LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1326, 11 April 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Important Cablb News.—News from London, dated April 9th, Btates that a battle was fought between the Russian and Afghan troops in the vicinity of the Moorghab river on the 28th March, the Afghans being defeated. Particulars will be found elsewhere. G-bbatodinb Town Boaed Office.—The contractors for this building are making steady progress with the work, and the side walls are now up to their full height. The work so far s-ems to have been done faithf ul'y, and the building when finished will be very substantial. Gbbaidinb Road Boabd.— The usual monthly meeting of this Board will be held in the office at 10 a.m. on Tuesday night. Tenders for various road works, particulars of which will be found ia our advertising columni, are to be lent in to the chairman before the hour of meeting. Specifications for the works may be seen at the Road Board Office.

Resident Magistbate's Couet, Gebaldine.—The ordinary fortnightly sitting of this Court will be held on Monday next. Temuka Young Men's Club.—Avery important nolice to the members of this Club appears iu our advertising column. Temuka Rifles.—The Temuka Rifles hold a Church Parade on Sunday morning l rwxt. Members are requested to "fall in " at 30 a.m. sharp. The Late Woodbury Race Meeting. —The protest against the winner of the T ivo-Year-Old Race at this meeting was disallowed by the Stewards. Teiiuka Football Club.—The annual general meeting of this Club takes place next Monday eveniog, in the Wallingford hotel, at half-past seven o'clock. Oub Public Schools. —We would remind the parents of children attending the Temuka and Geraldine Public Schools that they reopen on Monday next, after the Easter holidays. The Govebnment Auditob. —Mr J. Ollivier, the Government Auditor, visited Geraldine yesterday for the purpose of making his annual audit of the accouuts of the various local public bodies. Cbicket.—A match takes place to-day between the Temuka and Geraldine Clubs, on the ground of the former. The Gtraldine team will leave by an express which will start from Taylor's Hotel at half-past ten. Play starts at half-past twelve. Business Change.—Mr W. Coltman, of Temuka and Geraldine, announces that ha has transferred the whole of his interest in the Temuka busiuess to his son, Mr. Wm. Coltman, who has hitherto conducted the same. We wish Mr Coltman every suocess. Cleaeing Sale.—Messrs J. Mundell and Co., under instructions from Mr A. W. Owles will offer on Thursday next the b.alf-acre section and four-roomed house adjoining the Oddfellows' Hall, Geraldine, and the whole of his furniture and effects. Particulars will be found in our advertising columns. More Dynamite.—News by the last; San Francisco Mail states that Flannery, secretary of the Paris Dynamite Committee, declares that preparations for certain events to take place in England—compared with which all previous explosions were experiments—have been begun, and the whole of that country will be terrified.

Zebehb Pasha. Zebehr Pasha was arrested in Alexandria on March 14th and in his house documents were found proving his complicity with the Mahdi, He was put on board & British frigate, and will be imprisoned on the Island of Cyprus. The Pasha ha s been under surveillance practically for two years. General Gordon was in favour of Zebehr being restored to power in the Soudan. It has now bein discovered that he has been in correspondence with the Mahdi both before and since the capture of Khartoum and the killing of General Gordon. Several other prominent Egyptian notables will shortly be arrested.

Attempted Muedeb. —A man named Frederick Lucas attempted to commit a fearful crime in Timaru on Wednesday night last. His wife-had been confined at two o'clock in the morning, and, owing to Borne remarks made by Lucas, she got the nurse to secrete a razor that was lying on the table in the room. On Lucas returning about 10 o'clock p.m., he searched for the razor, and, not finding it, he then took out his pocket-knife and struck .hiifWife with it behind the ear, inflicting a severe wound, though not a dangerous one. In endeavouring to save herself from her husband's brutality, before she escaped to a neighbor's house, the unfortunate woman got her bands badly cut with the knife. Lucas then decamped and was not arrested till early on Thursday morning, when, shortly after, be was brought up at the Police Court and remanded for eight days. Dr. Macmtyre attended to Mrs Lucas, who is progressing favorably.

On Customs. We often hear (says a journal published for the natives of South Africa) of " English customß, "and of "native customs." There was a time when the first woollen blanket was worn by a KafErmaa in this country. Other men slowly followed his example until now it is the custom to wear suoh iblankets. There was a day when a native was persuaded to wear a pair of boots ; and now yearly the custom of going naked is giving away ..to the custom of boots and other English garments. Thus all customs) grow from or ara changed by one person. We all know how the old people of a village laughed, at and even persecuted, the first young man or the first young woman who threw off the blankets for other clothing ; and many are aware of how, gradually, they come to follow this «xample. Well, just so must it be if the New Year is to mark progress towar Js what is true and right. Those who know what is evil mnst set their faces against it, those who understand something of the value of " sweeter manners, purer laws," must practise them and in time the oustoms will prevail in the tribe or nation.

Me Sala. on the Eussian Navi.—ln bis leoture in Melbourne, Mr Sala referred to the events of the Eusso-Turkish war, and this led to the mention of the late Lord Beaconsfield's name, which, was received bj the audience with a perfect storm of applause enthusiastic, general, and long-sustained. "Would we had a statesman of the same mettle at the head of affairs now," said the leoturer 5 " one who would give us peace with honor or war with honor." Again the hall echoed with cheers. Events pointed to the probabilities of a war now. He would enjoin caution and apprehension. He would say " Take care of the Russians, they hate us, and mean mischief. On the other hand, their national finances, are so hopelessly bankrupt that they will not venture upon hostilities, unless they believe there are British statesmen in power who will allow them them to bully us. Do not fear their navy, for such is the rottenness of the "whole administrative system that it is a mockery, a delusion, and a snare."

A Mark op Esteem.—Mr F. Back, Traffic Manager of the Christehurch section of tlie New Zealand railways, was on Wednesday last entertained at lunch at Coker'a Hotel by a few railway officers. The luncheon had boen arranged as a mark of esteem to MiBack, and that his brother officers should have an opportunity of meetng him prior to his departure in the s.s. Ruapehu on a visit to England to recoup his health. Mr Hannay, the Assistant General Manager occupied the chair, and Mr W. M. Ollivier, paymaster, the vice-chair. The chairman proposed the toast of the day, which was the health of their guest. He wished for Mr Back a very pleasant voyage, and hoped when he returned he would be completely restorsd to health. Mr Back acknowledged the honor dono him in a few well ohosen remarks. Other toasts indispensible on such occasion having been honored with due ceremony, a pleasant gathering was terminated. —Press.

Rait and Ewe Faib.—The annual ram and ewe fair held under the auspices of the Temuka and Geraldine A. and P. Association, took place last Thursday, and was fairly successful. The entries were as follow : Mr A. Grant 168 rams and 666 ewes, Mr 0. P. McCallum 4 rams, Messrs J. Mundell and Co, 23 rams, Mr J". Palerson 26 rams, and Mr K. P. Gray 16 rams and 130 ew«s. The attendance was very fair, considering they were all either buyers or sellers, and a large uuvnber of sheep changed hands. The auctioneers were not very successful with the rams, but they subsequently disposed of a large number of them privately. Most of the ewes sold at at prices which highly satisfied the vendors. Mr Tombs had a refreshment booth on the ground, and it was found a great convenience. In Timaru no such provisions wore made. The Association also provided another class of refreshments, to which all were invited free of cost. Everything passed very sue] cessfully, and all went away satisfied. A Soudan Incident.—An incident recently occurred which, if it had many parallels, would occasisn some unpleasantness and difficulty A woman came to Sir Herbert Stewart camp, declaring herself a slave, and begging for freedom. She had no hardship or illtreatment to complain of, and she desired liberty, she said, in order to marry. When asked if she had mosey with which to support herself until she should marry, she replied that she had no concern on that account, having been promised marriage by Lord Wolseley's cook ; and should that nappy prospect fail, she affirmed she was not without resource, for there was one of the Mudir's soldiers who was equally anxious to secure her hand. Her master, she said, had twenty slaves. He had never beaten her, though his wife had. She had to do menial work, cook, wash, and so forth. She had once before tried to free herself and had gone to the Mudir, but the Mudirhad sent her to the Kadi (judge) and her master had come to the Kadi and given him a bribe, and thereupon the Kadi had returned her to her master, and ordered her to be chained. She crouched for some time by the door of th» interpreter's tent, and thoroughly enjoyed a mutton chop with a plate of bread and vegetables that was given her. Then she got up and walked away in apparent contentment. Her application for freedom did not seem very serious, and Lord Wolseley's cook,, who maintained that he had a wife in Alexandria, denied the soft impeachment of wishing to contract another marriage. The woman seemed to be about twenty-four years of age, and, like all of her condition, said she was brought young from Kordofan, and knew nothing of her father or mother.

Amebicak OHII/DBEN.—That children are at a discount in the United States is plainiy proved by the advertisements in the daily papers. Very few apartment houses of the better class, particularly those that are new and "nice," will tolerate them as all. And the funny thing about these houses is, that they almost invariably style themselves " family hotels." The unprejudiced and old-fashioned observer cannot help wondering how we are going to pass anything off as a family that does not reckon children among its component parts. But the owner of the building is wiser in his day and generation. He knows that in the modern aoceptation of the term a family consists of a man and his wife and no more. Children, if not an actual evidence of ill-breeding are a manifest impropriety that no well-conducted couple on the American plan are likely to indulge in. Of course there are two sides to every question, and the landlord, if appealed to, would probably say in his own behalf that American children —when there are any—are a nuisance. According to his lights all-child-ren are probably nuisances; but the American product he pronounces unparalleled in its atrocity by that of any other clime or country. As denizens Jof a decent, not to,say aesthetic habitation, he would infinitely prefer Texas steers or wild Indians. And he is not far wrong. The average American child is brought up to think that it owns not only its immediate progenitors, but the earth and al that is therein. It makes things lively for the landlord and the surrounding country, and is more generally destructive in its ravages than anything yet known to the student ©f natural history. The " terror that walketh by noonday" is nothing to it, if the landlord's word is to[be taken; and we can hardly blamo that worthy for using bis endeavors to protect himself and his -property. Live and let live is a good old rule, but it is a hard one to enforce when American children are in the neighbourhood. "The Hall," Temuka.—Mr J. W. Miles " The Hall," announces a display of drapery, clothing, and boots, suitable for the present season. Visitors will find at this establishment a large and really choice selection of all classes of goods. Having adopted the popular system of small profits and quick returns, prices will bear comparison with the best houses in the trade. . Victobia House, Timaeu.—Messrs J. Ballantyne and Co., who have for some time past conducted their business in Shepherd's Buildings, Timaru, announce that they have removed to those premises recently occupied bv Messrs Grubites and Planto, and known as "Victoria House," ,which they have had

refitted and improved to suit the requirements of their extensive business. Their new establishment is mo"re centrally situated than ther old place of business, and will ba fur more accessible to customers. They an noance that they have marked their Btock very low, and invite patronage.

Mr Eli Mitchell, Woilohi, invites tenders fi>r erecting a two-roomed cottage (labour only). Specifications are to be seen at Messrs Siegert and Kauvel's store. A Good Account.—" To sum it up, sir, long years of bed-ridden sickness and eufEaricig, oosting £4O por year, total £240, all of which was stopped by three bottles of American Co,'s Hop Bittors taken by my wifo, who has done her own housework for a year since without the loss of a day, and I want everybody to know it for their benefit."—John Weeks, Butler.—Find Advt.