LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1613, 19 July 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is said that there is not ovor Bix pounds of waste to the largest ox now killed' at a Chicago packing-house. There are twelve million Bilk hats made annually m the United Kingdom, worth four millions sterling. The most costly hats m the world are those made at Panama of straw, which take sis months to make, and are sold at £5 each. The Buit, by the owners, for damages from the Grand Trunk Bailway Company for killing Jumbo is soon to come to trial m New York. The amount asked is 100,000dols, and a ' part of the testimony already taken by affidavit is to the effect that the elephant was worth 50,000d015. a year for oirous purposes. The •' Manchester Courier " gives publicity to a letter whioh appeared m a New York paper over Henry George's signature, m which that gentleman asserts that he was the first person to carry the news of the Phconix Park murders to Mr Parnell, who was then staying at the Westminster Palace Hotel, London. Mr Dillon and Mr Miohael DaTitt were also present. All were deeply moved, especially Mr Parnell, who, on the impulse of the moment, talked of resigning his seat m Parliament, and retiring from public life for ever. The " Augsburg Gazette," m an account of certain experiments recently made with a balloon m the vioinity of Metz. declares that it can be steered against the wind, that it can be stopped and kept m a stationary position when required, and that its speed is at least four times as great as that of an express train. The constructor of this marvellous maohine i is, it appears, a German engineer named Welker, who is at present settled m America. He has sold the invention to the German Government for £50,000 down and a, life annuity of a considerable amount,

Nominations lor the Steepleohase Meeting ' | »f the Aahburton County Hunt Club olose o-morrow (Wednesday) at nine p.m. It is advertised that the evening party 1 >reviously announced for tonight has been ■ )oatponed till July 28. < A social gathering, on the lines of those | leld by the Ashburton Guards, is being j jrganised for the benefit of the funds of the ishburton Band, and will take place early m ingest. ' German papers oall to mind that Kaiser Wilhelm m his 90 years has survived no Eewer than 72 reigning sovereigns who were his contemporaries. The attention of jmembors oi the Hunt Club is drawn to the alteration of the place of meeting of the hounds, viz.,. Lauriston Railway Station, at 12 noon, instead of Sherwood, at 1.30 p.m., on Thursday, the 21et instant. Mohn, a Norwegian physician, is reported to have been able to cure whooping-cough by mean of inhalations of sulphurous anhydride. In the first instance this was done accidentally while disinfecting rooms, subsequently it was done by burning six drachms of sulphur per cubio metre of space ; the bedding etc, being well exposed to its influence. After the room bad been closed for four hours, ventilation was restored, and the children putjo sleep m the beds impregnated with the sulphurous vapours. In the morning the cough had ceased.— " Medical Press." At a recent meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society the newly-elected President (Dr Hutchinson) remarked that one of the greatest difficulties the colonists had to face was the general delicaoy and want of resisting power m the rising generation, as was displayed m the very general premature decay of the teeth, of nerve disease, and kindred disorders, which were caused by the crowding into towns, and the consequent evil effect of this over orowding. He argued that if a healthy, vigorous race of colonists were to Buoceed the present generation, it could only j be effected by a race of " country dwellers," m whom a surplus vitality might be stored 11 till it would be ready to burst forth upon the world." The inevitable tendency of j sooiety was to congregate m towns, and hence a want of vitality m the rising generation. — •• New Zealand Times." The "Poverty Bay Herald" nays :— The sohooner Gisborne brought from Tokomaru some samples of the wreckage recently found at that plaoe, shipped by Constable Villers for the Oolleotor of Customs here. The wreckage consists of * deok plank with a deadlight m it ; some teak wood belonging to the door (a shutter one) of a pilot-house; a panel of a looker door with a gilt edge round it ; and another pieoe supposed to be part of a spring mattress — and a very fashionable one from appearance. This is what Sir John Macdonald, the Premier of the Dominion of Canada, referxing to the Protective policy m force there, and speaking m England recently said:— "l am largely responsible for the national polioy of Canada, a policy whioh has been, and perhaps is now, severely criticised on this eide of the sea— a polioy of revenue secured by tariff. There is nothing to show that this polioy has, m any respect, failed m its intention. The balance of advantage has been largely m its favor ; indeed, high as party feeling runs m Canada, even the Opposition have ceased to attack the Protective polioy, or, as both parties have agreed to style it, the national polioy of our Government. A significant incident occurred at the last Bitting of the House of Commons Committee on Fraudulent Merchandise Marks. A prao- ■ tioal watch-case maker having stated m evidence that cases were frequently stamped with the English hall-mark, filled abroad with foreign works, aai then sold m this oountry (England) as English-made watohes, Baron Henry de Worms, the chairman, produoed his own gold watch, whioh he understood was of English manufacture, * and for whioh he paid a large sum, and asked the witness to explain the difference between an English and a foreign watch. Considerable amusement was oaused when the witness told the owner that his watoh was not an English one, and the Baron remarked that the iuoident showed the necossity for the Bill at present under the consideration of the Committee. The "Lake County Press" says:— "Mr Daniel M'Bride, who it appears had gone into his store at Queenstown with a light after dark to look for some tails, m putting the candle down it tipped over, the light coming m contaot with some loose powder which had been spilt from a keg which was about half full. The powder exploded, blowing Mr M'Bride into the middle of the street. The explosion alarmed the whole neighborhood, and the glare was seen all over the town. The fire-bell rang and a crowd collected. Mr Hioks and others found Mr M'Bride standing quite complacently with his back all on fire. His hands and faae were badly burned, bat luckily his eyes wero uninjured. Dr Douglas being ill, Dr Donaldson had to be sent for from the Arrow. He is of opinion that there is no serious danger m the meantime, although it will be some considerable time before Mr M'Bride can be about again." A Wellington exchange says :— The present Minister of Education m New South Wales, Mr James Inglis.is an old New Zealander, and a year or so ago he re-visited this colony after an absenoe of 20 years, during which time he had visited most parts of the world and had gained fame as an author. His well-known book on " Indian Life, Sport, and Work," the copyright of which belongs to Messrs Maemilan and Co., is about to be inoluded m that firm's oolonial library, Mr Inglis receiving half profits. During his latest visit to this oolony, under the signature of •» Maori " Mr Inglis wro'.o Borne admirably desoriptiva artioles m the Australian press on New Zea. land, and Messrs Sampson, Low and Co., of London, have now m the press a work from his pen entitled " Our New Zealand Cousins," the purpose of wbich is to show the material progress made by this colony during the last 20 years. Mr Inglis is a shrewd observer and a pleasant writer, and we know has a most kindly feeling towards New Zealand and its people. His book will be looked for with interest.