NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2221, 9 April 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Tramway.—Our Sydenham friends will be glad to hear that the Tramway Company have decided to make the experiment of extending to this important borough the same privilege as that now and for some time past enjoyed by the inhabitants in the Papanui district of running a late train on Friday nights after the performances at our places of amusement. The train will leave Cathedral square not earlier than eleven o'clock, and the experiment will commence on Friday night next and continue for three weeks. If sufficient encouragement is by that time given, the service will then be made permanent. We are glad to recognise the evident desire of the company to consolt the comfort and convenience of the public. To Encourage the Others.—This morning, at the Resident Magistrate's Court, the Bench sent to prison, to be kept at hard labor for three months each, four of those wretched creatures and intolerable nuisances, youthful prostitutes, of whom a great number infest the streets. They were brought up under the Vagrancy Act, and this is the first time that a crying evil has been vigorously dealt with. If other similar oases are dealt with in the same manner Christchurch will soon be purged of a long-standing scandal, Methodism.—The Eev. J. Ward, who has been appointed minister of the Primitive Methodist Church in this city, will commence his work in the Cambridge terrace church, to-morrow. Speaking of his work in Dunedin, whence Mr Ward has just come, the " Otago Daily Times" says he has succeeded in building five Primitive Methodist Churches dnring the past five years in that city. Ships Signalled.—Two ships reported from Lyttelton to be in sight from the South, are supposed to be the Garelock from London and the Centurion, from Port Chalmers.

AruivaLOf Racehorses.—By the Wanaka, there arrived yesterday, from Picton, Mr Westmacott’a Frailty and Mr Redwood's Norseman and Dolphin, for the Autumn Meeting. Canterbury Coursing Club.—Attention fe called to an advertisement in another column respecting the closing of the Derby and Oaks on Monday next.

Colonial Grown Tobacco.—A very good specimen of the variety known as the Virginia tobacco may be seen at Mr Chudley’s shop, Colombo street South, bearing leaves 19 inches long and 12 inches across. The plant is about 6 feet high, and is in full bloom. The Virginian is ranked amongst the best tobaccos for manufacturing, R.M. Court Ashburton. —At the above Court yesterday a man named Brennan, who had on the previous day been let off with a fine of Is on condition that ho would mend his way, was brought up on a charge of being drunk and disorderly, and fined 10s or the usual alternative.

Lyttelton Wesleyan Church.—The anniversary services in connection with the Lyttelton Wesleyan Church Sunday School are to be held, commencing The morning service in the Church will be in aid of the canse, and a special children's service is to be held in the afternoon. Next Thursday the tea meeting and public meeting, as in previous years are to be held. Southern Cross Masonic Lodge.—Finding the present hall somewhat limited for the transaction of regular, as well as extraordinary business, it has been proposed to consider the question of the erection of a new hall on the site which has been purchased recently for that purpose. A committee of the brethren has been formed to consider and report upon the whole question with a view to obtaining the desired result. Cheese Shipment from the Ellesmere District. —The Banks' Peninsula Association are not the only ones to venture on a shipment of cheese to England, as several of the best dairy farmers in this district are also shipping by the Oruri. 4i tons have been forwarded to Lyttelton by Mr John McLachlau and Mr William Jamieson; and ; as the above makers are celebrated for their cheese, there is no doubt that it will tarn oat well. Should it do so, it is probable that the farmers will form themselves into an association something similar to that on Banks' Peninsula.

Mr Cathcart* Benefit.—As will bo seen by advertisement elsewhere, Mr J. F. Cathcart will take his benefit on Monday evening next, at the Theatre Royal. The programme is a very attractive one, comprising ns it does something to suit all tastes. Added to this, Mr Cathcart, by his excellent acting and thoroughly artistic impersonations of all the characters he has appeared in daring the season, has most deservedly won the good opinion of all playgoers. It is to be hoped that the benefit will be a substantial one, and of such a character as will abundantly testify to Mr Cathcart the high esteem and appreciation in which ho ia held by Christchurch theatre goers.

Carlton School Committee.—A meeting of the above school committee was held in the schoolroom on the 4th. Present—Messrs H. Engelbrecht (chairman), J. Sknrr, |H. Little , H. I>. Dorhmann, B. H. Carter, and W. W. Webb. It was resolved that the committee vote for Mr B. S. Higgins, of Cust, for the vacant seat on the Hoard. The question of bringing: the compnlsoiy danse of the Act into force in the district in consequence of the namber of children being kept from school, was discussed, and it was decided to communicate with the Board on the matter. It was resolved to have the children examined for the district prizes at an early date. The annual entertainment was tixed for April I9th.

Accidentally Smothered. —An inqnest was held in New street yesterday on the body of an infant named John Kennedy, son of Anthony Kennedy, carpenter." It appeared from the evidence that the child had been accidentally overlaid by his mother during the night, and the jury returned a verdict accordingly.

Lincolh.— The usual monthly mooting of the Lincoln school committee was held on Monday evening, April 4th. Present—Messrs Eevell (chairman), Wolfe, Meyonbcrg, Geddes, and Taylor. Correspondence was read from the secretary to the Board of Education on several unimportant matters. The usual monthly report of attendance from the head teacher was read, showing the average for the ;rtsf month to have been—Boys G 3, girls 52.2 ; total, 116.2, or 83 per cent. Number on roll—Boys 79, girls 63; total, 142. Application was made for use of schoolroom for a Druid concert, &c., on April 22nd, also for permission to erect cupboards for use of Masonic and of Druid lodges in the infants’ room. Both applications were granted. Eesolved —" That Mr E. J. Lee be elected to fill the vacancy in the Board of Education.” ‘‘That the usual Easter week holiday be granted.” Several minor matters were attended to, and an account for £2 was passed for payment. Tub Druids.— The Lyttelton Hearts of Oak Lodge held their usual fortnightly meeting on Thursday evening, at the Foresters’ Hall, Lyttelton. Two candidates were initiated, and three proposed for membership. A report was read from the banquet committee that all arrangements were made with Mr McDonald, Canterbury Hotel, for the spread next Thursday. A great many tickets have been disposed of, and no donbt a large number will be present from the sister lodges. The lodge was closed in due form by the A.D., Bro. Gillies.— The usual fortnightly meeting of the Star of Anglesea Lodge was held on Tuesday last, Bro. D. Broom, A.D., presiding. There was a good attendance of brethren present, and a considerable amount of business transacted. With reference to the forthcoming Druidic concert, it was announced that several ladies and gentlemen had kindly promised their services, and it was resolved thatapplication be made to the Pioneer and Ethelbert Lodges for the nso of their regalia, collars, and crooks, Ac., for the Druidic tableaux. Arrangements were made for a cricket match with the Pioneer Lodge on Easter Monday. Resolved — “ That the lodge pay an official visit to the Ethelbert Lodge on the 12th inst.” Two new members were proposed. The lodge was closed by the A.D, in duo form.

Akaroa. —Our Akaroa correspondent writes — For the past week the excitement among the dairy farmers hoe run high, and great has been the request for timber and carpenters, while cheese has been the leading topic in conversation. Various modes have been adopted in the way of packing, each member using his own ideas as to what shape cases the cheese will carry in best. The round cases seem to be most in favor. Every care has been taken in the way of packing, and it will not be the farmers* fault if the experiment is not a success. Success means a grand future for nearly every one on Banks* Peninsula, while a failure simply means for a good many very little short of ruin, as the present prices of dairy produce cannot possibly give anyone a living unless they have large holdings. Another good thing that will accrue from the produce sent to England is that it will be sold on its merits, a thing which has not hitherto been done in Akaroa, at any rate. All cheese has been one uniform price, and those farmers who made and sold butter previous to making their cheese realised the same prices as those who put the cream in—one great evil which should be remedied in onr colonial markets as soon as possible. It is certain that if our cheese can be placed in the. Home market in good condition the only thing that will keep down the price is its quality, and cheesemakers must see to it, that if they wish to make butter it must not come from their cheese, or the price of that butter will certainly bo deducted in the London market. The Nyctagraph. —Mr Elphinstone Eoe, telegraph line inspector in Western Australia, has applied for a patent in South Australia (the “ Register ** states) protecting what promises to he a very useful invention. It is a system of signalling either by day or night, and the instrument or apparatus by which the work is done he calls a nyctagraph. By day the signalling is effected with colored flags, and at night by lights of two distinct colors, so arranged as to form the letters of the Morse code, at present in use in the Telegraph department. The inventor states that ships will be enabled to spell ont everything they require, and that everything at present transmitted by telegraph can be sent by the nyctagraph. Its superiority over all other semaphore signals is the ease with which it is worked, being simplicity itself, an amateur being able to transmit and send as well as an expert. He considers that it will snpersedo the telephone, as within ten miles telegraph communication can be carried on at a very small expense—that it will be of service to merchants living out of town and wishing to bo posted in news during the night. As a scientific toy alone much amusement will be afforded by the nyctagraph, as persons with only a toy instrument will be enabled to chat with their friends a few milos distant at leisure; but the most important of its uses will he in lighthouses, which can each write every few seconds the initials of its own name, and thereby prevent the many accidents that happen through mistaking one lighthouse for another. By day it will do away, Mr Eoe believes, with the whole of the present signal flag code, as only two distinct flags are required to spell everything. A printed code on a card can be supplied with each instrument. The English mail steamer, with a nyctagraph on board, could send in passing 1000 or 1200 words of news, instead of, as now, being only reported, when passing at night, as a large steamer supposed to be the P. and O. or Orient Co.'s. Patents have been applied for in the other colonies and in Great Britain and America. Agricultural ahd Pastoral Association. —The monthly meeting of the general committee was held yesterday afternoon. Present—Mr J. E. Hill, president (in the chair), Messrs W. Boag, P. Cunningham, Money, E. Sutherland, W. Henderson, T. Bruce, J. Mann, W. Norman, John Gebbie, Mcßeath, and Murray-Aynsley. After disposing of the preliminary business, the Chairman referred to the exportation of cheese, as a subject commanding some attention at the present time, and S reduced a list of prices quoted from the Army and avy Association, which he laid npon the table for the information of members. A letter was read from the secretary of the Canterbury Athletic Club, asking for a refund of the amount paid by the club for the use of the ground at their recent meeting. After consideration, it was resolved that the Association could not entertain the request. It was decided to refund to Mr Murphy the amount of his expenses on the occasion of his trip South, which was undertaken on behalf of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. The election of committees for tue ensuing term vas the next business, resulting as follows: Finance committee — Messrs Norman, Cunningham, Ford, Money, Bruce, and Anderson, junior: ground committee —Messrs INorman, Ford, Bruce, Maun, J. Fergnssou, and E. Wilkin; ram fair committee —Messrs E. Wilkin, Mann, Grigg, McHraith, Norman, Gebbie, Boag; revision of catalogue committee—Messrs Boag, Anderson, McHraith, Sutherland, Murray-Aynsley, Bruce, Fergnsson, J. T. Ford, and Peter Cnnninghom; editing committee— The Hon. John Hall, E. Wilkin, Norman, T. H. Cox, J. T. Ford, W. E. Ivey; ‘‘Draught Stud Book ** committee—Messrs Wilkin, Walls, Boag, Holly, and Money. With regard to the revision of the rules, it was explained by the chairman that notice required to be given of such a question in accordance with the Act, and a committee was appointed to consider the rules in connection with the Act to ascertain what alterations were necessary, and to report thereon, the committee being authorised to call in such legal assistance as might appear to them necessary. Mr Boag drew attention to the fact that the original intention of the committee as to the wording of the name-plate on the frame of Mr Gould's picture had not been carried out. He gave notice of motion for having a now plate, on which the alteration should be made referring to Mr Gould, the second president of the association, as “ one of its greatest benefactors.** Notice of motion was given by Mr Brace to change the day of meeting, Friday being extremely inconvenient for the president; and Mr Money gave notice that he would move at next meeting in the direction of improving the light horse exhibition at the Metropolitan Snow. Accounts to the amount of £SB 17s 2d were passed for payment. This was all the business.

Ik a Bad Wat.—The Dunedin City Council's present overdraft is £9928 7s Id, and its debit balance against all accounts, after providing for contracts. Ax., £15,849, This docs not include claims for compensation, which have been estimated to amount to £IO,OOO. Preserved Earbits.—We (“Southland Times’’) learn that the meat preserving works at Woodlands are now in operation canning rabbits, having received promise of a sufficient supply to warrant a start being made. The time during which the works will be kept running will depend entirely on the daily supply being kept np by the rabbiters. The price paid by the company is 4d each, for good full-grown rabbits, delivered in good condition at Woodlands. It is also a fact, wo believe, that the cost of tinning each rabbit is about Gd, thus giving a return of money to the district in the shape of wages, &0., of about lOd per bead. It is to bo hoped those interested in the killing part of the business will endeavor to keep np the- supply regularly ns long as possible. What Coced it Have Beeh.—A most extraordinary occurrence (says the "Inangahna Times”) is reported to us as having occurred at Soldiers’ Gully, near Eeefton. It appears that on Sunday evening last, two men named Brown and Gibson were returning home from Eeefton to their hut in Soldiers Gully, and when abont half a mile from the Grey road they saw ahead of them what at first appeared to be a small shrub on fire. As they approached it, however, it assumed the appearance of a ball of blneish fire passing slowly over the bush at a height of five or six feet from the ground. As the luminous appearance passed the travellers, one of them, Gibson, was struck by the body on the side of the head with such violence as te render the man almost insensible, and the light then vanished. The sufferer managed to crawl home, but for some hours was in snob agony that his mate was several times on the point of leaving for medical assistance. In the course of the night, however, the man recovered. Strange to say, no mark of any kind was caused by the contact.

Mr Edward Whymper has returned to England from his expedition to South America, in the course of which he ascended many of the loftiest mountains in Ecuador, and is now engaged in preparing an account of his experience.

American cotton belting is now, it appears, obtaining more appreciation in England. Mr Kirkaldy, the well known expert, has made some tests recently, and has found that a 3Jin cotton belt broke under a load of 42871 b, while an English leather belt 4in wide was broken ot 2CKX)Ib. There are now twenty-two starch factories in full blast in Aroostook county, Me. Each one of these factories requires from 1500 to 2000 bushels of potatoes a day, and as they intend to run ninety days this season, the total quantity of potatoes used will reach about 3,000,000 bushels. The factories have boon paying 20 cents a bushel for the potatoes, an unusually low figure, but oven at this price the farmers of that section would receive a revenue of 600,000 dole, from this one source. Some have fields of forty acres devoted exclusively to potatoes, and the crop has been known to yield os high as 400 bushels to the acre. The factories take both large and small, but the farmers plant the large variety principally, and potatoes weighing one pound and three-quarters are frequently seen in the bins.