NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2045, 13 September 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Benevolent. —At the meeting of the Benevolent Association this morning, general regret was expressed that the public had responded slightly to the appeal for subscriptions. Money is urgently needed to pay off the present liabilities of the committee, which, having been contracted, must be paid. The present is indeed a proper time when people in a more or less state of affluence should relaxe their fiurse strings, R.M. CotTBT.—At this Court this morning F. O. Barrington was fully committed for trial at the Supreme Court on a charge of stealing clothing from a bedroom in the Star and Garter Hotel. F. Haines, a hairdresser’s assistant, also was committed for trial on a charge of stooling hair, cutlery, albums, &0., from the shop of Mr W. Brice, Christchurch, where he was employed. A further similar charge against him for goods stolon from the shop of Mr Ayers, at Lyttelton, was pending when the Court adjourned for luncheon.

Final Kehkaesal. —Wo would call the attention of the members of the Sydenham Amateur Musical Society to the fact that the final rehearsal, previous to the third concert, takes place to-morrow evening at seveno’clock precisely. The Fatal Fibb at Riccaeton. —At the adjournment of the R.M. Court this morning Mr Mellish referred to the melancholy case of Mr and Mrs Windsor, who, by this shocking accident, have not only lost their two children but also all they were possessed of in the world. The man is a respectable, hardworking man, who by persevering industry had just managed to build a house for himself and family. They are now quite destitute, and if there was a case deserving of the consideration of the charitable, it is the present one. The neighbors had supplied their present wants, and the Rev. Mr Turrell, of Upper Riccarton, would thankfully receive any contributions for the purpose of setting the poor people on their way in life again. He hoped a liberal response would be made to the appeal. Railway Matters. —Nearly all the railway employes have signed the circular in the affirmative, and continue work. A few hands in the fitting department have determined not to accept the reduced rate of wages, and consequently have left the railway service.

The Cabmen and the Tramway. — The tramway officials in charge of the tram car running to and from the railway, have evidently determined not to be entrapped by the cabmen into being “ ehut in ” in front of the railway station, and instead of running in alongside of the elation footpath wisely stop short of the cab rank, the shunting being done at the High street end of Manchester street. Sr. John’s Church, Rangioba. —The committee appointed .to carryout the arrangements for holding a tea meeting and entertainment to help to liquidate the present heavy debt on the church, have altered the date of such meeting to October 19th, that it may not clash in any way with a similar meeting announced to be hold by the Presbyterian Church committee. Hereford street Mill Bridge. —The work of stripping the east end of this bridge has resulted m showing the piles to be in a very decayed state, so much eo that the wonder is that the heavy traffic was sustained so long without any accident. It is intended to complete this portion of the bridge first, the work of receiving and dispatching grain and flour being carried on at the west end of the structure, which in turn will be re-built.

Accident in Gloucester Street.— About 3.40 on Saturday afternoon a serious accident happened at the corner of Gloucester and Colombo streets. Mr Paul Von Neck was riding a horse which was somewhat unmanageable, and rearing up, it threw its rider, breaking one of his ribs. The horse plunged its foot into a perambulator containing a little child of Mr William Porter, Knightstown, slightly grazing the little one’s head. In the upset the child foil on the pavement and the horse continued its way with the perambulator encumbering it, but the passers-by soon secured it and prevented further harm ensuing. The child is but slightly hurt. Mysterious Discovery at Sydenham.— On the afternoon of the Bth September a laborer named Thomas Noonan, whilst digging a hole in the garden of Mr Simon Frazer, at Sydenham, came upon a box in the shape of a eofllo about three feet below the surface. The box was taken possession of by Detective Neill, and found to contain the body of an infant. The top of the box (which was made of deal or white pine) was rotted away. It had iron handles, one at each end, similar to those placed on a coffin. The sox of the body cannot be ascertained, owing to the decomposed state of the latter. Up to the present no clue has boon obtained to the mystery or to the parents of the child. An inquest will be held at the Clarendon Hotel on Wednesday next at three o’clock. The Irish Pilgrim:.—-Mr J. P. Armstrong, better known as the Irish Pilgrim, will give his unique and humorous entertainments in Christchurch during the week. This gentleman, who comes from Dunedin, brings with him no moan reputation of his entertaining powers.

Lowbb Hbathcoth Racing Club.—A very large meeting of the membera of the Lower Heathooto Racing Olub was held at the Lower Heathcote Library on Thursday evening last, to pass the draft rules drawn out by the committee appointed for that purpose. The rules were passed and ordered to be printed, after which the ground committee gave their report, which was that the racing ground had been formed and seed sown, and that the contractor had finished his work well. A committee was appointed to draw out a programme of the club’s meeting, which will be hold on Boxing Day, and to bring it forward at the next general meeting. A number of new members were elected, and several proposed for election, after which the meeting adjourned. Beitish Losses in Afghanistan.— A return has been issued showing the numbers killed, died of disease, and invalided in each of the three armies operating beyond the Indus in the late campaign in Afghanistan, from the date of the advance beyond our frontier into the Khybar Pass, up to the return across the Indus of the regiments ordered back at the close of operations in the field. There were killed in action four European officers, one native officer and 60 men ; 19 European officers, 14 native officers and 1143 men died of disease; 33 European officers, 17 native officers and 1885 men were invalided. The total less was thus 56 European officers, 32 native officers and 3088 men. This number must have been greatly increased since.

Tub Member for Waikouaiti.—The “ Palmerston Times ” says :—“ It is rumored with what color of truth wo cannot eay, that tho member for the Waikouaiti (Patriot, Mr George M'Lean, contemplates making a trip home, and that ho intends resigning his seat in the House of Representatives, and consequently severing hia connection, politically, with the district.”

European Barbarity. —ln its narrative of tho summary execution of a deserter from the Queensland native police force the “ Queenslander ” says:—“Tho wretched victim of European barbarity had deserted, and for the offence was to suffer death. To add to tho horror of his fate, his tormentors first fastened him to Ins gin by manacles round each of their ankles, and then shot him dead. The terror of tho unfortunate wife almost paralysed her, but she was compelled to drag the corpse of her husband into the scrub, where it was left with only tho leaves to cover it.” Diorama of tub Asif.eican War.— Thompson’s diorama of the American War was exhibited in the Town Hall, Ashburton, last Friday and Saturday evenings to good houses. Lieutenant Herman, tho well-known ventriloquist, acted as lecturer, and also gave an exhibition of his ventriloquial powers. The diorama will bo exhibited in Christchurch on the 27th inst.

Sepion. —The Carandinis appeared here on Thursday evening in the Town Hall. There was a fair attendance, and ell the items wore well received. “For She's Fooling Thee,” “ Matrimonial Misunderstandings,” “ Hunting Tower,” “The Gloaming,” and “The Merry Gipsies,” the company received well deserved encores, to which they good-naturedly responded. A Remarkable Case.—lt will be remembered that some time since a man named Henry Alexander, then in the employ of Sir Oracroft Wilson, sustained an exceedingly severe concussion of the brain, and a moat difficult surgical operation had to be performed upon his skull. Little hope was at first entertained of hie living through so trying an ordeal, but ho now appears to be in a fair way to recover. A.0.F., Kaxatoi. — A meeting of persons interested in forming a Court of this Order was held on Friday evening. Mr R. Woodford, P.0.R., presided, and explained the principles and objects of the Order. Twenty persons signed an application for a dispensation for opening a Court. The first meeting of the new Court, for initiation of members, &c., will be conducted by the district officers on Thursday next.

Kaiapoi Weslexan Organ Recital. — On Friday evening a full rehearsal of the programme to bo carried out at the concert in aid of the funds towards the erection of this organ was given in the Wesleyan Chapel. The South Belt Cabstand. —The proposals of the Tramway Company and the cabmen with reference to the respective stands opposite the railway station will bo considered by the City Council at its ordinary weekly meeting to-night. A Hew Line buoy. —The Adelaide papers thus describe a new life-buoy that is on board the Garonne, French ahit;, recently arrived there from Maryport :—“ On board the ship Garorno there is a box fitted abaft the steering gear, containing a deep-sea lead-line on a spindle. The end is fastened to a cork life buoy, which is instantly available for throwing overboard should an alarm be given. It has vanes to steady it, and life-lines which spread out from it for many feet. In fact, if the helm of a vessel were put down, and the buoy thrown overboard at the same time, the line would hardly be spun off the barrel before the vessel was stopped. The whole apparatus is of a simple description, and commends itself to maritime observers ra being a valuable adjunct to life-saving gear.”

Sydenham Borough Council. —The fortnightly meeting of the above will be held at seven o’clock this evening.

Girls’ High School. —This school reopens to-morrow for the last term of the present yoar.

City Council. —The usual weekly meeting of the City Council will bo held this evening, when there are several important matters for discussion. Acknowledgement. —The master of the Burnham Industrial School acknowledges receipt of the following sums towards the harmonium fluid:—E. Cookaon, .tills; W. S. Ring and Co., .£1 Is ; L. M. Heywood, £L

Sunday-school Centenary.—We have received a copy of a little work entitled “ Proceedings of the Sunday-school Centenary Celebration, Christchurch.” The volume, which is a faithful record of the centenary services, contains many useful hints for Sunday-school workers, and is well worth a shilling—at which price it has been issued. Woolston Oddfellows’ Hall. — The re-opening of the above hall, after its re-decora-tion, which has been carried out by Mr E. Briggs, will be celebrated tomorrow by a dramatic and musical entertainment. The performance will bo for the benefit of Mr Briggs, who has already won for himself the reputation of a painstaking and clever scenic artist. The a:t drop, which is a sunset view on the River Ganges, has been very wsll painted, and the hall has also been well stocked with scenery.

For the first time in 58 years it is now legal to smoke on the streets of Boston. It is reported in an American journal that a stallion called Morgan Black Hawk is still living at Milton, Delaware, thirty-seven years old, and that a number of his colts near by are over twenty-five years old. The last decade shows the annual suicides per million inhabitants to be :—Saxony, 300 ; Denmark, 280 ; Wurtomberg, 180 ; Mecklenberg, 167 ; Baden, 156 ; Prussia, 133 ; Austria, 122; Bavaria, 103 ; Sweden, 81; Belgium, 73 ; and Norway, 40. In the British Parliament the Dissenters are more numerous than at any time since the Commonwealth. There are 25 Independents, 5 Jews, 5 Baptists, 9 Wesleyans, 29 Presbyterians, 48 Irish Roman Catholics, 16 Quakers, and 1 Bradlaugh. The Lord Mayor has consented, at the request of Admiral Ryder, to open a fund at the Mansion House for the relief of sufferers by the loss of the Atalanta. Lord North brook, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and Mr W. H. Smith, have each subscribed £IOO towards the fund.

The strata in the “ Windy Stretch ” section of the St. Gothard Tunnel are composed of a calcareous aluminous schist, which has a great affinity for moisture, and swells enormously on exposure to the air. If a tunnel were made through Mont Blanc, 3000 metres of similar material would have to be pierced and vaulted.

Mr Benjamin Constant, the painter, is at work on a panorama representing “ Golgotha.” It will be exhibited at Paris, at London, and in America, Mr Roll is also in treaty with an American company, which offers him SOO.OOOir. to paint an immense panorama of the fight between the Alabama and the Koaraage. The Latin taught in the schools of New York is so interspersed with tight lacing, banged hair, and love ballade, that it cannot bo said to bo of any value to pupils. Au observant Frenchman says—l have seen women of all countries. An Italian does not believe she is loved by her lover unless he is capable of committing a crime for her, an Englishwoman an extravagance, and a Frenchwoman a folly.

The Ends' Thereof. —This is the season of the year when the small boy goeth to the barber, end winkoth at him and saith—“ Cut off the ends of my hair.” And behold, the barber cuttoth off the hair and leaveth the ends.—“ New Haven Register.”