LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2236, 25 September 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Notre Dame bell at Paria weighs 16 tons 15owt.

According to the now city direotory, Chicago haa a population of over 900,000.

A suggestion has been made for the estab. lishment of a bishoprio at Birmingham.

There are people m this world who fove to suffer for the pleasure they derive m moaning.

A report for one week's work at tha floor mills at Minneapolis mentions 88,200 barrels as the result.

The present Frenob Ropublio has lasted longer than any French mnnarohy established sinoo tho Revolution,

Paper tough as wood is said now lo bo made by mixing chloride of zino with the pulp m the prooesß of manufacture.

Tho interchange ol birthday presents often meanß the giving of something you oan'b afford m return for something you don't want:

An attempt is to be made by divers to recover the silver that is known to have been on board tho Tararua when she was wreaked at Waipapa Point m 1881.

Sunflower seeds are reported to be an irrestible bait for rata. Over a hundred were reoontly oaught m a single night at Auokland m traps baited with this seed.

Mr Good, tho Mayor of Bangiora, has been presented with a silver cradle, to commemorate the birth of a daughter during his present mayoralty.

Sir Edward Boehtn has executed for Queen Victoria a oolosaal bronze btatue of John JJrowa, whioh has been ereoted m the grounds at Balmoral e n a wooded bank near the garden cottage.

The following (from the "Sforth Otago Times ") reads somewhat qaeerly :— We are asked by Miss S. £2. Booth to thank all (hose woo assisted at the fire In Bdan street, by which thi bom b« pw Qt| m\M Iq vh

England owns 51,4 per oent, of the world's tonnage.

Mr W. H. Collier, draper, announces that he will have a apeaiaj show of spring drapery on Thursday and Friday evenings.

The Rev O. Brown ia announoed to leoture on Thursday night at the Orange Hall on the subjeo'y of "A noteworthy inconsistency,"

England and Ireland are overrun with Americans travelling m parties of from 40 to 400,

The King of the Netherlands has inourred a serious illneßS by absorbing ioed ohampagne and maßhed strawberries.

Hußband (on his wedding tour) : I wan^ rooms for myself and wife. Hotol Clerk Suite?— Husband : Of course she is — per feotly lovely. The sweetest girl m the world.

The antiquity of dolls has lately been provod at Ryme, where there waa found m a earoophagus, containing the ekdleton of a young girl, a wooden doll with joined arms and legs.

" During the last sixteen months," says the correspondent of the "London Times" at Cairo, " only four slaves were inported into Egypt and there have been only two oases of dealing between private persons. The slave trade may be reokoned as extinot m Egypt."

A quantity of imported boots and drapery detained by the Customs at Lyttelton have been removed to Christohurob. There is said to be a dispute between the importers and the Customs as to the duty. Mr Shannon the Customs expprt, waa laßt week investigating, and the seizure is probably due to his action.

An Anglo-Indian lady boasted that her Ohineße oook was muoh oleaner than her neighbour's Indian chef. They viaited the respective kitobens. The Indian's pota and pans and utensils of all kinds were filthy. The Chinaman's vessels shone like mirrors, and Ohang himself was sitting on hie box, washing himßelf m the soup tureen, — " Saturday Review."

A return of lambs sent Home reoently by Mesarß Brewer and Krull is interesting. In April last they oould not get 5s 6d for 800 lambs offered at Waverley, and deoided to send them Home frozen. It was a luoky deoision, as they have received 14s Gd eaoh net at Waitotara, making a difference to them of £340.— " Wanganui Yeoman."

Mr P. K. M'Oaughan, a few years ago M.H.R, for Biverton, has just Bold out of thu Broken Hill Proprietary Mine 2250 shares a £500 each m one line. The total purchase money, £112,550, makes this the biggeat single deal m shares recorded m Australia. The price is equal to £500 for eaoh original £25 sharo.

We learn from the " North Otago Times " that Mr Sawers, of tho Waiareka Dairy Faotory, has been appointed by the Govern, ment Instructor m Dairying for the ooloty, and leaves for Wellington m a abort time to take up the work of the office. The salary is £400 a year. There were a number of applicants for the offioe.

On the Bubjeot of butter export, Mr G. H. Soales, of Wellington, haa rcoeived the following from his London agents, Messrs Scales aad Go. :— "We have an umoually Aotive butter market for the time of year, and anticipate a keen competition and high values for all good quality New Zealand that may arrive during the autumn and winterj"

Mr W. Montgomery, ex-M.H.8., writing to a friend at Akeroa Bays that his health is quite restored and that he purposes to return to New Zealand by one of the direot steamere sailing m Ootober. Ho has been travelling m Italy, Franoe, and Norway, but avers that he has seen no plaoe equal to New Zealand and Banks' Peninsula m particular.

Mr W. Biokettß, optioia , who is profession* ally visiting Ashburton, has opened a shop m Burnett Street, where he may be oonsulted during bis stay here. Mr Biokotts has with him a large aod valuable stook of epeotaoles to Euit all Bights, and he has all the neoessary applianaes for testing the sight. Person b suffering from defective vision should not neglect the opportunity of paying him a visit,

The Ohrißtohuroh Amateur Opera Company have received notice from Mr Gillon, of Wellington, that Messrs Williamson, Garner, and Musgrovo refuse to allow amateurs to perform any of Gilbert and Sullivan's operas for some time. The amateurs are indignant, and will probably contest the question, as they have always paid copyright fees. They will probably test the matter with a view of seeing if such boycotting oan be carried on when tho fees are tendered.

A serious enoounter ooourred at Gasooigne district, Western Australia, between two polioemen and some bush natives. While bringing m a party of twenty prisoners the patrol were altaeked by a horde qt buah natives, and the prisoners joined them m the attaok. One policeman waa greatly maltreated, while his comrade, m dispersing the natives, was also injured. The men had to fire upon the prisoners m self-defonoe before the assault could be repolled.

M. Tarry, one of the engineers on the Sahara Railroad, now being constructed by France, reports a curious discovery of great nroboaologioal value. Coming upon a mould of Band he had it dug and found a dome whioh proved to be the top of a tower ; and digging deeper the tower proved to belong to a mosque embedded m the aaod. Continuing bia researches, he haa already unoovered nine houBOB and a water oourse. The water course is of great vaiue and will be used for irrigation. This diaoovery confirms the impression that the Sahara was onoe a populous land, and by no means a waste or desert. The restoration of the vast traot will be pushed on with renewed oourage.

A meeting of residents m the Waterton and Longbeaoh distriota to take into consideration the raising of a fund m aid of the widow and family of the late Mr John Pearson took plaoe m the Waterton Library on Saturday evening, Mr Prothoroe waa voted to the ohair. After diaouseing the matter it was shown that the case was one of real need, there being five little children and no resouroea. jit was deoided to issue subsorip. tion lists and to arrange for a oonoert to be hold m the Longbeaoh schoolroom op Wednesday, Ootober 9. Sinoe the meeting the settlors have met the efforts of the Committee very oordially, Mr John Qrigg having very liberally headed tho list with the aura of ten guineas, It is hoped to raise auffioient to pay o£f a email mortgage on the house now oooupied by the family, and to invest a small sum for their benefit. It is to be hoped tha| the assistance of (ho publio will enable thje to be done.

An American contemporary haa the follow, ing;— High up m the crest of the mountains on the Birmingham, Sheffield, and Tennessee River Railroad there is to be found one of Nature's wonders. It ia a natural bridge, as oomplete, as perfect, bb symmetrical, and, m gome essentials, more remakable than the great natural bridge m Virginia? The bridge lies between the stations of Lynn and Delmar. It is about fifty-eight miles from Sheffield and twenty-nine milea from Jasper. Its length from abutment to abutment is 175 feet. Its width ia 26 feet, and the thioknesß ranges from 4 feet to 6 feet. It is of pure sandstone, and haa no doubt stood the olimatio changes of egos. Leaning over tho bridge you soe m tho ravine whioh it epane, eorao §5 feet bolow, the Bhimmor and sparkle of many apriogs of pure limpid water whioh bubble from the sandstone soil, and, joining, flow down the ravine. A singular feature ia a subdivision or Bmaller bridge, constructed on the aame pattern, perhaps even more perfeot m ibß outline*, which lea,ds from one Bid,e of tho bridge proper.

The disoovery of the fossil remains r<( "nn immense reptilian at Raupo Bay, Akarn, is announced. The vertebrae are shaped like the sorew of a steamer, and their breadth is about 3tt more or less, increasing m size as 1 hoy are closer to the head. Tbe aide bone of the head is oblong, and is like that of which the iguanodon is supposed to have been possessed. Mr MoHale, the discover, says that similar fossils extend a distanoe of fifteen obains.

Aooording to a recent return of tho Wesleyan Methodist Connexion, that body possesses 775 circuits, a staff, including supernumaries, of 2216 ministers, 7260 ohapela and plaoos of worship, and 15,560 lay preachers. Tho Irish Conferenoe, wbioh ia affiliated to that of England, has 131 oirouits, 254 ministers and supernumeraries, and 26200 members, British Methodism consists of 35 districts and Irish Methodism of 10.

Tho " Mount Ida Chronicle" of the 19th inst. sajs :— Quite a flutter was oaused m the town of Nasoby yesterday when it beoamo ftcaw.i that the whole of the Taieri river, from its junotion with the Eweburn down to the Taieri Lake, had been pegged off as dredging claims on behalf of several powerful Dunedin syndicates, The speculators evidently think well of their ventureß, as they have had to pay nearly £250 as application fees. Another syndicate has pegged oS tho Taieri Lake with a view of working it on the dredging and sluioing prinoiple. Truly it would seem as if the long looked for era of prosperity was about to dawn on Naeeby. The locus m quo of the Bubjeot matter of the ventures is not situated 50 miles away from Naseby, and should be looked upon with favor by the residents of the town.

Quite a remarkable incident of an express tram being struok by lightning while moving at the rate of thirty miles an hour reoently ooourred on the New York and New Haven Railway, at Stamford (Ot.), during a heavy thunderstorm. It waa shortly before four p.m., as the train w&b whirling through the town, that a tremendous bolt of lightning Btruok the centre of the looomotive. The report Bays : — " Engineer John Sohofield and his fireman felt a severe shook, whioh dazed and half stunned them. Upon being taken from the cab both were seized with violent attaoks of retohing. The eleotrio bolt disabled the engine, and caused it to oome to a stop. The substitution of another engine caused a delay to the train of forty-five minutes. The engineer and fireman Boon reoovered from the unpleasant oonsequencea of the shook they had reoeived." Railroadmen, diaousßing the inoident reoently, said it waa tbe first time they ever heard of an engine m I rapid motion being Btruok by lightning.