LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2313, 24 December 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The area of the United 3,570,271 -c^aanr miles. ! It has been estimated that there are nearly 36,000 blind beggars m Franoe, The reoeiptß on the Tasmanian railways are £14,000 more tbis year than last year. Victoria last year imported 10,000,000 egga from South Australia, at a oost of £35,000. Reserve No. 2842, containing 8 aores m the township of South Rangitata is gazetted as reserved for railway purposes. A home for divorced wives has been established by the Government m Salt Lake at a cost of 70,000d015. A Napier newspaper runner boy, named T. Jatnieson, is the winner of oue of the Hawfres Say Education Board Scholarships. The "New Zealand Times" records a oasa of tuberoulosis m a ohild caused by the use of milk from a oow Buffering from that terrible malady. Tnough the ioorease m working Gzpenßeß of the railways m New South Wales, owing to new lines, etc, was £100,000 on the year, the inojceaae m returns was £243,353. It is said that King Tawhiao, although he has given op Mormonism. still claims a kingly right to have a few wiveß. He has three, one of whom is a pretty damsel 14 years of age. The heaviest rails yet rolled will be the rails for the Obigneoto Ship Railway. They are to be flange rails §|m high, with a flange of the same breadth; and their weight will be 1101 b per yard. The annual treat of the Greenatreet Sohoo l will take place m Mr Church's paddook at noon on Friday, 27th inst. There will be a dance m the Sohoolroom the same evening at eight o'clock. In one neighborhood m Dakota reoently there were only two luoifer matohea to go around among twelve familioß, and peraonß were detailed to build fires and keep them alive night and day until a supply oould be had. An inßpeotion parade of the Ashburton Rifles ifl called for Thursday at 10 a.m. After the inßpeotion the Rifleß will take part m the prooession* on the occasion of the celebration of the opening of the Domain Sports Ground. By advertisement m another column the members of the Fire Brigade are requested to assemble at the Brigade Station at 10 a.m. on Thursday to take part m the prooeesion m connection with the opening of the Domain Sports Gronnds; The "Wairarapa Star" giveß an extraordinary instance of a woman dying from an inseot bjte pn the leg whioh brought on erysipelas, The doctor thinks the insect had been feeding on decayed matter, and so poisoned the blood. : Stanzer : " I'd like to know how to get this poem published. I've sent it to a dozen editors; but it's of no use." Carper; "You might put it m an envelope, leave it on your table, and then commit suicide. AH the papers would have it next day." Mr R. Murray announces m his new advertisement, the arrival of ohoioe new goods for Christmas and New Year presents. His window is very tastefully arranged just ncny syith various lines of jewellery, watohes, gold, and silver goods m great variety, Aooording to the " Evening J?oBt " the meanest M.H.R. has turned up at the Dunedin Exhibition, where he unsuccessfully endeavoured to get a ride on the Switchback Railway without payment, pleading the possession of a free pass over all New Zealand Jines. The sooond of this season's local wool sales was proceeding as we went to press this afternoon. There is a large entry and a good attendance, but the prioes realised are not up to the standard of those of the opening sale. A detailed report will appear m next issue. By the end of the present month the total export of New Zealand flax for the six ' months commencing on Ist July last, will have reaohed 45,573 baleß, representing a yalue, m round numbers, of about £227,365. Of this quantity 35,613 bales represent the shipments to England, and 9,960 those to j

To-morrow being Ohrißtmaß Day, there w ! .'.\ beaervioeain St. Stephen's Ohuroh at 8.30 a.m., IX a.m., and 7.30 p.m. The Ohuroh' will be decorated as usual, and the oolleotiona will be lor the Sunday Sohools. A fire broke out at a quarter past lour this morning m a large baoon-ouring establish- j ment m Manchester Street, Ghrjßl ohuroh, oooupied by Mr T. H. GreeD, wbioh waa a taaes of flames m a few miaute?. The buflding and contents were totally destroyed. Insuranpes % £Booo. Night Editor: "This report of a tramp run over by the midnight express ia very good. How did you get it bo soon ? " Now York Eeporter : "I found him sleeping near the track, so I chloroformed him and tied him aoross the rails, and unless the engineer saw him m time we will have a clean beat on the morning papers," The "Auckland Herald" has, without doubt, issued the best Christmas number of any journal m the oolony. It oontains 56 pages, among which is a large amount of reading (tales, eto.) specially adapted to the season, and with it is issued a chromolithograph of the landing of the Maoris m New Zealand, circa A.x>. 1000. Proclamations m the Gazette notify the taking for drainage purposes of the following landß, viz: -22 aoreß, 6 poles, part of U.S. No 17229, and 5 acres, 30 poles, part of R.S. No 17230, Spaxton Survey diatriot ; also, for a road, 3 acres 5 poles of seotion 21105, and 1 aore 22 poles, part of seotion 25144, block i X, Alford Survey district. A witness, who had given bis evidence m 3uoh a way as satisfied everybody m Court that he was committing perjury, being oautioned by the judge, said, at last : "My lard, you may believe ma or Dot; but I bare been wedded to truth from my infancy." " Yes," said Maule ; " bub the question is, how long have you been a widower 2" We notice the Aahburton Oyoling Olub members are m hard training for their ooming sports on New Year's Day. A handicap foot raoe has been added to the programme, and as Mr G. B. Shaw will compete m this race Ashburtonitea will have, an opportunity of seeing some firet-olass running. All that is needed is a fine day to make the sports a thorough Buooeas. Mr Hugo Friedlander, representing the Mutual Life Association of Australia ia the Ashburton district, writea that the Association's fourth quinquennial report discloses a most satisfactory result. The surplus for j distribution will provide reversionary bonuses amounting to £180,000. It ib not too muoh to say that no more satisfactory statement has ever been issued by any Australian Life Office m its twentieth year, and it is doubtful if the results have been surpassed anywhere. The anniversary servioes m oonneotion with the Willowby Wesleyan Sunday Sohool took place on Sunday last, the sermons being preached (morning and eveoing) by the Rev. S. J. Garliok, of the Springs ton Cirouit. The addreßS m the morning was particularly applicable to the children, the illustrations used being suited to their capacities. There were good congregations especially m the evening, and all were muoh pleased and edified by the servioes. Speoially selected hymns ware sung, Mr Joseph Wheeler, choirmaster, conducting the singing* The offertoriea were m aid of the Sunday Sohool Fund. The annual soiree takes place m the aohoolroom, Willowby on Boxing Day (Thursday) next. Visitors from Ashburton and other distiiots are expeoted. The preparations of the shopkeepers for Christmas seem hardly bo notioeable aa m former years, and not muoh has been dono ia the decorative line. A few shops, ohiefiy the confectioners' and butohers' have been deoked out with evergreens, toitois, and the pretty native mistletoe whioh is now covered with a profusion of soarlet blossoms. Messrs Rule and Co and Mr Tasker, butohers, have gone to considerable trouble m deoorating their Bhops, and they have a grand display of meat. Among the coDfeotionera Mr O. Grabb, Mr W. O, Davis, and Mr J. Ranger have tempting arrays of all sorts of good things, tastefully display. The windows of the grooers shops of Mr Henry Zander and Messrs John Orr and Co have been deoked out with a profusion of the fruits and other articles associated with the season, the windows of the former eentleman especially having a very aitistio effaot. As was to be expected the dealers m fancy goods are to the front and Messrs Andrews and Co, Mr H. M. Jones, Mr W. Zander, and Mr W. O. Davis are ahowing m endless variety pretty knicknaoks, Christmas and New Year cards of all kinds, prise and presentation books, eto. The drapers have all to a more or less extent arranged their windows suitably for the season.