LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1803, 31 March 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Bazaar will be held at Tinwald on Monday m aid of the funds of the Longbeaoh Parochial Distriot.

The evening attendance at the Ashburton Post and Telegraph Office on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays will oease on and after the 3rd prox.

We remind members of the oongregation of St. Stephen's that, according to the custom of the Anglican Ohuroh, the offertories to-morrow, being Easter Sunday, will bo given to tho rev the incumbent.

A rifle matoh was fired yesterday morning between a team representing the blacksmiths and another representing the other members of the Ashburton Guards. The blacksmiths wore beaten by 45 points. Afterwards a match was iked between teams picked by Golor-Sergeant Keir and Sergeant Leitoh. Color-Sergeant Keir's team won by 28 points.

In this moning's " Mail " man artiole upon New Guinea there is an amusing example of the way m whioh familiar quotations are sometimes improved upon (?) by the oom - positor, the wellknown line " Distance lends enchantment to the view," being rendered "Distance lends entertainment, etc We prefer the original—A little farther on the intelligent comp and the careless reader are conjointly responsible for the expression " rivers bear on their blossom, " instead of "bosom" as written.

A ceremony of a pleasing nature took place \ on Thursday evening when the Ashburton oarriers presented Mr T. Smith, of the Railway Department, with a marble timepiece m recognition of the invariable courtesy he had shown to all who had occasion to have dealings \uth him. Mr Smith has been employed m the goods shed here for some time past, but is now under orders to proceed to Timaru, where ho is to undertake the duties apper. taining to a higher position. The presentation was made on behalf of the oarriers by Mr Potter, and Mr Smith suitably returned thanks for the evidence of goodwill whioh had been shown towards him. The presentation having been made, the remainder of the evening was spent m a social manner.

The annually recurring celebration of tho opening of the Baptist Ohuroh took place as usual ;on Good Friday, the tea being held m the Oddfellows' Hall. The affair was very] successfully carried out, 1 the various tables being presided over by Meadames Meddings, Murgatroyd, Green* slade, Wheeler, Osborne, Oass, Giles, and Misses Wildsmith, Sawle (2), Kingston, and Steele. About 250 sat down to tea, the viandß being prolusely laid out, and everyone appearing muoh pleased with the good things provided. The after meeting, which was 1 very well attended, was presided over by Mr J. W. Sawle, the platform being oooupied by a number of speakers and a strong ohoir, the ' ohuroh singers being assisted by several good voices from Willowby. Mr Kingaton was oonduotor, with Mr Wildsmith as organist, The meeting opened with prayer by the I Revd Mr Dewdney, followed by the ohoir with "He that heareth and believeth." Mr Oolyer, the secretary, then read the fifth annual report, whioh was of a satisfactory nature, showing an increase of 18 members for the year. The Sunday sohool roll showed 68 scholars. Mr T. M. Jones, the treasurer, read the balance-sheet and report for the year. The ohoir sang "Gome to Jesus," after whioh the chairman gave an address, mentioning that the Revds Messrs Beattie and Blake were unavoidably absent* having to attend a Presbyterian tea meeting at Springburn. The meeting was afterwards addressed by Capt Harvey, of the Salvation Army, Mr Boothroyd, the newly appointed minister of the Primitive Methodist Church, and the Rovd Mr Dewdney, of Christohurch. j The latter two gentlemen spoke at considerable length. The choir sang several capilal anthems during the evening, the selection of these having been made very happily. The last speaker was the Revd Mr MoNicoll, Rnd j the usual votes of thanks brought the meeting to a olose. The owners of one of the largest ranches m Texas have contracted with a Chioago firm to have the top wire all around their pasture fence oharged with eleotrioity, go as to give a shock to all animals touching it, and to enable their cowboys to telephone to them by attaching a portable instrument to the wire. A break m the fence will ring a bell at headquarters.

Advices from Mexico state that Mr Fay, an American millionaire, is having a gorgeous aerial palace built at Guajanto. It will be over 300 feet high, and supported by massive iron pillars. It will be surrounded by immense gardens, reminding one of the legendary suspended gardens of Babylon. •He has already named it Semiramia Palace. Acoeas to it will be obtained by a gigantic lift, and it will be placed within telephonio communication with the town. Mr Fay has purchased a spring m the neighborhood m order to have a special Bupply of water. His reason for building this castle m the air is to escape from the poisonous microbes which infeofc large cities.

Inia letter to a brother praotitioner, Dr Gibbes, of New Plymouth, sayg : — " Our aohools are olosed here, owing to diphtheria being m town and being spread by them. The number of oases I have seen to date is forty-eight m twenty-nine families. The blue gum constant steam has been a great sucoess, I not having lost a oase so far, I was doubtful at first as to its being true diphtheria, until I saw a ohild suffering from paralysis after it, whioh, of course, deolded. the point."

The <( Sydney Bulletin " tells the following sad story : —Percy MoDonald haa had much trouble of late. First he lost his mother after a few day's illness. Then his second eldest brother, who had been an ecclesiastical student at Lyndhurst College, Sydney, died of consumption. This was followed by the sudden death of his eldest sister, while the dootor was writing a prescription for her. Then his father (formerly Attorney.Generai for Viotoria) was Btricken down with paralysis and finally, the other day, his surviving' brother was killed by a tram accident m Viotoria.

The Melbourne correspondent of th e " Sydney Mail " writes :— Talking about lh c law, that was a singular case settled by the Full Court the other day. A man had been sentenced to six months' imprisonment for shooting at another. Objection was raised that the sentence was not heavy enough. The Judge, it was urged, should have committed for three years, the minimum sentence provided by the Act. The oase was taken m due course into Banco. The objection was sustained. The prisoner, it was held, should have been sent to prison for three yeara. Then the superior Court clapped on the extra 30 months, of course ? Not at all. The Court decided that as the prisoner had been sentenoed to Bix months' imprisonment when he ought to have been sentenced to three years' imprisonment he waa entitled to his liberty, and he was discharged. This is the law, no doubt ; but is it not very much like law run mad 7