LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1812, 11 April 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Gladston has just entered on his fiftyBizth parliamentary session. Sir Edwin Arnold may be the next poet laureate, as Queen Victoria is said warmly to favor him for that position. The proprietor of a circus has been arrested and fined m Mexico because his show did not equal his advertisements. At Melbourne a fine of £7, and three guineas costs, was imposed on the Farmers' Produce Company of Australasia for offering putrid hams for saie. For the benefit of those who are getting ! tired of " truly rural" aft a test of sobriety, the following is respectfully submitted : — pronounoe rapidly, " She Belle sea shells; shall she sell Bca shells." A man wrote a letter to his wife whioh ! reflected on a third party. The latter brought an action m the Queen's Bench for libel, but the Judge held that there waa no publicity j given, the husband and wife being one m law. ' There were lynohed during the year 1887, m the United States, no fewer than 123 persons. Of the various States and territories Texas heads the list with 15 lynohings, apd j Mississippi is entitled to second place with 14 *o her credit. All the victims were males, 80 of them being negroes. Some time ago specimens of the supposed I tin ore from Alford Forest were sent to San Francisco to be assayed, and the following are the particulars of the assay made by Mr Thos. Price, a well-known analytical ohemfsfc and assayer of metals : — " Two samples of ore. No. 1, gold ounces per ton '5-100th3 ; ( va]Lu£ per ton 1.03 dollar. Silver ounoes per ' ion •£s t^QQthfl{ value per ton 58 cents. Total ▼alae per ton 1.61 dollay. No. 2 specimen, a traoe of gold and a trace .of silyey." Mr Price further remarks: — "No. 1 specimen • contains silica, iron, lime, magnesia, and garbonio acid. Contains no tin. No. 2 Bpeouaen contains silica, iron, and a little lime and magaeeia, Contains no tin. The prinoipal ingredient of both samples is smoky quartz." It wili thus be seen that the samples of ore sent to San Franoisco have been prpyed to contain no tin, but there is, nevertheless, the .opconraging result that they , l each contain distinct traces of bo(,h gold and ' |jitaer; principally gold,

The Bey Father Chastagnon left Ashbarton by the seven o'clock train this morning on his 1 trip to Europe. A large number of members of the congregation ,;and the children attending the schools, assembled at the station to Bee their paßtor off, and hearty cheers were given as the train moved away. Mr G. H. St Hill, a former resident of Ashburion and who is well-known here, is at present on a visit to the town, and hie old friends will be glad to learn that he is looking well. A Government Inspection Parade of the Ashbarton "Volunteers was held the Drillshed last evening. The Rifles mußterd 44 (Captain Dolman) and Guards 36 (Captain Sparrow). Major Douglas was Inspecting Officer. Capt Fooks and Sergeant- Major Hayes were also present. After inspection the companies wore exercised by their officers m company drill. It was decided to hold a Church Parade on Sunday, the 22nd instant. During the greater part of to-day a heavy northwest gale has been blowing, raising clouds of dust and making matters very unpleasant for pedestrians. The wind commenced to blow about six or seven m the morning, and continued with hurricane force for about a oouple of hours. No great damage was done m the vicinity of the town ; a few panes of glass m windows and doors were blown out and Btaoks wero levelled. A Mount Somers the full force of the gale was experienced, and the railway engine shed there was completely demolished. Fortunately there waß no one inside at the time of the collapse, or possibly there might have been loss of life to record. It was nearly time for the morning train to leave for Ashburton when the shed sucoumbed to the violence of the wind, and the engine had been taken out about ten minutes previous to the occurrence, so that none of the hands were inßide. A oomplete wreok was made of the shed, which was constructed of corrugated iron. Its collapse was somewhat of a surprise as it had been braced, and seemed strong enough to resist any wind it might experience. A large number of Btacks, whioh were still standing m the hills distriot, went over before this morning's gale. Mr J. W. D. Foley will appear m Ashburton for three nights at' race time. Mr Foley has gained a first-class reputation for his lightning changes, 'a class of entertain, ment made famous by Maooabe, and he is also a ventriloquist of no mean order. A meeting of the Ashburton Licensing Committee was held this morning. Present Messrs T. Scaly (Chairman), D. Thomas and D. MoLean. The meeting was held m consequence of a determination of the Committee at the last quarterly meeting that the lioensees of the various hotels should have a month allowed them m whioh to provide such fire esoapes as the polioe considered necessary. The police reported that fire escapes to their satisfaction had been provided. A license for the Central Hotel whioh, at the last meeting had been granted to W. Eedmond conditionally, was now on the favorable report of the police, confirmed. The Wellington correspondent of the i« Lyttelton Times " says that there is quite a brisk little diplomatic war going on m the Treasury buildings just now. Some time ago Mr Maoalister, the Provincial Auditor, was officially informed that his services would not ba required after the end of March, but he still retains possession of his office m the Government Buildings, steadily refusing to reoognise the power of the Government of the day to deprive him of his appointment, or to transfer his functions to anyone else, without the direot authority of Parliament. The questions raised by Mr Maoalister as to hiß status are of a most important constitutional oharaotcr. The Prince of Wales is again undergoing treatment to reduce his obesity, According to the " New Zealand Methodist ' there are 350 fewer enrolled Wesleyan Methodists m the Australian Conference than there were twelve month's ago. New Zealand shows an increase of 121, Bhowing that it has taken ten workers one whole year to seoure one member. ; At Amberley, on Tuesday, Arthur Ryan, a jookey employed by Mr H. MoLean, was thrown while exeroising the horse Ingomar over hurdles. He received concussion of the ( brain, and there are very slight hopes of his raoovery, The desire of the French Government to substitute a niokel coinage for a copper one will, if carried out, greatly inarease the price of nickel and add to the value of the blaok sand of the west coast of the Middle Island. The London buyer of a large Wellington drapery firm lately went m heavily on the Stook Exchange as a plunger, and before long managed to lose £23,000 belonging to his employer. He then made up his mind to commit suioide, but before accomplishing the feat he wrote his obituary notioe for the M Times," m which he stated that his death was •? sudden. " He read the notioe, and then shot himself, . A doctor informed a grim gudewife that there was no hope of recovery for her husband, The woman, applying her apron jo her eyes, faltered. "Hoo muckle langer dae ye think he'll last, sir ? " f» Possibly a month or two ; but I'll oall as usual and see him." •« Oh, deed an 1 ye winna. You're thinkin' o' yer am pooob, sac I maun c'en think>n mine. You an' yer auohteenpeences a veesit, an' nae quid oomin' oot o' them ! I'm glad ye've tellt me. I see ma way tae a savin." Ma puir man will need naebody but the meenister noo' an,' Gude be thankit, I oan get him for napthing J " That ecoentrio personage " The Hermit of ißland Bay " appears, says the " Post," to have received a sudden and peremptory notioe to quit his rooky tenement during the rising Of the tidal wave on the 28th March, and as he was hastening to -obey the summons of Nature's baliff— in the guise of a huge wall of water— another sea caught him and dashed him against the rooks, by whioh he sustained some severe injuries to bjs §ide. The poor fellow managed to get away from the cave before another wave entered it, but deemed it unwise to return to his home ti]LL the gale had subsided, Of late we have heard a great deal (says the " Ohristohuroh Telegraph") about the >* exodus "of our people for Melbourne. A few days ago the " Lyttelton Times " published a telegram Btating that 400 persons left the Bluff by the s,s. Wairarapa, and that so great was tbe demand for passages that cargo had to be refused. A copy of the same telegram was sent to the " Dunedin Star." It appears that our Southern contemporary became doubtful of the truth of the information wired to it, and having enquired into the matter finds that there is praotioally no truth m the ; jdeiegratn, Jn stead of the Wairarapa taking 400 passengers she has oply 160, a fact whioh Sjtands for a very 'di|erent otate of things, (This contradiction has since ; bepn contradioted, Ed.) Heating's Cough Lozenges cure Ooughs, Asthma, Bronchitis. Medioal testimony states that no other medicine is so effeotual m the dure of tbepe dangerous maladies. One Lozenge alone gives easp, pne or two at bedtime ensures rest. For relieving difficulty of breathing they are invaluable. 1 They contain i Ino opium or any violent drug. Sold by all ) Qhemists, m tins, lid and 2s 9d each,