LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1617, 23 July 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the R.M. Court this morning a man named William Henry Hoskings was brought up from Rakaia charged with lunacy. Dr ■Leahy, who examined the man, certified that want and privation had reduced him phjsieally and affected him mentally. Hoskings was therefore remanded for a week to the Hospital for medical treatment. i An inquest was to have been held at Oxford yesterday on the body of a lad namsd '• John Meraton, who died on Thursday, after suffering for some months from chronic ', erysipelas. Dr Weld attended deceased since Tuesday, but deolined to give a certificate on the ground that Mrs Sharplin, an old woman who acts as nurse, and is m the habit of recommending herbal remedies, had attended him and gave him some of these preparations. On Thuaday a lad named Thoe. Sherwood, at Yaldhurst, waß accidentally shot by his brother while rabbit shooting. The two lads got separated m the dusk, and the elder seeing what he thought was a rabbit forty yards ahead of him, fired. It proved to be his brother, who received the charge m his arm and the side of his head. He is eipooted to recover. The "ghoat" is still at large. He haa pounced out upon several people from the convenient shelter of fences and hedges m the suburb, always taking care, however, that the subjects of hie attention ware alone. Lately he has got more bold, and it is said has been m the habit of taking a quiet stroll round the town. Last night he made his appearance m several places, to (he bewilderment of belated pedestrians, but alwayß disappeared before they had recovered from their temporary astonishment to gire ohase. The individual, whoever he may bo, is not attired m the garments generally supposed to be the orthodox costume of ghostß— possibly beoause " robes of spotless white " would make him too prominent an object and militate against his escape, should he have the misfortune to be confronted by some stalwart perion who has no fear of alleged visitants from the unseen world, He has, therefore, adopted a blaok costume, and with the aid of springs or some suoh oontrivanoe is able to leap over fenoes and other barriers m an amazing manner. It is difficult to see what hie object is. Sj As far as we are aware people have not been missing things from their clotheslines or backyards; and if he " walks " jus for the " fun " of ecarriDg women and children, possibly he will come to the con. elusion, should he be caught, that the pro. ooeding was a most digaatrous^ne'tolhimself. With a candour and impartiality quite refreshing m theae degenerate days, the " Otago Daily Times " gives its readers somfc idea of the state of business matters m New South Wales. This our contemporary does thusly—" The number of failures reported to the New South Wales Protective Institute for Junß was 110, with liabilities amounting to £94,662, making for the half-year just ended 774 failures, with liabilities £1,806,185, ' as agaitast 707 failures, with liabilities £923,154 for the last half of 1886, or a total for the twelve months of 1481 failures, and liabilities £2,229,339. The failures for the month show a very satisfactory deoreaie compared with the four previous month*, but it is anticipated that July will Bhow unfavorably, meetings of creditors having already been held m two or three important estates. Of the 110 failures m June, 43 were m Sydney and the suburbs, I and 67 m the country districts." This black list is a heavy one, no. doubt, but the surprise of intelligent readers will cease when tbey call to mind that Naw South Wales is a Freetrade Colony. Pour men were poisoned at Strathkellar Station, Hamilton, Victoria, by taking tea from tbe water of a boiler which had con* tamed arsenic. Two of them died. The unemployed agitation is recommencing m Melbourne. Lately 400 men interviewed the Minister of Public Works with a view to obtaining work. The New Ssuth Wales Assembly passed a resolution to grant, free railway passes m perpetuity to ex-members who had sat m three Parliaments. According to the " Ellesmere Guardian " a peculiar tree has been found during the railway survey on the ranges near the Beefton Saddle. The inner wood yields a blaok Bolution when treated with water, While the outer bark gives a brilliant red, Specimens of both havo been forwarded to Ghristohurch for analysis. It is very probable that the wood may turn out a valuable dye producer. Tbe Irish Crimea Bill has at length become law, Her Majesty having given her consent to tbe measure earning into operation. Referring to the late collision of ironolada off Portsmouth, the " Daily Times " supplier the following information :— The Devastation is one of the firsUlafls ironolada of the British navy, having armour of 12in to 14in m thiokness, carrying four 85-ton guno, with a displacement of 9387 tons, with engines 6652 indicated horse-power. She is a m.astless ship. The Ajax, which appears to have sustained the least damage, is of the second, olass, ana was only completed m 1882. She has armour lOin to 12in m thiokness, carriea four 25-ton guns, with a tonnage displacement of 8492 tone, het engines indicating 6000. horse power. She is constructed for ooean warfare, and is of &c same olass as the Independenzia, built to the order of the Emperor of Brazil, and purchased by the British Government for £640.850. SANDER AND SONS EUCALYPTI EX. TRACT;— Cure Skin Diseases. Inveroargill, N.Z., 3rd of July, 1880. Messrs Sander and Sons, Sandhurst:— Gentlemen.— Having suffered from eozema (a skin deae&se which is very prevalent m this oolony) for about nine years, I had oodsulted numerous medical men here and m Australian, and had taken arsenic, Btrychnino, iodide of potassium, etc, internally, and had used preparations of zinc and lead externally. In faot, I had tried all the remedies know to the faouEty, and what between travelling, doctors' and druggists' bills, had spent a small fortune, almost, if not wholly without reuulta, exoep to injure my constitution. During a recent visit to Hokitika, I was commended to try your Extract Eucalydtus Olobulrjs by a brothe who had experienced great benefit from it m alleviating a very severe cold, and no less to my surprise than satisfaction, I found the disease wkioh troubled me bo long waß con. quered, and the skin resumed its normal, condition. This was effected by the external übo of less than twojiwo-ounce bottles. You are welcome to make any use you please of this letter, and I subscribe myself.— Yours, etc., Signed John H. Kerr, Manager Union Bank of Aastralia, Limited (Advt.)