NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 562, 6 April 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Scarlet Fever at Kaiapoi.— A case of scarlet fever in Mr Manning’s family was yesterday reported by Dr Ovenden. Entertainment. —An entertainment in connection with St Andrew’s Mutual Improvement Society will take place this evening, at the schoolroom. A spelling bee is included in the programme. Blondin. —The arrangements for the opening performance of Chevalier Blondin, in the paddock opposite the Provincial Hotel, are progressing satisfactorily under the superintendence of Mr H. P. Lyons, the agent in advance; The Chevalier himself arrived per Hawea to-day. Chess Match. —The recent interprovincial chess match between Auckland and Otago seems to have excited a great deal of interest. We now learn that Mr W. Aikin, of Auckland, has given a silver cup to be played for by the chess players of the different provinces on certain conditions, which are announced in the Auckland papers. Stolen Property Room.— During the hearing of the case of Regina v W. J. Leigh yesterday, in the Supreme Court, his Honor commented upon the absence at the Detective office of a lockfast room for the reception of stolen property, &c, in charge of some one who should be responsible for the safe custody and proper care of the articles. North Canterbury Race Committee. —The time for the nominations for these races having closed on Tuesday evening, at Lewton’s Junction Hotel, a meeting of the committee was held, when it was resolved that Mr Buss submit the booths, cards, &c, by auction on Tuesday next. A sub-com-mittee was appointed to attend to matters in connection with the course, consisting of Messrs Lilly, Cone, and Murfitt. The handicaps will be published on Friday morning. Supreme Court, —The Court was occupied during the whole of yesterday with the cases of Regina v W. J. Leigh, larceny of shrubs and trees, two indictments, on both of which the jury returned a verdict of “ Not Guilty.” The only case now remaining for trial is that of Regina v Philip Bourgeois, forgery and uttering, in which the prisoner has claimed a mixed jury. A point of some difficulty having arisen in connection with this application, his Honor has postponed the case for further consideration, and the Court will sit as a matter of form on Saturday, at 11 a.m,, when the decision of his Honor on the point will be given. The trial will take place either on Monday or Tuesday. Kaiapoi Farmers’ Club. —A meeting of the committee appointed to manage the forthcoming show connected with this club was held at the Kaikanui Hotel on Tuesday evening, Mr Clark in the chair. Letters were read from gentlemen consenting to act as judges. A letter was read from the railway traffic manager, to the effect that for the convenience of visitors to the show on the morning of the 115th, carriages would be attached to the goods train leaving Christchurch at 10.15. It was reported that between seventy and eighty entries had been received, and that the subscriptions were coming in freely. The catalogue of the committee appears in our advertisingcolumns Grand Concert at Lyttelton. —Mr Skinner’s coucert at Lyttelton on Tuesday night was a great success. The Colonists’ Hall was crowded, and all seemed well satisfied with the admirable way in which the programme was carried out. Miss Rosin a Carandini sang “ Blise ” and “ When the tide comes in ” with great taste and expression. The latter is a most beautiful ballad, and we trust to hear it again. Messrs Skinner, Walcot, Walker, Beil, Poore, Rowley,, Allwright, and Yule, performed their parts of the programme in a most efficient manner, and all. received gieat applause. At the conclusion of the concert Mr Skinner thanked the audience for their patronage in a few neat and appropriate words.

The San Francisco Mail. —The agents, Messrs Wilson, Sawtell and Co, have received a telegram stating that there is not the slightest doubt that the ne w steamer, the Zealandia, will come on to Auckland for the purpose of taking the outward mails to San Francisco. Mr. Bright’s Lectures,— Mr Charles Bright, the celebrated Australian lecturer, is now a visitor in this city, and he purposes delivering two of his descriptive and mos" interesting discourses whilst here, the first on “ Victorian Reminiscences,” which was pronounced by the Otago Times to be the best which he delivered in Dunedin, will be given on Monday evening next. His second lecture ou Tuesday evening will be on “ Yankee Humour.” The Worshipful the Mayor has undertaken to introduce Mr Bright to the Canterbury public. Mr Bright will lecture at the Oddfellows’ Hall. The Lynch Family.— The opening performance of the Lynch Family of Bellringers and Vocalists will take place this evening at the Canterbury Music Hall. A lirst-class programme has been prepared, and doubtless there will be a crowded attendance to witness the interesting performances of this clever company. In addi tion to the campanologian performances of the Bellringers, there will be comic trios and quartettes by the Lynch Family, characteristic impersonations and burlesques by Mr Charles Keeley, a comique of good reputation from England, and overtures by Mr Statham; the whole concluding with the laughable farce of “Mr Johnson in want of a coachman.” Altogether the “bill of fare” is a capital one, and should draw well during their present short visit to Christchurch, Ventilation. At the sitting of the Court yesterday, His Honor brought under the notice of the Sheriff the necessity for some measures being taken to improve the ventilation of the Court, His Honor stated that despite the cool weather we now had, the atmosphere of the Court, particularly towards the close of the business, was insufferably close. He had suggested a means of remedying this, but up to the present no notice had been taken of it. It might be worth while the consideration of the Government whether they could not introduce the Tobin system into the building. This system, which is inexpensive and very effectual, has been introduced Into many of the public buildings in Dunedin with great success. Horticultural and Arboricultural Society. —The usual monthly meeting of this society was held last evening at the Clarendon Hotel ; Mr B. C. J. Stevens, president, in the chair, Mr Stevens opened a discussion as to the advisableness of amalgamating with the Christchurch Horticultural Scciety. It was proposed by Mr Jackman, seconded by Mr Harvey—“ That a deputation be appointed from this society to meet one from the Christchurch Horticultural Society, with a view to the amalgamation of the two societies now existing.” Some discussion arose as to the terms upon which the deputation should meet, after which the motion was carried. It was resolved that the deputation should consist of three members, comprising Messrs Stevens, T, Turner, and Professor Bickerton. The meeting then closed, Rangiora Literary Institute,— The usual monthly meeting of the committee of this institute was held on Tuesday evening, when seven members were present, Mr O, Merton presiding. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read, Mr E. R, Good reported that he had carried out the instructions of the committee with regard to the additions to the present building, but that the gentlemen to be employed as architects had been unable to act. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Good for the trouble be bad taken in the matter. It was then decided that the builders of the town should be invited to tender for the additions, and Mr Good was appointed to give the necessary information. The size and form of the building was decided on, and after passing an account for £1 3s 6d, the meeting adjourned to the 19th, by which time the tenders are expected in. Sheep Return.— From a return, placed at our disposal by the Chief Inspector, of the number of sheep, over six months of age in the province on January Ist, 1876, we gather the following particulars : Northern District—Number of stations on which sheep are depastured, 29 ; number of sheep, 201,360; females, 207,940; total, 409,300. Central—Number of stations, 89 ; number of sheep (males), 389,975 ; females, 502,695 ; total, 892,670. Southern—Number of stations, 66 ; number of sheep (males), 516,800 ; females, 626,260 ; total, 1,143,060. Total sheep on runs (males), 1,008,135 ; females, 1,336,895 ; total, 2,445,030. Northern District—Number of farms on which sheep are depastured, 339 ; number of sheep, 21,874 ; females, 70,534 ; total, 92,408. Central—Number of farms, 600 ; number of sheep (males), 95,009; females, 200,968 ; total, 295,977. Southern—Number of farms, 142 ; number of sheep (males), 30,369 ; females, 90,321 ; total, 120,690. Total sheep on farms (males), 147,252 ; females, 361,823; total, 509,075. Total number of sheep in province on January Ist, 2,954,105. The number of sheep in the province on January Ist, 1875, was 2,954,850, thus showing a decrease for this year of 745, made up as follows—Decrease on runs, 62,717 ; increase on farms, 61,972. The Salmon Ova. —We are enabled to give some additional particulars in reference to the salmon ova which arrived by the Arawata on Tuesday, and reference to which was made in yesterday’s issue. In the first place, we have been desired to state that the struggle which took place on board the steamer between Mr Farr and Mr Johnston did not have the effect of shaking the boxes at all, and that they did not remain upon the deck in the sun for more than a minute, and even then that they were covered over with a wet blanket. We are informed that the following is what really took place. In the first instance, Mr S. C. Fair, the score tary of the Acclimatisation Society, asked his Honor the Superintendent to apply to Mr Macandrew, the Superintendent of Otago, for a box or two of the ova, which had been sent out by the s.s Durham, for the Acclimatisation Society of that province, but his Honor declined to make the application. Mr Farr then himself applied, as secretary of the Canterbury Society, and in reply, received a telegram from Mr Macandrew, stating that t.vo boxes were being forwarded per Arawata, It appeared that Mr Johnson also made a similar application, and received a telegram stating that one box had been forwarded to him by the same steamer. On the arrival of the vessel at Lyttelton, Mr Farr went ou board anil told the captain who he was, at the same

time asking him if the two boxes referred to in the telegram were on board. The captain replied that he was verj glad Mr Farr had come, as he had some fish for him, and that the sooner he got them on shore the better; saying at the same time that there were two boxes for him. As soon as the hatches were opened, the boxes were handed up. In the meantime Mr Johnson had gone on board and asked the purser if there was a box of ova for him. The purser replied that he knew nothing about it, but that two boxes had been put on board for the Acclimatisation Society, Mr Johnson then showed the telegram he had received from the Superintendent of Otago, when one of the officers remarked that one of the boxes on board was larger than the other, and that it might be a double box. At this time Mr Parr was arranging the ice in the blankets which covered the boxes, when Mr Johnson went up and said, “ One of those boxes is for me, and I shall have it." Some warm words ensued, and an altercation followed, but the gentlemen ultimately grew calmer, and Mr Farr said that if the larger box proved to be a double one, Mr Johnson should have the smaller one, than which the mate observed, nothing could be fairer. On arriving at the gardens, Mr Johnson being present, the large box was opened and was found to be a single box, when the garden committee decided that neither of them belonged to the late curator. So much for the dispute. And now we wish to correct one or two errors that appeared in our paragraph of yesterday. The ova reached the gardens at one o’clock, and not when it was almost dark, as stated. The operation of opening the boxes and placing the eggs in the breeding, boxes was performed by Dr Campbell, Mr Wallace, and Mr Farr. And we are happy to say that the information which we received from the curator as to the state of the ova was very far from being correct. This he explains by stating that he had never before seen ova, except when stripped, and not in a 'frozen condition. Mr Farr informs us that at least 50 per cent of the eggs are hopeful, while 40 per cent may be reckoned upon as good to almost a certainty. As the two boxes contain something like 800 or 900 fish (as well as could be judged), this is decidedly cheering. The hardness ascribed to the ova by Mr Beck was of course the result of their frozen condition, and we are also informed that there was very little difference between the ova of either of the boxes. Thus it will be seen that things are by no means so bad as Mr Beck first imagined, and we have every hope that the present attempt to acclimatise the salmon in this province will turn out to be an unqualified success. We notice from an exchange that 10,000 ova were landed at the Bluff in capital condition.

A man may occasionally kiss the wrong woman by mistake, but when he makes a practice of it the right woman finds it out, and that’s what bothers him. The heaviest snorer we have heard of is the man whose wife woke him up the other night, during a tempest, saying she did wish he would stop snoring, for she wanted to hear the thunder. It was an Irish coroner who, when asked how he accounted for an extraordinary mortality in Limerick, replied sadly—“ I cannot tell. There are people dying this year that never died before.”