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Dunstan Times, Issue 1222, 31 July 1885, Page 2

The regular monthly meeting of the Committee of Management ot the Dunstan Disa trict Hospital will be held on Monday next, the 3rd inst. The Committee of the Dunstan Jockey Club intimate by advertisement in another column that the customary Spring Meeting on the Dunstan Racecourse will be held on Friday, September 25th, with prizes amounting to L 65. The Alexandra club also issue their programme, which will be seen has LBS worth of prizes, and is to be held on the ISfch September. The Cromwell Club follows on the 3nd October, and the Loaburn on the 10th. Owners of racehorses accordingly have a good show befere them. At the last meeting of the Alexandra Borough Council a sum of L 5 was voted to the Dunstan District Hospital.

At the nomination of candidates for the Bruce seat rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr Robert Gillies, Messrs Donald Reid, William Hutchison, James M’Douald, and J. Crawford Anderson were nominated. On the show of bands Sir Reid had 2t supporters, Mr Anderson 17, Mr McDonald 11, ami Mr Hutchison 7. A poll was demanded by Mr Hutchison, which will take place on Wednesday, August's, It will be remembered that Mr Anderson is member of the Vincent County Council for Garrick riding, and is caning on business at the Bannockburn as a general storekeeper.

The Wellington correspondent of tha Dunedin “Evening Star" says:—To-day in looking over tho correspondence laid on tha table relating te the East and West coast railway I found one official report of the quality of the land available for the railway. On tha routo selected via Arthur Pass the arable land is nil ; pastoral land is 170,bQ0 acres ; forest land, 20,000 acres; barren land, 580,000 acres ; total 770,000 acres. And this is the kind of country that the Canterbury people want their fellow colonists to pay L 7,000,000 to carry a railway through. An eye witness kindly sends us tho fob lowing ; —The White Horse Hotel, Becks, had a narrow escape from destruction by fire on Friday evening last 24th Inst, but was saved by the pluck and energy displayed by the new landlord and Benedict Mr W. Fisher, Although much burnt at the commencement ho pluekily stood on the table and pulled out the thatch from the burning roof, and threw on water till all was safe. It appears some fat had been put in the oven to render, and being forgotten it took fire, and Mr Fisher being called threw water on lo put it out, the result being a good flare up, which caught the thatch with the above lesult.

Tho Rev Mr Gaulter, of tho First Church, Dunedin, who only arrived in the colony in December last, and was inducted to the pastorate of that Church as successor to the late Rev. Lindsay Mackie, died at his residence at midnight on the 20th July. His funeral was largely attended last Thursday by his brethren of the Dunedin and other Presbyteries, aud also by the public. A number of the clorgy of other Churches attended ; and also Bishop Nevill, of the Episcopalian Church, which show the respect in which deceased was held among the Churches. And on Sabbath last, tha Rev. F, Montagu Powell, of St. Matthews Episcopal Church, made a special reference to the death of Mr Gaulter.

Meaara T. Kennedy Macdonald and Co., tho well-known auctionoera, Wellington, have forwarded us a copy of their Wellington Landed Property Guido, published each month. The guide is a most useful and creditable publication. It gives in a concise well arranged plan the details of tho properties for sale by the firm in all parts of the colony. In addition to this we iind reports of tho various properties changing 'hands in the several districts ; Crown Lauds Commissioner's reports ; and appended is an advertisers gaz itte aud trade circular. Copies will be posted fiee each month to any one forwarding their name and address to the publishers, Messrs T. Kennedy Macdonald and Co., Panama St., Wellington,

The Local Bodies Finance Bill was considered last Tuesday night at the meeting of the Alexandra Mutual Improvement Society. The first 25 clauses were taken seriatim, and several important amendments were agreed to unanimously. Amongst them was the proposal to limit the period of granting subsidies to local bodies to five years instead of 25 years as proposed in section 4 of the Bill. Also clause 7 was amended to the effect that local bodies should be allowed to borrow on the securities specified in the Bill, up to a sum equal to half the amount of subsidies that would fall due to the local bodies dura ing the proposed term of 5 years. It was also unanimously carried that the subsidies to local bodies should be paid directly from the consolidated revenue alone. Section 24 of the Bill, which provides that local bodies may not borrow except with the sanction of not less than three fifths of the ratepayers who shall record their votes at the poll, was amended to read “ not less than three fifths of all the the ratepayers on the roll.” Further consideration of the Bill was adjourned till the 11th August. It was agreed to have a debate next Tuesday on the question—-“ Should the completion of the Otago Central Railway be pushed on in the interests of Otago and the Colony ?” Messrs Kohn and Co., jewellers, of Invercargill, notify in another column their intention of visiting Clyde, Alexandra, Blacks, Tinkers, and St. Bathans with a large and varied assortment of gold aud silver watches and jewellery. The name of this firm is sufficient guarantee that the class of goods they will have for sale is of the very best quality, and purchasers may rely on every article being up to the standard it is re' presented to be- No date is fixed upon for their visit, but it may be expected in the course of next week.

The concert and ball held on Friday evening last at Tinkers, we are given to understand, was a most unqualified success, Mr Sheppard’s new hall being as closely packed as possible. Mr Laidlaw, of Matakanui Station, acted as chairman on the occasion, and the various vocalists and performers are to be thanked for the gratuitous services, Mr Eaper provided the music on the dulcimer in a manner calculated to give the greatest satisfaction and pleasure. At the close of the concert the room was cleared for dancing, which was kept up till nearly 6 o’clock the following morning. The net receipts, we believe, were close on L2O.

By the arrival of the Mail steamer light is thrown on the St. Louis tragedy. Excitement prevails in some quarters. It is currently reported that Preller, the supposed victim, has bean seen in Canada. When this became known, especially in St. Louis, where the murder was supposed to hav e been committed, it caused intense excitement, and further revelations were being anxiously looked for. Among other reasons given in America fur Prellor’a disappearance is that Bob Maxwell and Preller wore mombeisof some secret society, and that both men have entered into a conspiracy to defraud some insurance companies with which Preller had insured his life to a large amount, and it was part of the programme for Prelier to disappear, and then either Maxwell or his friends to claim the insurance. It is said the insurance companies have refused so far to believe in the fact of Preller being alive, but they refuse to pay over any money whatever pending a satisfactory solution of the mysterious occurrence.

At the Melbourne City Court ou July & William Hudson, describing himself as the “ champion wrestler of New Zealand,” was brought up on a charge of assaulting, with intent to rob, Edwin Cross, boots at Abe Hicken’s hotel in Swanston street. The prosecutor said he had occasion at about 20 minutes to 1 o’clock that morning to leave the kitchen and go into a right-of-way at the back of the hotel. As he left the hotel the prisoner came up, and saying “here is one of them,” caught him by tho throat, knocked him down, foil on top of him, and attempted to put his hand into one of his pockets, in which he had some silver. Witness struggled with him for some moments and whoa he got free and rose tho prisoner ran away. Ho chased him into Swanston street where a constable also pursued him, and took him into custody. Witness did not now believe that Hudson intended to rob him. The Bench, after hearing the evidence of thoaireiting constable, told the accused that ho had no right to assault the prosecutor and throw him on the ground in tho way he bad done, although he had no intention of robbing him. He was discharged. The police of St. Petersburg have been for some time past puzzled by the conduct of a remarkable class of thieves, who committed robbery no t only in the open day, but, moreover, with ostentation. They were Finns, and were all young men. When arrested, they calmly pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to imprisonment for terms varying from one to three months, At the oxpirat’on of the sentence they promptly disappeared. It turned out that they had returned to their own country, and had there resumed their several avocations without loss of social position. The law of Finland forbids tho enrolment in the army of any persons who have undergone imprisonment for civil offences, so these enterprising Finns had deliberately sought imprisonment in order to avoid conscription. The maintenance of peace between Great Britain and Russia is so confidently reckoned upon in St. Petersburg, that preparations are stated to be making for a visit hv the Czarina to her sister, the Princess of Wales. It is stated in Berlin that the Emperor of Germany was indefatigable in his efforts to avert war, wnile it is a significant fact that the independent section of the German Press, and more especially the liberal papers, sided with the Mother country during tho late critical condition of affairs. “Russia," observes a Berlin correspondent, “ which was never liked by the German Liberals, finds at present no sympathisers whatever among them, whereas England, with her free institutions, has always been regarded as tho natural ally of Germany."

The following remedy for apple blight \ has been forwarded to us with the compli- r ments of the Hon. Minister of Lands.Four pounds sublimed sulphur, in an iron pot, with enough waterjjto conveniently stir while boiling for twenty minutes ; then add lib caustic potash (Greenback Company’s is the best), previously dissolved and whilst hot, and as much colza or other vegetoble oil as will make it like a thick paint. Then, when warm, withlarge paint brush daub it for about the space of a foot round the butt of the stem of the tree. Rain will wash it into the roots, and oil will tend to preserve its strength for years.

We (“JMt, Benger Mail”) are informed that Messrs Mervyn and Gavan.of Bald Hill Flat, who have been prospecting for many months for a reef in that part, have been successful in striking some excellent stone, a sample of which was brought to Roxburgh this week, which is thickly impregnated with gold. |The party have a very large quantity of stuff to •* grassland a portion ofitissaidto be very rich,} averaging at the rate of 20ozs. to the ton. This is indeed cheering news, and the enterprising shareholders will have) the best wishes of every person who desires to see the goldmining industry advance. The party are at present in treaty for a battery, their prospects fully warranting them taking this step. It is expected that very handsome results will be obtained, as the reef so far as proved to be of a very rich character. This will be the first battery erected infthafc vicinity, and should be the means of encouraging the various claimholders in that locality.

Money-lenders do not generally get such even-handed ju 3 t; oe ns Shakespeare awarded to Shylock in the Merchant of Venice, A Bristol usurer, one Clements by name, has received an astouisher at the hands of the Bristol County Court, Clements sued a butcher named Ford, of Cheddar, for L2O due on a promissory note, It transpired that the rate of interest charged was only 130 per cent 1 Judge Metcalfe held that as the promissory note was a written contract he was bound to give judgment for plaintiff, but marked his sense of the transaction by ordering payment at the rate of 6d per month. It was calculated that ten year* would elapse before plaintiff would be reimbursed the amount he had to pay for court fees.