The Ashburton Guardian. Manga Est Veritas et Prevalebit TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1883. News by the Mail.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1051, 18 September 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Manga Est Veritas et Prevalebit TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1883. News by the Mail.

Who is the journalistic genius who compiles the summary of news which is distributed from Auckland all over the colony whenever the San Francisco mail reaches New Zealand ? This is a question which a great many newspaper readers must ask themselves as they wade through the many columns of uninteresting matter that proprietors of jounals are called upon to* pay for every month. We venture to say that what there is of importance in the news transmitted could be easily compressed into less than a third of the space it now occupies. There might perhaps be less reason to complain if the intelligence so obtained could be relied on, but thanks to the wayward eccentricities of telegraphists, and the absence of omniscience on the part of sub-editors, the same message is often made to read in various ways in different papers. Take for example a single item contained in this morning’s journals to the effect that Sir Moses Montefiore has shown his sympathy with the Jews accused of murdering a woman some time ago in Hungary, by sending them fifty dollars and a letter. In one paper the fact is stated as we have put it, and this is probably correct, but some of our contemporaries have made the accused persons Jewesses, while the Mail goes so far as to turn the supposed victim into two people— Esther and Salyman—confounding her with those charged with having committed the crime. This instance is only taken at random, and the curious in such matters might obtain some amusement by comparing the items of mail news as they appear in different papers. Another peculiarity of the press agent in Auckland is that he evidently fancies the people of this colony are burning to learn the latest intelligence concerning a whilom “ professional beauty,” who has lately taken to the stage. Mrs Langtry may be a celebrated person in her way, but we fancy that newspaper readers are by this time getting a little tired of hearing of the doings of this lady and a certain young man who has earned some notoriety by his folly in following her all over America. If every lurker around stage doors is to be immortalised in this way, where, we should like to know, is that kind of thing to end ? This month, however, the Auckland “picker up of unconsidered trifles,” surpasses himself, as he not only chronicles what this amateur actress does, but actually what she thinks. “Mrs Langtry,” we are told, “ says it is the dream of her life to return from her American and Australian tour and found a theatre in London to be known by her name.” In the name of reason, what interest can this have for colonists, or for the matter of that anyone else? Just about as much as that the New York critics consider Oscar Wilde’s play to be “ mere bosh,” although from what we have read of the effusions of the apostle of modern sestheticism we can quite imagine that the opinion so elegantly expressed is amply justified. It may be urged that what we have referred to are mere trifles, and if the information conveyed is not of much importance, at any rate it is harmless. The same excuse, however, will not hold in connection with another item which occupies a considerable space in this month’s mail summary. Some time ago we were favored with a visit from a well-known prize fighter named Jem Mace, who had been a celebrity in days gone by. This worthy took to America a Maori, whom he trained for the purpose of pitting him against notable bruisers in that country. At the beginning of last month it appears that a battle was fought between the New Zealander and Sullivan, the champion of the United States, and the press agent has taken the trouble , to telegraph a detailed account of the match. The whole affair seems to have been a brutal exhibition, and we fail to see what end is served by disseminating such intelligence as this. There was a time when an event of this kind was regarded as important, and we all know that Thackeray devoted one of his Roundabout Papers to the celebrated “ mill ” between Heenan and Sayers. In that case, however, there was ample excuse, as even those who strongly objected to prize fighting regarded' the encounter as an international concern. The affair of Sullivan and Slade was nothing more nor less than a show got up by speculators to make money, and to devote about a column to a description of what took place is simply to pander to the lowest taste of the vulgar mob. Surely .the Press Association would do wisely to drop a hint to the Auckland newsmonger to confine himself to more savory matters in future, and not run the proprietors of newspapers into large expense by telegraphing such nauseous or irrelevant rubbish as he is the habit of doing.

A diamond drill was successfully started at the Springfield Colliery Company’s works yesterday. The proceedings ended' with a public luncheon. The San Francisco mail will probably be delivered in Ashburton to-morrow morning, immediately after the arrival of he express from Christchurch. A button of smelted gold weighing 18 dwts was shown at the Mining Exchange yesterday by a miner, who said it was the result of a week’s work at the Nine'y Mile Beach.

Information has been laid by the police at Timaru against the members of the Salvation Army and “progressive” or opposition army for obstructing the thoroughfares, and acting in a manner calculated to provoke a breach of the peace.

Owing to the unsatisfactory nature of the reply received from the Directors of the New Zealand Refrigerating Co., the promoters of the Oamaru Meat Freezing Go. have decided to take immediate'steps to form a company. Mr Moncure D Conway, lecturer, is a through passenger by the San Francisco mail steamer Australia to Sydney to lecture in Australia on “ Men and things in England.” He goes thence to India to study Indian literature. It is not known whether New Zealand is in the programme.

Last night colors were presented by Mrs Barker to Major Pollard of the Salvation Army, in the Tuam street Hall, which was crowded, upwards of three thousand persons being present. The proceedings were orderly.

’ At the Christchurch Supreme Court the trial of Stransghan v. the Australian Mercantile Union Insurance Company was begun yesterday. Counsel for the defendants stated it wpuld last through the week. Ihe same plaintiff recovered LSOO from the Standard office a few weeks ago, but this has not (prevented the present defendants from meeting the action. At the Divorce Court at Wellington yesterday, a rule nisi was granted in the case of Pizzey v Pizzey and Another, on the petition of the husband for a dissolution of the marriage on the ground of his wife’s adultery with the co-respondent. The parlies were married at Burke’s Pass, Canterbury, in 1880, and subsequently resided there, whence they went to the North Island.

At the Police Court this morning a man named William Johnson was fined 5s with the usual alternative. The only other business before the Court was the adjudicating of two cases in which residents were charged with having committed breaches of the borough by-laws, a fine of 5s being Inflicted in each case.

The views of Austra’ia and New Zea. land were exhibited at the Longbeach school last night by Mr De Beere, with marked success. A very good attendance of country people was present, and they all appeared highly pleased with the entertainment. Mr De Beere goes to Greenstreet and will exhib t his views there to-morrow evening.

We have been requested to intimate that there is a scarcity of linen at the hospital at present, and residents would bo doing a favor in forwarding any they can spare. The walls of the institution are very bare, and it would be an act of kindness to send pictures to decorate them. Presents of flowers will also be acceptable, and we feel sure that we have only to draw attention to this to ensure what is needed being sent. A deputation from the Charitable Aid Board interviewed the Minister of Lands at Christchurch, yesterday, to induce him to withdraw from sale land at Russell’s Flat and reserve it as an endowment for an orphanage. Mr Rollestoi declined to accede to the request, as the land had been advertised three months, and it would be unfair to the public. On the question of the unsuitability of the Lyttelton site for an orphanage, he did not

agree with the depu’ation that an inland site was preferable, being of opinion that children, especially very young children, were better reared near the sea. He suggested thattheolder boysshould be drafted to Burnham, where a proper classification could be made. The Mayor raised the question of an endowment for the City, but Mr Rolleston deprecated it as likely to rouse the jealousy of other cities. An extraordinary complication has arisen in the Wellington City Council. On Friday evening Councillor Maginnity at the end of the meeting handed in his resignation The City Solicitor has advised that there is no statutory provision

enabling a Councillor to resign, and that to have effect the resignation must be formally accepted by this Council. A special meeting to accept this resignation was called for y sterday, but in the forenoon Councillor Maginnity in writing withdrew his resignation. The Council held a meeting in the afternoon, when both resignation and withdrawal were placed before it. By a majority of one the Council accepted the resignation, and ordered a new election for theThorndon Ward,quite ignoring the withdrawal. It now turns out that yesterday’s meeting of the Council is in itself illegal through the proper notice not having been given. An anniversary tea meeting of the Dawn of Peace Lodge, I. O.G. T., took place last evening, when there was a very good attendance of members and friends. Mr G. W. Andrews', D. D., took the chair and delivered a lengthy address on the evils of drink. Messrs Kilworth and I. Scott also spoke. The tables, which were well provided with good things, were presided over by Mesdames Hefford and Holmes, and Misses Pratt, Hickman (2), Andrews and Davis. A number of songs and recitations were given, all being well received and loudly applauded. At the Goo I Templar Hall last night, after a tea meeting had dispersed, some evilly-minded and hungry individual, with a strong predilection for luxuries, managed to obtain an entrance into the building and helped himself to some ten pounds of cake and a third of a tin of biscuits. As Mr Marsh has no esire to curtail the enjoyment of the individual in question ; if he will take the trouble to pay a visit to the former’s establishment he can obtain the balance of the provender he was so kind as to leave behind him. An Arkansas journalist, in assuming control of the local column of a weekly paper, says :—“ The proprietors of the Millet have deemed it advisable for me to lend my influence to this great enterprise. lam an old hand at the business, and come highly recommended, having been run out of the swamp land district on account of a deli-cately-expressed sentiment to the effect that the county judge was a thief of no small capacity. So long as the judge of this county remains honest, or rather is not caught stealing anything, I may stay with you, and help you to develop the wonderful resources of this section, but just as soon as he is proved to be a thief, I reckon I’ll have to slide. I take this method of informing the people that I will preach at the Olay Hill Church next Sunday.”

An impromptu rink, open to all members of the Rinking Club and their friends, takes place to-morrow evening at the Town Hall.

An important announcement from Mr S. W. Alcorn in reference to his clearing sale appears in our third page.

Sour stomach, sick headache, and dizziness Hop Bitters cures with a few doses. See. [AdvT.] Gorged Livers, Bilious conditions, constipation, piles, dyspepsia, headache, cured by “ Wells’ May Apple Pills.” S d and Is boxes at druggists. Moses, Moss and Co., SydneyGeneral Agents far Australasia. 2