The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1881. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 608, 19 November 1881, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1881. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wesleyan Church Services. —The list

of services for to-ino’Tow to be held in the circuit will bo found in another column.

Magisterial. —Mr R. Bectbam has been gazetted as Resident Magistrate of Geraldine, in addition to his iiiuUitiidnoiis duties a.H Magistrate in other parts of South Canterbury. Geraldine County Election.— The Returning Officer for the Peumka Riding on Thursday last officially declared Messrs Julius Mendolson and John Talbot duly sleeted ns members fur the riding of the Geraldine County.

The Railway Revenue.-The railway returns for the four weekly period ended 15th October Inst shows the revenue of the Hnninui-Bluff hue to be £40,710 14s sd, the grand total for the two islands being £58,705 los !)d. New Zealand Annual, 1881.— We have received flora Mr A. Fisher, bookseller, of this township, a copy of the New Zealand Annual for the year 1881, edited and published by Mr Mosley, Christchurch. We will review it in our next issue.

Geraldine County Council. —The Dew Council is composed as follows : Temnka Riding, Messrs J. MendeLou and J. Talbot; Levels, Messrs J. C. McKerrow and W. Moody; Mount Cook, Mr G. F. Clnlee ; Geraldine, Mr A. Sherratt ; Mount Peel, Mr 0. G. Tripp.

Ouu Late R.M.—The Tnapoka Times states that prior to the business of the Resident Magistrate’s Court being proceeded with on Monday last, on the occasion of Mr J. Nugent Wood taking his seat on the Bench as R.M. of that district, the members of the legal profession in an address congratulated him on his appointment. etc. Mr Wood, in acknowledging the compliment, said it was a notv thing for an address to be presented to a newcomer, but be bad no doubt the Bench and the Bar would get on harmoniously together.

Government Life Assurance.— The bonus certificates of the department are now issued to policy holders. On a policy of £SOO on which tho premiums paid otdy amount to £OO, the bonus amounted to £54. r l liia must be considered highly satisfactory and shows the favor iu which the Government scheme has been received by the people generally for so large a business to have been transacted iit order that a fund must have accrued of such magnitude to warrant so liberal a distribution amongst the policy holders.

What the Maoris Cost -Us.—An exchange writing upon the cost of the Maoris since the beginning, says ‘ the figures are appalling.’ For defence purposes, during (he pe .'uci from 1856-57 to 1873-4, £3,331,065 was spent out of aloan, and £991,416 out of’revenue. For the years subsequent to 187b-7 the defence expenditure was £303,434 out of the revenue, and£227,306 out of a loan. Ihe expenditure for miscellaneous objects, known as Native purposes, amounts to £801.496. Add a million for the four years ending lfcßl-82, and the grand total is £6,654,717. The Russia# Capital.— The question of transferring the Russian capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow is being agitated in the Russian newspapers. The warmest advocates of the project are the Panelavists, who look upon St Petersburg as the typical rep resentative of the " traitorous reforms” of Peter the Great, and of Moscow as the true centre of Russian patriotism. On the other side it is urged that the history of Russia as a great European power dates from, the foundation of St. Petersburg, and that the patriotism of Moscow is merely, of a local cr provincial kind. St. Petersburg is not only the seat of the imperial court, hut of Russia’s social and literary world. The British. Army— Year by year the British array, once the most beautifully clad and biilliantly equipped in the world, loses something in pictnresqneness. Feathers and epaulettes are gqne, and, except with the hussars, p f gold or silver has disappeared. rage for economy and utility button, save such as may be absolutely neceasary to keep his clothes upon his back, hna vanished from the- soldier’s tunic. The marines are still permitted half-a-dozen such ornaments on the skirt of their tuuics i but it is enough to make soldiers despondent and civilians smile to cibsen* how button after button is cut off the uniform of both cavalry and infantry. Two are all that are allowed now at the back of an infantry tunic. The very facings are cut down, to the merest selvidge. Those decorations which, gave prottiness and variety, to the uniform, and were once regarded; as the- distinctive badges of; regiments are novv nothing rr.or« than tiny patches upon the cuff and

Tue UpfEit House.—A Gazette just issued intimates that the Hon E. Oliver lias been called to the Upper House.

Great Heat. —Morocco has been suf. feeing from a heat that is described as all but insupportable. It was so great that the fast of the Ramadan could not be kept and in the last removal of the Sultan's camp 200 camels perished of excessive lie at. Uyed Lack. —Yellow laco- is by no means a modern novelty. In the sixteenth century the fair Venetians appreciated tins becoming tint and had their laces dyed yellow, and Irish* linen, which as long a o as that date-was highly prized w- always, of that hue until Henry VIII forbade the use of saffron as a dyo.

Marbles. —Almost all the “ marbles” with ivhieh boys everywhere amuse themselves, in season and out of season, on aide-walks and in shady spots, are made at Oberstein, Germany, There are large agate quarries and mills in that neigh, borlmod, and the refuse is turned to good account in providing the small stone balls for exports to “knuckle" with.

Photograpiiino Music. —An English paper tells of a gentleman who, on being nsked to sing, produced from his pocket a little case which contained bis music, photographed down to the size of notepaper. He had delicate copies of each song,.and handed one to the accompanist, singing from the other himself, The expedient saved ail the bother of bringing a roll of music, unfolding it, collecting it again, and so forth.

The Honor of Knighthood.—Cornelius O’Dowd tells of an Irishman who was iold that he was to be made a baronet and who pleaded for the sake of Ids innocent child shut his sentence might bo commuted to knighthood, so that the disgrace might die with him. C.M.G.-ships were not invented (hen, or ho nrght possibly have pleaded for permission to come back as far toward respect bllity as that.

Specific for Smallpox. Identity Standard states that a Mr Rose, of Dorking, some time ago discovered that cream of tartar was a specific- for smallpox. One oz. is dissolved in a pin“ of boiling water, and given to the patient in doses of one wineglass, when cold. Four such glasses effect'a cure, and it is stated that out of 1000 cases, only one died —namely, a hoy who bed the whoop-ing-cough, In London, thirty children who had the disc ein one neighborhood were all made convalescent in three days by the same treatment.

A Valuable Hint.—A Leipsig jor Anal devoted t" the glass interest, states that (lie cracking of lamp chimneys may be prevented by placing them in a pot filled with cold water, adding a little salt, and after the mixture has been allowed to boil well aver a fire, to have the articles cool slowly. Treated in tills way, glass will be found to resist cracking, even if exposed to sudden changes of temperature, and the chimneys become very durable by passing through such an operation. The process is, in fact, simply one of annealing, and it results that, the slower the operation is carricl on, especially the cooling portion of it, the more effective will it be.

Snobocracy.— Some good stories of the snobs of Now York who have-adopted crests and coats of arms, and other flimflams, are told in the local paper, the Hour. A friend who was acquainted with heraldry, observing a coat of arms on the carriage of a New York merchant, asked him from what family he descended. Except that ‘ mother’s folk’s ’ were Yankees, he didn’t know. ‘ I see your coat of arms has the bar sinister. ’ ‘You mean that it is drawn out of line ?’ said the merchant, quite in a fog as to the term. ‘ 01), the line’s all right ; but the trouble is it is drawn the wrong way. Don’t yon know it is a sign of illegitimacy 1’ ‘ls that so? By thunder! I’ll have that painted out right away, or folks’ll be talking." And a Wall street broker, wanting something ‘ tony’ for a seal ring, the engraver suggested a lion rampant on a gules (or red) ground. After thinking the matter over for several moments, the customer remarked: • You can go ahead with the lion, and I think you can omit the jewels. Ore is apt to lose them if not careful.’

A jJkep Lake. —Several Jacksonville (Oregon) citizens, says the Record, recently returned from the Great Sunken Lake, situated in the Cascade Mountains, about seventy miles north-east' from Jacksonville. The lake rivals the famous valley of Sinbad the Sailor. It is thought to average 2000 ft down to water all round. The depth of the water is unknown, and its surface is smooth and unruffled, as it is so far below the surface of the mountains that air-currents do not aff-ct it. Its length is estimated at twelve or fifteen miles, and its width ten or twelve. There is a mountain in the centre haying trees upon it. It lies still, and mysterious in the bosom of the everlasting hills, like a huge well scooped out by the hands of the giant genii of the mountains in the unknown ages gone by, and around it the primeval forests watch and ward are keeping. The visiting party fired a rifle into the water several; times at an angle of forty-five degrees, and were able to note several seconds of time from the report of the gun until the ball struck the water. Such seams incredible, but it is vouched for by our roost reliable citizens. -The lake is cer

Electoral. —Mr Hayhurst addressed the Geraldine electors at Waitohi on Wednesday and at Hilton on Thursday evenings. At both places the attendance was large, and at the close of the meetings

votes of thanks and confidence were passed in his favor. He also addressed the electors at Winchester last evening- Mr Pnstiethwaite will address the electors at Pleasant Valley in the schoolroom this evening at half-past seven. Mr E',.Leach, in rospon e to a requisition which, will’befound in our advertising columns, has consented to come;forward to contest the Geraldine seat, as the repiesentative of the working clashes. Ha will address the electors in the Volunteer Hall, Teranka, on Tuesday evening next,, at* half-past sewn. Return’ of our Volunteers. —The Temttka Volunteers may be expected to. return ou Monday next, ami we trust a fitting reception, will be accorded them he more especially as they were about the first to render their services in the hour of danger. Our townspeople should take the matter up at* once in o;der to show our appreciation of the readiness, with which they have obeyed their country’s call. We understand that in. consequence of a desire expressed by the No 1 Temnka Rifle Volunteers who did; not go to the front 1 and who are desirous of welcoming their comrades back at their old quartos, the drum and fife band attached to the corps will proceed by rail to Ly tel ton to-day be the express train,, under charge of Lieut. Findlay and Color-S-.wgeant Coira, for the purpose of escorting them back to Temuka, with regi-

mental honors, A Large Cheque. —The New Zealand Times recently remarked that a chequedrawn for £25,000 is an event which, seldom occurs- at any rate, in the colonies—and. consequently, when such an event takes place it naturally gives rise to some little amount of comment. To - day, says our contemporary, a cheque drawn in favor of the City Corporation by Mr W. H. Levin and Mr H. M. Lyon, respectively chairman and treasurer of the Ha.Lor Board, for the above-mentioned sum, will he paid over to the Corporation officials at eleven o’clock. The amount is parti payment of the purcha e by the Harbor Board of the Queen’s wharf and warehouses, which will this morning be handed over by the City Corporation to the Harbor Board. The last cheque for si cii an amount that is known to have been drawn in Wellington was given by the Hon J. Martin as the first instalment of the purchase money for the Huangaroa station.

Tenders for No. 3 contract (plastering, painting, paperhauging., etc.) for therestoration of' Qieen Hayes, close on Monday next, at 4 p.m., at the architects

office, Timaru. Mr Geo. E. Stacey, the eminent chiropodist and electro-biologist, will visit Tenuika on Monday and Tuesday next, the 23st and 22nd insts., when ho may be consulted in the various branches of his profession. Corns cured in five minutes without pain (new discovery), entire, positive, and immediate relief guaranteed, 5s each; bunions treated, 5s each ; ingrowing nails, all marks and diseases of the skin, loss a nd falling off of hair, 10s fid