Local and General.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1017, 14 October 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

The elections are fully expected to taka jilaoo early in December.

Mr T. F. D. Jeffery is gazetted as Registrar of Electors for the Dunstau electoral district.

We notice that all the country between the Dunstau Creek and Manuherikia has been proclaimed a hundred.

Tub well-known stud horse Roebuck is to bo disposed of on tho consultation principle at Clyde to-day.

Block 1., Leaning Rock District, comprising 57 acres 3 roods 37 perches, is permanently registered for a bridge site, Clyde.

Native matters are perfectly quiet, and Government is preparing actively to enforce the law.

Our old friend Billy Woodman Las commenced business in Clyde as a livery stable keeper. Billy is so well known that praise from us is unnecessary.

The body of the man Price, who committed suicide last week by jumping off the punt at Albert Town into tho Clutha, has not yet been recovered.

Tue Dunedin “ Morning Herald,” which ought to be well-informed on the subject, says Mr J. Herbert has no intention of contesting tho seat for the Dunstan.

Monday next being the anniversary of the establishment of the bank of New Zealand, will be held as a special bank holiday, when all offices of the institution in this colony will be closed.

Mr Fache reports that the sale of property held on Wednesday at Blacks, in tho estate of Gilbert Sinclair (deceased), was well attended, and that the prices realised were highly satisfactory.

Tub right to occupy the grand stand, and to hold the other privileges in connection with the Clyde Races—to be held to-day—-was sold by auction on Saturday, and realised £ll. Mr Jas Holt, of the Vincent County Hotel, was tho purchaser.

To-night the Georgia Minstrels appear in the Town Hall, Clyde, and we hope to see them rewarded with a bumper house. In all places and by all classes this company is spoken highly of, which is a guarantee of their abilities. We do not think wo shall be wrong in saying that, after the entertainment, the company will provide the musio for a dance.

Mr Kicks, who for some years was accountant in the Alexandra branch of tho Bank of New Zealand under the late Mr H. C. Jones, and who was afterwards transferred to Naseby, where he temporarily tilled the office cf agent, and from whence he went to Ashburton, has, we are pleased to learn, been promoted to the Cromwell agency. Wo Congratulate Mr Rees on his promotion, and hope that there are stil better tilings in sto'-e for him.

During tho Alexandra Pace-meeting last week, and since then—in fact, the same question lias cropped up on many occasions —we heard many complaints from owners of triune 1 horses of the very closo proximity to the course entire horses wore brought. Ws can fully understand, and wo think the stewards of lira Dunstan Jockey Club today will not fail to detect what it is that is complained of ; and we hope that such steps will be taken aa to prevent a repetition of the complaint, or even give grounds for it. On the one side no harm can be done, whilst on tho other great good may result.

We have received from the author, Mr J. Hopkins, his New Zealand Bee Manual, being a complete guide to bee culture. Tho culture of the bee is carried on in America on a scale simply beyond the conception of people in this country, and is found to bo remarkably profitable ; and as, according to Mr Hopkins, there is nothing in New Zealand, or any part of it, inimical to tho bee or its cultme, wo see no reason against tho establishment of so important an industry. Tho manual contains 147 pages of closelyprinted matter, has S3 illustrations, and is published at the price of 2s. We shall be happy to receive orders for copies.

Our Cromwell correspondent informs ua that Mrs Phinn, the wife of an old resident of Victoria Bridge, between Cromwell and Arrow, had disappeared suddenly, and was supposed to have committed suicide by jumping into the Eiver Kawarau. It appears that Mr Phinn (the husband of the deceased) left the house for a few minutes on tho Gth inst ; and that on his return thereto she had disappeared. The banks of tho river were carefully searched for some distance down, and afterwards the ranges ; but no traces of the missing woman were discovered. Mrs Phinn was subject to fits, and was of a somewhat weak intellect. It is believed that the poor creature wandered towards the Kawarau River (which is about 500 yards from Mr Phinn’s house), and either fell or threw herself in.

Sir A. Gordon goes Home in the springThe will of the late Marcus Clarke has been proved in Melbourne: the amount was £99 ! An extraordinary charge was recently preferred at the Sydney Police Court by Annie Dolsohu against her husband, whom she accused of attempting to murder her. She stated that lie presented a loaded revolver at her head, and used a threat that ho would shoot her dead. The complainant (an attractive young woman) deposed that she had been only a fortnight married. Hor husband compelled hor against hor will to marry him by presenting a revolver at her head, and threatening to shoot her unless she complied. She was afraid of her lifo owing to his violence. The case was remanded, after the defendant had boon bound over to keep the peace towards a lad named Murray, whom ho had threatened to shoot.

A London medical journal lias counted np that there are 180,000 reputable physicians in the world, saying nothing of the old women and their herb remedies.

Mn S. A. Deacon, a Cape Town ostrich farmer, proposes to settle in Hawko’s Bay, with tlie praiseworthy object of establishing ostrich farming in that province.

Mr Gladstone is credited with a plan for giving the colonies power to elect their own Governor, the experiment to bo made in tho first place with Canada.

The manufacture of “cutty” pipes is the latest form of industry. It has been starteil at Ashburton, and the clay used it procured from Stirling.

Twins have so often been palmed off on nnocent people in the Wairarapa, that tho local morning paper refuses to insert notices of such events unless accompanied by medical certificates.

At Manawatu lately, while counsel on one side was storming at a witness, his learned brother on the other side asked him not to make a bigger fool of himself than ha could help.

At a meeting of the Adelaide School Boards a proposals that education be free and compulsory was negatived. It was believed that an absolutely free system would pauperise education.

The harvest in Manitoba, a newly settled province in the north-west of Canada, is reported to be exceedingly good. From the virgin soil an average yield 28 bushels to the acre has been obtained.

Mr Samuel Clayton, the Dunedin merchant, whose certificate in bankruptcy v-aa recently suspended for 18 months, has commenced business afresh at Greeu Island as an hotelkeeper.

Mr Walter Sherwin, for many years ■connected with the Carandini Concert Company, died on the 22nd ult. in the St. Vincent Hospital, Sydney. Ho had been connected with the company for a quarter of a century.

A private letter received in Dunedin states that “Thorpe Talbot, ’ a lady whose poems and novelettes have so frequently been well received, has won tho first prize of LIOO given by the “ Melbourne Leader” for a Colonial-written novel.

A terrible railway accident occurred at Toronto, in Canada. The train ran off the lino and was completely wrecked, many of the carriages being absolutely smashed. A largo amount of damage were done, and some of the passengers were seriously inJ ured.

A secret society has been formed in St. Petersburg for the purpose of frustrating the aims of tire Nihilists, whose terrorist policy is considered to have seriously injured the progress of tho nation. The object aimed at is to destroy the Nihilist organisation, but the proceedings of tho Society are kept carefully concealed.

Amongst the eccentricities of the King of Bavaria is that of having a private theatre, where he is sole spectator of tho company s performances. An actress who was performing recently seems to have displeased his Majesty, who threw an empty bottle at her. It struck her on the head and nearly killed her.

News from the Capo states that Sir Evelyn Wood has been in Zululand, where matters are not in a happy state. Several chiefs have been quarrelling amongst themselves, hut no breach of the peace is anticipated, though a large section of tho people clamour for the return of Cetewayo.

A curious breach of promise aeiiou was tried in England recently. A lady named Lamb, aged 'l2, sued a curate, aged 32, for L 3,000, and a sympathetic jury awarded her LI,OOO. This ancient spinster was a most vigorous wooer ; in fact, the courting seems to have been all on her side. Sheadmitted .having snatched kisses from the bashful clergyman, and her letters to him numbered 900, averaging in length a yard and a-half each.

During the recent voyage of the immigrant ship Nineveh from London to Sydney n practial joke was perpetrated which has led since to unhappy consequences. Ono of ihe young female immigrants dressed herself in a sheet, pretending to be a ghost. At dead of night she stalked among the sleeping girls, whom she aroused. In one instance the shock was so severe that agirl lost her reason and became hopelessly insane. She was examined on tho ship’s arrival by medical men, on whose certificate she has been sent to the asylum. Tho matter will be investigated by tho I nimigration Beard of Sydney.

Toe following must he received cum grano snlis. It is from the pen of that imaginative individual, the special correspondent of tho “ Lyttelton Times ”at the front : —“Mr Rolleston’s resignation is anticipated here. Two reasons aro assigned—• inability with tho Native difficulty, and difference with Mr Hall re the desire of the latter to appoint Mr Wakefield to the vacant portfolio. The conference of Messrs Hall, Atkinson, and Rolleston at Opunake the other day lasted several hours. It is rumored that it was of rather a discordant character, and I have reason to believe that the rumor is correct.”

In Judges wrongheadness is almost excusable. The other day in Manchester a lad avenged a sister’s wrong by shooting at seducer. He did not kill him, and tho man he shot at declined for obvious reasons to prosecute. The case, however, came on for trial, and disclosed the vilest conduct on +he part of the original offender. The judge himself reprobated him—the girl’s own employer, and old enough to bo her father—in open Court. Everyone expected the poor youth, who under the influence of natural indignation had taken the law into his own hands, would have received a nominal sentence. The judgegavo him ten years’ penal servitude J

ALEXANDRA SPRING MEETING, This annual mooting came off on Friday last, and was by odds the moat successful that has taken place for a number of years, showing unmistakably that the interest in horse-racing is as keen as ever; and moreover that for the enjoyment of legitimate sport, tho people in the district have the whereat to admit of their participating in it. A keen sense of true enjoyment was apparent with all, whether it was in keenly scanning the various contests, or in entering into tho various sports and pastimes that always are to bo met with on race-courses. The merry-go-round, the old, time-honored Punch and Judy, the more modern Marriouettes, the Ethiopian companies, and tho many other mirth-provoking things that in the days of yore used to—and we suppose still do-grace tho Derby Downs, Ascot, and Newmarket, it is true were not present ; but in their places was rifle-shooting, the tricky monkey, tho usual number of

other little games invented specially to ease the pockets of their patrons, and fill those of their owners ; old Aunt Sally, with her bruised face and short cutty ; and, last but not least, tbs modern totalisator. To these were to be added our friend Lewis, with his van filled chock full with fruit, and the other little luxuries so dear to the juvenile palate, the whole contingent being well supported by Harry Tohill and his booth : a fair company indeed, it will be admitted,

tor an up-country meeting; hut all were most liberally patronised, and if the patrons do not complain we do not think the owners have cause to. A special w-ord is due to the conductors of the totalisator, owned by Messrs McKenna and Solomon of Cromwell, as everything worked as smoothly as possible, and gave the utmost satisfaction. A feature in the meeting was that all the competing horses were locally owned—that is, owned within a radius of 25 miles of the course, and as each horse naturally had its local admirers, a fair sprinkling of visitors from each place were present. Cromwell, Teviot, Blacks, Tinkers, Clyde, all sent in their contingent, making on tho whole as fair a crowd as we have seen gathered together for a long time. With regard to the racing itself, it was fully up to the mark, the two principal events being remarkably well contested, showing well for the handicap. Cromwell carriedfoff one, Blacks two, Tinkers one, and the locality one event ; thus the funds were well distributed. The stewards vied with each other in rendering the meeting a success, and that their efforts were successful none, we think, will deny. Tho following are the particulars of the racing :

Maiden Plate, of 10 sovs ; entrance, 15s. Distance, one mile; weight for age. Open to all horses that [have never won public money. McGilligan’s bg Teviot (Owner) - - 1 Beck’s b m Fanny (Malone) - • - 2 McCloskey’s Robert the Devil, Butler’s Lord Antrim, and Tohill’s Our Pony also ran ; Rivers’s Kesartus was scratched.

This was rather a hollow affair, as Teviot, who was unknown and accordingly the dark horse, soon showed what he was made of, and won as ho liked, though Fanny ran game ; Ibo others evidently did not overexert themselves. Time, Imin. Sflsccs. Alexandra Handicap, of 30 sovs ; nominations, 20s; acceptances 20s. Distance, one mile and a-half. McKenna’s gg Haricot, 9st 91b (Richardson) 1 Rivers’s bg Spectator, Bst (Davis) • 2 McPherson’s c g Glengarry, 9it 31b (I. Kennedy) - - : - - 3 Davidson’s hrg Tom King, 2st 12lb - 0 Flannery’s b g Pool burn Jack, 9st- - 0 ftider’s cm Sunbeam, Sst 121b - - 0

Rivers’s bin Idle Girl, Sst 71b - • 0 There was a lot of fumbling in getting them together, and a good deal of backing and filling ; eventually they got away, but not to the best of starts. However, there was no great difference between any of them for the first half mile, as in passing the stand they were all in a heap,the proverbial sheet being able to cover the lot. At the quarters the tail began to show, and at the mile it looked longer. Here Spectator drew ahead, with the grey in close company, and in this position they kept till rounding into to the straight, when with an effort the grey came up level; from then there was a good race, and it was only on the post the race was won by half a head, Glengarry 50 yards behind, the rest nowhere. Time, 2min. 57secs.

Hack Selling Race, of 10 sovs ; entrance, 10s. The winner to bo sold for £l2, and the surplus (it any) to go to the race fund. Three quarter-mile heats. No weight under 9st. Post entry. McKenzie’s Magenta - - -11 Robertson’s Pillbox - - - 22 McPherson’s Muleteer - - - 3 3 Lynch’s Eagle Hawk, St. Legers’s Jolly, and French’s Turf-cutter also ran.

There was nothing particular in this race. The winner was knocked down to his owner after the race at tho upset price, £l2. District Handicap, of 20 sovs; nominations, 15s ; acceptances, 20s. Distance,

one mile and a quarter. McGilligan’s Teviot, 9st 41bs (Malone) - 1 River’s Idle Girl, Sst 91bs (Davis) - - 2 Flannery’s Jacky Jacky, 7st 91b (Malone) 3 This was a good race. Tho horses kept well together for the first three-quarters of a mile, when the company began to part, Idle Girl having a strong lead, Teviot (well in hand) following, Haricot in the ruck, with the others not over-exerting themselves. Within a quarter of a mile of homo Teviot challenged tho mare, and while not over-exerting himself made her go a docker, who, despite her exertions, had to take second place, being beaten on tho post by half a head. Time, 2m,in. 29scos. Consolation Handicap, of 5 sovs ; entrance, 7s Cd. Distance, one mile. Flannery’s Jacky Jacky, Sst - - - 1 Rivers's Spectator, 9st - - . -2 Rivera’s Idle Girl, 9st 71b - • -3 This was the greatest take-in of the meeting, as Jacky bounded away with theatart, and was never collared, winning, hands down, by 50 yards,

AMENITIES OF THE VINCENT COUNTY COUNCIL. Glimpses of tup Silver Lining. On September 28 and 29 was hold tho final general meeting of tho Council’s past triennial session. On closing, tho whole Council and officers, at the invitation of Mr Vincent Pyko, adjourned to Mrs George’s Dunstan Hotel, to partake with him of a parting glass. Moet’s best being supplied to all,

Mr Pyke asked the company to drink to their own healths, observing that notwithstanding any littlo wrangling and barking there might have been amongst them, he believed there had been no ill-feeling caused, and no angry feeling remained on tho mind of any member. For his own part, ho had to thank them all for tho courtesies he bad received at their hands ; to apologise, if necessary, for any want of courtesy on his own part at any time, of which he was not conscious; to express a hope that all, or nearly all, would meet again on business of tho county • and whether he (the Chairman) was there or not, they would remember him with kindly feelings when, perhaps, ho would bo in another sphere of activity

Mr Cololough (on behalf of councillors) said, though he might be regarded as the leader of the opposition, ho could bear testimony to the genial and courteous deportment of the Chairman on aU occasions; that he and the Chairman on some occasions differed as to the proper course to pursue with regard to tho business before the Council; but that Mr Pyke had so acted as to win the regard nf every member of the Council by his conduct in the chair, even though they sometimes disagreed with him. If Mr Pyke was not in the chair again, he wished him success as the editor of a daily paper, and almost felt inclined to compliment him already on the way he was conducting the paper.

After the close of the special meeting of the Council held on September 29th, the whole of the Council and officers visited Alexandra, to inspect the works at the bridge. All expressed great satisfaction at the work, and some surprise at its magnitude, the only feeling of regret expressed by the northern members being that it was not somewhere above Cromwell, rather than below. After inspecting all the external works and descending the man-holes to inspect tho mooring plates, the company adjourned to liyau’s Bendigo Hotel, where they were entertained by M r MaoGinnis to a cold lunch, prepared in the host’s peculiarly happy style. Mutual good wishes having been expressed, the return journey was made, all in good spirits and apparent amity.