LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1751, 27 January 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In the R.M. Court this morning, before Major Steward, J.P. , William Fox was charged with drunkenness and riotous counduot on the previous day. The arresting constable said that accused had been turned out from the meeting of the Salvation Army, whom he had been annoying with his conduot. He was intoxioated and was very noisy m the street. He resisted arrest and had to be handcuffed. Prisoner said he kuew nothing about it. Fined 20s and 7s oosts, or m default 48 hours' imprisonment with hard labour.

The time is evidently not far distant when it will be quite a common thing to talk to our friends at Home just as if they were living m the next town, or m tbe next room; to-day's cable news informing us that a ooversation has been carried on through a wire cirouit fifteen thousand miles long.

In the list of results of the N.Z. University examinations, wo are pleased to notice among the names of those who have passed their matriculation, those of Miss E. Orr, and Miss M. Williamson, both former pupils of the Ashburton High School.

The following is the programme for the Ashburton Racing Club's Autumn meeting, to be held on April 19th and 20th:— First day— Hurdles, 40 soys ; Wakanui Stakes, 25 soys; Autumn Handicap, 55 soys; Post Stakes, 10 eovs; District Welter Handioap 20 soys ; Flying Handioap, 25 soys. Second day— County Hurdles, 35 soys ; Grand Stand Handicap, 45 soys ; Handioap Time Trot, 20 soys; Harvest Handioap, 25 soys; Open Welter Handioap, 35 boys ; Totalisator Stakes, 25 soys.

Those who are liable thereto will do well to remember that the Property-Tax is due and payable on Tuesday next, 31st instant.

The barque May Queen, from London, went ashore at Lyttelton Heads on Thursday. She struck on the reef known as Red Head, between the bay and Little Port Cooper. She took a pilot on board outside tbe heads, and beat up against a strong uncertain breeze. When off Red Head she missed stays and ran upon the reef. The tug Lyttelton went out and endeavoured to tow her off, but m vain, for Bhe had gone ashore at the top of high water, and aa the tide ebbed she held fast.

The " Auckland Star " of a recent issue says :— Sir Willian Fox left for Wellington hurriedly yesterday. It is rumored that it was m response to an invitation from the Government.

Reports on the grain crops m Central Otago are discouraging. A month back there was promise of an unusually good yield all round, but since then a continuance of hot weather and parohing winds has shot the grain into ear prematurely, and it has ripsned before maturity. The oat orop has suffered most m this respect.

A gentleman hunting for land m Dakota came across a boarded-up claim-shanty with half a dozen boards across the door, upon wbioh were the following touohing inscriptions :— " Four miles from a nayber. Sixty miles from a postofia. Twenty. five miles from a raleroad. A hundred and atey from timber. 250 feet from water. Ood bless our home. We have gone east to spend the Winter with my wife's folks."

■« Go away 1 " said Muggins : «' you can't Btuff eiob nonsenoe into me. Sim feet m Ms boot* 1 Bah 1 No man as Urea stands more nor two fed m his boots, and no use talking 'bout it, Might as well tell me he had six heads m his hat."

There was a heated discussion m an hotel tbe other ui\>ht. •• I tell you, oir," said one of the disputants, " there is no law made but what tbe people can change." " Yes, there is," said a new comer ; " there is one law that no man, no people, can change — ' A mother-in-law."

A French paper is responsible for the state* ment tbat all the Salvation Army girls have a heart tattooed on their right shoulders. When one falls ill or dies among strangers this sign of the heart prooures for her atten. tion m sickness, or a funeral suitable to her aooial position when she dies.

The " London Times," Dec. 7th, publishes a letter from a landed proprietor near Doigelly, m Wales, whioh sajs that the result 0' a hundred men's work for several months has been the stoping of 2500 tons of ore wbioh, it is estimated, will yield Ooz of gold to the ton, The letter also says that thousands of tons of rook riohlv laden with gold are ready for stoping.

De Peyater (they have been conversing on art topics) : •• Are you fond of Majolica, Mrs Parvenu ? " Mrs Parvenu (who has made several bad mistakes since her entrance into society, and is on her guard) : " Well— er— 'bat dependß entirely on how ft is cooked."

The bull dog m the play whose part wap to seize the villain by the throat and bpld <m for dear life, Buooeeded tbe other night ia dragging from under the player's collar the pieet of liver whioh coaxed him on ; acd taking it before the footlights, he sat down and quietly atetit, while the villain esaapad.

A German has invented a safe that on its look being tampered with throws open its door, seizes apd drags and looks m tbe burglar, and handouts and holds him m readiness to be conducted to the police court m the morning. This is almost equal to tbp patent American aer van ..girl bed, wbioh at a certain hour m the morning pitches her out, dresseß her, carries her down stairs, and shows her how to start the fire.

U- Sardj.Qarnot, the now President of the French Bepublia, is dgß.Qrit.ftd as thoroughly domestic m his tastes and habits, fjh's wifg is the daughter of M. Dupont-White, the well-known economist. His own demeanor is bo sombre and Berious that some of his critics say he will represent the weeping sVfl_.o.w among the plants whioh will deoorate tjie ballrootij q,t the Elyeoa.

We ('» Manawatu Times") freijuontly heap statements made as the gigantic scale <m which farming and grazing operations ar« carried on m Amerioa. We question, however, whether our cousins can beat the record of the Oroua Downs estate m this district. Wo are informed that this year there are on the estate no lepg than seven thousand breeding cows, We arc also informed, m this connection, that tho trucks on tbe Wellington Manawatu Railway', Oampany's line, which were built m Amerioa, were constructed to contain twelve bullocks, but they will only hold nine of the Manawatu cattle.

At a leoture delivered m Sydney by Mr G. B, Federli, well known m New Zealand, he pointed out that the silk orop was worth £12,000,000 to Ita.7 annually, and that there were 500,000 acres planted with mulberry trees m that country, and tbat though there were 12,000^000 acres ot land devoted to wheat culture, tfte half x^H/on U agree ot mulberry tress produced abh»a'lly ! _»or_'v4lifr than the large area devoted to wheat cultivation.* j_j% showed some of the ooooons and lilfe hg produoed m New Zealand, whioh were very generally admired.

"S-jg^d-Paiba."— Quick, eompleta oure, all annoying kidney, bladder, and urinary diseases. M ohei___sts and druggists. jEe>_ipthorne, ftotnaj and do., 'Agents', OhristOhSKOfet, * )'