LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2024, 25 March 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sudden Death—A daughter of Mr Cant, of Epwjrth, near Temuka, died suddenly on Saturday morning at about aeva o'clock from »n epileptic seizure. She was about taenty-four yews of ago, and had bee a li >ble ti these painful seizures for some yosrs past. Proposed New Company.—A meeting of farmers and otheis was held at Timaru on Saturday afternooD, to consider proposals lo form a Company for the manufacture of artificial muiures. Tho estimate of otpital required was—Land, buildings and plant, £7000; wages and material for >\ year, £5000; total, £12,000. Prosiooal Directors were appointed, to report on April 12th.

Djuth of a Catholic Missionary.— Hie Rev. Father Hallum, one of the oldest Oi»H)o;ic Mirsionaries in the diocwae of Auckland, WB9 f ound dea ,, on g unrf morning in Shelley Bench road, near the house where ho lived. It is aupposed that whilst walking about in the garden the previous night he was seizjci with a fit. and died. Tim deceased cjme to Auckland in 1857 and was at Taurarg, in 1858 a D d afterwards went to the West Coastj He subsequently returned to Auckland, and lived there since. Owing to his age («ighty-ooa years,), he was a retired pries'.

American Minstrels at Temi/ka,— To-morrow evening the famoua American Coloured Mins'rels, 25 in number, give a perform mce in tho Volunteer Hall, Tcojuka ; and as their stay is Jimit"d to one nigh!, the building should ba crowded, i'lio Company is reiMy a first class one. Speaking of the first trghl's entertainment in Ohiistcliurch on the llh iest., the Lytielton Times says : —''Hicks' American Coloured Minstrel Company opened at the Tneatre Royal yesterday evening, whea they clnarly showed that since list they visited this city, they have oot oily k'-'pt up their performance, but added to if which should incronsM its popularity. 1. hero was a c > pit it downstairs house, aiii{ the programme whs carried out with tlm spirit which characterise the Ooiup-iuy'a performances."

Masonic.—Brother Henry Thomson, D.G.M. of Canterburv, lus accepted the office of Grand Master of New Zealand, and steps are being t 'ken for his immediate instalment.

The Premier.—Tim Premier arrived at New Plymouth on Friday night from Wellington. To-d»y ho go?a to Hawora, where he remains in retirement for a short tune, his obi -Ct being to obtain quijt and res!.

A Bolt.— At the height of the storm on Saturday a of horses standing near Messrs Aspinall and Oo.'s grain shed, at Temuka, bolted with a loaded dray, evident'y frightened at the thunder or lightning. They were stopped by their driver at the end of Railway Terrace, aod after some trouble pacified. Art Union.—To placi the mean=) of securing » chance in the art union of Mr Henry Zander's splendid collection of coins within the resell of all, the value of tickets has been reduced from £1 to 10s, and the number nf tickets increased from 2000 to 4090. Holders of £1 tickets will have them exchanged for two 10s tickets. Tickets are said ta be selling very fast. Bequests.—The late Captain William* bequeathed the steamer Moa, and his interest in the steamers Wakatu and Mana, to his son, £6o©o to a brother in Newcas'le, £3OOO each to his two sisters in London, £ISOO to his brother in Wellington, ord directed £ISOO to be invested for his brthe.'s wife. The whole of the residue of the estate is left to his widow.

Meeting at Pleasant Valley.—A meeting of ratepayers in the Pleasant Valiey-Kakahn districts takes place at Mr Job Etri's, Pleasant Valley, on April 2a i, to discuss thi advisability of app!ying to the Geraldine County C-juucil to construct a water-race in the distdcl. The meeting will take plica at 7 o'c'ockj and a full attendance of settlers is requested.

Scholastic. —Mr T. Cheyne Farnie, M.A., the newly-appointed second master of Ihe Temuka District High School, has established a c!as3 for tha preparation of students desirous of going in for Teachers, University, or Law examinations. Mr Farnie, although not practising, has been admitted a member of the New Zealand Bar, and should prove for law students a very efficient " coach," Dynamite Outrage.—A cable message from Sydney, dated 2ls>, states that an attempt WJ6 made on Thursday night to destroy a stable in the city with dynamite. The explosion led to an examination of the premises and eight char-gen were dincovered inserted in the wall. There were a huadred horses in the building. An auctioneer named (Josgrove was srrestei on suspicion of being connected with the outrage.

Ger\ldine Races.—The autumn meeting of the Geraldine Racing Club takes place on Thursday and Friday next, the first race sfcirting at 1.30 p.m. It will bs> noticed by the advertisement appearing elsewhere tint a Hack Selliug Race, of 10 scvfi., pist entries, lias been added to the first diy's programme. The eutiies are saffibiently numerous to promise a very g.iod day's sport, and if the weather is fine the meeting should be a most successful one.

Search for Buries Treasure.—The search for the old silver which weut down in the ill-ated Tararna Ins not been abandoned, Mr H. Sherwill having taken up the task abandoned by Mr Sutherland. The Southland News states that Mr Sharwill was down at the bottom of the sea on the 7th inst for half an hour, and some 40 yards astern of the wreck he came across a of the ship's keel. The wind ih«n commenced to blow and the work for the time was abandoned. The run of the sea on the reef is very heavy. R.M. Court, Timaru. At the R.M. Court, Timaru, on Friday last, Harry Mooney, a well-known frequenter of racecourses, was fined £5 and costs for playing the game of roulatte at the Tim.iru Trotting Me-)ting.—Alex. Mephee, was fined £2, ordered to pay £1 damages and costs of two witnesses, with the option of 14 days' imprisonment, for breaking a window in the Fairh'e Creek Hotel. He had been hanging about the bar, and was put out by the landlord, when he committed the offmee. James Sanderson was committed for trial on four charges of forgery and uttering. The cheques varied from £2 to £6, and were all uttered to publicans, from whom, also the blank form 3 seemed to have beau obtained.

JSTew Cereal.—Mr Henry Hullen, of Waitohi Downs, has introduced to the district a new variety of wheat which promises to be an acquisition to tho district. The wheat in question is a variety of tuscan, and is known as No. 1 Standard. It ia part of an importation made by Mr Morri3, of Kaiapoi, and Mr Hullen was only able to seciire two sacks of it. These waro sown on about four acres on the Dinda estate, and yielded 88 bushels. Part of the crop, however, was so laid that it could not be reaped, so that the yield may be calculated as nearly 5 n bushels to the acre. The wheat closely resembles red tuscan, but the straw is of a mora pronounced golden color, and the wheat partakes somewhat of this hue. Mr Hullen intends to sow the whole of the product of his purchase, and the wheat being now acclimatised should, under favorable conditions, yieldfheavily. Its milling capacity is not yet tested. LwNACT.—Constable Egin, stationed at Temuka, had a somewhat exiting time on Saturday. At the request of relatives, he was in search of a young man reaifliog on the Levels Plains named Edward Brosnahan, who has latterly exhibited signs of mental aberration. Accompanied by the young man's brother the constable seurched various pinces at Seadown, «nd ultimately found the uufortunato young follow at Mr Grant's. He offyred no resistance to his arreHt, and proceeded quietly with the constable until the Opihi bridge was reached. Here Brosnahan made a rapid dart, and hurled Ir rase If headlong from the bridge into a deep pool of water against the aouth abutment. Fortunately the depth of water served to break the fall, and Constable iL'gan and Mr T. Brosnahan wore enabled, at some little risk, to set the poor fellow ashore. A vehicle was then obtained, and he' was sately conveyed to the lock-up. (jroat, regret is expressed by the friends of the family, for the afflicted young man is of engaging character and greatly respected Ye H rerday the presiding justices at the it.M. Court, Messrs J. Talbot nnd W. Upton Slack, on tho cvriiGcites of Drs Blurrion and made the necess iry onlor committing the unforiuuuio muu lo Sunuyaide Asylum,

Li Grippe.—Telegrams from Wellington, ReeftOD, Lytielton, Ohristchurcb, Dunedin, and Invercwgill, slate that the ir.fluenx i epidemic, or la grippe, has broken out in places. A few cases o: the diseases are also reported from Timaru. R.M. Oowrt, TEMUKi.—The various cases Bet down for hearing at the above court yesterday were ail settled privately. The only business before tho court waa the taking of evidence in a lunacy case. The justices were Messrs J, Talbot an J Wrn. Upton Slack. The Exhibition.—The attjnUnca at the exhibition reched half a million on Saturday last. A little girl named Lena Morgan secured the season ticket that was promised to the person whose admission should bring the total attendance up to Half a millioD.

The Shootisg Season. Despite tha i recommendations of the various ac climatisntion societies, the Government has decided that the shooting season lor native game shall not commence until the Ist May. Sportsmen who intended being out ou the lal April should note the change. Draughts.—Messrs J. Sim, of Temuka, and D. Stewart, of Timaru, played four grimes of draughts in Timaru on Thursday evening, the result being that each won one game, the other two being drawa. The m itch was a most interesting or.e, and was watched by a cumber of spectator?. A game playel ifser the match was won by Mr Sim. The See of Ohristchuroh.—On the retirement of Bishop Hu-per from the See of Cbiittchurch, winch takes place on Mondny neyi, Ma-c'.i 31, the Dean of Ghristchu!C>) wi 1 act aa Bshop's commissary, and tn'Jsact the bu:iin'.>ss of the diocese until such time .is the n.-.v Bishop takes office.—Lytteltoa Tim-s. Find oi Gold.—A little boy pacing along by the gully belwien Cronus mine and the township last Sunday morning (says the Nen'horo Recorder) picked up a pennyweight piece of gold, and on looking about he discovered a number of thick fragments thickly impregnated with the precious metal. A party of over a soon joined the child, and to the great astonishment of all everyone on the scene was picking up nice little specimens, which were strewn over acres of the gully and along the adjoining spur. Whether the specimens came from a reef further up the hi'l or were for some unknown reason strewn about is not known. [f crushed all the pieces would produce fully of gold. i Salvation Army, Temuka.—Accord ng to their annual custom the Solvation Army intend to hold a great two days' n'emoQstration, to commemorate the successful harvest of the p ist year, on Wednesday an 1 Thnrsdiy next. Among other things, there wiM be a "Great Harvest Thanksgiving and al*o an enrolment of recruits, presentation of fresh colors, &c. Mjjor and Mrs Hammond will be in command, assisted by Captains Nowbold, die southern scribe, Mirtio, of Timaru and bite of Australia, McCormick, of Geraldine, and others, The matter has been taken up with seme spirit and should prove a grand succ3ss, tho cost of admission being only Is, and children 9i. Tea wiil be on the tables at 6 p.m.

Auihmnal Flowers.—A collection of dahlias in ;Mr H. Clinch's window, Temuka, on Saturday attracted much attention. These comprised fifteen varieties from the nursery of Mr H. M. West, North East Valley, Dunedin, and lovers of horticulture should take an opportunity of seeing them before they fade. Their colors are marvels of delicacy, and they exhibit the utmost regularity of development. The " Herbert Turner "is of purest white, and the bloom shown measuros 14Mn in circumference. " Ruby Gem," as its name implies, is of a rich ruby tint of velvety softness, while the "Modesty "is of a delicate blush tint. The " Criterion " is of a rose pink shade, while the flower rejoining in the name of the "Hon. Mrs Percy Williams" is of a creamy white, with pink-tipped pet'ls. One variety of rare beauty is the "J. T. West." Hi color is a delicate yellow, with a purple flush—a union of shades rarely seen. Now f hat the Horticultural Society is so well established it is to be hoped that some of our amateur florists will endeavor to secure some of these beautiful varieties prior to next autumn.

TWndkkstorm.—On Saturday morning a thunderstorm of exceptional violence and duration broke over Temuka. The fl-ishas of lightning were unusually vivid ' and frequent,, and the accompanying thunder fully realised the poet's simild of " Heaven's artillery." The rain which accompanied it was very heavy, literally pouring down for some few minutes, mid the surcharged spoutings of the houses were discharging their overflow into the streets in a perfect cascade. The watertables were J'quickly overflowing, but, all the vents being open, no incovenience was caused. Little damage from the rain is t reported, and, except some small leakages through roofs, probably little h ; is been done, but there were two or three narrow escapes from lightning. At Mr ttooney'a fellmougery works a Chinese laborer wa3 knocked down and partially stunned ; a child of Mr Rooney's also receiving a j similar shock. A field gate close by them ! was struck and levelled to the ground, and ! their escape is certainly a marvellous oup. At Mr Whitehead's slaughtering premises a portion of the roof was torn away, and the gallows upon which the circase3 are suspended was shattered. There are several reports of blasted trees, but fortunately none of loss of life. The postmaster at the commencement of the storm at once disconnected the telegraphic wires. The presence of electricity in unusual volume in the atmosphere waa evident at Messrs Aspinall and Co.'s office, where the telephone during the prevalence of the storm kept up an intermittent ringing. During the afternoon more rain fell, and Sunday was a cold and wet, and in the afternoon and evening. The' rain is welcome to farmers, although it has come rather lite for autumn grass However, grantei a fairly fine April, some little good will accrue.