NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2289, 19 July 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Strollers on the Ercak water yesterday stopped to admire a new pleasure boat lying moored oil the landing steps, and which was built by Messrs Eradlcy Eros., of Timaru, and is remarkably well finished. She is about twenty feet long, and capable of accommodating a good number of passengers. .She started on a rowing trip around the roadstead yesterday afternoon with a score of people on board.

An accident occurred to one of Muiidell’s pair horse coaches on Friday evening. Something startled the horses, just as they were being taken out at Woodbury, and they galloped off with the coach behind them. The latter was afterwards found a considerable distance away, minus the fore-wheels and the horses. The runaways arc still missing.

A match between the Timaru and Temuka Chess Culbs took place on Saturday. Ten games were played, nine of which were won by the Timaru men. The Temuka Club has only just been formed, and this accounts for their bad luck. A return match will probably take place shortly. A special parade of the Timaru Volunteer Artillery and Artillery Cadets, took place yesterday morning, after which the men marched, headed by the Artillery Hand, under the command of Capt. Hamcrslcy, to St. Mary’s Church, where the Yen. Archdeacon Harper preached an appropriate sermon. Mr Wickham, editor of the “ Auckland Free Lance,” denies that a member of the Frolirpres revenged a damaging crithpic by wringing his nose.

The practice of slinging stones with catapults should he severely discouragedlleccntly it has become so prevalent in in Thnaru that the juveniles arc becoming quite demoralised. The other week the Inspector of Police thought he had been struck by a rifle bullet in the street. He recovered from the shock just in time to see a mischievous urchin rounding a corner with a catapult in his hand. Since then a well-known chiropodist has suffered the indignity of being lamed, not by a corn or a bunion, but by one of these ingenious instruments of torture. As catapults are among the things forbidden bj r magistrates, parents will exercise a wise discretion by using them as fuel,

The calm weather lately experienced has enabled the hands at the breakwater to malcc good progress with the work. The last monolith was completed on Thursday, and ten blocks of another one have now been laid. The diver descended this morning for the purpose of selecting the best places for pile-driving for the erection of the temporary timber wharf.

A paragraph was published a few days ago to the effect that the redoubtable Ned Kelly had at one time worked on a station near Invercargill. The truth of this statement (says the “ Southland News ”) has been confirmed by a resident of Gladstone, who says that he worked in the same shearing shed as the outlaw, whose conduct then was such as to cause his mates to regard him as “ a line-hearted fellow.” The station was owned by Mr (now Sir) T. J) Hell, not, Mr IMllon as previously reported.

Mi- licit has hcei) appointed Captain of the Timai n Football dub, run,-Mr Chapman, resigned. The match on Saturday was 12 picked men, v. the remaining members of the club, and resulted in the favour of the twelve. The following members of the club have been selected to play the Dunedin team : —Dell (captain), Maekay, Drett, Chapman, J, L. Smith, IC. S. Ituthcrford, ITEmden, .Jones, Luckie, Shirtcliffe, Campbell, Melton, Craig, C. Wood, King, W. D. Craig, A. Smith, Fraser, Eichbaum, junr.

A singular fatality is reported in the Melbourne papers. A bricklayer named Dceehcroft, while under the influence of drink, fell opposite the door of his own house, and when picked up it was found that blood was flowing from bis left side. In the breast pocket of his coat was found a table-knife I’.ccchcroft was in the habit of carrying for the purpose of cutting tobacco, and lie usually protected the point by sticking a piece of cork on it. The point was bare and bloodstained, and it was discovered that Dceehcroft fell over the pavement, and that in falling the knife had entered his body about the region of the heart, causing instantaneous death. Unpaid rates for the Levels district for ISC,;.), will be sued for after August Ist. A ttention is called to the notification of Mr J. (r. Allen, of the Dclford Flour Mills. Members of the Court Southern Cross, A.O.J'., arc invited to meet to-morrow evening for special business. A dividend of Cl Ids and a bonus of ds per share for the last half year is now payable to shareholders in lire Union Dank of Australia.