The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1883. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1051, 6 January 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1883. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wesleyan Church Temuea.— lt is announced that the Rev. T. Fee Will conduct the morning and evening services in the above church to-morrow. The Ten Mils Handicap Race ax Dun* edin. —The ten mile race at Dunedin on Wednesday last, was won by O’Connor. Time, 57 min. 2 secs , Burke, the Otago champion, had 220 yards start, and camo in second.

Alleged House Stealing.— At the RM, Court, Timaru, on Thursday last. Patrick Rjan was charged with horse stealing. After evidence had been taken ti ecaso was again remanded till the 11th January, Bail was al lowed.

Ueualdinb Road Board Election.— We would remind our readers that the election of a member to serve upon the Oeraldine Road Board, in the room of Mr John Oodsell, will take place in the Road Board ofHoo next Monday, at noon The Timaru Breakwater.— The contractors have laid about 110 feet a ore of foundation blocks. As only another thirty or forty feet of foundation blocks have to be placed in position, it is expected that Messrs Jones and Peters will finish their contract by the end of March.

Custom Retukns tor thb Colokt. —The Custom returns for tlie colony for the last month were £113,395 ; beer duty, 7073. For the corresponding month of 1881, they were —Customs, £1.28 881; beer, £6598. For the nine months, April to December inclusive, the Customs duties amounted t £1,492,821; beer duties, £55, 495. Poisomed— A farmer named Michael Walsh, residing near the Riccarton Hotel about four miles from Christchurch, was found on Thursday evening to bo suffering great agony, and apparently dying. A doctor was called in but the man immediately •spired. The symptoms indicate poisoning by strychnine. He was about 50 years of age.

Doa ErKGtsTBATioN.— The Geraldine Countv Council have fixed the fee for the registration of dogs in this county at 10s. For I’emuka Mr John Lawson is authorised to re csive the fee ; Geraldine, Mr C. E. Shorratt; Mount Peel, Mr F. Newman j Mount Cook, Mr John Burgess; and Levels, Mr A, W. Gaze, of Pleasant Point, and Mr F. W. Stubbs, of Timaru.

The Electric Light.— The proprietors of the Eoslyn woollen mills, Koss and Grlmliuning, are thoroughly 1,. ha. electric light which they have been using fov some months. Work in the mills goes on continually all night long, so that the light has been thoroughly tested. The cost is much less than gas. The steam motiro power, used for the spinning machines is also used to generate the electricity.

Attempt to Mukdeb.— At Invercargill on Thursday, a rabbitor named James Mullholland was brought up and remanded on a charge of baring, on New Year’s Day, discharged a loaded gun at his wife, with intent to do her grerious bodily harm. The parties live at Jething river, in the Oreti Riding of the Southland County. • The accused fired through the door, on the other s de of which his wife was pressing in order to keep him out. The ball struck her stays and grazed the spine. The wound inflicted is not serious, but there is danger of erysipelas It is understood that Mu Iholland was jealous of his wife, who is considerably younger than he is.

French Enterprise, —A large number of arlesan wells hare been sunk along the northern border of the Desert of Sahara by the French, who steadily perserere In the work of redeeming the waste expanse of sand. More than 150 wells hare been sunk in the province of Constantine, and the work is advancing in the interior. One of the curious phenomena which the digging of these well* have brought to notice is the existence oi| fish and crabs at great depths. The learned engineer, M. Jus, who for 20 years has directed the work, avers that he once boiled and ale a crab which had been drawn up from a depth of 250 ft, and that, moreover, it was of an excellent flavor.

A Lenghtt Swim. —A most extraordinary swimming feat (says the Townsville Bulloiu, a Queensland paper), was accomplished by a sailor under the compulsion of undue excite raent the other day. It appears that he showed his admiration for one of the young ladies promenading on the Strand in a manner more marked than polite, which behavior was summarily and forcibly resented by her escort. Others took part in the attempt to inflict punishment on the jovial tar, who, when the police appeared in the distance immediately made for sea, and swam far out towards Magnetic. The police being determined that he should not escape, wont round the creek for a boat, when the sailor altered his course and turned in towards the jetty. Before the boat reached him he had passed the breakwater, and was within a few yards of the pilot boat shed when he was captured The man was heavily clothed at the time, and although he made one or two gallant but in effectual attempts to elude his pursuers by diving, was brought on shore, without; even losing his hat. A crowd assembled on the beach, and watched the affair with great in terest, odds being freely offered that the man would be monopolised by the sharks before the police hud an opportunity of taking him.

Latest Astronomical DisoorEiiT;-rAc-cording to an exchange, the latest astrononii cal observat ons has discorared vast canals connecting the great lakes and inland seas of th • planet Mars, which Mr Proctor declares to be the work of intelligent laborer!.

Frozen Mbat.— The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have received the following cable message ‘ Marsala reports temperature of her refrigerating chambers reached 31 degrees on the voyage to Java, and the greater part, if not the whole cargo, hal to be jettisoned.’ The actual facts have not reached here in a de finite form.

The Harvest.— Harvesting operations have now commenced in ons or two instances On Tuesday afternoon, Mr Driscoll, of Kerry Town, commenced cutting a fine padof wheat, and on Thursday Mr John Paterson started cutting 40 acres of barley. On the same date Mr J. Hopkmson commeneed cutting some oats. Towards the end of this month harvesting operations will be general in this district. Labor it is feared will be scarce. Japanese Enterprise.— The method in which the Japanese newspapers are conducted is often amusingly nave. A recent issue of the Nichi Shimbun—which, like all its native contemporaries, is printed not in column* but in squar. s came out with one square blank, the empty space being covered with a number of straight lines. The editor apologised for the extraordinary appearance of the paper, informing his readers that at the lust moment be found that what he had written was all wrong, and had to be taken out. He had no time to fill up with anyihing else, and there was nothing to bo done but leave the space with nothing in it.

Staetino Doss,— The Co'lumpton (England) magistrates fined the Rer. J. GK Sydenham Cs and costs for starving seven dogs. When the inspector yisited defendant’s premises he foun i the animals in a state of starvation, with hardly any flesh on their bones, their backs arched, and their thighs drawn up. Attention was first drawn to the matter by one of the setters escaping from the premises, running to a butcher's shop, and stealing therefrom three pounds of salt bacon. The condition of the dog so excited the sympathy of the butcher that he, for humanity’s sake, took charge of the animal. The magistrates said the case was a very bad one.

Timaeu Hahboe Boaed.— A special meeting of the Tiraaru Harbour Board was held on Thursday, ihe principal purpose of the meeting being to pass the last month’s accounts, so that tbsy could be laid before the Provincial District Auditor before the ordinary meeting. There were present Messrs Barker, Turnbull, Toscbemaker, Moody and Mce. Mr R, Storm was appointed pilot, and harbor master’s coxwain, at a salary of £ls per month. The accounts for the past month were passed for payment, amounting to £IG36 15s lOd on harbor works account aud to £261 2s Id on landing service account. The Secretary stated that when these accounts had been paid the Board’s credit balance in the Bank would bo only about £IOOO,

Dairy Factory. —A meeting of the directors of the Temuka But er, Cheese and Baoon-curing Factory Company (Limited), was held in the Wallingford Hotel last Thursday evening. Present—Messrs James 3uild (Chairman), Gray, Barker, Austin, Hayhurst, Paterson and Cain. Mr Upton, the architect was in attendance,and explained the plans. The following tenders for the erection of the building wore received : —Targus, in brick, £llOs (accepted). Clinch and Lloyd, brick, £1413 ss; concrete, £1390 15s. J. fcimpson, brick, £I3OO. W. King, brick £1550. Beatt e and Moore, brick, £1110; concrete, £1225. Clayton, brick, £U7S. Wood, brick, £1394. Palliser, brick, £1361; concrete, £1566, Hall, brick, £1147 10s. The secretary was instructed to write to persons who recently took shares notifying that the shares have been allotted to them. Mr Sando waited upon the directors in reference to the erection of a branch factory in the Geraldine district. After discussion it was resolved, that if a defonite proposal were made the directors would consider the question favourably. It was agreed to meet on the grounds next Monday to select a site. The chairman was authorised to sign the contract. The meeting then terminated, A Salvation Army Marriage, —An English contemporary gives the following account of the marriage ceremony which took place recently, when the son of ‘ General ’ Bo th entered into the bonds of matrimony with a Salvation Army lady:—“ Having placed the bride and bridegroom on his left and right, respectively, Mr Booth read the marriage service, which was almost similar to that used by the Church of England. One distinct innovation, however, was the pledge to ‘do nothing to prevent him doing or giving anything in bis heart to do or give to help the Salvation Army, and to promote his conslant self-sacrifice to the salvation of the. world, 1 This vow each made severally, the bride uttering the words m a most composed and distinct manner. A chorus of ‘ amens ’ signalled the clasping of the hands and the placing of the ring on the finger. The General having declared the parties duly and lawfully married, (he Bev. Mr Ryder, a clergyman of the Church of England, offered up a prayer, and was followed by Mrs Booth, The General then made another speech, in which he spoke of the marriage as a pledge and guarantee of the perpetuity of the movement. It was not, lie said, intended to make the Generalship of the Army hereditary, but it would be assuring to friends who contributed io their support to know that if he passed away his son would step into his place. Referring to the demand that the property of the Army should be placed under trustees, he said he was anxious to conserve all its properties for the purposes for which they have been given, and they were alias truly settled on trust as they could possibly be.”

PIONIC. —On Friday- .last the members of •t Saviour's Church choir went for a picnic r.o the Geraldine Bush. The day was all that could be desired, aftd everyone enjoyed themselves.

As Hu TKOranT.—A not uncommon weakness is hit off in the following anecdote N given by a humorous writer in the Austra* las-an - ,l At a recent saleof first-olaei fur* allure there was, amongst other effects, a mndsome liqueur-stand. • An auctioneer looking over the articles before the sale with the eye of an expert, said to a friend, 1 That's worth five pounds, but no doubt some precious fool of a woman will give ten for it.’ >n going home in the evening be found the iqueur-stand on his side table, and his wife claimed bis congratulations on her having secured it for £l2. Hu said nothing, but thought a good deal.

Billiards. —The St. James’s Gazette of October 6 records the largest ‘ break ’ that has ever been made at billiards. Mr Mikohel is the hero of this achievement. Ho is playing a game witli Mr Poallj and this is the story of last night’s play ‘At the resump-

tion Mitchell added only six to his over night unfinished break of 230, leaving, theaoorffs— " Pcall, 2188; Mitchel, j 99jfl*‘TE i eoil I then began

t# score rapidly, and mad errand breaks of 417(106 spots). He succeeded in putting

1000 on the marking-board in the extraordinary time of lb. 17min. After the interval Mitchel played in extraordinary form, and beat all previous records by scoring a break of 1056 off the balls.’

Scarcity op Akaroa Mail says :—Grave fears are beginning to be entertained as to there being sufficient labor on the

Peninsula to get in the cocksfoot. The crop

is a v,ry largo ona, and growers are offering twelve shillings a day in some cases, and in others no less than twopence a pound for all threshed. It is hoped tliict these high wage*

will attract men from elsewhere ; if it does

not, we are afraid much of the harvest will

have to remain unreaped* This is the more to be grieved at, as the sample promises -to be a peculiarly good one this season. Wo are glad to hear that purchases 1 arc still being made atfourpencoa pounii.jand it is to be hoped it will not fall, or at the present high rate of wages it would prove uaremuneratiro.

A Dastaedlt Thick.— A trick of » dastardly nature was perpetrated in St. P ter’s Church, Wellington, a few days ago, says the Evening Postlt appears that early on Sunday last some person having a knowlodge of the building obtained access to thߣ church, and opened the organ with the key, which is always placed in the same pari; of' . he edifice. A cat was then placed on the keyboard, and when the organist opened the instrument for the purpose of. commencing hia duties he was astonished to tee the animal jump on to the ioor, As soon as the wind was pumped into the ‘'organ a continuoui shriek issued from some of the treble pipe's, and it at once became evident that the instrument had received considerable injury. In addition to this it was found that the basa > notes would nob lift in the usual way when ; ' touched, and to got oyer the difficulty a .; person was obliged to remain behind th* and adjust the wires. By this * v means the service was got through. Tbs ; matter is now m the hands of the police, *

The Wkathbe in this Old Country.— * The weather in Scotland, as reported in a ' private letter by last fFrisoo mail, has been?!*, most unfavorable for the ingathering of the ** harvest, and, as our agricultural readers may ■ take an interest in the matter wq attach a few particulars:—‘Perthshire, 26th Goober. —Until to day we have not had a dry day for 3 weeks, heavy rains and . floods con-T tinually and the consequence Is that grain f” exposed is next to useless, and more than one V. third of the crop of Scotland is yet standing • out. Even in Perthshire, including the Carse •. of Gowrie, large fields are lo be 'put in, and ou all high lands and in the and v - Biackford district it is something fearful to look at it, the stocks sitting like sung heaps and the stack yards empty. Fife is similarly situated, about one half being stifl; exposed, j while near Kinross they havo littlc cartsd and I largo fields to cut. On the other hand hoof sells at a high price; for a weeks in Glasgow market it brought to 86s per 1121bs ; store cattle are very dgar and owes were never known to bo at such a price as now. Landowners have lately changed 1 their tactics, and now, wiping off arrears and making ~nent reductions are taking the place roupin tenants out; many of whexa have been skinned to their last ■ shilling;”— Mataura Ensign. , Serious Charge Against an Ex-Town Clerk. —At the Dunedin Police Court on Thursday, J. M. Massey, formerly Town Clerk and Treasurer, was charged with, bar* ing on or about October 12th, 1881, stolen two debentures, each valued at £IOO, the property of the City Corporation. His wife was also charged with receiving such debentures, knowing them to be stolen. Mr Stout, who appeared for the prosecution, stated that altogether the amount involved was about £O3OO, and, iu applying for a remand, consequently asked for heavy bail. The remand was granted lor a wtek, and bail allowed) amounting in Masses’s case to £2400, and in Mrs Mas.oy’s case to £IOOO. It is understood to be alleged that Mr Massey when Town Clerk seme years ago, procured the signatures of the Mayor, etc., to what he alleged were duplicate water debentures, and that these have been disposed of in Melbourne ; also, that the robbery was discovered through the Bank of New Zealand iu London. Mrs Massey, it is understood, its alleged to have gone to Melbourne recently to cash some of | the debentures. The arrest of Massey and his wife has created a g*|»t deal of.excitement Massey was Town Cierk for many years/ Some eighteen months ago it wil|- be remembered, a seedsman liapmd Allen brought a charge against him of having conspired to burn down promises irk-tvlpeh both were interested. The City OfetlAd., then compelltd ;> Massey to take proceedings, against Allen for slander, which he did in the first instance

triminally and in the second civilly. In both cues the prosecutions ware so far unsuccessful that the City Council discharged Massey. He afterwards sued the Council for salary on the ground that his discharge was illegal, but thie action was decided against him. Since his discharge he has bean living in Dunedin and both he and Mrs Massey hate visited 3£#lbourae. Up till the time of Allen’s charge he was universally respected, and since then, though he failed to con vict Allen criminally or get damages civilly, his reputation among his many personal friends may almost be said to have been unsullied. His arrest on the present charge is an intense surprise, and full details will be eagerly awaited in order that his innocence or guilt may be determined.

Meisrs Maclean and Stewart, will bold a mile <st horses, etc., at their Timaru Horse Bazaar to-day. They will also sell the house and section now in the occupation of Mr D. McCa'lum Arowhenua. On Monday next at Studhohce Junction Yards, they will dispose fat and store cattle and sheep Holloway’s Ointment and Pills.—Counsel for the delicate.—Those to whom the change able temperature is a protracted period of trial should, seek the earliest opportunity of removing all obstacles to good health, This cooling Ointment, porseveringly rubbe d upon the skin, is tJje' most reliable -remedy for -overcoming-all diseases of the throat and chest. Diphtheria, relaxed tonsils, sore throat, swollen-glands, ordinary catarrh, and bronchitis, usually prevailing at this season. inay«be arrested as soon as discovered, and every symptom banished by Holloway’s simple and effective treatment. This Ointment and Pills are \ highly commended for the facility with which they successfully contend with influenza; they allay m an incredibly short time the distressing fever and teasing cough,—[Adti;]