General News

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 27, 30 September 1893, Page 8

General News

' A stirring tale of bushranging days in Australia, entitled “ Gentleman George,” is published in this issue. Madame Aramanda, of clairvoyant fame, who visited Invercargill a few months ago, is now following her avocation in Sydney; The property of the late Mr T. Vale, Campbelltown Hundred, will be submitted to auction by Mr Todd to-day. The J. G. "Ward Farmers’ Association hold a sale of Clydesdale and thoroughbred stallions after the parade on Saturday next. A sign of the times. The Wellington Education Board has decided to raise the salaries of female teachers by about ten per cent all round. Tenders for a large number of works are advertised this week by the . Southlan County Council. ' Tenders will be received up to 11 a.m. on Friday, 6th October. Councillors Blacke, Storie, and Raeside will stand for the mayoralty of Invercargill, and it is on the cards that Mayor McFarlane will seek a further term of office. Mails for the United Kingdom close at Invercargill at 3.15 p.m. on Tuesday, 3rd October, and at 10.15' n.m, on Thursday, sth October. The annual horse parade, under the auspices of the Southland A. and P. Society will be held on Saturday, 7th October. Entries close at 5 p.m. on the sixth. Everybody appears to be alive to the necessity of getting the women of the colony enrolled as electors. In some cases canvassers are being engaged by the Government, and in others the committees of sitting members are busy distributing forms. Sullivan, the New Zealand sculler, has defeated Bubear for the championship of England, and is prepared to tackle Stansbury for the world’s championship. The Wallace electors are opening the electoral campaign in the west. They meet in Riverton next week to discuss the question of the representation of their district in the new Parliament. A number of blacks who were caught feasting on stolen cattle in Western Australia offered a desperate resistance, and 23 of them were shot by the police. Constable Collins was speared to death during the fight. Detective Gabriel, who lately discovered that systematic robbery was going on at the famous Mount Morgan gold mine, Queensland, has been threatened with death. So far ten arrests have been made. The wife of one of the prisoners has gone mad. The Government have succeeded in carrying their Alcoholic Liquor Control Bill through both Houses, but their Railways Act Amendment Bill has been practically destroyed by the Legislative Council. . The annual outing of the local Friendly Societies, fixed for the 9th of November, will take place this year at Riverton. In many respects it is the finest holiday resort that could be desired, and there is sure to be a great turn-out of excursionists on the occasion. A block of 101 acres in the Hokonui district will be open for sale or selection at the Land Office on the 18th October, and one of 5,131 acres in the Lillburn district on the 25th October. The weather during the last few days has been very unsettled. On 'lhursday afternoon and evening thunder and lightning were in evidence, and during Thursday night there was a slight fall of snow. The rainfall has also been pretty heavy. Ladies, beware! “ Men were deceivers ever.” It is stated that in Auckland unauthorised persons are going from house to house on pretence of collecting women’s claims, none of which claims have ever reached the registrar. Twenty-five thousand claim forms were issued, and only 3,0U0 are yet returned.

The number of men now employed oh Government works on roads and railways (cooperative) is 1118 ; Public Works Department, 752. The N.Z, Pine Co. are to be asked if they are prepared to abandon sawmill area No. 134, Winton Bush, a suggestion having been made that it should be thrown open for settlement. “ New Zealand ” (writes the Sydney Herald) “ in the latest adventure (female franchise) within the sea of experiment has so far detached itself from the moorings of experience that we can only look on with mingled curiosity and speculative interest to see what the consequences will be.” A big thing in the way of art unions i» advertised in this issue. It has been organised for the purpose of clearing off the debt on St. Mary’s Church, Invercargill. The drawing will take place on 20th December, One hundred prizes of the total value of £6OO will be offered, including a new reaper and binder, a grand piano, a buggy and various works of art. A matter referred to by our Otautau cor' 1 , respondent is to be brought up in Parliament by Mr Mackintosh, who will ask the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the case of five working men who were fined at Otautau by Mr Eawson, 8.M., 9s and costs each for allowing cows to trespass on the railway line, and a further amount of £2 2s each for solicitor’s fees, and if he approved of such exorbitant fees being allowed in such cases ? A man named Bruen recently sued the New Zealand Accident Co. in Sydney, for £333, under an accident policy for permanent partial disablement of his right eye. The medical evidence, however, went to show that what plaintiff averred was the result of an accident was a cataract produced by natural causes, and the jury returned a verdict for the defendant company. . One of the best hits of the session (says the Otago Daily Times correspondent) has been made, by Mr Buckland. Mr J. McKenzie had been speaking of himself. He had landed in the colony 37 years ago with the proverbial sixpence in his pocket, and the clothes he stood up in. “ I,” said Mr Buckland, “ am three years short of 50, I came into this colony 47 years ago, stark naked, and look at me now.” The House roared. In Sydney, on the 27th inst., chick wheat was selling at 3s 2d to 3s 3d per bushel; and milling (New Zealand) at 8s 6d. Oats,- — Tartarian, 2s lid to 3s ; best feed,, 2s 9d. New Zealand potatoes were selling at £5 5s to £5 10s per ton, and bacon at 7£d per lb., with a dull market. In Melbourne, on the same date, cheese (New Zealand loaf) was selling at s£d per lb. We are informed that Mr D. Eoche, who has served the town for many years in the Muncipal Council, has decided to offer his services in a higher capacity, and will be a candidate for the Invercargill seat at the general elections. He will stand against all comers, and says that nothing short of an earthquake, and a pretty severe one at that, will move him from his purpose. At a conference held in Christchurch to discuss the question of religious instruction in schools, Bishop Julius favoirred grants to denominational schools, but recognised that there was no hope of effect being given to his views. The other clergymen who spoke opposed all attempts to introduce denominatioualism, but approved of religious teaching and the use of a selected text-book rather than the Bible itself, A telegram was received by the London Times, dated 21st July, from Dr Nansen, the Arctic explorer, who was then at appoint on the north coast of Norway. Among other things, he stated:—“Everything has gone on well up to the present. The Fram is a splendid strong ship and will stand the icepressure well. She is deeply laden with coal, but that is a draw-back which will soon be remedied. The accounts of the ice in the White Sea and the Barents sea are not favorable. There has been much ice, but I hope it has now improved; the ice changes quickly. I hove good hopes ; if we only get through the Kara Sea in good time I feel certain the prospects of success are good.” The City Bank at Carcoar (N.S.W.) was entered by burglars on the 24th inst. They were surprised by the manager, Mr Phillips, who was killed in the struggle. His wife and a young lady named Cavanagh came to his assistance, when one of the miscreants cut Miss Cavanagh’s throat, inflicting fatal wounds, and severely injuring Mrs Phillips and her child. A well-connected young man named Bertie Glasson, who was the scapegrace of his family, was arrested on suspicion, and has since been identified as the murderer. Mr C. Gray, the well-known music teacher, has left his old premises in Tay street, and is now located in Esk street, in the upstairs section of the South British Chambers. There is a floor space of 55ft. by 27ft, and at the south end of the hall a series of seats has been arranged, which will accommodate 120 pupils. A nicely furnished room in front is devoted to the use of Mr Gray’s assistant. Miss Crofts. Mr Gray is gifted with the artistic temperament, and loves to have bright and cheerful surroundings, as witness the stage arrangements at his concerts, and his new rooms, both from the practical and the aesthetic point of view, are all that could be desired.

Mr Gladstone, speaking at Edinburgh, said that a dissolution at the instance of the House of Lords would be a monstrous innovation. Home Rule would appear again next session, when the Government would find means to reach the goal. The position was serious, but he hoped that the Liberals, with the help of the Almighty, would overcome all obstacles. The London Standard says the speech is a diatribe only worthy of the windiest demagogue. During his recent visit to Britain, Mr W. TT. Mathieson spent seme time in Scotland. An account of his experiences in the Land o’ Cakes will be given next week. On the 12th prox. Mr Mathieson will give a limelight entertainment in aid of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Sunday School building fund, entitled “ A trip round the world.” It is probable that, in response to numerous requests, he will repeat the entertainment in various country centres. Amongst the Chinese who recently presented themselves to the Victorian Secretary of Trade and Customs for admission to the colony was a precocious youth not quite 15 years old, and about 4ft. high. He announced that he was a married man—married for two years —and then stated that he was a native of Victoria, and had been taken to China some years ago with several brothers and sisters by his father and mother. He had become an orphan, and returned to the colony accompanied by a wife much older than himself with the object of looking after the business affairs of his deceased father. He was duly passed by the officials. Soon after the Victoria disaster a correspondent of this journal suggested that it was probable that a number of the men who went down in the ill-fated vessel lived for some time under water. The same point suggested itself to some United States naval officers, who stated that half the horror of the Victoria disaster had not been told. They were perfectly satisfied that some of the compartments were closed before the ship went down, and that in those compartments were men who found themselves at the bottom of the sea alive, with no possible escape, and with enough air to possibly last them a few days, may be longer. There they were io starve or choke, caged in iron, and certain that nothing could sa*. e them. The Dunedin correspondent of the Taieri Advocate states that the city is at present infested with a number of men who are doing their best to relieve young men and others of their cash. The blackmailers, with their female companions, have made a good thing out of this line of business already, and (adds the correspondent) I would not be surprised to hear that their earnings amount to several hundred pounds. The worst part of the business is that the ones who are fleeced are naturally ashamed to make the affair public, and the guilty one thus escapes.