NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2677, 18 October 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

An advertisement notifying the train arrangements for the Timam Show appears in another column. Colonel Packe, the officer commanding the Volunteers of the Canterbury district, has issued a “ special order,” complimenting the C.Y.C. on their efficiency and also on their good conduct while collected in Timaru.

At a meeting of the Wai-iti School Committee, held last night, it was resolved to hold an entertainment in the school on Friday, Nov. 4, in aid of the school prizes fund, and Messrs Ogilvie, Lewis, Walker, Pyfe, and Townsend, were appointed a committee to arrange it. It was also decided to charge adults 2s each for admission, and Is for children.

The owners oE the Lillie Denham had made arrangements to take a party of excursionists yesterday, but just before the time fixed for starting one of the boiler tubes started to leak, and the trip had to abandoned. The accident is one of a common kind and will be easily remedied. The excursionists did not lose much either, as a lively nor’-west sea got up in the afternoon.

The members of the English Lodge Victory No 42, 1.0.G,T., held their usual weekly session last evening at the Foresters’ Hall. One candidate was proposed for membership, and matters of great importance in connection with the Temperance cause and the forthcoming election were freely discussed. The subordinate lodge closed at 9 o’clock, when a degree lodge was formed and one brother admitted to the second degree. The Christy Minstrels had a crowded house again last night at their second performance, and the capital way in which they gave a long programme of songs, 11 nigger business,” and farees, fully deserved the patronage they received. Their burlesque of “ Pinafore ” was a capital thing and kept the audience in roars. Several local notorieties were named at different times in connection with humorous situations, and these of course brought down the house. Miss Amy Rowe, the double-voiced vocalist, took the part of Josephine in “ Pin-a-4,” and appeared in a pretty costume of blue with white facings—“ Old Ocean’s livery”— {hat was much more suited to toe part of a captain’s daughter than the dress Josephine generally appears in.

Entries for the handicap events at the

sports meeting of the Timaru 'Athletic Club on the Prince of Wales’ birthday must be made by to-morrow with the Secretary, Mr Collins.

Mt Bryce is in Wellingtdn, and has been in consultation with Ministers.

Thirteen drunkards were brought up before the Auckland City Bench yesterday. Twenty-five per cent of the tobacco crop of Virginia has been destroyed by frost.

De Lias has engaged Wybert Reeve, who is now in Melbourne, to play for a season at the Theatre Royal, Auckland. The City of Sydney brought a quantity of corn broom for Auckland and Sydney, for '• American” broom manufacturers.

Quartz mining in the Thames district is looking up, and good stone has been found at Te Aroha.

A line of 2000 sacks of good seed oats were yesterday sold in Wellington at 2s per bushel.

The Reefton people find that the diamond drill is likely to prove of inestimable value in gold-mining in the Inangahua district.,

The recent sale at Hawera of Waimate Plains lands brought in £12,627 16s for cash sales, and £7514 8s 2d, for deferred payment sales. The Farmers’ Cooperative Association, recently formed in North Canterbury, have taken part of the premises now occupied by the Christchurch Corn Exchange. Abednego Savage, the escaped lunatic, was captured at his own house in Sydenham on Saturday and conveyed back to the Asylum at Sunnyside,

The P. & O. steamer Ravenna arrived at Melbourne on Sunday with the Suez mail from London, to Sept. 19. The B s Orient arrived at Adelaide on Saturday afternoon.

The dispute between Mr King and the Paterere Land Company, regarding the ownership of 800 acres of land, is settled, King being allowed to have the prior claim.

A man named Joseph Shemling, while working on Saturday afternoon at Mr John Wakefield’s brickworks,Hill’s road, Opawa, was seriously injured internally, and had one of his thighs broken by a fall of earth. He died the next morning.

At Christchurch the colt Dauphin has been backed at 3 to 1 for several hundreds to win the Derby. He has also been heavily backed to win the double—Derby and Cup. Dauphin ard Grip are being supported for the Cup and C.J.C. Handicap.

The Directors of the Canterbury Corn Exchange have appointed a Committee to draft a series of questions relative the reduction of the railway tariff. The questions are to be put to all candidates for seats in the House of Representatives. The Hokitika night-watchman came across a young lady wandering about in a somnambulistic state one night last week. She was not attired in evening costume. The night-watchman had some difficulty in awakening her. At the Athletic Association’s meeting at Christchurch, held on Saturday and yesterday, F. N, Robinson won the £IOO Champion Cup, with ten points ; A. S, Baker, last year’s winner, being second, with eight points. The people of Lyttelton have got the craze, and talk about a local industries Exhibition. Shipping, rough rubble work, dredging, and dock-making, are the only local industries of Lyttelton that we have heard anything of, and specimens of these would not make a very lively exhibition. The “Lyttelton Times ” says a rumor is floating about to the effect that Sir George Grey is coming down to oppose the Premier in the Selwyn electorate. They have not Been able to find much foundation for it, however, and think it extremely improbable that Sir George would desert his northern strongholds to fight the Hon. John Hall on his own ground. At a meeting of the committee of the proposed Starch Factory Company at Oamaru on Saturday, it was stated that the manufacturers could afford to give 30s per ton for potatoes but not so much as 355. Another person said that 30s was the lowest figure at which potatoes conld be profitably grown. There does not seem to be any great profit promised then. To make a ton of farina it requires six tons of tubers.

The number of children in attendance at the South Canterbury public schools has fallen off daring the past quarter from 3403 to 2734, no doubt in consequence of the prevalence of measles. The strict average attendance was 2229 ; m the previous quarter it was 2440, There were at the end of the quarter 82 teachers and 8 sewing mistresses engaged in the different schools.

A man named Robert McKay, a roadman at theßealey, died suddenly at that place on Friday. He was an old soldier, and was formerly a Sergeant in the 93rd Highlanders, and served under Sir Colin Campbell during the Mutiny. Ho was one of the first at the relief of Lucknow, where he was dangerously wounded. For his services during the Mutiny, he received promotion, and was in possession, on his retiring from Her Majesty’s service, of several medals and clasps.

The norwester of Friday last caused destructive bush fires to rage in the vicinity of Dunedin. On the Peninsula large areas of bush, miles and miles of fencing, and a number of buildings were totally destroyed while many others were only saved with difficulty. Thousands of pounds worth of property (says the “Times”) has been destroyed, and of this very Jiitle is covered by insurance. The fires spread with such rapidity that no combined efforts on the part of the settlers could be ma -e to stay their progress, and everyone had to stay by his own dwelling to save it from the flames. In many places the smoke was suffocating, and even inside some of the houses breathing was rendered difficult, while showers of sparks and burning leaves and twigs were carried along by the wind for considerable distances. Fires were also raging at Pine Hill, on the hills north of Port Chalmers, and at Silverstream. The bush fires were not confined to the neighborhood of Dnnedi , The big bush at Ote, opo was nearly swept away on the same day.

At the Temuka R. M. Court yesterday, Dennis. Heffernan was fined £l, and ordered to pay 7s costs, for assaulting Wm Wyatt, assistant bailiff to the Court. The complainant went to Heffernan’s camp to execute a distress warrant for the sum of £l, and the defendant prevented him from executing it, the assault being then committed. The complainant said he was struck violently in the face, but defendant said he only pushed him. Defendant said he had paid the money long ago, but as he had no receipt the Magistrate said he ought to have respected the warrant and paid the bailiff.

Dr Wallis is a prominent member of the House of Representatives, and a fluent speaker. Yet when he addressed his constituents (he is a member for a City seat) the other night, there were only thirty persons present to welcome him, though more came into the hall later. He perpetrated an unmistakeable bull in the course of a fervid peroration upon his democratic predilections, and though the effect may have been to weaken and disable him in his oratorical flight, it certainly promoted good humour amongst the audien e. He had been explaining that by birth and training he was a democrat, and that all his sympathies were with the working classes from which he had sprung, and among which he had himself lived and toiled, “ I was born in a democratic country,” he exclaimed, “ my father was a laboring man and my mother was the same.” The Supreme Court at Wellington was occupied all yesterday in hearing the civil case of Geo. Goorgenson versus the master and owners of the barque Malay. The action was brought to recover £2OOO, damages for injuries alleged to have been received through the negligence of the defendant’s servants. The plaintiff was a passenger to Newcastle by the Malay, and during the voyage a block fell from aloft and struck him on the hand, necessitating the amputation of three of his fingers. The jury returned a verdict for £IOO, The Committee appointed at a public meeting some weeks ago to ascertain what support could be obtained towards establishing a woollen factory in the vicinity of Timaru, met last night. It was reported that £SOOO had been promised towards starting a factory, but that the committee did not feel justified in commencing operations for the formation of a Company until at least £20,000 was available. The following resolution was proposed and adopted—“ That after canvassing the town and district, the Provisional Directors are of opinion that the amount of capital promised does not warrant any further expense being incurred ; and they advise that the preliminary expenses be paid, and the question of starting a woollen mill be postponed until a more favorable time.” In the interest of local industries it is to be regretted that the promoters did not meet with more public support.