LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1964, 8 October 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The " London Times " says that virulent oholera has broken out m Burmah.

When Philip Cassiday, of Omaha, Neb., was buried the other day, his pet goat ran along side the hearse, bleating piteously, and was with difficulty kept outside the cemetery while the burial went on.

Recently a Mrs Cornish, a married woman, whilst m a neighbour'! house m George Row, Beimondsey, put a common brass pin into her ear, prioking the drum. She died shortly after from meningitis.

From " Truth " we learn that a freehold farm m the Dorgie Hundred of -Essex has lately been sold, with house and buildings, at the rate of £2 10b an acre ; another farm m tho same county, also with house and buildings, realised £5 3a per aore.

It may be interesting to farmers (says an exohange) to know that kerosene is an excellent remedy for oattle poisoned by tutu or blown from clover. Half a bottle poured down the animals' throat will give immediate relief.

We are now to have paper " window glass 1" The pane is made of white paper, manufactured from cotton or linen, aqd modified by chemical aotion. Afterwards the paper is dipped m a preparation of camphor and alcohol, which makes it like parohment. From this point it can be moulded and out into remarkably tough sheets entirely transparent, and it can be dyed with almost the whole of the aniline colors.

The Timaru correspondent of "The Tablet" oaya that the effeot of the late bad weather is beooming very- apparent m the back country. In one McKenzie Country Station, it is stated there is not a hoof left. One run holder states that up to the present he has 3000 sheepskins taken from the carcases of sheep that perished m the snow. In aome places the snow is not yet away, although the patahes of " black ground " are daily getting larger.

The praotice of exposing the dead to the publio view still obtains m Naples. Reoently, m one of the small streets, a baker lost his only daughter — a very beautiful girl of 16. I saw her (says a writer m the "Referee") after she was dead, because the baker had cleared all the bread from his shop window and had put his pretty dead daughter there instead. And for a whole day she lay there, surrounded with beautiful camellias and lovely flowers until it was time for her to be placed on the beir and carried off to Oampo Santo.

Ten thousand live fleas were recently advertised for man Amerioan journal. Some one who thought tho request must be a joke interviewed .the advertiser, and found that be was a professional flea trainer, who had appealed m good faith. The trainer stated that only about one flea m a thousand can be taught anything, that the training takes three months, and that a performing flea only lives a year, with the greatest care. He received 30,000 fleas m answer to the advertisment, and paid £5 for them, as they were very good fleas. So at least Bays the 11 Albany Sunday PreßS."

Some time ago an engineer on an Amerioan railroad was suspended because he waa found to be quite deaf. The engineer olaimed at the. time that he could hear everything while running his engine, but a doctor found that m a still room he could not hear ordinary conversation a foot away. After being suspended p eight months, the engineer again insisted that he could hear perfectly while on a moving engiue. A doctor thought lie would teat the case, and made a number of experiments with him on engines. The result waa that the dootor found that the deaf man oould hear low remarks and whispers on a moving engine that even the dootor's keen ear failed to catch.

A sooial gathering m aid of the funds of the ABhburton Rifles will be held m the Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday evening. An unusually attractive programme has been prepared, including a number of items of very great excellence. Among these are: — Fancy drill of the rifles, to take plaoe at 9 p.m., to be followed at 9.30 by an exeroise on the Roman rings by the Roselle Bros assisted by the Henri Bros. At 10 o'clook the Roselle Bros will give an exhibition of their skill on the double trapeze. A double negro song and dance m character will be given at 10.30. During the evening chorus Bongs will be given by members of the Rifles, and as no effort haß been spared it is bound to be a great suooeßß, and we look for a large attendance on Wednesday evening.

The following appears m the " Chicago Herald " m reference to a popular Scottish song :— " Annie Laurie was born m 1827, and was about seventeen years old when the incident ooourred which gave me to the song bearing her name. James Laurie, Annie's father, was a farmer who lived on and owned a very large farm called ' Thragloatown,' m Dumfrieshire, Scotland. He hired a great deal of help, and among those he employed was a man by the name of Wallaoe to act as foreman, and while m hid employ Mr Wallaoe fell m love with Annie Laurie, whioh faot her father soon learned and forthwith discharged him. He went to hiß home, whioh was m Maxwelton, and was taken siok the very night he reaohed there, and the next morning when Annie Laurie heard of it she oame to his bedside, and waited on him until he'ttied; and on his deathbed he composed the song entitled • Annie Laurie.' "

The regular monthly meeting of the L.O.L. Star of Ashburton, No. 23, was held at the Orange Hall on Thursday evening. There was a larpe attendance of brethren. The business of the evening was the conferring of the O. and A.P. degrees on a number of brethren, and the installation of officers for the ensuing year, Bra W. Haiston, P.M., being the installing officer and performing the ceremony m a very impreaalve manner. The following officers were installed: — W.M., Bro W. Patterson; D.M.,8r0 J. Gookburn; Seoretary, Bro H. Paget ; Treasurer, Bro R. Eerr ; Chaplain, Bro W. Haiston; Tyler, Bro S. B. Nelson, P.G.M. A pleasing feature oi the evening was the presentation to P.M. Bro Hampton of a handsome Past Master's Jewel. The presentation was made by P.G.M, Bro Nelson, who eulogised Bro Hampton's oonduot of the Lodge during his year of office. P.M. Bro Hampton suitably responded, thanking the brethren for the present. The handsome new banner, prooured for the Lodge by Bro B. Molntyro, was officially presented by Bro Molntyre, aooompanying the gift with best wishes for the future welfare of the Lodge. Bro S. B. Nelson on behalf of the Lodge accorded their thanks to Bro Molntyre for his handsome present. After the conclusion of the formal business the brethren adjourned to the banquet room were a number of tosata were duly honored. The Lodge decided to hold a tea and Booial gathering on the evening of November sth.

At a meeting of the Commit! ta of tho Ashburton Raoing Club held on Saturday evening Mr O. Digby waa eleoted Clerk of the Soales vice Mr T. E. Upton resigned.

A Turkish journal m Constantinople publishes figures to show that 112 men and 100 women of Christian or Jewish faith have professed Mohammedanism during the past year.

The boating season was opened at Ohrißtohuroh on Saturday with the usual prooession of boats and scratch races on the Avon. The weather was fine, and several thousands of people turned out to witness the speotacle.

The Oamaru Hussars and the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry went into camp at the C'hristohurch Agricultural Show grounds for annual training on Saturday. The two corps muster upwards of 100 men. Captain Coleman i* acting as inatruotor.

Robert Graham, an •mployeo of the Kaiapoi Woollen Company, was found hanging dead behind the back door of his house at Kaiapoi by one of his children on Saturday. He had thrown a rope over the door, fastened one end to the handle, and made a noose at the other end.

There are twenty-two crematories m Europe, of whioh ten have been built within the past year. There have been six hundred inoinerations m Germany and eight hundred m Italy. There are seven crematories m the United States and six m prooesa of oon* struotion

•Why, Bridget,' said her mistress, who wishes to rally her, for the amusement of her oompany, upon the fantastio ornaments of a huge pie, ' why, Bridget, did you do this? 'Indade, it was myself that did it, replied Bridget. Isn't it pretty mum ? I did.it with your false teeth, mum.'

The food of the Sultan of Turkep is cooked by one man and his aids. It is prepared m silver vessels, and each vessel is sealed by a slip of paper and a stamp after the meal is cooked. These seals are broken m the presenoe of the Sultan by the High Chamberlain, who takes a spoonful of each dish before the Sultan tastes it.

flThe local agent for the MoCormiok Reaper and Binder, Mr John Orr, had one of the maohinea on view at the Aroade on Saturday. Several improvements Binoe list season have been made, and the large number of farmers who inspected the new season's reaper and binder expressed themselves highly m regard to its uti;ity.

Boston is the head-quarters of the boot and shoe industry for America, the centre from whioh the marketable produot of the great manufacturing towns thereabouts is distributd. The population of these towns is chiefly made up of workers m the huge shops whioh turn out footgear at the rate of nearly 100,000,000 pairs every year.

Mr John Ollivier, R.M., and Mr John Holmes have brought an aocion (for oriminal libel against Thomas B. Bain, the alleged author of a leaflet containing verses insinuating that Mr Ollivier, who heard and dismissed the charge "inciting to drink," brought against the licenaoe of the Oity Hotel, Christ* ohuroh, had been improperly iufluenood by Mr Holmes, who was counsel for the defendant.

Since the death of the Duke of Olarenoe, who, as all schoolboys know, was drowned m a butt of Malmsey wine, no such curious death has heen reported as that of a Parisian servant working m the house of a wine-seller m the Hue des Moines. Being tired of life, she went down into the cellar, lay down under a cask of abßinthe, and turning on the tap so that the liquor fell on her faoe, quietly died of asphyxia.

At the Melbourne annual Bale of stud sheep, a ram belonging to Mr James Gibson, of Tasmania, oalled " Golden Horn," sold for five hundred guineas. This ram is by " Treasurer " now belonging to the Hawkeabury stud Tasmania nook, having been imported by Mr Goulterin 1884. Treasurer's sire, " Golden Tom," also sold for five hundred guineas; his grandeire, "Sir Thomas the Second," for six hundred and four guineas ; and his great grand sire " Sir Thomaß the First," for six hundred and eight guineas.

The " Auckland Herald " says that the fish-preserving industry on the Eaipara waters appears to be progressing. ' Messrs Ewing and Co., of the Otamatea, inform ns that they cannot get mullet enough to fulfil their orders m the colonial and intercolonial markets, but hoDos are entertained tbs. 1 ; as the season advances the fish will imunmo more plentiful. The speculative shipment of mullet to the London market was fairly satisfactory, and the firm intend making a fresh shipment to London sarly m the new year.

A gentleman, 8 widower, recently inserted an advertisement m one of the Sydney dailies for a wife, widow preferred. In due course an answer was received and another returned. Matters went on m this way for some days. Finally an appointment was made, and the two met at an appointed place with a view to matrimony- The lady waa somewhat heavily veiled, while the advertiser was looking as spruce as possible m expootation of BUOcesß m his new venture. A moment or two was spent m conversation, when the two became thunderstruck at the discovery that they were father and daughter. The correspondence which passed between the two prior to their meeting was carried on m disguised handwriting.

An adjourned general meeting of members of the Ashburton Caledonian Society was held on Saturday evening at Mr J. G. Dunoan's office. There was a large attendance of members. In acoordanoe with the deoiaion arrived at on the of oooosion of the previouß meeting the whole of the offioera tendered their resignation, with a view to a reconstruction of management. The excess of liabilities over assets was shown to be only £7, and the meeting considered that no difficulty would be experienced m liquidating this small debt. The following officers were eleoted unanimously: — President, Mr Donald McLean; Vine-President, Mr Donald Oliver ; Secretary, Mr Joshua Tucker ; Treasurer, Mr Joseph Scaly ; Direotors, Messrs M. Stitt, R. Millar, G. Lamb, J. L. Brown, W. Oraighaad, W. Anderson, and W. St. G. Douglas.

According to the " Australasian " a farmers' association (the West Gamden Go-operative Gompany) began by shipping one ton of factory butter last Ootober, whioh sold at 112s per cwt m London. Next they tried two tons whioh realised the same price, then three tons, of whioh the best; faotory butter Bold at 112s, and some made m private dairies from 65a to. 92a; and on the fourth oooasion no leas than 85 tone, the faotory butter again selling at the prioe above named. Altogether 170 tons were sent to reach England m the cold season. The expense? were about 3d a pound, and although the Company made a small lobb, the shareholders who supplied the butter got a good price and were well satisfied, especially as the prioe m the Sydney market was kept up by preventing a glut of butter. Another Company obtained as^rnuoh as 120s for butter wbioh arrived m March. The report of London buyers, it is said, was that the Australian butter was as good as Danish.

At one of tho New South Wales Cirouit Courts a prisoner was tried for horse stealing. His counsel represented the prisoner as an innocent man, the hope of a respectable family. " Gentlemen," said he m oonolußion, '• oonT'ot my olient, and over him will weep a loving mother, a fond sister, and an admiring father." The jury were hardhearted enough to disregard his appeal, and found the man guilty. The Judge, who appeared to be delighted with the verdiot, wound up as follows:— "Prisoner, the sentence of this Oourt is that you be kept m penal servitude for five years. When you get to Darlinghurst you will meet your loving mother, who is serving a sentence for Bheep stealing. When you get to Berrima, you will meet your admiring father, who has been convicted for burglary ; and then if you should be transferred to Bathurst, you will have the advantage of seeing your fond sister, who has been found guilty of infanticide. I don't think, prisoner, any of them will Bhow any inclination to weep over you."