it was a sucos, either financially or artistically. The-iece chosen was “ East Lynne,’ _ a poodramatisation of a silly novel. It is, bovver, a popular play, and the oharac ter f Lady Isabel is a great favorite with leaing actresses. Clever as Miss Juno is n some pait.s, this particular one is ceiainlj not suited to her, and she failed toouse the sympathies of the audience. Wether the small attendance served to reder the lady apathetic we know not, bt her acting was not characterised by tJ spirit noticeable in her other perfor»nces. “East Lynne” is eminently a oe part piece, all the characters, with te exception of the heroine, being either iipossible or useless. Archibald Carlyle i in the book an insufferable prig, and Ir Russell’s impersonation served to mphasiae this fault, while the Sir Francis ievison of Mr Dillon was a colorless and r hsipid performance, and his appearance jn the second act, dressed in morning clothes was scarcely appropriate, considering that he was representing that bete noir of female novelists, a villainous baronet. Miss Nellie Greenless acted carefully as Barbara Hare, and Mrs McGowan managed to infuse some spirit into the affair by her amusing impel sonation of Corney Carlyle. The minor parts were fairly filled, and if they failed to be interesting it was the fault of the piece rather than of the actors. Holloways Pills.— Nervous Debility.— No part of the human machine requires more watching than the nervous system—upon it hangs health and life itself. These pills arthe best regulators and strengtheners of the nerves, and the safest general purifiers. Naue sea, headache, giddiness, numbness, and mental apathy yield to them. They dispatch in a summary manner those distressing dyspeptic symptoms, stomachic pains, fulness at the pit of the stomach, abdominal distension, and overcome both capricious appetites and confined bowels—the commonly accompanying signs ef defective or deranged nervous power. Holloway’s Pills arc particularly recommended to persons of studious and sedentary habits, who gradually sink into a nervous and debilitated state, unless some such restorative be occasionally taken.—[Advt.]