NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2789, 2 March 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A School of Art was opened in Christchurch yesterday, with seventeen pupils, most of them ladies. The entertainment of the 1 English Lodge Victory, 1.0.G.T., takes places this evening at the Forester’s Hall. Thomas Sims, with half a dozen aliases ( was committed for trial at Auckland yesterday for issuing valuele iss cheques. Another mysterious assau) It case has been reported to the Christchurch police. It occurred on Saturday night, and apparently by the same gang who committed those already referred to. W. A. Price, agent of the Zulu War Diorama, has been arrested, in Clu 'istchurch, on a charge of stealing two silk handkerchiefs and a bottle of scent of the total value of 13s Cu, from a hatter’s shop in that town. He says, however, he cL id it as a joke. Williamson’s Opera Company arc playing “ Patience,” in Dunedin, Imfc the Duncdmilc.s do not learn the lerson

patience from it. Every seal is engag '<*l beforehand, anti the house crowded, T\ 1(! '.Villiamson Dramatic Company have gon e to Wellington.

Jem Mace is arranging a private-sub-scription sparring exhibition in the Empire City.

Attention is drawn to an advertisement in another column, announcing a very large and important sale of sheep, by Messrs Benn and Co., at Amberley on Monday next. The total number of sheep to be sold is 14,000.

A sergeant and two police officers left Wellington last night for Port Underwood, with a view of making certain arrests there in connection with a mysterious robbery which occurred in Wellington some time ago. A telegram from Gisborne states that a small flow of petroleum has now risen to the surface in the Southern Cross Company’s shaft and a sample was taken to town yesterday.

A man named Reid was charged before his Worship the Mayor this morning with being drunk and disorderly in the main street yesterday evening, and with using obscene language. He was fined 5s for the first offence, and sent to prison for a week for the second, His Worship saying that such language as that used by accused could not be tolerated in the public streets.

Biship Crain, of Sandhurst, Victoria, on a mission to Rome, was a passenger by the steamship Zealandia. Professor Bimmermamo, the Russian savant, for Honolulu, is also a passenger, who goes to Moscow to publish a volume on the Australian colonies and New Zealand.

A curious incident occurred in the English v. Combined Australian match. Shortly after the innings of the Englishmen commenced Barlow hit one from Palmer hard to mid-wicket, and Boyle made an effort at a catch, but the ball rebounded out of his hands to the opposite side of the wicket, where it was firmly held by Blackham at point. The spectators, believing the batsmen out, cheered lustily, but not being a catch according to the rules of cricket, Barlow remained at the wickets.

It is reported that Mr Halcombe has effected the sale of Patetere to the London Colonising Company at 32s 6d per acre. This is a block about which a good deal of talk took place regarding its alienation.

The Government schooner Kohimarama is on her way from Auckland to Stewart’s Island and the southern islets, to put down seal hunting in the close season.

The Customs revenue for February Christchurch, amounted to £21,597 19s lOd, and the beer duty to £1037 5s 6d. Housewives afflicted with sewing machines that are incorrigibly bad, idle and mischievous are offered a good price for them by Mr Dobbie of Dunedin, who will undertake to train them in the way they should go,—or, if he fails, forfeit £IOO. Mr Dobbie evidently has a large trust in his own powers of reclaiming the vicious and rejuvenating the aged and infirm, or he would not wager a sum like that. The offer is safe enough, though. The return of patients in the Timaru Hospital for the month of February is as follows :—Patients under treatment at. date of last return, males, 19 ; females, 3 ; total 22; admitted during month, males> 19; females, 4; total 23; total treated, 45. Discharged during month Cured, males, 13 ; females, 2 ; total 15; relieved, males 8, female 1 ; incurable, male 1 ; total discharged, 25. Remaining under treatment, males, 16; females, 4; total 20. Out patients treated during month, males, 11; females, 11 ; total, 22. The Auckland “ Star,” speaking of the spread of scarlet fever in Onehunga says : —“ In Onehunga, at the outset, the grossest negilence prevailed, and the town is paying dearly for its carelessness. We have heard of one milkman, owning about twenty cows who permitted his children when recovering from the fever to milk the cows and deliver to his customers around the town, while the skin was actually peeling off their hands. Dr Scott avers that fifty cases in the beginning of January were distinctly traceable to this one cause. The aot seems to have been done in ignorance, but under a proper administration such ignorance would be impossible.

The Priestman dredge was to-day lifted from the Breakwater on to the wharf,) to commence work on the sand bank formed near the outer end of the wharf. It is expected that the arrangement of the rails will prevent dredging and shipping operations being carried on from the wharf at the same time, so that the more speedily the bank is moved the better. If the dredge works as well as report speaks reregarding similar ones, it should not take long to shift the accumulation ; but it is suggested that the deposition is of so compact a nature that the buckets will fail to sink in it and fill. A few trials will decide the point. It sometimes is a useful thing to be—well, not an orphan boy, but a prize fighter. Jem Mace, remarks a Wellington paper, gave an impromptu public exhibition of bis skill in the art of attack and defence without weapons on Saturday night. While strolling along one of the thoroughfares of the city, shortly before midnight, he noticed a small but excited crowd standing opposite an oyster saloon. One of the men present was endeavoring to make peace between several others, with the by no means uncommon result that he himself was drawn into the quarrel. As three of his companions made a simultaneous attack upon him, Mace, who had been standing a little way off, quickly stepped up, and three scientific taps from him were then sufficient to settle the matter. It was not until he was gone that the luckless wights realised who it was that had interposed and discomfited them. It is reported that 216 farms in Lancashire are now affected with foot and mouth disease.