LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1847, 31 January 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sale at Geraldine.—Messrs J. Mundell and Co. hold a sale of a largo and varied assortment of ironmongery, furniture, etc., etc., at Geraldine to-day. | Melbourne Exhibition.—Thef Timaru Milling Company have obtained a first prizo for flour at the Melbourne Exhibition, and R. Alkn and Co. a second. Timaru Harbor Board 3jLectio?t.— Candidates for the representation oil . the Mount Peel Road District on the Timaru Harbor Bof.rd must be nominated with the Returning Officor, Mr R. Irvine, not later than noon to-morrow. Petroleum: Wells.—There is good news of the South Pacific Petroleum Company's well. The agent at Q-isborne telegraphed on Friday : Liter news states plenty of oil in in well. Weaver engaged oleaning out to ascertain the flow. Success." Sales at Temuka.—To-morrow Mess s Gray and Montgomery will sell the Roy 1 Hotel, Temuka, together with the freehold on whioh it is situated, 2 roods. The land haß a double frontage—on the Main South road and Vine street. The same firm will also sell a butcher's cart, horse, harness, etc* Serious Damage.—A runaway horse in Timaru on Monday, belonging to a farmer named Harris, of the Levels, managed to break the axle of the dray to whioh it was attached (by bringing one of the wheols of the vehicle into violent collision with the kerbslone), break a cast-iron lamp post, destroy the lamp, break the harness, and cut its out, during a run of about fifly or sixty yards. The animal, a valuable one, had to bo killed. The blinkers were taken off the horse while it was in the dray, and it got frightened and bolted. Too Frisky.—A few months ago an acoount appeared in the American papers of a supper party at Baltimore, which was given in honor of the young bride of an Englishman. In the course of the evening the bride took off her dainty Blipper, filled it with champagne, atld passed it round to the guests as a novel kind of loving cup. It will not greatly surprise those who have read or heard of this freak to learn that the lady is a wife 'no longer. Her husband lately procured a i divorce, and 13 now on his way back to I Europe, a sadder and a wiser man. Pensioner Settlements.—Says the New Zealand Herald :—" We understand that some further correspondence has passed between the Imperial authorities and the New Zealand Government relative to the proposed pensioners settlement scheme, and that the former have made some definite proposals. As showing how largo a sum of money is expended in the colony through the settlement here of Imperial pensioners, it may be mentioned that at pr< sont some £36,000 ia paid to the colony in Imperial pensions. Of this amount about £16,000 is distributed in the Auckland district.

Accident at thb Poibt.—On Monday evening a rather serious accident happened to the eldest, son of Mr Chapman, of Waitolu, while riding into Pleisant Painf.. The horse he whs riding (a very old one) staggered and fell, the lad falling underneath it. Some persons who witnessed the accident quickly got the lad out of his dangerous position, and he was attended by Drs Hayes and Macintyre, who found that ho was suffering from concussion of the brain. Wo bones were broken. The boy is now progressing favorably, ihe bored was got on to its feet, but after staggering a few chains it fell and died. T)r/NEDiN Exhibition.—Mr Twopeny, Executive Commissioner of the New Zoaland Exhibition, in a report dated from Melbourne, says that he thinks that the prospects of the South Seas department are good enough to add the words "South Seas" to the title of the Exhibition. Sir George Grey has taken the matter up, and has enlisted the aid ©f the Rev. Shirley 33>iker, Premier of Tonga, and is writing to various island potentates. It is probable that there will be a separate court for each group. He finds that a pretty iron and glass palace can be put up for a less price than galvanised iron and wood.

The AaBNTINE Eepubmc—A country whose foreign trade has increased more than sixfold in ten years must be rapidly forging ahead. The progress made by the Argentine Eepublio during the last decade (9ays JFairplay) is brought out by the shipping statistics recently issued. Ten years ago the total foreign entries in Argentine ports amounted to 2462 vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 696,000 tons; la9t year the entries exceeded 12,000, and the tonnage reached 4,500,000 tons. The vessels trading from foreign ports numbered 5694 sailing ships, and 6607 steamers, including Uruguay and Paraguay, as these represont river navigation. Of the above totals 422 were British sailing ships and 2546 British steamers.

An Awkward Pbedioambnt.—Men have been saddled with stray babies in railway carriages and omnibuses, under all manner of terrible circumstances; but the most awful predicament a m*n was ever in must have been that of an American recently bathing at. South Beach, who was the cynosure of all eyes in his splendid blue and scarlet bathing suit. Presently as he posed, like a merman on the briny brink, a fashionably dressed woman advanced and beg«ed him to give her baby a dip. The young man complied, and the two-year-old Bplashed and kicked, and when the dip was done, and the dipper waded back to Bhore, the young mother had disappeared, and the young man was left alone in his splendour with a baby nobody owned, or would relievo him of.

The Midland Raiiwat.—Mr Perceval, member for Christchurch. South, has written a private letter from London, dated December 14th, referring to the prospects of the Midland Railway. He says:—"Mr Salt, chairman of the, company, is full of regret that Government did not accept the contract sent out some months prior to the last contract, as he says we had the whole money offered to ua then on specially favorable terms. They could not koep the money waiting, and so the chance went. Mr Burcliill, solicitor to the company, thinks the contract satisfactory. The directors seem quite sanguine of getting the money. They await the most favorable opportunity, and do not want to move until thoy can succeed. Unless something unforseen happens to disorganise the money markat yeu may expect early in the year to hear that the money is raised."

The Railway Comjiissionebs.--The control of the rmlwiiys passed inlo the hands of the Commissioners on Monday. Referring to this, (he Evening Post states that no material changes in the system of management will be made until Mr McEerrow, the Chief Commissioner, returns from his tour of inspection of the railways of both islands, upon which he will start next week. The first important official act of the Commissioners was to issue it circular to officers of the department throughout the colony, giving them the option of continuing in the service of the Board or retiring with the usual compensation of a month's salary for every year spent in the Government employment. The idoa is that servants of the Board are not to rank as Civil Servants and be entitled to compensation on retirement. Thoae who elect to remaia will not extinguish rights they have already acquired, but will simply hold over their compensation cluims until they may happen to quit the service. All the Board's employees abovo the rank of day laborers will bo required to insure their lives.

HlI/TON SCHOOL COMMITTEE. The monthly moating of this Committee was hold on Friday last. Present—Messrs R. Skinner (Chairman), W. Beattie, W. Hide, and L. iiooko. The minutes of (he previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Inspector's report of the examination was read, and considered satisfactory. It was decided to close the school for harvest holidays on Thursday, 31st January, and open on Monday, 4'h March. Accounts amounting to £3 2s 6d was passed for payment, and the meeting adjourned. Our Volunteers. Lieufconant-Colonol Hume, Inspector of Volunteers, is expected to arrive from Wellington this week, in order to inspect the corps in the South Cauterbury district. He will visit Ashburton on Monday, Goraldine on Tuesday, Temuka on Wednesday, Timaru on Thursday, and Waimato on Friday.—The Temuka Rifles mustered at the drillehed, Temuka, yosterday evening for company drill. There were present 20 rank and file, Color-Sergeant Coira in command. After an hour's drill they were dismissed. It was mentioned that there was a likelihood of several new members joining shortly. There is still a vacancy for reoruits. Sukremb Court, Tima.ru. —At the Supreme Court, yesterday, before His Honor Mr Justice Ward, the case of Anderson v, Ziepler and Lough was dealt with. Mr Wilding and Mr Bruges appeared for plaintiffs, Mr Stringer (instructed by Mr White) for Ziesler, and Sir Robert Stout (lnstrscted by Messrs Perry and Porry) for Lough. The defendants are trustees for ths Anderson estate, and the action set forth that the defendants trnd committed a breach of the trust in odvanoing £3500 of the trust moneys on the Queen's Hotel, Timaru. Mr Wilding informed the Court that an arrangement had been come to between the parties, and judgment was entered up by consent. The Court rose at 11 o'clock. • Valuable Discovery.—lt is stated that a valuable discovery has been made on the property of Mr Joseph Wallis, near Waikoia, ■ of a material auitable for making paints of various colors. The Mataura Ensign says : " We have seen the material, which requires very little preparation to fit it for market,' as immediately on its being ground it takes oil freely and it appears to be entirely free from sand or any other unsuitable substance. Some specimens have been forwarded to the Government geologist at Wellington, and no doubt his report will be looked forward to wich interest by local residents and by mony throughout the district, as upon the adhesive and other qualities of the material a great deal of course depends. It is proposed to form a company to work the ground." A Fresh Eruption.— A sudden thermal outburst on a small scale occurred in the Waiotapu Valley. The track leading up the basin of Rotore Kairamua (the new terrace formation) wonda its way between a number of old craters on this track, and close to the terrace basin a solid mass of rock was blown high up into the air, followed by an immense escape of stoam, ga?soj, aud bubbling muddy water. f ibe etiv.nge thing is that the old craters should havs boan avoided, a'ld that it should have burat its way through a plaee which offered the greatest resistance (as was | the case in the great Tarawera eruption) ' forcing its way through at least 15ft of hard solid rock. Only cwo tourists have as yet seen it, and one was fortunate enough to witness one of its now periodical outbursts, • which occur at intervals of every two or I three hours.

An Impbobable Stoex.—A oingular story j was related in the Newtown Court, Sydney, a . week or so ago. Joseph L. Sproule was . charged with maliciously damaging a window I and trees, the property of his brother Jehn, j to the valua of £5. Ihe prosecutor did not j appear, but the defendant told a strange a story. He swore that the property damaged : was his. During September last, when on a j visit to his brother, the latter induced him to , drink a quantity of liquor, and then booked s him for England under the namo of James t Young. When he recovered he found him- [ self at sea. On arrival in London ha told the Lord Mayor of his case, and received his , passjge money back to Sydney. Oa returna ing to Sydney he discovered that his brother y was drawing rent from his property, and * being without means he determined to bring the matter under the notice of the authorities , by smashing his property, and thus make it 1 public. The case was remanded. 1 The Duke of Mablbobou»h and the f Ebotoe.—The paroohial schools at Wood--1 stock (England) haye been closed, and the ) scholars deprived of the opportunity for 3 education, bocaußo of a feud that rages between 7 the Duke of Marlborough and tho rector, , When the divorced duke brought his second 3 duchess homo to Bleheim the rector, being a I man of mettle, forbade the ringing of the church bells in honor of what ho believed to , be an unecriptural union. Thereupon tha j duke retaliated by stopping his subscription of p .£lO per annum to the parochial schools, and ; (they have since baen closed. The rector tolls , us that the duke " has forbidden myself und l my curates to give any religious instruction in the schools at Slandon, which is part of , my pariah. He ha 3 also, through his agents, \ withdrawn the privilege of driving through [ Blenheim Park for myself and my family." , What an instructive light this incident throws I on the relations between ohurch and State in L the rural districts of England. Shocking Dbath of a Gibl.—The ahook- , ing death of a female tamer of wild baasts it i reported from Hoonmuth, in Bohemia, She , was b girl 26 yews old, nataed Baumgartner. During a public performance in a strolling mouagerio she entered an empty cage, and the door of an adjoining oage was then opened to let a lion and & Bengal tiger enter. The lion walked in quietly, but the tiger, a ferooioua beast, which had three times wounded its keoper, orouohed in the doorway and allowed temper. Tho girl lost nerve, oried for help, and slipped. Aa eho did so the tiger mado a spring, bit her on the shoulder, thsn in tho throat, lifeorally rent her to piece?, and tossed her body, about. K&tt the audionoe ran to the door in horror while the attendants tried to beat off the I' tiger by poking hot irons into tho cage. But the girl was dead long before the animal was driven array. Tho lion aeoms ;to have been cu much frightened as the ai the human spectators, for he took no part in the caanage. Tho proprietor of the show baa since admitted that this fcigor has already killed two people. Political Points.— The Hon. Mr Mitcbelson on being interviewed at Auckland ou Tuesday on various matters, denied that the bench of judges had anything to do with the objections to Judge Ward's appointment to the vacant judo-e----ship. In faot, some of the judges favor of his appointment. He declined to state what the objection was. Ha does not think the Government will propose a revision of the tariff next session. The Government had communications about the San Francisco service and the Vancouver service, but h,e could not disclose them. They were calling for tenders for ' the direct service for two alternative ser- i vices, one requiring the voyage to be dono in 40, and the other in 43 daya. The ' taxation under the proposed new Charit- r able Aid Act would press less heavily on i local bodies than the present system of taxation. Mr Shannon's appointment ' was only for a year, and at the end of ' that period, thq wuvk. w W ld, undertaken i

by a customs officer. The appointment would be fully justified by results.—Otago Daily Times. Baxter's Lung Pkesbevee haa gained great popularity in this district as a speedy and effectual remedy in the ireatment of Coughs, Ooh>s, Beonchitis, and othet cheat and throat complaintu. .Read »dvt. Coughs, Colds, ."Bbonchixis, &c, are quickly cured by using Baxter's " Lur.g Preserver." This old-established and favorite raedicino is pleasant to the palate, and highly extolled by mombers of the medical, legal and clerical professions. For testimonials see advt. Sold by all pater-t modicino vendors.

SYNOPSIS OP ADVERTISEMENTS.

W. Postlsthwaite, Geraldine—Wants teams for ploughing. Mrs Brisco, Geraldine —Wants good general servant who can cook.