Local and General.

Dunstan Times, Issue 992, 22 April 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

The residents of Alexandra, with a view of beautifying their town and crcaling a good recreation ground, arc about fencing in the lescrve of 12 acres, and afterwards laying it down in lawn grasses and planting suitable trees. The Borough Council is to bear one-half the cost, and the residents the other half. They intend getting up a grand entertainment in aid of the project. We arc pleased to see the Alexandrians make this move, and hope tho example set by them of providing a place for the recreation of both old and young followed by other towns. No one thing so conduces to the general well-being and health—-nav, even prosperity—of a town as a ready means of recreation, and when we see the enormous efforts made of late years by the people of older countries than Now Zealand to provide places of recreation for the masses, we have often wondered that our up-country towns who (without onccxcop tion) have been remarkably lax have not ere this moved. Alexandra, however, is moving, and we can but express the hope that the example sot by them will he universally followed.

Patrick Morissey, carrier, resident of Blacks, was admitted into the Hospital during the-week with a dislocated shoulder. It appears that he was on the top of his load righting it, when, through the horses moving, he fell to tho ground*! and suffered the injury referred to. wan quickly conveyed into tho Dun: H , Hotel, where Dr. Leahy reduced the dislocation.

The precursor of winter—snow—has made its appearance on the hills adjacent to Clyde. In a short time, probably, winter with its attendant satellites of snow, frost, ice and cold winds will be upon us.

Sex eral sportsmen xvent shooting on Friday and Monday last, but tio particularly large bags xvere obtained. As we have b itore remarked, the ducks are extraordinarily scarce and shy this year. Last Friday and Monday were observed as public holidays m Clyde and district. Divine service was held in the English Church ou Good Friday', both in the morning and evening, when the Rev Mr Clinton officiated, and delivered eloquent and impressix'e sermons. Large congregations rewarded Mr Clinton’s efforts to make the Easter services a success. At the Warden’s Court, Alexandra, last ednesdayg a special claim one mile lon ° in the Molyncux was granted to McKeraey° Hansen and M‘Queen, as a dredging claim for which xve understand they' are having constructed in Dunedin an iron dredge, to he worked by steam. Tho length of the dredge will bo 72fb ; beam, 18ft"; and will be on the ladder and bucket principle, having a ladder on each side.—Next Court-day at Clyde, another application for a mile adjoining the above claim xVill be beard, the applicants being Messrs Scott, Robertson, and M’Farlane. This company has already commenced the building of their dredge, which is to be of wood, on the ladder and bucket principle, one ladder onlv, and to he driven by steam.—Wc hear that a dredge is being constructed to xvork a Claim a short distance from Alexandra. With these appliances added to McKensiio and Co.’s current wheel dredge recovering the hidden, golden treasures of tho Molynenx, a great impetus should he given to the Clyde ahd Alexandra districts.

If appears that tahhittiiig is Hot a highly healthy occupation, as wo hear of many applying for relief at the local hospitals. Whether this is title to phosphorus poisonlug: or Hotj we cannot sny.

The farmers at Tinkers havo now got all their grain carted, and has keen got in in splendid condition. On Good Friday and Easter Monday tho Post and Telegraph Offices at Clyde were closed. The electoral rolls of 1881 82 for tho several ridings within Vincent County may be inspected at various places within the county on and after tho 20th inst. The next meeting of tho Licensing Commissioners will bo held on June 1. Last Tuesday tho children attending the Clyde Episcopalian Sunday-school were given a pic-nic in Mr Williams’ paddock. The day was very flue, and about 80 children, and a number of parents and friends, turned up, and had a happy day of it The Rev Mr Clinton Was present, and entered into the children’s games with spirit. MiBell supplied the cakes, sweets, etc., and their good quality was evidenced by tho manner in which the youngsters made them disappear. Owners of canine pets would do Well to remember that the Registrar of Dogs is in this district. He mildly intimates that the owners of dogs unregistered after Apiil 22 will he prosecuted, which implies a fine of not leas than 40s and costs, besides the fee, will be inflicted. The contractors for the Alexandra bridge are making good headway with the masonwork of the eastern approach. Some idea of the magnitude of this work can. be formed when we state that two specially-con-structed trolleys, with rollers and levers, for conveying the blocks of stone (some of which weigh two and three tons each), and a diay for packing-rubble, ate constantly engaged between the quarry and tho works Ten men are employed building. Altogether, including quarrymen,stone cutters, builders, and drivers, s: me thirty man are employed. This bridge will be one of the handsomest in the colony, and will be a great boon to the travelling public A visit of inspection to the works ia progress will repay the trouble. In some parts wheat poisoned with strychnine is being used for the destruction of rabbits, and from what we hear it is fir more efficacious than the phosphorise.l wheat. The Earl of Boaeonsfield, the greatest statesman and one of the most eminent writers of the age, has joined the “great majority.” His death was not sudden or unexpected. CoiDßßOUii's Monthly Circular for April says : —We learn by cablegram that the February-March sales in London closed on the 25th ult., and that 226,000 bales had been sold and about 30,000 bales bought in and held over for next sales, in addition to which 28,000 bales were forwarded direct from ship to manufacturers. Our own advices are to the effect that the decline all round, as compared with the rates ruling at the close of the previous November series, is fully 74 percent.—that is to say, it varies from 5 per cent to 124 per cent.; some of tho good styles of sound, faultless merino greasy, and fine crossbred coming under the quotation of 5 per cent, to 7-J- percent., while the faulty and burry lots of medium and lower quality show a decline of 74 to 124- All those styles for which Yorkshire and Germany come into competition with France sold best, but those wools which depend chiefly upon the French topmakers were more difficult, of sale. From March 16ch to April 9th there have been shipped, from Victoria ’or Britain 132,807-bags of wheat, 11,385 bags of flour, 802 bags of barley, and 210 bags of peas. It is understood that a process of gradual but steady reduction in the members of the Armed Constabulary is quietly going on. All discharges are granted directly when applied for ; the vacancies thus created are not tilled up, and any casual vacancy in the regular police is filled bv a transfer being made from the Armed Constabulary. In this way a very appreciable reduction in expense is said to be in course of operation. A report on the South Australian lunatic asylums show an enormous increase in the number of insane people. South Australia h-is now a larger per centage than any other of the colonies. It is reported that ail action for alleged defamation of character will shoi-tly°bo heard in the Supreme Court, Dunedin. The damages are laid at tho very modest sum of £20.000. The signal service of Lieutenant.colonel Richard James Combe Marter, of the Ist Dragoon Guards, in his memorable capture of Cetewayo, tho Zulu king, on August 23, 1879, have been further recognised by his appointment to lie an aide-de-oamp to Her Majesty, with the rank of colonel in the army. By his elevation to the rank of colonel he passes over tho heads of 700 lieutenant-colonels. Mark Twain, lecturing on tho Sandwich Islands, offered to show how the cannibals eat tboir food, if any lady would lend him a baby. The lecture, however, was not illustrated. The Oamaru magistracy has been accepted by Mr I. N. Watt, The assassin of the late Czar, Alexander the Second, an i some of his occ.implices were hanged at St Petersburg on Saturday last. The German ladies are ordered by their lords and masters to no longer patronise French fashions. The French expedition formed for tho purpose of carrying into operation the scheme for a railway across tho Desert of Sahara to Timbuctoo has met witli a serious disaster. The natives treacherously administered to the party a deadly poison, from the effects of which no less than CO died. The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into tho management of the Mount View Lunatic Asylum. Wellington, have sent in their report to Ills Excellency the Governor. Tho Commissioners censure not only particular acts of shortcomings of those entrusted with the charge of lunatics in the Wellington Asylum, but also the system under which the said officers have been appointed and continued to act. A number of valuable recommendations have been made by the Commissioners, which demand serious consideration. Whitclaw has since been arrested on a charge of cruelty, brought before the Couit, and remanded, hail being allowed. The Government have also determined to place the Asylum under the charge of a medical man. It is proposed to exchange Now Zealand oats, oatmeal, and ' dairy produce, for Queensland raw sugar, which is supposed to bo equal to the best Mauritius sugar. Certain of tho Sydney Civil servants have received an official notice that should it be discovered they borrow from moneylenders nil the security of their salaries, they will render themselves liable to dismissal. There is a rumor that duplicate orders to draw the same salary gave rise to the above intimation. The Victorian police are tinable to keep the larrikins down. Seven million live hundred rabbit skins were exports ! from New Zealand during ISIQ,

Some linseed sown in the VVanaka district gave a splendid return. A cabman of Melbourne found and restored £BO to its owner, who gave the finder—si I The newest potato in Ireland is Parnell. Ho is an agj—tator. THe railway debt of New South Wales is £11,610,000. Last year the actual yield of sugar canes in Queensland was 13,000 tons. The dislike to tho introduction of coolie labor in Queensland is gradually dying out. Within ten years the wheat of Adelaide will be exchanged with tho sugar canes of Rockhampton. Sir G. Grey is said to enjoy an income of £IO,OOO a-year. OCR imports of sugar amount to half a million per year. In one district of Queensland 10,000 tons of sugar per year are grown. IT is reported that Government intend to re-appoint some of the unfortunate strikers who were discharged- from The telegraph service. X The Grey “Star” Ht*£s Public subscriptions to make up the defalcations of a clerk “ with a pedigree ”is the latest charitable dodge in Greymoutb, It is understood that the manufacture of starch on an extended scale is about to be started in Dunedin. Dancing pays in Naples. The wellknown ballerina, Aiiina Bosehetti, who has just dlt-d, has left a will disposing of £125,000. The principal heir is a youth barely of age. The City of Melbourne Connell have decided to transmit, an address of condolence on the assassination of the Emperor of Russia to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. IT is said that 30,000 nut of 40,000 townships of France are open to evangelical preaching. A Roman Catholic priest recently complained that he could not go any where in France without seeing Bibles and Protestant tracts. The “ Melbourne Herald” learns that money is still flowing into the banks at an unprecedented rate, and that bankers are very greatly embarrasssed indeed at the riches under their control, for ranch of which they cannot find profitable employment. The Roman Catholics are about to establish a mission at New Guinea, the Rev. Dr. Cani having already left Cooktown for that purpose. A flock of 9000 sheep were in camp near Coolah, New South Wales. One flash of lightning made a lane right through the flock, killing 800 instantly. The ire of the “ New York Herald *’ is roused by the frequent ma nages of American heiresses to ruined European noblemen, and cautions the American girls that the class of English nnb'emen who ar« likely to angle for them are apt to he men of bad habits, broken fortunes, and sellifh instincts. willing to accept the fair Republicans for their handsome dowries. ■ “ Atticl’S,” in the “ Melbourne Leader” narrates that there was some very heavy gambling on tho night after the Australian Cu i was won. The players were Wealthy squatters, one of whom lost 1,40,000 at the sitting, and paid ev-ry penny of it At the Supreme Court, Auckland, the jury returned a verdict of acquittal of Procofly on the charges connected with the Te Aroha murder. The prisoner was much affected. He crossed himself to the jud<»a and jury and spectators, and then clasped his hands in the attitude of prayer. The Maoris are very dark over tho acquittal. The Jews of London have departed from the custom of their religion liyr offering up prayers for the repose of the soul of George Eliot, although not of their own faith, in recognition of her services as the literary champion of their race. The unqnes ioned admission of Mrs Win. Foster, a lawyer of lowa, lo the Indianapolis bar, is commented on by the papers of that city as showing the growing disposition to recognise the claims of the female sex. Mudie’s people and others say that more copies of “Endymion” are returned with the leaves of the second and third volumes uncut than of any other recent or imrecent novel. The projected international exhibition at New York in 1883 will probably fall through from lack of funds. General Grant complains of the apathy of all classes in relation thereto. Have yon heard of the Milton Pottery Works ? Have you seen any of the ware ? If not, go to Begg’s store, Clyde, where there is a large variety. The low prices will astonish you.—[Advt.]