LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1953, 25 September 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There are nearly 300,000 Chinamen m the United States.

The oldest titled person m England is Viscount Everly, aged 90 years.

Queen Margaretoollege, Glasgow, is the only women's college m Sootland.

Tho first nolioo ol aurora boreaUß m England was on Maroh 9th, 1719.

Chinese nightingales are the fashionable dr-awinp-room bird on the oontinent now.

The first oolipse upon record was a lunar one and was observed at Babylon 751 B.C.

An orange tree m tho gardens of Versailles is over four hundred and fifty years old. It was planted by Eleanor, of Castile m 1416.

A Government inspection parade of the Ashburton Volunteers will be held at tho drill shod this evening. A good muster is requested.

A new diamond has been discovered m Wadjra Eover, m tho presidency of Madras. It weighs over Bixty-seven oaratß and is valued at £16,000.

An error occurs m the quotation for wheat given m Mr D. Thomas' report published m Saturday's issue. For " from 3s 2d to 8s 6d In trucks at Ashburton," etc, read •' from 89 2d to 83 3d."

A small fortune was reoently picked up at Marblehead Neck, Mass. It was a peculiar substance floating on tho 00a. It was found to be a genuine lump of ambergris, valued at £610.

Talk of easy divoroes m tho Unitod States after what happened m Frankfort-on-Main reoently, where a married woman was pro. nounoed tho party at fault, and legally divorced because— Bhe did not know how to cook.

In fifty years, if the present rate of increase ia maintained, France will rank sixth only among European nations. In 150 years she will have sunk almost beneath consideration m a world of Russians and Germans, AngloSaxons and Chinese.

The "Otago Daily Timeß" publishes a "cryptogram," after the fashion of Mr Ignatius Donnolley, to prove that " The Mystery of a Hansom Cab " was written by Sir Robert Stout. Tho skit is dooidedly olever, and very amusing reading.

•'Did you ever," said one preaoher to another, •' stand at the door after your sermon and listen to what people said about it as they passed out ? " The other replied : I did once " — a pause and a Bigh— " but I'll never do so again,''

Eleotrio rifles are the latest. Instead of the ordinary peroussion firing devioe, a dry ohloride of silver battery and a primary ooil will, so it was lately stated before the American Institute, fire the rifle 30,000 times without recharging.

An Englishman who* was spending his summer holidays m America laßt year happening to take up a little book on geography "for the use of schools," sow the following question and answer : " Where is London ? " *< It ia the ohief town of a small island oft the coast of France."

Eighty million baskets of peaob.es are expeoted from Delaware and Maryland this season. This orop will be tho largest ever gathered. The Jast year's orop, including New Jersey and the Hudson Valley, only amounted to 4,500,000 baskets. . They are paoked m neat orates of only twelve dozen peaohes, each peaoh being kept separate by piste board partitions.

A parcel containing a suit of olothes made from New Zealand tweed was forwarded by the last English' mail to tho Lord Mayor of Dublin for presentation to John Dillon M.P., now incarcerated m Dundalk gaol for political offenoGß. The present is from a number of Mr Dillon's admirers' in Blenhoim.

The torpedo for whioh the Home Government gave tho young Australian Brennan auoh a vast sum of money is already well nigh obsolete, being superseded by the Nordenfeldt, everywhere admitted to be the torpedo of the future. The Nordenfeldt oan travel for two miles, is both propelled and steered by eleotrioity, and can be fired with equal facility from the shore or from a vessel.

Certainly the Most Effeotive MEDICINE m theworia is SANDER and SONS' ! EUCALYPTI EXTRACT. Teßt its eminent powerful effeota m. Coughs, Colds, Influenza, etc, 1 the relief is instantaneous, Thousands give the moat gratifying testimony. Bead this certificate :—" 24th April, 1885.— Messrs Sander and Sons,— lt is with the greatest of pleasure that I testify to the oxoellenoe 0* yourEuoalypti Extract. Having had inflammstion on the bone of the leg, whioh oame on after a Bevere attack of low fever, I w aa attended by Dr J. Boyd, who had made etrenuous efforts to save my leg, bnt without Buocosa. Ho found it necessary to amputate my limb, Having heard m the meantime of the wonderful cures workod by tho Euoalypti Extract,' I pbtained a bottle, and the extract had not been applied more than an hpqr when I began to feel greatly relieved, Aftejr apply, ing the extraot every four hqqra |pr nfne or j ten days I was out of all danger. I would ' persuade all who may be affected with any auoh disease to give the Euoalypti Extraot a irial, and I am convinced that they will find tt the most wonderful of medicines.— Youra etc, E. J. Gubnow, Wattl Istreet Sandburet » f

The b.b. Rimutaka arrived at Plymouth on the 2lßt inßt. with her frozen meat m good condition.

Mr James Porter notifies that he has a quantity of maorooarpa and pinus insignis trees for present planting, at bis nursery, Allenton.

At the R.M. Court th's morning, before Mr A, Harrison, J.P,, Jeremiah Coohran, for drunkenneß3 and refusing to leave a publichouse when ordered to do so, wae fined 10s and cos's, or twenty-four hours.

Mr W. Zander has on view at his Bhop m East street a very fine assortment of fishing tackle. Lovers of the gentle craft will find that he is m a position to supply all their needs m the way of minnows, Hneß, rods, etc, and there is no need for them to send elsewhere for articles which are to bo had looally.

A singular scene has just been witnessed at Colchester, when the volunteers enoamped on the Abbey Fields were paraded to witness the «• drumming out " of a private of the 3rd Essex Volunteer battalion for negleot of duty and insubordination. The shoulder Btraps and buttons having been torn off the culprit's uniform, ho was marched under escort to the railway station and summarily dismissed.

A special cable message to the "Melbourne Telegraph " states that the retaliatory debate m Congress upon the subject of the Canadian fisheries was romarkable on nooount of the virulent attack made upon England. Ono senator said he cared no more for tho British Navy than for a woßhtub armed with crackers, and another characterised England as a clammy devil-fish among the nations.

At the Rink de Paris last evening the Maypole praotioe went off without a hitoh. Tonight the usual programme will be gone through with the addition of Sir Roper de Covcrley on skates. The manager is m negotiation with Professor Rollinston, the great bioyole rider,, to give an exhibition m the Rink. The box plan of reserved seats may be seen at Mr W. Zander's.

We are requested to oall the attention of breeders and others to Messrs Friedlander Bros annual horse parade sale of thoroughbred and Clydesdale entires and pedigree mares to be held at their horse bazaar on Saturday next, 29th inst,. full particulars regarding which will be found m our advertising columns. Mr Gawn's horses will arrive by express on Thursday evening and will be stabled at Totty's where they oan be seen by intending purchasers.

Captain Harvey, of the Salvation Army, who, yesterday, went to gaol m default of paying the fine m whioh he was muloted for obstructing a publio thoroughfare, was liberated at 10 o'clock this morning. He was met at the Polioe Station by his fellow members of the Army with the band. A horae was m readiness on which to mount the liberated Captain, and ho was triumphantly esaorted through the principal streets, the band playing and the members all showing their joy at his releaße. At one point of the maroh a halt was made and the prooession photographed.

Settlers and farmers will soon be on the look out for draught sires for the coming season. One of these was m town yesterday, viz., " Conqueror," the property of Mr T. Langley, of Newlands. He has wintered very well and although not rolling fat, yet is m fine condition and Ehows his grand legs, quarters, and aotion well. His hair is of a Bplendid quality and quantity and the stock from this horse should hold a very good position m the county, his blood both on the sire and dam's side being unexceptionable, Lord Salisbury his sire, holding a wonderful record c f prizes m Sootland and Otago. Says the New Zealand correspondent of the " Australasian " :— British capitalists are beginning to go into the frozen meat trade, and there is no saying what tho result of the Competition may be. For instance, I know of one English syndicate who are buying any quantity of mutton ol prime [quality at 3d per lb at the slaughter yard m tho colony, the seller retaining the akin and offal. This gives them about 12s 6d net for a 701 b sheep, without any risk or trouble whatevei. If suoh prioes as this become permanent, there will be an enormous export, and every inoh of pasture land will become valuable. The first of the regular monthly moetings of the Meihven Band of Hope was held m the Schoolroom, Methven, on Thursday,2oih inst. The President, Mr John Alison, occupied the Addresses were delivered by Messrs ■AHucm-and Grainger, and Mm Scott, of Sydenham. The ohildren, under the direction of Mrs Alison, sang a few songs very effectively, whilst the recitations given by Miss Annie Anderson, Miss Ethel' Alison, and Master Charles Shann were very good. Songß were also contributed by Mrs Rands, and Messrs T. Grainger, H. Rands, and J. Alison. After a social cup of tea had been handed round and about fifty pledges were signed, "God Bave the Queen " brought a very pleasant evening to a close.

The following ia taken from a North Island exobange : — A few days sinoe a well-known grazier, who was taking hia breakfast at alooal hotel with the landlord, happened to enlarge Upon the rise m the prioe of sheep, and the arm tone of tho wool market. " Why," he ex* claimed, " wo will make & fortune ; but what is the use of talking to you about wool," he said to the landlord, "you oan only feel an interest m the prioe of whisky." " Oh, I don't know," rejoined the boniface, " I feel a little interested m wool. I'll bet you a new suit of olothes that I shear more thousands than you do hundreds ; because I run a whisly fhop you must not think I have no other interest," The bonifaoe is a share • holder m a station on the Murrumbidgee, whore there are 9Q.00Q shoep sheared annually. The New Zealand settler ehoara 600,

A well-known paper published m Boston, whioh recently offered Mr Gladstone £10Q for an artiole not exceeding the length of a leader An a morning newspaper, has just (writes a correspondent of tho " Liverpool Mercury ") offered Mr Browning £250 for a short poem. Mr Browning has declined m a cbaraoteristio letter. "If I oould write m that way for anyone," he says, I would consider this request from Boston. But I simply can't. An English magazine offered me a large price, whioh I refused, and then a still larger, which I again refused. Then

they sent me a blank cheque and asked me to

fill it out to ray own satisfaction, but I returned that also. I cannot bring myself to write for periodicals. If I publish a book, and people choose to buy it, that proves they want to read my work. But to have them turn over the pages of a magazine and find mo, that is to be an uninvited guest. My wjfe liked it. She liked to be with the others, but I have steadfastly refused that kind of thing from first to last." The extraordinary development m eleotrio lighting due to the discoveries of Mr Sohaus? ohieff may possibly revolutionise the illumination of our dwelling houses, oflloes, etc. The Melbourne public have had the discovery plaood before them through the agency'' of Miss Alice Cornwall, who has secured the patent rights for the colonies, and has given praotioal demonstration to the Melbourne publio of the wonderful results to be attained by the aJopiion of tne light. A Dunedin contemporary says that a resident of that oity has been m communication with Misi Cornwall, with tho view of Boouring the patent right for New Zealand, and haa reoeived a

cable plaoing the same under offer to him at a substantial prioe. The Sohausohieff lamp is obarged by the very simple process of pouring prepared sulphate of mercury into the battery. In this zino plungers and carbon plates are immersed, the lid is aorewed on, and a bright light burns steadily until the chemical energy of the combination is exhausted. One battery, not rnuoh larger than a foot warmer is suffioiont to illuminate a railway carriage. There have been several suooessful trials of the lamp m Melbourne, and m some of the Viotorian mines. It is claimed that the light is oheaper than gas or kerosene. Professor Blaok, of Dunedin, i« said to bo convinced of tho great value of the battery and its applioation to eleotrio light" ing ; m f aot, he has m a report on tho light gone so far as to say that " the highly favorable testimony of Sir W. Thomson and W. H. Preeoe, Eeq—the highest living authoritie« —puts it quite above oritioism. There cannot be a doubt as to the adoption of tho Schausohiefl at the best light of the age."

The best Remedy for Indigestion.— Norton's Camomile Pills are confidently ecommended as a simple remedy for indigegtion, which is the caiise of nparly ftU thp diseases to which we are subjeql. Norton's Pills, with justice called the "natural strcngthener of the human stomach," act as a powerful tonic and gentle aperient, are mild m their operation, and safe under any circum, stances. Sold m bottles afc is ijd, 2s od 4s, by all medicine vendors throughout.the, world