NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 552, 25 March 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonists’ Hall, Lyttelton. Mons. F, O’Riel announces that he will give a drawing-room entertainment this evening at the Colonists’ Hall, Lyttelton, with his troupe of educated dogs. Pigeon Shooting, — A match, to be shot under Red House rules, will come off on Monday, at the Sawyers’ Arms Hotel, Papanui; shooting to commence at 1 o’clock.

Primitive Methodist Church. The anniversary sermons will be preached tomorrow morning and evening in the Primitive Methodist Church, Cambridge Terrace, by the Rev J. Berry, On Tuesday a tea and public meeting will be held in the church,

Grain Fire near Byreton. —On Wednesday a fire broke out in a quantity of wheat and bats, newly threshed, the property of Mr Miller, and about a thousand bushels were destroyed.

PUNT Bace,—A private race between the punts Skedaddle (G. W. Wearing) and Flying Fish (J. Perrin) was rowed yesterday at Kaiapoi, from Mr Wilson’s wharf to Lock’s Point and back. The race was keenly contested, Skedaddle winning by ISsecs.

Extraordinary Yield of Barley. —Mr Nutt, of Tai Tapu, has had a most extraordinary yield of barley from the horse shoe paddock on his farm, the average being 91 bushels to the acre. We have been favored with an inspection of a sample of the barley grown, which is a good sound grain fit for malting purposes.

Sunday Services. —The services in the Baptist Church, Hereford street, will be conducted to morrow, in the morning by the pastor, the Bev R. Morton, and in the evening by the Rev J. Harcourt, of Melbourne. Mr S. Blborn, Evangelist, will preach to-morrow in the new Oddfellows’ Hall—Subject: “ An Unspeakable Privilege.” The Rev P. P. Agnew will preach in the Theatre, morning and evening.

CANTERBURY College.— At the meeting of the Board of Governors of the College, held yesterday, the chairman announced that arrangements had been made with Dr Foster and Rev C, Turrell to deliver their lectures during the present Term on jurisprudence and modern languages. It was resolved to call for tenders for supply of material for the College buildings and proceed with the foundations. Mr R. J. S. Harman was appointed a Governor in room of Mr R. Wilkin, resigned, and Mr Enys having resigned his seat, a vacancy was declared, for which nominations will be received at next meeting. On the motion of Hon E. W. Stafford, it was resolved that certain information with respect to the reserves of the College should be printed for the use of members.”

Calcutta Sweeps —A Calcutta sweep cn the Forbury Handicap run to-day took place at Warner’s Hotel last night. There were twenty-nine horses in it, and as no one knew the weights, or those who had accepted, there was plenty of room for speculation, and any amount of shots were made to spot the right one. The following were the prices realised, the sweep being worth £79 12s 6d ; Rojy O’More, £1 ; Daniel O’Rourke, £3 10s; Gamecock, £1 ; Templeton, £5 10s ; Merry Monarch, £1 ; The Chief, £1; Haphazard, £1; Fishhook. £2 5s ; Defamer, £1 ; Parawhenua, £3 ins ; Korari, £1 10s ; Seantreus, £1 ; Guy Fawkes, £5 ; Right Bower, £6 15s ; Elfin King, £7 5s ; Jack the Flat, £1 ; Tadmor, £7 ; King Philip, £5 ; Puogawerewere £5 : Tattler, £2 ; Merrimac, £1 ; Cloth of Gold, £1 10s; Sir William "£1 ; Ariel, £2 15s; Towton, filly, £1 15s; Hercules, £1 10s; Cocksure, £1 ; Amohia, £1 , Seabird, £1

Opera Season. —We understand that Mr Hoskins has made arrangements with the Simonsen Opera Company for a short season of opera at the Theatre Royal here, commencing on April 12th. The company comprises the following artistesPrima donna assoluta, Madame Fannie Simonsen ; prima donna contralto, Miss E. A. Lambert ; secunda donna soprano, Miss Fisher; secunda donna contralto, Miss May Somers ; secunda donna compimarie, Miss Blanche Harris ; first tenors, Signor Carmini Morley and Mr G. H. Florence; second tenor, Mr Steinbach; baritones, Messrs A. Richardson and H. Hodgson ; bassos, Messrs Tomholt, Barrington and Levison ; buffo tenors, Messrs L. Markham and Darbyshire. The Leopold Family, with Fraulein Fannie as premiere danseuse, will be the leaders of the ballet : and the chorus numbers ten ladies and nine gentlemen. The orchestra numbers ten, Their repertoire includes, in addition to the operas given by the Allen Company here, “La Fille de Madame Angot,” and some other operas Which have not yet been performed in New Zealand. The company are now playing very successfully in Dunedin, Presentation. —On Tuesday evening last the teachers of the Fernside Sunday-school met at Mr Meredith’s house, to spend a few hours, and to bid good bye to Mrs Woodley and her daughter, Mrs Hide, who have been teachers in the Sunday-school for several years, and who are about to remove to Kakahu, near Timaru. The parents were waited on, and liberally subscribed towards the desired object. Mr John Mclntrye, in a few well chosen words, feelingly referred to the loss the district was about to sustain through the removal of Mrs Woodey, observing that she had not only made herself useful in the Sunday-school, but in advancing teameetings, and visiting the sick, and then presented to her, on behalf of the public, a beautiful work box. Mr Meredith said that he was deputed to present to Mrs Hide two volumes of the “ Treasury of David, hoping that she would be as useful in her new home as she had been at Fernside. Mr William Harrison said that as a parent in the district he thoroughly valued the services rendered by Mrs Woodley, and that her unassuming and quiet way of doing things enhanced everything she did, He then presented Mrs Woodley with a neat volume of “ Family Devotions.”

Canters ury College Classes.— The first of a series of twelve experimental lectures on “ Magnetism and Electricity,” by Professor Bickerton, was delivered last evening in the small Oddfellows’ Hall. The professor commenced by exhibiting and describing the loadstone, which is simply an oxide of iron possessing magnetic force in a weak degree, but having the faculty of communicating that force to pieces of steel. He showed that by rubbing, this magnetic force could be easily communicated from a magnet to a piece of unmagnetized steel, which thus became a magnet, but that much more powerful magnets could be made by employing an electro-magnet, made by enclosing a bar of soft iron in a coil of insulated wire connected with a voltaic battery. The loadstone and magnets had the power of attracting certain metals, iron in particular, and nickel, cobalt, and manganese. It was, however, found that the magnetic force was most powerful at the ends of the magnets, which were called poles, and that in all magnets there was a certain point called the medium line where the action of the force seemed to cease. In order o illustrate this portion of his lecture the Pn fessor plunged a bar magnet into a mass o' iron nails, and on the bar being withdrawn the nails were seen attached in large numbers to each end, the medium line in the centre of the bar being strongly marked ly the absence of any nails adhering to it. The directive action of the magnetic f tcp was finely illustrated by a series of deli-cately-balanced bar magnets, which, being

placed east and west, immediately turned until they ranged themselves north and south. The same apparatus served clearly to illustrate the attractive and repulsive character of the magnetic force, north poles attracting south poles and repelling north poles, and south poles attracting north poles and repelling south poles. Another interesting fact in magnetism was noticed by the Professor. Breaking into several pieces a thin piece of steel which he had previously magnetised before the class, he showed that each fragment was a perfect magnet in itself, having its poles and medium line. He next showed that although a magnet had no power to attract at any great distance, that if a piece of iron were interposed, that piece became a magnet capable of attracting other pieces of iron. After a number of other interesting experiments in induction had been shown, the Professor concluded by explaining the theoretical principles which linked these facts together.