LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1808, 27 October 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Haiistobm.—About noon on Thursday there was a sharp fall of hail at Temuka. The storm lasted for about half-an-hour, but fortunately did little damage. The Bank ov New Zealand.—Mr John Murray, who has held the position of Inspec tor of the Bank of New Zealand for some time, haß been appointed to the office of General Manager of that institution. Meeting at Oram BaiE«E.—A meeting of land owners between the Orari and Waihi rivers, to coneider the construction of a water race, will be held in the Orari Bridge aohoolhouse this evening at eight o clock. Delayid Train.—The last train from Ohristchurch to Timaru on Thursday was about 30 minutes late when it reached Temuka. Tbe delay was caused by the *ery heary load the engine had to draw, a large quantity of Mount Somers stone being amongst the freight. Tempered Brass.—F. M. Stowe of Winneconne, Wis., has solved the problem of tempering braes. He baa shown an edged tool that will cut a seasoned pine or hemlock knot without affecting the tool, and the various tests he has made, prove it superior to Bteel for cutting purposes, as it takes altogether a finer edge. Tbagedy in A BailbooM.—A terrible tragedy occurred at Prairie Centre, Ottawa, Illinois, on the 19th August, resulting in the death of eight young men. A ball was being held in a house at Prairie Centre when at midnight two young men fought about a partner. The mm present took sides. Knives were freely ussd, and eight persons were stabbed to death.

Modest Wivei.—ln part of the Fiji Islands a husband and wife, if they wish to meet, must meet in secret; a similar secrecy is or was obligatory among the Circassians, and eyen among the Hottentots. But tbe A frioan kingdom of Futa bears off tbe palm in these respects, if an old traveller is to be credited, who assures us that wive* there were so bashful as never to let their husbands sj<e them without a veil for three years after their marriage.

Cruel Boys.—At Ohristchurch yesterday three lads—John Fletcher, Herbert Fletcher, and Henry Holmes—ranging from 14 to 17 years, were committed for trial for killing a number of young pigs belonging to. Hancock Bros., at Middleton. They went to the piggery on two consecutive Sundays, September 30th and October 7th, and wantonly kicked and stoned the animals te death. They had no grudge against Hancock, their aotions being prompted by sheer brutality. Mixed Relations.—By the marriage of the Princess Letitia—only daughter of Prince Jerome Bonaparte and the Princess Clotilde of Savoy—with her uncle, the Duke of Aosta, the bride's family relations beoom* somewhat complicated. She wil l be the sister-in-law of her own mother, the mother-in-law of her cousins, and the aunt of her first oonsin, the Prinoe of Naples. Her husband will be the son-in-law of his sister, and of hie brothor-io-law, and nephew of his brother and sister, and the brother-in-law of his nephews.

The Public Works De?artment.— The statements in reference to the decnsiion in the Cabinet respecting the Public Works Department are premature, as nothing has yet definitely been determined. Besides the officers employed by the Department in field work, a number will be dismissed from the head office and and sub office, whilst others will be transferred to other Departments to carry on the work now done by the Public Works Department. Mr Blickett will take the appointment of consulting sngineer to the Government in London, leaving the colony about March next,

The She&bing Machine.- A Gorrespon> dent sendß the Press the following extraets from a letter written by a practical shearer fct Darling River, Kew South Wales, in regard to the Wolseley shearing machines i —" There were forty machines fitted up here, but there are only thirty-four working at present. The manager found the men were making a better average with the machines than they previously had done with the shears, and the number came down to thirty-four men, as the wool was coming off too qniekly for the wash. We expect to be cut out here this week, I may say Hike the machines far better than the shears. There is no doubt in a year or s», when the driving gear, &c, is improved upon, the shears will be a thing of the past. The highest tally here is 171 in eight hours."

Thb Massex Ebapbb and Bimdee.—The looal agents, Messra J. Mundell and Co., exhibited one of these machines at the Geraldine Tarda on Wednesday, and during the day abouh 150 farmers and others interested inspected the machine, and all expressed their oonvjotion that for simplicity of construction and lightness of draught it is the premier machine of New Zealand. Malleable iron and steel are the principal materials used in its construction. The frame is manufactured in one piece, and it is olaimed that this is an important consideration, as it obviatss the risk of any portion giving way when it is subjected to the strain of working. We understand that Messrs Mundell and Co. received several orders during the day. They are of opinion the supply for the season is not going to ba equal to the demand. Early application is necessary to Beoure one of these maohines.

Cbioxbt.—This afternoon the Temuka Cricket Olub will open the season with a matoh, Married v. Single. The ground has been greatiy improved, and will shortly be in capital order. For the present, however, it is intended to use a cocoanut matting pitch for praotices. The Olub purpoie having regular practise oh. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and will arrange scratch matches whenever possible for Saturday afternoons. At the opening match visitors will be welcomed. — The Geraldine Cricket Olub opened its season on Thursday last with a match, Married v. Mingle. A very good number of players put in an appsaranoe, and an excellent afternoon's sport was obtained. The sides were captained by Major Moore and Mr F. Wilson Smith, captain and secretary respectively. The first innings of the Single players closed for 45, and of the Married for 30. The singles then followed on and put together 22 for the loss of three wickets. The match will he concluded on Thursday next,

Sib Julius ToobE'b Noybi;.—The Auckland Star's London correspondent says t—- " Vogel is writing a novel. . . The scene of the story will not be laid in New Zealand, but in England 200 years hence. . Amongst other things, I hear he proposes to paint women as admitted to the suffrage by then, and to pourtray for us a 'sweet girl Premier.' There will be no proseoution for debt in the year 2000 A.D., and Canada will hart annexed the United States." The Authqbshii o* " Abt Thou WbAbyP"—Mr Gladstone has replied as follews to a Welsh gentleman who recently asked his opinion on the authorship of the well-known hymn, " Art Thou Weary ? " " Dear Sir,—-I thank you for your enclosure, I regret that I oan only very briefly answer your question. Dr Neale was the translator; St. Stephen, of Saba, the author. Being of the Eastern Ohurch, his name does not appear in the Latin hagiologies. I imagine the hymn to have been composed in the Servian tongue.—Tour very faithful and obedient Beryant, W. B. Giadstonb." No Losses Nbokssabt.—We quote the following from the Melbourne Mirror t—"The Ohurch of England Mission to the Aborigine! of Tictoria will soon haye to put up its shutters. There is only one aboriginal left unconverted—a benighted old pagan, who persists in going where he will meet hit fathers and be among friends. The rest, a dismal but pious few, are at Corranderrk and Lake Tyers. We hare taken their land from these poor heathens, but, ah—glorious and oinsoling thought! we haye seat them to a better." A Pabson on Pobbidge. —" Wherever you meet Scotchmen," said the Rev. J. Berry in his sermon at the Wesleyab Ohurch at Oamaru the other night, " they are always at the top of the tree, and if you want an argument in favor of the nutritious properties of oatmeal you can point to the fact that the middle classes of Scotland have been reared upon it, and they are the finest race on the earth to-day." This remark oaused a very audible titter on the part of the congregation, bat Mr Berry assured bis hearera that he said it in all seriousness, and added that there was still a greater thing, and that was that in flvery Scottish ho~ne the Bible was read, and this, combined with the oatmeal, had made the Seotohmen such a fine raoe.—Oamaru Mail.

R.M. Court, Timaru.—At the R.M. Court, Timaru, yesterday, James Power was charged with firing an air gun at E ijah Snappere on the 25th October. From the evidence of the complainant, a boy of 13, it appeared that he Vras hit op the arm by a email pellet, (which lodged in hia coat and bruised his arm), while he was passing the Old Bank Hotel, and on looking up he saw Power at an upper window. He knew Power had an air gun. For the defence Mr Hay contended that there had been a mistake, the pellet which struck Shappere must have b«en fired from a shanghai. The defendant swore that he did not firo the gun at the guo at the boy and the barman of the hotel having sworn that Power's gun was in the bt.r;afc the time of the occurrence, the c-ise was dismissed. T«K Wobld's Forests.—The forests of the world are (says the St, James's G-aaette) 60 rapialy becoming ex bum ted that in a few years' time the countries whish are best endowed with timber will probably find that "lumber" is far more profitable than has often been supposed. If the figures contained in a report upon the distribution of fpres's in Europe which has been issued by the French Department of Agnoulture are to be relied upon, England is not likely to be one of those fortunate countries. Tbe Unified Kingdom possesses a smaller proportion of forest land —less than one-tenth of an acre to eaoh inhabitant—than any other European country. Russia is splendidly endowed with foreslal wealth ; for her woodlands cover 500,600 million acres, or 37 per cent, of the entire area of the Cair's dominions. In Sweden the proportion is 2 per cent, higher, while in Norway, which is commonly supposed to be exceptionally thickly timbered, it does not exoeed 24 per cent, of the total area. The forests of the New World, more especially of the United States and Canada, are being most improvidently thinned ; and when they are for the time being exhausted the European lumberman will have a good time. Catholic Church at Pleasant Point. —la our advertising columns tenders are invited for the erection of a Roman Church at Pleasant Point. With the exception of those occasions when the Rev. Father Fauvel has conducted service in the schoolroom, residents of the district belonging to the Church have bad to come to Temuka when they wished to attend divine service, being thereby put to great inconvenience. The building will be a most substantial one, of brick, on a concrete foundation. Its dimensions are : Length, 80 feet; width, 30 feet; heightb of walls, 15 feet; distance from ground to apex of roof, 36 feet. On each side of the chureh the walls will be supported by seven buttresses. There will be seven windows (each Bft x 2ft), having cathedral glass, with red colored marginals, etc. The sanctuary window will be a triple one, like that in St. Joseph's Church, Temuka. The church will have a very neat appearance, and, with the exception that there i will be no tower, will resemble St. Joseph s, Temuki. It is intended to add a spire at a future time when it becomes necessary to enlarge tbe church. , The plena have been prepared by MrM. de H. Duval, of fimaru, the design being supplied by the Rev. Father Fauvel. The site is one of the best in the township, and is near the railway station. It comprises one and a-half acres, and has been given for (he purpose by Mr Jas. Sullivan. Plans of the church are to be seen at the Presbytery, Temuka, and at Mr Duval's office, Timaru. Tenders close on the 3rd of November. Juvenilis Criminals.—What is to be done with a band of criminals whose leader is only ten years old ? This was the problem that the Collingwood Bench had (writes " Atticus," in the Melbourne Leader) to solve the other day, and all that they could do was to commit the chief and one of his followers to the industrial sohools. The chief was, it appears, the terror of the neighborhood. He had gathered a gang of other hardened criminals around him, and preyed at large upon sooiety. He had been already convioted of laroeny, and had been whipped under the provisions of the Juvenile Offenders Act, but did not appear to have benefited by the punishment, as he was now the leader of the gang. His lieutenant-—another " boy Oaulfield " was only eight years old, and they both stood in the dock charged with repeated acts, of laroeny. I suppose that after a time spent ia tbe industrial sohools these Australian natives will be boarded out in some innocent rural district, where they will probably open the eyes of our up-country friends to the wicked ways of Melbourne. The rod, unfortunately, is out of fa*or in Victoria, or I should suggest a daily whipping to these young bandits as long as they remain in the schools. With six months of hard work, low living, and a daily whipping, it is possible that when boarded out they might recognise 1

the beauties of virtue sufficiently to endeavor to keep reasonably honest. But I very much fair that such treatment is just what they wont geti Coughs, Golds, Beonohitis, &0., are quiokly oured by using Baxter's " Lung Pre- ' server." This old-established and iavorite medioine is pleasant to the palate, and highly extolled by members of the medioal, legal, and clerical professions. For testimonials, see advt. Sold by all patent medicine vendors. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENT. J. W. Miles, The Stone Store, Temuka— Wants two apprentiees to the dressmaking. Overseer, Four Peaks—lnvites tenders tor ploughing; tenders close on November 3rd, J. Mundell and Co., Greraldine Have crossbred ewes and lambs for sale privately. Mr and Mrs H. Coulter —Eeturn thanks to those who assisted in the searoh for their lost child. In Bankruptcy —Ke David Denoon, of Geraldine ; first meeting of creditors in the Geraldiae Courthouse at 11 a.m. on Tuesday next.

A, GK Fischer, Photographer, Timaru— Notifies that he is prepared to exeoute indoor and outdoor photographs, groups, enlargements, etc., on the shortest notioe and in the mott approved style; all werk finished by the new enamelling prooeii.] Andrew Gibson, Burnside, Temuka —An« nounces that after the Ist November he will supply milk at the rate of 3d per quart, and to parties taking over two quarts will allow a d.soonnt of 10 per cent, on prompt payment; orders left with Mr Grmckslsank attended to.