NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1744, 22 September 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Entebtainment" —An entertainment in aid of the Waltham Wesleyan Church Sunday school fund will take place to-morrow evening, in the Waltham Wesleyan Church. The Waimakabibi.—A telegram received from Kaiapoi states that the Waimakariri is flooded in both branches by the N.W. wind. A Bealey telegram mentions that the river though high, was falling there. Opening of Pabhambnt.—The following members of the House of Representatives left for Wellington on Saturday night in the s.s. Hawea :—Messrs Hall, &. M'Lean, W. Rolleston, S. P. Andrews, E. Wakefield, P. P. M'Caughan, J. O. Brown, J. W. Bain, E. Masters, and Or. P. Ireland. The Hospital Boabd.—lt is understood that gentlemen of the medical profession in Christchurch have made representations to the members for Christchurch city, in relation to the attitude assumed by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board towards the Hospital medical staff, with the intention that the matter may be brought before Parliament.

Fibb at Temuka.—A six-roomed cottage, belonging to Mr Job Brown, situated on the outskirts of Temuka was destroyed by fire at 4.30 a.m. on Saturday. The house was unoccupied, and the cause of the conflagration is unknown, but it was surmised some careless tramp might have been Bleeping there and accidentally caused the catastrophe. It is Btated the houso, which was recently purchased for £3OO, was insured for £250. Tiuabtt Railway Station.—Mr Oonyers, Commissioner of Railways, returned to Christohuroh from Timaru on Saturday evening. The object of his visit was to select a more suitable site for a permanent railway station at Timaru, and it is understood that he has selected a piece of ground upon which building operations will be at once commenced.

Thb Unemployed.—Between two and three hundred men called at the Public Works office this morning, with the view of asking for work. Piece-work on the Weka Pass section was offered them, with a railway pass and the free use oE tools and tents. Only about fifty men, however, accepted the offer. Men out of employment can now call at any time at the Public Works office, and they will obtain a free pass and an order on the Inspector of Works on the Weka Pass section, who will see that tents and tools will be provided for them free of all charge. Bichmond Cbicket Club.—A meeting of the members of this club will be held at the Garrick Hotel this evening. Masonic.—Tbe installation of the officers of the Canterbury Kilwinning Boyal Arch Chapter will take place to morrow evening at the Canterbury Masonic Hall. City Council —The naual weekly moating of the City Council will take place this evening at seven o'clock. Sydenham Borough Council.—A special meeting of this body will be held this evening. Ashbubton Town Hall.—ln a local re this hall in Saturday's issue, there was an error which requires correction. It was there stated that the directors contemplated turning the hall into a billiard room. This is altogether incorrect, tbe fact being that it is the gallery of the hall, now almost unused, which is to be partitioned off and let to the proprietor of the Somerset Hotel for a billiard room. It will interfere in no way with the use of the hall for performances. Thb Thames Election.—The following gentlemen are candidates for the seat for the Thames, which will become vacant by the resignation of Sir George G-rey :—The Mayor (Mr W. M'Cullougb). Messrs A. Brodie (County Chairman), L. Ehrcnfried, W. Bo we (the late member), and Colonel Praser. Other candidates are also mentioned.

Sunnyside Asylum.—Mrs W. Hill, Miss A. May, and the amateurs who performed in Bobertson'a play of " Society," for the benefit of the " Lvttelton Times" Siok Pund, repeated the piece at the Sunny side Asylum on Saturday evening. The performance went very satisfactorily. The patients and their friends, for whose amusement the entertainment was given, expressed themselves highly gratified at the efforts to amuse them. Sydenham Youths' Cbicket Club. —The annual general meeting of the above club wbb held on Priday evening at the Oddfellows' Hall, Montreal street. There was a good attendance of members. The treasurer's report was read and adopted. S. Forsyth was elected on tho match committee in place of H. Herman, deceased. A. Webber was appointed assistant secretary. During the evening,|the secretary (Mr W. W. H. Smith) read a very interesting review of the past season, for which he received a hearty vote of thanks. Several new members were elected, and three hearty cheers were given for tho past officers. Customs Discount.—The following circular has been received by Mr Eobo, Collector of Customs, from the Secretary of the Department-" Customs Department, Wellington, September 11th, 1879: —Sir, —As some misapprehension appears to exist as to the meaning of instructions conveyed to collectors in circular No. 16, of the 22nd ultimo. I have the honor to state for your information and guidance that what is intended by those instructions is that only cash discounts which are shown in the manner prescribed by the Bth section of the Customs Tariff Act, 1878, or on the statements of the manufacturers, merchants, or persons from whom goods are purchased, are to be allowed off invoices and not discounts which are shown only on the statements or summaries of buyers or agents." A Stage Cenbobship.—One of the most imperative duties of the new Parliament which meets for the first time on Wednesday next will (says the " Wellington Post ") be to pass some legislative measure providing for a censorship of the New Zealand stage, vesting in suitable functionaries an authority analogous to that exercised at home by the Lord Chamberlain.

Thb Wbsxbbook Bush, neab Kumaba. — There can now be little doubt (says the " Kumara Times ") but that the new rush at Westbrook has been definitely proved to be a goldfleld of a highly payable natute and extensive area. When a few days ago Morgan and party struck the lead after tunnelling 300 feet, they found the wash exactly similar in nature to (that of Macnamara and party's claim, and obtained in the first dish washed an eight grain piece and also about two grains of fine gold. Subsequent prospects average the wash from ljgrs. to 2grs. to the dish. This claim is situated nearly half a mile from Macnamara's, more commonly known as " Fireball's." Yesterday the gratifying news came to hand that two more tunnels running parallel with those previously mentioned, had struck good payable wash, thus making eleven claims on gold now on the lead.

Tub CoiiiiNGWOOD Election.—Says the "Nelson Evening Mail":—The Premier of the colony has not thought it beneath him to take a part in this election, and telegrams signed "G. Grey" are to be found in the hands of many of the Collingwood electors recommending Mr Armstrong to their favorable consideration on the ground that he was a well-known man and one who was likely to make them an excellent representative. These missives caused quite a little nutter in the community, these to whom they were addressed feeling themselves not a little flattered by such a mark of attention from so great a man. Sir George Grey, however, would not himself be quite so pleased when the telegram was last night put into his hands, informing him that the result of his endeavors to obtain another vote for Otago, and another supporter of himself and Mr Macandrew, was that to the gentleman from Dunedin were accorded but twelve votes out the 288 polled.

A Simplb Fikk Escape.—The Dunedin *' Herald "of Saturday says : —" At the conclusion of the inquiry into the Ootagon fire on Friday 'morning, the Coroner drew the attention of the Press to a simple but effective fire escape, and asserted that its existence had hitherto been ignored by the fourth estate. We fear our worthy Coroner must confine his attention to one section of the looal Press only, for we find that we both drew attention to and described the apparatus in our issue containing the report of the sitting of his Oourt at which the model fire escape was exhibited. We cannot, perhaps, do better than reproduce, for Dr. Hocken's and the public edification, the remarks we then made:—' John Meek, residing in the Northeast Valley, then exhibited to the jury a model of a rope ladder to facilitate escape from a burning house. The invention consisted of a rope ladder coiled up in a box, to be placed under the window inside the room. ' By simply throwing the box out of the window the rope uncoiled itself and established communication with the ground at once, the weight of the box keeping the ladder sufficiently steady for use.* " A Eiveb Poisoned—An extraordinary soene was witnessed on the Dee en Monday, July 14th. The storm of Sunday washed a quantity of poisonous liquids from Pickhill Brook, above Holt, which drains several lime and lead works into the Dee, and the fish immediately began to sicken and die. They hastened to escape the poisonous water, and during Monday afternoon came floating down the river in thousands. Some were dead and others were hurriedly rushing down stream to escape out to sea. At the causeway beside the old Dee Mill a large crowd had congregated to see salmon and salmon trout, pike, roach, and bream frantically endeavoring to throw themselves over. Hundreds of men and boys lined the river, busily engaged in killing fish, and several fine salmon were caught. A boy secured a large salmon by the tail, and the monster would have dragged him into the water if he had not relaxed his hold. The police seized baskets full of fine fish, which were taken before the Public Health Committee, who met to investigate the matter, as Chester derives its entire water supply from the Dee. It is believed that the river haß been cleared of fish for fourteen miles up.

Find out what men laugh at and you know exactly how refined and intelligent they are. "New Orleans Picayune." As a young couple of an interior town were out riding the other evening, the young man ventured to ask for a kiss. The lady was very much surprised—as all young ladies affect to be when such a request is made—and asked him what good it would do him. "Oh," he replied, "it would make me feel so gay and lively." "Well," replied the young lady, "if, as you say, a kiss is apt to make one so very lively, I think if we expect to get homo before morning, you had better get out and kiss the mare."

The " New Orleans Times" announces that a Chicago woman will try to keep her mouth shut for three thousand quarter hours. We think she can do it if the quarters are spread over a sufficient space of time—ten years, let us say.—" Buffalo Express."

A beautiful custom prevails in many parts of Europe of planting a tree upon the birth of every child. It saves wear and tear of slippers. Nearly every one of them has held his belt, in the course of his voyages, when he couldn't keep anything else on hiß stomach. " Ma, has sister Floy ever travelled any ?" "No, child, no." ''Then, when I was lyin' under the sofy on Sunday night, and Mr John come in from church and was asettin' in the big rockin'-cheer, how com her to say that the nicest land she ever was in was Lapland ? "

Tall Talk in a London Hotel.—An American, who was recently swaggering at the Langbam, said that the whole hotel was only as big as the coffee-room in a New York caravansary; whereupon an Englishman present replied, " You have never seen the pump-room at Bath, where 2000 sit down to dinner every night, and the waiters go round on horseback." The Yankee said, " I guess that's a lie ;" upon which the Englishman replied, " Ain't we both lying ?" The missal which was presented to Queen Kate, wife of Henry V., by her father, was recently sold in Paris for 15,200 dollars. The missal which was presented by the Qaeen to her liege lord has not been preserved. She presented it to him, historians say, across the breakfast table one morning, upon the occasion of his winking at the pretty serving maid, when ho thought his wife wasn't looking. It was a china bowl, full of mush, and if we had a penchant for bad jokes, we would remark that the King was mush put out about it.—" Puck." ZZ There are over 7,000,000 Sunday school children in a certain country, yet when one small boy climbs over the back fence on the Lord's Day he is quickly missed. The kind-hearted woman now maketh a little currant jell for sickness sake, and next winter her great big husband will devour it for his stomach's sake. George Washington made but one pun in all his life. And forgot that before he could tell it. This is what endears his memory to the American people. A domestic named Angelica Jordan has passed over her last name and become a portion of her first name. She attempted to kindle a lire with coal oil. An ambitious young clerk in a wholesale grocery establishment resolves to enter the civil service, and so presents himself before the examiners. One of the questions is, "What is coffee and where does it come from ? " A certain professor took up a normal young note-book the other day to examine its entries. The first note that met his astonished gaze this: "That is a nicelooking fellow over yonder by the window." A slight rivalry exists among the editorial fraternity as to who has crossed the ocean the greatest number of times. At present Mr Bennett holds the belt.—" New York Commercial Advertiser."