NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2567, 13 June 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

His Honor Judge Johnston on taking his seat for the first time on the Bench on Friday took occasion to ; rentark on the dranghtiness of the Timaru Courthouse, His Honor said that every time he came to Timaru he had to complain of the same thing and to run the risk of being laid up. Probably there arc few of the frequenters of the Courthouse, but can boar testimony to the justness of the Judge’s comulamt. For dranghtiness, bad construction, and bad acoustics the Timaru Courthouse stands unrivalled, The deputy Property Tax Commissioner at Auckland intends “going for” a lot of defaulters next week. He means

* prosecuting. | The next production of the Juvenile j Pinafore Troupe, who were in Timaru a few | weeks since will probably bo “La fille du j Tabour major.” The pecuniary success of | these little people lias been vcy great I lately.

The slaughter-house belonging to Mr C. Johnson, butcher, on the Upper Washdyke road, was burnt down sometime between last night and early this morning. Tbe origin of the fire is at present enveloped in mystery, and there are strong suspicions that it was the work of an incendiary. If it was wilfully fired, the incendiary must have gone very quietly about his work, for a man residing about fifteen or twenty yards away from the premises says he heard nothing at all. The premises were uninsured, and Mr Johnson’s loss will amount to about £7O. The police are investigating the matter.

At the 11. M. Court this morning, two first offenders, charged with drunkenne-s, were dismissed with a caution. A third inebriate was fined ss. A man supposed to be mentally afflicted was remanded until June 15 for medical examination.

The Nelson “ Mail ” learns from a reliable source that Mr Thomas Russell, formerly of Auckland, is known to have made a profit of £750,000 by speculating in the rise and fall of Turkish bonds on the London Stock Exchange. The operation extended over two years, when the Eastern question was active. The black gown in the pulpit will soon be but a relic of the past, according to Mr Mackcson’s new statistics of the London churches. The surplice is now used, we learn on this authority, in two-thirds of 877 churches reported on. A correspondent says that there is not now a single church in Kensington, or not more than one, in whick the gown is worn. The “ Southland Times” says that a gentleman living in the vicinity of Waipapapa Point mentions having seen on the beach a heavy piece of timber lined with iron, suppose! to he part of the strong room of the ill-fated Tararua. This supposition is strengthened by the fact that it is known that after the £SOOO robbery the strong room was lined with sheet iron. This being so the bullion will have gone to the bottom, and in all probability become embedded in the sand, possibly to a considerable depth. There has just been invented in England a patent seed and fruit protector, in the shape of a metal representation of a bird of prey on the wing, for suspension in fields and gardens, shaped and colored in close imitation of a hawk hovering over its prey. By means of an clastic spring or wire carried from one tree to another, or from a chimney to a tree, it responds readily to the motion of the wind, and so increase the lifelikeness of the effigy. The device is said to be extraordinary efficacious in searing birds.

One has heard of a drunken man attempting to light his pipe at a pump. Here is a contrast. Robert Bradshaw, cotton operative, went home late at night drunk, and sat down on the top bar of the kitchen fireplace. His wife was awakened by his screams, and, coming down, found him enveloped in flames. He was dreadfully burned, and was removed to the Oldham Infirmary, where he died from his injuries.

The average annual expenditure in drink in the British isles Is more than £3 per head for every man, woman, and child in the country. It does seem unaccountable, the “ Lancet ” says, that considering the constant peril in which the late Czar was supposed to be, no arrangements were made for a doctor to be within call in case of emergency. The medical journal more than hints that there would have been at least a chance of saving his life if proper help had been at hand.

A gentleman who had to take the census in “a large public institutiona workhouse apparently —in Lancashire, relates that one man, whose occupation he inquired, described himself as a loafer. Asking for a definition of the term, he gave the following“ A fellow who lives upon everybody else, and who lives better than anybody else.” According to the “Northern Argus ” (S.A.), the mayor of a corporate town not 50 miles from Clare, attracted a crowd the other day by pushing a plough before him in the main street. A slender individual closely buttoned in a swallow-tail, ventured to remark that it was infra dig. on the part of the chief magistrate, to handle agricultural implements in that way. “ By gum,” said the mayor, “ I was never ashamed to work, though I would consider it infra dig. to act the swell and sponge for a living..’

The magnificent ice mountamin Niagara river, below the Nalls, was the scene of an exciting accident and a narrow escape from drowning lately. It need scarcely be said that the mountain was formed by the spray of the falls and such accumulation of snow as has fallen upon it. An English tourist, stopping at the Niagara House, while seeing what was to be seen from the summit of this mountain, slipped and went suddenly down in the direction of the merciless river. In his frantic endeavors to save himself as he went down, he had hisn ails literally torn from his fingers and he only stopped in his terrible career, when he got within a few feet of the river, his escape was a narrow one.

An odd incident is reported from the Transvaal. A private of the 97th, who had poisoned himself' with native grog, a villainous sort of braiuby, was brought in as dead, and an inquest was held upon him. He was found to have died by over, drinking bad alcoholic liquor, and in the course of the morning was taken away for burial. While being borne to the grave the shaking up in the collin awoke him, and he shouted lustily to be let out, causing a general scare among the men carrying him. The man was released, and is still alive, and his narrow escape will doubtless make him more cautious as to the quality of his liquor in future.

A curious marriage look place at BadLand:-:, Dakota, recently, between Frank M. Shoppie and Henrietta Louisa. James, tire Scv. Mr Stephens of Bismarck, officiating from that place by telegraph, Frank S. Moodie and Engineer Ucutcb were witnesses that the parlies responded to the electric marriage ceremony at one end of the wire, while the “ Pioneer Press ’ corrcs pomleut and several others saw the clergyman perform Ids duty at the oilier, lire questions: and answers were written, telegraphed, and responded to, and a blessing was pronounced in the usual form.

The Auckland carpenters and joiners have passed a resolution fixing the rate of wages at 10s per day. They are also going to agitate for a half holiday on Satur ay. We understand that in consequence of the very wet and stormy weather on Friday evening last, a number of persons, several of whom had tickets, were prevented from attending the service of song *• Eva.” It is therefore intended shortly to repeat the entertainment, of which due notice will be given through tbe Press, The correspondent of the “Press” telegraphs.—“ It is rumored about the lobbies to-day that Mr Johnston is desirous to take permanently the Public Works porfolio, and relinquish the Postal Department to the new Minister, whoever he may be. I am assured that the question of the new Minister will be left an open one for some time yet, and until Parliament has got well to work. A correspondent of a contemporary telegraphs from Eccfton : “Mr Weston addressed the Reefton electors on Saturday night. Nothing could exceed the enthusiasm with which he was received. The hall was packed as it never had been before, even on the occasion of the visit of Sir George Grey. Mr Weston spoke for two hours, and at the conclusion of his spec .h was greeted with a storm of cheers. A resolution to the effect that he was a fit and proper person to represent the constituency was carried unanimously, every person in the room voting for it,”

The “ Loafer” in the “ Press” tells the following : —A very good story came out when a friend of mine was travelling in the train recently. A resident in his neighborhood wrote to the AcclimatLation Society, stating that the poaching in hi» locality was something fearful, and proffering his assistance to watch and bring the offenders to justice. It subsequently transpired that he himself had been pulled before the Beak for poaching and fined. A better man they could not engage for a ranger, for has not experience taught us that the worst poachers make the best gamekeepers.