LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1716, 22 November 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A petition is being circulated and is getting largely signed, requesting the Mayor to call a pablio meeting m order to allow the bnr- ' gesses to consider the question of proouring a steam fire engine for Ashburton, It will be ' i remembered that the Borough Council at its > < last meeting determined to purchase an . engine, should £200 be forthcoming m i private Bubßoriptions. i The " Trial of John Barleycorn," under ' the auspices of tile Ashburton Good Templar Lodges, will be presented at the Oddfellowß* Hall this evening. ' It will be notiood by advertisement that the Eobin Hood combination will play here to-morrow and Thursday evenings. The company, whioh we understand oonsista of Christohuroh artistes, has on several oooa. Biona performed m the Cathedral oity with great credit to itself, and doubtless will seoure well-filled houses on the occasion of its visit to Ashburton. The Spring meeting of the Ashburton Raoing Club takes plaoe tomorrow and on Thursday. The fields are large, and should the weather be favorable, good sport can confidently be anticipated. The following are »El Mahdi'a " tips : — Handicap Hurdle Bace : Mainboom, 1 ; Effigy, 2 ; Matnmoo, 8. County Plate : Opera, 1 ; Temuka, 2 ; Nelly, 3. Aohburton Oup : Bavenseraig, 1 ; Jack 2 ; Quibble, 3. Time Trot : Gipsy, 1 ; Jimmy Brown, 2 ; Chantioleer, 3. Spring Handioap: Jack, 1 ; St. Agnes, 2 ; Oliver Oromwell, 3. The " London Telegraph " has a daily cir. oulation of 280,000, and its yearly profits are estimated at £500,000. This paper is said, by all financial authorities, to have a reserve of £6,000,000 invested, producing an income whioh can be used at any time for an extra expenditure, like a great war, or a fight against competition from any new newspaper enterprises. The "Dunedin Star" says:— We learn from an English journal to hand that a new departure has just been taken by the Ancient Order of Foresters, whiob, if generally fol. lowed, will largely supplement hospital work throughout the country. The Midland Courts of the Sooiety have ereoted and opened*,* self-supporting covalescont hospital, where members who have suffered a long term of sioknesa may be cent free of charge, and with, out any burden being placed on charitable funds or publio money. The movement promises to be one of the most successful which the Foresters have undertaken. A plucky and praiseworthy aot was performed by Mr Frank Arbon, fourth officer of the s.s. Tarawera, as the vessel lay at the Qfoeen's Wharf, Melbourne, lately. One of the seamen, a man named Hiobolßon, had fallen overboard while engaged m painting the side of the vessel, and though three lifebuoys were thrown to him, none of them reaohed him. At thi3 juncture Mr Arbon jumped into the river and swam to the spot where Nicholson waß struggling. Seeing, however (says the "Melbourne Herald"), that he could not reach the place m time to effect a rescue, he seized one of the lifebuoys, and, raising m the water, threw it clean over the upraised hands and armß of the just disappearing eailor. The feat was most cleverly done, and reflected the greatest credit on Mr Arbon's coolness and Raotivity as! an experienced swimmer. The effect of this smart manoeuvre was to keep Nicholson afloat until the arrival oi the ferry boat, when he was pioked out of the water m an exhausted-condition. The spectators were loud m their praises of Mr Arbon's action. The Bwollen and turbulent etate of the Yarra at the time rendered the task of saving life a particularly risky and dangerous oae. An aore of barley near Warrington, after being attaoked by the Hessian fly, oould be carried away m a wheelbarrow. Statistics show that about 6,000,000 dollars worth of American agricultural maohines have been sold m Germany m the pant ten years. Taiwh&nga was bo annoyed at members of the House of Representatives rising to points of order that he rose to a " point of waste of time." The hon Maori member's witticism oreated roars of laughter. During the last century one hundred lakes m the Tyrol have subsided and disappeared. In the yea* 1886 the receipts of the Oorpo ration of London were £732,697, and the oxperrditnre £703,895, leaving a balance m hand of £28,802.

Manuel Barrunt and wife, of Matamaroas, Mexico, recently celebrated the eightieth anniversary of their wedding. The husband is 102 and the wife 96. A terrible aeoident has happened at New* oaetle, New South Wales. A. woman named Moloolm, whose husband is employed on a dredge, was lighting a fire when sparks flew into a tin of kerosene carelessly plaoed near the grate. A fearful oxplosion took place, and the woman and her child were burnt to death. There arc said to be 900 empty houses 10 Auckland. A Chinese Iheatro ia being built m New York. Buenos Ayres is to have a new theatre that will accommodate 4000 spectators. The «ost is estimated at £600,000. Dr Morell McKenzie'a bill for services to the Crown Prince of Germany is about 54,000 marks, or a little more than £2300. The first Italian lady who sang In publio m England was Franoosca Margherita de L'Epine, who appeared m various operas m 1993. The city of Smyrna, m Asia Minor, is celebrated fdr its beautiful women, the descendants of Europeans who have inter? married with Greek and Jewish women. The amount of money invflsted m SavJn.g&< Banks and Building and Provident Sooiettes m England was put down at £30,000,000 m 1810, and £160,000,000 ia 1886. While the Lancashire and Yorkshire Ootu« paqy showed an increase of £8000 from the passenger traffic m Jubilee week, the Gwat Northern lost £16,000 and the Great Western £20,000.