LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1491, 24 February 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The pulpit of the Presbyterian Church win be occupied by the Key H. B. Burnett on Sunday next. He will also preach at the Wakanui Church m the afternoon. Mr Burnett for Bomo years was pastor to the Church here (when hi 3 district extended from tho Eakaia to the Bangttata) previous to bis removal to Halkett, and no doubt many of kt old hearers will be glad to have an oppor«~nity of again listening to him, especially as bis visit is a farewoll one, Mr Burnett shortly , removing to the West Ooast, to fill the pulpit at Greymoutb, we believe.

This morning, before Major Steward, an inebriate, whose latest previous offence was more than four years ago, was treated as a first offender, and let off with a fine of one shilling and costs.

An Adelaide bank ia being built of Oamarn stone.

A Christohurch correspondent' of the Dunedin Evening Star says he has the best authority for stating that Sir John Hall has definitely decided to offer himself as a can. didate for the Selwyn Beat. Mr Wakefield, it is believed, will not offer himself for re. eleotion.

A "Literary Bureau " has been established at Cbioago, whioh supplies every sort and description of manuscript at a minute's notice, including " sermons for clergymen, fairy tales for children, and patent medicine advertisements for the suffering world."

Eighty years ago it took me one and often *wo days to cross the Irish Channel from Holyhead to Dublin, or vice versa, m one of the sailing packets of the time, though they were then considered very smart craft. Now the journey is done m four hours, and with praotioally the same punctuality as travelling by rail ; the laßt Bteamer, the Ireland, added to the line oan do her 21 knots.

Napier (sayß the Jhmeiin Evening Herald) mast be a wonderfully go-ahead place. The population is not one-fourth that of Dunedin, and yet the town supports three daily papers. The youngest of these journals is only about two yearß old, and it has already enlarged its oolamns three times. It is now the same Biza as the Wellington Post. The editor (Mr Marryatt Hornsby) was at one time editor of the Lake County JPress, published m Arrow.

In Philadelphia women make a good living as profes3ioanl " lampers." They contraot to oall eaoh day, and trim and keep m perfect order the lamps of the household. The rao'&l, the chimneys, the shades and the wipks are kept immaculate, and the oil fresh, and the relief to the average housekeeper is worth more than the slight fee required.

Out of some 950,000 of the whitefiah ova received some ten days since (says the Lake Wahatipu Mail) only about 50,000 have been hatched out— the greater portion of the rest having gone bad on acoount of large numbers being stuok together m balls, as it were. The difference m temperature— 36deg Fab. when unpacked and 49deg m the hatohing boxes — has probably also had something to do with the lose.

The rails on the Napier- Woodville line of railways have now reuohed Woodville Btation, The work of blasting is going on rapidly and the line is expeoted to be publicly opened on 10th Marob.

The considerable privileges enjoyed by members of Parliament, which include the right of travelling over all railways of Australasia free of oost, and of .demanding to be accommodated within their own districts with a box seat on a mail coach and other similar concessions, will (says the Argus of February 4) be supplemented by others m connection with the Intercolonial Railway from Melbourne to Adelaide. By an arrangement entered into by the Railway Department of this colony and that of South Australia, members are m future to be entitled to use, free of charge.

The annual general meeting of the Ashburton Caledonian Society will be held this evening.

Acceptances for the meeting of the Tradesmen's Racing Club are due on Saturday

evening.

As the result of a competition held this week the following members have been ohosen to represent the Ashburton Rifles at the Rifls ARSOoiation Meeting to be held at Ohrietchuroh next week: — Sergeant Nelson , Privates Sim and McDonald. We hope the Ashburton representatives will pull off something. This will be the first time Ashburton has been represented at the Association meetings.

In an account of the voyage to New Zealand of the b.b. Tainni contributed by a passenger to the New Zealand Times of the 21st inst., the writer mentions that the Rev Mr Scott concluded servioe each Sunday, which was well attended. A Sunday school was also started, Mrs Soott being most energetic m her efforts to amuse the little ones. The voyage seems to have been an exceedingly pleasant and happy one.

We know that there is nothing on earth equal to American Co.' Hop Bitters as a family medicine. Look for