LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1796, 22 March 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Ashburton Lodge of Druids held a social gathering at the Oddfellowß' Hall last evening. There was a good attendance, and everything passed off m a very successful manner, a most enjoyable evening being Bpent. The proceedings commenced with the Druid's opening ode, which was given with good effect. Musical items were contributed by Messrs Pickford, A. E. Ward, Vesty, Aslett, Palmer, and others. The music for the dances was supplied by Mesßrs Mayo and Andrews. Altogether the evening was a most enjoyable one, everything passing off successfully. We have heard of the sale of a line of 800 bags of Waimate grown wheat at Oamaru at 3s per bushel. The results of the harvest m the Waimate district are said to be exceptionally good. We have heard of one farmer who threshed out a largo paddook with a yield of sxity-three bushels to the acre, notwithstanding that owing to the orop being laid it was by no means reaped olean. Had the whole been saved the yield would, it is said, have averaged over seventy bushels. Mr Robert Meek, examples of whose skill m penmanship will doubtless be called to mind by some of our readers, is at present m Ashburton, seeking purchasers for photo- ■ graphio reproductions of his really wonderful Jubilee Souvenir which was exhibited m tho lobby of Parliament House last session. It is quite a work of art, and a marvellous example of patience and skill. It may almost be described as a pictorial compendium history of the colony whioh is styled •' the sea-girt fortress of the Southern World, manned by the soions of a noble raoe," and contains m separate panels the history of eaoh Provincial District, the names of the members of the first Exoutive Government, and of the Buoces. eive responsible Ministries, the names of the heads of every department as at 20 th June, 1887, and of the members of both Houses of Assembly, and of the Justices of the Peace for the Colony at tho same date. It oovers a sheet about 4ft square, and forms a valuable historical record, besides being, as an example of ornamental and artistic penmanship, worthy of a place on the walls of every library and public institute, and of every merchant's counting house. The prioe, ib we believe, only half-a-guinoa a copy. The British and Foreign Bible Society, whose agent is to address a public meeting on Friday evening, has grown to marvellous proportions. From a total of issues of Bibles and Testaments amounting to 80,000 m the year 1808, it reached last year a total of nearly four millions of copies. By a Bimple calculation one could find out how many volumes are leaving the Bible house daily, to be circulated at Home or despatched to the ends of the earth. The list" of languages and J dialects into which the Bible is translated (279) would be an interesting one. The Sooiety spends thousands of pounds every year m supplying Sunday and week-day Bchools m England and Ireland with Bibles and Testaments. In twenty-five years a total of £45,000 wa3 spent m this way. Institutions for the blind, deaf and dumb, widows and orphans receive supplies of tho sacred volume. Efforts are made to place copies m hospitals, prisons, and railway stations. In most of the countries m Europe the Society has its agents, and forty thousand pounds are spent m carrying on the work of Oolportago there. The Sooiety is also tho best friend to various missionary institutions. Large sums are Bpent m translating, printing binding, and sending forth the vartouß editions. The Rev H. T. Robjohns, 8.A., who haa the territories of Queensland, New South Wales and Now Zealaud for his sphere pf labour, bears a high charaoter for energy and administrative ability ; and the meeting on Friday evening will be worthy of the support of all lovers qt the Bible. Mr J. Ollivier, the Commissioner appointed by the Publio Works Department to enquire jnto the ciroumstanoes m connection with the determination of the Wakanui Road Board to take seventeen chains of Mr W. Jamieson's land for tho purpose of constructing a road fronr the River Road to Wilson's Road, this morning read a copy of tho recommendations he has made to Government on the subject. It will be remembered that the matter was gone into exhaustively last Thursday and Friday. Mr W. Jamieson and others objected to the Board taking the proposed road, as it waa alleged it Tyould only benefit two ratepayers, and that its oongtiao* tion would entail the risk of Mr Jamiespn's house and property being swept away m ease of an overflow from the river. They urged that the River Road (the washing away of a 1 portion of whioh had brought this matter up) should be restored. The Road Board denied that Mr Jamieson's property would be liable to any increased risk from floodwater. The road they proposed to take was tho most 1 aerviooable ifi .thp ratepayers at large. They averred that the restoration of the River Road was impracticable as the Board Jjad jiqf, sufficient funds for that purpose. Mr Ollivier considers that the construction of the proposed road would bo a menace to Mr Jamieson's property, and he is also of opinion that the Road Board's funds will not allow of the i?Jyer Road being restored. Under these ciroumstaacps he makes the recommendation that nothing i?s done at present. When the River Board, whioh has lately boon .constituted, comes into the exercise of its functions, probably means will bo taken to oonfine the river within its bounds, when it will be possible to take otsp? to restore the River Road. Until then Mr Ollivier |i.*<\comr mends that the matter bo left m abeyance. The creditors m the estate of L. Henrickson, jeweller, Auckland, have got an unexpected dividend. Some time ago his premises were robbed of a large quantity of jewellery, which led to his bankruptcy. The burglar was caught and sontonced. On his release after tho expiry of his sentence he offered to point out the site of a plant of the jewollery, which was never discovered, if ho got a pound or two to dear out of tho districtThe offer was accopted, and the sale of the discovered jewellery gave the creditors a second dividend.

The streetß'of Sydney are to be sanded m ' future to prevent horses slipping. There were 3 291*perBona left New Zealand for Australia last month. Mary Anderson wears a cloak m " A Winter's Tale " whioh took twenty-five women I three weeks to embroider.

A very singular acoident oocurred to a man m Australia the other day. Pie was sleeping ia his tent, his gun, which was loaded being suspended to the ridgepole, when a gust of wind dislodged it and it fell and exploded' the charge lodging m his legs and completely blowing away one of his feet.

the stretch of beach on which the Pleione was stranded the other day may well be regarded as a dangerous ooast will be at once apparent when it is remembered that she is the seventh vessel whioh has left her timbers on these inhospitable sands. The following are the names of the crafts whiohi during the past few years, have stranded on the beaoh between Paikakariki and the mouth of the Manawatu River: Robina, Dunlop, Felix Stowe, Fusilier, Hyderabad, City of Auckland, Manukau, and Pl9ione.

A ourious contretemps happened to a wellknown solicitor, who resides m a country township not a thousand miles away from Timaru, recently. Having been annoyed by garden robbers carrying off his fruit he left hiß well, containing some 2£ fee of water, uncovered as a possible trap for them. He, however, realised the soriptural fate of him that diggeth a pit for another, for ' the following night being engaged m searohing the heavens for the Star of Bethlehem, reported to be visible, he forgot all about the open well and stepped back and forthwith disappeared from view. Fortunately it was before the hour of midnight, and some of his neighbors who had not gone to bed happening to hear his ories delivered him from his uncomfortable position after he had been some little time imprisoned, happily none the worse for his adventure, save a eoare and a wetting. Had the adventure happened an hour ot two latter the consequences would probably' have been serious.