South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1880. NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2234, 15 May 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1880. NEWS OF THE DAY.

The May number of the “New Zealand Country Journal” has just reached us. It contains’ as usual a well-selected assortment of articles adapted to the colony and the season and designed to be specially valuable to New Zealand farmers, gardeners and graziers, A considerable part of this number is devoted to sporting notes, which merit attention on account of the careful way in which they have been compiled.

A man named Charles Wheeler employed on the railway here, yesterday jammed his hand badly while shunting some trucks, and two of his lingers were broken. It is hoped amputation will not be necessary.

It is stated that an Auctioneer’s Licensing Act for the whole colony is now in course of preparation and will be introduced during the ensuing Parliamentary session.

A droll mistake was made by an imaginative old dame who, having permitted a telegraph pole to be placed on the top of her house, waited upon the chief of the Telegraph Company concerned to complain that she could get no sleep of a night, being kept awake by the noise made by the messages passing over her head, “ I don’t think, sir,’ said she, “ you can be aware of all that’s said along them wires. There’s a deal that hadn’t ought to be. l ean assure you sir, that very much that’s said there, that I have to lie and listen to, is such as no decent woman ought to hear; and I hope you will put a stop to it.” The amused gentleman was hardly able to meet the accusation with the gravity ; but he did contrive to keep his countenance while he informed the old lady that the young men who had hitherto worked the wires were under notice of dismissal; and that in future only young women of great respectability would be employed, so there would be no danger of her propriety being shocked any longer. It is not often (says the Wellington “ Post ”) one hears of a couple being married a number of years without having once lived under the same roof, or mutually shared some of their joys and griefs. A case of tire Kind came to light at. the llcnldcnt Magistrate’s Court this morning during the hearing of a charge of assault. The complainant, a woman named Murphy, stated that she had been married to the defendant six and a half years, but she had never on any occasion lived with her husband. She married him because she was forced to, she said, and at the conclusion of the ceremony the twain which had become one flesh separated for ever. It was three years later when she saw her husband again, and then the meeting of the couple who had sworn eternal fidelity was brief and unhappy. It lasted a few minutes, during which time the woman was much knocked about by her husband’s fists. Such is life!

A rather good instance of the vigilance, which is at present being exercised at Auckland over the importation of cattle, sheep, horses, and swine, from the neighboring colonies, has been reported to us, and is not undeserving of wider publicity. By the last trip of the Hero, there arrived a consignment of three young and lusty porkers to the order of a well-known local tradesman. During the process of debarkation the Inspector of Cattle and Sheep appeared upon the scene. He made some inquiries with respect to the porcine passengers, and finding that the consignee had received no certificate of health on their account he refused permission for them to laud. The tradesman pleaded for a relaxation of the order, but the Inspector was inexorable, and the animals consequently returned whence they came. The Hero arrived again last night, and the voyaging pigs arc on board, accompanied, this time, however, by a clean bill of health. It is well that importers should know that the regulations imposed by the authorities arc fixed and stringent.—“ Star.” A workman lighting his pipe set fire to an important fragment of the township of Wanganui yesterday. The fire was discovered in time, Wanganui was saved, and the unemployed carpenters of Wanganui are left lamenting. Providence in this instance has been decidedly unkind.

A man named Davis was caught in his own trap at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Christchurch, yesterday. In a civil case in which he was interested he swore that a certain signature was not his, as he always spelt his name in a different way, and was immediately confronted with his own bankruptcy papers, signed in three places precisely similar to the first mentioned signature. The Resident Magistrate ordered his arrest forthwith for perjury.

The Oamaru waterworks arc expected to be completed in three months, and the Borough Engineer has, in consequence, tendered his resignation. Messrs Stout and Sievwright, solicitors of Dunedin, arc on the legal warpath at Wanganui. They started in a canoe yesterday for Major Kemp’s oyster beds.

A fresh case of pleuro-pneumonia has broken out at Messrs Ireland’s estate, Panmure. The animal was killed and a postmortem examination was made. There had not been a case since March 12, and this is presumed to have been developed by the change to wet weather.

The breakwater during the past day or two has been subjected to the force of a southerly swell, but the structure has withstood the seas very satisfactorily. Operations to-day were suspended, the weather being too rough for block-laying. On the south side the work is beginning to present quite a pictorial aspect. In the centre, the solid rock, which according to the engineer, forms the foundation, has opened its mouth, and at low water a series of caverns, admirably adapted for the future residence of rock-cod and mermaids, give a rustic grandeur to the superincumbent fragments. Beyond this the angular blocks adjusted for a simultaneous dive present a serrated appearance that harmonises wonderfully with the general ruggedness, while the broken fragments of the monolith which are intended to form a protecting apron or fender, contribute to the beauty of the design. To add to the general effect, the air holes or safety valves on the top of the monoloth are now in full play, and may be witnessed spouting ’in response to the waves like frolicsome young porpoises. Gilded half-sovereigns are becoming common in Melbourne, The detectives recently seized the complete apparatus for gilding genuine sixpences and manufacuring base coin, also the appliances for a sulphate of copper battery, and a quantity of halfmelted pewter. Several respectable looking mountains of wheat lie’ stacked near the stores of some of our local grain merchants, awaiting shipment chiefly on growers’ account. Four vessels, direct for London are expected in the roadstead shortly. In the meantime it is to be hoped the weather will keep favorable, as, although protected with tarpaulins, it is impossible for grain, not comfortably housed, to cscapojdctcrioratiou. Tailors up north are evidently in the habit of looking sharply after their customers. The Tatoa “ Mail” reports the case of a tailor named Armstrong who sued a customer named Wanklyn for 32s fid, the value of a pair of trousers. The trousers were to be “ sent along,” but plaintiff declined to deliver them unless paid for. This Mr Wanklyn had refused to do. The defendant said he was quite willing to pay for the trousers, provided the article fitted him, but plaintiff had allowed him no opportunity of trying them on. The Bench were of opinion that plaintiff had been rather hasty in taking out a summons, and the case was adjourned till next Court day in order that Wanklyn might have an opportunity of satisfying himself as to the correctness of the fit.

George Schmidt, who, it will be recollected, attempted to commit suicide by cutting his left wrist while in the lock-up at Timaru, was brought before the Christchurch Bench yesterday, charged with obtaining £1 18s in cash and goods to the value of £3B from J. Grossman by false pretences. On the application of the police, who stated that the majority of the witnesses for the prosecution would have to be brought from Timaru, the accused was remanded till Tuesday next.

Wm. Marcroft, of Tcmuka, was charged before Mr J. Bcswick, R.M., at Lyttelton ) yesterday, with having imported eleven sliecp from an Infected dlotilot, and with removing them from Lyttelton without having them inspected. Mr J. T. Ford said the defendant was not personally to blame. The sheep came to them, and through an omission of one of his clerks had been removed from Lyttelton without the inspector being informed of it. The Bench took into consideration the fact that no actual harm had resulted from the omission, and imposed the mitigated penalty of £5 and costs. The following items are from the “ Patca Mail ” :—Diptheria is fatally prevalent among settlers on the Whenaukura block, and at Waverley. Two deaths have resulted, and the disease is in several families, chiefly among children. A free fight took place on Wednesday night among the railway navvies. Our correspondent reports that the fracas was a disgraceful outrage on decency, and dangerous to all persons within arm’s length of the tipsy rowdies.

One inebriate was fined os at the Police this morning.

Mr Smith the advance agent of the Froliques is now in Timaru. The company who have been enjoying a highly successful season in Dunedin lately will make their appearance, in all probability in the Theatre Royal, Timaru on Saturday evening next. They comprise Mr Simonson, the well-known artiste and a select troupe of male and female star variety and ballad performers. Their entertainment is unique and judging from the favorable critiques of the Southern press it is bound to prove attractive.