LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1795, 21 March 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Aahburton Lodge of Druids will give a '« social " m the Oddfellows' Hall this evening.

At the R.M. Court this morning, before Mr R. Alcorn, J.P., two first offenders for drunkenness were convicted, ordered to pay cab hire, and discharged.

The Railway Department advertise special arrangements as regards fares during the visit of the English Cricketers to Christchuroh. On the 26th, 27th, and 28th Maroh at Ashburton, and on the 21th, 26th, and 27th at Tinwald, tickets will bo issued at 10s firstclass and 7s Gd seoond-olass, available for return till Maroh 29th.

Major Douglas has received a telegram from Colonel Bailey stating that it has been finally decided that the South Canterbury Volunteers shall join the North Canterbury Easter enoampment m the neighborhood of Christohuroh. We observe that the orders for North Canterbury appear m to-day's Chriatohuroh papers, and no doubt those for South Canterbury will shortly be published. A Government Inspeotion of the Ashburton Rifles, Guards, and Cadets is ordered for Tuesday next, jwhen a full muster is partioularly desired m view of the encampment.

The following is "the programme decided upon for the raoe meeting of the Tradesmen's Racing Clvb :— Hurdle Race of 25 soys, 1J miles; Selling Hurdle Raoe of 15 bovb. 1J miles ; Ashburton Plate of 35 soys, 1£ miles ; Handioap Time Trot of 20 soys, 3 miles; Ladies' Bracelet Welter Handioap of 20 soys, gentlemen riders, 1 mile ; Selling Haok Race of 10 soys, four furlonga ; Flying Handioap of 25 soys, six furlonga ; Consolation Handioap (time permitting) of 10 soys, 1 mile. The date of the meeting was originally fixed for May 24th, but it has been found that this would clash with a very popular meet of the Hunt Club, and it is probable that an earlier date will be seleoted.

The weekly session of the Dawn of Peaoe Lodge, No. 164, 1.0. G.T., was held m the Arcade Chambers on Friday evening last, Bro. G. W. Andrews, C.T., presiding. There was a fair attendance. Several matters pertaining to the Order were disposed of, and ill was deoided to hold a sooial gathering next Friday, at 7.30 p.m. A programme of songs, reoitations, readings, etc., will begone through, and a pleasant evening is looked for.

Our correspondent r says: —The Mount Somers Bohool children are going to have their annual treat on Easter Monday, when they will compete m sports for numerous ri provided for them by the kindness of their friends and the School Committee. \lr J. McClimont's paddook, nearly opposite the railway Btation, has been placed by him at ' the disposal of the Sports Committee for the purpose. It has been suggested that the oustomary concert and ball, whioh formerly used to wind up similar occasions, be postponed till some future day to avoid the fatigue of too long protracted an amusement.

An Amati violin which originally belonged to King Louis XIV., has recently been Bold at Buda-Pesth for £700.

The fly is devastating the turnip orop at Cambridge (Auckland), and rain is eagerly looked for to check its ravages. The widow of Garibaldi lives m a quiet street m Turin, the walls of her little parlour covered with flags, medala, and other mementos of the dead hero. The first apple orohard m Kansas, consisting of 150 trees, waß brought all the way from Illinois on a waggon and planted m Douglas oounty m 1855. The state has now 30,000,000 fruit trees. Mr John Leng, m opening a bazaar at T>n«j«« tho nt\,ox day, stated that during the past ten years a sum ol £40,818 had beeu ' oollected m Dundee by means of bazaars £29,783 for religious, and £11,035 for seoular purposes. " General" Booth, the head of the Salvation Army, has now the absolute control of revenues amounting to £47,000 a year. The Eeina an ironolad of 5600 tons, built for Spain by an English firm of shipbuilders, has accomplished on her trial trip twenty knots with natural and 22 f 5 (26 miles) with forced draught. The " Wairoa (Hawke's Bay) Guardian " states :— " Mr Thoo. Torr, of Alton, Tuairoa, has succeeded m getting that valuable fodder plant, Japanese clover, to grow on his property. It spreads;with wonderful rapidity, and no doubt m a few years' time he will bo able to supply his neighbours with seed." The lower agents of the law m Australia were generally Irishmen, and their agile fancy sometimes led them into curious escapades. Here are a couple. Many Chinese names sound like a burlesque, and are probably barbarous renderings of the original Mongolian. Fong Fat, Ah Sue, Ah Foo, and the like are common. A newly appointed orier m a Oounty Court was ordered by the Judge m a case m whioh a Chinaman was a witness to call for Ah Song. He looked puzzled for a moment, and cast a sly glance at the judge, but, finding him grave as an undertaker, he returned to the audience, and blandly simpered, " Gintlemen, would any of you favour his Honor with a song ? " In another court a new chum policeman was ordered by the Judge to po m search of the official interpreter whose name was Ah Kafc. " Constable, go for Ah Kat." "Yes, your honour; is it a torn cat your honour wishes for ?" — " Contemporary Review." The Commandments of the Burmese religion are these:— (l) From the meanest insect up to man, thou shall bill no animal whatever. (2) Thou shalt not steal. (3) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (4) Thou Bhalt utter no falsehood. (5) Thou shalt neither drink wine, nor anything that will intoxicate, nor eat opium, nor any other inebriating drug, nor shalt not quarrel. (6) | Thou shalt not use harsh or indecent lan. guage. (7) Thou Bhalt not use idle and superfluous talk. (8) Thou shalt not envy thy neighbor, his wife, nor his ooncubine, nor desire his death or misfortune. (9) Thou shalt not follow the doctrine of any false gods and he who abstains from these sins will continually inorease m virtue, till at length he will become worthy of beholding God and hearing his great voice.

An enormous 'apple crop was gathered by Connecticut farmers this season. In some seotiona of the State the fruit could be had for the mere carting away, and the " Meriden Journal " oites an instance where a farmer offered £2 to the person who would remove several hundred bushels from his land, that the cattle might get at the graßa that the apples covered.

Mrs Catherine Gladstone, wife of tho Bight Hon *W. E. Gladstone, M.P., celebrated her {seventy-sixth birthday on January 6th, she having been Jbqrn on Janaary 6tb, 1812, being thus a little more than t&Q years her husband's junior. Their marriage took placa pn July 25th, 1839, so that the celebration of their golden wedding looms m the distance.