LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1494, 28 February 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Sir R. Stout, Premier, Hon P. Buckleyt Colonial Secretary, and several members of the Legislature arrived m Ashburton on Saturday night, proceeding again yesterday morning to Danedin m order to attend the late Mr James Macandrew's funeral, which took place this afternoon.

' On Saturday night Mr W. Zander, tobacconist, had an automatic smoker m his window which excited much interest and amusement. By a clever meohanical arrangement the little man takes steady pulls at bis pigmy oigar and " blows a cloud " with all the easy nonchalance of an experienced advocate of the weed.

On Saturday morning a little boy, seven or eight yoars of age, and son of Mr A. W. Bandell, fruiterer, was driving away some chickens from the door of his father's house at Allonton, when ho fell ovor a box, with the result that his shoulder was dislocated and one of the bones of the arm fraotured.

On Friday last a little boy, three or four years of age, son of Mr Maxwell, of Wakanui, fell off a gate on which he was swinging and fraotured his thigh bone.

The only safe and sure oure for gravel or urinary troubles is American Co. 'a Hop Bitters. Prove it. Read

The Olerk to the Hampstead Town Board announces that legal proceedings will be taken against those persons whoso rates are unpaid by March lOlh. A gentle reminder is also given to owners of dogs m the district who have negleoted to pay tho registration fees.

A special meeting of the Ashton School Committcowaß hold on Saturday ovening to consider the applications for the position of master of the sohool. Present — Messrs Gilmour, Taylor, Bell, J. Crcy, W. Croy, and Shearer. Tho Board had forwarded tho names of two applicants, and it was decided to appoint Mr Mitohell, of .Waikerakikeri Akaroa, to the position. A communication was received from the Board notifying that Mr O. E. Oraddook would bo temporarily appointed master until Mr Mitohell could enter upon his duties. After furthor business of a routine cbarao'or the mooting adjourned. The following is Mr Wood's report of the school, which was examined on Jan. 26th :— " The results of the examination are very good m all the classes. A most praiseworthy effort has been made to obtain a high level of excellence m the three most essential Eubjeotß of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The discipline very good." Presented 24, passed 23 ; percentage of passes 51*1, percentage of failures 4-3 ; percentage on olasa subjeot 64 ; additional marks 60. Staff— Master, Mr A. Bromley ; Mißtress, Miss B. L. Ball.

The world's blind are computed to numtrer about 1,000,000, or about one sightless persons m every 1400 inhabitants. The proportion is greatest m Egypt and least m New Zealand. Germany has the greatest number of institutions for the blind.

An enterprising individual has been selling "washing fluid" m the Dunedin Buburbß. His patrons have been not a little surprised on opening the bottles containing the fluid to find that it was not inappropriately named, for it was only water.

The Dunedin Evening Star reports that during the last few weeks several large sharks have infested the Lower Harbor, two of whioh were captured on Wednesday afternoon— one by Mr Gash and his crew, whioh measured 17ft m length by 12(t Gin m girth, the normal fins being 3ft 4in each. The dorsal fin was 2ft long, and the tail 4ft from tip to tip, while the width of the jaw was 18in. The other fish, which was rather smaller, was captured by Mr Short and his crew. Both fish were taken to Dunedin.

4 prominent Roman Catholic priest m New York has, it is reported, been summoned to Borne to give explanation of his conduct during the recent contest for the Mayoralty. He was an ardent supporter of Henry George. Goneral Booth, of tho Salvation Army, said m the course of a recent interview m New York that he had travelled twenty-nine days of ten hours each m America, and had saved m all 25,000 souls, or at the rate of one every two minutes. The jubilee of railways will be celebrated m Paris thiß year. An international congress* composed of delegates of railway companies, ohambers of commerce, scientific societies, and othors, will be held, and an exhibition of railways and associated industries will be open from May till October. It is expeotod that the Trafalgar, the largest armour-olad ever built at Portsmouth, will be ready for launohing m September next. She was laid down m January, 1886. Should she be built within the time mentioned, it will bo an event wholly unparalleled m the servioe.

At tho date of last oensus thers were 36 Cream and butter factories m the colony. The approximate value of the land, buildings, machinery, and plant of the former was £8116 and of the latter £47,513. Several new factories have been opened since then.

There was a groat trial m Paris recently, where M. Popp wa3 charged with having swindled some English capitalists by persuading them that he could extract gold from mill, stones. " You must bear m mind," said Poppa advocate, addressing the Court m defence of his olient, that the complainants are foreigners, Englishmen, and that the defendant is a Frenchman." This appeal to the sentiment prevalent m French breasts was not thrown away, and the swindler, though his swindling was abundantly proved, was acquitted.

A disgraceful soone was witnessed at Neath, m England, at a football match between that club and a Newport team. A dispute arising as to a " try," the referee (Mr R. Adams) was appealed to, and he gave his deoision m favor of Newport, wheroupon the partisans of Neath attacked him with mud and stones. Mr Adams had to seek the aid of a medical man, being escorted off the field by the constabulary.

Take Hop Bitters three times a day, and you will have no dootor's bills to pay. That is, if made by Amerioan Go. See

HOLLOWAV'fI PILLB AND OlNTMENT.—RheUmatism and Gout. — Those purifying and soothing remedies deserve the earnest attention of all persons liable to gout, sciatica, or other painful affections of the musoles, nerves, or joints. The Ointment should be applied after the effected parts have been patiently fomented wi;h warm water, when the ointment should be diligently rubbed upon the adjacent skin, unless the friotion oauses pain. Hollo way's Fills should be Bimultaneousty taken to diminish pain, reduce inflammation, and purify the blood. This treatment abates tha violence, and lessons the frequenoy of gout, rheumatism, and all spasmodic diseases which spring from hereditary predisposition, or from any accidental weakness of constitution. The Ointment checks the local malady, while the Fills restore vital power.