LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 949, 11 May 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tie English Mail. The outward English mail closes on Saturday next. Useful to Farmers. —Says the Prairie Farmer: —“ Mitchell’s horse liniment is composed of —Gum camphor, two ounces ; oil °riginum, oil sassafras, oil wormwood, each one-half ounce ; spirit of turpentine, two ounces; alcohol, one pint—mix. The best known for strains, bruises, lameness of any kind, where a good liniment is wanted.

Entertainment at Milford.—A soiree will be given in the Milford Schoolhouse tomorrow evening in aid of the funds the children’s prizes. Excellent preparations have been made to render the affair as successful as possible. After the soiree a dance will be held, at which it is expected that there will be a great many present_ Volunteer Ball. —The hall held annually under the auspices of the Temuka Vollunteer Corps is advertised to take place on the 24th May next. The Committee who have been appointed to carry out details are leaving nothing undone to make it a success, and we feel confident that the result will be as satisfactory on this occasion as in past years.

Rotorua. There are great complaints, says the Auckland Herald, with regard to the management of Rotorua township. It is said to be simply an establishment for wealthy people. The resident physician has £4OO a year, a free house, and a considerable establishment at his command, including the best baths. For everyone who enters his establishment he is entitled to charge £1 per diem. There are several poor men at Ohinemutu who have been enabled to go there by subscriptions amongst acquaintances, and for whom visitors are frequently solicited for subscriptions, but the resident physician, placed there by the Government, has nothing to do with them, and is not required to give them medical aid.

Habitual Drunkards. —A ease of much interest was settled at the Kaiapoi Resident Magistrate’s Court last Tuesday. Certain residents in the village of Woodend, near Kaiapoi, have been drinking themselves to death, and the scandal reached such a pitch that at last a resident took the matter in hand and applied to the Bench at Kaiapoi to atop the supply of liquor. A clergyman in the district supported the applicant, but the immediate result was that the Bench rath ex* snubbed them for their interference. The matter was persevered with, however, and an application was made. before Messrs Whitefoord, Porter and the Mayor to prohibit the sale of liquor to Benjamin and John Bailey, father and son, under section 167 of the Licensing Act. The application was supported by the leading Good Templars of the district. A large amount of evidence was taken and the order was granted.

Abskktmindedness. —A resident in this district rushed into the bank one day last week and asked to see the manager. He appeared rather excited, and it was inferred from his looks and manner that something extraordinary had happened. On the manager making his appearance he told him his story. He had been robbed of a cheque for a considerable amount, and wanted payment to be stopped at once. After he had given full particulars ef the cheque, with instructions to stop payment, the manager reminded him that on the previous day he had paid the cheque of which he thought he had been robbed into the bank, and that now it was placed to his credit. Just about the same day another resident went into a shop where sewing is done, and asked whether he could have his vest repaired there. He was told that he could, and so he took off the vest and left it there. On examination it was found that there was a £1 note and a watch in the pocket of the vest. Sometime afterwards the owner of that vest reported to the police that he had been robbed of the vest and the contents of its pockets, and the police proceeded to investigate the matter. All the hay, straw, and corn in a certain stable to which suspicion pointed was turned upside down, but no vest could be found, and it was not until the person in whose charge that article of dress had been left returned it to its owner that he knew whore it was. The conclusion that can be come to is that both voted for the increase of publicans’licenses’and that they forgot everything else in the excitement of 6 he polling.

Convent toe Oamaeit. —An interesting ceremony took place in Oamavu last Sunday. Bishop Moran laid the corner stone of the Dominican Conrent School. There were upwards of 2000 persons present taking part in the ceremony and witnessing the same. Offerings amounting to close on £6OO were laid upon the stone.

Thb New Peemiee. —Commenting on the newly-formed Ministry the Walrarapa Star says :—New Zealand has at this moment a veritable fossil of the most unsavory character at the helm ! One of our ‘ Lords’ has been elevated to the position of a supreme ruler ! We venture to say that with the assembling of the new Parliament, on May 18th, Mr Whitaker, in spite of all his Auckland influence will make an ignominious somersault. A greater affront has never been offered to a colony than the appointment of a nominee to the position of Premier.

Death of a Misee. — A shocking story i s reported from Pive Acres, near Coleford, England. For many years an old woman had lived there in apparent poverty, and chiefly by begging. She became paralysed a few days ago, and died. In her bed was found a eannister containing £9O in cash_ in another room was found a girl in a seminude state. She had been shut in the room for three years, and had never left it during that time. The girl, who has become quite imbecile, has been removed to Monmouth Union. The neighbors did not know of the girl’s existence.

The Ring Theatre Vienna.—The tiial of eight persons who are charged with having by their negligence in enforce proper precautions! contributed to the catastrophe at the Ring Theatre, has commenced in Vienna, The defendants include Newald, an ex-burgomaster, Janner, Director of the theatre, and three of his officials, Landstemer, Chief Commissary of Police, who was on duty at the theatre on the night of the fire, a fireman of the Vienna Fire Brigade and an official of the Municipal Board of Works. The trial will probably last a long time:

An Upright Cabbt. —The Christchurch Telegraph says that the other evening a gentleman had a short drive home in the late fog, and on getting out tendered the cabby a shilling. The cabby thanked him and prepared to drive off, but, after letting the gentleman go about ten yards, he suddenly hailed him with. “ Hi, sir, you have given me a soverign by mistake.” The gentleman took the coin back, and was so pleased with the man’s honesty that he gave him two halfcrowns ; the cabby accepted them thankfully and drove off quickly. Our friend on next looking over his pocket-book found that the honest cabman had tricked him with a Hanoverian sovereign.

The Park Boahb. —The usual monthly meeting of the above Board was held in the Star Hotel last Tuesday evening. Present — Messrs Paterson (in the chair), Gray, and Meyer. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Accounts to the amount of £l2 were passed for payment. The caretaker’s report was read and approved. It was resolved—“ That the park fence be repaired, that certain portions of the land be leased for six months for grazing purposes, and that tenders be invited by advertisement in the Temuka Leader for the same.” Messrs Barker and Wilson were appointed rangers for the ensuing month. The meeting then adjourned.

Victorias’ Politics. —The debate on Mr Berry’s no-confidence amendment is rery tame, but negotiations hare been going on outside the chamber for a coalition. Mr Longmore has announced his defection as a quasi-supporter of the Government, and it is understood three other members of tha Ministerial Corner will vote with the Opposition. At a caucus of Ministerialists there was a good deal of ill-feeling displayed and some strong expressions made use of. Major Smith threatened to pitch Mr James, one of the members for Ballarat East, out of the window, and the two were barely prevented from coming to blows. In the event of the debate being concluded this week Sir Bryan O’Loghlen will deliver his Budget speech next Tuesday.

Milford School Committee. —An adjourned monthly meeting of the Milford School Committee was held on the Bth May, 1882. Present—Messrs Cox (Chairman) ( Wbodhead, Maze, White, Brogden, and Cain. The minutes of the last monthly meeting were read and confirmed ; also the minutes of a special meeting held on the 22nd April. The following correspondence was read :—April 27th : Prom the Secretary to the Board of Education, stating that he had been unable to procure the services of a locum tenens for the head teacher, and that he had urged Mr Greaves (the newlyappointed head teacher) to lose no time in opening the school. Pi’om Mr Graves* stating that he hoped to be at the school on the 11th instant (Thursday), and to open on the 15th. April 29th: Prom the Board, notifying payment of salrries, etc, for the month of April. Prom the Board, enclosing summary of attendance for quarter ending March 31st, 1882, showing number on roll, 53; average weekly number, 58; average attendance : strict average, 32 ; working do, 38. The following accounts were passed : Mrs White’s cleaning and sweeping schoolroom, six months, £2 15s ; Mr White, scavenging, six months, £2 10s, whitewashing and cleaning schoolhouse, 15s ; total £6. It was resolved—“ That the entertainment to be held for the purpose of raising funds for school prizes be given on Priday, the 12th inst ; and that an advertisement be inserted once in the Temuka Leader. Refreshments to be on the table at 5 o’clock p.m. and dancing to commence at 8 o’clock. Admission—Adults 2s per head, children under 12 years of age, free ; above that age, la. Arrangements as to the music to be left to the chairman.” Resolved—’’That the Chairman order one cord of firewood, and one ton .of coals for the use ti the school.”

Relief of Russian Jews, A well attended meeting wa» held in the Masonic ilall, Auckland, last Monday evening to express sympathy with the persecuted Jews in Russia; The Mayor presided. Speeches were delivered by Bishop Cowie, the Yery Rev Father Fynea, Mr J. C. Firth, the Rev S. Buddie (Wesleyan Minister), Mr F. Larkins, Mr G. W.J Griffin, United States Consul, Rabbi Goldstein, Mr F. A. Phillips (Town Clerk), and the Revs McKenzie and Fraser (Presbyterian Ministers). A resolution of sympathy was passed unanimously, and the Mayor was requested to forward it to the Lord Mayor of London. The condition of the Jewish residents in Russia is described as pitiable in the extreme. At a congress of the various relief committees held in Berlin, arrangements have been completed to facilitate the wholesale emigration of Russian Jews to the United States. A Shoai. of Fish. —At Oamaru on Friday that part of the harbour near the landing steps (says the Oamaru Times) was alive with sprats crowded in masses, packed almost literally like sardines in a box. These had been driven from the open water by baracouta and other large fish, which might be seen hovering at the outskirts of the shoal. The mass of fish was particularly dense just at the luncheon hour, fortunately for the men engaged at the breakwater and the reclamation contracts, and a general descent was made on the water. A charge or two of dynamite brought the fish in myriads to the surface, and anything that would hold fish was instantly brought into requisition, Buckets, boxes, barrels, sieves, sacks, kits, bags, handkerchiefs, hats, trousers’ pockets, billies, pots, pans, and receptacles of every seizable kind were used in the impromptu fishery. Three or four boats were soon more than ankle-deep in fish while the less fortunate “ longshore ” anglers bad nevertheless no difficulty in capturing hundreds. The sprats, or whatever they were, averaged about six or seven inches in length, and are capital eating.

GrDiTSAtr’s Pebsbwts — “ Silver Pen,” the San Francisco correspondent of the “ Auckland Herald ” writes: —“ It may interest you to hear of the array of ghastly presents which are daily sent to the President’s murderer. During the trial pieces of rope, noosed like a hangman’s knot, used to come by mail to the prisoner daily, and since the verdict they pour in like a shower of hail. A small room in the goal [is devoted to these suggestive souvenirs, which the warder has had the humanity to keep from the prisoners sight. Irom Ohio a little wooden box containing a miniature scaffold, with a paper man in effigy hanging, and twenty paper women drawingthe rope, was inscribed ‘ The women of Ohio.’ Also, a small scaffold and coffin, and the gallows-tree, with an effigy suspended thereto are among the gifts ; and yet another coffin with a skeleton inside, and this superscription written upon it, “ Strangulatus pro diablo,’ is quite a pretty and significant toy. Pictures, cartoons, and letters relative to the hanging pour in, and a letter from a rope maker offers to make a rope of red, white, and blue aide. Another man from Chicago proposes that the assassin be hanged to a rope 300 ft long, attached to a balloon, and so give him a ‘ flight to glory.’ One present of a black cap ia the most noticeable curiosity. Gruiteau’s presents form in themselves quite a little museum within the goal. The assassin has lost a good deal of his bombast and insolence, and is fast losing ‘hope of a reversion of his sentence by the Court in Banco.”

Mr J. T. M. Hayhursb wants to purchase

a sheep dog. Tenders are invited by Mr W. IJpton, architect, for the restoration of Mr Hayhurst’i hotel.

Maclean and Steward sell tomorrow 10 acres freehold land at Waimataitai Creek, near Timaru.

Michael Groodhew, of Temuka, laborer, has filed a declaration of insolvency. Mr J. W. White is his solicitor.