LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1815, 14 April 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thursday next, the 19th instant, will be a special Bank Holiday. The annual elections of School Committees take placo m tho various Schoolhousos, at B.eyon p.m., on Monday week, 23rd iaat. Acceptancpe for the first day's handicaps for tho Ashbuirton Raoinj* Club's Autumn Meeting oloso on Monday evening at "J o'olook. An entertainment under the auspices of tho Ashburtfln Temperanoo Lodges will bo hold ju the Oddfellow? 1 Hall this evening. An attractive programme has b,oe,n prepared. ; The old Araerioan man of-war Shenandoi^h is at the Paoiu'o Mail I?ook refitting for Hervlog as a Chinese quarantine ship. At the change of Ufa nothing equal .Amerioan Co.'b Hop BHtera fa allay all (roubles inoideat thereto. §oe f

The Mexioons are objecting fo Amerioans ooming into their territory, muah as the Americans objeot to the Chinese ooming into their territory. According to the looal paper, beef from Edendale estate is now being Bhipped to London at a profit of £1 per carcase over looal prices. a Johnny, said the Sunday school teaoher, What iB our duty to our neighbours ? To ask ? 'em to tea as soon as they get settled, Baid ' Johnny. t 3 &The annual meeting of the parishioners of * St. Stephen's, Ashburton, will be held m the r Church Schoolroom on Monday evening next, 1 at 7.30 p.m. i Germany is to be a greater extent than is oommonly supposed, a land of old people. < At the time of the last census thare were m * the empire no fewor thun 332 persons who s had completed their hundredth year. i Of Japan olover, an American writer Bays E that no land is too poor for it and none too ' good. Its Beeds are carried everywhere, and < it ia taking possession of the waste plaoes, ' [ converting them into valuable pastures. < Said a sharp attorney to a rambling wit- ' ness : Now you must give explicit and exaot ' answers. You said you drove a miik waggon, I did you not ? No, sir, I didn't. Don't you < drive a milk waggon ? No, sir. ' Aha J what do you do, air ? I drive a hoss, sir. Conduotor (after the aooident) : " Well, sir we have at last found your valet, but sad to say, he's out m two." English tourist: '• Aw, vewy distressing ! Sorry to trouble you, dontoher-kuow, but would you see m which half is the key of my trunk 7 " A further despatch relating to the entry of engineer students m Her Majesty's service is ' gazetted. It is m contemplation to admit a limited number of theße students m 1889, and, for that year only, the maximum age will be extended to 17. According to a liquor law passed m Franoe every peraon who may be condemned twioe by the police for open drunkenness will be held incapable of voting, of elective eligibility and of being named for the jury or any public office. Mr W. Sparrow, who, for a number of years, has been the manager of tho looal branoh of the New Zealand Clothing Factory, has severed his connection with that institution, and his plaoe hero has been taken by Mr H. W. Webber, lately manager of the branoh of the factory at Masterton. A girl who wbb visiting a country oousin, m talking about the Bummer resorts said : "What I dislike about the large hotels is their gregariousness." The cousin seemed bewildered for a few moments, but soon rallied, and said: "Well, yes, those fancy puddings never did agree with me." The London correspondent of the " Dublin Evening Mail " says :— lt is whispered that the son of a well-kown aristocrat has eloped with a circus damsel, whose bright eyea and well-proportionad figure captivated him. The matter is being kept very dark, the idea being that the silly pair may be induoed to return to their former spheres. A New South Walea offioial return Bhowa that the estimated number of Chinese m the colony at the end of last year was 16,800, of whom not more than 100 were females. The arrivals last year were 4635, and the departures 2773, or a net increase of 1663. It is calculated that there are fully 50,000 Chinese soattered throughout tho Australian oolonies, exclusive of New Zealand. Prince Bismarck ia still a hard worker, and is becoming a rich man. The salaries from his offices are by no means extravagant, but, added to the revenues of his estates and the profits of hia sawmills and distilleries, they bring his income to between £20,000 and £30,000 a year. And, as the Prince is notoriously economical, a large proportion of his oomfortable inoome is annually saved. We are requeßted to state that Messrs H. Matson and Co.'s sale of hvo and dead stock on tho farm of Mr W. Aiken, Winslow, will take place on Wednesday next, the 18th mat. (instead of on Friday, the 20th, as previously advertised). The aale ia fixed for 11 a.m., and ithe whole will be aubmitted without reserve. Attention is also drawn to the fact that the freehold farm will be sold on Saturday, April 21st, by Messrs H. Matson and C . A "ghost" whioh has nightly terrified people m a village on the outskirts of Shrewsbury has been effectually laid. On ono Sunday fifty villagers Bet out with stioka and missiles, and succeeded m effeoling a oapture, The ghost was none other than a farmer. Hib oaptora chastised him severely, and he was only releaaad on hia handing over £5 for the local infirmary by way of compensation for his folly. The privileges m connection with the Ashburton Racing Club's meeting were aold by auction by Mr A. Harrison this afternoon. The prioes realised were as follows, per day : — Publioan's Booth No I, £8, Mrs utler ; Publican's Booth No 2, £10, W. Redmond ; Confectioner's Booth No 1, £2 2s 6d, J. Ranger; Confectioner's Booth No 2, fll, J. Ranger; Right of Sports, 10a, R, Elston; Old Grand Stand, 17s, J. Ranger. In oonnection with the Ashburton Race Meeting on Thursday and Friday next, l{Hh and 20th instant, the following train arrangements are notified :— Saturday return tickets to Ashburton will be issued at Ohristohurch, Timaru, and intermediate atations on both days, available for return to 21st inclusive, and on the race daya traina for and from Ashburton will stop at the Saleyarda siding (opposite tho Racecourse) to tako up or set down paßsengera. Return fares to Saleyarda sidings, 6d first-olasa ; 4d aeoond-olasa. An Oamaru papor reports that a horse belonging to the lion Matthew Holmes waß killed under peculiar circumstances a day or two ago. The nnimal was m Messrs Reid and Gray's farriery for the purpose of being shod. While there the horse was startled by something, and throwing its head about an iron spike entered the forehead. The horse beoame maddened with the pain, broke out of the shop, and rushed along th<j street. It fell i down itf the right-of-way near the Publio Hall, and it waß there put out of its pain. Mr J. Drisooll Foley, who opena here on Wednesday next, waa playing at Southbridge last night and the previous night to good houses. Of his entertainment an exohange writes ; — " He impersonated a great variety of characters with excellent e#eof, ohanging his costume m a remarkably short space of time, now appearing aa a young bride, and now as a rollicking country oousin, and m every character he represented' he introduced an appropriate song, whioh added further to the oompletenesß of the impersonation, while the voice m eaoh case waa made to suit tho occasion. Ho showed himself a oapable vooaliat, the muaio from tho bottlea being a novelty whioh appeared to bo greatly appreoiatod. An interesting couple are on the point of starting for Australia, having boen socurely tied up a few days back at tho Dominican Churoh at Limerick. Tho bride ia tho only daughter of a gentleman residing m that neighborhood, and the bridegroom is a painter— not an artist, but a man who slaps walla with a very largo, ilat, and well-filled brush. Not long ago the father's house had to be repaired, and among the tradeamen aenfc was a fine athletic young fellow, with whom the young lady iastantly fell m love. Parental opposition waa of no avail, and, as the girl poßaeaaed a small fortune, ahe con. verted her property into ready money, left hor homo, and waa immediately married at Liraeriok. The bride is de3onbed m tho *' Telegraph " Homo letter as? boing a fine horso-woman, and as having boen a prominent figure m tho hunting field. Tho newly? wodded pair aro now, as mentioned above, bound for the Antipodes. The "Lyttelton Timea " reports that on Tuesday evening tho friends of Mr Charles M. Brooke, of Kaiapoi, to tho number of about fifty, aasembled at Mr Burnip'a Kaikainui Hotel, the ocoaßion being a farewell dinner to Mr Brooke on his leaving for Ashburton. Mr O Hanson (tho Mayor) waa m the chair, and Mr G. P. Milsom m tho vioo-ohair. After the usual loyal and patriotio toasts, the Chairman proposed the health of tho guest of tho evening. Ho referred to Mr Brooke's abilitioß and. publio spirit. He was suro all present regretted the loss to many local institutions of (.he sorvicos of Mr and Mrs Brooko, and all would wiah them future success. Mr Brooko thanked the Chairman and thoße presohfc for their expressions of poclwill. A number of capital songs and spoeoTioa followed, a rao3t pleasant evening being spent. ' SKfJtW Men.—" Wolls' Health Rennwor," restores health and vigor, cures Dyspepaia, impotence, Sexual Debility. At ohomists and druggists. Kempthor.no, Prosserf and Co.. agents, Obriatghurofl* 2 r ■if