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Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1020, 13 August 1883, Page 2

Henry Smith, a seaman on board the Wave of Life, at Lyttelton, while discharging timber, had his leg broken on Saturday morning, Frederick Jones was standing on the staging of the pile driver and engine at the Hurunui bridge when it gave way, falling into the river bed thirty feet below. He was severely bruised, but is doing well at the Christchurch Hospital. The Canterbury Cricket Association learn from the South Tasmanian Association that it. is probable a Tasmanian team will visit Christchurch. The co-operation of the Otago Association is to be asked. A proposal for an exchange match with Hawke's Bay has been received,

Ripe strawberries, says the HaweraSfar, were picked from a Manaia garden at the beginning of last week. It has been arranged that Mr Baddeley will sit at Rakaia on the third Wednesday of each month. The Court will therefore be held this week.

The Westport Coal Company’s steamer Kangaroo when going out on Saturday afternoon grounded on the North Spit, in the same place as the Omapere. She is in no danger. A Christchurch telegram recently published iu the Taranaki Herald quotes prices of shares in the Pioneer and Robinson Diamond Companies ; the intelligent telegraphist having thus insulted the world - renowned Koh-i-noor. Fancy “ Robinson.”

Some more of the Oxford immigrants were brought across from the quarantine station yesterday. There are still about eighty on the island. It is intended to bring them across to-day, ho that the sick only will be left on the island. Of those ill Dr Henry reports they are getting on fairly well. The Egyptian war diorama again attracted a good house on Saturday evening in the Oddfellows’ Hall, and the audience were evidently thoroughly satisfied with the entertainment judging from the applause bestowed upon the pictures and the lecturer. In the afternoon a matinee for children was given, the hall being filled with youngsters. To-night the diorama will be shown for the last time in Ashburton.

There is at present on view in the window of Mr T. F. Farley, stationer, East street, an admirably painted portrait uf the locally owned entire Cotherstone. It is the work of Mr G. P. Fodor, who is well known in the south as a clever animal painter. We may mention that Mr Poder will be returning to Ashburton shortly, and those who possess any prize animals of any kind, of which they would like to have portraits, would do well to take advantage of the visit of this artist. At a well-attended meeting of the promoters of the South Canterbury Refrigerating Company held at Timaru on Saturday, the prospectus was approved of. The capital of the company is L 25,000, in 5,000 shares of L 5 each. Meats are to bo shipped direct from Timaru. The following resolution was passed ; —“ That the allocation of space be in full proportion to the shares held up to twenty shares, thereafter the allocation shall be pro rata according to the number of shares held over twenty.” It was also decided to leave the Directors to decide where the refrigerating works are to be erected on shore. In the meantime, the vessels are to be obtained and the meat frozen on board.

An adjourned meeting of the Elgin School Committee was held on Friday last —the members present being Messrs John Cochrane (Chairman), S. Scott, T. Greenaway, and P. Innes. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, the Chairman stated he had written to the Board of Education to obtain a grant for fencing and planting. They had authorised the expenditure of L 4 13s 6d towards the above purpose, and the Chairman had got the work completed in a satisfactory manner. He had also procured coals for the use of the school, and had paid teachers’ salaries for the past month, which actions were approved. It was moved and seconded that the Chairman write to the Board of Education and remind them that an assistant teacher would soon be required as the engagement with the present one would soon terminate. The Chairman was also instructed to get some improvements made to protect trees, etc. A small account having been passed for payment, the Committee adjourned. This morning’s Lyttelton Times states that shortly after midnight on Saturday a man named Charles Burmeister, wellknown in Christchurch, was in the private bar of the Criterion Hotel with several of the lodgers. One of the latter, a laborer named William Hudson, accused Burmeister ot “doing him out of two shillings ” by supplying him with ofily one and a half dozen of oysters when Hudson had paid for four dozen on Friday night last. According to the statements of Hudson and others who witnessed the oo currence, it appears that Burmeister retaliated by stabbing Hudson in the throat with an oyster knife, inflicting a rather serious wound. A boarder named John Conway went for the police, and Constables M'Cormack and Lawler came to the hotel and arrested ■ Burmeister on a charge of wilful and malicious stabbing. Another boarder —J. Cobeurne—had meanwhile got possession of the knife and handed it over to the police on their arrival. Burmeister was taken to the lock-up, and will be brohght before the Magistrate’s Court this ' morning. Dr Doyle attended the wounded man and found that a wound a quarter of an inch deep and three quarters of ah inch long had been inflicted in the throat, narrowly escaping the windpipe. The wound bled profusely, and, as Hudson is in rather a critical state, it is doubtful if he will be able to appear at the ResidentMagistrate’s Court this morning. At the Police Court this morning, before Mr Baddeley, R.M., two first offenders were fined five shillings, with the usual alternative. John Connor was brought up charged with being drunk, in a public place and also with using obscene language. On the first charge he was mulcted in the sum of ss, and for the other he was ordered to pay L 3 or go to gaol for a month. An old man named James McGill, well-known to the police as a bad character, was charged with having assaulted a child eleven years of age, at Alford Forest. The offence was fully proved, and the accused was sentenced to six months’ hard labor, and at the expiration of that time to find two sureties of L 25 and himself LSO, for good behavior. McGill was also charged with having obtained two sums of L2 and L 5 i n false pretences from Mr John Tisch, of Alford Forest, and Mr A. J. Howell, of Rakaia, respectively, by means of valueless cheques. He was remanded to Rakaia where he will be brought up on the 16th. Panding the arrival of Mr Cunningham’s cablegram from England, there seems to be a lull in the diamond fever in Christchurch, very little business being done in shares on Saturday. The stone which we mentioned as having been found by Mr McFarlane has turned out to be a “ duffer,” it not having stoud the fluoric acid test. The largest supposed diamond, about the size of. a pea, has been brought to Christchurch, and a local jeweller thinks that it isgenuine, although he does not pronounce with certainty on the subject.

Mr W. R, Boyle has been appointed creditors’ trustee in the estates of F. F. Clayton and James Begg. Invitation for tenders for cutting gors# fences and putting up wire fencing are issued by Mr Donald McLean, of Lagmhor. Notices of applications for publican’s licenses by Messrs E. Oliver and J. Mager for the Wheatsheaf and Waterton Hotels respectively, appear in this issue. Tenderers are reminded that the tenders for Wheatstone and Alford Forest Water Supply, invited by the County Council, close at n a.m, on Wednesday next. A capital programme has been prepared for the entertainment to be held this evening under the auspices of the Debating Society. It will be observed that members are allowed to invite two friends.

On account of the early expiration of the peesent lease of their business premises, Me srs Orr and Co. announce an extensive clearing sale of their ironmongery, grocery, and general furnishing stock. Any one who has inspected the stock of this well-known firm will readily understand that the sale will be an unusually large sale.