The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1883. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1074, 22 February 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1883. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Auction Salk,—Mr K. F. Gray will hold a sale of freehold property, lire and dead farm stock at his auction rooms, Temuka, this day. The Butter and Cheese Factory.— The contractors for the buil ling are making good progress with the work. The concrete foundations are all in, and the brickwork is commenced. Reaper and Binder Trial —The Taieri Agricultural Society held a reaper and binder competition last Tuesday, but the weather was wet, There were fire machines, and Reid and Gray’s was awarded the prize.

Milfoed School Committer — 1 meeting of householders iu the Milford school district; will bo held to-morrow evening for iho purpose of electing a School Committee for the term ending January 30th next. RM. Cocht.— The Gaiette ui the 15th inst. notifies that Mr Matthew Price, E.M., has been appointed Resident Magistrate for Christchurch and Ashburton. This, wo ex,pect will release Mr Beswick of the Ashburton district, and as Waimato has also been taken off him, he will hare only Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine to attend to. Surely he now ought to be able to content himself here until the evening train comes. He ought to have plenty of time for fishing after haring attended to his duties. PeospectiNG.— Three prospectors, named Clark, Cullon, and Mayes, who returned to Invercargill on Wednesday, after a protracted stay at Doubtful Sound, appear (acoordiag to the Southland Times) to have had a rough time of it. Provisions gave out, and for many weeks the prospectors subsisted on birds, fish, and nettles. They could shoot nothing, their ammunition having been exhausted, and penguins were their principal food. The curious fact was the existence of the nettles in that out-of-the-way spot. They were found on an island called Rauza, and covered a patch of about a chain square. They were of a g'gantic size in stem and leaf —bigger than we care to say, although wo are persuaded the men were not exaggerating. These nettles made capital soup, and without it the penguins would have been difficult to swallow. No gold was found, but iu the cliffs there was abundant evidence of copper. The scenery is described as of the wildest and most rugged character. Anti English League in Pearce. —The prevailing epidemic of Anglophobia in France has just culminated iu au AntiEnglish League, intended to defend French interests beyond the seas as threatened by the English. It is difficult to speak iu sober seriousness of this League, which has made public its stilted and ridiculous programme. It has been originated by the members of the Colonial and Maritime Investigation Society, which has come to the conclusion that French interests must be defended in Egypt, Madagascar, on the Congo, and in Touquin. The League proposes to create a powerful fleet of sufcventioned trading steamers of great speed which could be readily converted into privateers in a naval war, and would at once take all our Transatlantic trade from us. The Treaty of Paris of 1856 is to be revised, as it is of more use to us with au enormous mercantile marine than to any other nation. All this flummery is hailed with delight by a large section of the French Press, which goes to the length of threatening us with terrible troubles to come, such as the invasion ef Egypt by 1,000,000 fanatical Arabs, of India by 500,000 Russians, and the cession of Ireland to America,

Inquest, —An inquest was held at Q-rey-mouthou Monday afternoon on the body of an infant four months old named Florence May McLeod. The evidence of the mother, Mary Jane McLeod, an unmarried girl aged 16, went to show that her father came home tipsy on Saturday and began abusing her, saying the child was loafing on him. He then took off his soft felt hat and hit the baby with it, its mother alleging that the same hand that held the hat also hit the baby on the breast. The child was quite well for an hour after. Then vomiting, followed by convulsions, set in. A doctor was called in. but the child died on Sunday night. The evidence of Drs Morice and Achison showed that the post mortem examination did not disclose any marks of contusion or abrasion externally or internally, that all the organs except the brain were sound, of which two membranes were a good deal congested, that the convulsions the child died from were caused by congestion of the brain, which might be brought about by many causes. After the evidence bad been taken, Coroner Stratford cleared the Court of the public, the witnesses, the Pi ess, and the police also, while be addressed the jury. A unanimous verdict of ‘ Death from convulsions through natural causes ’ was returned.

Salk op Stock at Dinda Farm:.—Wo would once more remind our readers of the sale of live and dead stock which takes place at Dinda Farm to morrow. Full particular® will bo found elsewhere.

The Picton Coal Mink.—A seam has been struck in putting in a drive in the Picton coal mine to strike the main seam, at a depth of 85ft. This was quite unexpected. The seam is found to be five feet six inches wide and of splendid dry coal of even strata, Th e manager expects to cut the seam in five or six days. Considerable excitement exists here, and residents holding promoters’ shares hav# refused to sell original £3O shares at £BO.

Burned to Death. — A death under very painful circumstances occurred at the Gepp® Cross Hotel, in Adelaide, recently. Mrs Reid the wife of the landlord, was with her little daughter, who was carrying a lighted candle, which accidentally ignited her mother’s dress. Mrs Reid was soon wrapped in flames, and before they could be extinguished was seriously injured. She died a few days afterwards. A Surprised Prisoner,—A curious verdict was given in the District Court, Napier, the other day. A groom employed by J. B. Braithwaite was charged with cutting up his livery and doing other damage. He was seen to do it, and admitted it to the police, and in Court his counsel admitted it, pleading drunkenness as an excuse. Yet the jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty, evidently to the intense surprise of the prisoner. An Electrical Fly Catcher.—An ingenious gentleman has constructed a fly catcher, which in confectionery and other establish* ments where flies establish a masting house must be invaluable. It consists of a series of plates, one-eighth of an inch apart, the spaces being filled with a composition of glue and treacle, which attracts the flies in great numbers. Every alternate plate is positive and negative, and tbe moment the fly alights on the plates it receives a shock which causes instantaneous death. We wonder to what electricity and magnetism will be applied next.

The Gain of Authohs.— lt is under, stood that Mr Anthony Trollope has died a comparatively poor man—poor, that is, iu proportion to the number of his novels. Mr William Black is understood to be making more than Trollope realised during ihe best years of his career. Wilkie Collins probably realised as much as Trollope. It is said that Ouida’s gains would break the hearts of the lovers of literature. Again, George Eliot’i profits are very large. ‘ Daniel Derenda 1 alone realised her £IO,OOO, and Miss Braddon is understood to be nearing, if she has nob alrea ty topped, the Parnassus of the novelist who writes with au eye to profitable scales and a big fortune in the end.

Divorce. —At the April sitting of the Supreme Court, Wellington, ia divorce and matrimonial causes jurisdiction, the suit of Johnston v. Johnston and Moore will be heard. The petitioner, Daniel Johnston, a surgeon of Hieliliny, sues for divorce on the ground ot the respondent’s adultery with one Wm. Moore. Dr Johnston was married to the respondent, nee Annie Jane Constance Macsarlcy, on the 19th May 1870, at tb® Church of England, Tokomairo, Otago. Subsequently he lived with her at Waite* hauna, afterwards at Blenheim and at Field* ing, there being no issue of the marriage. The petitioner alleges that in the month of November, 1879, and on divers other oc* casions the respondent committed adultery with Moore, who frequently visited her house at Feildiug. Ho accordingly prays for divorce and such other relief as the Court may doom meet.

An Independent Chaieman. The Dunedin Morning Herald says There was rather an amusing scene yesterday, at ft meeting of creditors. The gentleman electsd as chairman, and who has gained his business and experience in a neighbouring city, appears not to have had the fear of the bank authorities before his eyes, and treated the representative of a certain banking institution in a very nonchalant manner, He characterised the bank’s action as ‘tiddli-winking’--whatever that may mean—and, when asked for au explanation of the term expressed his opinion of its conduct in forceful English. In reply to a threat that ho should be remembered by the bank official for his temerity, ho replied that be did not care a hg, he alw’aya spoke bis mind, asked no favors from a bank, and Lad two or three brothers likeminded with himself. The casus belli was the appointment of a trustee, and in this the manager had to give way to the chair-

man. Professor Eraser. —This emrament phrenologist lectured last Tuesday evening in tha Volunteer Hall to a good house. To see the cartoons and pictures with which the walls were hung would sufficiently repay a visit to the Hall, and could not fail to interest all classes of society. The lecture last Tuesday consisted of a discourse on what Piofcssor Fraser called ‘ The living temple,’ or, more strictly speaking, human physiology. It treated very elaborately on the laws of health, and we feci convinced that no one left the hall without having received practical hints as to the best means of prolonging life. The lecture was highly interesting throughout ; the more so because of the many useful lessons it inculcated, and we feel sure that it cannot fail to do good. Professor Eraser’s style of lecturing is simple, plain, and homely, and can be understood by persons of the dullest comprehension as well as tha most enlightened. He seems to aim more at imparting useful information than at making a parade of his own knowledge, and though a fluent speaker ho is very quiet and undemonstrative never distracting his hearers’ minds from the greater truths to which he is

giving utterance by any attempt at dramatic effect. Last night he lectured on ‘How to read men like open books,’ and was very successful m his reading of the characters of those who presented themselves. Ho can be consulted at hie private rooms jin tho Wallingford Hotel.

Kawhia. —The proposed new township at Kawhia is already attracting considerable attention. Mr E. J. Duncan, land agent, of Waikato, now invites, through the Wanganui papers, commissions for the purchase of Crown or Native lands. There are inquiries as to Native country, and the pros pects of Kawhia are first class, Moeb Embezzlement.— John Black, late Clerk of the Patea County Council, was charged last Tuesday morning with embezzling the sums of £l2 and £5, the property of the Council; The moneys are alleged to have been paid to him as rates, and other amounts wore mentioned as likely to form the subject of fresh charges. The accused was remanded until Tuesday next, to allow of the attendance of the Government auditor, bail being granted the accused, himself in £2OO and two sureties of £IOO each. The Late Peince Imperial. —An American authoress, Lucy Hooper, has picked up a story current in certain circles in Paris, but which she first received from an English lady who has exceptional means of being well informed. If it is a fiction the author of the tale deserves credit for his, or her, ingenuity. The Prince Imperial, it is said, had fallen passionately in love with a young Irish girl of surpassing beauty, the daughter of a London shopkeeper. His love was returned, but the girl was as virtuous as she was fair, and the Empress greatly feared that her son would do what he had threatened—namely, bestow his hand on this low-born maiden. When his mother remonstrated with him, he turned upon her with some truths respecting the Montijo family, and the difference in rank between herself and his father. And so the Empress planned for him that fatal expedition with the British army which ended in so tragic a fashion. Among the articles taken from the poor boy’s dead body, and brought to his mother, was a picture m a small morocco case which he had worn upon his breast, and which was stained with his life-blood. It was the portrait of the girl ho had loved; A playwrigafc might do worse than turn this suggestive outline to practical account.

The Govebnob. —The Governor arrived at Lyttelton on Tuesday morning. After addresses had been presented and the usual loyal demonstrations indulged in, he proceeded to Christchurch where he was accorded a most enthusiastic reception. The Governor goes to Timaru on Saturday, and stays there until Monday morning ; then to Oamaru, which place he leaves on Tuesday for Dunedin stopping at Palmerston to receive an address. From Dunedin he proceeds to Invercargill where he opens the Garrison Hall, and will be entertained by the Mayor. After leaving Invercargill he visits Lake Wakatipu. At Timaru on Tuesday His Worship the Mayor received the following telegram from the private Secretary to his Excellency ‘ His Esc llency the Governor has arranged to ■visit Timaru on Saturday next, arriving l about mid-day. At half-past two ho will hold an undress levee. Will you let me know what Hall will be available for the purpose, and arrange accordingly and notify publicly. Any suggestion from your Worship will be welcome.’ His Worship then called a meeting of the Borough Council, which was held the same evening. After discussion it was resolved—' That his Worship the Mayor and a Sub-Committee consisling of Councillors Sutter, Gibson, Jones and Bush be empowered to make all the necessary arrange ments for suitable apartments; reception at Kailway Station on arrival; hall for levee; drawing up of address; communicating with local bodies, and whatever may be assumed as fitting treatment for Her Gracious Majesty’s Representative.’ The Council then adjourned till yesterday morning, when they adopted a draft address to His Excellency, authorised His Worship to arrange for the accommodation of the Governor, and to obtain the co operation of all public bodies and the presence of the school children on the arrival of the train. The undress levee was arranged to he held in the Sophia street Hall.

Mr A, W, Ensor invites tenders for the carting of grain from Longdowns farm to Temuka railway station, Tenders close today.

Mr W. Upton, architect, Temuka, invites tenders for the erection ot a hotel and stables at Burkes Pass, Tenders close on the 27th. He also invites tenders for the erection of a vinery for Job Brown, Esq , Ashileld.