NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2573, 20 June 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY .

Three thousand persons visited the Dunedin Industrial Exhibition on Friday last, ,£l2O was taken at the doors and money was refused after 8 o’clock.

The “Mount BengerMail’’ states that the offer of a Chinese party to purchase the ; Rise and shine claim, Pomakaka, for £10(16, was refused.

...The Tamers at Waikouaiti suffer considerable annoyance from sparrows which damage the crops, especially small seeds. One farmer found in eight chains of hedging np. less than 80 nests.

Mr. David Proudfoot has reduced the night fare on the'Du'nedin Tramways from sixpence to threepence. When' it is remembered that,'but a short time ago, people had to pay one shilling to ride in an uncomfortable cab after nine o’clock p.mijithe advantage of riding in a tram for • threepence at all times of the. day and night will be appreciated. An amusing incident occurred at Greytowh> Wairarapa. It appears that Messrs Freeman and Heppner have trotting horses and a match was arranged to take place from the Cemetery gate to Mr Freeman’s shop. A start was made and Heppncr’s m<fre was leading, when a man appeared at the side of the road with a bundle of hay in his arms, and the mare, evidently thinking it was for her, stopped up short to have some refreshments on her journey thus leaving Freeman to win by about 40 yards, although his horse broke several times.

A terrible disease has broken out among the, Chianamen employed on the Canada Pacific Eailroad works in British Columbia. The case of a Chinese cook will serve to illustrate the phase of this strange malady* He sat down, apparently perfectly well to eat his dinner. His feet began to swell, and the swelling extended itself up his legs and body, reaching a vital part in about ten minutes, causing his abdomen and chest to expand in a most unnatural manner, and he tumbled down dead, all in less than fifteen minutes from the time the disease attacked him, In this way these people are dying in dozens,

A gentleman informs the " Clutha Leader” that while walking down the Mnegand road a few days ago he observed three of the large common hawks diving repeatedly underneath the bank of the river, apparently in pursuit of some prey. Upon coming up to the spot* he-found that the object of their attack was a full-grown cock pheasant "Which had sought shelter underneath the bank close by a willow bush; and from the ruffled state of his plumage and the exhausted state he was in, our informant concludes that had he not come up opportunely, they would have quickly dispatched their quarry. This may account for the scarcity of pheasants in quarters where hawks abound.

Deference is made in the following Brisbane telegram, which appears in the “Age ” of June 6, to a gentleman who for a time was in business in Dunedin: —“A serious explosion occurred on Saturday night. Mr Benjamin, his brother, and their wives, having returned from “ The Pirates of Penzance,” smelt gas. They opened the window and then struck a light; but an explosion occurred. They were all burnt, and two younger brothers were fearfully scorched. Mr Lionel Benj;amih is internally injured from concussion. The door of the back room was split to fragments, the clothing of both ladies was ignited, and they were very much burnt. It was a marvellous escape, the roof of the house being moved some 6 inches from the wall.