The Southern Cross. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. Invercargill, Saturday, Jan.20. General News

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 43, 20 January 1894, Page 8

The Southern Cross. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. Invercargill, Saturday, Jan.2o. General News

Part of the article on “Student Duelling in Germany,” ajipearing on page seven of this issue, has been accidentally omitted. The complete sketch will be given next week. Mails for the United Kingdom and Australia close at 10.25 a.m. to-day, aud at 3.15 p.m. on Tuesday.

Advancing. South Invercargill’s valuer (Mr A. Ball) reports an increase of £los— due to new buildings. In Invercargill there has been an increase of £3051.

The Committee ol Ways and Means of the U.S. Congress has decided to Bring the reduced duties on woollen goods into force in December.

Milner Stephen, the magnetic healer, who visited Invercargill someyears ago, has died in Melbourne. He had passed his eightieth year.

The London wool sales opened on the IGth. Crossbreds were firm, with a slightly upward tendency.

Mrs Knorr, the child destroyer, was hanged in Melbourne cn Monday—the first woman who has met that fate there since 1863. She went to the scaffold singing “Abide with me,” and “ Safe in the arms of Jesus.” The premises in Dee street of Mr G. Eroggatt, auctioneer, have been acquired by the J, G. Ward Farmers’ Association. Mr Froj. gatt will continue to carry on bu siness therein the meantime.

Dr Hendry has begun the practice of his p; ot'ession in Mataura.

An amendment to defer the free admission of wool into the United States until August, has been rejected, so that the duty will be removed immediately the bill becomes law.

From unavoidable causes we are unable to continue the publication of “ Voice and Song ” tkis week, but the article now under treatment, “ W ho should sing and who should teach singing,” will be completed r.ext week, and the series will then follow on regularly.

The members of the Southland Caledonian Dramatic Society are billed to appear in Riverton on Wednesday night in “The Heart of Midlothian,” the play in which they distinguished themselves at Invercargill during the holiday season.

The unsold sections in the township of Grasmere will be submitted to competition by Mr W- Todd on the evening of the 27th inst.

The animal meeting of the City Guards’ Band Society will be held on Monday night. The first prize in St. Mary’s art union went to Fairlic creek (Canterbury) and the second to Dunedin. The remainder have been pretty well distributed over the South Island.

At the Police Court yesterday, C. E. Bawson, Esq., presiding, John Lloyd was charged On i«mand with haring, at Hobart, on the Gth inst., forged and uttered a cheque for Lfi, purporting to be signed by James Howard. — Constable Turfett, who had arrived by the Wairarapa on Thursday with the warrant, gave formal evidence as to the issue of that document, and Constable Burnett as to the arrest of the accused, who admitted that he was the man wanted, but denied the forgery, stating that he found the cheque. Lloyd was remanded to Hobart, and will be a passenger by the To Annu to-day.—William Kelly, described by Sergt. Macdonoll as a most undesirable character, wlio had come over from Australia with a circus, was sentenced to a month’s hard labour for breaking two panes of glass in a house in Tweed street.

The secretary for the South Island branch of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia (Mr Alfred Gilbert) who is on a visit to the Southland District Agency, has conveyed to Mr Gill a vei-y distinct expression of approval from the Christchurch directors on the progress of the Mutual Life’s business in Southland since his (Mr Gill’s) appointment in May, 1893.

At the Otago Education Board’s meeting Mr T. McKenzie, M.H.R., asked if any regulation existed preventing children attending school barefooted, and receiving a reply in the negative, he said instances of children being sent home because they had no boots on had come under his notice. Several members thought it was a very good thing to see children going to school bare-footed.

The reconstruction scheme of the Hew Zealand 1 oan and Mercantile Agency Company proyides for a new company under the same title, with a capital of £3,900,000, in 320,000 ordinaiy shares of £lO each, and 200,000 5 per cent, preferential shares of £3 10s each The liability of £22 1 s per share on shares in the old company is to be immediately called up, but. holders are relieved of this liability on taking for each old share two ordinary shares and one preference share in the new company, paying £1 for ordinary and £3 10s for preference shares by instalments extending over fifteen months for ordinary and two years for preference shares. The underlying principle of the scheme is the consolidation of all liability into debentui’e stock, thus leaving the company free from debt.

At the annual meeting of the Irish Athletic Society, held last week, Mr D. Eoche was elected President for the ensuing year and the Hon. H. Feldwick and Mr J Bridge vice-presidents. Mr W. J. McKeown was chosen secretary, Mr J. Collins treasurer (re-elected) and Mr M. Gilfeddcr superintendent of sports. It was decided to hold the annual sports on the 21st of March. A further meeting was held on Monday last, when it was decided to give a dramatic performance on the evening of the 21st, the Irish play “ Peep O’ Hay ” being selected. It was suggested in connection with the sports that the programme should include a Sheffield handicap of 20 sovs., distance, say 120 yards. A final decision was deferred to a future meeting. There can be no doubt that this is a step in the right direction. It would ensure the bringing together of a lot of good men, and wou'd stamp the society as spirited and progressive.

The twenty-mile road race to Woodlands and back, which was the second road race in connection with the Invercargill ’Cycling Club, for Mr Norlhcote’s trophy, took place on Wednesday last. The weather was very favorable, and four ’cyclists started in the race—H. Hannah (18 min.), G. Double (15 min), J. Wren (4 min), and A. L. Hone (scratch). Hannah, who had never before started in a race, and who is a youn lider, proved a dark horse, and won with most of his handicap to spare, while Double, who came in second, was in good form. Wren, a good and steady rider, made the fastest time (1 hour 15 mm. 25 secs), and showed better form than Bono (1 hour 264 mins.) who pulled oft the fifty-mile race some weeks ago. Mr A. Ferguson acted as timekeeper.

Regarding the poisoning case at Te Apiti (Hawkes Bay) station, nine persons altogether who partook of porridge and mince meat suffered. On arrival there Dr Eeid found the party fairly on the way to recovery. It is believed that the salt used was the cause of the sickness. Samples of the salt, vomit, Ac., were taken by the doctor to be sent to the Government analyst. The police have the matter in hand, but wilful poisoning is not suspected. The cook is again amongst the sufferers, though he is not the same man as was employed there when the previous poisoning was reported. Mr JBeetham does not suspect anybody of wilfully administering the poison, believing it got among the stores accidently while being carried by rail. It is stated that arsenic is landed in large quantities at Kaikori in cases which permit small quantites escaping.

The arrival of Mr Waterston’s barque Alexa forms the subject of remark by our Bluff correspondent. The event is one of unusual interest in the local commercial world, inasmuch as the vessel brings a quantity of sugar from the Mauritius, This might easily have been disposed of elsewhere, but Mr Waterston, desirous of seeing what can be done in the way of direct shipments, had it brought on to the Bluff. The sugar will be offered for sale at the Invercargill Hallway sheds at 11 a.m., on Monday, Mr Todd wielding the hammer. It will be interesting to note how mexebants avail themselves of the opportunity that Mr Waterston’s enterprise has placed wi L'n thcii reach.

Copies of Stone’s Otago and Southland’ Directory for 1894 have been delivered in the town and district by the representative of the publishers, Mr W. Bailey, The volume now occupies a high place in the commercial, farming, and business world, and it is unnecessary now to enumerate its many good features. Suffice it to record that inevery department no effort has been spared to secure accuracy and the latest possible information.