NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1279, 25 April 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Lyttelton Winter Evening Readings. —-The opening entertainment in eonnection with these evening readings has been postponed till the 2nd May.

Swindling on the Racecoubsb. —Some inst ructive details as to some of the practices of the racecourse will be found m the report of yesterday’s business at the Magistrate’s Court. The cases appeared to excite an unusual amount of interest.

Champagne Stakes, 1879.—The nominations fur the Champagne Stakes of 1879 closed at Radcliffe’s Hotel last evening. The number of youngsters nominated was twentysix, and a glance at the pedigrees will show that there is great quality amongct them. The particulars will be found elsewhere. The Middle Pabk Stud. —Telegraphic information was yesterday received by the Middle Park Stud Company of the purchase, on their account, at Mr Cox’s sale in Sydney, of a colt named St. George, own brother to Chester and Roodee. The price paid was 1300 guineas. As will be seen elsewhere, the colt is nominated for our own Champagne of 1879.

Pobtbait op the Mayob. —ln accordance with established usage his Worship the Mayor has presented his portrait to the City Council to be placed alongside the others at present in the Council Chamber. The likeness, which is an excellent one, has been executed by Mr N. K. Oherrill. The picture is set in a massive gilt frame. Chbistchuech Mutual Impeoyement Association. —A meeting of this association took place last night, when Mr Oonual (vicepresident) occupied the chair. After the business had been disposed of, Mr 0. F. Exall read a paper on “ The importance of scientific study.” He then illustrated the working of the telephone, exhibiting a set of instruments which were tested by all present to their entire satisfaction, A vote of thanks was then carried to Mr Exall, and the meeting was closed with the benediction.

Peopebty Sale —Messrs Acland, Campbell, and Co., sold by auction to-day town section 843, Cashel street, next“ Press” office. The land was offered subject to the existing leases, which terminate on March 25th, 1881. The first bid was £2OOO, and, in £2OO bids, £3400 was reached, when Mr Campbell announced that he would take £SO offers. After a little contest, the property was knocked down to Mr M. Harris for £4250. De, Someetille. Dr. Somerville last night addressed a meeting of men at St. Paul’s Church. The building was crowded. It was announced that the last opportunity for hearing Dr. Somerville in Christchurch will be on Monday night, at the Theatre Royal On this occasion the subject of the address will be the “ Fiery furnace.” At the close of the meeting last night an “after meeting” was held. Evangelistic addresses will be delivered this and to-morrow evenings at 7 30; also, at noon on Friday, especially to ladies, although others will not be excluded. On Saturday there will be a children’s service at midday. All these services will be held in St. Paul’s Church.

Accident at Lyttelton. —A man named Paul Guarauge met with a severe accident yesterday afternoon. He was working in the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company’s shed in port, when a pile of sacks of wheat fell on him, completely burying him. About eighty sacks had to be removed before the unfortunate man was extricated, and his helpers at one time thought he would never be rescued ajiye. However, thanks to the energy shown, the removal of the grain was speedily accomplished, and Guarauge, though suffering much, was found to be conscious. De. Donald was speedily in attendance, and had the sufferer removed to the casual ward. Several ot the man’s ribs wore broken, and it is probable that he will bo found to have sustained other injuries. Fatal Accident at Asttbubton. — A fatal accident occurred to a child about, five years old, son of Mr Quill, of the Commercial Hotel, Ashburton, The child was playing with a son of Mr Cookson, about the same age, in the hay lott above Mr Cookson’s stable, when he fell through the trap-door on to the concrete floor of the stable. When found he was moaning feebly, but quite insensible, and died three hours afterwards, An inquest was held yesterday at Mr Quill’s Hotel, before J. E. Trevor, Esq., coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr G. M. Robinson was chosen foreman. The above facts having been deposed to, and Dr. Steward, v;ho attended the child, having stated that in his opinion death was caused by concussion of the brain, the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence. The Gebman Crunch.— ln addition to the present of a few friends mentioned in a former issue, the congregation of the German Church have presented the Rev. Mr Lohr, late pastor of the church, with a sura of £250, on the occasion of his returning to Europe by the ship Ellora, which leaves Lyttelton this week. This sum was raised partly by private subscription, the balance being made up by the trustees from the church fund. An impression seems to hive got abroad that the church will bo permanently closed, owing to the congregation not being able to bear the expense of a pastor. This, it is hoped, will be avoided, as although severg.l prominent members have withdrawn from the church, an effort is about to be made to procure a clergyman iu the colonies whose colonial experience will enable him to understand the difficulties of the position, In the meantime the trustees intend letting the church to some religious body, with the right of taking it over when a clergyman has been appointed. . The Autumn Settling. The official settling for the Autumn Meeting took place yesterday afternoon at Ridcliffe’s Hotel. The following was the amount of the stakes paid by M;> Stead Mr H. Redwood—Great Autumn Handicap, £399 ; Champagne Slakes, £258 8s j Consolation Stakes, £3B ; total, £695. Mr W. O. Webb St. Legc-r Stakes, £247, Mr J. W, Mallock—Easter Handicap, £lsl ; Selling Race, £BS 10s ; total, £23G 10s; Mr Robert Ray Flying Stakes, £137 Iss. Mr L. Markey—Handicap Steeplechase, £123 10a. Mr I). O BrienFree Handicap, £BS 10s, Mr J. Lunn— Second place in (he Autumn Handle ip, £lO ; Hack Race, £10; total, £2O. Total stakes pd 3, £1545 13s. The settling of the“pcncillors by the way” uleo took place, and passed off giilMfaotorily, though there were a few who had poc exchanged greetings jfjUjl SOBW St W’ v ‘ ’ ?

Wakanui Public Libeaey. —The annual meeting of members of the above library, which was to have been held on Tuesday, lapsed, as there were only six members present, and the Public Libraries Ordinance requires that eight members shall form a quorum. Coal Prospecting at Kaitangata.— The “Otago Times” states that the shaft being sunk at Kaitangata by Messrs Winter and Co. has now reached a depth of 280 ft. No less than sixteen seams of coal, varying in thickness from six feet to six inches, have been cut through, but before reaching the seam they are in search of, a further distance of 50ft. will have to be sunk. Fifteen men are kept at work night and day, and a powerful engine is used to raise the earth and water.

Lady Clerks. — A writer in the “ Otago Daily Times” observes: —The Telegraph Office is the only department of the public service in which ladies are regularly employed. There are a considerable number of lady clerks in the head office, and a number of operators both at headquarters and at some of the principal stations are of the fair sex. The Clearing Office in Wellington is, we believe, entirely in the hands of the ladies, and the work is done with great accuracy and rapidity. Some of the ladies also are excellent operators. European y. Chinaman. —The Moonlight correspondent of the “ Wakatip Mail” writes :—There is such a strong feeling at present up here anent the Chinese getting the Moke Lake contract that the question is seriously entertained whether we should not be on the look out for an intelligent Chinaman to represent us at the next County Council election—always provided we can legally so do. If we should return a Chinaman and he get elected chairman ho could do the office so much cheaper, and those who returned Europeans could, I think, have little, if any, reasonable objection.

Meeting of Parishioners at Kaiapoi. —Oil Tuesday evening Mrßisphan met about fifty-six of the members of the congregation of the parish church in the schoolroom. Dr. Dudley occupied the chair. Mr Bisphan explained the object of the meeting, and asked if it was the wish of those present that he should take duty at the church. After a slight discussion, Mr Porter moved, Mr R. H. Mathews seconded—“ That, in the opinion of those present, it is desirable to retain the services of the Rev. Mr Bisphan till the cure is supplied or the Bishop of the diocese returns from England.” The chairman and Mr Porter, as two of the nominators, expressed their intention, as soon as possible, to nominate an eligible clergyman to the cure. The motion was declared to be carried. Several present did not vote, but the opinion seemed to be a unanimous one that a clergyman ought to be appointed at an early date to take permanent charge of the parish. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.

Incidents of Ministerial Travel,— lt will be remembered that when Ministers were touring in this island some trifling hitch occurred on the southern section of the railway, and one of the official travellers was said to have been much disturbed thereby. Mr Macandrew’s diving feat at Westport will also be fresh in our readers’ minds. The following further incidents of Ministerial travel are recorded by an Auckland contemporary, and may perhaps lead to the proper fencing of the railways: —The unprotected state of some sections of the Auckland and Waikato Railway is often a source of great danger to passengers, and a serious loss to the settlers. On Tuesday last the special train which was conveying Sir George Grey and the Ministerial party to Waikato, shortly after passing the Taupiri railway station, ran over a very large pig, which the engine cut in two. The blood and flesh were spattered all over the engine and carriages, and the train had to be stopped while the guard and engineer removed the obstruction from the line. A very perceptible bump was felt in all the carriages. On the return journey on Thursday, near the same station, a fine-looking horse experienced a very narrow escape. Incompetence at Sea.—The following extract from the “Auckland Herald,” of the 18th, shows how unfit some masters of coasting vessels are to be entrusted with the lives of passengers. It is notorious that the nautical knowledge of some of the gentlemen who are addressed as “captain” is remarkably small, but such ignorance as this is extraordinary: A correspondent calls attention to the fact that the majority of the coasters trading between this port and the Bay of Islands or East Cape very frequently proceed to sea without a compass, and those who possess them scarcely can read the points. As it very often happens that heavy fogs are encountered, and the masters are at their wit’s ends, a compass is therefore necessary under such circumstances. An incident happened the other day, when a cutter, being caught in # fog, and having passengers on board, the master scarcely knew where he was. It was suggested by a gentleman that the compass should be consulted, and when brought out the skipper could not read it, and the cutter was left entirely to the mercy of the wind and waves. Our correspondent suggests that the owners and insurance companies should insist upon all masters having a thorough knowledge of the compass, and be acquainted intimately with the coast.