LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 243, 18 March 1880, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pleasant Point Racs?, —Our reporter not having returned from the Pleasant Point races at the time of our going t.) press precludes us from publishing « report of tho results of the above meeting. The Bellringers.— Tho well and favor-ably-known Lynch family of bellringers will give some of their pleasing entertainments in Timaru in about a fortnight’s lime.

A New Lodge,— It may interestF<..festers to know that a branch of their Order has been established at Honolulu. Tho King is Chief Hanger, and his S--crotary of State Sub-Ranger of the lodge. Easter Review. —lt is stated by the Oamaru papers that nt least 120 Volunteers from North Otago will attend the review to be hold at Christchurch during Easter, including portions of all the companies forming a battalion. Dr Skae.— According to a Wellington paper, Dr Skae has been appointed Inspector of Hospitals of the Colony, and at, the same time retains the position of Inspector of Lunatic Asylums. Excepting travelling expenses, the appointment of tho doctor to inspectorship of hospitals •will not entail any extra cost to tho colony. Narrow Escape— On Saturday evening a man who was standing at the edge of the Kaiapoi railway platform, was nearly caught by an approaching train. Mr Bourke, station-master, seeing his danger, dragged him back not a moment too soon, as in another instant the man would have been draw on to the line.

A "Want. —Complaint is made in California that the spot in Colima, El Dorado County, where gold was first discovered, has not been marked by some suitable monument. As it is, however, there is considerable doubt where tho discovery which has been so full of vast importance to tbe world was made. Marshall, the recognised discoverer of the precious metal, is still living on the edge of the township, and is miserably poor, being dependent upon his daily labour for the barest necessaries of life. A Curious Weed.— A curious weed is to be found at Kopua, and so far as the Napier Telegraph can learn, it is growing nowhei’e else iu that provincial district. It is said to be of tho family of St. John’s wort. It first made its appearance at Kopua about two years ago, one or two plants iiaving sprung up by tbe side of the railway line and’ attracted the notice of tho curious. It has now spread right and left, and smothered all other vegetation. No live stock will eat it; it has a hard wiry stalk, and boars a bright yellov flower. It will bo a very ugly nuisance to tlm sheep farmer if it gets any hold on a run.

Clever Arrest at Timarit. —Thomas Read, Into librarian of tho Timaru Mechanics’ Institute, was arrested on Tuesday by Detective Kirby, on a charge of embezzling £l5O in October, 1877, while acting as assistant-secretary for the Warruarabool Building Society. In reply to tho charge, accused said ho was wrong in the head at the time tho oifonco was said to have been committed. The arrest was very cleverly made. The actress Mile. Berthe Legrond, one of tho prettiest girls on the French stage, was brutally assaulted by the concierge of the house, where her sister lay ill, ou the occasion of a visit ; she Las taken an action for damages against the landlord for half a million of francs. Were she able to plead her own case, she would soon convert the jury to award her double that sum.

A Tall Story.-— The following tall story of a wheat yield comes, it hardly requires to be said, from Yankeeland : —A short time ago General John Gibbon, of St. Paul, made the assertion that 100 bushels of wheat had been raised on an acre of ground in the Territory of Montana. The statement having been received with incredulity, he wrote to the President of the First National Bank in Helena for proof. In reply he received the certificate of tho President and Secretary of the Territorial Fair Association that one Jas. L. Bay, of Lewis and Clark County, was awarded first premium for the best acre of wheat, being 102 bushels to the acre. This is believed to bo tho largest yield on record. Just so !

Frank Gardner. —Frank Gardner, of whom so many stories have been told recently, writes to a person in Burrangong stating that ho is married to a wealthy American widow, and has comfortably located himself in Nevada. He intimates that he had quite enough of the roads in Australia without resuming so precarious an occupation in a foreign land,and where Judge Lynch has such an unlimited jurisdiction.

Fowl Talk. —An on a hard seat in a railway carriage said, “ Wal, they tell me these hyar cushions air filled with feathers ; they may have put the feathers in, but darn mo if I don’t think they have left the fowls in too ! ..

English Mail. —The Arawata arrived with this mail at Port Lyttelton on Tuesday last. Marvellous Escapes. —John Thomas, aged 9 years, while drawing up a bucket of water at a well in Waterloo Quadrant, Auckland, on Tuesday last, fell down it a distance of eighty feet. He was uninjured and while being drawn up he lost his hold forty feet from the top, and went down again. He ultimately got out all rigid.

Drowned. A child named Mabel Wiight was drowned in a creek at Ad lington, near Christchurch, on Tuesday last. Accident. —On Tuesday a man named John, whilst workinga threshing machine, at Clnifitchurclghad his left hand and part of his arm pulled oil' with the driving belt. A Novelty. —Many years ago the Resolute, an English Government ship, had to be abandoned in the Arctic Seas. It was found by the American Government ship, taken to America, repaired by the Government, and restored to tho British Government. It was lately condemned to be broken up. Her Majesty having heard of 'this, ordered that a magnficent article of furniture, combining writing table, book snelvos, etc., should bo made out of tho ship’s timber, and sent as a present to the President of the United States.

Pisces. —A trout of 201bs weight, 34in long and 31 in in girth, Bald to be the largest caught in the colony, was taken with a minnow in tho Upper Taieri lately by Mr D. Grieve, Local Industries. —Mr E. Wakefield was appointed chairman of tho Local Industries' Commission.

The Li: coin shire delegates arrived at New Plymouth from liawera gn Tuesday ; Mr Grant is suffering from sciatica, and can scarcely walk. The delegates are now at Manuk:- u Mormonism- is still alive in Auckland. A lecture exposing- its .principles was given in Auckland on Tuesday. Elder Sorenson, of Mormon fame, was invited to attend, but ho didn’t see the good of it. Journalistic. —OColleau, one of the French deportees, intends publishing in Auckland a musical journal called the New Zealand Muse. The Panama Canal is commenced. The first blast in tho greatest cutting of the new Pa name. Canal was exploded on Jan 10th De Losseps, now at Panama, declared that tho canal was tho cloning work of his life. Murk Prosecution. —A northern contemporary, commenting on the recent escapade between tho wife of a fisherman and a Mormon Elder, says ; —Some of the good ritiaans of Auckland would do a righteous and noblo deed were they to seine this man, Eider Pearce, tie him up in a sack, and throw him into the harbor. Old Veterans —Pensioner Jesse Smith, late of the 4th Foot, died at Wolverhampton it tho ago of 94, He was present at the seige of Bayonne, and took part in tho affairs of Nive, Bladensburg, Washington, New Orleans, Waterloo, and the occupation of Paris. —Another Waterloo veteran named Col. William Burney, aged 88, who entered tho service in 1808, is also dead. Win. Smith, one of the Six Hundred iu the Charge of B dc!ava,has died at Knutsford. He served aa field trumpeter to the Earl of Cardigan. Altogether, he roreceived six medals and eight clasps. Honesty. -The gentleman win-returned his neighbour’s borrowed umbrella was seen a day or two ago walking in the company of u young lady who passed a looking glass without taking a poop. It is believed they are engaged. Grain.— About 40,000 bushels of grain are being forwarded from Waimate toPort Chalmers for Home.

Don’t Swear Young man don’t swear Swearing never was good for a soro finger. It never cured the rheu atism nor helped to draw a prize in a lottery. It isn’t recommended for liver complaint. It isn’t sure against lightning, sowing machine agents, nor any of the ills which besot people through life. Theie is no occasion for swearing outside of a newspaper office, where it is useful in proof-rending and indispensably necessary in getting, forms to press. It has been known, also, to materially assist the editor in looking over the paper after it is printed. But other, wise it is a very foolish and wicked habit

The harvest promises to bo the heaviest yield ever known in the wheat districts around Timaru and Oamaru.

An old Maori died at Wakapuako, Nelson aged 110 years. Water has boon sold'at 2s fid per barrel, lately, at Invercargill, The burgesses of Wanganui have decided, by 115 votes to 15, to borrow the sum of LIO,OOO

Cofpbb rooms for tho accommodation of young ladies in business hours, have boon opened rn Christchurch. CriUtiiANY is narrowly watching affairs in France, in view of a possible warlike aspiration of GambetfS’s.

A Party with British directors have resolved to apply to Parliament to rebuild tbo Tay Bridge at a lower level with a double line of rails, ..

Trying to do business without advertising is like winking at a pretty the* dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does.

The Wellington Tramway plant is to be sold.

A park policeman, seeing a. yellow dog near a handsomely dressed lady,» approaches respectfully, and says “ Does this boauohi* ful crcaohure belong to you, lady P” “ Mercy, no!” Park policeman (lifting his cane)— “ Get out o’ here, you beasht.” The Dunedin Murder.—A painful incident is recorded in connection with the above. Mrs Aitcheson, mother of Mrs Grant was on Monday on her way down in the train to visit her daughter, being all unconscious of the deplorable event. The shock to ner feelings may be imagined, when, on reaching ing Palmerston she learned the truth by hear” ing a stronger reading from one of the newspapers an account of the murder.

Charles O’Keill, 0.E., late has been elected member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, London.

Major Stack, well-known throughout tho colony, officer of volunteers, died at hTelson oh Saturday evening. Alcohol was lirst invented and used to stain the cheeks o fthe ladies of Arabia, 950 years ago. As a cosmetic, tho use of alcohol is now confined to the human nose. Mosquitoes. —Blenheim was visited last week, says a local paper, by a cloud of mosquitoes, which swarmed round tho hotels and shops that were lighted up. The exterior of the Club Hotel was blackened with them, while in the Telegraph Office it is no mere figure of speech to say that they were shovelled out wj.th a dust paa • - ■ m {r