LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1971, 16 October 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Glass is said to have been introduced into England by Benediot Biscop, Abbott of Weymouth, m a,d. 676.

" Throw up your situation ? " " Cer'ainly,

am about to marry." "Do you propose to live on love ? " '• No, on my love's father."

The Hibernian Australian Catholio Benefit Society has m tbe Melbourne division (independent of the Rockhampton district; 8719 members, with a oapttal of £50,855.

Basset Beddc, the oldest and tallest man m Vermillion County, 111., died lately at his homo near Danville. He w«a ninety-six yearß old, and measured seven feet two inohes m his stockings.

Recently a magnificent sturgeon, weighing 200 pounds, was oaptured m the Dee. It was over five long, and as thick as a man's body. It is supposed to be the largest speoimen ever oaught m the Dee.

A North Island contemporary suggest that the " horrible murders " m London are merely practical jokeß by medical students, who have disposed of " subjects " m suoh a way as to arouse all the exoitoment that has been manifested.

The Salvation Army, whioh has so recently established itself m Dublin, has secured two important reoruits there. One is the daughter of a well known Irish Judge, who has volunteered for London Army work, and the other, a gentleman, is one of the most popular Irish singers.

The publio (says the " Wellington Press ") are beginning to enquire with some curiosity whether the Government have yet reoeived " official intimation " of tbe death of tbe late Judge Johnston. It will be remembered that the Government refused to appoint a successor till they had reoeived " offioial information " of the death.

The following instanoeis given of Sheridan's readiness m repartee. When a candidate for Westminster he was being badgered by the crowd, and an ugly fellow raised on the shoulders of others, addressed him with : — 11 Mr Sheridan, unless you mend your ways, I shall withdraw my countenance from you." " I am glad to hear it," said Sheridan, " for an uglier oountenanoe I never saw."

Lady Loftuß, wife of the late Governor of New South Wales, recently opened a millinery establishment m London. The business proved a sucoess. Lord Loftus concluded be had better do something to assist the flourishing concern, and now the whilom Queen's Ambassador and Governor preeides over the book-keeping department of Lady Loftus' millinery warehouse ; a strange experienoe whioh has at least the merit of honeßty.

Mr Mathers, of the New Zealand Bible' Tract, and Book Society, is at present m Aehburton, and has secured premises m Saunders 1 Buildings, where he has for sale a beautiful and varied collection of Bibles, priyer and hymn books, and onuroh services. With these be has also for sale a variety of religious publications of whioh he inviteß the inspection of all who feel any interest m the theological literature of tbe day. Christmas and birthday cards of beautiful design, and illuminated texts m great variety, are also to be bad at the Society's temporary depot.

He waß a Jew, who travelled for a big Nsw York house, and sold small wares. Heated comfortably m the Pullman, he found beside him a rather sedate-looking gentleman, with whom he sought to converse, and after the manner of his kind, began by telling what goods he sold. " And you, my friend," he said, " vat ish your line ? " •• Brains," answered his sedate and would-be retiring companion. "Ah 1 brains, you say ? That must be— nice. You garry no samples, eh ? " The fruit of tbe nutmeg m appearanoe resembles a pear, and when ripe opens and displays the nut covered with a beautiful red coating of maoe. The nuts are then picked from the tree, put into baskets, and taken to the houses, where they are husked and plaoed on shelves. They are then partially roasted over a Blow fire until all the moisture iB extraoted. After this they are cooled and carried down to the village m nets ready to be bartered to the Burgis, Arabs, and other traders who frequent the Gulf m their small prows or junks at the proper season. A return to the House of Lords, Bbowing for eaoh year sinoe 1870, the number and amount ' of loans for agricultural improvements m Ireland applied for and granted to landlords and tenants, was published recently. The loans applied for by owners, numbered 7741, aad the amount was £4,172,511 ; and those granted numbered 6§Bl, the amount being £3,051,628. The loans applied for by tenants numbered 11,950, and the amount was £1,454,489 ; and those granted numbered 902.1, and amounted to £752,378. The City of New York iB one of the greatest strongholds of the Roman Oatholio faith. It has a Cathedral that holds 14,000 people. It has 75 parish churches, 40 chapels, 300 priesta, 300 Brothers, 2000 religious women, 40,000 pupils m its colleges, academies, and paroohial schools, and 15,000 poor, or sick, or orphaned cared for m its homes, hospitals, and asylums. Full 30,000,000 dollars are invested m Catholic cburohes and institutions, and there are 800,000 Oatholios within the oity limits. These figures, be it remembered, are for the city of New York, not for the diocese, whioh inoludes them all, and the statistics of flourishing oountry missions besides.

Under the heading, "The Manoheßter Angel " the " Manchester Courier " publishes the following letter from Mr E. N. Molesworth Hepworth, of 20 Cooper street, Manchester : — Through the medium of your oolumns may I address those of your readers who are interested m the heroes struggling m the 1 cause of civilisation and commerce m Central Africa. To my own oonviotion there has been given to me a method by whioh the art of flying oould be accomplished by man, and I have devised and patented a simple appli* anee whioh would enable two teronauts to visit H. M. Stanley, for instance, and) return to England within a fortnight. The construction of Buoh a machine for sch a purpose will ooet more than I can afford, and I therefore invite the co-operation of others, and shall be glad to give full explanation to any body of gentlemen (willing to take the matter m hand if satisfied with my theory) of the means proposed to attain so great an addition to our powers of looomotion.

The annual report of tbe Viotorian Bailway Commissioners for the yeaii ending June 30th, XBB3> was laid on the table of the legislative Assembly last month. The re. venue derived* from the working of the lines during the past year was £2,756,049 Os 2d, and the expenses amounted to £1,763,019 7s 3d, leaving a balance of £1,003,029 12s 118, The passengers carried numbered 55,911,394 against 49,219,857 last year. The tonnage of goods aad| ll»8tftook was 3,564,942, againgt 2,972,761 last year. The expenditure molmjes an item of £580,610. Us 2d for traffic oharges, and £496,982 Os' lid for 'locomotive oharges. The inorease m th.c revenue amounted to £302,971 Is 3d, cp'ntrib'iifted from all souroea of traffic, and the inorease m expenditure was £325,903 109. The whole of the additional revenue io absorbed by the Inoreaaed expenditure, but included m the expenditure is an itom Of £123,988, the cost of the Windsor railway accident, the whole of whioh has been oharged to the expenses of tbe current year. The earningu per average mile of railway open were £1415 against £J37Q last year, whilst the expenditure per average mile open was £900 against £?97 last year. The net revenue paid on the total lanital htu been 3 56 per oent. against 3/92 per cent last year.

New Zealand last year sent to England 766,417 oaroases of mutton as against all Australia's 88,811.

A Mahikipawa [Mahakipawa] prospector says that far more money oan be made there at sly-grog selling than at gold digging, and that the returns are certain,

There are now about 63 miners on the Surest goldfield, New Guinea. The natives Bpeak of poisoning the water m order to get rid of tbe Europeans.

Twenty-five years ago there was not a professing Christian m Shantunp, China. Now there are 300 places where Christians meet regularly on the Sabbath.

Things are moving ahead m PahUtua, says the ■' Wanganui Herald," and the village settlement there is the cause, for it established 70 families on the land m the vioinity.

There is said to be a rata tree growing at Maharahara, a few miles from Woodville, whioh is 63 feet m oiroumferenoe or over 22ft m diameter.

The gentler sex are steadily asserting themselves. A Women's Conference ia to be held m Paris next year, the delegates to whioh are expeoted to number 25,000.

It does not say muoh for the manly vigour of modern England when fifty per oent. of the men who offered themselves as army reoruits within the last twelve months were rejeoted by tbe medical officers.

The British Consul at Genoa reports that the number of Italians leaving that port last year was 101,280, as against 52,852 tbe previous year, of that number 60,000 going to the River Plata.

A meeting of the Ashburton Association of Art, Soienoe, Industry, and Literature, for the election of offioera, is appointed for 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, at the Literary Club room, Saunders' Buildings, on whioh oooasion the inaugural address will be delivered by J. E. Bnohanan, Esq., M.A.

A general meeting of the Ashburton Cadets, to whioh parents are also invited, is advertised to be held at the Drilhhed on Friday evening, at 7.30. For some time past the Cadet corpshas, from a variety of causes, been m a somewhat languishing condition, but we are glad to learn that an effort is now being made to put fresh life into the corps, and we understand that a considerable aooession of members is now probable. A squad of Cadets, under Sergeant-Major Hayes, visited the rifle range for target practice on Friday last, and the soores made were very creditable.

Hoixoway's Ointment and Pills. — As sp ing approaches a most favorable opportunity offers for rectifying irregularities, removing impurities, and erasing Memishes which have arisen from the presence of matters forbad by winter from being t anspired through the pores, 'lhis searching ointment, well rubbed upon the skin, penetrates to the deeply seated organs, upon which it exerts a mosc whoksome and beneficial influence. Well nigh all the indigestions g.ve way to this simple treatment, aided by purifying and aperient doses of Holloway's Pills, round each box of which plain "instructions" are folded . Bilious disorders, loss of appetite, fulness alter eating, lassitude, gout, and rhuematism may be effectively checked m heir painful progress, and the seeds of long uffering eradicated by these remedies.