NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3002, 9 November 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mischief is nominated for the Wellington C«p.

The Minister for Public Works comes South on Monday. The creditors of John L. Hall, comedian, will recommend his discharge. Finlay Lament, a teamster, was killed at Bendigo (Otago) by the capsizing of a dray on Tuesday last. It is understood that Mr John Jackson is to be asked to stand for the Mayoralty of Timaru.

The District Engineer calls for tenders for the erection of a goods shed at Otaio ; tenders to be received up to 21st inst. Over 40,000 shares above the number to be allotted, have been applied for in the Equitable Insurance Company. A number'of King Natives have been sent for by Te Wheoro to take part in the canoe race at North Shore, Auckland.

A company is in coarse of formation in Dunedin to procure diamond drills for prospecting purposes in order to hire them out.

■ The “ Southland Times ” has a very doleful jeremiad in its issue of 7th inst., on the approaching carnival at Dunedin protesting against charity being associated wioh jimkettinga. The Premier has promised the residents of Avondale (late Wnau) that Mr Cox, the Government Geologist, shall at an early date examine the coal deposits lately found there.

The Anglican parishoners of Temuka view with much dissatisfaction the projected removal of the Rev, J. GhafferfWelsh to Pleasant Point; They will remonstrate with the Bishop at the next visit to the district.

A. B. Pearson, drowned at Raglan, was a brother-in-law of Mr Bretagh, manager of Mr Studholme’s station at Raglan. The friends of the deceased, who was a young man, resile in Canterbury. For the Waimate Agricultural Show, there are entered :—sheep, 58; cattle, 40 ; draught horses, 32; thoroughbreds and hacks, 78; pigs, 17; poultry, 5 ; butter, 37; sundries 10; sheep dogs, 8; implements, 15; saddlery and boots, 3. Total, 308.

One of our late cablegrams, received yesterday, stated that Russia was urging Franco to bo friendly with England. It appears that the message was wrongly transcribed, the word •* friendly” being erroneously given instead of “ unfriendly.”

Great complaints are rradc as to the scarcity of laborers in the country districts about Napier, It is difficult to find even shearers, and at harvest farmers fear they will not be able to get in their crops. Shearing has been much delayed by stormy weather. The clip in general is excellent.

In the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday, Mr Travers moved to quash the conviction of the man Worth and the girl Davies, sentenced some time ago to one month’s imprisonment for indecency in the Botanical Gardens, but who were released on hail after serving half their sentence and giving notice of appeal. The Court held that the fads stated in evidence were not sufficient to sustain the conviction, and consequently quashed that of Davies. It appeared, however, that Worth, in the Court below, had pleaded guilty, but the Magistrates did not convict on his confession, but proceeded to take evidence. Judge Richmond said the evidence elearly would not restrain the conviction, but the pleading guilty made the question a difficult one, and judgment would bo reserved.

j The water supply in the Wellington I Reservoir is diminishing. |

There will be dancing at the Oddfellows Hal, Barnard street, this evening. The Wesleyan Sunday scholars left for a pio-nic at Normanby this morning at 9.15.

Attention is drawn to a new advertisement of T. P, Coghlan and Co, on our third page.

A special meeting of the South Canterbury Caledonian Society will be held at the Grosvenor Hotel to-morrow night. The case of George Waittakcr for assaulting another boy, heard in the R.M. Court yesterday, was dismissed as trivial. At the Auckland Agricultural Show yesterday the Kaiapoi Woo”en Factory company secured first prize for their exhibit of woollen goods.

During the passage of the Loch Urr from London to Auckland, an apprentice named James Francis Pearson fell from the main yard and was drowned, notwithttanding great efforts, which were made to save him.

Richard Healy and Thomas Stewart—the former a samau and the latter a bushman—have been arrested at Auckland for the larceny of £2OO worth of jewellery the property of Scott, a commercial traveller, on the steamer Wellington on her passage from Tauranga. They were brought up yesterday and remanded for eight days.

At a meeting of the temporary Committee formed at Napier to endeavor to arrange for a Fire Brigade competition at the meeting of colonial delegates, it was unaniononsly resolved —" That owing to the small attendance, and the lack of interest thereby shown, the Committee be dissolved.”

A scene occurred in the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Dunedin, yesterday between the Resident Magistrate (Mr Carew) and Mr James Anderson, of Anderson and Co., flour millers. His Worship stated, during the hearing of a case in which Mr Anderson was plaintiff, that he regarded one of the latter’s statements with suspicion, upon which Mr Anderson, who was in the witness box at the time, remarked, “ Pretty good cheek for you to say that to me. It’s like your cheek.” He was promptly ordered into custody for contempt of Court, and at the conclusion , of the case he was called upon to apologise. Not giving a satisfactory apology, he was fined 40s.

At the Rifle Association meeting in Dunedin yesterday the carbine championship was won by Lieutenant Gordon of the Thames Naval Brigade. As Lieutenant Gordon won the belt last year he now retains it as his property. The rifle championship was won by Sergeant Kennedy of the South Dunedin Rifles. The extra match for a cup, presented by Mr Fergus M.H.R,, was won'by McArtney of Port Chalmers. Harding, of Oamaru, won the Associations cup for the highest score at the last range of the rifle belt contest.

The Christchurch Bench evidently intend to put down larrikinism if possible. A fellow named James Patrick, who had, quite unprovoked, assaulted John Laurenson in.the street on Sunday night last, was yesterday sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labor. The presiding Msgistrate, Mr Whitefoord, expressed his regret that the law did not allow him to order a flogging in addition to imprisonment.

Be the injury to a horse, reported from Taupo yesterday, and now in the hands of the police for enquiry. On searching yesterday they found distinct traces of ah attempt having been made to run the horse into a large boiling spring known as “ The Witches Caldron.” This having failed the culprit appears to have first fearfully maltreated the horse, and then attempted to sever its backbone with a tomahawk.

At a meeting of the Temuka Fire Brigade on Monday night the following business was transacted" That the action of the Chairman and Secretary in paying £2 2s as subscription for two years to the United Fire Brigades Association be approved.” “ That the Secretary write to the Association, asking for farther particulars as to the exemption of Fire Brigades as jurymen.” " That the Timaru Fire Brigade be asked if they have for sale one length of suction hose, and if so, the price.” “ That a well b < sunk near St. Saviour’s Church and Wesleyan Chapel, and that the Chairman and Firemen Walton and Weir select a place and have power to accept a tender

The Railway Department is about to introduce an important change in the passenger ticket system. The alterations will consist in the total abolition of return tickets, single tickets instead being issued for each journey. Upon the first introduction of the plan the cost of the double journey will remain unaltered, the single fares being proportionally lower, aud the recent Saturday return fares will remain in force, but after a few months, when the effects of the alteration can be better calculated, the question of reversing the regular rates of charges will be further considered. It is expected that the new system will be put into operation in a few weeks.

Post cards should not be employed if you have anything of an unusual or ambiguous nature to communicate. An American newspaper contributor, evidently writing from experience, says : —A newspaper man once planned a story, in which a lady unhappily married was to sue for a divorce, and to make sure of being * correct, wrote to a lawyer friend, stating the case as he meant to describe it. Very soon after back came a post card— 1 You could not get a divorce case on the grounds yon mention in New York ; you might in Connecticut or Maine.’ This card handed in by the carrier to Mrs Newspaperman, when her husband was at business, raised a breeze in the household which was not allayed for some time.

The “ Oreswiok Advertiser says that an Italian named Antonio visited the hospital lately in a half frantic state to have a cockroach extracted from his ear. He stated that while eating his dinner he felt something crawling on his face, which his companions said was a large cockroach. He put up his hand to knock it off, but the insect at once rushed for his ear, as if he knew ho would be safe there, worming its way up to the drum, and commenced biting it, as if it wished to get out the other side. The surgeon had some trouble it getting it out of the poor fellow’s ear, for it was coiled up so tightly that it could only be removed in pieces, and when these were afterwards examined, it was evident they were portions of a full-grown household companion. The drum of the ear had been wounded, and was bleeding freely from the bites of this disgusting pest.

At a meeting of the Woodbury School Committee, ou Monday evening last, the following resolution was passed “ That, as the Boaid had undertaken the payment of the teachers’ salaries direct, they be asked to supply the school with books, &c., through the head teacher ; the Committee not to be responsible, thus leaving the incidentals unembarrassed, which were at present barely sufficient to pay for cleaning and firewood.” It was also resolved to hold the annual treat on Boxing Day.

The evil consequences of maintaining an irrational and unjust law, like that regarding a deceased wife’s sister, had a painful illustration a few weeks ago. A lady, married twenty years ago to the husband of her deceased sister, died at Plymouth. The marriage took place in Switzerland, where it is perfectly legal 1 She had desired to be buried in the family vault at St. Gluvias, Penrhyn, but, as it was found to be full, a brick grave wa 8 prepared in the h»ew Cemetery, But some official insisted that, as such a marriage was illegal in England, the lady could only be buried under her maiden name. The unexpected announcement so shocked and distracted the mourning husband that he followed the body on foot to the cemetery attired in white hat, blue tie, and brown coat. The body was lowered into the grave without any ceremony ; and the gentleman thus mocked in Ms sorrow at once walked away, leaving the mourners behind.