NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2461, 7 February 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Timaru Public School Committee, just elected, meet this evening. Young Scott has walked 112 miles in 24 hours at Invercargill. If young Scott follows up this fast life he will be old Scott prematurely.

Mr James Blackwood, of the well-known firm of Dalgety, Blackwood and Co, shipping agents of Melbourne, &c, has died after a long illness from dropsy.

The Lady Jocelyn immigrants are in a quandry. It appears that the Native Land Court at Gisborne presided over by Judges Heale and O’Brien, has refused to vest the freehold of the Powawa block in three trustees, instead of in the fifty or sixty native owners who had signed a trust deed to the three trustees. On the application of Mr Bees a case has been stated.for the decision of the Supreme Court on the matter, and Mr Bees goes to Wellington to bring it to a speedy issue if possible, as the passengers by the Lady Jocelyn want to settle on the block.

Mr Hankey, railway station-master at Helensville, in the North Island, had the misfortune to dive head-foremost into a hot spring the other day, His yells attracted attention, and although he was rescued in a parboiled condition, no serious consequences are anticipated. Mr Hankey will probably look before he leaps, when he goes bathing in future. The following resolutions have been passed by the Committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association:—“That this Association communicate with kindred societies in New Zealand, with a view to collecting statistics and samples of agricultural productions of the colony, to be exhibited at the next Royal Agricultural Society’s Show in England, and that the Government be asked to aid in the cost of collecting.

A fatal accident happened at Waikaka on Thursday. A daughter of Mr S. Mclntosh, aged 15, was thrown from her horse, when her foot caught in the stirrup, and she was dragged a considerable distance. She died about an hour afterwards from concussion of the brain.

The Wellington “ Post” of Monday says: —As an illustration of the usual application to which the telephone can be put, we may mention that, it being desirable to communicate yesterday with the Hon. Mr Rolleston, who is now at Napier, the Premier was able to carry on a direct verbal conversation with his colleague from his own office in Wellington, a distance of 218 miles. We understand that by speaking deliberately and distinctly, taking care to separate words from one another, the conversation was carried on with perfect ease and clearness, saving a large amount of otherwise unavoidable telegraphing and delay.

According to the “ Free Lance,” that extremely versatile, exponent of political morality—Mr John Sheehan—has appeared in the character of a Maori missionary; Our contemporary says:—Johnny Sheehan came out in quite an unexpected role at Wharekawa the other day. Being present at a meeting of the vestry (composed equally of Maoris and Europeans) he was asked jocularly whether he would preach a sermon on the following Sunday. ‘ • Certainly I will,” says the late N.M.—also jocularly. But it resulted in real earnest. After the preliminary collects, liturgy, Ac., of the Roman Catholic Maori Church, the officiating priest said friend, Mr Sheehan, has, I believe, promised to address a sermon to you on this occasion.” Mr Sheehan responded, taking for his text, “ Peace on earth and goodwill towards man,” which, he contended, “ does not mean seizing surveyors’ instruments and pulling up pegs, my beloved, though odoriferous coloured brethren. Therefore, restore those instruments and restore those pegs if you hope for eternal salvation.” The sermon was followed by a meeting in the adjacent hotel, where one of the vestrymen declared that Sheehan’s discourse was worthy of all acceptation.

The Mayor o£ Lawrence has resigned because he says he “ can no longer conscientiously act with the majority of the Council—especially in their late action in reference to extending the water mains up a certain street at the expense of ratepayers in other portions of the town.” He entered his protest against “such unjust and unwarrantable expenditure of public moneys,” and peremptorily tendered his resignation as mayor and member of the Council.

Traction engines are rapidly taking the place of horses in the transit of agricultural machinery. To-day one of these engines with a reaper and combine attached passed through the main streets' of the town en, route for the paddocks to the north of Timaru. Harvesting operations are general all over the district, and a large quantity of grain has already been cut.

The Timaru brass band again performed in the public streets on Saturday evening. The evening, however/' was warm, the streets somewhat dusty, and after attractting a large crowd the musicians retired at an earlier hour than usual. We need hardly say that 1 the selections which they performed with great precision, and in a way that was most effective, were highly appreciated.

A woman of diminutive stature, wearing a red shawl, made a somewhat disgusting exhibition of herself in Church street, on Saturday afternoon. She was accompanied by a well-dressed and intelligent looking little boy, and as she staggered about with a bottle in her hand, roundly abusing a rather too good-natured constable, she succeeded in attracting a considerable crowd. Street exhibitions of this kind are rare in Timaru and as their effect must be very demoralising we trust the police and bench will unite in putting them down with a strong hand. “It is said,” warbles an Australian journal, “but whisper it not abroad, that a bather of the female persuasion who was disporting herself very recently in the sad sea waves at a certain popular watering-place seven miles from the metropolis, having two railways, an Institute, and a jetty,the name of which watering-place must never be devulged or indicated, and she (the bather) got out of her depth. In accordance with a time-honoured custom of the fair sex, she immediately took the necessary steps not to save herself, but to faint. She was rescued, and laid out upon the beach insensible. All the known expedients for restoringdrowning persons—-and a good many not known—were resorted to, but the lady remained obdurately lifeless till some one said. “ Bring a nobler of brandy.” Immediately the lifeless lady opened her eyes, and faintly whispered, “ Get a shilling’s worth!” Tableau!