NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1639, 22 May 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Eaiapoi BoROUGn ScnooL.—At a meeting of the committee, on Wednesday evening, Mr Eoberfc J. Alexander, formerly at Aidesberg scnooi, Suffolk, also at Romas, Queensland, and at the Boys' State school. Kangaroo Point, was appointed head-master in place of Mr Rayner, who takes charge of the Normal school. Mr Alexander's certificates are of thf» highest order. Resident Magistrate's Court— To-day the fining of an inebriate was the only business done in the Court. Lunatic at Large.—A letter has been sent in to the police authorities at Lyttelton, stating that a lunatic has been at large for some days in the vicinity of Port Levy and on the hills. It seems that a man named Rossing has been for some time in the employ of Mr Fleming of Port Levy as bushman, and that for some short time paet he has betrayed symptoms of an exceedingly erratic character. On Sunday morning last he went to his employer and asked to be paid the wages due to him—between £9 and £lO. Subsequently Rossing was discovered in the Bay up to his waist. He was at once brought ashore and was found to be in an exhausted condition. His rescuer left him on the beach to go and get some brandy, but when he returned the man was gone. Since that time he has haunted the ranges, and has caused a good deal of fright to settler*, being evidently in an insane condition. The police are now trying to find Rossing, who is supposed to be a "foreigner—it is thought a Swede. Theatkb Royal.—" Nancy Sykes" was played last night, the parts being distributed as before. To-night " Ten Nights in a Bar Room" will be given. Geraldine Reserve— By order of the City Council Mr H. E. Alport has received instructions to sell by public auction, on Juno the 4th, the right of leasing, for a term of years, the Christchurch City Council Reserve at Geraldine, consisting of 2000 acres of land. Native Lands Commission. —This commission has been adjourned to Wellington in order to obtain the Akaroa deed, and will take the remainder of Maori evidence at Akaroa.

Oddfellowshif. —A meeting will be held in the District Chamber, Montreal street, today, for the purpose of taking into consideration the opening of a new lodge at Mr Collier's Royal Q-eorge Hotel. It is proposed to call the new lodge the Loyal Phillipstown Lodge. Sydenham.—A public meeting was held last night, at the Colombo street schoolroom, to consider the question of granting new licenses in the borough of Sydenham. The meeting afterwards adjourned to the open air, but in consequence of the confusion which arose, it was abruptly brought to a close by the chairman. A report appears elsewhere.

Holiday Excursion.—The s.s. Akaroa will make an excursion trip to and from Pigeon Bay on Monday next, in place of Saturday, as before announced. G-eain at Stations. The following parcels of grain were at the undermentioned stations on Tuesday night:— Amberley, 50 bags ; Chertsey, 71 ; Coalgate, 24; Dunsandel, 34; Hornby, 170; Kaiapoi, 560; Makikiki, 421; Orari, 110; Otaio, 1712; Pleasant Point, 73; Prebbleton, 90; St. Andrew, 101; Styx, 270; Temuka, 30; Tinwald, 90; Waihao, 825; Waimate, 60; Waimate Junction, 30 ; Waitaki North, 75 ; total, 4806 bags. Distbict Court.—At the District Court this morning, in the case of Baxter v. the Christchurch Drainage Board, the plaintiff accepted a nonsuit. Mr Harper appeared for the plaintiff and Mr G-arrick for the defendant.

KowAl Rifle Club.—On Saturday evening a committee meeting was held at the Public Hall, at which a very good prize list was drawn up, and as a number of town shots have promised to come up, some good shooting is expected. This club will hold their annual field day on the 24th May. It is also intended to have a grand concert on May 23rd, to be followed by a ball. A Nuisance. —A great nuisance exists on the footpath immediately in front of Mr Aikman's yards, in Colombo street south. There is here a pool of mud and water several inches deep, and unlucky wayfarers, after dark, suffer without distinction. Something should be done at once to fill up the hole and make this portion of the footpath as perfect as the other.

Chess.—The Christchurch Chess Club's handicap tournament, an annual contest amongst the members, is arranged to commence early next month, and will doubtless do much to freshen up the play of members preparatory to the forthcoming contest for the chess championship of New Zealand. Entries will be received up to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 31st, entrance fee 2s 6d. A first and second prize will be adjudged to the winners of the two highest scores after each competitor has playod every other competitor two games.

Me Towle's Opbea Class.—Mr Towle's class is getting on capitally with the operas of " Eraani " and the latest London novelty "H.M.S. Pinafore," and hope to place both pieces on the stage at the Theatre .Royal in about three weeks' time. They are most assiduous in their rehearsals, and notwithstanding the very ambitious effort they are now making, they will doubtless be successful. It speaks well for the enterprise of Mr Towle that he should have succeeded in obtaining possession of the opera of " H.MS. Pinafore" before it has been produced in Melbourne. Since his class last appeared in this city so successfully in "Martha," it has been very greatly strengthened, and new prima donnas, tenors and baritones are promised on the forthcoming occasion, which is being looked forward to with very great interest in Ohristchurch musical circles.

Water Supply Committee. —A meeting of the Water Supply Committee was held this morning, when a" report was sent in to the effect that an inspection of the pipes leading from the Waimukariri had shown that no decrease had takei. place in the water level nince they were laid down. The com- I mittee, therefore, decided to complete the | experiment as soon as the cylinders were ! ready. These cylinders, as before s';ated, i are being made at Anderson's Foundry, and some of them are now ready to be used. Sydkkt Exhibition.—The usual me« l ing of the local committee of the Sydney Exhibition was held at 230 p.m. yesterday. Present—Messrs Nathan, Cunningham, and Bird. Several accounts were passed for payment. The following additional applications for space were received-M. Sandstein, silver plate and jewellery ; Tombs and Davis, specimens of book binding, account books, and ruling ; L. Neville, water colour drawings of New Zealand scenery; B. Petersen and Co., silver plate and jewellery ; Thomas Hancock, soap; W. W. Charters, painting; Thomas Wilson, leather; J. N. Suckling and Co., boots and shoes. The committee then adjourned and proceeded to wait upon the Museum committee, with a view of obtaining the loan of exhibits from the Museum. Bakhadoeb Stbket Beidoe.—The City Surveyor is engaged preparing plans for a bridge over the river Avon at Barbadoes street. As soon as they are completed the Council will decide how the work is to be carried out, decieion not having yet been arrived at whether the whole of the work shall be done by contract. Ashbubton. The Ashburton Amateur Dramatic Club give entertainments at the Town Hall on Friday and Saturday, in aid of the library fund of the County Hospital. The pieces selected are Tom Taylor's " Ticket of Leave Man" and "Box and Cox." The amateurs will be assisted by Mrs W. Hill and Miss Arethusa May, and as no pains have been spared to set the piece well on the stage, no doubt visitors will enjoy pleasant evenings, increased by the consciousness of aiding a most worthy object. Inquest.—An inqueßt waa held yesterday, at Selwyn street, Addington, upon the body of a child four months old, found dead in bed on Tuesday morning. The evidence of the mother (Mrs Henham) went to show that the child had slipped from its pillow during the night, and when she (Mrs Henham) woke in the morning she found that her arm was lying across the face of the child, who, she found on looking closer, was dead. The medical testimony produced was to the effect that the child had died from and a verdict of " Accidental death by suffocation" was accordingly returned.

CotrBSiNG Club.—The draw for the Birthday meeting, in connection with the Canterbury Coursing Club, took place last night at the Shades. The results appear elsewhere. The Unemployed.—A deputation from the unemployed having waited upon Mr March andTdetailed their position, he consented to lay the matter before the Q-overnment. In the course of yesterday a telegraphic reply was received by him to the following effect : "As the men are not newly arrived immigrants the G-overnment of the colony cannot undertake to provide them with work. They should apply to the local authorities—viz., the Mayors, chairmen of County Councils, chairmen of Drainage Boards, chairmen of Harbor Boards, &c." A special meeting of the City Council has been called for Friday evening next, at seven o'clock, to confer with the Sydenham Council on the advisability of urging upon the G-overnment to subsidise the respective bodies for the purpose of enabling them to find work for men out of employment. This action is understood to be the result of the recent meetings of the unemployed in Christchurch. 1.0.0. F., M.U.—The anniversary ball in connection with the Loral Benevolent Ledge, No. 5430, will be held at the Oddfellow's Hall, Montreal street, on Friday evening next. The Waimate Steeplechase.—The particulars of these steeplechases, to take place on the 11th of June, appear elsewhere.

The " Oil City Derrick" wants some woman to step forward now and undertake to do a thousand washings in a thousand quarter hours. This Day Half-year.—Priest: " Well, Pat, and what did the landlord do to ye about the farm ? " Pat: " Sure, yer Riverance, he tould me I could have immediate possession in six months' time." A correspondent sends us the following : The right sort of Spiritualism: "To hear tables groaning under the delicacies of the season." A little boy, when the twelfth cake had been eaten up, asked that the thirteenth might at once be put upon the table.