The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1888. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1969, 13 October 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1888. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Messrs Friedlander Bros, have presented a prize m connection with the approaching A. and P; Show of £2 2s, for the b3Bt draught, mare on the ground.

" And are you really so badly broke, my friend ? " he said, as he tendered the tramp a penny. " Broke 1 " was the bitter response ; " I am as badly broke as the ton commandments."

The province of Quebec is perhaps the most Catholio portion of the globe. Out of a total population of 1,549,000, it is shown that there are 1,485,000 people professing the Catholio faith.

A bird's nest was found recently m Africa m a skull, probably tbat of some unfortunate Kaffir. One portion of the skull had already fallen away, exposing the hollow cavity of the head, when the Cape wagtails m searoh of a sheltered aud cosy place, seleoted it for their nest.

The French Government are publishing' for tbe use of tbeir naval commanders, a minutely detailed description of the fortifications and armanents of all the British possessions, together with the Imperial and local forces available for their defence. Charts and plans are attaohed.

The three most remarkable oases of long life are those of Thomas Parr, Henry Jenkins, a Yorkshireman, and the Countess of Desmond. Parr lived to be 152 years old ; Jenkins is said to have reached 169 years, though the case is not bo well authenticated. The Countess of Desmond reaohed 142 years.

The colossal work undertaken 30 years ago by the London Record Office of publishing documents oonnected with the history of England prior to the reign of Henry VIII, is now approaching completion. The Beries already extends beyond 200 volumes, of whicb -0.^x45^000 copies have been sold, Tho other dayT4^)oo~T.Kn(Jren Belonging to the Municipal schools of Madrid, were entertained on the large racecourse by the authorities of the capital. The Queen brought the little King, and, it is stated, Alfonso XIII seemed delighted at the sight of so many young faces. He clapped his hands with glee.

The electrio light has not only .found its way on to the dinner-table, but even into the dishes m America. A jelly m the midst of whioh the electrio light was set created. a great sensation at a recent fashionable dinner party m New Orleans. The effeot was enhanced by the fact that it was as a " surprise " for the oompany. % When Brazil declares her slavßfree, as she will at her next legislative session, then the Continent of Amerioa will be free of the disgrace of human bondage. Only Cuba and some of the West India islands will then recognise slavery. Strange that these, the first points m the Western Hemisphere to be visited by the white man, should be the first to introdnco slavery and the last to continue it.

Consumers of gas will be interested m the following partioulars as to the price of this illuminant m other towns m the colony : Dunedin, Auckland, Wellington, Christchuro and Invercargill 7s 6d per 1000 f t; Nelson 9s 2d; New Plymouch lis fid; Napier 15s; Oamaru 17s 6d. The Ashburton rates are from and after the Ist of the current month 133 4d nett for lighting purposes, 9s 2d nett for engines, stoves, eto.

Professor O. E. Hugo, the well-known physiognomist, will deliver one of his popular lectures at the Orange Hall next Tuesday evening. Mr Hugo is very highly spoken of by the colonial Press, The "Auokland Herald" BayB ;— " Mr Hugo is not only a oultured speaker, and a quick reader qi oharacter, but he is also an artist, and the walls of the leoture room are completely covered with exoellent paintings m water oolour and sepia, done by himself, the inspeO' tion of whioh is fully worth the sum oharged for admission to his lectures."

An ingenious devioe for preventing the draughts whioh sweep into a room through the crevice beneath a closed door, has been invented by Mr W. Vaile, and was yeßterday placed on view at the Industrial Exhibition. A steel point ip plaoed m the ledgg at eaoh side of the door, about a foot from the ground, and when the door is oloaed. these points operate upon a batten, which iy pressed downward and oloEes the crevice. This inyentjon, which is Bimple and effective, oan be plaoed upon any ordinary door. — Exchange.

The exaggeration natural to Irish speech is illustrated by the description of the wonderful adventures of a horse-dealer at a hurdle race. As he was leaning over the low barrier at the Bide of the big jump, stretching his neck to see the horßes, it gave way, and before he oould recover himself the whole field were upon him. " I declare to ye most solemnly," continued the narrator, " that seventeen horses stuck their feet m the small of his back; but he was a jaap of iron constitution, and tho very next day fye >_js selling horse*, at a fair m anothor part of the country.'

In order to make room for our very full * report of Mr Walker's address we are com. j polled to hold over till next issue a number of j local reports and a quantity of other matter, |

At the Rink this evening a race will tako place between the "Mail and "Guardian" employees. As some of the oontestants are rather raw amateurs, there should bo a good deal of fun.

During his stay m Ohristohurch Mr G. F. Scott purohased a pony entire, Aladdin, which arrived m Ashburton yesterday, and whioh has excited the admiration of all who have seen him. He is a rioh roan, a grand stepper and stands 18 hands high. He waa bred by Mr C. Dampier-Crossley. He took first prizes at the last Christohuroh and Rangiora shows, and also a private prize at Christohuroh, these being the only three occasions on whioh he was shown. Aladdin's sire is Prinoe Charming.

Our Melbourne correspondent, writing of larrikinism m that city, says that m a conversation with a Police Magistrate the other evening, the latter said:— "The spread of juvenile orime m Melbourne is increasing fearfully. Here is a list of oases tried on Friday last. See — here's a lad of eleven had up at the Richmond Police Court for robbing a drunken man ; two girls, at Williamstown, for being engaged m a stand-up fight ; a youth of sixteen, at North Melbourne, for habitual drunkenness ; two lada of eleven, at Hawthorn, charged with housebreaking ; and all thean m a single day.

Some amusement was oaused at Aultbea by i the description of a fruitless effort made a j little time ago to pump a pond, named, Loch I na Beiste, dry? The motive was the discovery by an old man m the water of a monster endowed with two horns, and rather suspeoted m the neighbourhood to be the old gentleman m propria persona, although water is not genarally considered to be hia congenial element. Everyone about the plaoe was afraid to pass the looh. But all efforts to land the enemy proved m vain, and the only effect produoed by a lot of lime thrown m, to make things unpleasant for him and remind him of home, was, to kill a number of trout. Killing the deil, however oan only suoceed on hallow-'een. A Russian peasant named Levotohko has just discovered an immense treasure trove m the village of Starogorodki, m the governorship of Tohernigow. The peasant lived upon land forming part of the estate of Prinoe OBtersky, whose anoestors were plundered and expelled from their possessions by the Tartars; and there is little or no doubt that the treasure and other artioles found date from this period, Levotohko was at work for 10 years m making this discovery, whioh includes, besides many preoious artioles and manuscripts, 12 large boxes filled with very ancient aoins of fine gold. The total value of the find is given at 17,000,000 roubles, two-thirds of whioh go the state and one-third to Levotohko, whose share will amount to approximately £600,000 sterling. The annual services m oonneotion with the Wesleyan Homo Missions will be held during the ensuing week throughout this distriot Full partioulars of the services and meetings are given m our advertising oolumns. The Revß. S. Bunn, Temuka, and Rev W. G. Thomas, Waimate, are appointed by the Conference as a deputation to advocate the interests of the Fund. From the annual report we learn that the income of the Fund during last year amounted to £2382, and the expenditure to £2754. The principal items of expenditure are m oonneotion with the Maori aud Scandinavian Missions, assistance to dependent oircuits, also to Home Mission stations and the training of students for the Ministry. Evidently our Wesleyan friends throughout the oolony show great interest m the work of Home Missions, and we hope local efforts next week will be highly successful,