LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1836, 3 January 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Great Heat.— The heat yesterday was terrible. At noon the thermometer registered 92 in the shade, and during the. afternoon it went up to 130 in the sue. Customs Revenue. The Customs receipts for December, with several small returns yet to come are, £106,419, against £105,068 for the corresponding mouth of last year. Asphalting at Temuka, Yesterday the contractor f for the asphalt pavement at Temuka commenced preparations for laying the same. A large supply of materia! is on hind, and should the present fine weather continue lha residents may expect in a short time to have pleaasntcr footpaths than is at present the case. The Chops. —Under (he influence of most genial weather the crops in the Temuka district are making rapid headway. They do not appear to be so bnlkv as last year, but many of them are well headed, and should yield well. The harvest, generally, however, will be quite a month later. There are some very fair crops of hay in the Milford district now in process of making. Result of the Poll. —One of the attractions of the recent bazaar at Temuka was a polling booth, in which the male visitors had to pay sixpence for the privilege of voting for the most amiable young lady in the room. The young lady who had the most votes was to get a prize of a new dress. The votes were counted yesterday, with the result that Miss Sarah Lavery was found to be at the head of the poll with 40 votes, Miss Langdon second with 13 votes, and Miss Hoare third with 12 votes. The Libel Law.— The Crown Colony of Western Australia appears to lead the way in amending the law of libel, The act, which has received the Governor’s assent, provides that in cases where the plaintiff appears to be unable to pay costs, he shall give security for costs if unsuccessful, lb requires the plaintiff to give evidence in his own behalf, otherwise he will be nonsuited ; limits the commencement of proceedings to four months from the publication of the libel; defines a public meeting, and enacts that fair and accurate reports sf State and municipal ceremonial?, proceedings of the courts of justice, political and other public meetings, shall bo privileged. Monarchs of the Forest.— A cypress (Washiogtonia gigantea) in a forest in Oakveras County, California, measured 363 ft from its base to the top when standing. Its greatest diameter was Sift, while at 115 ft above the roots it still possessed the enormous diameter of 151 ft. Upon very insecure data, this monster has been pronounced more than 3000 years old. De Candolle considered that the yew lived much longer than any other European tree, and it must certainly bo excluded from the 1000 years limit, which seems ample enough for all other varieties. He estimated the age of the famous yew at Braburn, in Kent, at 3000 years, and that of the Scottish yew at Fortinral hs •niy a little younger, Evelyn also speaks of a gigantic cypress in Persia reckoned (we know not on what basis) to be 2500 years old.

Bcggx Accident; Five young' men etarted in a buggy from Geraldine on New Year’s Day, intending to drive to Timaru for the sports gathering there. All went well until going down the first hill past the Wnsh. dyke, when the bolt came out of the shafts of the buggy. The horse immediately started kicking, and the trap ran into the bank at the side, throwing out the young fellow who was driving, the reins falling under the horse’s heels. The animal then started off. At the foot of the hill the whole party came to grief through the trap capsizing. Two of the occupants wore thrown out on the road, landing on their faces and being severely skinned, while one was pinned under the overturned trap. The other occupants escaped with a few severe bruises. The shafts and two wheels of the trap were broken, while the iron work of the body was considerably damaged. The horse was uninjured. It is fortunate that the results were not far more serious. Hilton School Committee, The monthly meeting of this Committee was held on the 28th December, Present— Messrs R. Skinner (chairman), W. Beattie, L. H, Rooke, W. Hide, and J, Leary. The minutes of the previous meeting Wore read and confirmed. The head master sent in his resignation, and stated his desire to be relieved of his duties at about the end of January. It was decided to request the Board of Education to invito applications for another teacher. A letter was road from the bead master complaining of the committee’s want of thought in arranging for the holidays. The committee were unanimously of opinion that the letter was impertinent and out of place. It was decided to let the school treat stand over till after the harvest holidays. Accounts amounting to £3 13s were passed for payment, and the meeting adjourned.

Carried Off by an Eagle.- -An eagle carried off the infant child of Fanner William Beattie, who lives on the Cimarron river, Kansas. A parly sought the bird in the direction it bad gone—a belt of wood along the river banks found and ki led it, but the child had been neatly devoured by the bird. Cnuss—The Now Zealand Chess Championahip Tourney was concluded at Christchurch on Tuesday, Mr A; M. Ollirier, of Christchurch, boating Benbow, and winning the tourney. Tho scores are* Olivier, 4 games; Mouat, 3£ • Benbow, 3; Jlookhum, 2£; Brown, 1; Sexton, X. Messrs W. Wood and O. Bolton were entered, but did not play. Origin of the Dollar. Previous to July 6, 1785, the Eogliah money was in use iu the United States. On that date the Congress established the dollar, although the exact weight was not fixed until August 8,178 G, when it was made to equal that of the old Spanish dollar. Tho dollar did not originate with the Spanish, but was first coined at Joachimsthal, a mining town in Bohemia. Feminine Height and Weight.— lt is often asked how stout a woman ought to be in proportion to her height. A very young girl may becomingly be thinner than a matron, but the following table gives a fair indication of proper proportions:—Five feet in height, about 1001 b ; sft lin, 1061 b ; sft 2m, 1131 b ; sft 3io, 1191 b; sft 4in, 1301 b ; sft Sin, 1381 b; sft 6m, 1441 b ; sft 7in, 1501 b ; sft Binj 1551 b; sft 9in, 1631 b; sft lOin, 1691 b ; sft llin, 1761 b ; 6ft, 1801 b ; 6ft lin 1861 b. Sporting.—At the Ohurchurch Midsummer Meeting on Monday, the results were Midsummer Handicap, of 200 sovs.: Mr B. Cutts Dudu 1, Mr D. O’Brien’s Vandal 2 ; Selling Eace, of 50 sovs. • Mr W. C. Webb’s Yaultrees 1, Mr H. Piper’s Idalia 2; Craven Stakes, of 100 sovs.: Mr G. H. Clifford’s Golden Crest 1, Mr W. C. Webb’s Euby 2 ; Hornby Welter Handicap, of 75 sovs.; Mr Stewarts Rosebud 1, Mr G. G. Stead’s Eainbow 2, Mr B. T. Rhodes’ Kimberley 3; Scurry Stakes, of 20 sovs,, Mr H. Piper’s Idalia 1; Consolation Handicap, of 50 sovs.: Eavenswing 1, Brewer 2. Timabu Hospital.— The following is a return of patients in the Timem Hospital for the month of December, 1888: —Patients under treatment at date of last return : Males, 23 ; females, 10 ; total, 33, Admitted during month; Males, 11; females, 2; total, 13. Totals treated : Males, 34; females, 12 ; total, 46. Discharged during month—Cured; Males, 10; females, 5 ; total, 15. Believed ; Females, 1; males, 1 5 total, 2. Dead: 1 (Thomas Hawkins). Totals discharged ; Males, 12 ; ’females, 6; total 18. Remaining under treatment: Males, 22; females, 6; total, 28. Outpatients treated during month: Males, 19 ; females, 19 ; total, 38. Chinese Laborers—The Sydney correspondent of the Argus writes;—During the hearing of an appeal by a Chinese gardener against imprisonment for stealing a coat belonging to Dr On Leo yesterday, it transpired that a number of Chinamen hud bsen brought to the colony to work as gardeners at the rate of £l2 a year, with food and clothes supplied. Judge Forbes remarked that it was well known that Chinamen were brought to the colonies simply as slaves, their wives and families, or relatives, being hold as hostages in China, and being tortured in the event of the men engaged breaking their contract. A New Zealander’s Speculation.— An exchange says:— A farm at Oropi, Tauranga, comprising 580 acres, 400 acres in grass, with 12-roomed dwelling-house and outhouses, which cost £IOOO, orchard, etc., known as James’, was recently purchased in Melbourne, on' spec, by a fortunate land speculator there, for £BOO. A few years ago this property changed hands at £2750, and subsequently £2OOO was refused for it. We understand that the owner parted with it at the above low figure for the purpose of joining in a “land boom” spec over there. A farmer from Palmerston visited the property last week to report on its value, and he says the purchaser has got a property worth £2OOO. Lucky purchaser. Sir J. Vogel’s Novel.—Sir Julius Vogel has secured a publisher for his novel “ Anno Domini, 2000.” The terms are very favorable. The publisher believes the work will be a success, and has agreed to pay a certain sum down and give Sir Julius a half share of the profits. The book is a sort of forecast of the state the world will have reached in the year 2000. The theatre of action will be laid mainly in A ustralia and New Zealand, Amongst local points touched upon will be the pumice land of the North Island. In A.D, 2000 Sir Julius predicts that, by virtue of some chemical discovery, it will have proved to be amongst the richest and most productive soil in the colony. Sir Julius will also deal with aeronautical problems in a bold spirit, sad his characters will be able to fly about Uie air at will. More than He Bargained Fob.—Soma time ago a literary vagrant caused a little sensation in official circles in Dunedin by getting into Seaoliff Asylum and the Benevolent Home —in the former institution as a patient and in the latter as an inmate. Wanting to do the gaol on the same principle, he went to Mosgiel and got run in for vagrancy. Anticipating at the most forty-eight hours, he was disagreeably surprised to find himself rewarded with a sentence of fourteen days. Arrived in the gaol the vagrant gave himself away. He disclosed who ha was, whereupon he was instantly brought before the doctor, and examined as to his ability to work with the hard-labor gang, and packed off at once to the Heads. Hard labor and hard fare to one loving neither was a dear price to pay, and it is doubtful if the prison authorities will not, before it is all over, have rather the laugh of the vagrant. He has the melancholy satisfaction of knowing, however, that if the justices who sentenced him had bad the slightest idea of his character, tho sentence would have been three months instead of two weeks. Dr Featheestone’s Grave. —A writer in the]Europoan Mail says:—A New Zealand colonist, who is now staying at Brighton, says that the weather is delightful, reminding him of similar weather in New Zealand, and, he adds, ‘ Brighton air is more like that of New Zealand than that of any place I know.’ The other day the same colonist visited Dr Feathorstone’a grave at the Brighton cemetery. Dr Featherstono was tho first AgentGeneral for New Zeabmd, and died at Brighton in 1876. His grave is one of the prettiest to be seen in the cemetery, and is situated between two very wide-spreading elms. It has a Maltose cross at tho head, and around the cross is inscribed the words * New Zealand.’ There are also four stars representing the Southern Cross Constellation. The grave is, I am pleased to say, in very good order, with white and colond chrysanthemums planted around the border. There are two rose trees, one on each side, and some violets cluster at tho foot. As Dr Faathorstone’s family is for the most part in New Zaaland, they may, I think, be glad to bear that tho grave is so well kept, and that i Now Zealand colonist visits it now and then ! Lo see that it is kept iu good order. J

Beer Duty, The beer duty for December was £5264 (several small returns yet to come), against £6245 for last year. Jealously and Murder.— Advices from Tonya state that a murder was committed on the 28th November, near the English consulate, when a Tongan in a fit of jealously killed a young girl to whom he had been recently married. Capital?, ancient and Modern.— lt is supposed that Rome at one time contained 5,000,000 inhabitants. Babylon contained 144 square miles, and London contains but 120. In the Eternal City there were 1780 palaces, and 59,602 houses divided into flats. The palaces of Rome each accommodated about 350,000 people. It took Jonah a day to get into the middle of Nineveh, which occupied more space than London. The Parnell Letters.— According to the European Mail a curious and not unimportant diecoyery has been made with regard to the Parnell letter in the Times. A gentleman who has been employed to enlarge, for magic lantern purposes, the letter which appeared in the Times in Mr Parnell’s alleged handwriting has discovered that the pen stopped at least twenty times in forming the characters, On the other hand, ia the case of the genuine letters of Mr Parnoil, the pen travelled up and down without stopping. Pleasant Point.— The committee of the Pleasant Point Racing Club held a meeting on the 29th Dec,, when the following officers wore elected President, Mr A. Mae ; VicePresident, Mr T, Kinnahan ; Judge, Mr M. Jonas; Handicapper, Mr P. Stock. The programme will consist of eight events, viz.: Handicap Hurdles, of £2O, second horse to save his stakes; Maiden Plate, of £lO ; Point Cup, of £3O, £5 to go to second horse; Gladstone District Eace, of £lO ; Handicap Trot, of £5, added to a sweepstake of 10s from acceptors; St. Patrick’s Handicap, of £2O; Selling Hack Race, of £lO ; Consolation Eace, of £lO. Maori Performers, A troupe of Maoris are now in Melbourne under engagement to Mr B. W. Carey, and recently gave a performance of dances, etc., as a sort of adjunct to a display of Brock’s fireworks. What the Argus terras “ a particularly interesting performance was tiie final one, two males and a female engaging in a prayer of To Whiti, the Maori prophet, who has created so much trouble in tho North Island of New Zialand, lately. The prayer, we ere told, consisted of the most rapid utterances, accompanied by the wildest gesticulations, which tested to the utmost tho physical endurance of tho supplicants. An Abject Apology. Tho following is one of the most abject apologies we have over come across. It is from the advertising columns of the New Zealand Herald “I, the nndesigned, Uharha Gilligan, do hereby solemnly declare tint everything 1 have said detrimental to the character of Mr Clapham, late of Wellington, were lies, maliciously invented by me, Charles Gilligan, to hurt the abovementioned Herbert Clapham ; and I do confess having devised every known scheme to undermine his character, and ruin him for business, for which t humbly apologise while on my bended knees in Mr Armstrongs office, 177, Queen-street. —(Signed) Charles Gilligan.” Wallace’s Sword, — The remarkable weapon preserved in Dumbarton Castle, and reputed to be the sword of the Scottish hero Wallace, has now been removed to the Walhce monument near Stirling, where it will find an appropriate resting place. The doubt cast on genuineness of the weapon, on account of its mountings belonging to the 15th century, seems to have now been dispelled by the discovery of an entry in the Lord High Treasurer’s accounts, stating that in 1505 James IV. caused the Wallace sword to receive “ a new hilt and pommel,’ also “ a new scabbard and a new belt.” This accounts for the mountings being more recent, and also shows that so far back as Iho date named the sword was venerated as a genuine relic of Wallace. On those and other grounds its claim to be so regarded seems to be now established. Lady Rebuking a Minister in Church; —On Sunday, November 4, a surprising incident occurred in the Established Church ofc Whiteinoh, Glasgow. The minister, Rev, Quintin Johnfloo, read a paper published by order of the General Assembly with reference to the 200th anniversary of 1688. He improved the occasion by animadverting upon the attitude of certain politicians towards the Church of Scotland, and in particular denounced Mr Gladstone. Upon this a young lady rose in her pew and called upon the minister to desist from making the pulpit a centre for propagating politics, and on his attempting to silence her he, of course, got the worst of it. She then reminded him that he was a minister of religion, whose duty it was to preach the Gospel, and she wound up by forbidding him “to desecrate the house of prayer by introducing politics and propagating partyism within its walls.” The minister then explained that his remarks had been made on account of the nature of the pamphlet which had been given him to read to the congregation, and ha then proceeded to preach his sermon, which the young lady listened to without uttering any further protest. No doubt her vigorous action will keep politics out of one pulpit, at least, in future. The Progress of Poverty.— The Rev, J. Reed Glasson’a sermon on “ Poverty, its causes and effects,” preached in his church at College Park, Adelaide, has (says the Australian Independent) excited much attention, and was published m extenso in the evening journul and the Observer. Mr Glasson holds that the Christian Churches must consider the causes of poverty, and seek their removal. He thinks drunkenness a cause, but not

the great cause. He holds that tho chief cause is enforced idleness and uncertainty of employment, Ha then lays a terrible indictment against our modern freetrade system of unlimited competition. He says: “What causes idleness? Our modern, unholy, un-Christian system of industry. Our present individualistic and competitive system of doing business is on all sides an appeal to the selfish nature, This eager, promiscuous scrambling for wealth, and ever bare subsistence, makes collision and antagonism a necessity. It blunts every sense of right between, man and man, erases every vestige of tho golden rule, renders the pulpit ineffectual for good, and turns the Christian religion into a sham and a mockery.” Mr Glasson intends to propound remedial ideas, but meantime strongly advocates nationalisation of the land. This iatter idea is obtaining great hold ia South Australia. Thomas Smith, a very old settler in tho Horolcwi Valley, Wellington, diod on Monday, aged 89. ,

Baxter's Lung Preserver bus gained great popularity in this district os a speedy and effectual remedy m the treatment of Coughs, Colds, Bronchitis and othei chest and throat complaints. Read advt. Coughs, Colds, Bronchitis, &0., are quickly cured by using Baxter’s “ Lung Preserver.” This old-established and lavorite medicine is pleasant to the palate, and highly extolled by members of the medical, local and clerical professions. For testimonials see advt. Sold by all, patert medicine vendors. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENT. Thomas Oleary, Temuka—lnvites tenders for ploughing 80 acres. J, Beri, Undertaker—Funeral notice re the late Miss Hannah Moore, of Kerrytown. John Grigg, Longbeach—Wants a number of reaping machines with teams, also for carting and stacking. Catholic Bazaar, Temuka—Ladies thank public for liberal support; auction of surplus goods on Saturday evening; admission free.