LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1486, 18 February 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the meeting of the Board ol Education yesterday reports relating to several school were laid on the table. The state of some m this district was described as follows: — Hinds, 11 fairly good j M Longbeaoh, •• fair ; " Tinwald, " bad; " Winslow, " distinctly good." At the R.M. Ooart this morning, on the application of Mr Ward, Registrar of Bleotors, several alterations wire made m the rolls for the Ashbnrton and Wakanui districts. The racehorses Fair Nell, Bußsley, Repose, and Talebearer passed through Ashburton this morning to fullfil their engagements at the forthcoming Dunedin meeting. The American patent office is m a prosper. oub condition. There were 40,878 applies, lions for patents daring the y«ar ; againßt 85,688 last year, 24,134 patents were granted. Receipts were 1,205,107 80 dollars, against 1,074,974-85 last year. Truth asserts that the Arab horses recently presented to the Queen by the Sultan of Muscat are valued at £3500, and that the value of the presents <a dock, tea-service, and guns) which Her Majesty is sending him m return does not exoeed £500. The ChriitohutcK Telegraph sayo that on Mr Mannering's estate, atFernside, a paddock of dan oats threshed pat 60 bushels per acre, and the machines of Mr W. Pearson pat through 2000 of them m one day. The sample was sold at Is 7d. The 125 steamships plying between the United States and Europe oost 1,000,000 dollars, employ 18,750 men, spend 1,000,000 dollars a month fo» coal, carry 50,000 passengers a year, and earn 22,000,000 dollars for passage money, exclusive of what is paid for freight. There was a ouriously assorted passenger list by the Reefton coach a day or two ago. It comprised Bishop Harper, Primate of New Zealand, Arohdeaoon Maolean, another clerical gentleman, and Miss Ada Campbell (freethought leoturer), and three Chinese. The cathedral authorities at Bangor have been trying an exceedingly Bimple plan for compelling proper attention to the cathedral sermona. The congregation, it seems, had got into a disrespectful way of going out of the church m a body at the conclusion of the anthem. A Sunday or two ago this unseemly •xodus was cheoked by the discovery that all the doors were locked. Unfortunately, the people, instead of quietly taking the hint, made suoh a disturbance that ultimately the doors had to be opened. King Theebaw's state obariot has lately been exhibited m London. It is of the pattern used m Europe a hundred years ago, and it is liberally coated with sheet of gold, inlaid with bits of glass. Within there is only room for one. person. A most astonishing phenomenon of the Japanese earthquakes waß the splitting of the Papandayang mountain. In a flash of time it split into seven parts. Where the lone mountain had stood loomed up seven peaks, each 700 feet high. The South American, Journal remarks that they are going ahead at a very tremendous rate m the Argentine Republic, especially as regards the construction of railways. It is calculated, by a local paper, that if all the railways proposed to Congress during the present session be carried into execution fully 50,000 railway nawieß will have to be at work next year m that country. The whereabouts of a' gang of Italian smugglers was recently discovered m a very tragio manner. The band, seventeen m number, were either m hiding or engaged m cross, ing some mountains near Vioenza, when they were overwhelmed by an avalanche, wbioh swept them down the mountain side and killed the whole band. The Auckland Herald publishes the fallowing good anecdote anent the Premier who is a staunch teetotaller. Sir Robert was visiting one of Her Majesty's warships at Wellington, when the captain ordered out wine to drink the Queen's health. The Premier said he " did not drink wine." " Ah," replied the Captain, •• you are one of my sort. Steward, here, bring m the brandy." At a reoent meeting of the Geographical Sooiety M. de Lesseps reiterated his opinion (hat tho Panama Canal will be opened for traffic m 1889. He added, " There will not be sufficient time for the construction of looks ; we shall make them later on. The essential point is that by tho date mentioned shipping shall be able to pass through the canal." Tho Qrty River Aygut says that Mr David Donald, of Totara Flat, a few dayß ago telegraphed to Mr Menteath. M.H.R., that he had found a 221 b salmon dead on the river near his farm. Reports from the Left-hand Branch are that the fish are very plentiful there, and can be seen at almost any point along the river. The yearly number of newly.ordained ourateß m England is computed to average 056. According to Dr Hayman'B calculations the annual number of vacancies is 888, and the average nnmber of new benefices oreated yearly 65. Thus only' 453 ourates are provided for annually, leaving 203 " unemployed " — that is to say, about one m three. Kidney and urinary complaints of all kinds permanently cured with Hop Bitters. Genuine made by American Co. Read Statutory Declaration.— l, Franz Raabe, Ironbark, Sandhurst, m the colony of Victoria, Australia, do solemnly and einoerely deolare that on tine 25th June, 1877, my son Alfred, six years of age, was accidentally hurt with an axe on the knee. lat once took all pains to secure medioal assistance. However, m spite of all efforts, on the 27th August, 1877, the opinion waa given by Dr Macgillivray that an amputation of the injured hmb had become imperative, m order to save life. At this junoture I called on Meßarß Sander and Sons, procuring some of their Extraot of the Eucalyptus Olobulus, and by the application of the same I had the satisfaction of seeing my son within a fortnight out of all danger, and to-day he is recovered. I may just add that it was when the crisis bad bean reaohed that the Extract referred to was first applied. And I make this solemn declaration, etc.— Franz Ra&be. Deolarsd at Sandhurst, m the oolony of Viotorje, Australia, this seventeenth day of Ootober, one thousand eight hundred and sevent y-ieven before m«, Monta Goto, J.P.—