The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1889. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2306, 19 December 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1889. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Italy has ordered 50,000,000 smokeles cartridges. In future every troop of British oavalry will be equipped with a machine gun, There is a projeot on foot to oonneot I London, Vienna, and Rome by telephone. The Rev E. A. Soott will oonduot Divine Seviae m the Seafield Sohoolroom on Sunday next at 3 p.m. Several tons of whalebone have just been sold m Dundee at prioes ranging from £1550 to £1600 per ton. Over one hundred first-olasß iron-dad war steamers are now said to be m prooess of construction m various parts of the world. The British Government are ordering guns irom Birmingham whioh are intended to throw torpedoes obarged with dynamite. Tbe United State Administration has paid off about 60,000,000d1s of the national debt during the paßt six months. A monster eel measuring over sft m length and weighing some lOlba or over, was oaught with hobk and line m the river near the Old Men's Home this morning, The smokeless powder that Austria is using makes suoh a fearful smell that it will have to be abandoned. At a reoent practice several men fainted from it. Mr R. Goad, tho well-known temperanoe leturer, conducted the first of a Beriea of temperanoe meetings m the Oddfellows' Hall last evening. The mission will be oontinued till December 23rd. Sinoe the importation of pork has been prohibited m Germany the consumption of horseflesh has increased m Berlin, of herrings m Sileßia, and of potatoes m Westphalia. A priest while celebrating mass near New York fell baok after drinking from the obaliae, and for some days lay at death's door. Someone had plaoed arsenio m the communion wine. The Emperor of Germany is said to be having a new crown made, whioh is to weigh 31b and to contain over 100 diamonds. The Empress is to have a new orown Bet with 1500 diamonds. A Wellington ooorrespondent " has authority for denying the rumor that the Government intend making a number of calls to the Legislative Oounoil. No appointments will be made during the present reoess," In an examination paper of a pupil m one of the Napier distriot sohools, to the question " What is remarkable m oonneotion with Cork and Kilkenny ? " the following answer was returned:— "Cork for wine ; Kilkenny for its bats I " The twenty^first annual oat show was opened at the Crystal Palaoe on Tuesday, October 22, there being 500 feline specimens on view, inoluding three tortoise-shell " Toms " The first prize fell to a oat vaiued at £200. The celebrated stud of shire horses bred by the late Hon. E. K. W. Coke, at Longford, have been dispersed by publio auotion. Fifty two animala offered realised a total of 7313 guineas, and purohat.es were made for tha Prinoe of Wales. We remind the publio that a leoture m aid of the Prize Fund of the Ashburton Borough Sohool will be delivered to-morrow evening m St. Stephen's Sohoolroom by the Rev J. N. Buttle. The subjeot is "The Maori Raoe." Qn the same oooasion tbe prizes will be distributed by Mr W. O. Walker, M.H.R. Both the Wellington evening papers having published a statement that Mr Mitohelson is about to resign hi 3 portfolio, and that Mr Bryoe was to . join the Government with a view to becoming Premier Bhould Sir H. Atkinson's health continue bad. Mr Mitohelson has contradicted the statement, iv whioh he sayß there is not a word of truth. The bans of marriage have been published m Paris of the Prince ol Monaoo- -.nd-tho-Suohess deßichelieu. Tbe bride, who iB a widow, will be the first Jewess married to a reigning prince. The bridegroom's marriage with Lady Mary Hamilton was annulled by the Pope some yearß sinoe, but their eon is the Orown Prinoe. It iB not often that the person seleoted to give away tbe prizes at a sohool pays bo handsomely for the honour as Mr Sam Liater did the other d.y at the Bradford Grammar Sobool, when he handed the headmaster a oheque for £5000, of whioh £1000 was to be devoted towards the purohase of a orioket field and £4000 for scholarships. A Frenoh sergeant named Mogues has been degraded and sentenced to imprisonment for life by a oourt-martial for offering to sell some Label cartridges to the German Government. Mogues met a friend who put him m tbe way of oommunioating with tbe Berlin Military Cabinet. It is said that an offer of 500f was made, but the treachery waa diecovered by the French Poßt Office, and revealed to the Minister of War. Sir Thomas Esmonde and Mr J. Dillon met with a grand reoeption on their arrival at Queenstown. Tbe oitizens turned out generally, and the band played suitable selections. At 8 p.m. on Saturday they addressed a crowded audieDoe. Their speeches were loudly cheered, and the meeting showed great .sympathy with |the objeots of the mission. The amount collected will reach 70 guineas. Fares for Christmas holiday railway exour* •sions (21et Deo. to 2nd Jan.) are advertised m another column of thiß issue. To Dunedin, m oonneotion with the Exhibition, as previously advertised ; from ABhburton to Inveroargill, first-olae^ 575, eeoond-olass, 40s 6d ; to Kingston, first-olass, 655, second-olass, 44a 6d. ABpeoial train from Dunedin (leaving that oity on the night of the 24th) will oall at Ashburton for paesengers to Christohuroh at 6.10 a.m. on the morning of Christmas Day. The annual treat m oonneotion wjith the Hampstead Sohool was held m the Old Sports Ground, on the South-East Belt, on Saturday last, having been postponed from the previous day on acoount of tbe inolement weather wbioh then prevailed. On the lattef date tj_ie weather proved more favorable, and every., thing passed ofl most successfully. The Committeemen and teaohers worked tbeir hardest to promote the enjoyment of the ohildren, and the sports and games usual to Buoh ocoasiona were oarried on with vigor. Abundance of refreshments was provided, and when tho day concluded the juveniles had had their full measure of enjoyment. During the past three daya we have been .oxperienoing a suooeeaion of raging, howling, tearing •'. bisters, " blowing with hurrioane foroe from all points of the compass between N. W. and S.W. Delioate vegetation, suoh ao Frenoh beans, haswithered beforo it as before the blast of a furnaoe, and flower gardens , are turned into a scene ot wreck and ruin. Orchards, acd indeed fruit trees everywhere, have suffered severely, and m o.?. me localities the apple crop has been entirely blown away. Tafeon all round the lobb of fruit of this description oannot have been less than 50 p*.r oent. The galea raged as far sojith as limaru (probably much further) and from that distriot also comes a like tale of havoo. Tbe only consolation is tbat the grain is not yet ripe or the consequences would have been disastrous. The annual pionio of the Tinwald Presbyterian Church Sabbath Sohool took plaoe on Monday m a very suitable spot m one of Mr Sawle's paddocks. Tbo scholar., who had DBsembted at the Churoh arrived Boon after eleven o'olook. The weather was all thai could be desired, and all seemed bent on enjoying themselves. The Bupply of provisions waß abundant, and ample justice having bsen dono, recreation sports were resumed. During the afternoon tbe Rev D. McLennan, who is at present conducting Bpecial services at Flemington,|was introduoed , to the gathering and suitably addressed old and yoang. The Rev A. Blake then gave book? and presents to all the soholars. Beforo tho company dispersed the thanks of all present were oonveyed to Mr Sawle for kind'v placing hia ground at their disposal, and also to Mr Stalker, Mr W, J. Jfcl )o wel), and others who had exerted themselves to moke the gathering a suooesa. The scholars [ and teaohers from Winslow Sabbath Sohool were present as last year, and the ohildren [ vyith ibeir parents and friends having thSr AU Kbly enjoyed themselves returned 1 homewards b#» •$!!_!?. 9