LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1860, 2 March 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Customs. The Customs revenue revenue collected at Timaru for the month of February amounted to £lll2 7«. Seduction in Price op Bread. The bakers in Temuka have reduced the price of bread to 6d cash and 7d booked for the 41b loaf. Parliament.— The Lyttelton Times learns from a reliable source that the next sitting of Parliament will begin on Monday, June 10. Famine in China.— A cable message from Pekin, dated the 27th, states that Famine Is spreading in many parts of the Empire, and millions of people are quite destitute, and on the verge of starvation. Easter Encampment.— At a meeting of Volunteer officers at Christchurch on Thursday night, Colonel Lean stated that Government had granted £2OO towards the cost of the Easter camp. That sum was to cover all expenses. Entertainment at Temuka.— The annual entertainment in aid of the prize fund of the Temuka District High School has been arranged for the 22nd inst. The programme will be a varied one, consisting of choice vocal and instrumental selections and a short comedy. Such an entertainment should draw a large attendance.

Coking Eabthquaibs.—Herr Rudolph Fftlb, the universal provider in the matter of earthquakes, baa issued his annual budget of slim. He says we are to hare plenty of earthquakes this year, the dates being March 17th, April 16th, May 15;h, August 11th, September Btb, October 24tb, and November 23rd,

Lady Onslow’s Poodle.-—Lord Onslow, being desirous of bringing with him a pet poodle belonging to Lady Onslow, made inquiries whether the Stock Importation regulations could bs so far relaxed as to allow the animal to be quarantined in a building in Government House ground, instead of Soames’ Island, as required by • the Order in Council. The Cattle Board refused the request.

London Stocx Exchange.—The "London Stock Exchange” presents the queer spectacle of men who have been reduced to poverty, and from poverty turned to riches. Hanging about the neighborhood of the “ House ” are men who have been worth a quarter, and even half a million, and who are now reduced to shabbiness and petty borrowings. A young speculator of four and twenty has just realised £20,000 in a single coup.

Jack the Rippeb — An ex-detective, who resides in Sydney, is in possession of a photograph exactly coinciding with the description of “ Jack the Ripper.” The original of the photograph was for some years resident at Sydney, where he contracted disease, and taking to drink, soon became a monomaniac. He left for the Old Country, and frequently boasted that if he left the colony he would kill a hundred women. When leaving Sydney he had in his possession a surgeon’s small knife.

In the Heart op a Bata Tree.— Tho Kangitikei Advocate chronicles the finding of the ironwork of the handle of a pocket-knife in a limb of solid rata seventy feet from the root. The rata in question had been dead at least ten years, and had been felled about six yoars. The limb was about three feet in circumference, and the discovery was made in chopping it up for firewood. As tho rata is a very slowgrowing tree, and the particular tree in question must have been quite a veteran, the handle must have embedded in its wooden tomb for a very long term of years.

PHYSIOGNOMY. —Profeasor Hugo gave the last of his aeries of lectures in Temuka in the Oddfullows’ Hall on Thursday evening. The attendance was not very large, and the majority of those present were ladies. Lips and Eyes were dealt with, and the interest of the audience was well maintained throughout. The Professor could easily have taken up the entire evening with either of the subjects dealt with without wearying his listeners. After the lecture was concluded soma specimens of handwriting were handed up, and from these the Professor desaribed the personal appearance of some of the writers, traits in their characters, etc. The whole concluded with a public reading of character, three of the audience submitting themselves as subjects. Ths Professor will deliver a lecture at Geraldine, in the Oddfellows’ Hull, on Tuesday evening, Kaiahh Minerals.— ln connection with the visit of Professor Uhlrich to Kakabu, a meeting was held in the Temuka Town Board office yesterday afternoon to arrange for giving the professor all available information, and to provide guides for him. Several letters were read from Messrs Tripp, Shiers, and Rhodes, M.H.R. It was decided that a sub-committee should wait upon the professor oa hi« arrival, and arrange all that was necessary with him. Mr R. A. Barker intimated that he, with some others, would meet Professor Uhlrich at the lima kiln at II a.m. on Tuesday. Professor Uhlrich will also be accompanied by Mr Allen, M.H.R., Dunedin, and Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, member for the district. Mr Shiers, overseer to the Geraldine Road Board, will also attend at Kakabu to point out where he is most likely to meet with minerals. Cloth of Glass.— Mr Dubus Bonnet, of Lille, Prance, has invented a process of spinning and weaving glass into cloth. The warp is composed of silk, forming the body and groundwork, on which the pattern in glass appears, as effected by the weft. The requisite flexibility of glass thread for manufacturing purposes is to be ascribed to its extreme fineness, as not less than from 50 to 60 of the original strands are required to form one thred of the weft. The process u slow, for no more than a yard of cloth can be produced in 12 hours. The work, however, is extremely beautiful, and comparatively cheap. A French paper, commenting on the discovery, says:—“When we figure to ourselves an apartment decorated with cloth of glass and resplendent with light, we must be convinced that it will equal in brilliancy all that the imagination can conceive and realise ; in a word, the wonders of the enchanted palaces mentioned in the Arabian tales,”

A Swindle. —Patrick Fahey was charged at the Invercargill Police Court yesterday with endeavoring to impose on Joseph Metzler by means of a false verbal representation, with a view to obtain money. The accused represented that he was collecting money for the Homan Catholic Church on the authority of Father Walsh, and so received a number of the promised contributions, the names being inserted in a pocket-book. He endeavored to collect the money, but had not succeeded in this when arrested. The accused stated that he had collected money in a similar manner for the Dunedin Cathedral, and the list of subscribers was published in the Tablet. He had also done the same thing on other occasions for churches. If he had received aoy money at all he would have handed it over to Father . Walsh. Father Walsh deposed that the accused was not authorised by him, and two persona whose names appeared on the accused’s list said they had given no authority to put their names down. His Worship said ho had no doubt the accused had endeavoured to impose on people, and sentenced him to two months with hard labor. Imprisoned in a Bank Safe. —ln an up-country banking house' the manager recently had occasion to dispose of a small safe and take . in a larger one. While in the act of placing the latter in a strong room, he being an active man, pretty strong, took a hand in the work. With his lodger clerk they were steering the iron chest into its place, while a force of main strength and slupidness on the part of a posse Of laborers was forcing it onwards ; without warning one of the rollers gave way, and the big safe stood in the doorway, caging the manager with bis assistant in a chamber 6ft x B£t, with a close and nearly stilling atmosphere. Help was got in time, and by the aid of sorewjacks, after the lapse of some two boors, or more, the victims were released. It is to the credit of the labor gang that it did not “stick up" the institution ; otherwise had it done so all the notes and bullion were in the strong room with the manager, and the parly would have only been able to rummage a few papers of no value to anyone. Both of the imprisoned men wore much exhausted, and for once appreciated the blessing of fresh air and liberty when they were able to get out of the tomb,—Press. j

Gebaldinb Public Spobts. competitors at, the athletic sports at Geraldine on St. Patrick’* Day are reminded that entries for all events close on Monday next. Cattle Stealing. Cbas. Kidd, brother of Sophia Kidd, who recently got twelve months in Southland for cattle stealing after being twice tried, has beeu arrested on a similar charge. He was brought up at the Invercargill Police Court and remanded till Monday.

Pbbsbytebian Ohceoh, Tekuxa. The Rev. J. Dickson will conduct the services in this church to-morrow. In the morning the subject of the rev. gentleman’s address will be “ Miracles and Robert Elsmere ; or, The New Theology.” In the evening, “A Miracle Tested.” Tub Tin Fields.—The Minister of Mines has reesived the following telegram from Mr McKay, assistant geologist, now at Invercargill, regarding the tin discovery “ The payable character of the alluvial tm deposit is not yet proyed. The rooks are mica-schist, quartzite, and gneiss; no true granite has yet bean observed.' The ore bands are not sufficiently opened yet to afford means for judging whether they are poyable or no', but it is believed paying lodes will bo found. The country is rough to prospect, and difficult to get through.”

Whirlwind,— The Press states that on Tuesday last a whirlwind passing over tho North road, at Kaiapoi, broke off a telegraph pole, which fell and shattered the entrance gate to Mr C. J. Champion’s residence. It then followed a zigzag course, upsetting some minor articles on its track, til! it crossed the Wairaakariri, where it took hold of a pear tree and stripped of the fruit, which it scattered in all directions. On a farm further down the road it levelled a grain stack, but the sheaves were too long to be carried away by its force.

Sale of Bums. —The sale of runs at Dunedin attracted a large attendance. In some cases bidding was rery spirited, double the upset price being reached. The general prices are considered good, A serious bungle, however, was made at the sale. The people of Karow district had been agitating for cutting up Campbell’s Otskaike runs for settlement, and at the last moment the Government withdrew the runs from sale. Through a telegraphic mistake the auctioneer received instructions to withdraw Runs 228 and 228 a, Uuwkdon Station, Momatoto, and runs 28 and 28a were first offered. There was considerable competition, and eventually they were knocked down to Robert Campbell and Sons, for twenty-one years, for £3Ol and £251 respectively. The mistake was not discovered till near the conclusion of the sale. RaNsxtata Traffic Bridge. From yesterday’s Ashburton Guardian we learn that the engineer to the Ashburton County Council reported to that body on the Upper Rangitata traffic bridge as follows“ After reserving 50 planks for repairs, the remainder of the decking has been put up in 14 lots for sale by auction, which should be arranged to take place shortly The lower coutia of concreto in water wall within the abutment at north end of bridge has been washed out by the last flood in the river to the extent of about 30 lineal feet. This would require to be replaced at a lower level. The expense of repairs, including temporary deviation of stream, would, probably, be £SO, and it would be well to inform the Geraldine Council of the damage.”—The engineer was authorised to haye necessary repairs executed to groin for the protection of approach to Rangitata traffic bridge. Abandoning a Child.— Some eight or nine months ago a baby girl was found at Mr B. Hallenstein’s gate in London street, Dunedin, and the police, though they made every effort, failed to discover the mother. The child was eventually committed to the Industrial School, and died in October last. On Wednesday morning a middle-aged woman named Emma Brooklin, who hails from Invercargill, confessed to Constable Gough that she was .the mother of the child, and stated that her reason for abandoning it was that it was illegitimate. She further stated that the child must have been left at Mr Hallenatein’s gate by Miss Jarrett, of Eilleul street, in whose house she was confined. Mis* Jarrett has since left for Melbourne. The woman Brooklin was at once arrested, and subsequently made a written confession to the above effect; At the City Police Court in the afternoon, Emma Brooklin was charged with having on or about June 16,1888, at Dunedin, unlawfully abandoned a female child under the age of two years, whereby the life of the said child was endangered. The accused was remanded until Tuesday, bail being allowed. Strange Delusion.— Mental malady assumes at times strange forms. A case in point is that of the unfortunate young lady Julia Beele, who resided with her parents at New York, and who recently destroyed herself by poison. The deceased who was handsome, well-grown, and twenty-seven years of age, had since seventeen been afijicted with a fixed idea which nothing couli shako—namely, that she was a creature monstrous to behold, horrible in her ugliness, and a disgrace to humanity. In vaia her mirror was placed before her eyes by her anxious parents. The poor girl turned shudderingiy away from it, and any attempt to force her to look at herself provoked a nervous crisis. Suitors for her hand had presented themsolve merely to be rejected by this unhappy monomaniac, who shrank from the thought of marriage lest she might become the mother of monsters like herself, and be an object of disgust and aversion for her husband. After living for ten years with this idea haunting her, she committed suicide, leaving behind her a letter for her distreasedperentsexplaining that she'felt it her duty to rid society of a being ao deformed and so frightfal to look upon as horsslf.

The Irish Delegates.— An exchange says : Amongst the laborers of the Irish Party who are to go far afield this Christmas are Sir Thomas Esmonds and Mr Deasy, who start this week for the Capo, upon that tour amongst our sympathisers and kinsmen at the Antipodes which they are to make at with Mr Dillon. Mr Dillon does not sail until February, and his two cenfrsres will await him at the Cape, where they will occupy the interval busily, addressing meetings in various towns of the colony. When Mr Dillon arrives ho will address a few great meetings, and then all throe will leave South Africa together for their pilgrimage in Australia, .New Zealand, and, possibly, Van Dienun’s Land. Tho tour in these great colonies will be very extensive and thoroughgoing. Not only will all the great cities and towns be visited, but our zealous missionaries will advance into the bush and the goldfields and diamondfieltls, where so many of our scattered race have made their home. They will return by San Francisco, and by the time they arrive they will, in all probability, be reinforced by another member of the parly, who will help them in their speaking tour across the American Continent. Baxter’s Lung Preserver has gained great popularity in this district as a speedy and effectual remedy in the treatment ot Conans, Colds, Bronchitis, and othei chest aud throat complaints. Bead advt.

Thb Licensing! Act.— At the meeting o I the Dunedin Licansing Committee the chair* | man, Mr Stanford, said that the committee j intended to carry out the law in its entirety. They were convinced that there were 100 many hotels in Dunedin, and would gladly see a considerable number closed, but they must have regard to the vested rights of property holders, and were unwilling to interfere with those rights unless some serious offence gave occasion for dealing with the offending publican. Alfred Wells, formerly canvasser for (he F.Z. Accident Aesuianco Association, who was arrested in Wellington charged with embezzling £49, was discharged at the Christchurch R.M. Court yesterday, SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. Temuka Presbyterian Church —Services for to-morrow, J. Mundell and Co,—Publish entries for stock sale on Wednesday next.

R. Darroch, T. Barr, and J. Marshall — Have reduced the price of bread. Webster and Macdonald —Publish entries for stoak sale on Wedoesday next.

0. E. Hugo—Lectures at Geraldine on “ Physiognomy ” on Tuesday evening next. Gray and Montgomery—Sell dog cart, sot harness, and pony, at Temuka monthly sals.

Geraldine Town District Assessment Court —Will be held at Geraldine on March 20th at 9.30 a.m.

Geraldine Town Board—Office will be open for business between 1 and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. Entertainment at Temuka—ln aid of prize fund of Temuka District High School on Friday, 22nd March.