NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2271, 28 June 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The passengers by the early train going North on Saturday morning, were astonished by the spectacle of a magnificent mirage. The phenomenon was first observed shortly after the train left Tcmnka, when the Peninsula Hills, with the houses upon them, were distinctly visible. So complete, indeed, was the illusion that a stranger to the locality might have easily been deceived by it.

Intelligence of a. startling character was received to-day that Ned Kelly, the bushranger, had been captured, and that the rest of the gang were surrounded. £2OOO will be paid to the captor or captors.

A man named Massen, a contractor’s iaborcr, met with a serious accident on Sunday night. He was occupying a smalltent at Mount Somers, and retired to his bunk at night without extinguishing a candle which was standing on the floor. Hy some means the candle was overturned by the sleeper, so it is surmised, and the tent was quickly on fire. A loaded gun, and also some gunpowder, were in the tent, which the heat caused to explode. The unfortunate inmate was very severely burnt before he could effect his escape. He was taken into Ashburton this morning, and it is feared by the doctors that one of his legs will have to be amputated.

Mr llcctham, R.M., contributed £1 to the colonial revenue this morning at the expense of three drunks. One of the offenders was from Pleasant Point, and having been in charge of a saddle horse, he was fined 10s, while the other two having staggered on their own joints, escaped at half price.

An adventure that combines the amusing with the serious is related to have occurred to a Timaru churchwarden who went to clean out the town pump in Church street on Thursday last. Before descending down into the pit he observed an innocent look ing little boy approaching, and remembering the text “ .Suffer little children, Arc.,” he resolved to take advantage of this juvenile gift of providence. The “ cherub” was accordingly enjoined to listen for the signal “ pump,” and the warden descended about twenty feet. Thcjsignal was given, the boy pumped, and the mud-stirring operations proceeded without a hitch. Suddenly the cry of “pump” was varied by that of “candle,” and the boy was ordered to look “in the bag.” There he found a candle in a weighty iron socket, Being an innocent boy, he appealed to a man who was passing whether he should throw down the candle alone, or send down the candlestick as well. “J leave down the lot, of course,” said the man in the str-et, and the innocent and intelligent little boy dropped the metallic substance on the head of the man in the pump. The latter, we arc informed, has summoned the little boy for an unprovoked assault, and those who attend the Police Court on Wednesday may expect some diversion.

A slaughter-house situated near the Ashburton race-course, and about two miles from the township was totally destroyed hy fire on .Sunday night. A'very largo quantity of skins and fat, &c, were on the premises, which of course fed the flames. The place belonged to Mr G. A. Tike, an Ashburton butcher. An insurance tor £4O covered a portion of the building, but the stock was uninsured.

The following from Saturday’s “ Oamarn Mail,” is hardly a satisfactory elucidation of a sudden death that occurred there the other day:—“We are informed that the result of Dr do Lautour’s post mortem examination upon the body of the young man James Ellis, who was found dead in Mr Sutton’s stable on Thursday, docs not disclose any grounds for believing that death was caused by poison. The doctor did not, we believe, find any trace of poison but the deceased appears to have partaken freely of fruit of bad quality. This caused excessive sickness, and the inference is that he was choked during a lit of vomiting.

On Friday last the well-known horse Traducer died at Middle Park, Christchurch. For several months past tire old horse has been steadily failing in health, owing to the

combined effects of old age and severe chronic rheumatism. About ten days ago Messrs Hill and Erode, V.S., after consultation, decided that no hope of recovery existed, and the proprietors of Middle Park determined', very reluctantly, to put a period to Iris sufferings. Traducer was bred in 1807, and purchased in 18(12 from Baron Uothschild by Mr Lancelot Walker, who sold him on the voyage out from England to Messrs Harris and Junes. Em many years after his arrival in .New Zealand, he was so lightly esteemed by breeders, that he never had a fair chance at the stud. The late Mr Mallock and Mr Xosworthy were perhaps the first to appreciate the value of the horse, and since then, while in the possession of Mr Griffiths and his late owners, the Middle Park Stud Company, his value, as a sire, has become better appreciated every year by the public. 11*1100 all his stock has matured, we believe it will be found that Traducer has left behind him a much longer list of brilliant performers than any sire in the Australian Colonics, not excepting the well-known Sir Hercules. His skeleton goes to the Museum, and we hear there arc numerous applicants eager to obtain some relic of this famous old horse, —“Lyttelton Times.”

The Stone Stables, so well and favorably known under the management of Mr Ghas. Goodman, have passed into the hands of Messrs Joyce and Go., who intend giving the utmost satisfaction to the travelling public.

The Oriental Exhibition, at the Queen’s Hall, attracted nearly 1000 visitors on Saturday. To-day the attendance was again very large. The proprietors have been doing a splendid business in the disposal of their wares, and their stay in Timaru will probably extend over the present week. Many of the articles on view are exceedingly valuable for gifts, combining, as they do, ornaments of chaste and beautiful design in a useful form. Midwxxxeii (Snow. —Peacock and Geancy beg to tender their sincere thanks to their friends and the public generally, for the very liberal support accorded them since commencing business, and they have extreme pleasure in intimating that they will on Thursday and Friday, July Ist and 2nd, give a grand show of Beef, Mutton, Ac. The premises 1 raving been considerably enlarged since Christmas, the Jirm are in a better position now to display their midwinter show. The public arc invited to inspect the quality of the meat exhibited on the show days, which will be found to surpass anything ever before shown in Timaru. — [Anvx.J