LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1620, 27 July 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Sunday next the Rev Father Ohattagnon will celebrate Macs at Bakaia at 10.30 a.m. In our last night's report of Mr Glover's meeting the name of Captain Field was inadvertently omitted from the list of members elected to act as an Auxiliary Committee. We have been requested to intimate that information respecting the Alliance oan be obtained on application to the lootl seoretary, Mr 0. DixoD.J

The usual fortnight!? meeting of the Helpmate Division, No. 16, Sons and Daughters of Temperance, was held last evening at Mr J. Gamble's. There was a good attendance [ot members, and after the transaction of the usual routine business, the following officers were installed for the ensuing half ysar :— Bro A. Cook, P.W.P. ; Bro W. D. Beaumont, W.P. ; Bro W. T. Kingston, W.A. ; Bro J. Gamble, R.S. ; Bro C. Dixon, F.S. ; Bro J. Mullany, Treasurer; Bro W. H. Collins, Chaplain ; Bro W. Meyemberg, Con. ; Bro 0. Chapman, A.0. ; Bro T. Kingston, I.S. The installation was oonduoted by Bro J. Caygill, G.W.P., assisted by Bro G. W. Andrews, G.W.C. The usual votes of thanks to the retiring and installing officers were passed and replied to by Bros Cook and Caygill. It was resolved m future to hold the meetings on Thursday evenings. After appointing deputations to wait on the candidates for the Ashburton and Rangitata seats to asoertain their views on the question of Temperance, the meeting closed m the usual form.

Our Methven correspondent writes : — Yesterday Mr J. Oliver, of Ashburton, gave a public trial of his latest patent gorse cutter on Mr McMillan's farm m the preßenoe of between ;fifty and sixty spectators, including most of the influential residents of the distriot. No better description can be given of the maohine than to nay it is built on Mr Oliver's usual prinoiple— strength and simplicity being the leading features— and he is to be congratulated on reducing the latter qualification to a minimum. Although {the fence on which the trial was made did not consist of very heavy gorge, it was thiok enough to severely test the; merits of the cutter. Both sides were cut and the top trimmed m suoh a style that the unanimous opinion of all present was that the work was done m a manner that left nothing to be desired. The maohine waa drawn by three of Mr J. Batty's horaes and piloted by one of his men, although both man and horses were new to the work. Prom the simple manner m whioh the maohine oan be altered to suit all emergencies, the work whioh consisted of about a mile of fence was completed without the slightest hitch.

Besides* the numbers that visit the worldfamed thermal springs at Botorua and the Te Aroha baths, there are now a considerable number of visitors to the Hanmer Plains baths at Amuri. The number of baths and fees at the Hanmer Plains springs for the year ending March, 1887, was 2216 baths, and fees paid £96.

We learn that during Mr J. Iveas' visit to Ashburton on Saturday he was urged by so many parties to contest the Bangitata seat, that he promised to give the matter earnest consideration.

We are requested to draw the attention of the dyspeptio to an advertisement elsewhere, headed with a quotation from an immortal bard. The manufacturer of these pills is Mr At Moore, at different times proprietor of well-known breweries, and Mr Charles Neate is the A&hbnrton agent.

Mr Bolleßton] addressed a meeting at Flemington last night. The Ashburton, Coursing Olub held a meeting at Longbeaah to-day.

Oar Presbyterian readers are reminded that the social tea adjourned from last week m consequence of the bad weather, taboa place to-night m the ohuroh, when the opportunity will be availed of for presenting Mr Charles Hogg with a souvenir of regard on his removal from this diafriot, and the meeting will also Berva as a farewell to Mr Webster, Manager of the Bank of Australasia here, who has received notioe of his promotion to the Oharge of a North Island branch bank, which position he has to take next week. His many friends, made m the short period of his reßidenoe here, though regretting his removal hecoe, must feel pleasure m Jbis advancement.

The damage done at Greymouth by tbefloofl is muoh less than was at first anticipated.

The total number of convioiions for drunkenness m New South Wales during the year was 22,294.

At a meeting at the Hutt an elector asked Mr Fitzherbert if he would support a measure providing for the flogging of fraudulent bankrupts. Mr Fitzherbert said he would have to think over it.

The experience of Professor Milne and the group of seismologists m Japan leads to the j conclusion that solid, heavy buildings of stone or brick, with their various parta well construoted, strengthened, tied, and banded on true principles of architecture, and with the due knowledge of the strength of materials, are the best and safest for earthquake-ridden countries. The forces to be dealt with are foroes altogether independent of gravity, and for, the moßt park aot m a horizontalldireotion; ana arohiteots and builders must apply the resources of their art accordingly. Next to stone or brick buildings Btrong wooden buildings are recommended, but houses with one wall of brick or stone, and the rest wood are condemned as perfebt earthquake traps. They are embodiments of the cardinal error ©frigid attachment of parts of a buildingjwhioh have different periods of vibration— i.e., whioh swing at different rates during earthquake shocks. Houses of weak conßtiuotion— for example, of thin brickwork or wood and plaster— and houses built of bad materials or on faulty principles are blbo dangerous.

On a recent|trip through Tasmania, writes a corraspondent, " our travelling party happened to visit the grave yard at LauDtceston, and among the various epitaphs discovered the following on a Blate-stone slab—' Beneath thiß rußtio pile of stoneß Lie the remains of j Mary Jones. Her name was Lloyd j it was not Jones ; but Jones waa put to rhyme with; stones.' This waa considered fairly good, but on our return our host capped it. In the early days of the colony arioh merchant's wife died. Anxious to provide her a suitable monument, the berepved husband sent far and wide for a stone-cutter, and by rare good luok found one who could read. The inscription waß to begin with the verse, * A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.' The firßt. five words went m one line, leaving room for two more • Crown ' could not be divided ; but there was another reßOUroe. To the stone-outter a crown was • five bob,' so he promptly inserted the symbol ss, andtfca difficulty waa surmounted."

The ," London Times " paid a very high compliment to the Australian ladies and to the Flemington racecourse m its introductory notice of the last Asoot Oup day on June 9. After remarking that the number of visitors who saw the gold oup won by Bird of Freedom this year was estimated to be the largest whioh ever assembled upon the hoath, it

declares that " there oan be no question that, as regards the beauty of the women, the lawna at Ascot present euoh a speotaole as can be Bean at no other raoa meeting m the world, unlesß it be at Flemington when the Melbourne Cup is about to be run for." Tho Prince and Prinoesa of Wales and numerous other princei Bnd princesses and a large number of the nobility attended.