LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 923, 4 March 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

W BSLKTAH Chuboh SERVICES.— The list of services to be held, in the, various Wesleyan, Churphes in the circuit, will be found in,another ooluipn.

Accident to the Westport. —The official inquiry hold on Wednesday last in Westport •bowed that the accident to the Westport w««

caused by the captain shifting the steamer down the stream to take m general cargo after filling the forehold with coal, thus striking a snag, the existence of which he was entirely ignorant. The harbor master was under the impression that the Westport would go up the stream to load the balance of the cargo of coal, and was not aware there was general cargo to come aboard. There is a difference of opinion between harbor master and railway manager as to which of them is in charge of the river. Picnic. —The picnic in connection with Gapes’s Yalley school was held last Thursday, and passed off yery successfully. There was a large attendance of persons from Geraldine, and all the surrounding districts, including the Temnka brass, and drum and sf o bands, whose musical achievements, under the conductorship of Mr Stratton, contributed largely tp the enjoyment of the day. 4m excellent lunch was provided for all comers, and it was dpne full justice to, after which prizes were distributed amongst the children and various juvenile gambes indulged inThe weather was fine until about 4.30 p.m., when }t came on to rain, causing the pleasure, seekers to separate sooner than they had intended.

Pioneering. —A resident at Karamea, on the West Goqst, arrived ijt Nelson recently with a sad story of the plight to which the settlers had beep reduced, Niue weeks had elapsed since a steamer last called there ; when Mr Ray left there was but 2c\vt Of flour in the settlement, and the people were living on what tl,ey themselves could gravy. The miners had not left for their claims since Christmas, owing to haying no provisions to take with them. Emit vyhich should have been in Westport market weeks sipce had rotted in the cases in which it vyas placed for shipment. During the nine weeks but two small letter mails reached Karamea, and they were taken up by chance travellers. Altogether Karamea appears to he remote, unfriendly, melancholy, nqt to say slow. — Wellington Post.

Farms for Sale. —We direct attention to the farms which Messrs J. T. Ford and Co. intended to offer for sale on Thursday, March 9th, in Timaru. The first allotment is tha fc of 900 acres of the. estate of the late W. K. Macdonald, which for convenience of purchasers will be cut up into eleven farms varying in size from 20 to 116 acres. The land is within four miles distant of the Orari railway station and has good roads apd a constant supply of water in it. The soil is rich alluvial loam which has oeen known to produce the best crops of grain grown in South Canterbury. The property is all laid down in English grass, and as the terms are very easy and the farms are of very convenient size, it offers an opportunity to, persons desirous of acquiring land which they may not meet with again for some time. Besides the above property Messrs J. T. Ford and Co will offer for sale, on the same day a farm of maiden land containing 337 acres, sitmted near Mr Angus Macdonalds wool shad at; Orari. Two hundred and thirty seven acres of this have been once, ploughed, and the re,maining 100 acres are in native grass. The sale will take place in the ship Hotel, Timaru, on Thursday, the 9th of Mirch next audit ought to offer sufficient inducement to draw; a large, number of speculators to, the scene. The Peinok and the Working MJ-an.— An agreeable, feature of the meeting held at Westminister Abbey the other day in connection wifh the proposed memorial to Dean, Stanley did not find its way into the reports. The last of the. orators was, a working man, who spoke on behalf of his class, with great good feeling, apd. quiet dignity ; in fact, though every speech, even Lord Salisbury’s had been gopd, it was thought by some, that this horny-fisted son of manual labor was the mos.t really effective of all the. speakeis. Be. this as it may, when the, proceedings were over, the. Prince of Wales, who, had moved; the first resolution, selected the working man for the honor p£ a cordial handshake and a few hearty congratulatory words op his speech. Some who,witnessed the. pleasant little, in; cidont were reminded of the eulogium, which j Mr Bright opce.pronounced op the heir apj parent. It may also occur to onlookers, esI pecially in view of- certain Royal speeches, delivered at Manchester the. other day on behalf of. musical culture, that our Princes are taking a “ new, departure,’’and beginning more heartily to, follow in the. footsteps of their father. Hitherto, the work of Prince Albert has been carried on by his. daughters rather than by his sons. What Wojjen Should Do. —The London. Truth says;—“ Women say terribly hard things of women, and Miss Phillis Browpe, in her hook just published, entitled, “ What Girls Can Do ; a Book for Mothers and Daughters,” is no,exception to the rule. She says.:—“ If we come.to look into,the working of an institution which is governed on broad principles, which works smoothly, and grows stronger as it advances, we may be sure that there is a map at the head of it; if we find one where ,the wheels creak and groan as they roll, apd-the hearts of the members are filled with heartburnings and jealousies : moreover, which believes itself to bo inclispensible when it is only a makeshift, there a woman rules.” There is no doubt that girls are, ap. a rule, ornamental. Let them, therefore, by all moans, be. useful too,; but the usefulness must not obliterate .the.beauty. The strong- /

minded woman who cuts her hair as close as a convict’s, and clumps about the world in a pair of shpes several sizes too largo for her, who is indifferent to the shape of her dress, may be possessed,, of every cardinal virtue, but by disregarding the qualities of womanliness she brings those virtxies into disrepute. Men fly from her and are so filled with dread by such a one that they rush into, the other, extreme, and marry a, pretty creature who

thinks of nothing beyond her bonnet and j gowns. Ornapient must not bo sacrificed to j utility. Both are compatible, even in a girl, [ and she who can cultivate head and heart j without neglecting, the gentle graces and soft prettiness of girlhood, is, as Wendell Holmes j hath it, "• harp of a thousand strings.” J

Masonic, —The installation of Bro Thomas Sherlock Graham as Grand Master of the Qtago District and Southland took place at Dunedin on Tuesday afternoon last, at the Masonic Hall, in the presence of 500 members of the craft. Bro G. P. Pierce of Wellington, as Provincial Grand Master of New Zealand, Irish Constitution, was installing officer. The proceedings passed off with great eclat. Bro G. S. Graham, of Auckland, ’who was to have performed the ceremony, was called away to Brisbane on Tuesday. The Wakanui Constituency. —Mr J. 0. Wason who has just been unseated for the above seat, and Mr J. Ivess on whose petition Mr Wason was unseated, are both in the field again as candidates for election. Mr Wason asked Mr Saunders, who distingushed himself as Chairman of the Railway Commission, to come forward, but Mr Wason’a supporters refused to have anything to do with Mr Saunders, and so Mr Wason himself has now consented to contest the election.

Inoendjasxsm;. —Two fires occurred last Thursday night, which are supposed to be the work of an incendiary. One of them occurred at Rangitata, where some stacks of wheat, containing between 800 and 900 bushels, and belonging to Mr Totten, were burned down. The other occurred at Orari, whei e about 700 bushels of oats belonging to Mr Greenaway were burned. Mr To’ten’s wheat was, insured, but to what extent, or in what office, we have been unable to ascertain. There was po insurance on Mr Greenaway’s oats. Several things have been destroyed by fire and ip other ways lately in this district. About a fortnight ago a good deal of injury was done to Mr Badnam’s thrashing machine, and some time previously his stables were, burned. It is therefore evident that there is someope in the district who goes about systemetically insuring property, but for what purpose no one can understand, and we hope, the police will take immediate steps to trace, out the culprit and bring him to justice.

P-IG3 at Large.—The Ashburton Guardian says: —Chert-say's wonted serenity was disturbed this morning by a somewhat absurd incident. Two trucks containing 300 pigs consigned to. Mr Senders, who. is going to, place them on his stubble land, were, waiting at the station for the consignee, to, come along and claim his property, th,a porkers shrilly intimating that it was tim.a they ware, let out, A dray was placed alongside the, trucks, and; an attempt was made to land the animals, but before their progress could be checked an ayalanche. of pigs descended, and tumbling to the, ground, the entire 300 animals bolted off in all directions, scattering the bystanders, andi making a deafening din with their squeaking. Then ensued a chase, in which about halfthe juvenile population in Chertsey, assisted by some of the elders, took pant, jit was exciting work. At one time it seemed as if the. pigs would give their pursuers the slip, altogether, but fortunately the happy thought occurred to-somebody of emptying a sack ofgrain on the. ground, and this had the desired effect. The, pigs returned, to, feed, and 3 '®'- mained to be rounded up, and; secured. A Despar ate Action .'—Arthur. Fit z r . Patrick, says, the Pittsburg. Telegraph, who, returned from Colorado a short time agOj gives the. following account of an occurrence, in the. mining districts, of which, he was an eye-witness: —“A miner and some companions, were crossing the Continental Divide when it, was covered with snow. Threes inile below them, down a decline, of 45 degrees, deeply covered with frozen snow, lay the' spot theydesired to, reach, while to,go round by trail was 1-5 miles. The miner took a tin pan used] for washing gold, spread hja blanket over it goj; in himself, in a squatting position on his. haunches, tucked thp blanket around him, held rifle and other traps over his head, and, got one of his companions to give him a push. He informed me that he went down at the. rate of sixty miles a minute, and shot far out into, the valley at the foot of the mountain. When he,stopped he found the. soldering of; the pan melted from friction, his blanket on fire, and it was his impression that had he. gone much further he would have been burned up, together with his traps.”

We direct attention to, the. advertisement of Mr T. F. Coghlan and Co., Ha)l of Com? merce, Timaru, which appears in another column. In, that advertisement Mr Coghlan intimates that he is making extensive alterations in his premises and that therefore he, will, sell his drapery goods, house furnishing materials, &cu, at a great sacrifice to make, room for the new stock which he expects to, arrive immediately. Mr Coghlan claims for his, goods that they are new, fashionable, and well selected, he having opened in Timaru about two months ago, and therefox'a has no old. stock on hand. He intends to sell cheap, in order get the. goods out of the way while the. shop,is undergoing alteration and to make, room for new goods. Visitors to Timaru, would do well to give him a call.