General News

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 12, 17 June 1893, Page 8

General News

Mr Gr. Johnson, of Lumsden, has been gazetted a J.P. Thirteen deaths f.iom measles occurred in the colony last mouth. A mail for the United Kingdom closes at Invercargill at 3.45 p.m. on Tuesday next. Parliament opens on Thursday next. The Colonial Treasurer left for Wellington yesterday. The electoral rolls for use at the next elections are now being printed. Claims to vote can be obtained at this office. A sermon from the pen of the Rev. J. Sharp next week —subject, “ Spiritual Merchandise.” A great carrying company at Home is said to be arranging for the purchase of £30,000 worth of fodder in the Australian colonies. The to wn of Kempsey (N.S.W.) has been the scene of a great flood, causing great destruction of property and stock. The Union Co.’s Wairarapa is due at the Bluff 'from Melbourne, on Monday, and the Taraweia sails fc» Melbourne on the 23rd inst.

On and after the 23rd inst. mails for th& Gap, Springhills, and Hokonui will close at Invercargill at 6.30 a.m. bn Fridays instead of Saturdays. Good news. It is reported from London that the sale of New Zealand meat during; the season has been the largest on record. Lamb is in good demand at s£d to 5-’d. Financial result of the Hull strike:—Cost to the Shipping Federation, £40,000 ; to the strikers, £50,000 ; to the Hull business men, £76,000. The Supreme Court sittings, which opened on Wednesday, closed on Friday—one of the shortest sittings locally held for a good many years. Wheat ex the barque iEthelbeht, from Lyttelton, sold in London on June 13th at 26s 6d per quarter. Two Australian cargoes realised 20s Od and 20s 7d. An interesting letter from “ Aurora,” giving her impressions of Sydney, is given this week. It somehow reached us two days sooner than an earlier contribution dealing with Welling* ton, which will appear next week. Dr Walker, of St. Paul, Minnesota, while out shooting, fired at a squirrel and shot dead an Indian girl who was standing near. The girl’s tribe captured Walker and roasted him in a slow fire, while the relatives of the girl mutilated the body in a fearful manner. The career of Lloyd Garrison, the famous American who did so much to bring about the abolition of slavery in the States, will form the subject of the Rev. L. M. Isitt’s lecture in the Theatre Royal on the evening; of Friday, 23rd June. The Home Rule Bill is slowly making its way through the House of Commons. On the 14th inst., clause 3 of the Bill—defining the subjects in respect of which the Irish Legislature shall not have power to make laws —was agreed to. A fire broke out in a tailor’s workshop in New York. Three hundred persons wore working in the building and, seeing no other way of escape, some of them jumped from the windows and were Killed. The text of the New Zealand Alliance Direct Yeto Bill for the coming session has been published. It will be made a test for candidates by the Alliance at the general election. When two-thirds of the electorates adopt prohibition simultaneously it is provided that prohibition will come in force all over the colony. Members of farmers’ clubs and other bodies interested in the destruction of small birds will note in this issue an advertisement from the Southland County Council, in reference to the payment of subsidies on amounts raised for the suppression of the pest. With a view to securing uniform action, applications must bo in in time for the July meeting of the Council. Tickets for the City Band’s art union, the drawing for which takes place on 12th July,, are going off freely. The shop in Dee street, formerly occupied by Mr D. Roohc, and now devoted to the exhibition of the handsome and valuable prizes awaiting the fortunate winners, has had a great many visitors during the week. An artistic piece of work, in the shape of a dummy lady mounted on a bicycle, attracts a good deal of admiration. During the last few days Dr. Charles Harrison, the well-known traveller and specialist,, has delivered a number of lectures to men only in reference to various matters having, to do with the physical well-being of mankind. The doctor, who is an able and attractive speaker, handled his themes—frequently of a delicate character —with freedom and at the same time in a manner to which no exception could possibly be taken. His lectures were made still more interesting by the introduction of a number of charming views. Dr Harrison remains here till the 22nd.

From Sydney comes the news that the brigantine Saucy Jack went ashore near Goff’s Harbour during a heavy gale. She was under full sail, but nobody was found on board, / and it is believed the crew were washed overboard and drowned. The vessel was bound from Newcastle to Townsville, and was commanded by Capt. Anderson, with Thompson as mate, and seamen Tulloch, Holmes, Anderson, Brown, and Hughes. The Eev. L. M. Isitt, who is touring the colony in the interests of Prohibition, will begin his campaign in Invercargill next week, during which he will deliver a scries of addresses, opening on Sunday night. The rev. gentleman is admittedly one of the best platform speakers in the colony, and should be heard even by those who do not hold with his views, but who can enjoy the oratory of a man intensely in earnest as to the importance and righteousness of the cause of which he is so vigorous an exponent. About a couple of years ago Southland was canvassed very assiduously for orders forenlarged photos. People who gave them were afterwards surprised to learn, and sorry they did not know before, that the work could have been quite as well, if not better, done locally. Mr C. Campbell, who, in another column draws special atten tion to his enlarged photographs, has some excellent specimens of this class of work on view at present in his establishment in Tay street. One picture—that of a curly-headed little girl—is quite a study in artistic photography—striking as regards attitude and expression and beautifully finished, it is well worthy of inspection.

On Friday evening next a concert and dance wiil take place in the Good Templars’ Hall, Limehills, when the vocalists will include several visitors from Invercargill. It is said that there are several cases of scarlet fever at present in Dunedin. In Timaru scarlet fever and measles are both prevalent- and about 350 children are at present laid up with one or other of the diseases. Mrs Freeman Kitchen has called on Mr Plunkett, the manager for the Misses Albu, and had an interview of one hour’s duration with him concerning her husband, and it is rumoured that important statements were made regarding her divorce proceedings. Mr Plunkett refused interviews to lawyers and others. The Hawke’s Bav Herald, referring to the death of Mr Robert Dobson at Napier last week, says—“ The summons from the Great Leveller came under peculiarly distressing circumstances. His seven children were all down with the measles, and an eighth was born on Thurday, the father being then almost in the agonies of dissolution. It seems odd to read of the marriage of a person who fought at Waterloo, yet such an occurrence is chronicled as having taken place recently at Dalkeith, when John Clark, 5)5 years of age, entered into the “bonds of matrimony ” for a fourth time. His bride, Agnes Hughes, or Young, is sixty-iive. At the last meeting of the Land Board the Receiver of Land Revenue forwarded a list of Crown tenants who were in arrears with their rents. —The Chief Commissioner stated that he thought the parties should be dealt with in a trenchant manner. He suggested that if the arrears were not wiped off within one month the sections should be forfeited.— The suggestion was embodied in a motion, which was carried. —The Hokonui Farmers’ Club asked that 400 acres of bush should be reserved for the use of the settlers at Forest Hill, and it was decided to ask the Colonial Hardware Company to fix their sawmill areas. The Australian team of cricketers at present in England have, so far, played ten matches, of which they have won four, lost three, and drawn three. The matches played against Warwickshire, Lancashire, and Oxford and Cambridge Universities were won, those against Lord Sheffield’s Eleven, Yorkshire, and Surrey were lost, while the Gloucestershire, Marylebone C. C. and Ground, and Yorkshire (return) matches were drawn. The Australians were rather unfortunate in their matches against Yorkshire (return) and Gloucestershire as they would have easily won both had time permitted of their being played out. Mrs Anna M. L. Potts, M.D., lately revisited Invercargill after an absence of about ten years, and has this week addressed a series of large audiences in the Theatre Royal—composed in the afternoons of women only and at nights of both sexes. In the course of the addresses, which are illustrated by .a number of beautiful views, the lady gave a large amount of useful information and advice to her hearers, and charmed one and all by her graceful diction, apt similes, and humorous sallies. ■ Her lecture on “ Hearts and Homes,” or “Is Marriage a Failure ?” on Thursday was a notable deliverance on an important subject, and greatly impressed all who heard it. The lady, who remains here till the 22nd inst., and who may be consulted at the Crescent Hotel, gives her last address to women at 3 o’clock this (Saturday) afternoon. “Whoppers, aren’t they ? Run pretty even weight too—4l-1-lb the three. Kot had for Purple Top turnips. These are a very fair average of a twenty-acre crop.” The turnips thus introduced to our notice the other day, were grown upon the farm of Messrs Ferrier Bros., on the lea ground, at Shark’s Tooth, Forest Hill, and arc worthy of notice as being extraordinarily large for that variety of turnip. All that was used to assist the growth was a little Abrohlos guano, and it must be gratifying to the Messrs Ferrier, who worked on in that district, while many told them they would never see their seed again when they sowed it. The district lying about the Shark’s Tooth ridge was a very poor one until the drain plough came into use, and since then the nature of the soil has been completely changed—the swampy land drained, and the cold ridges warmed and sweetened by the application of the drain plough.