Untitled

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1280, 5 July 1886, Page 2

The programme of the annual steeplechase meeting of the Ashburton County Hunt Club, to be held on August 18 is published in this issue. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Farmers’ Co-operative Association held at Christohurohon Saturday afternoon a dividend of 7 per cent was declared. An inquest was held at Christchurch on Saturday on the body of ,Agnes Austin aged 16, daughter of Mr Austin, solicitor. She died somewhat||suddenly 'without a medical man being in attendance. Medical evidence showed that deathj had resulted from conI gestion of the brain. It appeared that j deceased’s father bad a post mortem examinaI tion made before that ordered by the I coroner, who blamed him for doing it, pointI ing out that it was illegal. The jury added | a rider affirming the inadvisableness of private I post mortems in similar circumstances.

The steamer Triumph left Lyttelton on Saturday for King Sound via Wellington, well filled with passengers. At Wellington, from which port she will take her final departure, she will be joined by a contingent mainly comprising West Coast miners. A very large number of persons proceeded from Christchurch by the 2.40 p.m. train, as may be gathered frojp .the fact that 1600 tickets were issued by {the Railway Department to Lyttelton alone during the day. The steamer was ready for ;.sea abofK (four |p.m., and | shortly after that hour left the ocean steamers’ wharf amid the cheers of at least a couple of thousandjpeople 'gathered on the wharf and on the hill-sides. The Lyttleton Garrison Band played appropriatejairs, and a number of friends of the passengers, with the band, accompanied] the steamer {down the harbor.

A meeting of the Committee of the Ashburton Racing;.Club; was held ;at:|the Club’s room on Saturday evening. Present—Messrs Purnell (Chairman),jCrisp, Stitt, Denshire, M. Friedlander, Zander, B. Friedlander and Dr Leahy. It was resolved to invite tenders for working the totalisator for the Club for one or three years, and to grant the use of the racecourse to the Ashburton County Hunt Club lor the purpose of holding a steeplechase meeting on August 18, at the usual charge. A large number of applications were received for the position of Secretary to the Club, and after consideration that of Mr 0. C. Fooks was accepted. The Chairman was authorised to arrange the details of Mr Fooks’a engagement. It was resolved “that this Committee in accepting Mr Saunders’s resignation of the office of Secretary, which he has so long filled, wishes to place on record its strong sense of the valuable services which he has rendered to the Club, and also its recognition of his unremitting attention to his duties Jand his constant and zealous efforts to promote its interests.” It was also resolved ‘‘ That an address, to be signed by every member of the Committee, be presented to Mr Saunders, expressing the Committee's recognition of his services to the Club.” The Committee then adjourned.

T’.'.o Ashburton hounds met at Scotsdean on Saturday afternoon, and notwithstanding the bitterly cold weather there was a fair gathering of the usual patrons of the hunt. Some difficulty was experienced in finding a a hare, but ultimately a slow run of three or four miles, with lots of jumping, was obtained. The scent was very cold and puss raced right away from her pursuers. Several shorter runs followed, but hounds could make nothing of their game and at an early hour were sent back to kennel. Among those out were Mrs Corbitt, Misses Clark and Jones, Messrs Upton, Eeid, Bussell, Dixon, Hunt (3), G. Merewother, Hart, Wynn-Williams (2), Allan, Jepbson, Sawle, A. Patterson, J. Corbitt. Worner, Corrigan, Denshire, S. Clark, and Dr Leahy.

To-day’s telegrams suggest that the volcanic disturbances in the Hot Lakes district are not yet ended. There are indications of renewed activity at Botorua.

A horse, the property of Mrs Wilkie, was run over and killed by the evening train from Christchurch on Saturday evening. The animal, which was a valuable one, had got but of its paddock and was wandering on the line near the gravel pit in the vicinity of the racecourse when it was run down by the train. Judging from the mangled state of the carcass death must have been speedy.

A son, twelve years of age, of Mr W. B. Compton, Borough Poundkeeper, met with a serious accident on Saturday last. He was cleaning candlesticks at a Are, when his clothing ignited and he was seriously burned before the flames could be extinguished. The boy was taken to the Hospital yesterday morning and bis injuries attended to. This afternoon he was progressing as favorably as could be expected under the circumstances.