LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1414, 23 November 1886, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The candidates for the Majority will addresh a public meeting in the Townhall this evening. The poll takes place to-morrow. A meeting of the Ashburton Rifle Volunteers for the election of officers and the transaction of other business will be held this evening after parade. By request Mr Mallaby has consented to I appear with his company in the Oddfellows’ Hall, on Thursday night, in the comedy of “ The Great Pink Pearl.” This comedy has met with great success wherever performed, and it had, we understand, a run of over 400 nights injLondon. A description of the plot will appear in to-morrow’s issue. A box plan is on view at Mr Zanders, East street; the reserved seats|being 3s. The railway department announce a really “ cheap ’’ excursion! to Christchurch and Lyttelton and back on the{29th instant. The fares are Ashburton, first-class, 5s fid, second-class, 4s; Chertsey and Rakaia, firstclass, ss, second-class, 3s 9d. By Saturday’s express train to Tinwald there arrived there three very handsome Clydesdale mares and foals,, purchased in Oamaru by Messrs J. Small, T. Mawson, and D. Brick respectively. They will form quite an acquisition to the district, The Hon E. Richardson visited the rooms of the Industrial Association at Christchurch, yesterday, and the President and Committee who received him urged the need for the erection of industrial balls in the principal cities of the colony. The Minister promised to do his best, but he added that with the present cry for retrenchment, the prospects ol a money grant were not promising. Tremendous efforts are being made in the South Western States to extirpate the pest of the English sparrow. A report published by the Department of Agriculture on October 17, puts the estimated loss to rice planters in the Carolines from the birds at from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 dollars annually. The Tchgraph reports that a very fine specimen of silver-grey seal was captured at Taumuta, Southbridge, on Saturday. Two fishermen, named Stratz and Bassey, while fishing in Lake Ellesmere, observed the seal in the ocean heading for the outlet recently out to lower the lake. Having pu’led in thei boatjjthey succeeded in placing a noose over its head, and alter considerable difficulty landed it safely on the beach where it showed fight for some time. The seal, which is about 10ft in length, was removed to the Railway Station and forwarded to Christchurch for exhibition. A diabolical anarchist plot has been disj covered at Vienna having for its object the burning of the city by firing the great timber yards in different directions, simultaneously. The conspirators had provided bombs which they intended throwing among the crowds attracted by the fires. The police arrested twenty of the ringleaders in the execution of the design. A nasty accident occurred at Timaru yesterday to a man, named Shilling, while working at a crane which was lifting some machinery from the wreck of the Lyttelton. Shilling was standing astride one of the chains, adjusting it on the barrel, when the machinery suddenly canted and tightened up the bight of the chain, thus hoisting Shilling right up, tho impetus sending him clean through the canvas cover of the orane. The unfortunate man in descending fell on the bed-plate of the crane, and on being picked up it was found he was injured very seriously in the abdomen and had bis left leg broken in three places. A granary, stable, and other buildings, in Worcester street West, the property of Dr Symes, were destroyed by fire on Monday evening. A horse which was in the stable at the time was got out safely. The insurances amounted to £2OO. Remember that a little Hop Bitters saves big doctor’s bills, and cures when all else fails. Don’t take unless American Co’s make Read