LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1745, 20 January 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The adjourned annual meeting of the Caledonian Society will be held to-morrow evening. The man who would rob a churoh has long been regarded as the champion mean thief, though he who would draw the naila out of a ooffin rune him pretty olobq. But we have dropped upon a epeoimen m Ashburton who is even meaner still. We mentioned the other day that some idiots, who indulged in.silly and mißohievoua freaks on New Year's Eve, amused themselveß inter alia by overturning certain small edifices, euphemistically de. soribed as "inelegant but useful." Will it be believed that on restoring one of these to its proper position, it was discovered that that portion of the fittings which is manir. featured by the plumber, had been abstracted and removed to other premises, bo sb to save the cost of purchasing a new article of the same kind. To rob a blind man of his dinner is playing it pretty low down, but to purloin the contents of a— well, say Colonial Palaoe, is about the meanest trick we ever heard of. A smart shock of earthquake; at times varying between 1.15 and 1.20 a.m. on Thursday, 19th instant, ig reported to have been felt at Greymouth, Rangiora, Kaiapoi, and Christchuroh. The apparent direction was from north to south. Messrs A. Harrison, D. Thomas, R. Alcorn, D. MoLean, F. T. Mayo, A. Orr, J. Grig?; and T. Scaly, were to-day nominated as a' Licensing Committee for the Borough of Ashburton. An election for five of the above named candidates will be held on Monday, January 30th. This morning, m the Resident Magistrate's Court, before Major Steward, J.P., James Finn, an old offender, was fined 20s, with the alternative of 48 hours' imprison* ment, for being drunk and disorderly. Another man, who made his first appearance on a similar charge, was fined 6s. The North Canterbury Education Board at its meeting on Thursday, decided to die* pense with the services of the prinoipal of the normal school and of the drill instructor. It was also decided to discontinue the ex. penditure of £330 per annum m connection with the normal eohool for art training. We have had the pleasure of inspecting speoimena of the art of ivory-type paintiDg of which Professor F. A. Brookes is bo able an exponent, and can honestly Bay that they are really works of art. Among them are portraits of His. Excellency the Governor and the Most Rev the Primate, both of which are not only remarkably faithful likenesses, but finished paintings, faultless m every detail. Mr Brookes has a large number of beautiful works m ivory-type and Poonah painting, which he proposes to dispose of by Art Union, ihere being 26 prizes of value varying from 12 guineas to 30s. Tickets may be obtained from Messrs Wood and Co., stationers, and and at Mr H. G. Flower's, confeotioner. Trade is reviving m Adelaide, and the prospeot is said to be most encouraging. Prince Albert Victor will start on a tour through India about the middle of January. Since the discovery of petroleum 53,000 wells have been drilled m Pennsylvania and the adjacent oil territory. A potato disease has made its appearance m the Terara (New South Waleß) district, where it is making extensive ravages. A giant female figure to serve as a light* house is proposed to bo erected on Sydney Heads m commemoration of the centenary of New South Waleß, after the fashion of Bartholdi's Btatne of Liberty m New York harbor. It is somewhat singular that Washington drew his last breath m the7a*£ hour, of the last day, of the last week, of. the last month, of the last year, of ihe last century. He; died on Saturday night, twelve o'olook, Deo. '< 81st, 1799. Some cynic adds that he was the lost man of bis kind m America. Mr Pyke is working energetically m the ■matter of the Otago Central Railway. He ponfidently expects that his Bill for constructing the line under the land grant system will becomje law next session, and it is said that es soon as the rjght moment arrives he will foe prepared wjth an influential syndicate ip tarry out the work. J. M. Bailey, onoe famous as the wit of the " Danbury News," has faded from the hhumorr r ous world, and is now an actor m a daily repeated domeßtio tragedy. His wife is insane and demands his entire attention. He must dress her and arrange her hair, and attend to all her wants. She is like a child, and he gives her all hia affaotion, time, and attention, His devotion is described as something keroie. ThY applications for passages to the W«st Coast Soands of New Zealand having baen so numerous, the Union Steamship Company have arranged to run a third trip should a sufficient number book, leaving Port Chalmers on the 31st inst. or Feb. Ist. The programms of amuaemonts, etc., provided for those whf may go will be on ths samt liberal sail* as. that which has been so uacotssfully oarrted out 19 to ia connsctfou wfth, fte frit. t