NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 224, 26 February 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Telegraphic.—Telegraphic communication has been extended to Southbridge. Victoria Bridge.—The workmen during the past few days have removed portions of the ironwork of the bridge, with a view to the erection of the outside footways, so as to increase the width for carriage traffic. Extraordinary Yield.—Some few weeks ago a crop of oats from a paddock on the farm of Mr John Hall, situated near the Lunatic Asylum was cut and stacked. This crop has just been thrashed out, and has yielded the extraordinary average of ninetyone bushels to the acre.

Cust.—Since the opening of the railway this township has shown signs of progress and business is flourishing. The railway station has quite a bustling appearance; A large quantity of timber and grain is daily sent by rail, as much as six thousand feet of timber being sent by each train. The passenger traffic is also increasing rapidly.

District Prize Firing. Wednesday morning was appointed the time for the Lyttelton Artillery to fire for the District prizes. Gunner G. Warne was the only representative who turned up, and made the following scores :—2OO yards, 21 points ; 400 yards, 16 ; and 500 yards, 7 ; making a total of 40 points. Theatre Royal.—" The New Magdalen" was successfully produced last night, and there was a full house to witness the performance. Miss May Howard took the part of Mercy Merrick, Mrs Walter Hill appearing as Grace Roseberry. To Mr Collier the part of Julian Gray was allotted, and Mr Booth was cast for Horace Holmcroft. The piece will be repeated this evening. Baker's Hibernicon. —Mr Baker's clever troupe appeared at Spensley's Hall last night for the last time. There was a full house, and the company have, each and all of tkem, established themselves as prime favourites with the Christchurch public. We shall hope to see them here again, as we are certain that they would have drawn good houses for some time longer; but business arrangements compel them to hasten on to Dunedin. The company will appear to-night at the Colonist's Hall, Lyttelton, where they are sure to meet a good reception. The Westland Estimates. —The foil owing is a summary of the estimated expenditure by Westland for the year ending December 31st, 1875: —Administrative, £1950; Legislative, £925; Administration of Justice, £10,493 2s 6d; Land and Works, £4463; Harbor Department, £1152; Education, £6457 15s; Weights and Measures, £BO ; charitable, £8713 10s; public buildings, £12,223: miscellaneous, .£9029 7s 3d; grand total, £56,876 14s 9d.

Oxford Races. —These races are expected to take placd about the end of April or beginning of May, and are arranged so as not to clash with the Kowai races. The railway will probably then be open. The squatters and others have contributed liberally so far towards the stakes, a sum of £BO being in hand. A number of influential gentlemen have consented to act as stewards. In a few days the programme of, events will bs pybliabed.;

Cricket.—The following are the names of the players in the match I/yttelton Times v. Theatre, which will take place on the U.C.C.C. ground to-morrow, commencing at 2 p.m.:—Theatre—W. Frith (captain), H. Poore, Rose, Saville, Booth, Collier, Power, Inglis, Mason, Emery, Robinson. Emergency—Starke, McDonald, Wilson. LytteU ton Times —C. E. Briggs (captain), W. W. Gray, J. Grey, F. Girard, J. Ellis, J. Hebden, W. P. Reeves, W. H. Atack, F. East, L. H. Nelson, W. Ogier. Emergency —W. Woodward. ASHBURTON.—The fire bell rang out an alarm at seven o'clock on Wednesday evening, when the members of the fire brigade and fire police promptly turned out. The new appliances having come down from Christchurch, the brigade and police were marched to the library hall for their first practice, which was very creditably gone through. The fire bell has been erected in the Road Board yard, and all the appliances are left in charge of the overseer at the Board's cottage, which is as centrally situated in the township as could be wished. The bell was cast at Mr John Anderson's foundry, and gives every one satisfaction. Church Matters at Oxford.—ll is expected that St Mary's Church, Weßt Oxford, will be completed at an early date. The building is of Gothic design, 36 by 18 feet in area, and capable of holding ninety persons comfortably when seated. The contract was £250, the work having been well carried out by Messrs Brown and Wilson, builders. There is every probability that it will be opened before Easter, and free of debt. As the St Andrew's Church at East Oxford is found to be too small, the vestry have resolved to enlarge the west extension, so as to provide from fifty to sixty additional sittings. The contract for the work has been let to Mr G. Keats, builder, for £l6O, a portion of which sum is already in hand. Oxford Railway.—The extension of the line from Oust to Oxford is partly completed, but the entire length is not expected to be open for traffic for at least two mouths. In view of the requirements of the farmers of the district to get their grain conveyed away, a petition will be presented to the Government asking that the line, so far as it is finished, may be opened. At Oxford, the station buildings are so far advanced that they will be ready for occupation before the official taking over of the line. A petition is now in circulation at Oxford asking the chairman of the Road Board to convene a public meeting to consider " the advisability of connecting the Oxford and Malvern lines for a distance of four or five miles along the bush sections to develope the timber trade and foster the prosperity of the prov ince." Forest Planting.—A correspondent of the Bruce Herald gives the following account of a forest plantation near Timaru:— About five miles west of Timaru, on the Downs, is Glengummel, the forest plantation of Messrs Sealy Bros, and Davidson. Its area contains 250 acres, and the timber is principally blue gum, mixed with red gum, stringy bark and silver wattle, with cuttings of willows and poplars along the gullies. These trees have been planted as follows : Seventy acres in 1871, in rows 9ft apart, 6ft between. These trees have attained a considerable height, especially where the ground is more moist than other parts of it, the rest of the plantation was sown in 1873-4, so that nearly all stages of growth are to be "seen. The owners have had the good taste to preserve the cabbage trees, and scatter broom amongst the gums as shelter for the game they purpose to stock the plantation with, and intend to add the Californian malva, which will supply them with food. The whole property is fenced with ditch, bank and gorse, with an inner edge of Cape broom. The plantation is surrounded with roads, which tends to make it a more valuable and desirable property, the amount of trees contained in this area is 200,000; these the proprietors consider to be worth for posts and rails, at six years' old, 2s each very modest calculation), which brings the total value to £20,000, to which may be added £2OOO for the firewood contained in the tops and branches. Further, if this timber be cut at the proper time of year there is every reason to believe that a fresh growth will be made from the stump, and that the tree will thus become reproductive, and sprout like a cabbage ; in which case who can say what a blue gum plantation may be worth. However, one thing is well known, that such plantations are profitable in timberless districts ; and there is no doubt these gentlemen will reap a considerable profit therefrom.

The Arson Case at Temuka.—The South Canterbury Times gives a report of the proceedings at the adjourned inquiry before the Magistrate on Wednesday last, when Margaret Baxter Dods, governess to Mr Gosling, was brought up on a charge of attempting to set the house on fire. The particulars are thus briefly summarised by a correspondent:—On 13th February the house was discovered to be set on fire in two different places. Shavings, paper, and pieces of wood were found pushed under the floor. The police were sent for, and a watch kept all night; and at half-past four in the morning a noise of feet was heard in the passage. The door of the cottage where the governess slept was seen to open, and the marks of muddy feet were seen on the threshold. Five minutes afterwards the door was shut, and a pile of sticks and shavings was found at the spot where the noise had been heard. One piece of flax-stick in the pile was found to fit exactly with the other pieces afterwards found in the governess' room. The watch was continued, and on the 18th, at 2.30 in the morning, Dodds was caught apparently in the act of setting fire to a parcel of shavings jammed under the house. She said she heard some one about, and was going to see who it was. A quantity of shavings were found in her bedroom. All her clothes and effects were packed up in her box and travelling bag. When arrested she was dressed. The prisoner is quite composed, and says she is innocent, but says that appearances are against her. It is a very extraordinary case. She if a woman of good character, well known in the district, and has property. There is no apparent motive for the supposed crime. On Wed nesday the prisoner was fully committed to , take her trial at the Supreme Court to be held at Timaru. Mr Ormsby applied for bail. The Resident Magistrate said that the offence was of bo serions a nature, that he would deem it necessary to ask for such bail as would ensure her attendance at the next Criminal Session of the Supreme Court, Timaru. He would accept bail in £SOO in herself (the prisoner), and £«ro sureties of £250 each,

The E. and A. Company's Steamers.— Proposals are under consideration (says the Argus) between the high contracting parties for extending the operations of the E. and A. Company's steamers from Moreton Bay to some port of New Zealand. The Normanby and the Somerset are mentioned as the best adapted for this branch of the intercolonial service. We are all getting very proud of the Torres Strait route, and we shall rejoice to be connected with Maoriland for its varied climate and diversified scenery. Many colonists who now go south for change, com pelled by bad health, or upon busijess, and glad of the excuse, will change their direction and go eastward, if such facilities as it is in the power of the steam company to offer can be availedjof periodically. Now that contagious diseases are abroad, every housewife should use carbolic soap for household purposes, as it is a thorough disinfectant, and recommended by the faculty.— [Advt.]