LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1725, 27 December 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Yesterday was observed as a olose holiday m town. A large number of people visited the Caledonian Sports, a good many went to Christohuroh by the cheap excursion train, while several parties of pio-nioers went to the Beach and other places of interest. To-day was also pretty generally observed as a holiday, and the town wore quite a deserted appearance.

At the quarterly meeting of office-bearers of tho Ashburton Wesloyan oirouit, held at Mr John Orr's residence on Friday evening last, Mr Stephen Chapman was elected circuit steward, m the room of Mr Robt. Alcorn, who retires by erSuxion of time. Mr Alcorn received a very hearty vote of thanks for the manner m whioh he had devoted himself to the duties of his office. Messrs W. H. Collins and G. W. Andrews were appointed representatives to the Wellington Conference.

At the B.M. Court this morning Joseph Jones for having been drank m a public place was fined 10s and coats, with the alternative of 48 hours' imprisonment. Two firßt offenders were mulcted m the nsual penalty for drunkenness. George McEenzie, the man who figured m the cases against the licensee of the Alford Forest Hotel, heard last Thursday, was fined 5s for drunkenness. William Soott, for drunkenness and disorderly oonduot m a publio place, was fined 6a and costs, and for having made use of obscene language was ordered to be imprisoned for 14 days with hard labor. James Allen was charged with having been guilty of drunkenneßS and riotous conduct on the Caledonian Sports ground. He was fined 20s and 12s costs, m default four dayß' imprisonment with hard labor. On charges of resisting the police m the execution of their duty, and of assaulting Constable Smart he was convioted and discharged. John A. Cowburn for drunkenness was fined 10a and costs, with the alternative of 48 hours' imprisonment. The "St James's Gazette," dealing with the agricultural depression m Scotland and England, oonsiders that Scottish landlords, even m the face of many ruinous reductions are hotter off than their English brethren, for m England it has become almost impos> sible to let a farm at any rent, however low it iSi One of the largest landowners m MidStaffordshire, whote farms are m good condition and are suppliod with excellent buildings, has nearly every holding vacant, and his nominal income of £10,000 or £12,000 a year is reduoed to about £1500. He has had to let his mansion — the first time such a thing has happened m 500 years— and take a small house m a neighboring village. And this is I one of Bimilar oases m almost every English

county.

A duel with crossbows was quite recently fought m the neighborhood of the Military Sohool, Paris, between a youthful soion of nobility and a young aotor from one of the theatres on the left bank of the Seine. The pair quarrelled m a lady's room, and no pistols or swords being at hand, it was deoided to fight the quarrel out with two ornamental orossbows, whioh were hanging on the wall of a room m the dovecot. The rivals r«p*iraa to tho garden, fallowed by the lady, who was m a state of intense hyateria. The opponents faced one another, and at a given signal fired. Tho comodian's shaft pierced the arm of his opponent, whose missile lodgad m a tree. The lady fainted when Bhe saw the blood flowing from her proteotor's wound, and it is supposed that her reason has been impared. The hurt, however, is not serious. In inner London a child is born every four minutes. Another curious faot is that while among the Christian part of thepopula. tion the births of female children greatly Burpasa those of male infants, among the Jews m London the reverse is the case, the proportion of boya being 116 to every 100 girta

Scented fans are the fashion m Paris. Tho framework is made of roße, lemon, or sandal* wood, whioh, on being warmed by the hot air of the theatre, gives out a strong and delioious perfume.

There are now Beven Continental countries whose entire population is respectively either below or not m excess of the present estimated population of London within the postal district— Sweden, Norway, Turkey m Europe, Denmark, Portugal, Greeoe, and Holland. There are at present m receipt of outdoor relief m tho Llandilo Union two persona of 100 years, two of 98, one of 96. two of 95, one of 94, two of 92, two of 01, and two of 90. The Ohristohuroh " Press " learns that ths terms of the new oontraot, as paased by both Houses of Parliament, are satisfactory to the Midland Railway Company. The work will now be proceeded with vigorously, and contraots for commencing at Springfield and BeJgrovo will be let as soon ftß the necessary Burvoys oan be oompleted. They make wine of tomatoen m Florida which is said to be superior to orange wine. At the Caledonian Sports yesterday afternoon when a man the "wopae" for liquor was being arrested some individual m tha crowd that was attracted by the . ocourrence threw two empty bottles, eviden'ly at the police. One of the missiles etruok the cab, into whioh the prisoner was being put, and smashed into atoms, the other hit a young man on the head, inflioting a severe wound and making it necessary for him to be at once taken into town aod attended to ay a doctor. It would be a good thing, indeed, if the polioe oatoh the perpetrator of thjs dastardly act.

A cheap excursion train will run from Aehburton to Timaru on Tuesday next, starting at fivo minutes to eight o'clook m the morning. The fares from Ashburton, Tin. wald and other stations southward as far as Hinds are fixed at 5s 6d first olasa and 4s second,