NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2155, 21 January 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Maqistbate’s Ooxtet, Lyttelton, —At this Court this morning, before Mr J, Beswiok, 8.M., and Mr T. H. Potts, J.P., on the application of the police, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Samuel Northey, The following civil case was disposed of:—T. W. Parkinson v Wevery, claim £l2 la 9d j judgment by default and costs.

Canteebuey Fifteen.—The match committee met last evening, and selected the following to play for Canterbury in the ensuing match against the Australian Eleven. Messrs D, Ashby, W. Beard, O. O. Oorfe, E. J. Ootterill, B. Fowler, O. Frith, W. Frith, E. T. A. Fuller, J. F. Hartland, W. B. Leach, A. M. Ollivier (captain), A. T. Eedmayne, W. P. Reeves, H. H. Seoretan and Watson, Mr Reeves has been suffering from a slight sprain in the wrist, and it is understood that if, upon resuming practice, the committee do not consider him sufficiently recovered to play in the match, his place will be taken probably by Mr J. Fowko, The above team is very strong in bowling, batting and fielding, and should acquit themselves with credit even against the redoubtable Australian Eleven. Practice will be continued every evening as usual.

Thb New Native Mihisteb.—lt will be observed from our Wellington correspondent’s telegram this morning that the Hon. Mr Bolleston has been permanently appointed as Native Minister and Minister for Defence.

Pbopbbtt at Lyttelton.—Yesterday a quarter of an acre of land with improvements upon it, consisting of a six-roomed house and one of two rooms, was sold by Mr J. B. Willcox at auction for £6OO. At the same sale the old Albion Hotel building on the northwest corner of London and Dublin streets was knocked down for £4O. A stylish brick edifice is to be substituted in its place, whe-ever the ancient hostelry is removed.

The Colonial Tbbastjebb.—The Hon. Major Atkinson left for the South yesterday. During his stay in Christchurch the hon. gentleman has inspected the principal manufactories and local industries, and expressed himself as highly gratified with what ho saw. On Wednesday he visited Mr Howland’s carriage factory, and seemed pleased with the work turned out, and also with the prices charged for such work at the present time. Boabd or Oonseevatobs.—The South Waimakariri Board of Conservators mot yesterday. The first question discussed was the letting of the reserves, and the result was that the matter was referred to the works committee. The chairman brought up the subject of the encroachment of the river at Ohaney’e corner and the groyne at Stewort’e Gully. The report of the works committee was read, suggesting that no steps should be taken at present in the matter. Tenders ’for office accommodation and offers for the secretaryship were opened and considered and referred to a committee.

Sly Qeog Shops. —The local paper alleges that thirty-two sly grog-shops exist in Oamaru, and calls on the police to pay periodical visits to some of them. Potato Floue. —Mr 0. F. Barker, in a letter to the “Patea Mail,” advocates the manufacture of potato flour in various shapes for export. He proposes the erection of a mill at Patea for pulping and purifying all the potatoes that can be grown in this splendid root district, and exporting the refined product in barrels to sell in England as farina.

A COBMOBANT. —Within the past few days there was shot at Wainui-o-mata, a shag containing ten young fish, measuring from two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half inches in length. This is a powerful argument in favor of the destruction of shags, and though they may not bo the best of practice, yet sportsmen in destroying them will have the satisfaction of knowing that they are performing a good work.

A Livb Bat trap. —The “ New Zealand Times” has the following:—A rat in a peculiarly perplexing predicament was espied in one of the stringers of the Queen’s Wharf on Saturday. The unlucky rodent, on forag ing expedition intent, bad espied one among the multitude of mussels clustered on the timbers with its shells invitingly open, and scenting within a toothsome tit bit thrust its paw in. The bivalve instantly closed, and the rat was a prisoner bard and fast, with no hope of release. Its plaintive squeakings soon drew attention, and an onlooker took his ratship by the tail and performed the hasty des patch by knocking its head against the planks.

An Exteaobdinary Landslip. —A landslip of an extraordinary character has occurred at Wharncliffe Side, near Oughtibridge, Sheffield. The entire side of a hill has slipped down about three feet towards the river, carrying five houses along with it. Three of the houses are unfinished, but the occupants of the other two have experienced no inconvenience from their removal. The highway has also been shifted, and has been slightly bent ont of its proper direction. It is stated that some quarrymen in the course of their work “ tapped ” several springs, and it is thought the water, percolating between the rock and the shale, baa occasioned the landslip, which has occurred very gradually. The hill Is now thought to have come to a standstill, without any damage whatever having been done.

Cool. —The “ New Zealand Times ” of Wednesday says:—“Odd applications occasionally come before the Benevolent Institution, and not one of the least singular was discussed yesterday afternoon. A sailor who had sent his wife out to New Z-aland, ‘just to read her a lesson,’ as he expressed it, and who hod evidently not been always on good terms with her, wrote stating that he had sailed from London to Sydney, by the ship British Enterprise, with a view of rejoining his wife. As, however, ho had shipped for the return voyage to London as well, it would be necessary for her to go to Sydney, claim him, and thus get his discharge. The wife accordingly applied to the society for her passage money, but the committee considered that it would not be right for them to lend themselves to an evident ruse to enable the man to desert his ship, and refused the application.

MagibtbbiaXi Dignity. — A wood and coal merchant, who was summoned at the Wellington Eesident Magistrate’s Court the other day for allowing his horse to wander at largo in Tory street, attended en deshabille. He appeared with his shirt sleeves rolled up, thus baring his “ broad and sinewy arms,” while his lace was illustrated with a series of grimy patches, suggestive of a too close acquaintance with the dusky diamonds in which he deals. Mr Shaw, R.M., enquired, “ Haven’t you got a coat ?” Considering the inefficient acoustic properties of the Court, it is not to be wondered at, remarks the “Post,” that the defendant understood hie Worship to enquire if ho posEeesed a colt, and though, like Capt. Corcoran, striving hard to catch at what Mr Shaw woa driving, promptly replied that he hadn’t. “ Not got a coat ?” almost shrieked the Magistrate in evident surprise. “A coat H Ah, I thought you said a colt. Oh yes, I’ve got a coat,” said the defendant. “Then,” sharply remarked Mr Shaw, “ the next time you come to Court see that you put it on and make yourself look respectable.” He was fined la and costs.

Ohubch: Pxctaos.—A special train from port was engaged yesterday morning taking the children belonging to the Sabbath School of Holy Trinity Ohnroh, Lyttelton, on their annual picnic to a paddock near Hillsborough. The anperintendent of the school, Mr A. Joyce, assembled the children at the schoolhouse at 9 o’clock, and formed them into marching order, headed by the Lyttelton drum and fife band, who played some excellent music as the happy-looking party proceeded to the railway station. The steamer Aharoa had a few minutes before left the wharf for Rhodes’ Bay with a similar freight from St. John’s Presbyterian Church Sabbath School, under Superintendent Fyfe. Thee Spues.—This mode of diverting rivers from their tendency to wear away their banks, as explained and illustrated in Mr O’Oonnor’s report on the bridge over the Oreti, neap Winton, seems so efficient and economical a means of doing so that we (“Southland Times ”) think it ought to be generally known to public bodies and also our country friends, who have sometimes to fight small battles of their own with the refractory streams in their neighbourhooa. Piles or stakes are driven into the bed of the stream on a line at an angle of 45deg. down stream to the bank, and at suitable distances apart. These need not project much above the bed of the river. Behind these, on a parallel line, and at a distance suitable to the length of the_ trees to be employed, another line of piles is driven. These must be of sufficient height to give a fall of about 1 in 2 to the trees, and along the tops of them a stout beam or stringer is firmly secured. The trees from which the device takes its name are cut of such a length that with their branches, they shall reach from the stringer to the outer or “ anchor ” row of piles They are laid as close as possible, with their butts resting on the stringer, and their tops on the bed of the stream close to the anchor pihs. When in position they thus resemble a lean-to roof, and, it is evident, must form an excellent and easily constructed obstruction to the flow of a stream in flood. To make all secure chains of sths diameter are passed round the anchor piles and stretched taut to the stringer of the back row. It seems probable that such _ a structure would speedily be filled_ up in its interstices with silt and gravel carried into it by floods. A Youthful Robbeb. —One more addition to the juvenile Jack Sheppards of Wellington has to be recorded, information having been given to the police authorities of a young lad having robbed his uncle, a resident in Taranaki street. The latter, instead of patronising

a banking establishment, or keeping his moneyin the proverbial “ long-stocking,” preferred to stow it away between the mattresses of his bed. How his nephew became acquainted with the hiding-place is not known, but at any rate as we (“New Zealand Times ” ) are informed, this precocious youth of _ eleven summers abstracted a purse containing £2O (ten ponnds in notes and the rest in gold) and quietly left by the Botomafcana for a trip down South, The indignant uncle found out his loss, and placed the matter in the hands of Detective Ohrystul, who will doubtless take steps to arrest the Young Bake's Progress. The boy is stated to have robbed his confiding uncle last year in the same way of £3, so that it would seem high time that his thievish career was out short.

Peach Pbesbbttnq.—The peach preserving industry has rapidly increased at the Thames. Orders have been received from the extreme parte of the South, and Mr Hudson has been visiting numerous parties making them offers to purchase their crops. So successful has been the enterprise, that between thirty and forty tons will be required this season to meet the growing demand.