The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1377, 11 August 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Cholera.—Our cablegrams stite that the cholera epidemic in Spain is increpsing, and from Marseilles, in Franse, a similar account comes. It is also stated that a death from cholera has occurred at Bristol. Sale at Kakahit.—Mr W. S. Maslin holds an extensive clearing sale of pigs, horses, drays, ploughs, harness, etc. —a general fanning plant—to-day, on Mr Meredith, junr.'s farm at Kakahu, near Lnngdown'a limekilns. The horses to be sold are a first-class lot. W.ASHDTKE Saleyards.— At a general meeting of the Salejards Company on Saturday las 4 ., the resolution passed at a previous meeting re an increase of capital was confirmed. The Chairman stated that the whole of the new shares had beeD taken up. The Rangitata Stock Bridge.—We learn from an exchange that Messrs Rolleslon, Sutter, Walker, and Ivess, have again interviewed the Hon. Mr Richardson re the Kangitata stock bridge. After considerable discussion, the Minister promised to prepare plana with the view that the present bridge might be available for foot traffic. Sale or Horses.—Attention is directed to Messrs J. Mundell and Co.'s sale of horses at Goraldine, to-morrow. The horses are of all kinds—draught, hackney and light harness—and the sale is well worth the attention of buyers. Those having horses to dispose of are reminded that entries will be received up to hour of sale. The Small Bibdb Nuisance.—The farmers in various parts of Otago ara at present making an active crusade against the small birds with poisoned grain, and in several districts their efforts seem to have been very successful in reducing the pest. Strychnine is the poison used, and it must prove very deadly, for the birds are generally found close to the grain, lying dead on their backs. On one farm near Milton they were found lying dead along the headland in hundreds.—Exchange.

Alleged Valuable Discoteet.—Much interest has been aroused in the medical profession bj the discovery of a Brazilian plant called Alveloz, which ia said to cure cancer. The fame of the plant reached the United States last summer and the attention it attracted resulted in the sending of n despatch by the Department of Mate to Consul Atherton, at Pernambuco, requesting that he would secure and forward sufficient of the medicine for experimental purposes. A series of exhaustive experiments will be carried on to demonstrate the curative power of the plant. The New Zealand Industrial Exhibition. —The Exhibition was crowded all Saturday. About 3000 were present to hear the Oamaru Band, whvjli is the first in the competition for the band conteat. Their playing was much admired and loudly applauded. After the Exhibition had been open for a couple of hours in the evening it was found necessary to refuse further admission, and hundreds ware turned away. A project is on foot to open the Exhibition every night. The East and West Coast Railway. —At a meutiug in ChriHtchurch on Friday of the guarantors and others interested in the construction of this line, the following resolution was unanimously agreed to :--' That the recent debate in the House of Representatives having apparently indicated that a majority in that House is in favor of the immediate conwtruction of the Etst and West Coast and N 1-son railway, though not agreed as to the manner in which such construction should proceed, this meeting would respectfully urge the Government U take such immediate action as they deem necessary to secure the construction of the said railway." Colt.— Miss Lee, of Temuka, had a rather unpleasant experience on Saturday morning last about half-past 9 o'clock. She was driving one of her father's spring traps from his farm at Winchester to Temuka, and all went well until she reached Mr Wheel band's Oxford Nursery, when the horse took fright and bolted. The occurrence was witnessed by Mr J. Hedley, who was on horseback, and he promptly put spurs to his horse and managed to catch the reins near the runaway's head, bringing it to a standstill near Mr Brown's Beehive Stores. Miss Lee kept the reins the whole time, but was utterly unable to control the frightened horse, so it was most fortunate that Mr Hedley rendered such prompt assistance. Mis&ing.—A woman named Julia O'Connor, 40 years of age, in the employment of Mr Gusscott, of Pareora, left her home on Friday night between 9 and 10 o'clock, and up to Sunday night had not been found, although the police and the settlers of the district were diligently searching all Saturday and Sunday for her. On Sunday evening the police learned that a person answering the description of the missing one had called at Mr Stack's Farm at Mount Horrible on Saturday evening and enquired the way to Timaru. She then had no hat or shawl. She is supposed to have a niece hying at Timaru and a cousin at Fairlie Creek. [The woman was found on Monday morning in the house of a relative at Sandie Town, Timaru. She is thought to be insane and was taken to the police station. She will he brought up at the U.M. Court, Timaru, to-day^]

A Canard. A rumor was about Christchurch aud Timaru on Saturday night and Sunday that tho 9.5. Doric had foundered off Teneriffe, only 7 lives of all on board being sayed. No cablegrams in reference to the matter have been received either by the agents of the steamer or by the Press Association, so the rumor is undoubtedly a groundless one. New Patents.—The following applications for new patents are notified in the New Z»aland Gnzotte :—For a barbed wire cutter and maker, by F. G. Noble, of Timaru ; for an invention for adjusting and fixing sliding rods for tripod staud, by W. Morton, of Dunodin ; for an invention for casting iead and composite heads on wire nails, with washers, by H. G. Bedell, of Wellington. The Salvation Ahmt. —Tn consequence of the action of the Salvation Army in Melbourne in having rescued the son of an English general, and a fellow-soldier of his Excellency the Governor, from degradation, consequent on intemperance, Sir H, B. Loch sent for the leaders of the movement. After an enquiry about the work done, he expressed his surpiise at the results, and said that he would support the organisation as far as ho could, London Hotels.—Says a London correspondent : —The new hotels are a startling feature of the modern Babylon. I hear they ore well patronised, and are a financial success. A friend of min» sat down to dinner with a little, party of 600 the other night at one of them, and our papers thi-i morning tell us of a grand party of over a thousand at tb.B opening of another, with the übiquitous Prince of Wales a 9 the chief gue«t. Mr Spurgeon on London Societt.-—Mr Spurgi;on in his sensational article on the immorality of London society, Says : " Sodom in its most putrid day could scarce have exceeded London for vice. The names of the greatest in the land are openly mentioned in connection with the filthiest debauchery and the most hideous evil that drags in tho wake of vice. Shall not God be grieved at such a nation as this! What is coming over us ? What clouds are darkening our sky." Homb Rule.—A large assemblage in Hyde Park on Sunday, June 28th, was addressed by Michael Daviit as follows :—" We Irish demand nothing loss th*n the right to manage our own affairs, as Canada and Australia manage theirs. As long as that right is denied to us, or its exercise abridged, Ireland will remain an obstruction to British legislation and a menace to the stability of tho English power." These utterances were vehemently cheered by a crowd almost wholly composed of Englishmen.

The Taindi.—The steamer Tainui while steaming down the harbor at Port Chalmers on Saturday afternoon, grounded at the lower part of Deborah Bay in consequence of her steam steering gear getting out of order. She was got off on Sunday, and left for Wellington at 12.45 p.m. The point on which she stranded is perfectly smooth and sandy, so beyond the detention she suffered no damage. Her draught of water on crossing the bar in the first quarter flood was 22ft aft and 19ft 4in forward. She takes the following cargo for London —770 bales of wool, skins, leather, 58 casks tallow and pelts, 1440 sacks flour, 5724 carcases mutton ; for Rio Janeiro—2Bo sacks flour. Mr Wakefield in Trouble. Mr Wakefield, by his opposition to the East end West Coast Railway, has brought down the wrath of the whole of North Canterbury on his not at all devoted head. The last public body which has had its "dig" at the honorable gentleman is tho Southbridge Town Board, and it runs thus :—" That the Government East and Went Coast Railway scheme meets the hearty approval of the n--embers of this Board, who regret the action by their obstructive member, Mr E, Wakebeld, in opposing it against the wishes of a large majority of his constituents." To have caused such an important body to regret his action should be dreadful blow to Mr Wakefield ! A Dog Registrars Strategy.—The following story is told by the Napier Telegraph :—The dog-tax collector has his chief difficulty in the discovery of the owners of dogs. Nobody owns the dog when the collector is about. So, the other day, Mr R. Williams, while reading the scriptures, pme across the story of the judgment of Solomon, and he thought it would not be a bad idea to try a somewhat similar method towards the discovery of the owners of dogs. Going *o the Spit he met some boys and an unregistered dog. "Is that your dog ?" " No, sir." " This dog does not belong to any of you, eh t" And they all of one accord said, " No." Mr Williams thereupon said, while fumbling in his pocket, " I've a pistol here, and I'll shoot tho brute." Then cried out a youngster, " Please don'r, k'll him, sir, it's father's !" And a visit to the father's secured the tax.

Maori Ways.—A peculiar case has just been decided on the Thames goldfield, Auckland district. It appears that some months aoo a young and buxom Maori damsel, one of the wires of an educated native chief named Taipara, who occupies a beautifullyfurnished house of twenty rooms in the suburb of Parawai, was discovered to hare had illicit relations with two young aboriginals. The guilty trio were brought before a properly constituted Maori committee, and each of them was fined £3O. The unfaithful spouse and one of the men paid their fine in cash, and the other culprit gave the committee a promissory note for the amount. When the bill became due the amount was not forthcoming, and the chairman of the committee thereupon sued the man for the amount. The case was heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court, Thames, before Mr H. Kenrick, R.M., and two native assessors, and -judgment was given for the plaintiff with costs. It is understood that the whole of the fine* go to the injured husband. Henry Ward Bjeechkr on Evolution. —In concluding his Bermon on a recent Sunday, Henry Ward Beecher said to his congregation : " I shall not be with you many more years. It will not be long before another voice will be instructing you. For mor9 than fifty years I have beeo influenced by the great doctrine of evolution. Yearß ago I saw that the spirit of true religion was represented by the mustard Beed. Later 1 came to understand the larger view which science holds, and that this was only one application of a great doctrine. To-day there is not ao educated man under 50 years who is not substantially an evolutionist. I propose to make an application of the truths of evolution to all forma of doctrine the closing work of my life. I am going to discuss the questions of the divine natur«, of sin and atonement from the stand point of evolution. These discussions I will put in a book and then die. Your children will read the book and wonder why people ever differed from what I shall say. The new theology his risen in the horizon. It will regeneate the world, and be more poweiful than the old." i

Bali, at Pleasant Valley. —The ball held in the schoolroom, Pleasant Valley, on Friday evening, was very successful. There were between thirty and forty couples present, besides a number of " wallflowers," and dancing was kept up until a very late hour in the morning. Tbmoka Parliamentary Union.—The weekly sitting takes place this evening, the Speaker taking the chair at 7.30. Several questions will be replied to, the debate on Mr Wills' motion re admittance of ladies will take place, and several Bills wi ! l come on for their second reading. JS\Z. Flouk at Home.—Some months ago (says the Guardian) Mi C. W. Turner, of the Canterbury Mills, sent a small consignment of locally manufactured flour to Belfast, Ireland, for comparison with the flour there. The result was in every way satisfactory to the consignor, the Belfast bakersspeaking in the highest terms of the New Zealand article.

Hoesewhiited.— According to the Guardian, on Saturday evening a young gentleman well known in Ashbnrton soundly*horsewl)ipped a gentleman connected with an Ashburton financial institution. During the day the aggressor, armed with a heavy whip, had been engaged looking for his victim and publicly announced his intention, The case comes on at the R.M. Court, Anilburton, to-day. A Puddle.—Some little while ago the mud which had collected in the gutters on the main street of Geraldine between Wilson and Peel streets, was scraped up and thrown back on to the edge of the roadway. Through the late rains the traffic has worked it into a regular puddle, and the unwary pedestrian crossing over from one side of the street to the other in the dark finds it unpleasantly soft and deep to get into. As this material never binds when ifc is put back on to the roadway it would be better to cart it away altogether. Geraldine School Committee.—A special meeting of this Committee was to have been held last Friday evening to consider an application for the use of the schoolroom for holding a danco in. The Committee did not meet, however, as it was found that letting the schoolroom for the purposes of amusement, etc., would necessitate the payment of a license fee of one guinea to the Town Board, in accordance with section 18 of By-law No. 2. Accident.—An accident of a somewhat painful nature occurred last evening to a child about five years of age, the daughter of Mr J. Mundell, Geraldine. In going down the bank opposite her father's house she slipped and rolled down some distance, and her hand coming in contact with a sharp stone a nasty cut was inflicted on her temple. A messenger was at once despatched for Dr Fish, who was soon in attendance and stitched up the wound. No serious serious results are anticipated, but the child had a narrow escape as the bank is very steep and about twenty feet high where the accident happened. Enlargement of Premises.—ln our last issue we referred to a few of the general improvements in the township of Geraldine. Among these improvements may be mentioned the enlargement of the premises of Messrs N. Dunlop and Co. As the present shop is now much too small for their business, they have decided to entirely renovate and enlarge it. The presant general shop will be used exclusively as a drapery, clothing, and boot department, and that portion of the building now used as a butcher's shop will be opened buck to the full depth of the building and the front and roof made uniform. This part will be lined, fitted with shelving and a counter running the whole length of one side, and will be devoted to the grocery and ironmongery branch of the business. Where the present back door to the shop now is an archway will be made to give entrance from one department to the other. The office will be situated at the back end of the drapery department in the righthand corner. When these alterations are carried out they will add greatly to the general appearance of the building, and will afford facilities and accomodation for carrying on an extensive trade. The work has been entrusted to the hands of Mr E. Prouting, carpenter, Geraldine. The Temuka Firb Brigade.—Last night a meeting took place in the Town Board Office between Messrs K. F. Gray, Blyth, and Mason (representing the Temuka Town Board) and Cuptain Henry, Lieut. McS. Gentlemun, aod Foreman Surridge (representing the" Temuka Fire Brigade) to discuss matters relating to the latter body. Mr K. F. Gray (Chairman of the Town Board) presided. After a desultory convention, it was arranged that the Brigade should consist of not less than fifteen members, including offieais, and that it should hold two practices in each month—one wet and one dry. It was agreed that the Brigade should call for tenders for uniforms, including boots and helmets, und should submit the amount of the tender they wished to accept to the Temuka Town Board at its next meeting. The Brigade had applied for £SO, offering to hand over to the Board their annual grant from the United Assurance Association on its receipt ; but after the matter had been carefully gone into, it was thought that the amount applied for might not betnfficient, The wish was unanimously expressed that the work should be pona ,'n the town, if possible. The members of the Board also expressed th« opinion that the wells were in a rather bad state, and asked the deputation to hold two wet practices per month —instead of one wet and one dry—during the first two months, so that the Board may ascertain the condition of the wells, and, if they ' needed it, have them cleaned out.. Lieut. McS. Gentlemun stated that a well was required between the Temuka and Wallingford Hotels, as the pipe sunk near the former hotel was of no use. In reply to a question, it was stated that four or five lengths of hose were in bad condition, and there were about four lengths in good order. The Brigade was well found in other respects. A wish was expressed by the members of tho Board that the Brigade should hold three practices a month —two wet and one dry —as they thought one wet practice would hardly keep the wells in order—but the deputation held that one wet practice a month and one dry one was all they could expect members of the Brigade, who were unpaid, to undertake. The Chairman stated he knew of no Brigade which had expended ita fund* so judiciously as the Temuka one, and ha was sure they would receive, as they deserved, every consideration at the hands of the Board. Messrs Mnson and Blyth, also, spoke very highly of the Brigade. The meeting terminated with the usual rote of thanks,

Sale of Timbeb.—Mr K. F. Gnty will hold a sale of old bridge timber at the Temuka bridge next Friday. Full particulars will be found in advertisement. Prbsenob oh Mind.—Two Melbourne boys named Frank Magill and King Moire recently saved a passenger train from dashing through a rail way gate, and perhaps causing serious damage. The boys were walking townrds the railway gate which crosses the line as the 10.40 a.in train approached at a rapid rale, and noticed that the gate was closed and that the keeper was nowhere to bo seen. They rushed forward, and as quickly as possible opened the gate, just in lime to allow the train to pass through. Owing to a curve in the line the driver could not see the gate until he was close upon if. When ho did see it he reversed the engine and applied the brakes immediately, but could not pull up until the gute was passed. Serious Maori Obstruction.—On the Thames-Rotorua railway works on Thursday, the natives proved obstructive at Waihora Bridge, near Matamata, severely handling the contractor, Mr Fallon, and several men, and throwing the railway material into the river. They then proceeded to cut down the bridge. Mr Fallon and Mr Stewart, the engineer, went and took out a summons for the arrest of the offenders. The warrants were issued by Mr Northcote, R.M., Waikato, and Sergeant McGoverin, with Constables Wills and Murray, and Mr Fallon and party proceeded to execute them. On arrival at the scene of the outrage no natives were to be seen, but the offenders were found at the Native settlement near by. Six of them were arrested without any opposition, and these were taken to Hamilton, where they will appear at the R.M. Court. Postage Stamps. being made just now" (says the Lyttelton Times) " that some of the stamps supplied to the public by the Postal Department are wanting in a very important quality —they won't stick. A funny story is told of a young man and a postage stamp, which will probably be appreciated by the complainers. After many frantic efforts to make the stamp adhere to the envelope the young man pinned it on, and wrote underneath, ' Paid—provided the pin doesn't come out.' Of course if the pin did come out, the receiver of that young man's letter would have to pay double rate for it; and this is one of the annorauces to which the public will be subjected if the Postal authorities are sparing in the glucose—that pleasant tasted adhesive, which should not bo wanting in a pottage stamp." The stamps are also very badly perforated ; in fact, in many cases the sheets are not perforated at all ; and this is also the cause of much annoyance and trouble. Gordon's Diaet. —General Gordon's diary at Khartoum was issued in published form on the afternoon of the 24tb. The London papers publish long extracts from its pages, m which the defender of Khartoum peurs forth the bitterness of his soul at the part played towards him by the British Government. The last words in the diary are : —" I have done my best for the honor of my country." In his last letter to his sister, General Gordon writes : " Like Clarence I have tried to do my duty." Writing of the expedition for the relief of Khartoum, he says : " No one can judge the waste of money and the expense of life in the present expedition. It is an utter waste of both, and simply due to the indecision of the English Government." In characterising the Soudan policy of the Gladstone Government, he describes it as a " policy of logfloating down the stream." In another passage he says the action of Government was such as to convince him they grudped him his perverse persistency in living. If hj had been killed the Foreign Office wouid have thought it a good riddance. In other passages he comments sarcastically upon the reluctance of the Ministry to face the responsibility of their own acts. The Pall Mall Gazette describes the Diary as an epitaph on the Liberal Government, written as by the fingers of an invisible hand—an epitaph summed up in the word " Indecision."

The Temtjka Bridqi.—ln our last issue we stated that the redecking of the Teini'ca Bridge had been completed, and we ii->w purpose giving a few further particular. The specifications were prepared by Mr Meason, the Engineer of the G.C.O. The contractor was Mr Jas. Philp, Mr Jas. Radford being the Clerk of the Works, and the contract appear* to have been most faithfully fulfilled. During the course of the work the convenience of the public was carefully studied by the contractor, who, at the time of the late flood in the river, opened the bridge for traffic and kept it so for a week as the river continued to run high. From the time the work was commenced every effort was made to carry it out quickly, and the result was that the bridge was not actually closed for more than fifteen d-iy?. On stripping the bridge of the old decking it is satisfactory to note that it was found to be perfectly sound and in first-rate condition. Before laylaying the nev/ deoking the upper side of the bearings were treated to a good coat of tar. The new decking, which is of heart of kauri, hns also been well tarred, and is much stronger than that which ii has superseded, aud will of course cairy 8 heavier weight. A striking proof of the superiority of hurl timber over other kinds for this class of work was afforded by the condition of parts of the old decking. It was composed of mixed timber, and while the planks of heart of kauri were found to be perfectly sound, those of black pine or totarn were more or less decayed. One of the principal causes of the rapid destruction of the decks of bridges is the accumulation of debriß at the sides, which holds the water and causes the wood on which it rests to decay. In this respect a great improvement has been effected in the-, work we are at present noticing—The wheel guards, instead of resting on the decking, are placed four inches above it, which should prevent any accumulation of rubbish. This is an improvement which is well worthy of adoption in all future works of a similar kind, Altogether the contract appears to have been carried out in a manner creditable to all concerned. The bridge, however, needs a good coat of tar and paint, which will improve its appearance aod tend to its preservation. Whilst on the subject of bridge-wofks it may be mentioned that the protective workß constructed just above the Opilii Bridge—designed by Mr Meison and carried out by the same contractor liave fully answered the purposu intended. The current- of the river hns baeo defb'C'ed from the extreme north of the liridge to about the ninth span.

Finances or France.—lf our own finances (remarks the Pall Mall Gazette) are to be regarded as in disorder—which they certainly are-owing to a deficit of fifteen millions, which has yet to ba dealt with, what is to be said of those of France, wilh her twenty odd million* of deficit, which she is making no preparation to meet by fresh taxation ? The growth of the French debt is something appalling. When M. Leon 3ay was Finance Minister, he consolidated a large floating debt, and the total of the consolidated debt then stood at £880,000,000, 20 per cent, more than our owd. Since then—in only three years—another floating debt has sprung up, which by the end of the present year is likely to attain £80,000,000. Already one third of the ordinary revenue, which stands at the enormous figure of £120,000, ia required for the service of th« regular debt. What is to be done ? Few people as yet realise how fast old Europe, with its most civilised countries in the van, is careering towards the abyss of bankruptcy, Bhnefaotors. —" When a board of eminent physicano and chemists announced the diecoverj tiiut by combining some well-known valuable remedies a most wonderful medioino was produced, which would cure such a wide raDgeof diseases that most all other remedies could be dispensed with, many were skeptical, but proof of its merits by actual trial has dispelled all doubt, and today the di«coverers of that great medicine, Dr. Soule's American Co's Hop Bitters, are honored and blessed by all as benefactors." —Read Adrt. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. Adam Irvine, Woodbury.—Notice re hii eon's debts. K. F. Gray.—Sale of timber at the T«muka Bridae on Friday. Robert Wood, Geraldine—la a cash buyer of oats, feed barley, peas and beans, good fresh butter, etc. Manchester House, Geraldine.—Attention is drawn to the alteration of Messrs N. Dunlop and Co.'B advertisement.