The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 1880. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 320, 20 November 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 1880. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Piu-liament has been further prorogued trail March I.

The crop reports from all parts of Canterbury are of a most favorable character.

The Suez mail arrived at Melbourne on Wednesday, but it will not be brought on tili the Te Anan Laves next wer-k.

Notwithstanding the number of young trout sent away, the Acclimatisation Society, Christchurch, have 13,000 or 14,000 still ieft.

. A man named Thomas M*Callnm was fined £lO on Wednesday, at Christchurch, for deliberately riding another down at the racecourse.

At the Police Court, Christchurch, on Wednesday, Margaret Platt, for maliciously wounding Jane Weller on the head with a tomahawk, was committed for trial.

A deposit of nearly pure plumbago, of considerable extent, and in a very accessible position, has been found in the Malvern Hills. Another good seam of coal has also been found.

On the representation of the Industrial Association, Mr Maxwell has promised to reduce the railway charge on flax, by classing it with wool. This will m ike a great difference. Mr K. F. Gray’s sale of land, announced to come off yesterday, will not take place till Friday next, the 26th inst. ,at 1 o’clock sharp. By reference to the advertisement it will be noticed that several important additions have been made.

We are informed (says the Dunstan Times) that the rabbits on the ranges situate on the Hawkshuru and Earnscleugh runs are dying by thousands. This is to be attributed to the scarcity of food, but in the low country we are sorry to say they are almost as numerous as ever. According to the Madras Mail ihe Queen is preparing with her own hands a descriptive catalogue of the numerous presents that have been made to her since she ascended the throne. Every gift, great or small, is to be illustrated by photogra phy.

An old man who lived in the Rue Yercingetoric, Paris, and who was noticeable only by the poverty of his external appearance, died recently, and some time elapsed before an heir presented himself to claim the fortune of the deceased, which he estimated at bet ween £SO and £6O. When the legatee proceeded to take possess! ?n of the old man’s apartment, to his surprise no less a sum than £32,1.00 was discovered in a cupboard.

On the 9th October the Alexander White just arrived at Weli.ugton from China, was boarded by the master of the trading schooner Alasca, who had a shocking native massacre to report. It appears that on the Ist October he landed on Rung mere Island for the purpose of trading, when he was horrified to find the bodies of sixty natives lying on ilie beach. Only three men, a woman, and a child appeared to be left alive on the island, and from these the captain learned that a tribe from the neighboring group had invaded the island during the night and plundered and massacred the inhabitants. War had previously been raging between the two islands.

The 48 hours’ tournament at the Hippodrome for the championship of the world and belt, valued at 50 guineas, presented by Mr L L. Smith, with 50 guineas added, was concluded on the 3rd November, at 8 minutes past 10 p.m. (says the Melbourne Leader). There was a attendance, considering the inclemency of the weather. Niue competitors started, but only, four continued throughout. The result was as follows ; W. Edwards, the well-known champion of the Colonies, first, the distance travelled by him being 177 miles 11 laps ; C. Swan, champion of New Zealand, second, with 163 miles and three laps to his credit; T. E. Campbell, ot Sydney, third, be having done 150 miles two laps ; and T. Williams, ex-champion of New South Wales, fourth, 137 miles three laps. Censiderable interest was taken in the event throughout. The winner received quite an. ovation at the finish.

A humorous incident occurred the other day in connection with the ventriloquial performance at the Theatre Royal, Wellington, Clhalet was practising his usual afternoon rehearsal with his lay figures, fancying, of course, that he and his “familiars” had the stage to themselves ; but buzzing about behind the scenes was the manager and some friends, one of whom is the landlord of a well-known city hostelry. Chalet was talking to his dummies' an J ventriloquially made one of them lejaculate,; “ Now . then, Dick, ain’t you coining Horae.” 1 ’ Instantly Hie boldface at the back-paused in his chit chat, turned slightly pale, faltered in his footsfepc, arid ejaculated, “By Jove, there’s my old woman come to fetch me home ; I promised to meet her in Willis street half an hour ago, and here she is.” It took some little time and no end of chaff to persuade him that he really had not “ listened to the voice of the charmer.”

The following new scale of fees under the Buihl'ng Societies Act, 1880, has bee 11 gazetted :—For every certificate of incorporation under section 6, nil ; for every certificate of incorporation under section 17, £3 ; fur every certificate of registration of alteration of rules, section 23, 10s ; for every certificate of registration of change of name, section 27, 10s ; for reception of any notice and registration thereupon under sections 36 or 37, 10s; for every award by Registrar under section 41, £2 ; for receiving and filing copy of account and statement, under section 48, 5e ; for every inspection of any document or record in custody of Registrar, Is ; for every copy of or extract from any document or record certified by Registrar, 5s ; where the number of folios exceed five, an additional charge for each folio in excess o ( * five, 6d. la addition to the above, the following regulation respecting the fees to be paid by societies to revising barristers is also made -Every society whose rules, or any amendments thereof, shall be certified to by the revising barrister appointed under the said Act, shall pay to such revising barrister a fee of £5 ss; the revising barrister to be entitled to no further fee in respect of any amendment of any rules he may certify, if one fee has already been paid within the period of three years next, before the giving of such certificate.

Mr Linn has just arrived in Christchurch from America (says the Telegraph) and has inspected the sample of petroleum in our possession from the wells at Gisborne. He informs us that the oil is exactly similar to that from the lower oilfields iu the Pennsj’lvania region in the districts known as Modoc and Milierstown, where the most copious wells existed, yielding 1400 barrels of 42 gallons each per day. Mr Linn has kindly furnished us with a; sample of the American oil, which is at our office for inspection. He also has some specimens of the sand-rock in which the oil is found.

A correspondent of the London Daily News, who signs himself “ One Who Knows,” comments with some bitterness not only on the alleged incapacity of Lord Chelmsford, but on the incompetence of others of our generals. The news of the fresh loss which we have sustained at Candahar gives point to this writer’s remarks. General Primrose has to defend himself with a force of 4000 men thoroughly armed against some 15,000 Afghans outside the walls of Candahar, “ because like Lord Chelmsford, he despises his enemy, and violates the same maxim of the art of war.” General Primrose, continues this writer, knew that Ayoub Khan was on the Helmund with a powerful force, yet, in spite of this, he divides his own troopsThat the best interests of the country axe sacrificed by incompetent generals is explained to be due to the fact that both in England and India talent, udder existing circumstances, cannot bring itself to the front. India appoints Geneials Roberts and Stewart to command her forces, whereas England employes Lord Chelmsford and General Primrose. The latter, although serving in Afghanistan, was nominated for his divisional command in India by the Horse Guards. Lord Chelmsford had a certain deputation as a staff and regimental officer, and as a brigadier at Aldershot. The inference drawn by “ One Who Kpows ” is that appointments of thi 8 character ought not to be mad* by the Commander-in-chief advised by the Military Secretary.

As much as £96,000 a year is se n lout of the Colony for fruit that could be grown m New Zealand.

From the Gazette we learn that during the month of October 23 estates of deceased persons were placed in the ciiarge of the Public Trustee. The amounts ranged from £5 to £2OOO (in the estate of H. Boyton, of Auckland).

From a letter received by Messrs Boyle and Scott by the mail, it was stated that the Australian Eleven were to land at Adelaide on the 14th November. A match will be played at Adelaide, and another at Mount Qambier ; the Eleven will theu proceed overland to Melbourne, arriving there about December Ist. When the mail left, the team were completely knocked up, having travelled 1700 miles and played every day for 10 days,

The attendance certificates for presentation yearly in schools are provided by the Education Department in Wellington. They ace mere slips of cardboard, entirely un ornamental. The Caversham School Committee, whose tastes appear to be of the jasthetio order, have provided oertifi cates of their own. These are printed in coloured inks, ore enlivened by a neat photograph of the school buildings se in the centre, and are neatly framed, so that they become a pleasing mantelshelf ornament, They are unquestionably much more suitable than the Government article? and other committees might well fallow the example set. Tn the present retrenchment times, the Government need hardly be expected >to provide anything that will cost moth thau the least possible sum - Q.

A shilling subscription has been started in Palmerston and the Shag Valley' district for the purpose of purchasing and presenting a testimonial to Sir Francis Dillon Roll prior to his departure for England,'

The following remarkable dog story, which may or may not be true—probably the latter—reaches us from Mexico.lt appears that, some two or three yeais ago, a solitary shepherd, who tended Ins flocks in a particularly out of the way district of New Mexico, paid the debt of natuie and died, leaving his herd under the sole care of his faithful dog. This creature, it seems, has since then carefully guarded the sheep, taking them out eacli morning to the pasture and bringing them home safely each evening. As a fitting termination to this display of sagacity it appears that the dog when pressed by the pangs of hunger was in tiie habit of helping himself to a sheep or a lamb, but was careful to make amends for this breach of discipline by increased attention to the requirements of the surviving , members of the flock The narrative concludes with the information that the dog lias been awarded a State pension—value not stated—as a reward for such a display of virtue.

Some interesting details are given in American papers with respect to the famous Dalrymple Farm, 25 miles west of Fargo, Dakota, which is the largest cultivated farm on the Western Continent. It contains 36,000 acies of arable laud, 24.000 of which are now under wheat, and 12.000 under oats ; 125 reaping machines were set to work last month to cut the wheat. Mr Dalrymple manages his farm on strict business principles, his harvest work being performed on a 40-day contract with e.-ch workman at Idol 750 per day, he boarding them. The harvesters all board at large dining halls prepared expressly for the Dalrympie family. Each reaper is operated by three horses or mules. There are ?75 of them on these reapers. When shocked and sufficiently dried, both wheat and oats are threshed from the stubble and without staking. The estimated yield by harvesters and proprietors is about 18 bushel of wheat per acre, and 90 of oats. The wheat product of this one farm amounts to 432,000 bushels—about 900 car-loads, or 45 train-loads of 20 cars. This immense crop will go to seaboard by way of the lakes, through Canada and the Erie Canal, and is expected to net 60 cents p?r bushel at the farm.