LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1794, 20 March 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Booial gathering, promoted by the Sons of St Patrick, was held laat evening m Mra Butler'a store, Havelock street, and was a most successful affair, the attendance being far greater than the originators had antioipated. At firßt it was intended to hold the gathering m the Sohoolroom, but the ready sale with which the tickets met soon proved that this would be far too small for the , purpose, and then the store belonging to Mrs Butler, and opposite the Salvation Army Barraoks, was scoured. Although this latter building is very commodious, its oapaoity was taxed to the utmost last evening, the attendance being so large. Every provision had been made for an enjoyable night, and the success of the affair reflected great oredit on the promoters. The room was tastefully decorated, evergreens and. flags being made use of judiciously and with good effect. Songs, danoing, etc, oomhined to make a very pleasant evening. Miss Henry, Messrs D. Brick, S. Brown, T. Walsh and others contributed songs, which were enthusiastically received. Irish and Scotoh danoing found a host of able exponents, Messrs D. MoLean and others showing prominently m the latter, while Messrs M. O'Loughlin, D. Barry, 0. O'Sullivan, 0. O'Connor, D. Briok, N. Fitzgerald and many more proved what the sons of the Emerald Isle oould do. The musio was m the hands of Meßsrs Mayo and Andrews, who, it need not be said, gave every satisfaction. Mr W. 0. Davis looked after the oatering, whioh he did ns is his wont m a thoroughly efficient manner. Altogether the Sons of St Fatriok may well be congratulated on the success that attended their entertainment. The Auokland correspondent of the Sydney "Evening News" has been hoaxing that paper, or else the cable has been playing some strange triok, as the following paragraph, which appears m its issue of Feb. 8 th, will show : — " Another win for Slavin.— -By oablo from Auckland we learn that Slavin and Laing mot on Monday night at Wanganui. The contest was stubborn and well sustained, and Slavin eventually won. The " Melbourne Leader " of Fob. 11th goes one bettor, and has the following:— " Auckland, Tuesday Mr Slavin has defeated Mr Laing for the representation m Parliament of the Wangauui oonstituenoy." An Australian papor reports that a regular duel was recently fought at Gaulfield between a Civil servant and a looal barrister. The quarrel, it is stated, arose out of a ball-room dispute. The belligerents used pistols, and fired at each other at twelve paces, the rosult of the Bhots being that the barrister was wounded m the arm. All the time-honored observances m suoh matters were striotly adhered to. Seoonds and a doctor wero on the ground. It is a oommonly aooepted opinion that rabbits will not take poison during the ' Bummer, but a looal Battler (the " Bruoe Herald " says) has furnished us with proof positive that this, like many other popular beliefs, is a delusion. Mr John lieid, lessee of The Bush, laid some phosphor'sed oats last week on a bare portion of a paddock, between 4 and 5 aores, and two days afterwards he found 30 dead rabbits. On all the bußh tracks around there were also numbers of rabbits lying dead, An estate of nearly 1450 acres not far from Melbourne, and adjoining the Township of Campbellfiold, was bought by Mr Duncan McPhorson, of Dunodm, a few years ago from various owners at prices averaging about £%Q per acre. He has just sold tho estate for the num. of £158,461 10s, equal to £110 per acre. ' Keating's Powdor destroys both moths, fleas, beetles, and all other inseotß, while quite - harmless to domestic animals. In extermi. ' paling booties, tho sucoess of this powder is extraordinary. It is pqrfeotly eloan m appli. cation. See the article you purohaso is Keating as imitations are noxious and ineffectual. Sold m tins, Od, Ib, and 2a d ] saoh, b all chemists. ,

As evidencing the necessity for more oare m the selection of cheese for the home market, the following extraot from a Home trade ciroular is interesting. The oircular referred to says : — » Cheese— A considerable quantity of Now Zealand ia on the market, quality and condition of the most various oharaoter. When our friends learn to send even grades, oven sized cheese, and of regular color, there will probably be a large and remunerative trade m this artiole. During last month out-door relief m Christ, ohuroh was given m 449 cases, 21 more than m Eebruary, 1887. . The American Civil War of 1862 65 cost the Union £1,200,000,000, and a capable American reokoned the loss of tho Confederate States at £800,000,000, or a total of £2,000,000,000. Mr Hayeeed (a farmer) to his wife, who has returned from churoh : " What was the sermon about?" Mrs Hayßeea : "Something about Joseph goin' down to Egypt to ■buy oorn." Mr Hayseed : '• Did the parson say what corn's worth down there? " At Wolverhampton two elephants escaped from a oirou3, and proceeded to batter m the back doors and windows of an ale and porter store. The keeper of the animalß having been summoned by a polioeman, they were led baok to their quarters. The Saurian Monster, that oreated suoh ■excitement among Auoklanders a few weeks ago, and was finally captured by the Waikato natives, is now m Wanganui, and will Bhortly be on exhibition. The animal measures 12 feet 0 inohes m length and 6 feet 6 inohes m girth. The Wellington morning journal eaya that during the storm of Friday evening a peouliar phenomenon was observed m Cambridge terraoe. About 6.45 a vivid flash ol lightning illuminated the whole of that part of the town, and it was Been that the eleotrical fluid struok the tram rails at the corner of Vivian street, and appeared to travel along the rails for some yards, throwing out showers of brilliant sparks, which were refleoted m the water lying alongside the rails. The effect was a most peculiar one : the display of light playing along the rails and water was weird beyond description. The "fiawera Star " saya :— " There is no rush of land speculators m this part of the Taranaki land distriot under Richardson's Act. Ib is a noteworthy faot that all the applications yet made under the recently gazetted regulations are to take up lands under tho deferred payment or perpetual lease system. Some twenty-five years ago the Albertland settlers were plaoed upon land north of Auokland, and like many of our pioneers had to struggle against the disadvantages which necessarily attended the early settlers. Many, indeed, plaoed upon inferior land continued with indomitable pluok to fight their way, and now (says the " N.Z. Herald ") they are reaping the reward m their Bmiling homesteads. When we compare the position of those now seeking a home m the same distriot, then without even a bridle track, it seems soarcely realisable that a buggy can be now driven from Auokland to Whangarei, and soon may to the Bay of Islands.