NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1936, 8 May 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Bible Oheistians. —The Bov. J. Crewas will preach in the Templar Hall, Worcester street, to-morrow evening, at 6 30; subject—- “ The Sword and the Trowel.” At the close of the service, a statement re the proposed building of a church on the Ferry road will be given. Persons taking an interest in this building are hereby specially invited to attend. The Mail. —The Christchurch and southern portion of the inward San Francisco mail arrived this morning by the s.s. Taiaroa, there being altogether 161 bags. Binqslahd United Methodist Chtjech —The preachers for to-morrow are—morning, Mr Cannon ; evening, Mr Niol, from Westport. By reference to advertisement it will bo seen that a grand juvenile concert will be given in the Church next Monday evening, and“judging from the success of the performance when given in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Christchurch, those who patronise the young people on the present occasion will enjoy a rich treat st a very low charge. Tai Taptj Libeaet. —The annual meeting of the subscribers to the above was held on Tuesday evening last. The President occupied the chair , and • read the report of the committee. The report stated that the readingroom had been open regularly, during the past year, twice a week. During the year 502 volumes of books, besides papers and periodicals, had been issued to 27 subscribers. The receipts had been £2B 14s 6d, and the expenditure £2O 16s lid. The committee boro testimony to the efficiency of the librarian. Votes of thasks having been passed to the President, committee, and librarian, the following were elected : —As committee, Messrs Rainey, Forbes, Tanner, Maylos, Watson, Blank, Speight, Peryman, Morgan, Sheenau, and 0. Barrett j President and Secretary, Mr Peryman ; Treasurer, MrR. Forbes ; Auditor, Mr R. Rainey. At a meeting of the new committee Mr Speight was unanimously reelected librarian.

Ambeblet. —A largo number of the residents of Amborley will be pleased to hear that a ladies’ school is to be opened there on Monday, May 17th, the Misses Cole having taken for that purpose the promises lately occupied by the Bank of New Zealand. East Oxeoed Town Hall. —Mr GK Keats, the contractor for this building, expects to have it completed in time for the opening on the Queen’s birthday. The new building, which replaces the one destroyed by fire on the same site, is 74 feet long and 32 feet broad, with two anterooms, each Bft. x 24ft. The stage will bo 24ft. x 32ft., and will be fitted with a proper proscenium. The opening proceedings are to include a dramatic performance, to be followed by a ball. Accident. —On Thursday evening, as Drs. Chapman and Malone were proceeding from Leeeton to Southbridge, they met with an accident. Dr. Chapman was driving a tandem in his gig at the time, and turning Flood’s corner, something startled the leader, which turned short round, upsetting the trap and breaking both the shafts short off. The doctors sere thrown heavily to the ground, but received no further injury than a severe shaking.

Anoihee Diamond Discovery.—lt is a well-authenticated fact, remarks an English paper, that scientific discoveries are ssldom made singly. Chemists, electricians, scientists, whatever their category, seem to move in the same direction at about the same time. This was the case with the discovery of the electric telegraph, of chloroform, and last, but not least, of the electric light. Something of the same kind has just occurred with regard to the artificial production of diamonds. Just when Mr McTear, of Glasgow, made his process public and seemingly failed to establish his case, another eminent chemist of Glasgow has entered the field, and reaped a far moro substantial success. The second discoverer — Mr Ballantina Hannay—has, it is said, produced certain crystallised particles which puzzled exports cannot deny have most of the qualities of real diamonds. They satisfy all requirements. They make furrows in sapphires, the angles of their cleavages are correct, and they will ignite and burn as it is proper that diamonds, which are really crystallised carbon, should do. All this Mr Story Maakelyne, who was so sceptical in McTear’s cate, fully admits, and for the moment the scientific world is taken by storm. The immediate consequence will bo a fresh scare in the diamond market—not so much among the merchants, perhaps, who do not as yet dread the competition of the artificial stone, as among the hitherto fortunate possessors of the real gems. Possibly the terrors of the lastnamed are somewhat exaggerated. There is every reason to suppose that these artificial stones cannot be produced on any large scale. Nature herself has found a difficulty in doing this, and a diamond to be valuable must bo of respectable size. But that the new discovery, if developed, will bo a boon to many industries in which diamonds must bo employed in spite, of the expense, is certain enough.

Tblbgeaphio. The telegraph office at Ashburton is now epon from 7 p.tn.till 8 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, instead of from 7.30 till 8 80 as formerly. Oegan Recital. —The largo organ recently purchased by the Wesleyan congregation at Lyttelton, and a full description of which appeared the other day in the Peess, was formally opened on Thursday night in the church belonging to that denomination at port. Mr T. Perry, a gentleman on a health seeking visit here from home, played the instrument, and performed some most difficult musical selections upon it, much to the gratification of a crowded assemblage. Tub Drowning Case at Poet. —Some fishermen, assisted by one or two of the pilot crow, were engaged yesterday searching for the body of the man August Phillips, who was drowned between the Heads at port on Thursday afternoon, but had not found it up to last night. The capsioed boat was picked up and taken ashore. It is stated that Phillips had between £IOO and £2OO in gold upon him, his practice being to carry his savings in a leather belt around his waist.

Liteeaey Institute, Bangioea. The Discussion class met on Thursday evening. The Bov. P. B. Munro (the vice president) in the chair. The subject—“ That the present high standard of education will not be beneficial to the next generation ” —was introduced by Mr Clarke in u very able manner, and was opposed by Mr B. Ellis. The attendance was unusually largo, and an animated discussion ensued, ending in favor [of Mr Clarke’s argument by one vote only.

1.0. Entbetainmbnt. —A dramatic and vocal entertainment took place last night, in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Lichfield street, under the auspices cf the Liberator Lodge, No. 1, 1.0 Q-.T. The performance commenced with a pretty little comedy entitled “ A Capital Match,” in which tho performers creditably sustained their respective characters. This was succeeded by an interlude of singing, in which the comic and sentimental elements wore judiciously intermingled. The performance was brought to a close by a laughable negro farce, which sent the audience homo in high good humour. There was a very good attendance, and every one appeared to be highly pleased with the manner in which the programme was carried out. Alt dei Boad Boaed. —There were twenty - eight applications sent in for the appointment of overseer to the above Board. Mr Neil C, Muir has received the appointment. 1.0. Bangioea. —This lodge has decided on forming a juvenile lodge for boys between twelve and eighteen years, and a table of fees for initiation and membership has been agreed to. Death op Captain Boyton. —Paul Boyton has gone over to the majority; at any rate that is the report which reaches us from the other side of tho Atlantic. The performer with the mysterious “rubbqr dress ” has had a very strange career. Inured to hardship and privation from bis earliest days on the great lakes of his country, it required little persuasion to lead him to become the champion of the “life-saver.” Next, perhaps, to our own wonder, Captain Webb, he was about the finest swimmer ever seen ; he was a veritable otter of the human species. Besides his expertneas as a swimmer, Boyton was also a dead shot and a splendid trapper of wild animals. He had been in many places, seen many things, and mixed with many men; but he had an unfortunate weakness. He could never “put money in his purse” and keep it there. An Exteaobdinaey Bequest. —A wellknown citizen of Brooklyn, United States, alike renowned for his wealth and eccentricity, died a few weeks ago, and his last will and testament was fouud by his sorrowing relatives, with whom he had been at odds during his life, to contain the following curious bequest:—“l own seventy-one pairs of trousers. It is my desire that they be sold by public auction after my death, and that the product of their sale be distributed among the deserving poor of my parish. They must, however, be disposed of severally to different bidders, no single individual being permitted to purchase more than one pair.” These directions wore duly carried out by the heirs-at-law. Tho seventy one pairs of trousers were successively knocked down to seventyone purchasers, and their price was handed over to the parochial authorities. A few days after the sale one of the buyers took it into his head to make a careful examination of his newly acquired property, and found a small canvas bag neatly sewn up in the waistband. Upon opening this bag an agreeable surprise met bis gaze, in the shape of ten 100 dollar notes. The tidings of this amazing discovery spread like wildfire throughout Brooklyn and New York, and each fortunate possessor of a pair of these precious pantaloons was rejoiced to find his investigations rewarded by the acquisition of a sum equivalent to £2OO sterling. It appears that the eccentric testator’s heirs have instituted proceedings to recover the amounts secreted by him in the linings of his trousers from the present proprietors of those garments, on the ground that he was obviously out of his mind when he made such an insensate will. The Fsbnch Cbown Jewels. —Some time ago there was some talk about selling the magnificent collection of diamonds forming part of the French Crown jewels, valued at 40,000,000 francs. Loth to disperse a collection of such artistic value, yet anxious to conciliate those Bepublicans who wish the crown to be sold because they do not want anyone to wear it, tho Government have decided upon the following course. The Crown diamonds will be divided into three classes :—l. The heraldic ones, having some artistic or historical interest. These will be deposited in the Apollo Gallery of the Louvre, and among them the famous Eegent. 2. The diamonds haring a special mineralogioal value will be sent to the Museum of Natural History. 3. Those which may be considered as mere jewellery, and of which the value is estimated as 3,000,000 francs, will be sold for the benefit of the museum funds.

A Plague op Mich. The “ Sydney Daily Telegraph ” publishes the following account from a correspondent at Denman (N.S.W.) of a plague of mice, which is at present causing much annoyance in that township. The writer says: —“Wo are suffering at present from a plague of mice. The fields are full of them, so that the horses’ feet stick in the burrowed ground. They are racing over the ground in hundreds ; 150 of a night is nothing unusual to catch, but there is no sensible diminution. They eat into drawingroom furniture, mattresses, &c. I cannot sleep at night because every now and again I hove to drive them from my pillow. On awaking from an hour’s sleep last night I saw no fewer than five on the bod cover, and they jumped to the floor in all directions when I moved. The plague has come down the country fifty miles, but has not yet extended to Muswellbrook, fifteen miles from this. Oats are of no use. They can eat half-a-dozen whenever they choose to take them. Some persons think that, like a plague of locusts, they will pass on, but I cannot sec it in that way. Is it not strange ? They will nibble your best bonnet, and dc all manner of mischief. What is worse, they get into the pianos. One hundred and fifteen wore caught in one night without any proper appliances, and there is nothing special to attract them here.” Cricket Association —We are requested to remind cricketers that the annual general meeting of the Cricket Association will be held this evening, at the Commercial Hotel, at 8 o’clock.

St. John’s. —The Kev. Melville Pym, late captain in the 75th, which distinguished itself at the siege of Delhi, during the Indian Mutiny, will preach in St. John’s Church to-morrow, at both services.

C. J C. —The half-yearly meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club will be held to-day, at 3 o’clock.