LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2225, 9 July 1891, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Miford School.— This school will re-open on Monday next. Hunting. —On last Monday the South Canterbury Harriers met at Milford at the residence of Mr P. Wareing, and after partaking of refreshments a splendid day’s hunting Avas enjoyed. Those who took part in the hunt Avere afterwards entertained in a most hospitable manner by Mr P. Wareing. Blue Ribbon Social. —A meeting of Good Templars and Blue Ribbonists is advertised for to-night in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Geraldine, for the purpose of getting up social gatherings in connection Avith the Temperance movement in Geraldine. A large attendance is anticipated of all interested.

Geraldine Fire Brigade. This brigade met on Tuesday evening, when there was a full muster of members, the captain occupying the chair. After routine, correspondence from the editor of the Fire Ambulance Record was dealt with. It was decided to procure a further supply of hose. Several accounts were presented and passed for payment, and the meeting then terminated. Accident. —A young man named Reginald Orton met with a very painful accident at Woodbury on Tuesday last. He was in the act ot sawing a piece of wood at a circular saw on the premises of Mr George Hammond, when the wood slipped, and he received a nasty cut across the back of his right hand, penetrating the bones. Dr Fish attended to the sufferer. The probability is that the young man would have lost his hand, had if. not. been that the saw was only going at a slow pace.

More Water Wanted. —There is a water famine in Ashburton. It is something strange that this should happen in the middle of winter. Geraldine Rifles. Messrs W. Stbnehouse and J. Fiefield were equal as regards regular attendance at parades, etc,, for the year ending May, 1891, and between them will share the prize. On Strike. —The Hokitika Charitable Aid Board has gone out on strike. Retrencement took a great deal Of the revenue from the local bodies, who fail to supply their contributions to the board, and hence the trouble. There is a very angry feeling ie the district over it.

Important Clearing Sale.—Attention is directed to the extensive clearing sale advertised by Messrs J, Mundell and Co. on account of Mr F. W. Badham, which will take place on the Bulmer Farm. Two choice farms and the whole of Mr Badham’s live stock and furniture are to be sold. The sale will commence at 11 o’clock, and luncheon will be provided. Concert and Dance at Pleasant Point. —To-morrow evening an entertainment in aid of the Pleasant Point Library takes place in the Assembly Rooms. A first-rote drogramme, including vocal and instrumental selections, has been arranged, and will conclude with a farce entitled “ The Shingle Shifters.” It is not stated where the scene is laid, but from the title one might imagine it is not far from Timaru. This point will be cleared up by those who attend the entertainment to-morrow night, and we feel sure those who do so will enjoy themselves, as well as assist a deserving local institution. Land Settlement. —The member for Akaroa, Mr Joyce, and Mr Milsom, mayor of Lyttelton, interviewed the Minister of Lands on the subject of land settlement, Mr Milsom has just returned from the district north of Wellington, and has spent the past two weeks in searching for a suitable block of land for a settlement association recently formed at Lyttelton. After some discussion, Mr McKenzie promised that 5000 acres should be reserved for the association. Mr Joyce is prepared to secure another rich block of land in the same district for settlement purposes if he receives applications from Peninsular residents willing to go there. Sporting.— The following are the acceptances for the Timaru Guineas, 1891, to be run at the spring meeting of the South Canterbury Jockey Club, on the 17th September: —Mr G. Watt’s b c Fairchild, by Black Rose Hinemoa; Mr J. Stephenson’s b f Huguenot, by Apremont—Martyr; Mr T, Daly’s b c Saddler, by Hanlan—Diana; Mr L. Laurenson’s blk c Victim, by Betrayer— Lady Clare; Hon. G. McLean’s b c Dilemma, by Rubezahl —Lady Emma; Hon. G. McLean’s b c Conjuror, by Gorten - Legerdemain ; Mr Sullivan’s ch c Albury, by Master Agnes—Lottery; Mr H. Lunn’s ch c Cajolery, by Apremont —Flattery; Mr D. Mahoney’s ch c Cumberland, by Borderman Shadow; Mr D. Mahoney’s b g Munster, by Borderman; Mr R. Allen’s b g Marauder, by Borderman—Beeswing.

The Land Bill.—ln the Land Bill to be submitted to the House by the Government, the freehold system of tenure is maintained, with conditions of improvements, and the deferred payment system is also retained. The perpetual lease system is made one strictly of lease only, the power to purchase which exists at present being taken away. There is provision for the establishment of village settlements and special settlement associations. Residence is a compulsory condition for small grazing runs; but residence is not necessary on lands purchased for cash, but the owners will have to make improvements. The area of small grazing runs or pastoral lands held by one man is limited to 640 acres in the case of first-class land, and 2000 acres for second-class land. Full provision has been made in the bill for the prevention of dummyism. Land boards are empowered to make enquiries and to institute prosecutions for offences, and any person found guilty is liable to imprisonment.

Important to Farmers. A contemporary says : —An invention, which will be a boon to farmers, has been made by one of the most skilful mechanicians in the country, the Rev. Father Luck, of Kihikihi, Waikato. The details have not been divulged, as Father Luck intends patenting the invention. It appears that in his pastoral visiting for years past through a 'large and scattered district he has been troubled in seeing the labor and distress caused to farmers and others in isolated parts in loading heavy sacks of wheat, potatoes, &c., into waggons at the harvest time. Pondering over the matter he has discovered a remedy by an appliance which will prove to farmers and others of very great benefit. He claims that the value of the invention is not overstated, and that a small boy, by means of his invention, could in a day lift 600 heavy sacks into a waggon fitted with the new appliance. Moreover, the invention has the advantage of being inexpensive, easily put on or removed, about half a minute being sufficient either to place it or remove it. It is quiet out of the way in travelling. Disputed Will.— A case, which presents some interesting features, was

commenced at the Supreme Court, Dunedin, last Monday, in which the plaintiff, James Kerr, seeks to upset the will of Ellen Kerr, who died in November 1889, leaving the whole of her property by Avill to Peter Keddie, the defendant in the suit. The legatee was an old Avoman

who, for many years, earned a precarious livelyhood—at some times, it is said, earning as little as 6s a week—as a washerwoman in Dunedin and in Balclutha, and she achieved some celebrity at the time of the great flood in the Clutha river in 1878, by being carried down the stream on the top of a house. Some tiine before her death she came into a fortune of £2500, bequeathed to her by an aunt in San Francisco. It is alleged by those who impeach the will that Mrs Kerr was subject to hallucinations—that she was accustomed to speak of seeing spirits, ghosts, and devils —and -it is suggested that at the time she made the will she had not the necessary mental capacity to do so. The plaintiff in his statement of claim alleges that he was the legatee’s husband, but this is denied by the other side. Sir Robert Stout, who appeared for the defendant, proceeded, as is usual in cases of this kind, to prove the will. The husband was very unkind and it is only after her death that he took an interest in her—wilh

Good Hope Lodge, 1.0.G.T. The weekly session of the above lodge was held in the Social Hall on Monday last, with a very large attendance. Among the routine business was the consideration of an invitation to attend the anniversary of the Chrystal Spring Lodge, Timaru, on the 22nd inst.; also the making arrangements to hold on open Lodge at Winchester on Tuesday next. Four new members were installed, and others proposed for next night. A short harmony programme was gone through, and the lodge closed at 9.10. I.O.G.T.—The open night in connection with this lodge was very well attended on Mondry evening. The firsfr part of the entertainment consisted of the opening ode; remarks by the C.T.; song, Bro. Bowkett, “ Don’t go out tonight; reading, Sister Campbell, “A Mother’s Lesson;” song, Sister Morrison, “Driven from Home;” address, Bro. Hammond ; duet, Sisters Morrison, “Come unto Me;” reading, Bro. Newport, “ How Tom Sawyer got his face whitewashed;” song, Bro. Batchelor. Coffee and cake was then handed round and done full justice to by those present. The last half of the programme comprised a song by Bro. Herdman, “ Stirling ;” reading, Bro. C. E. Sherratt; duet, Sisters Bowkett and Sherratt, “ Jesus take my hand;” Scotch air, Bro. Baxter; recitation, Bro. Prouting, “ Retrospect;” Scotch air, Bro. Hammond; reading, Bro. Taylor, “He touched the right string;” song, Bro. Parker,'“ Musical Family ;” reading, Bro. W. 'Sherratt, “ Things I would not choose;” reading, Bro. Jones, “My wonderful friend.” The Rev. Mr Wood closed the meeting with a few remarks relative to the Temperance cause. In Hot Water. —Last oMnday night Mr O’Conor, member for Buffer, member for Buffer, narrowly escaped a serious mishap. He was in a warm .bath at the Parliamentary Buildings, and in order to raise the temperature turned on the tap for hot water. The water was boiling, and Mr O’Connor noticing the rapidly increasing heat tested the temperature with a thermometer when he was alarmed to find 120 deg. recorded. He immediately turned off the stream of boiling water, and then stood under a cold shower bath, when the shock caused by the transition from boiling heat to extreme cold was so great that after scrambling on to the floor he fainted. After a few moments he recovered and called out to Mr Jackson Palmer, who was in an adjoining room. After crawling to a chair Mr O’Conor fainted again, but Mr Palmer at once came to his help, and alarmed several other members who were in the lobbies, and about the buildings. Mr O’Connor fainted four times. He recovered sufficiently, however, to be taken home, and was walking about on Tuesday morning, though he still felt the effects of the shock and had a pain in the head where he was struck in falling. His constitution must be very robust, for the shock would have killed many men.

Geraldine Literary and Debating Society.— This society met on Monday evening last, when there was a moderate attendance of members, Mr H. W. Moore occupyiny the chair in the absence of the president and vice-president, who, owing to other meetings the same evening, were unable to be present. Mr Hawkins gave a very interesting and amusing reading of Jerome K. Jerome’s skit on Henry George’s idea of the equality of mankind. The evening was then devoted to the reading and discussion of a paper on the Bible in Schools question by the Rev. W. C. Wood. Mr Wood argued that the introduction of the Bible into public schools would decrease the present immorality among young people. Without the Bible he asserted that no teacher could have a standard of right and wrong in dealing with children. The essayist deal ouly with the moral phase of the question, and entirely avoided the religious phase. All present seemed to agree that the introduction of the Bible into public schools was indispensable. One or two minor objections were taken to certain parts of the paper, but on the whole all the speakers expressed themselves in its favor. Messrs Orbell, Winston, and Thomas were elected members of the society. The revised rules, prepared by a subcommittee previously appointed were read, and Mr Hawkins gave notice of moving their adoption at the next meeting of the society. The next meeting will be an open one, when a mock Trial by Jury is to take place.

SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS.

Milford School—Will re-open on Monday first.

Mount Peel Road Board—lnvites tenders for cuttings and fords. Cleggs—Final sale of saddlery, harness, etc,, at an early date in Timaru. I.O.G.T.—Meeting of those interested in the temperance movement at Geraldine to-night. D. Macdonald, Woodbury tenders for cropping 100 acres at Raincliff, and for grubbing gorse, etc. In Bankruptcy—Re Alfred Buzan, of Opihi, near Pleasant Point, farmer; first meeting of creditors in Timaru on Tuesday next.