LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2904, 21 February 1893, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In the Appeal Court on Saturday in the case Stokea v Davenport, a disputed patent; foe the maucfacture of lead-headed nail*?, the appeal was upheld, with costs on the highest scale, thus confirming Stokes' pitent. An application was made to appeal to the Privy Council. - The telegraphic reports of the " robbery under arms " at New Plymouth were in error in crediting the police with the capture of the bottle of whisky stolen from the White Hart Hotel by the highwaymen. The bottle was found next morning by a boy, and was only half full. While Mr Seddon was at "New Plymouth last week he made arrangements by which in future two policemen will be on duty in the town at night, and the fears of the inhabitants were thus allayed. A private polo match was played on Saturday between teams chosen by the Captain, Mr G. A McLean Buckley and Mr E. Saunderß. The latter team, which was very much strengthened by Mr T. Johnstone, from Hakatere, had all the best of the game, gaining six goals to their opponents' two. Next Wednesday a match married v single will be played. All players ara requested to be on the ground at 2 30 sharp, so that visitors can get away by the afternoon train to Mount Somers. Mr and Mrs Edsou, who have been respected residents of Mount Somers for nearly twenty years, being about to leave the district for Waimate, and as they had always exercised a kindly interest in everything that pertained to the welfare of the district in general and to the school in particular, the children decided to present them with a testimonial as a mark of the h tfh esteem in which they were held and as a slight recognition of the many kindnesses showci. Accordingly, on Monday, February J3, Mr Edson (Mrs Edson being too nnwell to be present) met, ■ by invitation, the cfaildrtja at"the school, when Mr Watson, in the absence of Mr Harvey, Chairman of the School Committee, who had been detained by the gale and who arrived late, on their behalf presented Mr Ed&on with an umbrella and Mrs Edson with a hand bag, bothrich'y mounted Mr Edson, in a few well chosen sentences, thanked the children for himself and Mrp Edson, As the children were dismissed Mr Edspn shpok haada with them as they marched out. Qa Wednesday morning several friends met at the railway station to bid them good-bye and to wish them sxiccesß in the future It is sincerely hoped that the change of air and scene will be beneficial to the health of Mrs Edson, who has been quite invalided for some considerable time past.

The latest, gazetted l;st of patents includ s the following;—F. W. Pago, labourer, Chertsey, an improved wire strainer. A public meeting of those interested in the Wakanui Creek question ia called for next Friday eveuing, Ifebruary 24, at Wakanni Main School. Lieutenant-Colonel Fox's report on the volunteers and the defences of the colony has been received by the Hon. Mr Suddon. It will not be published until it is discussei by the Cabinet. ThY Mariposa, with the English mails of January 21, left San Francisco oti February 3, the due date. The Monowai, with the colonial mails arrived afc San Francisco on February 17, one day late. In the case of Annie Byrne, found guilty | of the murder of net child, at Inveroargill, while in a state of insanity, his Honor made »n order directing that acsased should be confined in the gaol afc Invercargill until the pleasure of the Colonial Secretary is known. 1 The following is the team selected to represent Ashburton in the cricket match against Rakaia in the Domain, on Wednesday, commencing at: eleven a.m.: Denshire," Dixon, Lane, Fooks, Simpson, G. Andrews, L F. Andrewes, Chapman, Mitchell, Price, and Makeig. Emergencies, T. Sawle and Cuthbertaon. At about nine o'clock on Saturday nwrning the large stone homestead at Waihao Downs, the property of Mr John Douglas, caught fire by a spark from the chimney falling on the shingle roof. There were very few people about, all the men being away harvesting, and the whole place was soon a mass of flames. Very little of the furniture was saved, and the building was completely gutted. On Saturday evening the meeting called in the Chertsey Library for the purpose of forming a committee to carry out the animal sports was only moderately attended, about a dozen putting in au appearance. Mr T. Keily was voted to the chair, and on the motion of Mr George Striugfellow seconded by Mr Hood, it was agreed to call another meeting for Saturday, February 25, when it is hoped there will be a better attendance. From Mr Henry Zander we have received a sample of the finest plums we ever saw. The sort is " Sealy's Perfection " from a seven-year-old standard tree planted by Mr Scaly mMr Zander's garden. The plum is a rich red color; one weighs 4£ ounces, all being over 3oz; and they are of delicious .flavour. Though this is a bad year for plums Mr Zander's tree is heavily loaded, and not a single plum on it has a flaw. The sample is at our office for anyone to Bee. A meeting of the railway employees was held at Christchurch on Saturday evening to discuss the advisability of again petition' ing the Government to accept the draft bill for railway employees' insurance, embodied in the C mmissioners' aunnal report It was decided by a large majority to send out petition forms for signature, requesting the Government to introduce che Bill and endeavour to pass it next sesssion. The meeting was very decided that some form of insurance for railway men should be made law. A circular is to be sent to all employees on the Canterbury section for the purpose of impressing on them the fact that the amended scheme published by the Commissioners provided for every contingency, and consequently deserved support. Had I been in Court on Friday, the 10th inst (says "The Bohemian' in Saturday's "Press") and heard the case which was reported in last Saturday's issue, I should not have waited a week before congratulating Mr v Vright on having boxei Mr Chynoweth's ears. It is true it cost him 10*, but I iioubt not he would have been very happy to pay even a fiver if necessary for the privilege. It is high time these rude, unmannerly- people, who seem to injitake a railway carriage for a furniture van, were suppressed. And the offence must have been seriously aggravated by the bumptious air which everyone knows Mr Chynoweth has made so peculiarly his own. We all perfectly understand the witness who desoribed this gentlem*n as entering the carriage "as though it belonged to him." For this perky little oagmau walks along High: street as if he had,bought the Triangle at least, and had a lien over the rest of the town, with a purchasing clause. Bagmen »? a rue are mo t courteous people to travel with; they do too mqch of it not to have learnt the etiquette of "the road.'* . But this gentleman with his bag has long been an annoyance to travellers by rail in Canterbury. It would have rejoiced my .heart exceedingly to have seeu the grey:headed old masfciff pawing this cocky little But the mode of procedure adopted ■by Mr Wright, though evidently effective, jwas far too dignified for the occasion. He Shouldn't have boxed Mr Chynoweth's ears ; lie ought to have pulled his nose. ' Yesterday afternoon there was a lively half hour in Burnett street. Jack Clifford, the fellow who some time ago made himself notorious by trying to eat Constable M'cGUl'm finger, and Jack Kemp, another old hand, fell out, I£emp had failed by moral suasion to convert Clifford to his way of thinking, and unable to get his ideas into the fiuger eater's head that way, sought to knock them in with his fists. The eater of raw policeman resented this, and there was a set-to For about twenty minutes they pretty well took charge of the street, and there was a great how-dye do. The iow happened just at "the Hour when the constables change beats. Within a few minutes of its commencement Constables Watt and Hunt had been in the •• Mail" office, and the Sergeant had passed down East street also a few minutes before, and all had gone to tea at the depot. The fight was witnessed by many people, including three justices of the j.eace, one of whom drove with all speed to the depot, and brought up the police in force. The anthropophagist was caught red handed, but Kemp was able to gain a j>w minutes' longer liberty by bolting. Thanks to Constable Hunt, however, it was only a few minute*, as he was caught by that officer, and handcuffed after a hard struggle. Before he was bundled into the cab that took him away, he bad shown himself to be a pasj? master of foul language, and the people who heard his foalsome outcry would not be sorry to learn that the cat and his cowardly hide had made a very intimate acquaintance. His arrest is the one hundred and fourth since New Year's Day! The two men were brought up this morning, when Clifford was sent to gaol for a month, and Kemp for six weeks—the thanks of the town being due to Major Steward, the magistrate who relieved the town of two very bad bargains.