LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1707, 6 March 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tbiartt Races.—The train arrangements for the Timaru races will be found in our advertising columns. IiAHGK Sonplowbii. —ln yesterday's Tress an enormous sundowet now on view at Christchurch is mentioned. The dower lias a ciroumfe/enco of over 4ft, and was grown at Tort Leyy by a Mr Oholmondeley.JJ

Sale at Geraldine. —Messrs J. Mundell and Co. sell fat and store sheep, lambs, cattle, pigs, etc., at Geraldine to-morrow. Board Meetings.—The monthly meeting of the Temuka Road Board takes plaoe today, and the monthly meeting of the Arowhenua Town Board to-morrow evening, Geraldine Rifles.— An inspection parade of this corps will be held on Thursday evening nest at 7.30 o'cloek. The Company will parade at the Dnllshed in review order at 7,15. Mosquitoes.—A visitor to Shannon, on the Manawatu Company’s line, assures us (Wanganui Herald) that the mosquitoes there are so numerous that in the morning settlers sweep up those that have been killed by the candle or lamps, and light the fires with them! Startling Decline in Value.—What may happen to a farmer at the Waikato is exemplified in the bankruptcy of a Mr Smalo. Some time ago Mr Smale bought a farm of 350 acres at £3 an acre, and improved it at a cost of £IOOO, The farm was mortgaged for £IOOO and was sold by order of the mortgagee, realising £3OO. Gone to the Bad.— Things appear to be in a very bad state in Invercargill. A Correspondent of a Southland paper writes thusjdespondently t “ I think w-o ought to have a public meeting and discuss the situation. The very pick of our citizens are leaving us—our farmers are moneyless our tradesmen almost in despair,” A Sydney Tragedy.—A man named Carroll Winter brained bis wife with an axe at Sydney on Saturday afternoon m a fit of drunken rage, and he then cut his own throat. The disturbance aroused the neighbours, who gave the alarm police. Upon the latter breaking into "the premises (he house was found to be saturated with blood. The unfortunate woman was quite dead when discovered by the police, and the man has inflicted such injuries upon himself that he is not expected to recover. University Senate.— At the University Senate meeting at Dunedin on Friday it was resolved that the Senate apply to all institutions of the United Kingdom which grant degrees or diplomas in medicine or surgery, praying them to grant students of the University the same status and the same privileges as are now granted by the University of Edinburgh. A Committee consisting of Archbishop Redwood, Hons, W. Rolleston ana C. C. Bowen, and Sir R. Stout, was appointed to draw up a minute for entry m the records expressive of the feelings of members at the greet loss sustained by the University in the death of Sir Julius Yon Haast. Lake Ellesmere. —On Thursday a deputation representing the fishermen engaged on Lake Ellesmere waited on the Hon. E. C, J. Stevens with reference to the action of the Acclimatisation Society in deciding to recommend the Government to prohibit fishing in Lake Ellesmere for two years. The deputation stated that about 250 persons were engaged in connection with the Lake fishing. They possessed twenty boats, valued from £2O to £3O each, and the gear of each boat was worth about £SO. Moreover, each boat gave employment to two horses and a cart, and the freight paid to the railway represented about £1 per day. The deputation requested Mr Stevens to bring the matter under the notice of the Government, and he promised to do so.

Hilton Public School. —The annual examination of the Hilton Public School waa held on the 19th of December ket. The Inspector’s report is as follows :—Standard VI. t Presented 2, absent 1, failed 1, passed 0. Standard V. s Presented 15, absent 1, failed 9, passed 5. Standard IV.; Presented 13, absent 1, failed 7, passed 5. Standard 111. : Presented 11, absent 2, failed 3, passed 6. Standard If.; Presented 11, absent 1, passed 10. Standard I.: Presented 8, passed 8. Percentage of passes 36.5, percentage of failures 37 ; percentage on class subjects 52, additional marks 64, The one girl present in Standard VII. “ did very fair papers in the work of class Standard VI.” The preparatory pupils “ are very carefully taught, and they do all their work very well.” Inspector Q-ow farther remarks s “ The school has not done well, Several instances of dishonest communication occurred during the progress of the examination. Very fair order is kept.” The above report is creditable to MissElizabetb Bruce, who has had charge of the classes below Standard IV. Lhet Him Nothing to Sat.—Mr Labouchere tells an amusing story of himself and Mr Bradlaugh when they had on one occasion to address their Northampton constituents. Mr Bradlaugh is in the habit of writing in very large letters on a sheet of foolscap the heads of the speech ho is about to make, and this sheet lies on the table before him. At the particular time under notice Mr Labouchore had not prepared a speech, and was at some loss what to say. However, he had to speak first, being the senior member, and very, soon his eye fall on Mr Bradlaugh’s points, which lay on the table as usual. Instantly ho decided to make use of them, and proceeded to dc so, taking them in slightly different order, so as to avoid detection by Mr Bradlaugh, As he took them point by point he saw his colleague run his pen through each as no longer of use, and finally only one was left. With almost feline cruelty Mr Labourohere here delivered his peroration, and sat down, only, however, to rise again at once and observe, “ One thing I forgot to mention,” and here he gave Mr Bradlaugh’s sole remaining point, and so ended. Mr Bradlaugh thereupon whispered in dismay, “ You have said all I was going to say ; I don’t know what on earth to do!” Result ob a Monset’s Fneak.—A circumstance probably without a parallel,, even in the history of the United States, is just reported in advices received from Ashland, Wisconsin Territory—viz., the destruction of the town of Wakefield by fire through the mischievousness of a monkey. The animal was kept in the Vaudeville Theacre, and had the freedom of the place. During the evening of the 25th December, the animal got some kerosene, covering itself with the oil. It then set fire to itself with a lamp that was burning in the room, and then appeared at the window of the theatre, its antics whilst there amusing the people. Presently the building was in flames, and the monkey, running about in its frenzy, set fire to other places. The buildings in the town were of wood, and the conflagration spread from place to place until the whole of the town waa in ruins. Gangs of roughs during the progress of the fire, commenced looting the stores, and in soma instances the flames had scarcely reached the respective places before the robbers commenced sacking the premises. The owners tried to protect their stores, and in the encounters many pistol shots were exchanged. The owner of the theatre was a man named O’Brien, and between him and a storekeeper named Lewis, whose premises were destroyed, an altetcation took place, Lewis blaming O’Brien for allowing the monkey to be in the theatre, O’Brien becoming enraged, shot Lewis twice with a revolver, wounding him mortally, The damage to property is said to be about 75,000d01, only about 2000dol of it being covered by insurance.

A Profitable Investment,— An estate of nearly 1450 acres not far from Melbourne, and adjoining the township of Gampbellfiald, was bought by Mr Duncan McPherson, of Dunedin, a few years ago from various owners at prices averaging about £2O per acre. He has just sold the estate for the sum of £159,461 10s, equal fo £llO per acre. The Yankee Again.—' This is an item from a Yankee paper A pedlar, who evidently bears a charmed life, fell thirty feet with his horse and waggon through a bridge and wasn’t hurt a bit. His load of old iron and potash kettles didn’t even break the springs, and the black dog under the waggon never lost step during thei performance. ValedictorT.— On Sunday last the Rev. T, E. Jones, the “Fiery Welshman,” who has taken part in a number of church gatherings at Temuka, delivered his farewell addresses in the Primitive Methodist Church, Timaru. The congregations were large, and the rev, gentleman took occasion to state that his retirement from the connection was voluntary, and that he was leaving for Melbourne. The Australian Silver Mine*.—Sir.ee the declaration of a dividend of £l6 on the Broken Hill proprietary silver shares there ’ has been a sharp fall on the sharo market at Sydney. Shares are now down at from £375 to £3BO. There has been a corresponding decline all round in silver scrip. A telegram from Melbourne states that Doctor James, who invested £SOOO in Broken Hill shares early in the speculation fever, hat just sold out for £375,000. Protection. —Says the Southland Nows t —Everyone admits the colony is in great, if not desperate, straits, andjthut some means of extrication are urgently demanded. At such a time the theories of economists must give place to the teachings of practical experience, and these have shown, the world over, the recuperative value of Protective measures. America and France afford illustrations that bear directly upon the position in which the colony is placed. The Exact Cure. —A bachelor friend of ours had the blues the other day, and applied to a local doctor for some medicine. The doctor inquired into his case, and wrote a prescription in Latin, which the bachelor took to a chemist. Translated the prescription read : “Seventeen yards of silk, with a woman in it.” After the druggist got through laughing he explained, and the bachelor proposed to a lady the same evening, aud the marriage is to coma off at an early date. New Zealand Wool Export. — From the following table of the importations of wool into Great Britain for 1887 from Australasia, it will be seen that New Zealand stand* second on the list, Yictoria being first. The figures are as follow ; —New South Wales, 250,353 bales ; Queensland 106,743 bales ; Yictoria, 344,919 bales ; South Australia, 102,820 bales; West Australia, 17,438 bales; Tasmania, 22,330 bales ; New Zealand, 272,797 bales ; total Australasian, 1,116,400 bales. New Zealand Cheese.—As evidencing the necessity for more care in the selection of cheese for the Home market, the follo wing extract from a Home trade circular is interesting. The circular referred to says:—“ Cheese.—Aconsiderablo quantity of Now Zealand is on the market, quality and, condition of the most varied character. When our friends learn to send even grades, even-sized cheese, and of regular color, there will probably be a large and remunerative trade in this article. Hessian Fly-Proof Wheal.— Professor Hillgard, of the Experimental Station, University of California, claims for a variety of wheat named the Mesaoyen, that it is proof against the attacks of the Hessian fly. On the poor soil of his station, he says, this wheat last harvest yielded 33 bushels to the acre, while nonresisting wheats were destroyed or “reduced to the fraction of a crop ” by the fly. Two other resisting sorts, the Atlanti and the Yolo, yieided 27 and 20 bushels per acre respectively. These three varieties are described as “solid stemmed,” and originally dark, hard wheats, but fast becoming white and starchy without losing so far, their resisting qualities. Locked in a Safe.— Anything more distressing than the untimely death of a little boy of seven, which is just reported from Paris, it would be hard to imagine. The only son of a French tradesman was playing in his father’s room, when he perceived that the safe was open. In a spirit of boyish fun he got into it. Presently the father came into th# room, and before leaving for his day’s work locked the safe, the child keeping silence the while. Soon the little fellow was missed ; the police wore called in, and the hue-and-cry raised. Next morning the father opened the safe—to find his son a corpse. The moral, of course, is obvious ; but the story is horrible.

Successful Exportation. —The following appears in the Ayr Advertiser received by last mail “ Last week Mr James i. Moir, grocer, Perth, received a sample of four kegs ©f butter from New Zealand, which is the first that has been directly imported to Perth. It appears that in Mew Zealand there is a regular glut of batter in the spring «nd summer months, which correspond with our autumn and winter months, and the merchants there are trying to find the best markets for it. The butter has been sent so that it may stand simply on its merits, and it must be said that it is of very superior quality and richness, and has in no way suffered from the tropical voyage. The butter was speedily sold at the average price, and from the success of the first experiment there is every prospect of a large trade being developed.” In the 1 same issue the retail price of fresh butler in Ayr is given at Is 2d per lb.

Waiting foe his Return.— The G-aulois newspaper has discovered yet “ another of those Englishmen, how they are bizarre!” This lime it is “ Sir William Braggs,” who, it appears, hailed a cab at Brighton about a year ago, and told the driver to taka him to the pier, off which “Sir Draggs ” had his yacht. He told the cabman to wait for him, meaning to cruise off Brighton for an hour or two ; but changing his mind, ho determined to go round the world. The cabman wailed and waited, and finding that hisfare ” did not come back, ho obtained leave from tbe municipality to erect a shelter for himself and his horse. Here bo waited for more than a twelvemonth, when the other day “SirDraggs” returned with bis yacht, and was not at all surprised to find the cabman waiting for him. “ How much do I owe you ? " he said ; and upon the cabman handing him a bill for £6OO, ho tore a cheque out of hi* hook, filled up for the amount, and told the man to drive him to his hotel. To illustrate the extortionate character of cabmen, the Gaulois adds that the man asked “ Sir Braggs ” for his fare from the pier to the hotel.

Drunkenness. —At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Temuka, yesterday, before J. Talbot, Esq., J.P., a first offender was fined 5s for drunkenness on the previous day, Mrs Partington Says : Don’t take any of the quack rostrums, at they are regimental to the human cistern; but put your trust in Dr Soule’s American Hop Bitters, which will cure general dilapidation, costive habits, and all comic diseases They saved Isaac from a severe extract oi typhoid fever. They are the ne plus unnm of medicines.—Boston Globe. Coughs, Conns, Bbonohitis, &0., ar< quickly cured by using Baxter’s “ Lung Pre server.” This old-established and favorite medicine is pleasant to the palate, and highly extolled by members of the medical, legal and clerical professions. For testimonials, see advt. Sold by all patent medicine, vendors.

SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS, i Geraldine Rifles—lnspection parade on ' Thursday evening. A. Brown, Oran—Has 40 acres sheep feed to lefcjfor three months. John Ed. Aokroyd, Waitohi Flat, Temuki —lnvite* tenders for sinking four wells. J. Mundell and Co.—Hold clearing sale of household furniture and effects on account of Mr Darlow on Thursday next. Melville Gray, Timaru—Notifies that he is agent for Jeye’s sheep dip, which mixes easily with cold water, destroys ticks, lice, etc.; quotes prices. Davies and Murphy, Drapers and Clothiers, Bon Marche, Timaru —Notify that it is the lust week of their great clearing sale, and that they are offering immense bargains. William Collins and do,, Auctioneers, Wool, and Produce Merchants, Timaru —Are prompt cash buyers at highest prices of oats and fowl wheat, are also buyers of sheepskins at the Timaru Wool Works or atjtheir rooms; are prepared to buy Derwent potatoes for April, May, and Juno delivery. Hay hurst and Brown, Temuka—Notify that they have entered into partnership as Millers and Grain Merchants, and are prepared to supply flour (roller process) of guaranteed quality, and bran and' sharps at current rates j make a speciality of “ semolina”; gristing on farmers’ account. as per arrangement. Drummond and Glasson, Drapers and Clothiers, Timaru —Draw attention to their large consignment —76 cases and bales—of autumn and winter goods, which are opening out better value than ever submitted before ; assortment large yalue unprecedented. Newest things in silks and drsss stuffs, feathers, flowers, ornaments, furs, fur trimmings, etc. Dressmaking department is now under Mrs Napier’s management.