NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2002, 24 July 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Removal.—The urinal recently erected in front of the City Hotel has been removed, in accordance with the recommendation of the sanitary committee.

A Test Case.—Test cases would appear to be good things for the lawyers and of questionable satisfaction to litigants. The suit of Reid and Gray v. the Ohristchurch Agricultural and Pastoral Association was nominally to recover £3, but in reality to establish a greater principle of ineum, and tuiim. The claim itself was for £3, and the legal costs in endeavouring to recover, not muoh under £SO.

j Tailobs' Society.—-The usual monthly meeting of this society will be held at the Foresters' Hall on Monday next at 8 p.m." Papahtji Spasbow Oitjb.—A meeting of the above was held at the Sawyers' Arms Hotel on Friday evening, Mr Munro presiding. The balance-sheet for last year was brought up, showing the destruction of 2375 dozen of eggs, and 346 dozen of young sparrows, at a cost of £lB 2d. This is exclusive of what has been destroyed by poison. After balancing accounts, the club found a debit of £1 12a lOd. A committee was appointed to canvass the district for subscriptions, in view of the coming season. Mr Munro was elected as chairman for the ensuing season, and Mr Kunweek re-elected as treasurer. The latter gentleman has kindly consented to poison grain, as in the past season, and any person requiring any can apply to him. The canvassing committee are Messrs Munro, Nunweek, Paterson, Mulholland, Claridge, Molridge, Wild, Bobby and Manning, with power to add to their number.

Loyai, Obange Institution.—As will be seen, by reference to our advertising colnmns, the members of Nos. 1,2, 3,5, and 24 are requested to meet at the Orange Hall on Monday next at 7.30 p.m. An Improvement.—The right of way running from Hereford street to Oashol street past Mr W. Wilson's seed Btoro has been remetalled and generally put in order. For some time past it has been a perfect bog. AaaicuxTUßAi, Association's Shoat.— The November show of the Christchurch Agricultural Association gives promiso of being the most successful yet held, the private pr'zes which have been promised exceeding in value and number those of former years. By a singular coincidence the number of entries last year was the same as the year before. This year an increase is looked forward to.

Loading Home Ships. lities for loading Homo ships are about to be provided at Port Lyttelton. Tenders have been called for, and will close on the 12fch prox., for a large extent of timber breastwork between the Screw Pile Jetty and Gladstone Pier. It is an extensive contract of work 1160 ft. long, with a jetty of 120 ft., being part of a 400 ft. jetty which it is proposed ultimately to complete. Avonside Enertainment.—An entertainment will be given in tho Ckurch schoolroom on Friday, Jnly 30tb, commencing at eight o'clock.

Spabbow Poisoning.—As the result* of more recent experiments in poisoning sparrows, Mr J. Merrin, Kaiapoi Island, Btates that by using large instead of small grain (wheat) he can kill 300 birds where he succeeded in destroying 50 before. This is certainly worth knowing, and the farmers of the provlnoe who are annoyed with the small birds pest have to thank this gentleman for another hint in addition to the valuable information which he has given on this subject from time to time.

The Cabandinis.—The Oarandinis gave one of their familiar operatio and ballad soncerts in the Southbridge Town Hall on Thursday evening, when a very lengthy and well selected programme was gone through. The hall was completely packed with an appreciative audience, clearly proving that a good company with moderate prices will never as a rule have reason to complain of the patronage bestowed on them in the township of Southbridge. The company will give two concerts in the Oddfellows' Hall, Christchurch, on Monday and Tuesday next. A very attractive programme has been prepared, and no doubt as these are the farewell appearances of the company in this city, they will be largely patronised.

South Rakaia Domain Boabd. The South Rakaia Domain Board held an adjourned meeting at the Road Board office on Thursday. Present—Messrs 0. N. Mackie (chairman), Q. Robinson, W. Hartnall, A. Makeig (secretary), J. N. Sharp, J. Bruce, and 0. Hardy. The chairman stated that he had applied to the Ashburton County Council for the £l5O granted to the Board by the Council. Twenty tenders were received for fencing the domain, ranging from 4s lOd to 8s per chain. The tender of Hector Maclean at 5a per chain was accepted. Soven tenders were received for ploughing, varying from 6j to 10s per acre. The Board accepted the tender of John George Cox. It was resolved that Messrs Makeig, Sharp, Robinson, and Hardy be a planting committee, and that Messrs Robinson and Makeig be appointed to look after the fencing. It was resolved that the chairman apply to the Christchuroh Domain Board for trees for planting.

Thb Whiskey Cbusabb. —A curious attempt to discourage drinking by bringing public opinion to bear is worth noting. An Act has been passed by the Massachusetts Senate to prohibit the erection of screens in bar-rooms. The principle of the measure is, of coarse, that a good many men who have not the grace of abstinence are, nevertheless, not depraved enough to drink in " the fierce light which beats " upon the bar. But before the triumph of this kind of legislation is complete the "giant evil of the back door "—so American reformers insist must be dealt with. New Zea.la.hd Woods.—There is now on view at the offices of the Emigrant and Colonists' Aid Corporation, at Westminster (says a London paper), a table-top mado from different kinds of New Zealand woods, which was brought over to this country by Mr Halcombe. We understand that one of the objects of the visit of this gentleman to London is to endeavour to open up a trade with Great Britain for the export of some of the valuable timber of New Zealand, chiefly that used in the manufacture of furniture. Certainly there is a good opening for such a trade, and, from what we have seen of Mr Halcombe, he is not likely to return to the colony unsuccessful. Thb Dog Tax.—All persons who have canine pets should be careful to register the same, as the city ranger is making a house-to-house canvass with the view of taking proceedings against defaulters. Police Changes.—Deteotive Benjamin, well-known in connection with the Deteotive department of the police force in Christchuroh, has received notice of transfer to Wellington and will leave here for that city in a few days. Kaiapoi Bobotjgh Cotooil.—The election to fill two vacancies in this body took place yesterday, and resulted in the return of Messrs O. Smith and J. Stanton. The numbers polled were :—Smith, 90 ; Stanton, 84; G. H. Wearing, 70. Saltwatbb Cbbek.—The building that used to be known as Cameron's store, Saltwater Creek, had a narrow escape from being burnt down on Tuesday evening. It appears that a lad named Mcintosh was seen about the place just before dark, and about the same time Mr Donald Cameron noticed a glare in the building (which is principally used for storing grain, and one corner as the district; post-office), and running to the building found a box of waste-paper on firo near where the letters are kept. Throwing out this box and getting water and assistance, Mr Cameron managed to put the fire out just as it was getting a hold between the lining and weatherboards. Mr Cameron would have sustained a heavy loss had the store been burnt, as the very considerable quantity of grain contained therein was not insured. A few of the letters in the pigeon-holes were scorched, but none were destroyed.

Man Missing in the Ashxey Dibtbicx. —The man John Gordon, missing since July 4th, had not been heard of up to last evening. On Saturday two mounted constables and a body of volunteer. searchers, headed by Mr Nicholls of Haylands station, prosecuted a search aoross the country which Gordon was to have travelled. It appears that the police have obtained information that on the Sunday evening in question some one answering the description of the missing man enquired from a lad on the road the way to a whare at the station. Tho weather that day was very bad. The man who met the boy offered him some whisky, which he had in a bottle. The search yesterday was prosecuted over the country which this man was supposed to go, it being now assumed that Gordon might have fallen into a waterhole or perished in the tussocks from exposure to the roughness of the weather. Exhibition Pbizbs.—A case of interest to Exhibition competitors and others was heard at the K..M. Oourt yesterday, when Messrs Beid and Gray sued the Ohristchurch Agricultural Association for the value of certain prizes to which they claimed a title. It will be seen from our report that the Oourt upheld the action of the Association in this case.

Dispensing with Police Stations.—The police Ptations at Governor's Bay, Pleasant Point, Head of the Bay, Akaroa, Waitaki and Greenstone on the West Coast are to be dispensed with for police purposes, owing to retrenchment in this part of the Government service. The buildings will probably be handed over to the Immigration Department.

Accident.—A nasty accident happened yesterday to a pupil at the Normal School named John Boss. It appears that he was swinging on the playground swing when, losing his hold, he was pitched from a considerable height, falling on hia head. Tho lad was picked up in a semi-conscious state, and a cab having been procured, was at once taken to his home. A Madman in a Concbbt Haii,.— During a ooncert in the Oirco de Bivas, Madrid, on the sth April, a madman, with an axe in his hand, forced his way through the adjoining gardens, and into the theatre. He killed, with four blowß on the head, a doorkeeper, who resisted his entry on the stage, mounted thereon, barricaded himself with tables and chairs, and brandishing his axe, dared anybody to approach him. The police drew their swords, but he wounded two of them who went within his reach, and defied the soldiers who were sent for. Evontually tho officer, fearing he would make an onslaught on the audience, ordered one of his men to shoot him. He fell dead. Vabietihs of Postage Stamps"—ln a paragraph which appeared in " The Times " of the 6th April it was stated that " tho number of different kinds of postage stamps hitherto issued all over the world is estimated in round numbers at 6000." Messrs Palmer and Co., of 76, Strand, subsequently wrote to say that this is an under-estimate. They remark : —"We are at this moment negotiating the purchase of a collection of 9000, all different; and on August 30th and September 3rd, 1877, you alluded to a collection of 17,000 varieties, for which we had recently given £BOO. Wo may add we have had offered to us a collection of 20,000, all different, for which a similar price haß been asked, viz., 20,000 f."

A Floating Contbnt —The Aconoegua, steamer, belonging to the Orient line, is the floating convent of the service, as on nearly every trip a large shipment of priests and nuns is made by her from London to Australia. On the last voyage (says the " Sydney Evening News") she brought sixty-seven Sisters of Mercy, thirty-one of whom were for Queensland. One of the number was missing soon after the vessel anchored, and search for her proved unavailing—she was, in fact, non est inventus. A letter was received by the Lady Superior stating that the young noviciate declined to make any further vow*. Another of the young ladies, said to be worth £70,000, belongs to the Brisbane contingent. Sho will be a rich bride for the Church.

Eb-asswrino to Tsatbilbes. —We " Otago Daily Times " understand that as an extra precaution against accidents from endines or carriages leaving the line at the Purakanui cliffs, the old rails lifted from the Port Chalmers line are being laid at the most dangerous part of the cliffs as a " check " rail—that is to say, alongside, and at a few inohes distant from, the outer rail, so that the flanges of the outer wheels at these points pass between two rails. Catohins A Taetab.—There was a neat trick earned out at one of the recent Home elections. During the time polling was going on at Kettering, it was hardly safe to dieplay Tory oolours, for if the wearer hinnelf did not suffer, it was odds on the ribbons being torn off. One old-fashioned Tory, though, walked into the middle of the Bads with a good stout piece of oak and a blue rosette as big as a cheeße plate. He had not been there three minutes before a couple ef roughs went for the ribbons. Na sooner had their fingers got a good hold than a couple of howls and a volley of strongish language arose, for old True Slue had carefully mixed up four or five good strong fishhooks with the Tory ribbon. Nobody tried to collar his rosette again that day. Thb Mobmons.—The annual Mormon Ohurck Conference has just been held at Salt Lake City. One of the chief apostles, Erastus Snow, delivered an address, in the course of which he defended polygamy, and said that if the United States had its way Abraham, Joseph, and all the other patriarchs would be arrested, were they living in the nineteenth century. The report of the Church officers stated that the total Mormon population of Utah is 111,820. In Colorado there are some 600, and in Arizona 1895, while the British mission contains 5257, children included, the Scandinavian 5205, and the German missions 798. Some 1500 baptisms were reported during the year 1879, but against these were to set upwards of 600 excommunications and removals. The number of Mormon births last year was 1230 males and 1231 females. The total Church receipts for the past year of all kinds amounted to 1,097.03-idola.

Sfblmng Bbfobm. —It is only recently that the advocates of what they call spelling reform have received any encouragement in the United States; but now they seem to be making some way. One of the members of Congress announces a Bill favoring the appointment of a Commission to consider if national support to the movement is advisable. The Chicago " Daily Tribune " has for some months past partially adopted the new spelling '* Improvements, " such as the substitution of / for ph in words like phase and the omission of the silent final e from words like have and favourite, are examples of its innovations. The position taken by the "Tribune" gave courage to some of its contemporaries. Among these are the New York " Independent" and the Utica "Herald," papers of recognised position in Transatlantic journalism.

New Mexican Viiiages.—An interesting account is given in the " Mining Becord " (U.S.) of an excursion by M. Vandermeer to Santa Fi, in the course of which he visited the Indian village of Tosoque, the inhabitants of which claim a lineal descent from the Aztecs. They are more industrious and civilized than the generality of the Bedskins, and live in houses of two stories high, the communication between which and the rez-de-chaussic is a rude ladder. There are no doors, and in case of sudden alarm the ladder is drawn up and the dwelling converted into a fortress. Each house has three or four chambers, and the population of the whole village is nearly 200. The mining district of Santa ~E£ is not only very valuable, but full of interest, as many of mines now being worked were originally opened by the Spanish, but were abandoned after the revolt of the Indians in 1682. The district of White Oaks, in particular, has yielded very rich specimens of gold.

Fibs Aiabms.—The first of the new street " fire alarms" was erected in London recently under the supervision of the Metropolitan Board of Works. The " fire alarm " consists of an iron column, about a foot in circumference, not quite as high as a pillar letter-box, and surmounted by a circular box which will contain an electric apparatus. The column is placed after the manner of the pillar letter-boxes, in the pavement of the footway, and is painted red. Convenient places, especially points most remote from a fire brigade station, will be selected for the erection of "fire alarms," on which are displayed these words on the iron rim round the circular dial of the box. The key of the latter will be always in the possession of the police constable on duty, and on the breaking out of a fire he can, by opening the dial and handling the instrument within it in a certain way, communicate instantaneously with the nearest fire station, indicating the street in which the outbreak of fire has occurred.

Sbbtich or Song.—The service of song in connection with St. Paul's Church Young Men's Society was held in the church, Cashel street, last evening. There was a large attendance, the gallery being well filled, as well as the body of the building. The Bev. B. B. M. Sutherland occupied the chair, and opened the proceedings with a few observations touching the objeots of the entertainment and the principles of the association on whose behalf it was given. Associations of the kind were popular elsewhere, and he had no doubt of their ultimate success here. The service of song, with connective readings by Mr F. Cook, then followed, and proved highly successful, the choir having evidently rehearsed very carefully the varied musical selections given under the able conductorship of Mr W. H. Bose. The service, entitled " Eva," illustrated an incident from " Uncle Tom's Cabin," a story with which most persons are well acquainted, and the programme was arranged in a way well calculated to please. Indeed, an opinion was generally expressed that the entertainment was one of the most successful of its kind witnessed in Christchurch.