LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2137, 13 December 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

BLaCK Swans,—By a notice in the Gazette black swans cease to be game.

Population op the Colon?. —The estimated population of the colony on the 30th September was 625,782 exclusive of Maoris (41,969),

Conscience Money Received, The following appears in the Gazette :—“ The Colonial Treasurer acknowledges the receipt, this day, of a ten-shilling duty-stamp attached to a slip of paper with the word ‘ Restitution ’ writteh thereon.—H, A. Atkinson,.”

The Railways. —The Railway Commissioners received no tender for Westport coal, and the Grey Valley Company’s price was too high. Otago coal, therefore, will be principally used on the southern railways and Newcastle eoal on the North Island lines.

The Eight Hours Movement —lt has been decided to form a Committee to obtain subscriptions from all the colonies for a memorial to Mr S. D. Parnell, the founder of the eight hours movement. The latter, however, is in a precarious condition, and little hopes of his recovery are entertained.

German Squadron. The German Squadron have sailed from Melbourne for the South Seas. Angling Competition. competitors in the angling competition under the auspices of the Geraldine County Anglers’ Society on Tuesday next are reminded that entries close to-night. The Puhipuhi Field. —Mr Leslie McArthur, who visited Puhipuhi in order that he might report on the field to certain Australian capitalists, has returned to Auckland from that locality. Be considers the field rich and extensive, and rays that, with proper machinery, the silver may be easily saved. In a New Character.— Our old friend Mr W. Essery is oomiog out in a new character. In the Government Gazette of December 4tH there appears a notice that he has been granted a patent for “ Easery’a Household Sdve.” .We do not know ought to be oleaginous and soothing. Property Tax The amount of property tax paid up to Wednesday was : At post offices, £139.259; at Wellington, £57,597; total, £196,508. Thera are also remittances in the course of post. The second instalment of sums of £5 and over will not be due until February 4th, and no tax has yet been paid by insurance

companies. The Female Franchise. —On the Kaiapoi burgess list are now included the names of twenty-two married women, whose husbands are alive and inside with them, who enjoy the franchise as burgesses. It is understood that this matter is likely to bo inquired into as affecting the result of a recent election, and the validity of the burgess list.—Press. The Alleged Sheep-Stealing Case.— The case against John Campbell, of Woodbury, charged with sheep-stealing, advanced another stage yesterday, when accused was committed for trial at the Supreme Court, Timaru. The only relief to the monotony of yesterday’s hearing was the bright, intelligent way in which Miss Wooding gave her evidence. The Eclipse. Yesterday afternoon moat people with a little leisure lime at their disposal amused and interested themselves by watching the partial eclipse of the sun. It commenced at about half-past two o’clock, and as the sun became obscured there was a very perceptible lowering of temperature as well as a general appearance as though twilight was sotting in. So marked was this that domestic fowls made preparations for taking up their quarters for the night. The eclipse ended at a faw minutes before five o’clock. Quinine. —The American girl’s latest restorative is quinine. She carries it in the form of pills in an ornamental cut glass bottle with a gold stopper. It has quite superseded morphia and strychnine Iczenges. If she is tired she takes two pills ; if in a draught, one ; if hungry, four or five; and if her feet get wet, ten are the , correct number. Each pill contains two grains. Six are a cure for indigestion. The quinine bottle is produced on all occasions and in all sorts of places.

A Propellor op H«rned Cattle. — ' Some years ago a witness who was giving himself airs in a local Magistrate’s Court was suddenly brought up by learned counsel on the opposite side starting his cross-examination with —“ And what are you?” The witness, apparently a notch above a bullock puncher, replied he was “ a propellor of horned cattle.” Another witness, more recently, in Australia, on being asked if he knew the nature of an oath, replied, “My blooming word, don't I, though ; why we drove bullocks for ten years over the bloominest roads between here and Shool.” Nearly Tao Late. —An incident which oceasioned some commotion and amusement, occurred on Sunday, October 19th, on board the Canard liner Seryia, just before she sailed from Queenstown for New York. A young Irish girl, named Kate Walsh, who has been employed in Birmingham for six years as a telegraph operator, had embarked for America, when she was confronted by her sweetheart, a Birmingham provision merchant, named Feely. He begged her to leave the ship and return with him, as he was prepared to marry her. She consented, but reproached him, saying, “You were very near too late. You should have asked me before.”

Wesleyan Chukch, Temfka. —The Wesleyan Church is in for a “ high tima ” next Sunday and the full half of next week. Not one word need be said ©f the preacher’s pulpit powers, so universally known as first-class. With the afternoon’s floral service and the children’s well-trained ail-day singing the community have every reason to expect a “good day.” Who does not want to know about Darkest Africa ! And what better way to know about this excited interest than the Rev. Mr Isitt’s lecture, with fifty lime-light views. Then for humor and goodness what can excel Dr McLeod, Wednesday evening’s lecture f We are glad to hear that there is a great reduction in the price of admission for families joining together.

Selectors’ .Revaluation Act. Selectors desirous of availing themselves of the benefits of the Selectors Land Revaluation Act will be glad to learn that in reply lo enquiries made by Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, lha Land Department sta(« a that a schedule of holdings in respect of which the Land Board recommend reductions' and upon which all amounts due up to date are fully paid, will bo forwarded for the approval of the Minister on Mr Baker’s return next week. Selectors whose payments do not cover all arrears due at the reduced rate will be asked oh pay such amounts as will bring their payments on the basis of the revaluation ; notice to these will bo issued next week.

NEaiECimo Children.—At the Dunedin Police Court on Thursday Mary Mollroy was charged with neglecting her two children, eight weeks and 2£ years of age respectively. Defendant was the mother of nine children, seven of whom were with her mother at Papanui. Her husband went away soma weeks ago to work in a coal mine at Denniston, and she had taken to drink, going out and leaving the children alone and very scantily clad. The police gave her an excellent character when sober, and stated that she was a respectably connected woman. She pleaded guilty, and stated that she had taken to drink owing to worry about her husband, who had not sent her any money lately. She was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, on her promising better behaviour. Mr Carew spoke in high terms of the Salvation Army Jfor having stepped in and taken chargejof the children, ,

Changeable Affections. —A Japanese paper speaks of a native,aged 40, who has married and divorced 35 wives, and is now married to the thirty-sixth. Evidently with him msrrisge is not a failure. Cricket. —The following team will play for the Tim.tr h High School C.C. against Temoka 'o-day in the Temuka Park. Play begins at 2 o’clock sharp : Bilton (captain), Browne, Buchanan, Chisholm, Collins, LeOren, Mathews, Morrison, Sims, Smith, Yon Haast. Hydrophobia. —An extraordinary case of hydrophobia has just occurred at StPaiil Minnesota. Some time back a cow was badly bitten by a dog suffering from rabies. The animal subsequently went into convulsions, and tbs members of a family to whom milk from her had been supplied were on drinking some of it, affected in a similar manner. Ad experiment with tha milk was tried upon a dog, with the result that the animal went mad oa the spot. . . A Curious Calculation. —A curious calculation of food consumed in a lifetime of seventy years has recently been made by a French savant, who says that the average epicure of threescore and ten will have consumed 30 oxen, 200 sheep, 100 calves, 200 lambs, 50 pigs, 2200 fowls, 1000 fish of different kinds, 30,000 oysters, 5475 pounds of vegeables, 243 pounds of butter, 24,000 eggs, and four tons of bread, besides several hogsheads of wine, tea, coffee, etc. This enormous amount of food will weigh bat little short of 40 tons. Increase of Wealth, There were, towards the end of the American Civil War, 11 men in New \ork with over a million dollars apiece, and 20 such in other parts of the States. Out of the 11 New York millionaires only two were American born, four being Germans, two Scotchmen, two Frenchmen, and one a Jew. At the present day there are in New York alone over a thousand whose dollars amount to seven figures, and the total in the North American States reaches five thousand.

The New Stamp. —Mr A. E. Cousins, of Wellington, has secured the bonus offered by the Postal Department for the bast design for a new ocean postage stamp of 2|dj and has been entrusted with the work of preparing the design, which is the Queen’s head copied front a jubilee coin, enclosed in an oyal, the words “ Postage and Revenue ” being just above it. At the base are the words “New Zealand,” and immediately below this appear the words “ twopence halfpenny,” with the figures “ 2J” dividing them. Oa each of the stamps there is an excellent ocean steamer. The stamp, which is to be brought into force at the beginning of the year, will probably be printed in blue.

A Penman’s Union. —Coder the heading ‘A'Penman's Union ’ an Auckland paper contains the following lines; — “ A Penman’s Union % Why not ! Surely those whose ‘ sweat of brain,’ as Carlyle puts it, is their only capital ought, to have as much protection fram grinding employers as manual laborers. Especially is it rare for any employer of ‘mind’ to consider that any fixed hour is necessary to knock off. He thinks that the mental machine may go on unoilod for over. Never at any time were those who toil with their brains so overtasked. In Auckland they receive lass than the wages of Chinamen and exist almost on next to nothing. Their fashionable snit often covers a hungry and stunted body. No class uf men are such veritable slaves as the eheap clerk, and there are shoals and shoals of them. They may be seen marching up and down Queen Street with masher collars and gilt-headed canes, without a shilling in their pocket to jingle on a tombstone. Yet most of them, in their own little way, are champions of capital. A Penman’s U nion is much needed.

Holloway's Pills. —Weakening weather. —The sultry summer day* strain the nerves of the feeble and decrepit, and disease may eventuate unless some restorative, such as these purifying Pills, be found to correct the disordering tendency. Holloway’s medicine gives potency to the nervous system) which is the source of all vital movements, and presides over every action which maintains the growth and well-being of the body No one can over estimate the necessity of keeping the nerves well strung, or the ease with which these Pills accomplish that end. They are the most unfailing antidotes to indigestion, irregular circulation, palpitation, sick headache, and costiveness, and have therefore attained the largest sale and highest reputation.

SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. Temuka Park Board—lnvite tenders f»r painting pavilion in park. A, E. Cos—Advertises entries of’sheep, cattle, and pigs for Temuka stock sale on Tuesday next. Wesleyan Church, Temuka—Notice re services to-morrow, picnic on Wednesday, and lecture on Monday and Tuesday evenings. J. Harrison, Grocer, etc, —Advertises his motto as S.P.Q.R., and lowest cash 1 prices for groceries, crockery, and ironmongery ; pure teas ; harvest requisites. J. Mundell and Co.—Publish long list of entries of sheep, cattle, and pigs for Temuka stock sale on Tuesday next ; sell Caledonian Society’s sports privileges on Tuesday next. J. W. Pye, Victoria House, Geraldine —Notifies purchase of new goods in all departments suitable for the Christmas season, which will be sold very cheap; invites a call. G. H, Mogridge, Draper and Clothier— Advertises special purchases of goods for Christmas season, and enumerates some of his specialities ; Xmas and New Year presents and cards. J. Brown, Beehive Stores, Temuka— Advertises arrival of novelties for Christmas and New Year; fancy goods, toys, etc, ; also groceries, general drapery, clothing, boots and shoes, etc,