LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2323, 8 January 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Bradlaagh, M. P., has Bailed for Bombay. Lord A. Lof tug, ex-Governor of New South Wales, has written his memoria, Mrs Riohardaon, wife of the Minister of Lands, has been Buffering from pleurisy.The "London Graphio" has eommenoed the issue of a daily edition. The Mararoa brought only 158 passengers from Melbourne instead of 600 as advised. Notwithstanding the reoent contradiction by cable it now appears that the Nihilists very i pearly poisoned ihe Czar. Prinoe Albert Viotor reoeived an ovation On his arrival at Calcutta. A hundred thousand natives assembled tq welcome him. Ninety poems have been reoeived for Abe "Wellington Post" competition for jubilee

Stanley's expenditure in his expedition to the relief of Emm Bsy was £19 225, boing £775 'e^a than the sum subscribed, which waEi £20,000. News from San Francisco reports that by an avalanche at Sierra City, Rocky Mountains, seven persons were killed, and it is feared that many others are buried. The gate takings at the Duaedin Caledonian Gathering was £520, against £503 last year,, Encouraged by the large attendance, the Directors propose holding an extra meeting during the visit of tbe Australian Governors. A exohange says:—We hear on goods authority that' Sir Frederick Whitaker iei seriously ill, suffering from pains in the head, whioh at times disqualify bim irom attending to any business. It has been elioited at tbe inquest on tbe Foreßt Gate disaster that the dormitory oE the sohool was looked from the ouiside, and the unhappy victims were utfafita ia-obtain the key or force their way out. Cable news reports the oontinauoe of the influenza epidemic There ftre said to be 50,000 oases in Birmihgnam. In London there have been bnt few daaths from tho epidemio, but in New York the death rate is the highest ever koown. The London correspondent of tbe " Lyttel" ton Times " writes:—Sir Julius Vogel haa> it is said, decided to return to tbe Colony about the middle of next year, and to reenter publio life notwithstanding bis declarations to the opposite effect a few months ago. The "Auckland Herald" says the Native Department has blundered terribly over the Rotorua purchase, and that the colony will probably lose £50,000 by the affair. It appears the money was paid over before tbe necessary signatures were appended to the deed of sale, The Matron of tbe Aehburton Hospital desires to acknowledge, with thanks, receipt of a quantity of fruit from Mrs Porter, papers andl periodicals from Mr Harrison and Mr Allison, and a large collection of flowers from the Bey Mr Boothroyd, for the use of tbe inmates. A oaee of puerperal fever was brought to the Timaru Hospital, from Temuka, on Friday, the husband bringing a letter from a Temuka doctor that tbe case was of that nature. Admission was refused, but the authorities prooured private accommodation, and sent for a medical attendant from Dunedin. Private letters from London state that muoh uneasiness is felt in Court ciroles with respecit to the health of the Prince of Wales. Symptoms resembling those of Bright's disease are said to have manifested themselves, and the society and other journals have been requsted to refrain from alluding to tbe oii> cumstanae. There died at bis farm at Bylands, near Kilmore, Viotoria, on December 31st, a centenarian, Nioholas Sorragban, who was born in the year 1783, and waß consequently 106 years old. Up to the day before his deaib he was able to walk. Sorraghan wa3 born in tbe South of Ireland, and is said to have been in the colony nearly sixty yearsi, He ia supposed to have been the oldest man in Australia, For kissing a servant girl at Inglewood a "commercial traveller," named Arthur Williamson, was brought before tbe New Plymouth Polioe Court last Saturday, and the charge being proved, he was fined £15. in default three months' imprisonment. The fine was paid, and now Mr Wiliamßon rofLots sadly on his want of taot, and he thinks be might have got a kiss at a lower prioe—in fact be couid buy them retail at wholesale price.— " Herald." Some curious details are to hand regarding tbe royal wedding ceremony in Athene. It was de Hgueur for the bride to kiss all her relations as Boon as tbe servioe bad concluded. Three kisses each had to be bestowed upon the parents of her husband, tha King and Queen ol Greece; her mother, tho Empress Frederiok; the King and Queen of Denmark,, the Emperor and Empress of Germany, and her sisters and brothers. Then one kiss eaoh bad to be bestowed on tha other Princes and Prinoesses present. Altogether the fair Prinoess had to give about one hundred and fifty kisses. A floral service was held in the Aabburton Primitive Methodist Ohuroh last Sunday afternoon. The ohuroh had been prettily deoorated with flowers and evergreens, and several textß and mottoes hung on the walls. There was a good attendance, tbe building being comfortably filled; many of the ohildren and frienda bringing bouquets of flowers. Appropriate addießses were by Mr W. T. Lill on " Tho cultivation of flowers," by Mrs Lill on " Tho language of flowers," and by the Eev J,, Boothroyd on " Christ's lesson from tho lilies" (Matt, vi., 28-30). Several bymnu and antbems were sung by tbe ohildren and choir during the afternoon. On Monday morning the flowers were gathered together and taken to fhe Hospital for the benefit of the patients, A presentation of a pleasing nature took took plaoe on Tuesday evening at the Presbyterian Manse, the recipient being Mr Arthuir who is shortly leaving for Dunedin, to tako charge of tbe railway station there. Tho testimonial was given him by the qiembers o\ the Presbyterian Church Sabbath Sohool Teachers Association, it being a valuable book entitled " The Christian at Work," and was presented as a parting gift:, and in recognition of the valuable services and aid rendered to tho Sabbath Sohool by Mr Arthur during bin residenoe in Ashburton. The teaohers and. gue3ts present were sooially entertained af; tho Manse in the evening, the president olt the Association, fyev Mr Beattie, expressing in fedling terms their regret at Mr Arthur'ti departure. A meeting of the Band of Hope at whioh theve were about a hundred members present^ together with a number of friends, took place at St Stephen's Schoolroom on Tuesday evening under the presidency ol the Bey E,. A. Saott. Pianoforte selections were given by the Mißses Pas8 s Miss Steward and others, and a number of recitations were very creditably given by the ohildren. Several hymns and songs from the Church oi! England temperanoe hymn book were sung, and an amusing ditty "Tho Careful Man" by Mr Horace Gates produced much amusement among the little people. Major Steward delivered an address on V The importance oi: little* things " and altogether a very pleas >nli evening was spent, Tbe meeting was dismisa&d with the bsnediottom shortly after 9 p.m. The annual meeting of subscribers of the Booth Bakaia Library was held in the Library on Monday. The attendance was small. The Treasurer reported that the last year oommenoed with a debit balance of 15s, the yeair closing *with a credit-balance of £12 Oh 9d, and £10 rent due, besides a number ol! subscriptions outstanding. The subscriptions ihis year amounted to £1Q 2s Sd. The balance sheet as read was adopted on the motion of Mr Hardy seconded by Mr Oxley. Ml- Hardy moved a hearty vote of thanks to Major Steward for his donation of free papers to r.he library, seoonded by Mr Liddy and carried unanimously* On the motion of Mr Oxley seconded by Mr Liddy, the following werd appointed a committee for the ensuing year, viz:—Messrs Hardy, Liddy, Oxley, Gee. Cos, W* p. Dixon, Hughes and W. Dixon, This oonoluded the bueinesß. At a, subsequent meeting of the committee, on the motion of Mr Oxley, Mr Hardy, wag elected chairman and Treasurer. Tbe meeting then adjourned till seven o'clock on Monday next.

Extensive surveys are in progreßß with si view of making a new ohannel in the Thames, j capable o! floating the largest Bhips. According to the Inquirer, "Methodist Evangelist," gives it as his opinion that 70,000 Methodists have gone ovar to the Salvation Army. We understand that, after defraying all expenses, there has been remitted Home by the Treasurers, Messrs Qainn and Hanrahan, in aid of the Irish Tenants' Bolief Fund the handsome sum of £190 Is. A clergyman said to a drunken man who had fallen down on the ioy pavemant—" The wicked stand on slippery places." "Do they?" answered the drunkard. "It'B more than I can do," • Downe: "Ton seem mnoh interested in the paper. Have they discovered Oronin's murderers ? " Towney : " No; but ooming down in the elevated railway I saw a man playing a cornet in one window, and in the next room a fellow was stropping a razor. I would like to see the end of it." A little boy of seven years was killed on the tramway at the north end of Dunedin on Monday afternoon. He waa ia the act of crossing Eing Street to join his father, a * baker, who was standing with his oart on the r opposite side, when the oar knocked the boy down, ran over him, and killed him, The driver sang out to the boy when he Saw him, but too late. The whole ooourrenoe took place in view of the father, who was unable to do anything. He absolves everyone from blame in the matter. Ashburton will be represented at the forthcoming Exhibition Eifle meeting by Private S. Salek of the Ashburton Rifles, who, we understand, will be the only competitor from here. The meeting commences at Dunedin next Monday, and is taxpeoted to last a week. Lord Onslow wil open the meeting at 11 o'olook by firing the first shot. The number of entries from all parts of the colony is very large. A good many shootistß from Australia have come over to compete, amongst them being several noted " craoka." The MartiniHenry rifle will bd used for the first time. The meeting promises to be the most important one yet held in the oolony. The secret history of Boulanger's flight from Paris has just oozed out; One morning a friend of the General called on M. Oonstans, and causally asked the banal question, " What's new ? " The Minister replied, " Tomorrow I shall arrest Boulanger, Boohefort, and Dillon;" and then, as if suddenly recollecting himaßlf, he added, " but you must not mention this to anyone." As a matter of oouree the friend posted off to the threatened trio, and before nightfall they had crossed the Belgian frontier. M. Oonstans had no intention whatever of arresting tha " brave general," but his ruse had succeeded, and the fugitive had discredited himself in the eyes of his countrymen by having shown the white feather. The following aneodote is published,by the 11 Paris Gaulois " r—" • Here, old man, here's your lottery ticket! I pioked it out myself. It's a good 'un, and no mistake 1' 'All right, my lad! If I get a big prize, remember there's 10,000f for you.' Thesa were the words exchanged a few months ago between M. Fraussens, the master printer, the lucky winner of the 50,000f in the reoent drawing of the Exhibition Bonds, and a printer's apprentice in the Lahure offices. Now, it fell out, a week or bo back—about the end of Ootober—that the boy'a arm was caught in some machine gearing, and terribly mutilated. His case was a hard one, and he felt his position bitterly, for all labor was henceforth Bhut away from him. He had nothing to look forward to but want and misery! Oa November 5 there was a knock at the door of his humble lodging, and M, Fraussens walked in. " You see young 'un, " I've won ! and look here, as aoon as I touch the money you'll have your 10,000! 1' Imagine, if you can, the joy of the poor, helpless lad, lifted from the depths of despair to the seventh heaven I"