LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1249, 7 October 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Concert at Geraldine. —A grand concert will be given by the Geraldine Philharmonic Society on the 15th instant. Settling Day.—The settling up in connection with the recent Geraldine Spring Meeting took place last evening, the details of which will be given in our next issue. Teuuka Road Board. The monthly meeting of the Ternuka Road Board takes place to-day. Intending contractors are reminded that their tenders must be in before 10 a.m.

The Wreck of the Lastingham.—The purchasers of the wreck of the Lastingham have chartered the ship Lyttelton, and that vessel will leave Wellington for Jackson’s Head next week. Captain Cooper, some seven or eight men divers, and a number of workmen will go over by her. It is intended to moor the Lyttelton close to the wreck, so as to have her available for lifting cargo out of the Lastingham.

Ostrich Farming. —ln view of the success of the Australian ostrich farms the Cane people have been aroused to the imposition of a very dog-in-the-manger tax of £IOO each on every bird exported, and £5 on every egg. This is a prohibitive tax, to prevent any other people from sharing in the feather industry. The principal Australian breeders, boweyer, are said to have sufficient stock of birds on hand for their purposes.

A Alelbouene Lodging House.—The Australasian says ; —“The Melbourne ‘lmproved Lodgings ’ contain a strange, heterogeneous body of lodgers. ‘ Persons who have been prosperous traders, well-to-do professionals, honest workers, thriving old colonists, and sanguine new chums, are now mixed up with ardent boozers, dissipated gents, seedy loafers, knowing cadgers, artful dodgers, tagrag and bobtail. The'e v-fM'innntps classify themselves into congenial i-n-cijs gentlemen separating from the vulgar ; the educated from the ignorant ; clean from the dirty ; honest from doubtful.’ ”

Plague or Eats. —A plague of rat has appeared at Collingwood, Nelson. The Colonist’s correspondent writes that from West Wanganui and Cape Farewell the country, bush and beach is overrun with rats, which made their appearance suddenly. Hawks and gulls are preying upon the rodents, and some lads with a dog killed 4,500. They are doing great mischief among the oats and rooting down to the potato seeds. It is stated that a person travelling to the south of West Wanganui met a drove of them, and cleared out to let them pass.

An Eni icing Adtektieement. The Australasian gives the following as a specimen of the advertisements made use of by the Emigration Agents to entice people to Australia ; —“ Emigration to Australia.—Enormous wages. Free grants of land. Cheapest living and finest climate in the world. A magnificent 100 a steamer will leave London for Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, on the loth October, taking passengers at the exceptionally low rate of 13 guineas, including fare to London, and the most liberal dietary on the voyage. A deposit of £3 13s will secure a berth. Apply at once to the British and Foreign Agency.” Bueglaky.— On Friday night last, after the races had concluded, Mr Breadley caused all liquors, etc., to be removed from the other licensed booths on the Orari racecourse, to the grand stand booth and fastened all up securely, prior to going to his hotel at the Orari. Shortly after 10 a.m. on the following day he discovered that the door of the refreshment room had been burst open and about £7 or £8 worth of liquor abstracted and several tumblers smashed. The police were communicated, with and Detective Kirby took a man named Charles Andoire, and William Henry Harris, an express driver into custody charged with the burglary and larceny. A rumour reached Geraldine on Sunday last that a cash box belonging to the hotel containing about £3OO had been abstracted from the hotel, but the rumour has not been confirmed. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Timaru, yesterday, before His Worship the Mayor and Mr W. G. Rees, J.P.’s., William Henry Harris and Charles Andoire were charged with forcibly entering the refreshment room under the Grand Stand at the racecourse, Orari, on October 3, and stealing therefrom a quantity of spirits to the value of £7, the property of Samuel Breadley, licensee of the Orari Hotel. Accused were remanded to Thursday, 9th inst., for the production of evidence, bail being allowed in two sureties of £SO each, for each aocused.

Presentation. —A number of the Temuka friends of Constable Burke assembled in the Star Hotel, last Saturday evening, for the purpose of presenting Mrs Burke with a token of their esteem and regard on the occasion of her leaving the district for Bakaia, to which place her husband had been transferred. Between 20 and 30 persons were present, and Mr K. P. Gray (Chairman of the Town Board) made the presentation, which consisted of a handsome marble clock and silver biscuit basket. Mr Gray, in making the presentation, spoke of the very efficient manner in which Constable Burke bad always done his duty. He had been six years in the district and had during that time discharged his duties in a manner that gave great satisfaction to the people at large. He wished Constable and Mrs Burke success and happiness in their future home. Constable Burke responded on behalf of his wife. The health of Mr and Mrs Burke was then drunk with musical honors, after which several toasts were duly honoured. Songs were sung by Messrs William Ackroyd and L. Pilbrow, and a most enjoyable evening was spent. Constable Burke left Temuka yesterday by the express train for his future home.

An American Story. The town of Felicity, Ohio, is just now (stys the Cincinnati Q-azette), enjoying something in the nature of a sensation. There lives in the village an aged colored couple by the name of Bright. With the aged couple lives a little grandchild, Lizzie Higgins. Three weeks ago someone sent this four year old child a primer. The child has never attended school in her life, neither at any time received private instruction, yet she read (he book from beginning to end aloud. So astonished and alarmed were her grandparents when she began to read that they burst into tears, supposing her possessed of some supernatural agency. A few days since the wife of Postmaster Molon, beihg sceptical, selected a letter from a number and handed it to her with the request to read her the address. This she did correctly. Professor Ullery, the principal of the public schools, took her to his house and tried her powers in various ways, and he says she both reads and pronounces correctly. The great number of people that are visiting her pronounce her a wonderful child, and no one pretends to account for her faculty #f reading without ever having learned to do so. Brandy and Tea. —The Hon. Grantley Berkely tells the following amusing story of old Lady Clermont, who used to be a constant guest at the Brighton Pavilion in the days when the singular edifice was the abode of royalty and roysterers. Her physicians had recommended a moderate use of stimulants to supply that energy which was deficient in her system, and brandy had been suggested in a prescribed quantity to be mixed with her tea. “I remember well,” says Qrantley Berkely, who was a child at the time, having my curiosity excited by this to me novel form of taking medicine, and holding on by the back of a chair to watch the modus operandi. Very much to my astonishment the patient hold a liquor bottle over a cup of tea, and began to pour out the contents with a peculiar purblind loot upon the back of the teaspoon. Presently she seemed suddenly to become aware of what •he was about, turned up the spoon the right way, and carefully measured, and added the quantity to which she had been restricted. The tea, so strongly “ laced,” she then drank with apparent gusto. What seemed inexplicable to my ingenuous mind was the unvarying recurrence of the same mistake of presenting the back of the spoon instead of the front. The gravity with which she noticed her apparent mistake, without attempting to conceal it, and her little exclamation of surprise, so invariably uttered, amused me so much that when she quitted the pavilion ; the best part of the day’s entertainment seemed to haye departed with her. Wise Foldt.— 1 “ For ten years my wife was confined to her bed with such a complr cation of ailment* that no doctor could tell what was the matter or cure her, and I used up a *mall fortune in humbug stuff. Six months ago I saw an American Flag with Hop Bitter* on it, and I thought I would be a fool once more. I tried it, but my folly proved to be wisdom. Two bottles cured her, she is now as well and strong aa aiiy man’s wife, and it coal me only two dollar*.”— H.W., Detroit, Mioh. Bead Advt.

The Geraldine Road Beard invite tender# for several works, to be sent in addressed to the Chairman not later than 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 14th. inst. Mr Thomas Barr hes started a baker’s and confectioner’s shop in Temuka and solicits the patronage of the general public. Particulars as to the price of bread, etc. will be found in his advertisemeat. Mr Edward Brisco announces in another column that he has started a carrier’s business in all its branches in Geraldine and that his expresses and spring drays will run daily between Geraldine, Orari, and Winchester. House Casds. —Horse cards of any size can be obtained at the office of this paper on the very shortest notice. Our selection of “cuts” is the best in South Canterbury, notwithstanding statements to the contrary, as an inspection will prove. The prices are also lower than those of any other establishment. [Advt.j