LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1072, 17 February 1883, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ebuxt Stealing.—We learn that several boys will be up next Court day for stealing fruit from gardens in this town. Wesleyan Church, Temuka. —Mr S. Buxton will conduct the morning and even* ing services in the above Church to-morrow.

Eun Over. —A lad named Patrick Ca?r, when returning homo from school yesterday was run over by a boy named Brakewell, who was riding. No benes were broken, but the boy was very severely bruised.

Increased Talus of Land at Kaiafoi. —A quarter-acre section in the town (says the Press) has been valued at £IOOO for purposes of the property tax assesment. The site has a frontage on an unformed street, and is in its native state.

Removal.—Messrs R. Turnbull and Son, auctioneers, Timaru, announce that they have removed to the premise! lately occupied by Messrs Wildie, Allan and Stumbles, in Beswick street. They are now prepared to hold ■ales of live and dead stock, and hare storage for 10,000 sack* grain at current rates.

Phrbnologt.—Professor Fraser, the wellknowu phrenonologist, etc., will give a short course of lectures next week in the Volunteer Hall. The opening night will be Tuesday, and the subject “ The Living Temple.” The lecture will be free, so no doubt the professor will hare a large audience. During the week he will conduct private examinations. The Weathee. —On Thursday morning last, about 2 o’clock, rain began to fall, and continued with hardly any intermission until an early hour on Friday morning. A great deal of the crops are yet standing amd in •took, and such unseasonable weather must militate very considerably against the quality of the grain. Many of the farmers are threshing off the stock instead of first stacking. The consequence is that an immense quantity of grain is yet exposed. With the unsettled weather that is now being experienced this course is at least open to question, as far as profit is concerned. Rain again began to fall last evening. Dutt Feeb. —A short time ago, we (Auckland Herald) noticed that Mr Langbridge had imported business cards printed on thin slips of wood. On these lie was charged the duty leviable on ‘ fancy goods.’ He appealed to the Commissioner, claiming that they should be charged as * dressed timber,’ which is chargeab'e at the rate of 4s per 100 ft. The Customs authorities were apparently gravelled at the task of calculating what would be the amount on these cards at per 100 ft., and it was notified to Mr Langbridge that the articles would be admitted free, as ‘ unenumerated articles,’ and that the duty which had been collected would be refunded. He Knew Himself.—Rather a rich story (says the Wairarapa Star) is told of a Mayor in one of the new boroughs in the North Island, who, the other day, was banquetted on retiring from his post of honor, and the district. The gentleman, whom wo will call ' Thomas Flanagan,’ though that is not his name, had given a champagne and whisky spread after his installation as mayor, and he arrived home doubly elated with his newlyacquired honor and Kinahan’s L.L.’ A visitor looking in noticed him in front of a big mirror in his best room, gesticulating menacingly, and exclaiming in exulting tones: ‘ There you are, Tim Flanagan. You’re a big rogue. But never moind. You’re a justice av the pace.’

Absconding Debtor. —Some amusement was created here yesterday by an absconding debtor and a couple of local tradesmen. It appears that a man named Bradshaw, came to lire in this town a few weeks ago, put on a great deal of side, and talked very big. He was driving a thrashing machine, and came into town and gave liberal order' to Mr Boyd Thomson and Mr Job Brown. The former gave him credit, so far as we can learn, to the extent of £.5, r.nd the latter to £35. Somehow it got wind yesterday morning that he was absconding, and the rumor proved to be true. The interested creditors ‘collared ’ him, however, and did not let him go until he gave up a share of what he owed them. He gave Mr Brown about £2O and MrJ Thomson the value of £lO, and went away, taking Mr B. Forward’s dray with him. It appeared that he got the money to pay for the goods from his employer, came into tows, borrowed Mr Forward’s dray on the pretext of removing something from the camp, and was clearing away, when he wf.s collared by the creditors.

The Queen’s Gtpts to Wounded Soldibis. —Hei’ Majesty the Queen has graciously forwarded 1i the superintendent of nurses at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, five large Berlin wool qu;".ts for the use of the military invalids, at the Hospital. One of the quilts ha ’ been entirely worked by the Queen herself, and a second by the Princess Beatrice. The formr bear’s in one corner her Majesty’s cipher of a Crown, V.R.1., and the date 1882. The other quilts hare been worked by ladies of the Court, but the Queen has added a border to cr. di. The qn"ts a”e made out of the softest wool, ?-e of rich though plain patterns and colors, and are perfect in all respects as warm bed-coverings. They are remarkably erenly and skilfully knitted. This personal gift forms a touching instance of the Queen’s solicitude for the welfare and comfort of the sick and wounded soldiers who have recently returned from Egypt. The remark attributed to her Majesty is— ‘ They hare done much for me, and I must do something for them.’ The Queen has left the distribution of the quilts to the superintendent of the nurses. They are to be issued to the patients to whom they are likely to be of most nrrieei

Suicide.—Thomas Watson, proprietor of the Southland Hotel, Gore, hanged himself last Wednesday. No cause is assigned. Scalded to Death.—A boy named Archibald McPhee, son of a. settler at Longbush, fell into a zinc vat containing scalding water, used for cleaning pigs, and received injuries that resulted in his death next day. Attempted Suicide. —At Oamaru, Susan Madden, a woman whose husband was buried last Wednesday, attempted to commit suicide by cutting her throat immediately after the funeral ceremony. She was in a desponding state of mind.

Danger of Water Drinking.—A death is reported from one of the country districts in Otago of a farmer who had drank large quantities of water in the harvest field. He was seized with acute inflammation of the bowels and died after some hours of great agony.

Charge of Murder.—The Kumara Times understands that at the adjourned inquest at Lyell on Monday next as to the cause of death of the man Denis Quinlivan, John Davidson, who is under committal for trial for attempted suicide, will be charged with the wilful murder of Quinlivan. An Immigrant Ship in Trouble. —The Agent-General cables to Government under date London, 14th, that the ship Oxford, which left London for Wellington at the end of January, with 302 immigrants, has been dismasted in the Bay of Biscay, and that the vessel has put back to Cardiff. The emigrants are said to have behaved exceedingly well. Milford School Committee,—The South Canterbury Board of Education give notice that in consequence of the failure of the Milford householders to elect a Committee on the annual day of meeting, a public meeting of househoulders in that district, will bo held on Friday evening next, for the purpose of electing a Committee for the district, to hold office) until the fourth Monday in Jan • nary 1884. Blood Poisoned, —A score of natives secured a fine collection of sharks’ livers, after a fishing expedition to the Wanganui Heads a short time ago. They took I hem up the river, and conrertsd them, mixed with Maori cabbage and potatoes, into a savoury mess dear to the aboriginal palate. The consequences to the gourmets were unpleasant. We do not know (remarks the Wanganui Chronicle) what particular properties a shark’s liver may possess, but the whole twenty natives speedily found thei? skin peeling off, commencing at the toes and ending at the finger tips. They were a long time recovering from these disagreeable symptoms of blood poisoning.

New Zealanders at Home.—Mr T. S. Lawry, who went Home to study medicine at E l nlvirgb University thus writes to a friend in Auckland; —* There are 20 or 21 students from New Zealand hero. With one, or perhaps two exceptions, they are steady, fairly diligent men. In physique they ai’e considerably above the average. I think the two biggest men in the University are New Zealanders. One of them, a Christchurch man, has been the champion runner in the 200 yards flat race for several years. In mind, we make a fair show too. A Taranaki man, in Robertson’s year, named King, came out at the top of his year in Zoology, thus securing a gold medal, and last year he was bracketed third in anatomy. Moorhouso also carried off a medal (sth or 6th) last summer.’ Reported Native Mpedbb. Captain Preece will leave for the north of Poverty Bay by the Arawata on Saturday, to enquire into a reported case of murder at Wh&tiwh&tira, near Awanui, East Cape. A quarrel about a woman in a Maori pah was the cause of the deed. A young man named Naera had his wife taken from him by a chief named Hamera Mahuki, who gave her to another Maori named Hapuka. Naera, in revenge, took a double-barrelled gun and shot at Hamera and Hapuka. The shot took such effect on the former that he died within two hours while Hapuka seems to have escaped. Naera ) made for the bush, carrying the gun with him, and it is be’ieved that he intends making for the King Country. It is believed that he will be easily captured.

Southern Cross Petroleum Company.— The annual meeting of the Southern Cross Petroleum Company was held at Gisborne last Thursday night. The report and ba Tanoesheet were taken as read. All the Gisborne Directors resigned en masse, and a new Board, comprising Messrs W. H. Spackman, J. J, Janson, F. Williams, W. D. Meares, D t Hart, B. Wiokes, and T. B. Craig, of Christchurch, was elected. The new Board will henceforth sit in Christchurch; At the first me®ting Messrs Wickes and Craig will retire in favor of Dr Bouse and Mr J. Bhodes. The meeting at Gisborne was very unanimous, and satisfaction was expressed at the present prospects. Mr Motley represented Napier, and Messrs Craig, Spackman and Wickes the Christchurch sha ■ebo’ders. The Humor op School Candidates.— At the London School Board, the Bev. Canon Daniel reporting on the candidates for scholarslvp presented by city companies, said th .t some of the papers would afford amu ing problems to those persons who be’ieve that there is always a good reason for a wrong answer. Some of the most extraordinary answers were r follows “ The climate of England determines to be rather unhealthy on r icount of its :g so many smells and stinks, such a. tanners and many ofcherj.’ ‘The old world natu.Jly was Europe, Asia, etc.’ ‘Bueons In in Germany, Ayres in France,’ The histoi y paper contains statements of a still more starting cha r-ter. ‘ Milton wrote a sensible poem ca’ ed Canterbury Tales.’ ‘ Hen.y 11. got drinking intox-lcating liquors until he wi.' commonly called drunk.’ ‘ Magna Charta was ordered by the Kmg to be beheaded. He fled to Italy, but was captured and executed.’ ‘ Free trade means not connected with any other establishment, and charging no discount.’ One boy described Henry 11. as doing penance for his share in Beckett’s death by walking barefoot, and receiving whacks with • V’robe”

Destroying Original Telegrams.—lt is directed by an Order in Council, dated the first instant, that in future ‘ all original telegrams shall be safely kept in the custody of the superintendent of Electric Telegraph Lines, at Wellington, for the space of one year from the date thereof respectively, after which period they shall be either burned or reduced to pulp bv a paper-making or other machine, in either case in the presence of some person appointed from time to time in writing by the said Superintendent.’

Messrs Maclean , and Stewart will held their usual sale of horses, drays, and harness at their Timaru Horse Bazaar, to-day. They will also sell a valuable leasehold farm of 100 acres, situated at the Washdyke.