LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1805, 3 April 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The trial of Quinlivan's bandoutter and self-feeding threshing machine will take place on Mr Donald Williamson's farm, Alford Forest road, on Thursday and Friday next.

On Sunday night the induction of the Rev. Fralayson took place at Springburn. There was a numerous attendanoe and the proceedings were of a most interesting kind. A detailed account of them is deferred.

The annual harvest thanksgiving aervioe at St. Stephen's Church, Ashburton, will be held on Thursday evening, m this week, at halfpast seven o'clock. The preacher will be the Rev Walter Harper, Incumbent of St. Michael's Churoh, Christchuroh. Tho collection will be for the sick and needy. In view of a hard winter, which not improbably will witness a considerable amount of poverty it is hoped that the contributions of the congregation v>iU be as liberal as possible.

The Rev Mr Holland delivered a leoture on "Manliness of Character" m the Oddfellows' Hall last evening. There was a very good attendance, and the ohair was occupied by Mr J. Sawle, while on the platform were the Revs E. A. Sootfc, A. Dewdney, and Boothroyd. The Chairman apologised for the absenoe of Mr Baxton, M.H.R, The lecturer handled his subjeot well, and was heartily applauded during his address. Several hymns were sung, Mr H. Gates presiding at the organ. A vote of thanks proposed by the Rev Mr Soolt, and seconded by the Rev Mr Dewdney, was unanimously accorded the lecturer.

A gift auction m aid of the Rakala Parson"age Repairs Fund is announced to be held m the Town Hall, Rakaia, on Thursday, 6th instant) at Beven p.m.

About three o'olook this afternoon the firebell rang out an alarm, and about half the population oi the town made its way to that portion of William street, m the vioinity of Masonic Hall, m which direction smoke was Been to be rising. Nothing serious, fortunately, was the matter, the fire which was m a hedge» being oheoked before more than a couple of yards or so had been burned. The Ashburton Brigade turned out but the Western, owing to the Borough Council's refusal to be responsible for expenses inourred by it, did not put m an appearance. The fiie appears Jto have been caused by some one incautiously dropping a matoh near the hedge.

In the Vincent, Maniototo, and Lake Counties the area m wheat this season was 7030 acres, and the yield 180,919 bushels, being about 25£ bushels to the acre. The area m oats was 8699 acres, the total yield being 273,084 bushels, and the average yield 31J bushelß to the acre. In* barley there were 1152 acres, the total yield being 24,843 bushels, and the average yield per acre 20j£ bushels. In potatoes there were GOG acres, 4|- tons to the acre being the average yield. With the exoeption of potatoes everything ihowe an increase on last year. Mr Spurgoon's Btudents m the Pastors' College are all teetotallers but one.

The debts of Viscount Canterbury (son of tho late Governor of Viotoria) tot up to £43,500, assets nil. This is even better than Lord A. Loftus.

A swine plague prevails m the South of France. A thousand animals have died m the Marseilles district within a month. Pro* lessor Cornil has gone to study the pestilence. Ethel : " Mamma, I am writing to Nellie Lee; shall I say anything for you?" Mamma : " Writing to that contemptible girl again ? Yes, give her my love. How I detest that girl, to be sure ! " Atamer entered a boar'iusago An amenaaerie. m France. Tha spectators were seized with panic when they beheld the animal make a furious attaok upon the man, who was only resoued by his son entering the cage and plunging a sabre into the bear.

The s.s. Kahu is taking three fawns to tha Chathamß, where they are to be turned adrift to breed.

An American paper says :— ln other words, the country paid last year for seven hundred miles of railroad whioh wag not built, and the whole sum thus paid went into the pookets of a few steel rail manufaaturers. *

There is a place m New Hampshire where they never have any old maids. When a girl reaches the age of twenty-nine, and is still on the ladder of expectation, the young fellows club together and draws lots for her. Those who escape pay a bonus to the one that gets her.

The Bosjesmen of South Africa are the lowest type of mankind. They do not, like many animals and inaeots, build any habitation, but live m holes and oaves. They do not cultivate the land, but feed on roots, fruit, reptiles, and insects of the woods. They gather round no chief and their intelligence is of the poorest order.

It is said that the big cattle ranohes of the fat west and southwest are breaking up. A year ago the Niobrara Land and Cattle Company, whioh has become bankrupt, refused £20,000 for its property. Instead of the big companies ewallowiDg the little ones, it ia thought that the tendency is toward the breaking the big ranches into small ones.

No less than 1,426,000 hares and 1,327,000 partridges were shot m Austria during last year. The market value of all the game killed m 3887 amounted to 3,500,000f1,

New Zealand hao subaoribed, apart from Government vote, £2853 to the Imperial Institute. Of this sum £2000 was given by the brothers McLean, of Otago, from whence another £225 oame, and tho balance, £598, was raised m Wellington, and much of tha'' it is said was cpntributed either under compulsion, or out of personal regard for the Governor. The members of the Government gavo £5 among them, and that was all contributed by the Colonial Treasurer.