LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1332, 25 April 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Opium Smoking.—A Chinaman died in the hospital at Auckland last Thursday, it is supposed from the effects of opium smoking.

Kesident Magistbatb's Coubt, Gebaldine. —The usual fortnightly sitting of this Court will be held on Monday next at halfpast twelve.

Ekvenue. —The Customs returw for the quarter ended March 31st were £362,971, as against £361,505 for the corresponding quarter of 1884.

Timbee Sale.—Mr W. S. Maslin notifies in our advertising columns that he will hold a large sale of timber at the Kaukapuka sawmills on Tuesday. Full particulars will be seen m the advertisement. Gbbaidink Monthly Sale. —In consequence of Wednesday, the 6th May, being a Race Day, Messrs J. Mundell and Co. have altered tbo date of their monthly stock sale to Monday, the 4th.

Temuka Cbicebt Cuts.—The members of this Club are requested to attend a meeting at the Wallingford Hotel on Monday evening next, at half-past seven, as business of importance will be discussed.

Land tob Public Roads.—ln our advertising columns will be found the description of certain land which the Geraldine Boad Board propose to take, under the Public Works Act 1882, for a Public Road. Local Option Poli>. A poll of the residents in the Raukapuka Licensing dstrict takei place on the sth May, for the purpose of deciding whether the number of Publicans, N.Z. Wine, or Conditional licenses may or may not be increased. Cobebction. —In the weights published on Thursday for the Geraldine Autumn meeting, Berrington's weight in the Gang Forward Handicap should hare been list 21b, and in the Tally-Ho Handicap Berrington list 3lb and Lynwood list.

Meeting of Ratepayebs at Woodbuby. —We would remind the ratepayers of the Woodbury district that a public meeting will be held in the schoolroom at half-past seven this evening. The business will be to to discuss the Road Board'* action in refusing to open the road at the back of the Waihi Busb.

Gebaldine Road Distbict.—A notification appears in our advertising columns that the annual meeting of ratepayers of the above district will be held in the Road Board office at noon on Monday, May 4th. The date of the anuual meeting was fixed for Tuesday, May sth, but, had to be altered on account of tbw Geraldine Autumn Race meeting commencing on that day

Monbv Obdbbs and Savings Bahx.—• During the past quarter ended March 3t there were taken out money orders ta the value of £141,915 7s, as against £140,837 19s 8d for the corresponding quarter of 1884. During the same .quarter the transactions of the Post Office Savings Bank showed that the deposits amounted to £325,888 14s lOd, as against £315,599 15s for the corresponding quarter of last year, and the withdrawals amounted to £320,200 2s 2d as against £331,704 12s Id last year.

Then and Now. —An old back-country farmor, who had given his note in payment for a new patent " reaper and binder," came into the bank to pay up. " flow does she go ?" asked the cashier as he thumbed the bills. " Well, ye see, this time last year I sot on the fence with a cigar in my mouth and an ombrela over me, and watched thirty men a reapin' my field. This year I reaped it myself, and thirty men sot on the fence and watohed me." The Grain Season.—The number of sacks of grain received by rail at Timaru up to the 18th instant was 57,387, and by road 15,411, making a grand total of 72,798. Up to date between 21,000 and 22,000 sacks have been sent away from the Temuka railway station, which shows that tbe farmers of the district have been taking advantage of the recent fine weather to get their grain threshed and to market or into store.

Gordon's Messiah.—A. correspondent to the Daily News writes:—" The way in which Press messages from the seat of war have been ' edited* by the authorities on the spot tends possibly to the fact, widely rumored in well-informed quarters at the present moment, that the whole text of General Gordon's last message was not officially made public in England. The message as published was—'Khartoum all right. Can hold on for years.' It is now said that these words were preceded by «What are you coming for ? I hare not asked for you.'" TiMAEtr Eacing Club.—A meeting of the above Club was held last Thursday evening, at which the annual balance sheet was read. It showed that the Club had a balance to credit of £52 10s 9d, and it was resetted to place it on fixed deposit. Mr Melton, the Secretary, having resigned, his resignation was accepted with deep regret, and a committee was formed to present him with a testimonial in recognition of his services. He was also made a life member of the Club. The sum of £3 3s was voted to Mr D. MaKecwe for his services as handicapper. Sales at Gbealdine.—To-day Messrs J. Mundell and Co., submit to auction the privileges in cpnnectiou with the forthcoming Geraldine Eacing Club's meeting. They will also sell a quantity of sugar, tea, oatmeal, furniture, perambulators, etc. On Monday they will sell the farming stock and implements of Mr Thos. Hardcastle, at hi* homestead, Springbank, Waihi Bush, and to this sale the attention of farmers, speculators, and others is particularly directed. The lines are all good of their kind, and, as Mr Hardcastle is leaving the district, they must be sold. The sale commences at 12 o'clock, luncheon being provided.

A Flourishing Association. The thirty-ninth annual report of the Australian Mutual Provident Society was issued in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon. The new business acquired during the past year comprises 8866 policies, assuring £2,962,402. The new premium income amounts to £106,364, the accumulated funds of the Society to £5,371,466, and the total annual income to £1,074,952. The report of the Actuary on the first annual division ef profits shows a cash surplus for the year of £411,847, of which £262,434 will be divided among the policy-holders. It is intended that futurs bonuses shall become available after policies have been issued two years, and that surrender values be paid after a similar period has elapsed. False .Pretences. At the Kesident Magistrate's Court, Timaru, yesterday, Lionel Edmund Henry Corbett pleaded guilty to two charges of obtaining money by means of valueless cheques from W. Darby and D. MoQuinneas, publicans, respectively. From the evidence it appeared that he was perfectly sober when he committed the offences. His counsel (Mr Tosswill) asked the Bench to deal leniently with him, as he was young and extremely well-connected at Home and was in receipt of an allowance from his father. He had obtained caßb for one of the cheques by mentioning the name of the Kev. Chaffers-Welsh, of Christchurch. Inspector Broham aaid he had been twice convicted before, and had always been under police surveillance. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

Death of an Old Besident. another column will be found the obituary notice cf Mr J ohn '"Kennedy, who for the last seventeen or eighteen years has earried on the business of blacksmith in Geraldine. The deceased had not been in very strong health for some time past, and an accident a few weeks ago gave his system a shock from which it never recovered. Mr Kennedy was very successful in his trade for many years, and bought several properties, and his family will thus be left in good circumstances. His funeral took place on Thursday, the coffin being borne by his friends from his late residence to the Roman Catholic Ohurch—of which he was a member—and from thence to the cemeiory. The funeral ceremony was conducted by the Rev. Father Keane, who delivered a very impressive address to thoso who entered the Church with the coffin. The procession on the way to the Cemetery was joined by a large number of friends and townspeople on foot and in vehicles, the cortege being over a quarter of a mile in length. j

Gebaldinb Road Boabd EiiEOtiok.— Messrs W. U. Slack, P. R. Flatman, J. Kelland, junr., and Mr C. GK Tripp were nominated on Thursday as candidates for the three vacant seats on the Board. The Editob. A favorite character with the novelist now-a-d ays is the editor of a newspaper, but they evidently know little of the work and habit of the genuine animal. As commonly depicted by them, the editor attends all the dinners and teas, passes hours in the swell club-rooms, figures at the fashionable receptions, and •therwise exhibits his intellect all up town and down. As a matter of fact the editor who really edits dons his evening dress about onoe a year, and during the remaining three hundred or 10 nights may be found on the top storey wrestling with as many topics as he has hairs on his head.

Ihflt/knce.—Says Truth:—" So great is the influence of a sweet-minded woman on those around her that it is almost boundless. It is to her that friends come in seasons of sickness and sorrow for help and comfort. One soothing touch of her kindly hands works wonders in the feverish child ; a few words let fall from her lips in the ear of a sorrowing sister do much to raise the load of grief that is bowing its victim down to the dust of anguish. - The husband comes home worn eut with pressure of business and irritable with the world in general, but when he enters the cosy sitting-room and sees a blaze of the bright fire and meets his wife's smiling face he succumbs in a moment to the soothing influence, which acts as a balm in Grilead to his wounded spirit."

New Calbdonia. —A recent visitor to New Caledonia girei a ihooking account of the itate of society in that island. It appear! that the number of criminals living there amounts to about 10,500. The mortality is very great, and there are numeroug escapes. During the last ten years no fewer than 247 convicts who hare managed to smuggle themselves on board ship hare been discovered in the Australian colonies. The grievances of the colonists are, therefore, by no means remote, or imaginary. In the first instance no attempt is made to classify the prisoners, and the results are often disastrous to those who are only partially depraved. The conTicts are ultimately divided into fire classes, ranging from men who are kept to sere re labour, without any relaxation or indulgences, to men who, owing to their good conduct, enjoy comparative freedom and are restored to family life. Many of the convicts, however, employ their conditional liberty in preying upon the free settlers and natives, and the state of things in the colony has in consequence beoome intolerable. Such being the condition of New Caledonia, it is not surprising that there should be a strong feeling in Australia against the proposal to establish a French penal settlement in the New Hebrides. A Disappointment.—On Tuesday, says the Wairarapa Star, a youthful couple from the country—one of whom hailed all the way from Cross' Creek —visited St. Patrick's Church, Masterton, for the purpose of getting the nuptial knot adjusted by the Bey. Father Treacy. To comply with the law's demands they hai sojourned for three days previously in Masterton, and while the bride in piospective, wreathed in smiles and orange blossoms and a magnificent veil, sped with her friends to the church, the expectant bridegroom was dispatohed to the local Registrar for the necessary license. It was then discovered that the girl was under age, and without the written consent of the parents Mr Bagge could do nothing more than express his deep sympathy and shake his head, while a sardonic smile stole over his features. The chopfallen young man hied to the church and reported his discomfiture ; and then, we are informed, ensued a remarkable scene, for the young lady, instead of swooning into her lover's arms, as tbe heroine in a novel or on the stage would have done, or weeping bitterly and wringing her hands, as a plebeian bride of an unromantio disposition would have behaved, flew into an ungovernable passion, tore her bridal veil into shreds, and unceremoniously fled from the church. A CIEBGTMAIT WITH A HISTOBX.—The death is announced of the Rev W. Read, M.A., for thirty years minister of the Chapel of Ease at Worthing, a well known evangelist' and the author of some standard school and scientific works. He had (says a correspondent) a singular history. He was the son of a licensed victualler, who kept the Cross Keys at Manchester, and subsequently the Ring o' Bells, Stafford, and passed with distinction through the Manchester Grammar School, after which he set up in business as a tobacconist Through the influence of the late Canon Stowell, to whose churoh be attached himself after he left the Wealeyan Methodists, he entered St John's College, Cambridge, when forty-one years of age, and gradaated in 1844, his eldest son being at college with him. In the same year ha was ordained by Dr Bird Sumner, then Bishop of Chester; and'af ter serving at Manchester turaoy became curate of South Minims, near Barnet, till 1854, when he was appointed by tbe Reoter of Broadwater perpetual curate of Worthing, where in the old-fashioned Chapel of Ease he has minitteretl ever since. The deceased was a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society.

Mrs Twomey, Temuka, advertises for a girl. Mr A. B. Allan, Temuka offers a reward for the recovery of a lost dog. Messrs Allan and Carter notify that they intend applying for a license to slaughter on Block No. 7, Hilton. Trespassers on the Orari, Arowhenua, Riverslea, and Bangitata Estates, will be prosecuted whether in quest of game or otherwise. Mr J. W. Miles, "The Hall," Temuka, announces some extraordinary bargains in boys' and men's clothing. Haying bought a manufacturer's stock, he is able to sell at about the English cost price. Buyers have an opportunity of securing at a very nominal figure a good outfit for the Winter. Dkoiinbos 1 4Tak.—Nervousness, Weaknesi, Dyspepsia, Impotence, Sexual Debility, cured by "Wells' Health Benewer." Druggists. Keropthorne, Prosier & Co., Agents, Christchu'ch. 8