LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 807, 29 December 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Akowiibnua Sports.—These sports came off yesterday, and were very successful. A full report of the proceedings appears in another column. The Late Fire.—ln another column Messrs McCaskill and Rooney thank all persons who assisted during the fire on Sunday last, at their fcllmongory establishment. Meeting of Ratepayers.—On Tuesday next, January 3rd, the annual meeting of the ratepayers iu the Temuka Road District will be held in the Road Board office at 12 o’clock noon. Concert at Winchester.—To-morrow evening a concert and dance will be given in the school-room, Winchester, at 8 o’clock, the proceeds of which will bo devoted to the school children's prize fund. Magnificent Donation. Mr Francis Ormond, the donor of £95,000 to the Anglican Cathedral fund, also given £SOOO for the establishment of a Working Men’s College. A sum of £7OOO is still deficient before Mr Ormond’s gift towards the Cathedral fund can ho claimed at the end of the year. The Bishop is making strong j efforts to secure the amount. Erratum,—A blunder of an unusual kind occurred in our report of the fire which took place last Sunday at Messrs McCaskill and Rooney’s place. In reading the proof some alterations were neglected and sentences transposed. The delinquent through whoso negligence this occurred has promised most solemnly that he will bo more careful iu future, and we sincerely trust that ho will keep faithful to his promise. I Cricket. —The first match of the All England Eleven against eleven of Victoria commenced in Melbourne on the 15th inst, The Victorians made 249 runs for 8 wickets the first day and concluded on the second day for 251 runs, The English team made 140 in their first innings, and when the i stumps were drawn on the 19th seven i wickets in the second innings had fallen for i 162.

Tee English Cricketers.—The date 3 on which the above team will play in Now Zealand arc fixed as follows : —January 12th, 13th, and 14th, Otago; 16th and 17th, Oamaru or Timaru ; 20th, 21st, and 23rd ) Canterbury ; 26th, 27th and 28th, Welling, ton ; February 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, Auckland. The return combined match is to be played at Svdney on February 17th, 18th, and 20th. Extraordinary Sudden Death. A sudden death, under very extraordinary circumstances is reported by the Fielding Guardian. A married woman named Streeter, on seeing a funeral passing, inquired what the cause of death was, and immediately after being informed that it was heart disease dropped dead into the arms of her companion. She had been suffering from heart disease, and the shock is supposed to have caused her death.

Farming Extraordinary.— A good story reaches us from the Waimea Plains. A ‘new chum’ rsttlor having been advised to plant part of his farm in turnips this year, and to sow gorse seed along the top of a sod fence proceeded, as he thought, to do so. The ground was accordingly prepared, and the seed sown, but to his astonishment he now finds that ho will reap a rich harvest of gorse from his fields, while the sod fence is pro-

dueing a first-rate turnip crop. New Resident Magistrate.— The appointment of Mr John OlUvier to the office of Resident Magistrate for Lyttelton, which appears in the last issue of the New Zealand Gazette, will, we are sure, meet with universal favor throughout the length and breadth of,Canterbury. Mr Ollivier is deservedly one of the most popular men in the province, having been identified with it in public capacities almost since its formation, and his long experience as a Justice of the Peace, and general knowledge will, we are sure, enable him to reflect credit on the position, to which he has been recently appointed.

Serious Charge Against an Editor.— Charles Mirfin, editor of the Inangahua Herald, has been committed for trial on the charge of forging the name of a Mr Jones,' a solicitor, to fire telegrams. Mr Jones was chairman of Weston’s election committee, and it is alleged that accused on the polling day presented for transmission five telegrams purporting to be signed by Jones, and addressed to Weston’s principal supporters at Brunnorton, saying that Weston’s return was impossible, and asking the receivers to do their best for M'Lean, an opposing candidate. An Extraordinary Accident. —A man who [had a friend going out to Australia (says the London correspondent of a contera. porary), bought a revolver as a present for him, imagining, doubtless, that the Colonies were in a state of chronic disturbance and imagining that every other person he met would bo a bushranger. Of course, he imagined the weapon to be unloaded, and to illustrate, “ for fun,” and for the benefit of his maid servant, the effects of it, he put the muzzle to his mouth, pulled the trigger, and fell down a corpse. The terrified servant rushes into a neighbor’s with the news, taking the weapon with her. and imagining, I conclude, it to be an ordinary pistol, puts it to her mouth to show what happened to her master, pulls the trigger and is shot dead-

Accidedt, —A few days ago at Pleasant Point, a young man named Grey had the middle finger of his right hand cut off by a reaping machine. Treated Unfairly.—A Maori child, and a Pakeha youngster of about five years old quarrelled at the sports last Monday, and

the result was, that the former’s nose was made to bleed. The mother on seeing the ruddy stream variegating the dusky countenance of her offspring,at once called Constable Burke to arrest, and lock-up in durance vile, the juvenile offender; This the constable declined to do, and the Maori woman created a great commotion, told the constable that ho was not doing his duty, that he was guilty o f partiality, and he would have looked up her own child if she had struck the pakeha childAn Extraordinary Phenomena.—An extraordinary phenomena was seen near Sandhurst, Victoria, on December /tb. A ball of fire, described in various ways, wa 9 soon to rush parallel with the earth round the corner of a house inhabited by a family named Donolly, and direct its course to Ithe back of the creek, rising and falling from eight feet to one foot from the ground. Five minutes before the inhabitants wore startled by a terrible smell of sulphur, and it was thought the powder magazine was about to explode, Donnelly lifted up a bit of wood from the ground at the back of the house, but had, to drop it immediately, as it singed his finger. His daughter was also at the back, and as the ball of flee rushed past, it nearly blinded her. Another person employed at the place was nearly knocked down. A terrific clap of thunder took place at the same moment. The weather was extremely oppressive in the morning About 4 o’clock a heavy thuderstorm passed over the town towavds the south west. Had Him There. —Says the Hawke’s Bav Herald A working man’s candidate was ono day addressing his audience, and dwelt eloquently upon the wrongs of the class to which he said he belonged. 1 With these hands,’ said he, displaying a pair, ‘ have I wrought at my trade ; with the sweat of my brow bavc I earned a pittance for my wife and my young family.’ One of the audience asked ‘At what trade did you work ?’ The reply was. quick—‘ A stonemason’s, and many a stone I’ve squared for the mansion of the rich man. These, gentlemen (displaying a set of tools), are the tools I wrought with for many a year.’ The inquisitive byestauder took up the tools. In tones of admiration ho said, ‘ You worked with these tools, eh?’ ‘Yes,’ said the candidate, ‘As a stonemason, eh ?’ asked the. inquisitive one. ‘ Yes,’ again responded the candidate. ‘Then said the questioner, '■ all I have to say is you must be a mighty clever man to do a stonemason’s work with a carpenter’s hammer and a gardener’s trowel.

French Ideas of Responsibility When an accident the result of carelessness (sometimes very gross) happens in England, xfc is as a general rule, discovered by some very strange mental process that “ nobody is to blame or, if tli£‘Case is so very flagrant, and the facts are so overwhelming, that even the most sympathising jury cannot acquit everybody, the offender most likely escapes with a reprimand. Our French neighbors do not, in such cases, act upon this priacipleSeveral persons were killed by the failure of part of a temporary build ing during a bullflight at Marseilles, on Sunday, August 14, and in consequence the carpenter who put up the platform has been condemned to four months’ imprisonment and.a fine of 50s, the manager of the fight to two months’ imprisonment,. and most instructive of all, the sub-inspector of buildings to one month’s imprisonment. What a sense of responsibility would weigh down our district surveyors if the Metropolitan, Buildings Act contained provisions similar to the laws of France.

The Temuka Eoad Board invite tenders for several contracts. See advertisement.