The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1886. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1502, 6 May 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1886. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Half Holiday. — A great number of the business places in Temuka will be closed from 1 o’clock to-day. To Oobbbspondbnts. Letters from Alexander Penney and Thomas Egan will appear in our next issue. Beer Duty. —The beer duty collected in the colony for April last was £4499, the amount for the corresponding month of 1875 being £4792, The Customs. —The Customs revenue collected in the colony for April last was £108,631, against £114,446 for the corresponding month of 1885. Bazaab ahd Gut Auction, —The Bazaar and Gift Auction in oonnsction with St. Saviour’s Church, Temuka, takes place to-day. The bazaar which will be held in the Volunteer Hall, promises to be the best held in the district for years. It opens at 1.30 p.m., and the sale of live stock will take place at Mr Gray’s yards at 3 p.m. Batbpaybeb’ Meeting. The annual meeting of ratepayers in the Geraldine Road District takes place to-day at noon. The business comprises the receiving and adoption of the annual report, and the consideration ot the advisability or otherwise of appointing a ranger for the district.

Monthly Sale. —Geraldine wore qui'e a busy appearance yesterday, the occasion being Messrs J. Mundell and Co.’s monthly sale of stock. The Circus.—To-morrow evening St. Leon’s Eoyal Palace Circus will give a performance at Temuka, the stay being limited to one night. The circus has been doing a good businejs during the past week. A Comet. —A telegram from Melbourne on Monday stated that a comet of great brilliance had made its appearance, and wavisible all over Yietoria. Telegrams from Wellington, New Plymouth, Napier, Wanganui, Christchurch, and Hokitika, also note the appearance of a comet in the western heavens. Tuesday night being clear the comet was plainly visible in this district in the western sky. Football.—A scratch match will be played in the Temuka Park to-day, it being the first Thursday half-holiday. The Temuka Club has received a challenge from the Merivala Football Club, Christchurch, to play a match at Temuka on the Queen’s Birthday, the 24th inst. The challenge has been accepted, and we hope all the members will turn up to practice, so as to be able to give a good account of themselves. The Late Accident at Geraldine,— Mr James Macdonald, whose narrow escape from drowning we reported last week, is, we are happy to stite, improving rapidly, and his friends expect that in about a week or ten days he will be able to go about as formerly. All the rugs and cushions which were in the trap at the time of the accident were found some distance down the river by the Road Boad men, Messrs Frude and Annas, and restored to their owner. Accident to the Governor. His Excellency the Governor left Auckland by special train on Monday night for Onehuvga to join the Hinemoa. In going down the Onohunga wharf ho got blinded by the wharf lights and walked over the wharf into the gea. Mr Noble, the mate of the Hawea, which steamer was lying alongside, jumped in to his rescue, but the Governor caught hold of a stringer of the wharf and was hauled up by the aid of a rope, apparently uninjured. Fortunately it was flood tide at the time. His Excellency went on board the Hinemoa. Lady Jervois and party were on board at tbs time of lbs accident. Road Board Elections.—-Ratepayers are reminded that the polls for election of members of the Geraldine and Temuka Real Boards take place to-morrow. At Geraldine the candidates for the five seats are Mess-s W. Deßenzy, Frederick R. Flatman, Lewis Grant, John Kelland, Robert H. Postlethwaite, and William Upton Slack, and the polling places are the booth near the stone bridge Geraldine Road, and the Hilton and Woodbury Schoolrooms. At Temuka the candidates are Messrs George Canavan, John Cunard, J. T. M. Hayhurst, John Paterson, Michael Quinn, John Talbot and William Wheelband, the polling places being the Road Board Office Temuka (principal), the Reading Rooms at Waitohi and Winchester, Rangilata South Schoolhouse, and the Orari A-sansbly Rooms. The polling hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Late Fbesh.—The Oxford bridge and its neighborhood as usual sustained some damage through the late fresh. The temporary footbridge erected at the Temuka side of the Oxford bridge was shifted out of its place and some of the planks of it washed down the river. Pretty close on an acre of the Linseed Factory’s land was also washed away, together with about a chain of the road leading down to the Oxford bridge. Unless something is done to the river at this spot the Linseed Factory Company runs the risk of losing one of its paddocks altogether, and in the course of time the river must do a great deal of damage to Mr Bees Thomas’s land and other properties in the same neighborhood. Geraldine Amateur Dramatic Club.— A meeting of this Club was held in the Secretary’s office on Tuesday evening, May 4th. There were 10 members present. Mr G. Kruse occupied the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Secretary read over a draft of the rules which after discussion were adopted. The place of meeting was altered from Mr Dunford’s house to the office of the Seoretary, the scenery and fittings of the Club to be removed thereto, and the Secretary to give a weeks notice to Mr C. B. Sherratt, agent for Mr Dunford. It was decided to hold rehearsals on Thursday and Saturday evenings during the present week, and also on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, in the week following, prior to giving an entertainment to come off shortly at Pleasant Yalley. The Secretary was instructed to asosrtam the price of printing 50 rules, and the meeting terminated. Pleasant Point Presbyterian Church. —A united meeting of the Bazaar and Church Committees with the Trustees of Church Property, was hold on Monday evening at the Church, the Rev. W. White presiding. The Bazaar Committee banded ever (o the trustees a sum of £194, as the result of the recent Bazaar and Gift Auction after all expenses had been met, and requested that they might not be dissolvad until they had finally cleared the congregation of debt, the sum still remaining being £56. Cordial votes of thanks were passed : To those friends of other denominations who had so gonerous’y contributed to the Bazaar; to Mr Murphy for free use of hall; to Mr T. E. Lyle for bis unwearied assiduity in making all necessary arrangements for the meeting; to Mr D. McLean, for his very great kindness in disposing by auction of the live and dead slock and other goods ; and last, though not least, to the ladies of the Bazaar Committee, special mention being made of Mrs R. Anderson. Welcome Retreat, No. 44,1.0.Q.T. — The weekly meeting of this Lodge was held at the Lodgeroom on Monday even ing, Bro. W. G. Sherrutt, acting W.C.T. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Three candidates were proposed for membership, and as two of them were present they were duly initiated. Accounts amounting to £llßs were passed for payment, Bro. T. Sherratt and Bro. J. Hay were appointed to act with Bro. C. E. Sherratt on the Finance Committee. The books were then examined and the number of members returned. On the motion of Bro. Maslin, Bro. U. E. Sherratt was elected to the office of W.F.S , Sister A. Qaiger was appointed W.D,M., and Bro. J. Brown iY.A.S., Sister E. Prouting and Bro. J. Hay were appointed R.H. and L,H. supporters to the W.C.T. The W.0.T., who was re-elected, took his seat, and the following officers were then duly installed for the ensuing term : W.V.T., Shter Maslin; W.S., Bro, A. Fisher; W.A.S., Bro.J. Brown; W.F.S,, Bro. O’. E. Sherratt; W.T., Bro. G. H. Patrick; W.C., Sister E. Fleming ; W.M., Bro. E, Stringer ; W.D.M., Sister A. Gaiger ; W.1.G., Bro. H. Pratt; W.0.G., Bro. G. Bethune ; R.H.S., Sister B. Fronting ; L.H.S., Bro, J. Hay. The W.C.T. thanked the lodge for his reelection and. bespoke a successful term. It was resolved that Bro. 0. E. Sherratt audit the accounts for the past quarter.

Reserve.—At the last meeting of the Chiistchurch City Council the tender of Messrs Studliolma and Wigloy (£250 per annum), was accepted for the Council’s reserve at Geraldine. St. Mary's Church, Geraldine.—The annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Mary’* Church, Geraldine, is to be held on Friday for the purpose of electing a ry for the ensuing year. The new vestry will hold a meeting immediately afterwards. The Volunteers.—The Geraldine Rifle Volunteers were put through tho army signalling drill on Tuesday evening by Stuff Sergeant-Major Jones. The oorps have been practicing this drill for some time past, and acquitted themselves very well on Tuesday evening, four of those present going through the alphabet with only one mistake. —The monthly officers’ inspection parade of the Temuka Rifles was held on Monday evening, about twenty being present. Bolt.—A horse attached to a t-up, belonging to Mr Girnson, of Wn Chester, bolted down the Main Street of I enuiku yesterday. The horse was in charge of a lad named Moore, who, when in front of Higgins and Tomlinson’s shop, alighted lo repair a whip which he had broken. The horse immediat-dy took fright and bolted down the Main Street, turned down by Mr C. Story’s stables, went across the railway, and turned up towards tho Roman Catholic Church, when it was caught hy Constable Guerin. No damage wes done. 1 was very fortunate there was not much traffic on the street at time, else the consequences might have been serious. Petty Larceny.—A peculiar larceny case was reported lo the Temuka police « few days ago. It appears that Mr Cutten, who is staying at the Temuka Hotel, came home one evening and found that the lock of liis box had been tampered with, but not forced. After some trouble he succeeded in opening it, and, suspecting something, he set about finding out whether anything had been abstracted from it. Some days previously Mr Cutten had put his watch and chain into a drawer in the box, and on examining this he found the chain was gone, while the watch was where he had left it. He reported the matter at once to the police, and suspicion fell on some persons who had stayed in the house, but had gone away. It was discovered that these had gone northwards, and the police at Ashburton were put on tho alert. In due course the parties reached Ashburton and were searched, but no trace of the stolen article could be found. What makes the matter remarkable is that the chain was taken, while the watch was left untouched. A Petition Refused. —A short time ago a petition signed by a number of residents in Temuka and Arowhenus, was forwarded to the railway authorities praying that a road at the north end of the Temuka Railway Station, connecting Temuka and Wallingford, might be opened. Tho petition also prayed that the present railw ty gates at the south end of the station might be left open on Sundays, as at present a considerable detour to the north or south (by way of Dyson’s crossing or the crossing near the police station) must be made by persons riding or driving from one township to the other. Recently Dr Hayes received the following reply to tho petition : —“ To Dr Hayes and other gentlemen signing the petition Gentlemen,—ln reply to your request that the department open up a road across the line at the north end of the Temuka sialio , I am directed to say teat your petition has been submitted to the Government at Wellington, but it is regretted that it must be declined, as a public road crossing in the position desired would interfere with the working of the railway.—l am, etc., Jambs Burnett, Assistant Engineer, Working Railways.” Athletic Sports.—The annual sports of the South Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club commenced on Tuesday last, the day being fine. There was not a large number of spectators, and on the whole the events wera hardly so keenly contested as in former years.. The following are tho results :—One hundred yards (first heat) G. R. M, Jones, (second heat) C. H. Hamilton, (final heat) 0. H. Hamilton ; Running High Jump, Geo. Cole (5T Ain) 1, F Vv . Ford (Aft llin) ; 2 Half Mile Flat Race, J. F. Grierson 1, D. Wood 2, t me-2min 12secs ; Two Miles Walking Race, A. E. Pigeon, time—l6min 26|secs ; Pole Jump, E. A. Foster (Bft Ain) 1, J. H. Stephenson (Bft) 2 ; Quarter-Mile Race, J, F. Grierson I, C, K. Hamilton 2, time —55f secs ; Running Long Jump, F. W, Ford (18't o£in) .1, Geo. Cole (I7ft 6in) 2 ; Ladies’ Cup Steeplechase (about 1| miles), D. Wood J, Herbert A.LeCren2, R. Mackay 3, time—9tatos4ssecs; One Mile Handicap Bicycle Rice, F. A. Cutten (scratch) 1, J, F. Grierson (250 yds) 2, E, H. Campbell (AAO yds) 3 ; 250 Yards Race, C. H. Hamilton 1, H. M. Reeves 2, time—28mins 3-sth sees. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. J. W. Miles, “The Hall,” Temuka-D now showing the largest and lest stock of general drapery, clothing, and boots ever offered in Temuka. The public will do weli to inspect this stock before going elsewhere.