NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2244, 27 May 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY .

There was no business at the R.M, Court, to-day. The settling-up in connection with Bell’s recent sweep on the Christchurch Cup, will take place this evening, at 8 o’clock, at the Grosvenor.

O’Connor the Champion Pedestrian of New Zealand, has, wo are informed, gone into training once more; this time for the walking competition to bo held at Dunedin in July .next, when three prizes of £GO, £4O, and £2O we understand will be offered for tho longest distance performed in 24 hoars. Tho match is open to all, and Mr O’Connor will probably prove a rather dangerous rival for the Dunedin peds.

In our account of the Christchurch Steeplechases it was stated that Lone Hand had been purchased by Mr George H. Thompson, for the purpose of being sent to Victoria. We understand, however, that before being despatched to the sister colony Mr Thompson had decided to give the famous steeplechaser a final spin on the New Zealand turf, and that, barring any accident, he will figure at the forthcoming Waimate races—when he will be ridden by Mr Fred Hedge.

The following gentlemen have been gazetted Licensing Commissioners for the Levels, town of Timaru, and Mount Cook districts, viz ;—Messrs Herbert Belfield, Edward Elsworthy, and Thomas Williamson Hall, J.T.’s. Foe Mount Peel and Geraldine districts —Messrs Launcolot Walker, Willaim Postknhwaitc, and William Upton Slack, J.P.’s. For the Temuka distritt— Messrs Samuel Delabcre Parker, Alfred Cox, Junior, and John Alexander Gammack. For the Waimate and Waitaki distiicts— Messrs Edward Elsworthy, J.P. ; Frederick George Lovegrove, and Thomas Tesche* maker J.P.

Alderman Gatehouse, of Melbourne, and some friends, while on a visit to Geelong recently, marched round town carrying in their hands dilapidated umbrellas and penny buns. After almost drowning an old swagsman with beer, they conveyed him to a hairdresser’s shop and during the absence of the proprietor shaved off one side of his beard and clipped off his hair on the opposite side close to the scalp.

An accomplished orang-outang was lately exhibited at Munich which played the violin magnificently, and was particularly deft in executing the “ Carnival of Venice,” Its owner pocketed large profits at first, but one evening a doubting spectator slily gave the wonderful monkey a sharp cut witn a penknife. The creature apparently did not feel the cut, so the visitor gave a vigorous pull at his tail which suddenly came off, and brought with it part of the monkey’s skin, displaying underneath a man, the father of the exhibitor of the animal prodigy, whose disguise had been so complete as to defy detection for a week.

The Claimant has just received another visit from Mr Guildford Onslow and Mr Quartormaine East. His hair and beard are no longer kept cropped, and as this is always the case some month or so before a convict’s discharge, it is looked upon by his friends as a favorable sign. He expressed much sorrow on hearing of the death of Lord Rivers, from whom he expected a legacy of £IOO a year. An understanding was arrived at that should tho Claimant be released he would at once commence divorce proceedings. Since the birth of the last child he has frequently expressed a desire to hear no more of his wife, and is also anxious that his children should be removed from under her care.

We understand (says the “ Australian Insurance and Banking Record ”) that advantage will be taken of the presence in Melbourne during the continuance of the approaching International Exhibition, of many managers and representatives of Marino Insurance Companies from tho neighboring colonies, to hold a conference at which topics of interest to marine underwriters will be discussed, and information of various kinds exchanged. No definite scheme has been drawn up, but we believe that among others, the two following points will be brought under the notice of those who may he present at the conference : Deposits in connection with general average statements (a matter taken up by the Merchant Shipping! and Underwriters’ Association, Melbourne, as far back as October, 1878), and a uniform hull policy. We hope to see this coming together of underwriters well attended, and we have strong hopes that their consultations will he productive of much good.

The introduction of magnets into the great grain mills of the West in the United States has, it is stated, fulfilled the highest expectations of those who complained of wire in wheat. Not only have the magnets captured all the • stray pieces of iron hands, and thus removed the last and only objection urged against wire-binding harvesters, but they have revealed the singular fact that of the scraps of iron and steel which find their way to the mills mixed with wheat, fully one half are something besides pieces of wire, and a larger portion of these are of such a nature as to be even more dangerous to mill machinery. The magnets gather everything of the kind with unerring certainty, thus rendering perfectly safe the use of self-binding harvesters and wirebands.

“Anglo-Australian” in the “European Mail” writes;—The “ Globe” in a recent issue, speaking of the growth of hops in New Zealand, recommends the local brewers to use local hops, on the ground that imported English beer is apt to be too “heady,” forgetting or ignoring the fact that local brewers are already largely engaged in brewing ales of a light sort, which are much appreciated by the consumers. If, however, hop-growing can bo firmly established in New Zealand —and there appears to be no reason why it should not—enough may be grown for local wants as well as for export. The distance of Hawke’s Bay, for instance, seems well suited to the growth of hops, and, judging by a sample which reached the London hop market some time back, hop-growing might become a permanent and profitable industry. Mr William Strickland, of Leeds, the champion blindfold draughts-playor, lately accomplished a great feat in draughts-play-ing at the Central Club, Trongate, Glasgow, Ho undertook to play 10 games simultaneously, and that, too, without seeing either boards or men. Play began about 7 and concluded at 11. After playing a couple of hours Mr Strickland said ho would call out the position of the pieces if it would prove of interest to the spectators, and this ho did without a mistake, showing that he had as good a view in his “ mind’s eye ” of the respective pieces as the players who had their boards before them. More surprising still, on the games being finished he repeated all the moves made in the 10 games (a total of nearly 450 moves); and then the crowning feat of all, he gave every move backwards. The score—four wins to Strickland, three wins to his opponents and three games drawn—is surprising when the skill of his antagonists is.takon into account.

An entertainment is announced for tomorrow evening at the Queens Hall, in aid of the Public Library funds. A capital programme has been arranged, and taking this and the excellent object into consideration, we hope to be able to chronicle a bumper house and a handsome addition to the funds of our library. Mr J. P. Armstrong, the well-known dentist of Dunedin, whose name is a household word in many parts of Now Zealand, is at present in Timaru and may be consulted professionally at the Grosvcnor Hotel. As a surgeon-dentist Mr Armstrongs reputation is too well established to require any recommendation at our hands, and we have no doubt that during his stay ho will have plenty of demands on his skill and attention.