LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1864, 11 June 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Russia's big ironolad is a failure. Equestrianism is the oraze at Washington with both ladies and gentlemen. The highest leoorded prioe for a Stradivarius violin is said to be £1600. French sabots (wooden shoes) are being largely imported for English artiaana. There are seventy-one "Ohampionß of England " m games and sports of all sorts. Girla under twenty-one years of age oan no longer serve m the Parisian braßßeries. The doctors of London have started a club of their own. They oall it the Galen Olub. Always approach a oiroular saw with your toe pointing m an opposite direction. The Britißh Columbia customs authorities will not clear sealers for Behring Sea. Suioide patrola now exist m New York hotels ) to look after the lives of their guestß. When a man wants to find fault he will do so if he has to spend all his time looking for it. Two lads m the Government printing office m Wellington have been summoned for stoning a eat to death. One of the embarrassments of being a bank offioer m Cincinnati is being constantly followed by a private watchman. .he San Franoißoo mail doses at Ashburton on Friday next at five p.m. Money orders must be obtained not later than ten p.m. The churoh to experience the most changes of recent days is St. Paul's Cathedral. Eleotrioal lighting has been introduced there. A Frenoh country burying-ground has over its gate the fo 1 lowing Hibernian notice : ' Only the dead who live m this parish are buried here.' Portland boasts of a whist party, composed wholly of young ladies, that lives up to ita name. All but one of the members are dumb About 4000 names have been put to tho petition m favor of the abolition of the totafiaator m Ohristohuroh. F. Penfold, of Kaiapoi, on Saturday night walked against five local men m succession over a ten mile oourse, and |boat them m lh 16min lOseos. The Standard Oil men of Russia are the two Noble brothers, who are said to be worth £80,000,000. Their income is greater than the Czar's. A miner fossicking at Wedderburn, a mining town situated on Korong Creek, 146 miles north-west of Melbourne, unearthed a nugget weighing 54oze. The first official aot of the Emperor Frederiok was the conferring of the rare and exalted order of the Black Eagle upon his wife. The May number of the "Illustrated Sydney News " is to hand, and as usual is full «f interesting matter, while the sketches are good. The Tokomairiro School Committee find that m that distriot no fewer than 52 parents are too poor to pay the la •• quartet money," or Id a week. Mrs Deborah Powers, the head of the bank* ing house at Dansingburg, New York, is m her ninety-eighth year, but she is a very vigorous woman, and takes a long walk every day. Claude Montefiore, a distant relative of the late Sir Moses, and himself a noted and aotive philanthropist, was reoently elected to a seat m tho London School Board. He is the first Jew ever eleoted to that body. In portions of Florida people are planting the peach tree instead of the orange. The idea is that the peach will be tho more popular fruit, and it begins to yield a return earlier than the orange, Mmc Barrios, widow of tho late President of Gautemala, is engaged to bo married. Hor fianoee is said to be an English nobleman of high rack. Mmc Barrios is worrh several million of dollars. Everything m the Czar's kitohen is kept etriotly under look and key, and no one can serve him anything except the maitro d'hotel, a Frenchman named Bronger, who Alone attends tha Czar at the table. There are at present 14,035 Martini-Henry rifles m New South Waloß belonging to the Government, of which 2534 have been issued to the partirlly-paid forces, 408 to tho reserves, 147 to ride clubs, and 20,779 are m store. In her remarks to Parliament the Queen started off. "My Lords and Gentlemen." Even the Quean is beginning to see that there is a distinction between her Lords and Gentlemen, — •• Life." The Sooretary of War reports to Congress that the organised malitia force of the United States includes 8210 commissioned officers and 92,627 men, while the men available for military duty throughout tho oountry, constituting the national reserve, number 7,920,768. Dr Lemon is of opinion that the primary cause of the damage to the Cook Strait cable is probably the occurrence of sulphur springs at different parta of the bed of the oable, whioh would have corrodod tho armour, and the heavy southerly gale whioh ooourrod some time ago would finish the damage. 41 Lady Clara Voro de Yore," said Quee n Viotoria to one of the ladies of the roya' household the other day, " hand me tho morn* ing paper. It contains my speech m Parliament yesterday, and I have no yet read it. I huvoja woman's curiosity to know what I said on that oooasion." Mrs D. C. Bloomer, who lives at Oounoil Bluffs, U. S., oomes forward at this late day to deny that she was the invontor of the oostume whioh for so many years has borne her name, though she admitß that she was tho first to wear it m publio when she delivered a leoture m Chicago on woman's rights. f£ Saturday's "Post" has tho following :—- The s.s. Tekapo, whioh left this afternoon for Calcutta, takes a cargo of 253 horses shipped by Mr A. Thompson, of Oaraaru and Mr J. Stevens, of Rangitikoi. Seventy. soven of the horses were shipped at Oamaru, and 170 at this port, Mr Stevens accompanies the vessol, and it is his intention whilo m India to make full enquiries into the require ments of that market, with a view to tho arrangement of future shipments. The horses comprising tho oargo of the Tokapo aro a very useful lot, and have been ohosen principally for their suitability for remount purposes. A Mothven correspondent writes :— Our pretty little township was enlivened on Friday evening by a oonoert given by looal Christy Minstrels. Mr Bands aoted as bones and R. Lyons as tambo, whilo Mr Walker ao'.ed as interlocutor. There was only a modorato attendance, but tho jokoß and looal allusions, though very far fotohed, togeihor with tho ooßtumes of some of tho mombors, kept the company m good humor. Tho best rondored fsong of evening was " Chanopagno anil oystorß " by Mr Chump. A faroe, m which Bomo very animated Btatuos woro introduced, completed tho entertainment, whioh, for its kind, was unique ; for from Bomo f orgotf illness on (he part of tho performers thoy sang tho '• National Anthem " with their hats on, A danoe followed and was kopt up with vigor till the email hours of the morning. It was announcod that the proceeds would bo dovoted to the benefit of tho poor — " Ohrißty Minstrels." Saturday was a busy day at the Palaoo Skating Rink, and at every sossion thero wore large enthusiastic participators m the active and graceful exercise In tho evening there wore a number of spectators, who, after watohing the graceful movements of tho more expert of the rinkors, felt desirous to emulate their glissading tactics and were Boon aooomodated with tho ncooosary moans 6f wheeled looom^pp., Then followed a scries of involuntary and uiitraordinary capers enough to mako a professor of tho avt green with envy. Every now and then there' was a Bound as if the rinkest was danoing higji jinka oh skates, followod by a dull thud whioh betokened the faot that the amateur had not oat on anyone as a cushion when ho sought oontaot with the arena's timbered iloor. The antics out were amusing both to tho learners thomsolves as well an to tho spectators, and when a beginner was m a fair way to get round a oorner at morp than tha ordinary pace and oame down ignominioußiy thero was hearty laughtor at his oipongo. The rink pi'ortliaeH to be oven mote successful than was anticipated, ananov&Uros j (Of $9 CQtoiDg week are boiug arranged. - I

A, Dauber is the nurao of a portrait painUr )in Brooklyn. A trial of !a digger plough, under tho auspices of tho Ashburton A. and P. Association, will be held on Thursday next. The place of trial has not yet been deoided upon, but will be advertised. Hia Exoellenoy the Governor has been pleased to approve of tho appointment of Captain William Sparrow, Ashburton Guards, as a trustee of the Ashburton Drill-shed and Rifle-range ßesorvQß, vice John Clifford Restell, late Captain, Aahburton Guards, resigned. During the month of May the estates of fourteen persons were placed under the oontrol of the Public Trustee varying from £1 to £350. The latter amount is set down aa the estimatod value of the personal estate of the late M. J. Bueohler, of Mount Somors, who died on Jan. 2, 1888. Mr Anderson, member for Bruce, is anxious to know how many large guns there are m the colony, how many stands of arms, and how many rounds of ammumitionare available m the colony. It is to be hoped that the return will not be supplied. All matters referring to our defences should, m the present Btute of European politics, be kept seoret. Mr D. MoFarlane, wholesale and family grooer, announces a oheap sale of groceries and all kinds of domestic supplies, m consequence of his concentrating hia business m oneylarge establishment m Burnett street. He intends olearing off his East Street stook at once, to allow new linea room m the Burnett Street grocery. Customers and others are requested to note the advertise* mentt