LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1348, 22 September 1886, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Monday a man named Win. Groig, who was working in a quarry at Mount Somers, had his leg severely crushed by a fall of atone. Ha was taken to bis home in Christchurch. Several blocks of fine looking white atone from Mount Somers were sent to Christchurch to-day. Indian-rubber is threatened with a rival. The rubber dealers of Eastern Nicaragua think they have discovered a tree whose gum will give as much satisfaction as rubber, and will, in fact, take its plaoi. They say that the milk of the tuno tarnishes a most excellent gutta-percha, equal to the best found in the eastern topics, while the number of trees is virtually inexhaustible, and the gum can be produced with a profit at twelve cents a pound. The Wellington correspondent of the Press says :—lt is understood that Major Atkinson will go on a stumping tour of the whole colony shortly, unless prevented by the ill-health of Mrs Atkinson, who was hoped to bo recovering after her recent illness, but whose condition has changed for the worse. The Hon. John Bathgate, 3 M.L.C., died at Dunedin yesterday. He arrived in the colony in 1803 as manager of the Otago Bank. He was for a short time manager and editor of the Ofiujo Daily Times- He was Provincial Solicitor in the Provincial Executive, and afterwards became member of the Vogel Ministry. He is survived by twelve children, nearly all grown up, and tweuty-seven grandchildren,

In our telegrams on Monday it was stated that the body of a man had been found at Island Bay, near Wellington, It has been ascertained the body is that of a laborer named Ward, who has for some time being out of employment, and impost mortem examination revealed the fact that death was due to starvation.

The Wellington ghost—or rather one of them, for the city appears to have been troubled by more than one of them recently was captured on Thursday night, on Thorndon Quay, in the shape of a young man wearing a white garment over his clothes. The offender, who said “ he had only been having a bit of fun,” will be charged at the Police Court with a breach ot the Police Offences Act by having about him articles of disguise. It is to be hoped that he will be made an example of, for such senseless freaks as these have often the moat disastrous results.

A number of amusing stories are current re the visit of the colonists to Windsor, of which the following is one ;—“ Amongst other things they were asked to sign the visitors’ book at the Castle. Sir John Coniell thought they might consider this something of a nuisance, but he was quite mistaken. The visitors almost fought with one another for precedence in signing. Such phrases as 1 1 come next, sir I’ ‘ Don’t push me, sir 1’ *My wife and daughter have not signed yet, sir !’ eould be beard on all sides by the Court officials, who were vastly amused.” The Ashburton unemployed have, we understand, been put to work In the Domain, cleaning out the water course, and in the Borough reserve in the river bed. Both these works are urgently needed. The Works Committee of the Council will hold a meeting to-morrow, in order to decide how the men will further be employed. It is probable that the Committee will determine upon making improvements in the Domain to the value of the balance of the Government grant. The Borough Engineer, Mr C. E. Fooks, some years ago prepared a scheme by which the rciervoir in the Domain might be rendered very ornamental, and be also has in view, we believe, a very suitable site for a swimming bath. Ho will lay this scheme before the Committee to morrow, and it will decide what portion of his proposals will be carried into effect.

“ Citoyen Lisbonne,” the ex-conviofc who recently opened a cabaret in Paris as a travesty on a prison, where the waiters are dressed as convicts and lettered, and where the chr/ represents the executioner, who grimly tells his customers that he will be “ ready lor them in ten minutes,” appaers to find the realistic ideas pay. He is just about to open a second oale, where the tables will be coffins decked with sculls as saltcellars, and where customers will be waited upon by young girls “ got up ” as corpses and habited in shrouds.

The blind man, Thomas Glenn, who lelt the Old Men’s Home on Monday evening, and who, it was supposed had been drowned, has been lound and restored to the Institution. Just before dusk yesterday evening be was seen near Tinwald by a runner o 1 the Guardian, who informed the police. Glenn was allrigbt, with the exception ol a cut on the nose, which be sustained by falling over a wire fence.

Many ol the Pintw Insignis trees in Ashburton have been attacked by a blight, which, we are told, invariably proves fatal to the trees. To the naked eye the blight presents the appearance of a whitish fluff adhering to the bark of the branches, but an examination of this woolly matter with a powerful microscope reveals the fact that it is swarming with curious-looking insects, while masses of yellow eggs show how fast the propagation of the species is going on. It is a great pity tha 4 nothing, apparently, can be done to check the ravages of this blight, lor the trees it attacks are all handsome, fast growing ones. Innumerable *' anxious enquirers ” have to day msde our life miserable by their requests for information as to whether the glass case, the Borough Council have procured to display the curios, which are the nucleus ol a future Ashburton museum, is also intended for the reception of the Borough water cart.

In Chicago there is a boy who possesses ‘.‘cat’s eyes," and can sea in the dark. At the State Eye and Ear Infirmary he was taken into a dark room and there various tests were made which proved beyond doubt that this is a genuine case. The eyeballs glistened like balls ol fire, and upon a close examination it was found that the lad’s eyes are formed in the same manner that a oat's are. The larger portion of the iris is missing, only a small portion being visible on the outer side of each eye. When taken inro a dark room an immediate expansion takes place which enables the boy to see perfectly, A strong light blinds him, and from this same peculiarity the boy is able to see objects at a distance with much more clearness than elose at hand. All the oculists are agreed that nothing can bs done for the child. Use American Co.’s Hop Bitters once and you will use no other medicine. Test it. Take no other. Be sure and read The best known remedy is SANDER and SONS' EUCALYPTI EXTRACT. Test its eminent powerful effects in coughs, cold, influenza, etc.—tha relief is instantaneous. Thousands give the most gratifying testimony, His Majesty the King of Italy, and medical syndicates all over the globe are its patrons. Read the official reports that accompany each bottle. We have no occasion to offer rewards in proof of tha genuineness of our references. Tha official reports of medical clinics and universities, the official communication of the Consul-General for Italy at Melbourne; the diploma awarded International Exhibition, Amsterdam all these are authentic documents, and, as sneh, not open to doubt. We add here epitome of one of the various cases treated by Siegen, M.D., Professor, etc. : Burning of the right hand through the explosion of a small oil stove. The epirdermis on the volar and palmer side of the hand of the thirty-year-old patient was completely separated and lifted up as far as the joint of the hand. The likewise lifted nails were banging loose, and half of <he phalanx of the nail of the middle finger was coaled. The wounds thus contracted healed in three weeks under daily applications of Eucalypti Extract dressing The patient has etained the full use of hand.—(Advt.l