NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2496, 21 March 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY .

On Saturday night about I) o’clock three young men named McKenzie, Fisher, and Hatton were travelling along the Main North road when they noticed flames and smoke issuing from Mr Reilly’s forge. Mr Hatton ran for Mr Waters, late treasurer of the Timaru Fire Brigade, who lives in the vicinity. On entering the premises they found a bag of shavings at the rear of the shop, and several bags of coal on fire. The partition at the back of the shop, which is of wood, was also burning in the inside. Buckets of water were at once applied, and owing to the prompt action taken the flames were speedily extinguished, The fire is supposed to have originated from a spark or cinder from one of the forges. An occurrence of this kind shows the danger of allowing the town to remain without a Fire Brigade. An instance of juvenile precocity has come to our knowledge, which is too good to be lost. A well-known resident of Timaru is in the habit of rigidly training his children in the way they should go, the result -being that from the moment they can toddle they attend divine service at Trinity Presbyterian Church with the punctuality of elders. One day last week the mother, on entering the kitchen, was surprised to find a three-year-old diligently engaged with a pair of scissors clipping the hair from the crown of his heal “What in all the world are you doing, Johnny ?" she exclaimed. “ I want to be a man,” was the arch response. “ Want to be a man ! What do you mean “ The men in Churfih got no hair, and I want to be a man too,” was the prompt answer. To preserve uniformity “ Johnny ” had to be clipped all over, but be has been severely admonished against the sin of baldness.

One or two errors occurred in our report of the late Fire Brigade on Friday evening last, Mr James Hilton, the secretary, furnishes us with the following extract from the minutesMr Barrie, in reply to Mr Turnbull, stated that the Brigade had received no boots since November, 1879, when the supply that should have been distributed in January, 1879, was provided. He had called Messrs Greenup and Gibson’s attention to the fact that members were prevented from attending drill because they had no boots, and Mr Gibson informed him that the uniform was expected in five or six months and the boots would be supplied at the same time. Mr Dawes moved and Mr Gobbe seconded—“ That this meeting dotes not solicit Mr Turnbull to come to terms with the Borough Council; if he does, it will be upon his own responsibility.” An amendment was proposed by Mr Snodgrass and. seconded by Mr Chiffey ;— *• That Mr Turnbull be allowed to interview the Council if he chooses; and if the Council comply with our demands we return in a body.” The amendment was carried. On the motion of Mr Hilton, seconded by Mr Collins it was decided to adjourn the meeting till Monday to await the action of the Borough Council.

The “ Illustrated Herald "for this month contains a very racy crayon engraving of the Dunedin races. The artist is Mr Colin McKay, and the printers, Mills, Dick and Co. The winner of the Cup and his jockey occupy a central place. They are surrounded by a variety of sketches, representing racecourse incidents and attractions, such as the totalisator, Sergeant-Major Bevin on horseback clearing “the coorse,” Detective Walker interviewing an under-and-over man, doodle-em-buck on the rampage, the three card trick, and the scene of the late cab accident. This supplement must be interesting to Dunedinites, and it will generally enhance the value of the “ Herald ” to colonial readers.