LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1565, 23 May 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Tinwald Town JBoard announce that the time for receiving tenders for forming footpaths has been extended to Friday next.

We are informed by the manager of the Boselle Bros.' Surpree Party that m addition to their own strong combination they have engaged the champion amateur dancor of Canterbury to assist at their performance at the Town Hall, Bakaia, to-morrow evening, and we hope to "see the bumper house their enterprise, deserves.

The Ashburtcn hounds met last Thursday , afternoon at Winohmore. Some forty persons put m an appearance, and after partaking of the hospitality of the worthy master, Mr M. Stitt, th« little paok were taken aoross the road opposite the homestead, and almost immediately found a fine hare which made straight for a plantation some distance off, but could not be persuaded to leave it. Two more good runs of about 80 minutes eioh brought the afternoon's, sport to a close. The ground was very wet and the wind cold, and now qnd again a good deal of rain fell during th« day. The soent was bad, though the hound?, however, looked very well and worked nicely. About 5 o'clook an adjournment was made to Mr Stitt's where refreshments wore again done justice to, and then several hunting songs by one or two of the gentlemen present brought a very pleasant afternoon to a olose. Amongst tht persons following were Mr Stitt, Mr and Mrs Upton, Mr and Mrs Eeid, and Messrs Rnsaell, Allan, Bunting, Hutohison, Wilson, Winter, Smith, Worner, Norrish, Hart, AUington, Sutler, Jowitt, Hawson, A. Fooks. and Heseltine.

Noting the other day m an exchange, m a paragraph respecting Dr Falb, of Vienna, the earthquake prophet, that he fixed on May sth, 6th, and 7th as dates for Borne of the almospherio disturbances to take place during the year, the " Taranaki Herald " cut out the dates and kept them on hand wailing to see if the prophet had hit the mark. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, May sth, 6th, and 7th, Captain Edwin was puzzled to acoount for the high tides all over the Colony ; and it is a coincidence that Dr Falb should have hit m this case on the exact dates of the unusually high tides.

"What a murderous-looking villain the prisoner is ! " whispered an old lady m a court-room to [her husband. " I'd be afraid to get near him." "Sh!" warned her husband, •' that ain't the prisoner. He ain't been brought m yet." "It ain't. Who is it then?" "It is the Judge." What promises to be a very successful tea meeting and entertainment is to take place to-morrow evening at the Oddfellows' Hall. Ihe cantata, whioh will be introduced after the tea has been served, is one most appropriate on the occaßion of celebrating the Queen's Birthday. The Wesleyan Church Ch<sie, under Mr Gamble's leadership, has already won laurels for successfully presenting first-class musio to an Ashburton audience, and m the concert to-morrow night there will

ba scope for again pleasing the musical ear.

Additional interest will be infused by the pourtrayal of some domestic and family incidents connected with the life of our Gracious Sovereign. The periods or events to be brought under review will more particu-

larly refer to the Queen's childhood, her

accession, coronation, and marriage ; the death of Prinoe Albert, the illness of the

Prince of Wales, and the deaths of Princess Alice and Prince Leopold. Snmo ©* the

narratives introduoed will, perhaps, be new to the audience, and m the hands of an intelligent reader Bhould oonduce largely to the effectiveness of the whole programme. The airs are of a popular character, and tbe entertainment is sufficiently interesting to draw a crowded house.

" A sailing feat was accomplished on Monday, Maroh2G, to whioh there is no parallel," says the " Homo News." "A little craft of only 4f tons left Natal m May last and reached England after a voyage of ten mohtns. The experiences of Capt Nilson and his two Norwegian companions during that eventful period were suoh as have probably never fallen to the lot of any human being. It is .diffioult to believe that weary nature could have endured the privations and discomforts of these men during their long and perilous trip. The Homeward Bound enoountered tempetuous gales during more than more than four months after starting, and the crews' clothing literally rotted off their backs through the continuous soaking to whioh they wore exposed. During the latter part of the voyage the progress was Blow, the hull of the boat having become enorusted with barnacles and seaweed. The tiny craft whioh has thus weathered the storms of the Cape of Good Hope m the worst part of the year was built m accordance with the designs ol the owner, Captain Nilson." la the President ol the United States reoent Bpeech the following ooours, whioh as truly •pplies to the New Zealand as to the States farmer ;— " The farmers, who form nearly half of our population, ar« especially int&restsd m a oareful system of taxation. None labor harder or more continuously than they. No enactments limit their hours of toils, and no intei'position of the Government enhances to any great extent the value of their products ; and yet for many of the necessaries and comforts of life they are obliged to pay a price largely increased by taxes and an unnatural profit." TheDundet 'Advertiser' published on Maroh 28th a oommunioation of some length from ' a New Zealand nautical correspondent,' regarding the whale fishing ground off the Solanders. The writer specially urged the working of this fishery by c steam whaler, suoh as those who sail from Dundee to the Greenland and Newfoundland whale and seal fisheries. Such a whaler, he thinks, could get 1200 tons of whale oil m a season, and this at £120 a ton wou(d be a return sufficient to satisfy even the most exaoting. In a brief editorial attention is drawn to the letter and the belief is expressed that the Dundee whaling companies would do well to look into the matter ; bo you (says the correspondent of the O. D. " Times ") may hear more of it presently.