LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1835, 8 May 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■ «. . Tho Ghriatoburch oity rates are flxod at Is m tbo &. Two hundred and seventy-five thousand tonß loss of sugar *eetroot were grown m Europe during 1887 than ia 1886. Tho Ohristohuroh City Council contributes £1,804 15fl 3d to tho local Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. £1,155 11s 9d of this smount goes for. charitable aid. . Tho Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association request tho Government to place £500 on the Estimates for providing a model working dairj farm to be exhibited at agricultural shows throughout the country. " I am going to write a work on • Popular Ignorance,' " said a young graduate to au old professor. "I am glad of it," replied tho old man. " I don't know anybody who has more of the root of thai matter m him." To-morrow morning there wilj likely be a, number of people at tho station to avail themselves of the cheap exoursion farea to Christchurch, to see the return football m&toh between JJnglapd and Canterbury. With good weather the trip shoyld be appreciated,

A man named John McKay, a master tailor | was found dead in a room at the British | Hotel, Lyttelton, on Monday morning. A box of Rough on Rats was found beside the body, and it is supposed deceased poisoned himself. Mr W. Wilson Reid, auristf, announces that , he will prolong his stay in ABhburton until Thursday evening, in oonsequence of the number of patients under treatment. So far Mr Reid's success with the aurophone has been very marked, (':? By cable in to-day's issue it will be seen that information is to hand of the death of Sir Charles Bright, 08. The deceased gentleman was widely known in oonneotion with the laying of the submarine cable, and to him is due the credit of laying the first line | between England and America. A saving ol no less than £1500 a year in cost of fuel alone has been effected, we understand, on the Wellington and Masterton Railway through the use of ooal instead of coke on the Kell Incline, and by some alterations in the working of the engines. A son of Mr _ Bishop, of Waterton, met with a nasty acoident yesterday morning. He was riding, and the girth breaking, ho was thrown to the ground, being rendered unconBoious, and sustaining a nasty gash over the eye. Under the oare of Dr Tweed he is progressing favorably. The Duke of Abercorn has sold to his tenants in Tyrone and Donegal, under Lord Ashbourne'a Act, land to the value of £300,000, and by this transaction about 300 tenant-farmers beoome owners of their holdings. The farms were bought at 20 years purohase, based on the ordinary valuation. The lost " Duohess of Devonshire " picture has been discovered at last. Its disappearance from an Art Gallery, in Bocd street, London, about twelve years ago, created considerable consternation, and all traces of it were lost. The picture was valued at 10,000 guineas when stolen, and what objeot the thief had* in outt ing it from its frame and making away with it may never be known. In order to shorton the time of transit of the mailß to New Zealand, via San Francisco, it has been decided by the Post Office authorities to despatch the mails from London everw fourth Saturday instead of every fourth Wednesday, in order to make use of the quick packets of the Ounard Line leaving Queenstown on Sunday. Miss Ramsay, the senior-classic lady, who distanced all the men of her year, is at work upon a translation of "Herodotus. 1 It is worthy of remark that this senior-olaseio is by no means as repellently repugnant as blue stookmgs are said to be. Good taste prevents a description of her. Suffioe it to say she jb as doughty in tennis as she is distinguished in learning. Most European thrones seem well-drained and healthy. The late German Emperor was over 90 when he died ; the present is nearly 60 ; the Queen of England is getting on for 70; the Rings of Holland and Denmark are 70 the King of Sweden is 60 ; the Emperor of Austria is 58 ; The King of the Belgians *53 ; the King of Italy, 44 ; the King of Greece is still younger, 43, whioh is also the age of the Czar ; the Sultan is 46' . We would direct speoial attention to Messrs H. Matson and Oo.'s clearing sale at Mr Le Breton's farm, Beafield, on Wednesday, 9th inst. The horses, sheep, and implements are a particularly fine lot, and the Auctioneers assure us everything will be sold without reserve. To anyone requiring a good line of horses or farm implements the opportunity afforded on Wednesday is one which should not be lost Bight of. A meeting of the Ashton School Committee was held in the schoolroom qn Monday, the 7th. There were present— Mr T. Taylor (in the ohair), Meflßrs W, Timms, J. Shearer, W Wilson, and D. Ryan. The Master's report wao read, and considered satisfactory. The number on the roll was 54, and the average attendance 46. It was decided to put the windows" in thorough repair, and also have the entrance gate and approach to the school looked to. The Master asked the Committee to apply for two maps for the use of the sohool. This was agreed to. The Committee elected Mr J. Croßsan in the place of Mr G. Gilmour, resigned. The meeting then adjourned. An extraordinary quick interchange of telegraphio messages between Wellington and England took plaoe in Router's office recently. A message for London was handed in at Wellington at 10.30 a m. on Ist May (London time about 10.35 p.m., 30th April). A reply was despatched from London at 4.3 a.m. Ist May), (Wellington tfme about 4 p.m., Ist May), and reaohed Wellington at 6.45 p.m. tho same day. The actual time for the reply is therefore 2 hours 45min, and for the return journey, 8 hours 13min. This is the quickest exohange of messages botween Wellington and London ever effected. i^ Major Steward addressed his constituents at Waimate on Saturday night. There was a large attendance. The "Lyttelton Times" says :— Major Steward treated the meeting to a dear and wel'-arninged synopsis of the business transacted, and tho part taken by himself in the last session of the House of Representatives. Ho also spoke at length of the measures likely to bo brought forward at the coming session, and his views tlureon. In advocating the polioy of protection to Colonial manufactures, he brought forward several foroible illustrations. The speech was lucid, temperate, and well-arranged, and delivered in Major Steward'3 best style. He was attentively heard throughout, and a voto of thanks and confidence was heartily BODprded, No questions of any impartance were put, and, after a vote of thanks to the Chairman, the moetjrjg closod. The usual fortnightly mooting of the Helpmate Division, Sons and Daughters of Temporance, was held at the Division Rooms, last evening. One candjdato was initiated, and two others proposed for membership. Matters of interest !to the temperance cause generally, and to the ordar in particular, were discussed, and from the thorough way in which members deal with subjects brought them, the prospect of the Division beooming the nuoleus of energetic, aggressive temperanoo work is more and more apparent, The next meeting promises to be unusually interesting. Tn addition to several candidates jpoming forward for initiation, one s of the members has, by request, consented to give an address on some phases of the liquor traflio and temporanoo movement in Amerioa, and additional interest la expaot.cd to attach to tljfl address from the faot that come personal remjnisaencos will bo related,