LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1233, 30 August 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Telegrams to China.— -The Telegrapnio Department notify that telegrams for Foo Chow can only be sent at sender’s risk in consequence of war now pending.

Then and Now.—Some years ago the Wesleyan body acquired an allotment in what is now tbe heart of Melbourne for £36, Tbe other day they disposed of it to the Bank of Australasia for £36,000.

The Tobacco Industry.— The supply of New Zealand-grown tobacco is far short of the requirements of the Auckland manufacturing establishment, and supplies have to be got from elsewhere. On Wednesday the Auckland Tobacco Company got SOOOlbs of cured leaf by way of Sydney from America, and the same Company have a large supply of American and Havannah cured leaf on board the Aorangi, now on her way to New Zealand.

Haed on oue Liquoe. —It is su.Ld that drinking-glasses of the middle ages, made at Venice, possessed the peculiar property of breaking into shivers if poison were put into them. If these glasses (says Labour) were introduced into this country, New Zealand bar-rooms would soon be littered with broken glass. Three fingers of < chemical lightning would shiver oiie of these Venetian glasses into ten thousand fragments.

Gbealdine Eaokcoukse Teaining Club* —The Secretary to the Geraldine Facing Club intimates to owners of race-horses, trainers, and others that the training course is now open, and warns them that anyone using die course proper will be fined not less than £5 for each offence and may be disqualified from, running their horses at any of the Club’s meetings. They can obtain a permit on applying to Mr D. McKenzie, the Secretary.

Gbealdine Ploeal and Hoeticultubal Society.—We would remind our Geraldine readers that a general meeting of members will be held in the Good Templars’ Hall at half-past seven o’clock this evening for the purpose of considering and adopting a code of by-laws which will be laid before the meeting. We understand that the Society has been very successfully started, the circulars issued to the residents, requesting them to become members, having met with a general response. How the Money Goes.— Labor says : “ Forty thousand pounds, it is stated, are the savings of the Marquis of Normanby during his term of Governorship in Queensland, New Zealand, and Victoria. He has some 6800 acres of land in the Mother Country, yielding a rental of £7OOO a year, which may or may not be encumbered by mortgage, and the savings may set it free. A poor peer at the best, it will be seen; but the main thing for thought is why we should enable a man to get £40,000 out of us, and then go to England, and in the House of Lords pursue a mischievous and obstructive line of action.”

The Major and his Laugh. Major Atkinson has a particular fancy for interrupting Members who are opposed to him. Some years ago a loud-voiced gentleman came down heavily on the Major for this penchant of his. He made a comparison between Major Atkinson — who laughed offensively when there was no cause—and a bird he could recollect sometimes as sitting on a rail and sometimes near the top of a tree in the Australian bush which opened it* bill and gave utterance to discordant sounds, The bird was commonly known as the “ laughing jackass.” The “ Majah’s ” laugh for the time was completely snuff j 1 out by the great laughter whio h the hit provoked.

Dissatisfied Constituencies. —On the arrival of the Dunedin train last Wednesday night at Clinton, a coffin was produced from the van, supposed to certain the body of the Hon. Member fpr Clutho, Mr J. W. Thomson, A buggy and pair, illuminated by torches and Chinese lanterns, and headed by a brass band, drove the supposed body to the cemetery. There guard was kept by some stalwart settlers who, when they were informed whose the remains were, refused them admission on the grounds that, being those of a traitor, they were not worthy of Christian burial. The corpse was then dipped in a sheep-dip and taken back to the township, where it was burnt with all ceremony. —On Thursday night a meeting of the constituents of Mr D. Reese, the member for Stanmore, was held in the East Belt Oddfellows’ Hall, Christchurch, about 250 being present. Resolutions were passed condemning him for voting against the StoutVogel combination, and asking him, it he cannot conscientiously oppose any Ministry containing Major Atkinson, to resign. Resident Magistrate’s Court, Geraldine. —A sitting of this Court was held on Thursday last, whop several cases that had. accumulated since last Court day were disposed of by a Bench of Justices. Of late the district seems to have been quite ignored by the Resident Magistrate, unintentionally no doubt, through the multifarious nature of his duties in other districts. Last Wednesday week should have been the day for the sitting of the Court, but, owing to the Resident Magistrate not being able to put in an appearance, it was postponed until Thursday last. On that date also he could not attend, and the services of Justices of the Peace had to be obtained. But even this did not serve the desired purpose, for there was one case set down for hearing that could not be adjudicated upon by them, end had to be postponed for the Resident Magistrate to decide. The parties on one side came from Ashburton. We understand the Resident Magistrate will hold a Court on Wednesday next. University Diplomas. — The ceremony of capping the students of the New Zealand University entitled to degrees took place in Dunedin on Wednesday night. The students were P.A. Lindsay, W. Hisldp, R. Macnab, W. A. Stout, W. -A. Reilly, B.A.’s ; S. A. Purdie, D. White, M.A.’s ; A. R. Barclay, L.L.B. D. W. M, Burn, entitled to an M.A. degree, was not present. He is now residing in Wellington. Professor Salmond presented the diplomas, and Dr. Colquhoun delivered a lengthy address. There was quite the usual amount of interruption from the students, who assembled in large force. — —ln the Canterbury College Hall, on Tuesday, which was crowded densely, diplomas were presented by Professor Brown to the following : —Master of Arts —Louis Cohen, Janette Grace Grossman, Joseph Penfound Grossman } Robert Francis Irvine, and , Henry Thomas Purchase ; Bachelor of Arts William Percival, Robert Malcolm Laing, Arthur Jonathan Mayne, John Alexander Newell, John James Patterson, William Arthur Robinson, Edith Howitt Searle, and William Taylor. Addresses were delivered by Professor Brown, Mr C. O. Bowen, and Professor Cook.

Monthly Stock Sale. Entries for Messss J. Mundell and Go’s stock sale are given elsewhere. Messrs J. Mundell and Co. also announce that they will sell, on the 9th September, freehold in Woodbury township.

Temuka Fibe Beigadb.— A conference took place on Thursday last between Messrs MeSbeeby-Q-entleraun, and B. Whitehead (of the Temuka Fire Brigade) and Messrs Gray, Quinn and Blyth (members of the Temuka Town Board.) A general discussion on the affairs of the Brigade took place, and ultimately it was decided that the woodwork in front of the Brigade station should be re-painted, the steps repaired and the wells cleaned out. The other matters were left in abeyance.

A Weeok Caused by a Child. —An inquiry was held at Invercargill on Thursday into the wreck of the brigantine Augusta at New Hirer Heads last Sunday. The vessel was bound to Invercargill from Newcastle, with coals. Captain Clave, Pilot, said that owing to being short-handed he had to take a man away from the signal station, and in consequence of this the semaphore arm was accidentally dropped the wrong way by one his children when the pilot boat was getting out to the ship, thus causing the mischief. The Court stated the evidence would be sent to Wellington, and expressed the opinion that no blame attached! o the Captain or Pilot.

A Tough Stoey. —Tne following appears in the “ Patea Mail” ; —A curious case of somnambulism has come under our notice. A member of the Fourth Estate, whom duty called to one of the political meetings just held in the district, had retired to rest, and dreamed he heard the imperative demand of the compositors for “ copy” ringing in his ears. Still wrapped in the arms of Morpheus, he arose and worked hard at the transcription of his report of the meeting. On awakening in the morning he was agreeably surprised at finding over two columns of matter ready for the printer which he had no recollection of writing, and of which he was perfectly certain that two lines had not been finished on his retiring to bed the previous night. “ No Tom, we cannot swallow that,” adds the Taranaki Herald.

Dangerous Habit. —The danger of throwing lighted matches about was illustrated the other morning in Wellington in a remarkable manner. Miss Ingham, a young lady employed at Groodson’s London Bazaar, was walking along Lambton Quay when, to her consternation, she suddenly discovered that the front portion of the skirt of her dress was in n blaze. A silk umbrella, which she was carrrying, was also in a state of ignition. A gentleman at once ran to her assistance, and, at some personal risk, succeeded in extinguishing the flames before the lady was injured. Her dress and umbrella were } however, irreparably burnt. It is supposed that a smoker, in passing, had dropped a lighted match into the umbrella. The young lady was fortunate in escaping so well, and the facts should lead to smokers being more careful to extinguish matches before throw ing them away.—Post. Death of an Ancient Maori. The following is culled from an exchange:—Woodstock has lost its “oldest inhabitant.” The West Coast Times reports that on Friday last (15th August) there died nt 'Vue* named an ancient Maori known 0/ in. u..uj of Abraham Koreke, who, according to Maori tradition had attained the remarkable age of 120 years. This venerable Native was the last of the tribe which drove the original possessors of the soil from the West Coast. He was accustomed to relate the story of the first settlement of his tribe on the banks of the Hokitika and Grey rivers. This settlement took place over seventyeight years ago, and was by no means a peaceful one, seeing that it was not accomplished until after a prolonged and bloody battle, in which the invador* were victorious. There is no doubt that the deceased warrior was a very old man, for his son Harry Koreke died m October last, at the age of 60. It is problematical, however, whether his years numbered so many as tradition has it, for tradition is apt to err in respect to age, more, perhaps, than with regard to anything else. Oataebh of thb Bladder, Stinging irritation, inflammation, all Kidney and similar Complaints, cured by “Buohu puiba,” Druggists. Kempthorne, Prosser and Co., Agents, Christchurch. 3 Tenders are invited for several works for the Temuka Town Board. Crushed oats at 2s 3d per bushel can be obtained at the Winchester Mills. The Geraldine Town Board invite tenders for several works in the Geraldine Town District. Mr R. H. Postlethwaite invites tenders for ploughing 400 acres on the Eaukapuka estate. Mr John Cunnard, Temuka, notifies that he will not be responsible for any debts contracted by his wife.