LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1128, 31 July 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Geraldine Dairy Company —We understand that Mr M. Maslin, the broker to the Company; has only a few shares unapplied for, and as, in all probability the list will close about 4th August next, those persons who hare delayed taking up shares should do so without further delay, A meeting of the standing Committee of the Company takes place to-morrow. Slate Sales. —News continues to come of public slave sales at Tangier, A girl, twelve years of age, was sold in a public street for 42d01. Two other girls about the same age had been previously sold, but the prices have not been furnished. During last month at least twenty slaves were publicly sold in the streets of Tangier, and others have been sold privately.

Robbekt with Violence. —At Waimate on Friday last a man named James Cheyne was committed for trial on a charge of having stuck up one William Meyer on the 24th insb. It appeared from the erido nco that Cheyne was drunk and did not hnow what hs was doing. He stuck up another man the same night and demanded eighteenpence of him. An Ibon Man— Mr Hornburg, a clever mechanical engineer of Launceston, Tasmania, is said to have invented an iron man who can walk about automatically. The figure, which is dressed as a footman, is sft lOin in height, and weighs 1601bs. Its action arises from the power of a coiled spring concealed inside, and it can not only walk, but grip a perambulator, with great ease. The Alpobd Foekst Diamonds. — lb is reported in Christchurch that a cable message has been received from Mr Kelsey, who too* the Alford Forest, stones Home to be tested, stating that they are diamonds, but the quality is questionable. It is rumored that the cablegram says they are cutting diamonds of no great value. There is a great demand for the Diamond Company’s shares, £5 being paid for shares on which only 12s have been paid up. Hoesbwhippbd.— A horsewhipping epieode took place in Cromwell on Friday evening (says the Cromwell Argus), the assailants being the indignant brothers of a young lady whom the victim is alleged to hare slandered, is the affair is likely to come into Court, at the present stage it would be unwise to give further particulars beyond remarking that the assaulted party bolds a position which must render the indignity peculiarly galling.

The Salvationists. A writer in the Otago Daily Times the other day, who claims to have had experience of the doings of the Salyation Army at Home, makes the following remarks: —“ Somehow, women are a special prey for the promoters of religious excitement, and doubtless they draw the opposite sex. The grand excuse of the Salvationists is, ‘Wo hare a particular religion for a particular class,’ and, I may ask them, ‘ Have you a particular heaven for them ?’ ”

Narrow Escape.— Hagell, an expressman at Avondale, found what he thought was a piece of coal in his loft and put it in his kitchen grate, when an explosion took place and he was severely burned about the haad, face, and arms, and is now in a critical condition. The supposed block of coal appears to hare been six pounds of blasting powder. Its presence in the loft is explained by the fact that Hagell’s aon-in law was some time ago employed on the Kaipara railway, and it is believed the powder becoming wet he brought it home with the object of having it dried, and forgot all about its existence. Frozen Meat.— A meeting was held in Timaru last Saturday to hear Mr Acltnd’s of of (Christchurch) proposal re shares for the Christchurch Meat Freezing Company. It was resolved, however, to form a company in Timaru, and the following Committee was appointed to report at a meeting to be held on August 11th upon the plan of operations that would be likely to suit the requirements of the district in establishing a Meat Refrigerating Company, viz., Messrs M. Studholme, E. Elworthy, H. Ford, S. A. Bristol, C. N. Orbell, S. D. Barker, G P. Lovegrove, F. Archer, R. H. Rhodes, A. W. Wright. T H. Wigley, W. Grant, J. Page, E. Acton, J Guild, B. Woollcombe, F. LeCren and the mover,” About forty of those present put down their names as shareholders

Secondary Education in the United States. —It appears that the gifts made for the promotion of higher education in the United Stales have amounted in ten years to nearly £15,000,000 sterling.

Sir John Hall’s Canterbury Property.—The story of Sir John Hall’s sale of his Canterbury property ha* doubtless get abroad, remarks the writer of ‘ Echoes’ in the New Zealand Times. Is it not quit* accurate, for the ‘ sale’ is as yet only a negotiation, which has met with a bitch as to legal authorisation for signing the contract. The amount is understood to be just over on* hundred thousand pounds. Coupled with this is another story, cuirenb yesterday, that Sir John Hall had arranged to take the Agent-Generalship in London. Arrangements of this kind are apt to be made by impatient friends for eminent persons, whether those persons approve of them or not. All I know is that a change in the Agent-Generalship is not unlikely before long, and that the ex-Premier might be a n excellent successor to Sir Dillon Bell; but the fact remains that there is no‘arrangement’ at present.

Proving its Statement. • Truth (London) having asserted that Britain’* patron saint, St. George, was a fraudulent contractor, several correspondents wrote to ask how the editor arrived at the conclusion, Mr Labouchere replied by quoting from Gibbon, ebap, xvii. The following is the passage ; —‘ George, from his parent* or h ; * education surnamod the Cappadocian, was born at Epiphania, in Cilicia, in a. fuller’s shop. From this obscure and servile origin he raised himself by the talents of a parasite, and the patrons whom he assiduously flattered procured their worthless dependant a lucrative commission, or contract, to supply the array with bacon. His employment was mean ; be rendered it famous. Ho accumulated wealth by the basest acta of fraud and corruption t but his malversations were so notorious that George was compelled to escape from justice.’

Geraldine Flat School Committee.— The monthly meeting of the Geraldine Fiat School Committee was held in the schoolroom on Thursday last. The members present were Messrs Kelraan, McShane and McQuillan. Mr Kelman was voted to the chair, The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. A letter from the Education Board re franking correspondence was read, and it was resolved to procure a packet of each of the envelopes sent as a sample. The teacher (Mr Cook), who was present by request, stated the .average attendance for the past month was 34. and wai steadily inoreating. After some discussion, it was resolved —‘ That the ground in front of the school be gravelled from the verandah to the school gate, to a depth of six inches.’ Messrs Kelman and McShane were appointed a sub-committee to get the work done. Resolved -V That the Geraldine Eoad Board be asked to put the approach to the school in order.’ It was further agreed to procure a portable scraper, for the use of the school. Accounts amounting to £1 11s 6d were passed for payment, and the meeting adjourned till the last Wednesday in August, The New Gold Find.— At the Ninety Mile Beach Smith,and party were not able to finish wastiiug up on Saturday, as the water was let out of the lagoon. What they had washed satisfied them, but the opinion is pretty generally expressed that the carriage of the stuff to the water will make the work too expensive. On Friday, after stripping to a depth of four inches, they came across a layer of washdirt about 12 inches thick, which proved to be very rich. As yet, however, nothing has been found to justify a rush. At Gientuunei a piece of quartz has bean found showing specks of gold all over it. At Ashburton the gold fever has set in, and on Saturday several well-known Alford Forest settlers, old diggers, came to Ashburton bringing with them several lumps of quart!, obtained from rocks in their own district. One of these was wsdged shaped, and made a ‘bullish kind of handful.’ The upper surface of this was covered with ‘layers of gold-’ The specimen was so rich as to delight the eyes of every man with goldmining experience, and the sight of it raised a high fever among <he knots of people who had a chance of looking at it. The gold wai undeniably right, and there can be no doubt that where such a rich samp'e can be obtained there is plenty remaining. The exact Joe «hty from which these specimens come, of course, is iat present kept dark, but the finder is confident that in a month or less the matter will be heard of in a more definite form. Several parties in the district have been quietly at work for a considerable time, and indications are , not wanting that very soon something definite regarding the ranges that overlook Asburton County will bo known. It is not wise to be too sanguine, but there can be no doubt-about the richness of the specimens that, during the last month, have drifted into Ashburton, and get the credit of being Alford Forest quartz.

Mr Adam Rae, of Peel Forest, invitee tenders for 100 acres of land to be let for cropping. Mr R. H. Pearpoint announces that he hae purchased the Geraldine business of the late Mr J. Mendelson, and that the premises will be re-opened today. The renowned Three Springs Estate is now for sale in various sized farms. Full particulars can be obtained from the National Mortgage and Agency Company.

Messrs J. Mundell and Co. auctioneers, Geraldine, will hold their monthly sale of stock at Geraldine -saleyards, to-morrow, when they will sell sheep, ca lie, and pigs ; also, at the same time and place, i-acra section, with 4 roomed house thereon. Oa Thursday n?xt, at Winchester Fair, they will sell 180 half-bred hoggets. Full particulars will be found in advertisement. Miserableness. The most wonderful and marvellous success, in cases whefe persons are sick or pining away from a condition of miserableness that no one knows what ails them (profitable patients for doctors), is obtained by the use of Hop Bitters, They begin to cure from the first dose, and keep it up until perfect health and strength is rostered,—Notice.