LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1126, 26 July 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Found Drowned.— The body of a woman about 50 years of age was found floating in the harbor at Port Chalmers. She was wel dressed, but had only threepence in her picket. There i» no clue at present as to her identity.

Dunedin 3-aol Inquiry.— On Monday last Messrs Connelly and Dick were examined in Wellington with regard to the above inquiry. They both stated that the Cabinet had under consideration for a long time the advisability of holding the inquiry.

Dummyism:. —ln Dunedin Mr Johnstone sued the Land Board to compell it to issue to him a license for deferred payment land. The Land Board refused on the ground that Mr Johnstone was suspected of being concerned in the dummyism affair. The case was dismissed with costs

Salvation Abmy. —ln Dunedin, John Wheeler and some others were fined 10s each, for singing Salvation Army hymns in the streets at 1.30 o’clock in the morning The Salvationists also sing hymns in the night, through the streets of Timaru, to the great annoyance of some of the inhabitants*

Great Fire in Auckland. —A fire broke out at 3 o’clock yesterday morning in the premises of the Union Sash and Door Factory of Auckland, and destroyed a considerable portion of the Company’s buildings, and a good deal of timber. The origin of the fire is unknown. There were two night watch men on the premises, and one of them states that he believes the place was set fire to.

Masonic,—The monthly meeting of St. George’s Lodge, No 1856, E. 0., Temuka takes place this evening i Geraldine Dairy and Bacon Curing Company.—On Monday evening last the Provisional Directors of this Company held a meeting in the Road Board Office. Amongst the business transac ed it was resolved to postpone the date of general meeting of the shareholders till Friday August 3rd, at 2 p m. in the schojlhouse. We have been desired to draw our readers’ special attention to this alteration, as it is desirable there should be a full meeting of shareholders. It was also finally resolved to obtain a certificate of incorporation of the Company. The standing Committee will meet on Wednesday, August Ist, in the Road Board office, Geraldine, at 7 p m. New Zealand Frozen Mbit.—A London journal entitled the Estates Roll li is the following in reference to the frozen meat exported from this Colony. The journal says : *We bought a leg of New Zealand mutton the other day at 10£d per lb, and had it roasted, and can state that it was in every way equal to English mutton for which 2d or 3J per lb more is charged, and it is just this extra 2d or 3d per lb in a familys expenditure which makes the charge oppressive. The following list of prices was gi.en to us: Sheep or sides, 8d per lb ; saddles, 9d; loins, 9d ; shoulders, 9d ; hiud-quaners, 9jd ; fore-quarters,7id; legs, with necks, 9|d; legs with breasts, 9|d ; shoulders, with necks ) 9d ; necks, 7d ; legs, 10£d per lb. Wo mentioned the circum-Unce to our butcher, and he replied that, if wo wished, he would obtain New Zealand mutton and we desired him to do so.’

Fkbnch Lads.—A Home paper says Anarchy is rampant even among the schoolboys in Paris. Nearly 300 pupils at the Lycole-Grand attempted to invade the study of the head master, in order to protest against the expulsion of a 1 big boy’ for having joined the mob which marched on the Elysee on the 9. h of March. The master ordered the pupils to leave the college immediately, but instead of doing so the youths repaired to the dormitories where, after breaking the windows and furniture, they barricaded themselves in, crying, * Death to the Master !’ The police haring been sent for, the (■oholars were summoned to surrender. This they refused, to do, except on their own terms, and a regular scuffle ensued, ending in the capture of 270 boys by the police. All these youths have been expelled from the college.

An Inhuman Mothek.—At Chester Assizes, lately, Elizabeth Roberts was charged with attempting to murder her child, aged 14 months, at Chester. The evidence revealed a most horrible and unnatural offence. On Sunday. 4th March, the prisoner had been drinking heavily, and returned, during the afternoon, in a state of intoxication. The prisoner took the cbild up to her suckle, and afiera few minutes she put, it down, saying, ‘ I may as well begin, as I don’t intend to gve you any more ’ She then th;ew the child on the fire. It was rescued by two neighbours who were in the room, and a second and third time the poor child was flung on to the fire by the drunken parent. Foiled in her attempts to burn the child to death, the woman seized a saucepan of wa»er and scalded her offspring severely The prisoner was sentenced to twelve month’s hard labour.

A Mouse Stoet. —A most extraordinary subject has been brought before the Vienna 0 inic in the person of a little girl only 18 month’s old. The girl had shown for several days an utter aversion to food, and her mother finally took her to the general clinic for examination. The professors, perceiving, fiat it was no common disorder, and ascertaining from the mother that the child one night had awakened suddenly with a loud scream from sleep and continued in great pain for fourteen hours thereafter, determined to employ the gastroscope and explore her stomach with the aid of electricity. Not to enter into rather unpleasant details, they soon found the cause of disturbance, and extracted a mouse, minus the tail, which was subsequently removed. The only possible conclusion is that the mouse ran into the mouth of the sleeping child and down her gullet. Her immediate recovery was confidently expeefed. Musical People, —Several of the girls and boys elected to the scholarshios of the Royal College of Music (says an English paper) are

from the artisan and labouring classes* Remarkable among these are (in singing) a mill girl, whose wages are 14s a week, and hours from 6 a.m. to half past 7 p.m. ; a young blacksmith, and the daughter of a brickmaker; and in the violin playing, the son of a farm labourer. It might have been anticipated that a large number would be the children of musicians or persons connected with music, but there are only eight of such in the whole number. The average age is between 16 and 17, the oldest being 22 # Master Herbert Laubach, who has gained a scholarship, is a son of Bandmaster Laubach of the Q E.R V. Brigade, and has been for five years a chorister at St. Mary’s Cathedral.”

Strange Freak. —A boy on the training ship St. Vincent, at Portsmouth Dock Yards, instead of returning from his leave one day recently, proceeded to Haslar Creek, in Portsmonth Harbour where he selected from the fleet of yachts lying there the seven-ton craft belonging to Captain Arm, and in the presence of a number of onlookers, who thought he was acting under orders, he set sail, with—as he now says—the intention of proceeding to France. There were, however, no provisions in the yacht, and when off Littlehampton he was hailed by the coastguard, and as he did not respond, suspicions were aroused and the yacht was overhauled. The boy was brought ashore, and the nature of the voyage having been ascertained, he was handed over to the police, and an officer was sent to Littlehampton to bring him back. He was charged with stealing the yacht, valued at £BO, and will, beside, be tried for desertion.

Strange Mistake. —A few weeks ago an old woman, upward* of 90 years of age, died at a place called Eglingt.on, near Londonderry. The usual arrangements for the funeral were made, and the coffin closed and taken in a hearse to the place of interment, where the service was du’y gone through, the coffin lowered, and the grave Jrfilled in. On reaching home, however, the relatives of deceased were amazed to find the corpse of the old woman lying on the bed upon which she had expired, it not having been placed in the coffin. The body was subsequently taken in a cart to the grave, the coffin raised, and the corpse was placed in it and interred.

Shocking.—Society in St Petersburg is very much disturbed just now by a little incident that took place at the Grand Duke Vladimar’s bal costumh. It appears that a certain Princess, one of the loveliest and fastest women of Northern Venice, had (he boldness to grace the scene in the airy costume of a Russalka or water nymphvery tight-Siting pink tricot, a few yards of azure gauze picked out with water lillies, and a fan. When the Princess approached with the other ladies to do homage to the Empress, that august lady cast a look of disgust and indignation on the fair maid, then turned her back on her, and whispered a few words to the Emperor, who was also visibly shocked. A few minutes later the Grand Duke Vladimar stalked up to the Princess, offered her his arm, and conducted her to her carriage.

The Melbourne Turf Club publish a prospectus elsewhere. Tenders for building a cottage, piggery, etc, and for plant for the Temnkaßutter and Cheese Factory, close to-morrow. Attention is directed to Messrs Siogeifc and laurel's announcement in reference to their great cash clearing sale at Temuka. Messrs J. Mundell and Co, Geialdme offers a reward of £1 for the recovery of a bay draught gelding lost from Geraldine bush.

Mr J. Velvin offers a reward of £1 for the ref urn of a ioan hack (with saddle and bddle), lost from near St, Saviour’s church last Sunday.

Tenders for ploughing, harrowing and sowing at Arowhenua and Riverslea, and for cutting gorse fences at 'he same places, dost with Mr A. M- Clark, Temnka, nest Saturday.