NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2129, 19 January 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Preparations are being made for St. Mary’s Annual Sunday School festival, which comes off on the Feb, 5, in Mr Green’s paddock, at the top of Elizabeth Street. The teachers commenced collecting this morning, in aid of the festival, and we have no doubt that from the numerous well-wishers of the Sunday School, they will meet with a kind and generous response.

George Smith, one of the workmen precipitated by the fall of saffolding at the Supreme Court buildings, Invercargill on Saturday, died at the hospital on Sunday morning. Another victim of careless and cheap contracting I The Gem Burlesque Company will give an entertainment at the Theatre Royal this evening consisting of a pantomime and comedietta. The name of Mr J. V. Hydes, so deservedly popular, should be in itself sufficient to draw a big house. The mid-day train from Christchurch to Timaru met with a mishap on Saturday. On arriving at South Ilangitata, the engine by some means or other —the fouling of one of the points it is supposed —got off the line, causing considerable delay as the train did not arrive in Timaru for more than an hour after the proper time. A general meeting of the Timaru Harmonic Society takes place to-morrow evening, when the question of admitting the public to the future concerts of the Society will be discussed pro and con.

The Valuation List for the Geraldine Road District is now open for inspection at the Road Board office. Objections must be lodged before Feb. 15 for the Assessment Court, and at the office seven days before the sitting of the Court.

For boxing the ears of an impudent boy named Sawyers a Dunedin man has been fined £3 in default 14 days imprisonment. Sawyers had been stone-throwing and his assailant thrashed him till he was insensible.

Mr London, M.H.R., in a speech delivered at Kaiwaka, said the Government were far more liberal than he expected, and placed £156,000 more than he asked for on the Estimates for North Auckland. He thanked Mr Oliver, and added, that he had come to the conclusion that he was the biggest fool in the House for having voted against the Government. Mr Mclvor, owner of Grey Momus, was brutally assaulted at Cambridge on the race evening, being set upon by several halfdrunken men, knocked down, and brutally kicked. His right arm was broken, and one of his eyes injured. A Wellington volunteer distinguished himself on Saturday afternoon, by missing the target land killing a man. Francis Donald, who was marking at the butts, put up the danger flag, and ran out from the marker’s house just as a shot was fired. The ball struck him, killing him instantaneously. No blame is attributable to any of the Volunteers. Donald is a married man, and leaves a family of young children, A promenader met with a mishap yesterday morning, while strolling along the line of concrete blocks, placed at the southern edge of the breakwater. When near the big crane, he contrived by some means to miss his footing, and fell into the sea ; but was rescued by means of a rope and the assistance of the by-standers, apparently none the worse for his involuntary bath.

Mrs Mary dunes, a passenger by the Arawata, from Melbourne, has been making herself famous in Dunedin. On the day after her arrival she declared she had been robbed in a boarding-house, of £l4 10s, and gave Hugh Henry, a fellow passenger, into custody, for being in her bedroom. Next day she appeared to prosecute in an intoxicated state. In reply to the usual question —“ What is your name'?” she gave several and then inquired of Inspector Mallard what right he had to ask her name. This aroused the indignation of his irritable Worship (Mr I. N. Watt), who said, “I shall dismiss this information, and you can come back when you are sober.” The prosecutrix : “Me sober ! Do you call me drunk ?” His Worship : “ I do.” The prosecutrix : “ You don’t.” His Worship ; “ I think I shall order you to be locked up at once for six hours for coming here in that state.” The prosecutrix : “Me ? ” His Worship : “ Yes.” The women was removed from the box in charge of a constable.

A correspondent in the ‘‘Dunedin Herald” referring to the re-appointment of Mr Caleb Moore, the D.J.C, handioapper, after his dismissal by the stewards, expresses surprise that Mr Moore should forget his dignity so far as to hang on to his position after having forfeited the confidence of the committee, and expresses regret that through his conduct the Dunedin Jockey Club has lost the support of Mr Hazlett, its vice-pre-sident, and one of its best members.

The Rev Lorenzo Moore, of Port Chalmers, one of the oldest and most respected incumbents of the Church of England in the Colonies, has trod accidentally on the corns of an Episcopalian Archdeacon by venturing to hold services in the hall of an edifice that was at one time a Presbyterian church. The following advertisements in a Dunedin paper tell their own tale of clerical intolerance and selfish narrow-minded-ness:—“A Church of England service will be held (God willing) every Sunday morning, at 11 o’clock, in the hall of the Old Knox Church, by the Rev Lorenzo Moore, M.A., commencing on Sunday, Jan. 18. Entrance from Frederick street.” “ Church of England service in Old Knox Church Hall. — With reference to an advertisement which appeared in yesterday’s “ Herald,” with the above heading, and signed Rev Lorenzo Moore, I think it my duty, in the absence of the Bishop, to state that the proposed services have not been sanctioned by him.— E. G. Edwards, Archdeacon. St. Paul’s Parsonage, Jan. 15, 1880.” What would become of our public schools if such clericals as the Yen. Archdeacon Edwards had control of them?

It is no uncommon thing for the laboring classes to strike a light for their pipe on their trousers, but this practice is fraught with great danger. A man named Henry Wilson, of Shields, was returning by the ferry to his home at the close of his day’s work, and he struck a match in the way mentioned, when all of a moment he was enveloped in flames. In little more than a minute all the clothing he had upon him was reduced to ashes and he was dreadfully burnt. With the assistance of the other passengers he was dressed and ta ken to his lodgings, where he lies in a pre carious state His clothes seem to havebeeen saturaedwith chemicals while following his employment. Some flax twine made at Rangoria has been proved to be more suitable for the new string binding machines than the ira ported twine. Advocates of local industry are jubilant over the discovery.

Young Scotts’ walking match at the rink, in Christchurch terminated rather unfortunately on Saturday. The task he had undertaken was to cover 112 miles in 24 hours. In our Saturday’s issue, it was stated that after his 85th mile his feet were blistered, but he was walking pluckily. Just as he had completed his 86th mile, and was increasing the pace, he was suddenly taken with a severe attack of cramp in his right side. Through the uuremittingattention of Austin, his trainer, the lad was enabled to re-appear on the track, again, but as one hour and ten minutes had been lost in the interval, all chance of completing the distance was gone. Scott, however, expressed a strong desire to be allowed to walk the full time, and started again at a slow pace, but lame and apparently very much shaken. Gradually improving, he kept up bravely, when the 24 hours was up, he had completed 103 miles 800 yards. If he had been successful in this attempt Scott had intended to undertake 114 miles in 24 hours at Wellington, and 116 at Dunedin. The present trip is preparatory to a visit to Australia to walk Edwards.

As showing the large amounts that railway companies are liable to through collisions, the case of Phillips v. the London and South Western Railway Company, decided on Nov. 18, is a striking illustration. The plaintiff was a doctor in the enjoyment of a large practice in the West End of London, and whilst travelling on the defendants’ line sustained a severe injury to the spinal cord, causing a partial paralysis of the muscles of the chest, which made it impossible that the plaintiff would ever be able to resume his practice. The case had previously been tried before Mr Justice Field in April last, and £7OO damages was obtained by the plaintiff, but that sum not being considered sufficient he appealed, and the case was argued before Lord Colderidge and special jury, and a verdict given for the plaintiff, with damages amounting to £16,000.

Regarding the famine in Silesia, mentioned several times in our telegrams, the “Mark Lane Express” of Nov. 10 says:— “A Silesian paper gives an appaling account of the situation of the Silesian peasantry as regards this years crops. Owing to the bad weather potatoes have yielded 50 per cent under the average, and corn and roots 80 to 70 per cent under the average. In many places the grain sown has not been regained, and in others the crop was ploughed in and the ground replanted. The cattle market, however, gives extremely low prices. In short, ruin is staring the Silesian agriculturists in the face. More than the producers themselves their laborers suffer, their food being almost exclusively potatoes, cabbage and meal soup, which will fail them just when their employers are least able to keep them working.

The Timaru High School will open on Monday, Feb. 2. The Hydes Burlesque Company appeared at the Odd-fellows’ Hall, Waimate, on Friday last. The performance was good throughout, and the pantomime caused roars of laughter, A special meeting of the Timaru Harmonic Society will he held at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Sophia street, at 8 o’clock tomorrow evening. Lovers of good beer should lose no time in paying a visit to the Clarendon Hotel, where Mr Edwards has now on draught some Tasmanian ale of exceptionally fine quality. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and, during the hot weather, especially, no better drink can be found than this “ Cascade ale ” which, possessing a capital flavour, is as clear as sherry, and as mild as lemonade. — [Anvx.]