LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1941, 11 September 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

-, » ■■ — Saturday next being the Day of Atonement will be observed by membera of the Hebrew persuasion as a oloee holiday. A Government inspeotion parade of the Ashburton • Volunteers will be held at the drillshed this evening at 7 p.m. A good mußter is particularly requested. The grain stores of Messrs Friedlander Bros, will be closed on Saturday next, 15th inßt,, on acoount of holiday, and a notifioation to that efieot is advertised. An agitation is being commenced in Dunedin to get up an international exhibition there next year, to catch exhibitors and visitors leaving Melbourne. A sparkling young debater, in a flight of '. eloquence, exolaimed, "Mr President, the '. world is divided into two great olasses, the 1 learned and the unlearned, one of whom I ' am whioh." j Two men at Kaiapoi were fined 40a and ] coats for fighting in a publio place on Sunday ' last. They had previously arranged the j meeting, which took plaoe in a public highway, m the presence of about 100 people. Bishop Grimes says there is £3000 debt on < the Barbadoos street Ohuroh in Christohuroh, , and the Brother's Sohool is too small. A Committee has been appointed to raise the necessary funds to dear off all incumbranoes I and enlarge the schools, < A oonoert and ball will be given in the ' Winslow Sohoolroom on Friday evening next. ' Particular aro advertised. A number of ' ladies and^ gentlemen from Ashburton will ( take part in the concert and Bpeoial assist- ' ance will bo procured from Ohristohuroh, so ' that a good programme may be looked for. ' Two youngsters of 11 and 14 years set off ' from a North Island township the other day ' to seek their fortunes, but the polioe got hold ! of them and locked them up until their ' father arrived on the scene. When asked ' what they intended to do, they replied that ' they were going to Wftllt to Wellington, and ' then ehip in one oi EW Majesty's men-of. 1 war. The lads had like.y been reading some ! sensational story of adventuie And wanted to j be heroeß. The extremely novel sight of a oow acting I as foster mother to a ioal may be seen, says i the "Wairarapa Star" of the 31st ult, at t Kirbymoorside. Mr John Wrighten, farmer i of that plaoe, recently had the misfortune to I lose a valuable brood mare after foaling. The j equine youngster, however, is progressing ] favourably, deriving its nourishment from a < oow. Many persons havo been to see the 1 curious sight of tho foal and its attentive 1 mother. < A Wolverhampton correspondent stateß 1 that during a heavy thunderstorm a collier ' named Batos, who had lost his sight through ' an acoident, was being led home, when a flash ' of lightning was refleoted on the spootaoles I he was wearing to conceal his disfigurement. c After the peal of thunder whioh followed he * complained of pain in his head. The next 3 moment to hiß surprise, he found that he had r regained possession of his eyeßight. The b ocourronoo has oaused considerable excite- f

ment in the locality. Since the establishment of the Ashbnrton Cycling Club, about a month ago, that institution has made great progress, and promises to be both a strong and suooesßful organisation. Members of the Olub and unattached riders will rendezvous at the Post Office, at 2 p.m., on Wednesday afternoon, when (in the absence of hiß Worship the Mayor) Mr C. W. Purnell, Vioe-President, will formally deolare the season open, and tho cyolists, after proceeding through the prjnoipal street, will take a long run in the direction of Longboach. The following is the programme of the Spring Meeting of the ABnburton Raoing Club to be held on November 22nd and 23rd : — First day : — Handiaap Hurdle Raoe of 368OVB ; County Plate Handicap, of SOsova ; Ashburton Cup, of 55sovb ; Sprint Handioap, pf 2580v5; Novel Race, of 25sovs ; Spring Handioap, of 30aovs ; District Welter Handicap, of 2580v5. Seoond Pay ;— County Hurdle Raoe, of 30soys ; Raoing Olub Handioap, of 45sovb ; Dißtriot Time Trot, of 20aova : Open Welter Handioap, of 35sovs ; Flying Handioap, of 85sovs ; Disposal Stakes of 30sovs.

Messrs Wilaon, M. Wilson, T. Olephane, $. Thomas and Jas. Brown have been eleoted to fill the vaoanoies in the VVafcanui River B,oard. Mr D,avid Wilson who was a candidate, requested the ratepayers not to vote for hii}) as he wjll very ahortly bo leaving the distriot for Bome time jnd could not give his attention to the work of ihe Board. We understand Mr Wilson coniemplates a vißit to the Australian colonies, ind will spend eome time at the Melbourne inhibition and most probably will visit the 3orae country before returning to Wakanui.

The Ashburton Bowling Club have seleotda" J for their green the seotion offered by Mr Stee 1 , at the oorner of Park and Havelook streets. The neoessary work to put the ground in order will bo at onoe oommenced. The polioe have fallen across a fresh piece of evidence whioh addß to the surmise that Boberts has left New Zealand for Victoria. It is known that a near relative of Boberts booked a passage by one of the Union Steamship Company's steamers to Melbourne. He himself did not use the ticket, but it was oolleoted on board the boat, and the question is— from- whom? Some years ago a musioal entertainment of some note was given in the City of Baleigh, N.O. The " Biblical Beoorder," then brilliantly edited by Brother John H. Mills, sharply criticised the performance. The musioal director, we believe, undertook the perilous task of replying to Brother Mills in the 4I Keoorder," and, in the course of his reply, said that the music was better than the editor could have produced. The editorial rejoinder was crushing: "Our correspondent's statement ia true, but irrelevant. All the grooera in Baleigh could not together produce one egg; but there is not a grooer of them who is not a better judge of egga than any hen in Wake County." This has always struck us as one of the keenest, neatest, and most exhaustive repartees that we ever read. A new industry which will terrify lovers haa been started in San Francisco. Thieves go about to Bteal love letters. As amorous correspondents aro naturally fearful of publioity, this new venture in crime has oaused a painful sensation. In one oaeo of robbery a large reward has been oHered for the restitution of the stolen doouments. If this kind of felony should become oommon, lovers will be forced to write in shorthand or adopt a code. When " gooseberry " means " I love you," and •' tea and Bhrimpß " signifies •' Let us elope," the unscrupulous burglar may be baffled. The nude among the works of art in the Glasgow Exhibition is oausing some dieousßion. The friends of high arc defend it as all that it ehould be, and are Joud in aoousing of indelicate minds those who condemn it. The matter, however, has too euspioious a past not to oauee uneasiness to prudent people, and the «tate of the world from whioh it has been handed down in a lessor though growing development is a sufficient justification for any fears that may be entertained. Purity is best observed by those who plaoe due guards around it. Whatever the diaoiples and admirers of high art may say, the nude should bs kept under cover.— Exohange. What next? In Wellington a sooiety ia being formed of gentlemen interested in the collection of stamps 1 At the inaugura meeting the other evening it was decided that a sooiety of stamp collectors should be immediately formed, to be oalled "The Philatetio Sooiety of New Zealand." The new sooiety will have for its objeot the formation of a library of stamp literature, exohanging of duplicate -stamps amongst its members, and the encouragement of reßearoh for anoient stamys. What objeot there may be in oolleoting old stamps is not very apparent. The pastime is amusing and interesting to ohiidren, but with gentlemen well they have not much to do. It seems to be the fate of the heiress ultimately to marry, however long she may pause in prudent hesitation, and, as we may Buppose, with the suspicion that her moneybags form the attraction. All fashionable Sootlandis now agog beoause of the approaching marriage of Miss Nißbet-Hamilton, of Biel, the richest spinster in the United Kingdom, and who haß remained a spinster even until mature middle-age. The lady, who shows her good sense by choosing for her husband a man as old as herself, is said to have rejeoted whole legions of lovers, and among them a Serene Highness, now married to a Boyal Princess of Great Britain. All kinds of interesting things are told about the lady, ohiefly centering in the extent and abundance of her possessions. She is, however, a lady of great family, as well as of great wealth. Her Majesty the Queen of Boumaniafis (says a oorrespondont) having built at her country seat a boudoir wherein to devote herself to literary composition. It is constructed of reeds, behind wbioh is a high hedge of rosea running all round, with niches in which covered oagea containing nightingales are to be plaoed. There is a fountain, and a tiny casoade, with perfumed water. In the middle of this fairy ohamber (the floor of whioh is covered with a thick, soft carpet of green turf) is a mossy bank, and a block of polished marble, oovered with moss and ferns, whioh is hewn in the form of a desk, and here the Queen is to indite her poems, and when exhausted by her labors, she oan repose herself in a most luxurious hammook, slung with golden cords, whioh hangs on one side in close proximity to the nightingales and the falling waters. One of the most absurd reports regarding the cause of the late Emperor oi Germany's illness appeared in a North German paper A professor of the Berlin Sohool of Medioine, in lecturing to his pupils with reference to the Crown Prinoe's illnesß, said that the English language being the tongue used in his domestic or home circles had not only contributed tp it but had been the direot means of causing it. It was also'the reason why theEnglish people spoke so little and were so taoiturn. In demonstrating the same to his pupilß, he asked them to try and pronounoe I 1 th," whioh attacks the throat every time it iB pronounced, and whioh the Crown Prince had pronounced millions of times. The pupils left the olass in glorious glee, firmly convinced that they had at last discovered the reason Tho English language, whioh of late years has not been learnt muoh in Berlin, is not likely to betaken up again 'in a hurry sinoe the learned professor has launched forth on its pbyeioal defeots.

As an example of mixed metaphors, the following from a recent discourse on the affairp of a railway company is worthy of reoord :—" To-day those unhappy but bewildered shareholders meet again to hatoh out their addled egg. They have got to deoido how they will have their omelette cooked— • whether plain or savoury, or with cheese. The direotors have, with oharaoteristio oonsideration, prepared for them a three-pronged •fork to ait on. A ballot ia to be taken &a to whioh prong a majority of shareholders wish to be hung up on. It amuses us to think how easy it still is to draw shareholders after a red herring. If tho latter knew one-half of the risks whioh threaten them it is doubtless if they would let themselves be amused, as they are going to be to-day— blowing soapbubbles to jfloat their shares upon." Shareholders hung up on the prong of a fork, hatching out an addled egg for their omelette and floating their shares upon soap-bubbles, must have been a flight worth going into the city to see. A sopial gathering took plaoa in the Wesleyan Ohurch last evening to give the members an opportunity of bidding farewell to Mr and Mrs Dixon, who are removing to Bakaia, after eleven years' connection with the Wesleyan denomination in Ashburton The l*ev J. N. Buttle presided, and Bpoke of ihe faithfql and effloient manner in which ftfr Rixon had fllled so many'oCßoes io the ohuroh duripg his residence here, and trusted that BUGOOBS would attend his efforts in his now sphero of labor. Mr Buttle then, on behalf of the Sunday School Teachers, presented Mr Dixon with a nice oolleoton of booku, and asked that they might be accepted in the Bpirifc in which they were given, and as a visible token of esteemlin whioh he was held by his fellow workers in the Sunday Sohool. Mr pixon suitably responded, and thanked those present most heartily for their kind expressions of esteem and regard. A number of friends a}ao testified tp th,e valu.e of Mr pixon's servioeq, and spoke of tl)e gap that woijld be oaqsed by his, removal. Musio was given by th.9 ohuroh ohoir, and, after devotional exeroisos, the meeting terminated.