LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2321, 6 January 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Federation Conference meets in Melbourne on February 4th.

A young man named John Randell, who waa married on Christmas Day, was drowned in the Hutt river yesterday} while bathing

The number of churches burned last year in the United States was 192, all but twelve of whioh took fire from their own furnaaes.

A hundred and twenty thousand fishermen are always afloat round the ooast of Great Britain, gathering in the harvest of the sea.

A jubilee thanksgiving servioe, in which the combined choirs of the Anglioan churches of Wellington will take part, is to be held in St Paul's pro Cathedral on the 21st inst.

The following are the hospital returns for Deoember •— In Hospital Ist December, 5 ; admitted during month, 8; discharged, 10. lemainiDg in hospital Ist January, 1890, 3. '

In the present House of Commons more than one-fourth—l7B out of 670—are otUo neoied, personally or by relations, with army and navy. The largest collection of coins in the world is in Vienna! They are placed in the Public Cabinet of Antiquities, and number over 125,000.

If Americans do not look out theirs will be a treeless country; Eaoh year it takes 500,000 aorea of timber to supply Bleepers for the railroads.

A placard posted up throughout the town of Dundee once announced the opening of the Theatre Royal, " under the management of Miss Goddard newly deoorated and painted."

Although Britain raises more than half the minerals used in the world, yet the money got for them only amounts to half of what is spent on strong drink.

Inquiring spectator (at the raaes): " Whioh horeie was it that won ?" Speculative spectator (gloomily): "I don't know the name of the horse that won ; bat I know the names of most of the horses that didn't win."

In Greek statues, as is well-known, the second toe of the foot is represented as longer than the great toe, while in the modern European foot the great toe is the longer. Albteoht states that in this respect the Greek foot is more quadrumanous than the modern

The unveiling of a statue to Tom Moore took place at Brisbane recently in the presenoe of about 8000 persons. Mrs M^opherson, wife of Mr J.P. Maopherson, M.L.0., performed the ceremony, after whioh Sir Bryan O'Loghlan delivered an oration on the life and works of the famous Irish poet.

The Matron of the hospital desires to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of flowers from Mrs Lee, vegetables from Mr Bean, periodicals and almanacks from Me3damG3 Braddell and Twentyman, and oonfeotionery from Mr 0, M. Brooke for the use of the patients.

Little Stuart had spent his first day at sohool. "What did you learn?" was his auntie's question. " Didn't learn anything." ••Well, what did you do?" "Didn't do anything. There was a woman wanting to know how to spell " oat," and after Bhe had bothered some time I told her."

One of tha most singular documents found amongst Lord John Russell's papers, purports to be a series of questions issued by Napoleon 111 on tha possibility of a French expedition—secretly oolleoted in different ports—invading, conquering, and holding Australia.

Mr Boylan was burning potato vines and refuse when a bunch of burdock-burs on the tail of his dog oaught fire; the dog rushed to the strawstaok which was quickly set ablaze, and the fire spread rapidly to the wheat and oat staoks, the three large barns which oontained over fifty tons of hay, the bouses and outbuildings. Everything was destroyed. Loss* GOOOdols; insurance, about 2500d015.— 11 Miohigan Farmer."

Speaking of twine, said the old man Ghumpkinß, there was two boya raised in our neighborhood that looked just alike till their dying days. Lena didn't have any teeth, and his brother Dave did, but they looked precisely alike all the same. The only way you could tell them apart was to put your finger in Lena's month, and if he bit yer 'twas Dave.

Twenty four South Oalifornian foxes were on board the steamer Zealandia, consigned to the Government. There was some doubt as to their desination, and Sir James Hector was oommunioated with. He replied stating that tjje foxes bad been sent contrary to instructions, aa tbja class of aDimal is " vermin." The GjFernmept ordered that the foxes Bhould not be permitted to land, and they were accordingly taken to Sydriey by the e'etmer at Utt command, of the flolleotor pi GuitQWfy

Nsjor-G-eneral Sir Evelyn Wood, V.0., says —" Throughout the Crimea those were tbe best and most healthy soldiers and sailors who did not touch intoxicating drink. I also served three years in India, inoluding the last fifteen mon hi of the mutiny ; and I can positively Btate those who drank nothing were the ba-t men. I went to the Gold Coast, and duriDfi; the 150 days \re were in one place I put in 146 days' aervtae, only to find myself beaten by the attendance of a man who was a thorough teetotaller.

Tho local paper reports that an acoident happened in the Wai mace bush, just above Mr Beckett's, on Thursday. A young man named Andrews, baker to Mr W. Miller, with another went to shoot small birds in the bush, carrying a pea rifle for the purpose, and about mid-day were going over some rough ground when Andrews tripped and fell, his rifle going off at the instant, sending a bullet into one side of his nose, where it lodged somewhere near the eye. He was able to walk to Mr Beokett's, whenae he was driven to the Hospital,

The "Winnipeg Star" says that Robert Little, oi! Cypress River, has constructed a machine to gew the mouths of saoka when filled. The bag is sewed with wire. The bag being pluced in position, by a single draw of a levtir the wire is taken off spindles, out into lengths about an inch long, each length made into a staple, whioh is driven into the bag and clinched. The mouth of the bag is doubled up; thus the staple is drivea through four ply of cloth. Tho staples are about an inoh apart. The maotiine is all iron, aiocl ououpies a epaoe of about two feet each way.

The annual report of tho Danedin BenevoInstitution shows that the total number relieved during the year was 3145, a decrease of 900 ai3 compared with the preceding year. The number reoeived into the institution waß 166, and the number discharged 176, leaving at the eiad of the year 179, There were 33 deaths during the year. The weekly average of re'ielt was 190, whioh gives an average charge of 5i s£d per head per week* The amount disbursed for outdoor relief was £6742. The oost has steadily increased eiaoe 1885, but as this year is lower by £375 than bat year, the trustees express the hope that the tide has turned.

A joker named Johnson, renowned in his own locality, onoe bet a simpleton in Albany, U.S., that he would throw him over the Hudson. The man was foolish enough to take the bet, the stake, ten dollars, was placed in the holder's hands. A large orowd went down to see the performance, and the colonel, with great composure, seized the man by the nape of tbe neok and the slack of the breeches, and i Honed him about aix feet into the river off the wharf. The green 'an aame ou% puffing and blowing, saying, " You've lost your bet." " I'll be hanged if I have," said Johnson; " I only want to get the heft of yon; and I'll throw all day but I'll get you oveir at last." Th 9 poor fellow, however, bad already had one throw too much, and declined to have " a single drop more."

An exchange has taken the trouble to obtain legal advice as to the law relating to trespasußß oommitted by fowls, and gives tbe result, for general information, as follows:— Ii i 3 i legal to lay poii-on wi bio the limits of a municipal town. Outside a borough poiaon cannot be laid wnbina chain of a public road. If ih' seotion on which fowls trespass is fenced wi.h a lawful fence— i.e., in accordance with the Fencing Act—ihe person whose property is invaded may destroy the fowls, that is, if the place whereupon they are trespaßsing is a cv tivated flower, or vegetable gardeo ; but he tuust let the birds lie where tbey fs.il, and give notice to the owner within 24 nourp. If the owner fails to remove them within 48 hours, the occupier of the premises must bury tbe birds. If a fence is broken, a householder may bring hia neighbour before the R M., who will take &t ps to oompel him to keep it in repair.

A curious complication in connection with a marriage has occurred in Brisbane. An illiterate couple repaired to the registrar to have the knot tied, but that official discovered that the fair one was under age. He bad, there* fore, to refer them to tbe magistrate, befoie whom certain oaths as to the non-exietenoe of a guardian had to be taken. This over and some necessary papers signed, the magistrate assured the couple tht nil was now right. They ought to have taken the papers back to the registrar, who would have performed the ceremony, but they oonoluded from the magistrate's aseuranoa that they were duly made one, and they " acted accordin'." The next incident iv the story arose after the birth of the nrs.born, whioh tbe proud father duly registered. Then the registrar discovered that the couple were not on his books, and took aotion against the parent for registering aa legitimate the birth of a child whioh was illegitimate. It took some trouble to explain to the couple that a osremony of marriage had net been performed in their case, but when this was brought home to them the result was singular. The " wife " refused to be legally married and eleoted to separate. She was tired of her bargain, and hailed wilb gladness lha chance of relief from it.