LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1752, 28 January 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a meeting of the Orchestral Sooioty, held last evening, it was unanimously resolved to go into practice with a view to giving a concert at an early d% The first praotioe will be held on Friday evening m St. Stephen's aohoolroom. The Ashburton branoh of Mesars Reid and Gray are m receipt of a telegram announcing that one of the firm's reapers won first place m the reaper and binder competition at Oamaru yesterday, the MoCormick second, and the Wood third. A handßome valediotoiy presentation "w&b made to-day by the staff of the " Mail and Guardian " to Mr Goorge liowland Bird, who has for some years been foreman of the " Mail," on the occasion of his leaving Ashburton. It took tho form of a handsome inlaid writing-doßk with suitable inscription, Mr Bird will be followed by the best wishes of the whole stall m his future career. The ordinary monthly mooting of the Tinwald Town Board was held last oven, ing. Presont — Messrs Olark (chairman), Soott, and Jephson. The tender of R. Bennett for forming and metalling parts of MoMurdo and Charles stroets, at £2 4s per chain, was accepted. The Olerk was inßtruoted to call for freish tenders for forming part of a road and for erecting bridge over Oartor's Greek, to be m by next ordinary meeting of the Board. It waa resolved to give notioo that it is tho intention of the Board at a special meeting to be held on Friday, Feb. 10th, to strike a general rate of three farthings m the " •^fctTit-iVi.^Kat.qn.frlfl.jmlMflpf n^ thw prODCfcfilL, the town district for tbo year ondiDg Mstoh 31st, 1888, payable m ono Bum on the 17tb day of Feb., 1888. The Olerk was instructed to write to the Ashburton Oounty Oounoil for permission to bring water from the creek m Fraser'sßoad into the town for fire prevention purposes, eta. After passing accounts and transacting routine business the meeting adjourned• The publisher, Mr J. Stewart Algio, of tho 41 Clutha Leader," has forwarded ub the firflt number of " The New Zealand Musical Monthly," a monthly journal of muoio and mußical literature published aa above. Typographically itia admirably got up, and the contents are full of intorosfc to musioal men. This magazine will supply a want, and we anticipate for it a very successful career, The present number is embellished by an oxoollent lithograph portrait of Mr A. Fergaason, assistant-bandmaster of the InvoroargiU Garrison Band. A owordllsh of from ten to twelve feet long, having a sword about three foet long, was seen a fow days ago m Torea Bay, Marl* borough. A little boy whose sprained wrist had bees , relieved by bathing it m whisky, surprised his mother by asking, ' Did papa ever sprain his throat when ho was a little boy?' Tht) common cricket is caught and sold m the markets of China for gambling, and persons of high rank amuse thomßolves by irritating two of thpse insoots m a bowl, and betting upon wbioh shall prove the conqueror. The Onehunga Iron Works are m active opera 1 ion, and satisfactory work is being turned out. The ilrm is now completing an order for nearly CO tons of tram rails for the Mercury Boy Sawmills. The oh&noes of women scouring tbo suffrage m Enpland are now very much greater than over beforo, as the Conservative oauoue, by a large majority, has oarriod a resolution m favor of Women's Suffrage An £.morioan paper gives this prescription its warmost endorsement:—" If you have a horse that ih m the habit of kicking put'him m a narrow stall that bos both Bides thiokly paddnd, Suspend a sack filled with straw or hay so that it will strike his hoela, and lot tjao l}ope and sack fight it out. Be sure to have things $|rva}] god bo that the horse cannot hurt hira/3fltf. r^he b^,o^ yjill jba vfotorious ' «vory time, and m the end to* Iwif'so wtyl absolutely rullBo to kick tho sack or anything else." This is a decided!;' humane improve, morjfc on tho old plan of suspending a piece ot board with n%Jlg projecting through it at the heels of the obstreperoi/u hors^. The following neat advertisement appear^ m ths '• fcfapler Telegraph : "—" If the lady and gentleman who otolo the steak pie and pieoo of baoon from the safe of tbo Jfrtrndon ! Hotel last night will return tho dish, no ■ ; ; 1 1 !

further notice will be taken of tho matter, bus probably on the ocoaston of another vjsjt they may bo aooompanied with some egg* and a pan to fry It with,"