LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1938, 7 September 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

| » I At 1014 a.m. on Thursday a slight shook of earthquake was felt m Chrißtohurch. It ia stated that the Kauri Company are likely to take over all the Southland sawmills. At Punedin on Thursday a boy was fined five Bb. illings §pd cp.Bts for frilling a tui with a shanghai. ' In consequence of the small number of entries the coursing meeting at Pareora has been abandoned. Fish are scarce m the fishing grounds around Dunedin Harbor, and fisherman are m straits having often to toil all night to catch nothing. fjfeveral varieties of fishes examined by natural|ats pf the phfillepge'r e^pedjtion have be.en found Jo faja totally blind m tne deep' Bea, bpt pan see when inhabiting shallow water. By ap ejtplpßJop m a mipe at Inglewpod, Beelton, on T^ursaay afternoon, a miner named H. Hosking was kjjled, and tv^o other men^wero badlygburned. Our townsman Mr D. H. Brown, of the Canterbury Mills, has left for an extended run through Queensland and New South Wales, fin|ghjnjj up with a look at the Melbourne JESxtyibitpon, Pr W. A. jMoOorn of the l^tew Ptyy Asylum for the Inßane, has found hyosoymine sub-ontaneQUßly^adminjster&d, a very useful remedy m quieting mania, and attended with less unplaao&Qt symptoma than are ohlpral of thebromidee.

Lithe illicit distillation oase heard at Timaru I m Thursday, the accused, Patrick O'Connor, I ?as fined £100 ; twelve months imprisonment I n default. Mr Hay, who defended the I looused, gave notice of hiß intention to take iteps for quashing the oonviotion. ' Messrs John Orr and 00. have a speoial ironmongery advertisement m this issue, and is agents for MoOormiok's improved steel binders are booking orders for maohines lot next harvest. Painters' materials, glass, md holloware, with a great variety of ironmongers' goods will soon be on display. At the afternoon session of the Diooesan Synod on Thursday a message was read from Sir Arthur Gordon, who cabled from Kandy, Ceylon, through his Excellency the Governor, that he had heard the Chriatohuroh tower waa destroyed, and would give £100 towards the cost of repairs. The news was received with satisfaction by the Synod, and the Primate remarked that the extent of damage had evidently been exaggerated. During the eduoation debate on Arohdeaoon Harper's resolution m Synod on Thursday, the following statistioa of Ohuroh Sohools m England were quoted : —In 1871 tbe aooomodation m Ohuroh Bohools was 54,000,000 ; it ia now 3,452,090, an increase of 70 per cent. The average attendance was then 1,231,000 ; it is now 2,187;000. an increase of 75 per cent. The fees were then £539,000, they are now £1,229,000, an inorease of 135 per cent. The voluntary subscriptions were then £437,000 ; they are now £742,000 ; an inorease of 70 per sent. The •• Lyttelton Times" says:— On Wedneswe were Bhown a hen's egg of unusual dimensions, its length being three inohea; oiroumference, six inches ; and weight, quarter of a pound. It was produced by a oross-bred occupant of Mrs Leverton's pouitry>yard at Avonville, and is a sufficiently remarkable pioneer of the "big" season, wbioh will doubtless give us the oustomary orop of mammoth potatoes, giant tomatoes, oopurlent gooseberries, and similar enormities. 0 The egg is evidently the produotion ol a hen and a half m a day and a half. The South Rakaia Sohool Oommiitee met on "Wednesday. Present — Messrs Pyke (ohairman) Makeig, Clark, Oxley, Broadbent, and Turner. The master reported the average attendance for the month as 146*9 ; past week 160-7 ; highest attendance 174. Number on roll 229. The low attendance was oaused by the inolement weather. The Chairman reported a credit balance of 4s 6d ; and. that the Board's Clerk of Worka would visit the sohool shortly and report on the requirements asked for. The Visiting Committee made their usual report, and after discussing financial matters the meeting adjourned. At a epeoial meeting of the Rakaia Library Committee held on Thursday evening, Present Messrs Pyke (ohairman), Oxley, Makeig, Blaokburn, and Broadbent, the ohairman reported that the concert held m aid of the funds had not been a finanoial success. The receipts were £6 6s, and the expenses £5 6s 6d. These accounts were passed for payment. On the motion of Mr Oxley, seoonded by Mr Blaokburn, a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded the ladies and gentlemen who had so kindly assisted, especially Mrs Brooke, from Aehburton, and Messrs Simms and English. The Secretary was instructed te ' intimate this to them m the usual manner. We (are m receipt of a prize schedule of horticultural shows which will be held m the Melbourne Exhibition on 15th and 16th of Nov., 1888, and m January, 1889. Forms of entry are |attached, and information respecting the formß of procedure. Anj of our readers with a taste for horticultural pursuits, who may care to exhibit, oan Jinapeot the papers at this office. Particulars of a grain show to be held on Oot. 9th and 10th m the Exhibition are also to hand. It U proposed to ereot an agrioultural produot trophy, and contributions are solicited. Those who have fine samples of grain on hand may be interested m the matter, and particulars oan be obtained at this offioe. Consumers of gas will be glad to learn that at a meeting of the Direotors of the Ashburton Gas Company, held a day or two ago, it was deoided to wduoe the price of gas from 15a per thousand nett to 13s 4d. Also with a' view to encourapo the upe of gas stoves and apparatus of which the Company has a stook on hand for sale at reasonable prices, the rate for gis for these purposes and for gas engines will be reduced to 9s 2d per thousand. The alterations m price take effeot from the Ist of October, and are an example of liberal policy on the 1 part of tbe Gas Gompaay, being made m the faoe of the faot of an inorease of 5s per ton m the oost of coal. Considering this fact and also the oiroumetanoe that the freights on that commodity from Lyttelton is 9s per ton the price to be oharged for gae m Ashburton m future oan scarcely be complained of. The Rink de Paris waa opened last evening m the Oddfellows' Hall under the most encouraging circumstances, both as to attendance and general interest m the paattime. It seems that the oraze for rinking has not yet diad out m Ashburton. In faot the break m the rinking mania has only allowed the votaries of the fasoinating pastime to rsouperate their energies as it were. Mr Elston has made many and very desirable improvements m the arrangement of the rink, and these will be most aooeptable to his lady patrons. The Hall has been redecorated, and the gallery whioh was arranged for the band Jlaat evening was very suitable and picturesque. The band indeed made the rinking more enjoyable. The skating surface waß greatly improved, and a Carole painted, inside whioh, the fanoy skaters could disport themselves. There was a liberal attendanoe of speotatorß throughout the events. The Grand Maroh was the [opening performance and was well exeouted, while during a short interval for rest a Chinese balanoing race by two youthful Celestials oreated genuine amusement. Mr Elston makes a most efficient direotor, and the rink is sure to be well conducted under his regime, The usual meeting of the Ashburton Presbyterian Churoh Musioal and Literary Sooiety was hold last evening, when fully a hundred persons were present, The Rev Mr Bsattie oooupied the ohair. After formal business had been passed a short programme containing musioal and literary items was! gone through. Mr Christie read a selection from "Will Carleton's Ballads," and was, followed by Miss Orr who gave a pianoforte I solo, Miss Smith's seleotion •' The bonnie hills of Sootlsnd " was well reoeived. Miss Stewart read extracts from ••Adum Bede," giving Bartle Massey's opinion on womankind m general, and hie eventual annihilation at the hands qf Mrs Pflyser; 1 q?h,e exfractg ?ere |carefuljy read and well connected, the readings being thoroughly appreoiated. Mr Potter's recitation of " The Combat " m the " Lady of the Lake " was a strong if not altogether a perfeot interpretation of the scene. A violin duet by Mr and Miss Simmons was encored, and Mr Beattie'a contribution was very deserved honored. Mr Arthur was again to tbe front with an interesting and humorous Scotch reading, whioh exoited tbe risible faculties gf all present. Mr ' Biter's poKtiel flolq'witb, a.n aqaotapa'mmant by Master Bertie Sawtell— a little acoompanist of about eight years— brought tha programme to a olose. A disoussion then took place as to the form of next evening's meeting, and it was deoided to make it a evening for reading artioleß from the journal, and to postpone the closing of the session until tbe fortnight following, when a sooial would be held whiflh^ would fittingly termingto aessioa." ' V Rough on Corns."— Ask ;or Wells' 'Rough on Corns." Quick relief, complete, permanent cure. Corns, warts, bunions. At chemists and druggists. ' 3