LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 928, 16 March 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Arowhenua Cemetery.—The statement of accounts of the above Cemetery Board for the year 1881 appears in another column. Bank Holiday.- The Bank of New Zealand will be closed next Friday, it being St Patrick’s Day. The Ram and Ewe Fair.—Farmers and stockowners aro reminded that a ram and ewe fair will be held next Tuesday, 21st inst., on the ground of the Temuka and Geraldine Agricultural and Pastoral Association, under the auspices of the Association. Entries can be made with the Secretary up to 12 o’clock on that day. Hare Shooting.—On last Friday a party of 12 gentlemen assembled on the Rakapuka estate at the invitation of the owner, Mr W. Postlethwaite, M.H.R., for a day’s shooting at hares. They succeeded m killing 102 during the day, and they were so thick that one man killed 12 of them with 12 successive shots without leaving the spot where he was standing on. A party of three men shot 22 at Woodbury last Monday. Park Board.—A meeting of the above Board was held last Tuesday, in the Star Hotel, at which Messrs Wilson (Chairman), Gray and Paterson were present. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed- The caretaker’s report was read and approved. Accounts amounting to. £lB 18s 3d were passed for payment. Messrs Gray and Paterson were appointed a subcommittee to report on the Park fences, and on the- requirements of the Park generally, the report to be submitted: to a special meeting to be- held at an early date. A Man Killed by a Train. —The special train on Monday evening killled a man at Oamaru. According to the Oamaru Mail the guard noticed that, something had been removed by the cowcatcher, but as nothing was seen the train proceeded to the station. The guard, however, was not satisfied, and on the return journey stopped the train where he supposed that something was wrong, and found there a man named Peter McKenna. He was taken back to the station, and thence to the hospital, where it was found his skull, his leg, and hip-bone were fractured. He has since died. It is supposed that whilst drunk he fell on the railway line, and was unable to rise till removed by the train.

Elopement.—A painful elopement is reported from, the country district of Napier. A cowherd employed upon the station of a well known runholder, in the absence of the father, ran away with the daughter, who is mentally afflicted and can hardly be held reponsihle for her actions. The pair obtained a license and were married, and they were about to drive off in a buggy when the father and brother drove up and took the young lady away, and a well-merited chastisement was inflicted on the fellow who induced her to leave her father’s roof. In all probability an application will be made to the Courts to have the marriage cancelled, on the ground that the young lady was not capable Of understanding the nature of the step she took.

Burning of Grain, at Rangitata.—The outrages which have been and are still being perpetrated in the above district call forth for [some effective steps being taken to prevent them. We have frequently had to record instances of property being destroyed by fire, and in other ways in a manner that left no doubt that they were the work of some malicious miscreant who, goes about systimatically doing all the harm he can to his neighbors, while they are enjoying their night’s sleep. On last Saturday evening five stacks of wheat, the property of Mr William Ford, of Rangitata Island, ware burned, but no clue has been obtained as to the origin of the fire. The wheat was wholly uninsured, and consequently Mr Ford, who is a.struggleing farmer,, loses about £2OO which is sufficient to ruin him. He is certainly an object of sympathy, after his year’s work it is very hard on him to lose it all in this way, He was absent from home, and only arrived in the last train from Ashburton in time to see the fire having so strong a hold on the stacks of wheat that he could do noth mg to save them. Several of the neighbors attracted by the fire did all in their power to save something from the flames, but their efforts were fruitless, the whole of the five stacks were consumed by the devouring element. Constable Morton, who. happened to be in the district that night on the look-ont for something or somebody, made enquiries into the cause of the fire, but did not succeed in eliciting: any definite information. The residents of that district ought to appoint a Vigilance Committee to watch the miscreants who are doing all the mischief. The police, we understand, have done all in their power, but hive not succeeded, and it Is plain that something must be done.

The Result of Electioneering. James Martin, licensee of Wade Hotel, Auckland* ■was charged at the Police Court with a breach of the new Licensing Act, by permitting disorderly conduct in his hotel. A meeting for the election of a licensing committee was held there, and a row arose out of the election. He was was fined 20s and costs.

The Volunteers. —Lieut-Colonel Stately has received a telegram from the jjefence office requesting him to send in at once volunteer capitation rolls at the old rates, namely £2 10s for cavalry, artillery, and naval brigades, £2 for rifles, and half rates for cadets. This is| gratifying news to volunteers. The Dunedin volunteers will probably get up an Easter encampment but if so each one attending must do so at his own cost.

False Report.—On last Tuesday a telegram from Dunedin announced that the Customs authorities had placed the cellars of Messrs Esther and Low under lock and key owing to their having used fraudulent labels, but the report was contradicted yesterday. Now this is very reprehensible conduct on the part of the wire puller at Dunedin. Such a report, calculated to do much harm to a mo-t respectable firm of merchants, should nob have been spread without a good foundation.

Breach op the Licensing Ordinance'.—■ At the Residents Magistrate’s Court in Tuuaru, on Tuesday last, Josephus Murphy, of the Pleasant Point Hotel, was charged with selling one glass of beer to one John Alfred. Dunn on Sunday. March 5. The evidence of Dunn was to the effect that he went to the hotel on the day mentioned at 8.30 a.m., and gob two glasses of beer for himself and his. mate. At 12 o’clock on the same day he went again, and he and a man named Rayner had drinks. Murphy did not ask him if he was a traveller. Rayner was- examined and he s tated that Dunn told Murphy he was a bona fide traveller. His Worship said there was a doubt in his mind as to the accuracy of the statements made. He would give the defendant the benefit of it, and dismiss the case. At the same time he would caution him to be more careful in future in supplying drink during prohibited hours.

Furnishing: Warehouse. —We direct the attention of our readers to the advertisement of Mr Jh E. JBeckingham of the Timaru Furnishing Warehouse which appears in another column. Persona going into Timaru from this end must be struck with the- splendid appearance of the warehouse, which has been recently improved. A new varandah has been erected along the- whole of the houseand the adjoining ones., and it now presents a, very fine appearance. But its outside look is nothing compared with the display of furniture inside. ' Indeed it might compare favorably with Christchurch or Dunedin houses, and is certainly a credit to Timaru* All classes of furniture can be had there of the best quality and make, from a drawing, room suite to the minutest article, and so faras we could judge, from what we saw, the; prices are very reasonable. We should’ advise- our readers who contemplatebuying furniture to give Mr Beekingham: a. call,, and see for themselves whether theycannot be-better suited there than anywhereelse.

A Licensing. Committee in a Fix—-At a meeting of the East Christchurch Licensing, Committee-last Friday,,a, point of some interest, cropped up. A firm,, one- of whose members held an auctioneer’s.license,, applied fora wholesale license. The Committee were disposed to stand by, the Act, which plainly forbids the issue of any license to the holder of an auctioneer’s license. Mr Stringer contended that the clause was clearly meant to apply to publican’s license only, and the wording was a slip, quoting the old provincial Ordinance in support of this view. Eventually the Committee expressed an inclination to take the same view, but feared they werebound by the strict letter of the law to refuse the license. It was then arranged that the Attorney-Q-eneral should be communicated with on the subject, and the case was. adjourned.. The Chamber of Commerce arein communication with Government on this point which is manifestly of importance to a good many large firms.

I The University Senate. —The Tlniver- [ sity senate now sitting in Auckland is considering schemes from the Professors of' the Board of Otago, and from, the professions]. Council of Canterbury College. The- first proposed scheme was the establishment of eight Junior Scholarships of £45 per annum tenable for three years, the remaining available funds to- be divided among affiliated Colleges in proportion, to the number of students matriculated. The second scheme is, eight junior scholarships, of £45 per annum, tena ile for three years, and six senior scholarships of £6O, tenable for one year, to be offered to candidates at the time of taking their final examination. It was resolved that the principle of the alternation scheme be aproved details to be left to the decision of the Senate next yhar.

Pleasant Point Races.—We remind our readers that the races at Pleasant Point will come off tomorrow (Friday), St. Patrick’s Bay. The programme appears in another column, and will be found to be an excellent one. There are £2O for Handicap Hurdle Race, distance 2 miles, over eight flights of hurdles; £l2 for the Hack Hurdle Race, distance miles ; £lO for the Maiden Plate; £25 for the Point Cup ; £ls for the St. Patrick’s Day Handicap ; £lO for the Hack Selling Race, and £5 for the Consolatiou. With such a. programme a capital day’s sporting is bound to be obtained, and as the day is more or less & holiday, we feel sure the attendance will be-large. The stewards are doing everything-in their power to make the races a. success, They hare arranged for a special train to leave Timaru immediately after the arrival of the Albury train, and everything else within their power has been done for the oonvenance of visitors. We should suggest to our local stablekeepers to run a conveyance to Pleasant Point on that cay, end we feel sure, if they will, it will bfe well patronised.

Fires. —On Saturday last, the bouse and out-buildings occupied by Mr Atwood, of Amersfoot, near Blenheim, were totally destroyed by fire. The fire originated by a spark from a chimney falling on to a large coating of decayed leaves lying on the roof. The fire was first discovered by Mrs Atwood, who was alone with the children in the house. She tried to run upstairs to save £36 in cash, which was in the drawers, but was driven back by the flames, and was only able to save her children and get out of the buil< ing. Mr Atwood being totally uninsured, loses everything, and not only all his furnitui e and effects, but also a lot of belting, piping (foi threshing machines), and other gear. He fortunately succeeded in saving an entire horse from the stable while the house was in flames. Only last week Mr Atwood intended insuring his property, and was actually on h. 3 way to do so when he was met by a friend, and prevented from executing his purposeA fire at Te Ore Ore, near Wellington, destroyed the dwelling of Jacob Bamber, The origin is unknown. Very few things were saved, and the loss is estimated at The property was insured in the North British for £IOO. Messrs McCaskill and Rooney advertise for two wool sorters. Messrs Maclean and Stewart will sell by public auction at the Wash dyke, on Monday next, 22 draught colts and fillies. Tenders are invited by Mr A. Wilson for carting 1000 bushels of grain from his farm at Seadown to the Railway Station. Attention is directed to Mr T. G. Rowley’s advertisement in another column in which he announces that he has received a shipment of all kinds of sporting articles, including all kinds of guns, rifles, pistols, &c. Mr F. F. Gray will sell all the Temuk a book debts in the estate of Mr Boyd Thomson next Saturday, in his auction room. He will also sell the privileges in connection with the Ram and Ewe Fair, consisting of a general license booth and a fruit stall.