The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, FEBRUABY 24, 1888. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1775, 24 February 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, FEBRUABY 24, 1888. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An unfortunate aooident to our maohinery — the breakage of some cogs on the cylinder — rendered tho publication of the •• Guardian" yesterday and to-day a work of considerable difficulty, and accounts for onr issue being more than an hour later than usual. We desire to acknowledge, with our beat thanks, tbe valuable assißtanoe given to us m tbe emergency by Mr Gamble, who kindly placed the reaouroes of his establishment at our disposal.

At the EM. Court this morning, before Mr R. Alcorn, J.P., a female offender for drunkennoes was oonvicted and discharged. The Wellington correspondent of the *• Otago Daily Times " has reason to believe that the Legislature will bo summoned to meet " for the despatoh of business " about the first week m May, and Btates that preparations aro already m aotivo progress for the opening of the session about tbat date. The "Oamaru Mail" has been shown a sample of ripo wheat from Mr R, Hay's farm, at Waiareka. It is of the variety known as " Mold's Ennobled." Some of the heads measure eight inohes m longth, and contain eighty wheat grains, woighing about half an ounoe. Thoy are hard and well-colored. The paddock from whioh thoy aro taken promises a grand yield. The " North Otago Times " of Thursday writeß:— ■•• Tho prosent Government, judged by its land legislation and the tendencies of its Minister of Lands, is beyond doubt a favorer of land monopoly. It would, perhaps, be diffioult to give to Ministers a worse oharaoter, but it is not we who givo it to them — it is their own handiwork In other roßpeotß tho Government haa done and will, we daresay, yat do good work ; but m regard to this vitally important matter of liberal land legislation it is, when weighed m the balanoo, found to bo lamentably wanting."

Moxioo is getting ready to pay her standing army. It has boen twenty-eight months sinoe tho paymaster was around, and thore is a limit to Homo things, evon m Mexioo.

Tho following is tho reply whioh a man sont to a bill from hia bookseller : — "I neveordered tho book ; if I did you didn't send it ; if you sent it I novor got it ; if I got it I paid for it; if I didn't I won't.

Wanganui, according to a correspondent o* the " Hawera Star," is not m a flourishing condition at present ; and from its appearanco it has boon at a standstill for a long time. Tho editor of tho " Hastings Star " ia evidently not a very, popular individual. Ho acknowledges that on Valentino's Day he rccoivod " about a cartload " of ugly valonlines. In a broach of promiao suit m Ohio, tho girl showed up 745 letters for 120 days of love That was over six lottorn por day, and yot tho young man kept saying ho wished ho ! could find limo to drop her a lino now and then. " Eouoir on ItATß."— Clears out rats, mice roaohes, flies anta bod-bugs, beetles, insects, skunka, jack-rabbits, sparrow?, pojohpr**.. At chemists anddru_V* v - 1

Old Jaoob Hobba, of Mississippi, buried 22,000 dollars m gold during the war. He was killed before he told anyone of the spot, and his own Obadiah has been hunting for the treasure ever since without any luok. At length he hung himself to a tree, and m digging hia grave tho long-losfc fortune was turned up. Luok oomes to some men after death.

The " Eangitikei Advocate " ia informed on what seems to be v.cry reliable authority, that m reducing the number of the members of tho House of Representatives to tho number decided on laat session, the Ministry intend to propoao the grouping system throughout the colony— two or three of tho existing oonstituenoies being grouped into one, and being represented proportionally.

An extraordinary case of dropsy has ocourred (says tho " Japan Mail ") m the Osaka Hospital, where a woman attained the enormouß girth of 137 centimetres, and when tapped was reliovod of 2195 cubic inohes of water. Marshal MoMahop, who was President of the Frenoh Kepublio from 1873 to 1879, when he resigned, is enjoying excellent health m his 80th year. Ho resides on hia oatates, indulging m outdoor sports, and. passes a few weeks m Paris eaoh winter. It is probable that during the spring Queen Viotoria will unveil the colossal bronze Btatue of General Gordon, which ia to be oreoted at Aberdeen, m front of the Art Gallery. Thia statue was subsoribed for by members of the Gordon Olan. In Borne many|of the people will sign no oontraot on Friday. Neither will they light three candles, nor sit m a room when three candles only aro lighted. In Florence thiß deep-rooted horror of certain numbers and days takes quite a oomioal form. In many streets and squares there is no number [thirteen, but twelve • and a half has been substituted, bo that the numbers run twelve and a half and fourteen. In this ingenious way the dreaded number is completely dono away with. Houses bearing the unlucky thirteenjrarely find any Italian lodgers. The "Bruoe Herald" has the following severe paragraph :— " The Archbishop of Canterbury (£15,000 a year paid quarterly, and two palaces) is of opinion that the lot of the 600,000 Btarving sufferers of London 'might* be alleviated by spiritual consolation.' He also gave an entertainment the Bame week to a number of earls and countesses, etc., at whioh olarotoup, champagne, jioea, strawberries and oream, and the like were served up on the lawn. When Canterbury entertains the peers of the realm, it will be observed, he dooan't alleviate their lot by • spiritual con. eolation.' Liquor ia more m their line than a chapter from the Now Testament, telling how the Lord hadn't one red oentin Galilee.'' Koating's Powder destroys both moths, fleas, beetles, and all other inseots, while quite harmless to domeatio animals, In exterminating beetles, the success of thia powder is extraordinary. It is perfectly clean m application. See the article yon purchase is Keating as imitations are noxious and inefleotual. Sold m tine. Od, ls, and 2a d ach, by all ohemißtß °