NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2150, 10 February 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mr J. Bull, successor to Mr Hawley, officer in charge of the Timaru Telegraph Station, arrived from the North yesterday.

The Primitive Methodist tea-meeting takes place this evening at (i o’clock, at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Barnard street, and the public meeting takes place immediately after, during which the children will sing some hymns and will also recite some very appropriate pieces, the meeting will also be addressed by several ministers. The following intestate estates were placed in the hands of the Public Trustee during the month of .January last: Thomas Thompson, Timaru, estate valued at under £SO; John Landers Watt, Timaru, estate valued at under £100; and William Willis, Timaru, estate valued at under £lO.

The annual “ Register of Medical Practitioners Registered in New Zealand,” just issued, gives the names of 825 gentlemen practising in this colony.

The new surf boat built to the order of the Government Landing Service arrived from the Canterbury Foundry, Christchurch, on Sunday, per special train. The new boat is strongly built, and being larger than any boat hitherto employed by the service, should make a useful addition. It is expected that she will be able to cany 180 sacks of wheat.

A London paper says : —“ A man who had stolen a purse out of a lady’s back pocket while she was looking into a shop window in St. Paul’s Churchyard, and was captured after a chase by two detective officers, made, it appeared by the evidence, a most touching appeal to his captors to let him go. 1 They might,’ he said, ‘ kill him if they liked. He had spent 17 years in prison, and the police would not give him a chance to live. There were 10 detectives to one thief in the city now, and there was no chance for a thief at all.’ He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour, and certainly deserved his jnmishment. If ladies, however, will put their purses into their back jacketpocket, and pensively gaze at the articles exhibited for sale in the shop windows, it is not surprising that they are robbed, and it is hard on the ratepayers that a freak of fashion should render necessary the employment of a host of detectives, whose strength might otherwise be greatly reduced.”

At a recent trial in a Justice’s Court, a prominent saloonist was called as a witness. Upon being sworn one of the attorneys in the case said, “Mr S., where is your place of business?” “ What for you ask me such foolish dings! You drink at my blace more as a hundred dimes.” “ That has nothing to do with the case, Mr S., state to the jury where your place of business is.” “De shury! de shiny. Oh, by jiminy. Efery shentleman on dis shury has a string of marks on my cellar door shust like a rail fence.” His Honor here interposed on behalf of the counsel, and in a calm and dignified manner requested the witness to state the place of his business. “ Oh, excuse me, your Honor—you drinks at my blace so many dimes and pays me notings. I dinks you very well knows where I keep mine blace.”

A Melbourne paper commenting on the fact that Mr Justice Barry is sensitive to gentlemen of the bar appearing at the bar table without wig or gown says ;—“ Judges however, like doctors differ. The following is from the law report of the “Argus” of Feb 19, 18o(>: ‘ Upon his Honor taking his seat, addressing the bar, he observed that upon a day like the present it was well to observe that wigs were made for men and not men for wigs, he intended to dispense with his own, and any of the learned counsel were at liberty to do the same with theirs. At the same time he did not wish to interfere with the liberty of the subject, if as one learned counsel suggested, it was more convenient to wear the wig. His Honor at once set the example of common sense and comfort, and dispensed with his headdress for the remainder of the day.’ The learned judge was the late Chief Justice .v’Beckett.” Mahon, a night prowler, who has been frightening the unprotected females of Gisborne, was sentenced yesterday to three months’ imprisonment. On the sentence being given, the prisoner’s wife, a young and pretty woman, with a baby in her arms, gave way to uncontrollable grief, and swooned at the Courthouse door.

Among the arrivals by the Rotorua from Melbourne, is Arthur Sketchier, the London humourist. He commences his entertainment at Invercargill, and travels northwards.

The Theatre Royal and Stone Store in Main South Road have changed hands, Mr Moss Jonas being the new proprietor.

It is rumored that Dr Lemon is likely to be ordered by the Government to cause the fines imposed against certain experts in the Telegraph Department to be remitted. JJnless this is done an enquiry into the whole of the circumstances connected with the strike is to be demanded immediately Parliament assembles.

The wrecking expedition, which started some time ago for the Chatham Islands, has proved a failure. The schooner Colonist, which was chartered for the purpose, has arrived at Auckland with the workmen and a small quantity of tallow and chains, the proceeds of their labors. The greater portion of the wool in the Ocean Mail, from which the booty was expected, was found to be quite rotten.

From Greymouth we learn that a party of miners propose constructing a tail race, seventy chains in length, at the Seventeen Mile Peach rush. Should the venture turn out successful, the flat will give employment to thousande. The miners embarking in the undertaking are some of the best men in the district, and they are sanguine of success. The following paragraph, which we clip from the “New Zealander,” is a fitting comment on the special train proclivities of the Governor’s late responsible advisers : —“ Sir Hercules and Lady Robinson took very unostentatious parts in the people's holiday yesterday. They went down to the Hutt in one of the ordinary trains—it was a crowded one—and when they returned, the ‘ special ’ that had been provided for them was converted into an ordinary train by His Excellency’s command. It was just starting, but perceiving a large number of people were awaiting conveyance he had a lot of carriages attached to it for their accomodation, and the journey to town was, we arc sure, none the less enjoyable to him because he thus considerately consulted public convenience. These arc just the kind of relations that ought to exist between the Governor and governed.”

The Carbine match between the Christchurch and Wellington Artillery was a close one. Christchurch was the victor the scores being (!;{8 points for Christchurch and (582 for Wellington. The Union Steam Shipping Company are becoming recklessly liberal. Not only have they decided to make a small rebate in the passage money of volunteers travelling to the Bille Match at Nelson but they have actually decided to giveaway a thirty guinea cup (equal to passage money of three visitoi s from Auckland or Dunedin) to be fired for in the Company’s match.

A man named Patrick Corrigan was brought up before his Worship the Mayor this morning, charged with lunacy from drink. He was remanded for eight days for medical examination. John Scott (arrested by Detective Kirby), was charged with the larceny of three geldings valued at about TOO, from Maclean's saleyards at Waimato. The accused was remanded until Friday.

Three gum-diggers went to bathe in the Waikato river, at Ngaruawahia. None of them could swim. John Singleton got out of his depth, and his two mates sprang in to his assistance, and after a desperate struggle, in which all three were nearly drowned, two got out, but Singleton was drowned.

A native, belonging to a survey party, was drowned in the Pa tea river on Sunday. He was swimming in company with a European named Thomas Whatic down the river, in order to reach their camp, which was at the foot of some gorge, and had arrived in sight of the camp, when he disappeared from his comrade’s sight, and was seen no more. Whatic walked many miles into Hawera, without clothes, to bring the news. At ■ a meeting of the South Canterbury Coursing Club, held last evening at the Grosvenor Hotel, it was resolved that Messrs Thomson and Stewart should proceed to Oaraaru to-day to represent the Club at the meeting of delegates to be held there. A telegram was read from Mr Parr, Secretary to the Christchurch Acclimatisation Society, intimating that the Society had decided to ask the Government to proclaim from April 1 to July 81 open for coursing hares in South Canterbury. Yesterday one of the lately imported American “ consolidation ” engines drew 108 loaded wagons, equal to 1000 tons,from the Lyttelton and Heathcote Valley to Christchurch with the greatest ease. Of this number 87 waggons, equal to 700 tons, and a brake van, were drawn through the tunnel. The coal used was from the Canterbury Springfield colliery, and the distance was done at the rate of 10 miles per hour.