LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2242, 18 August 1891, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Concert and Dance. —A concert and dance, in aid of Gapes’s Valley School, will be'held on Tuesday next at the schoolroom, Gapes’s Valley. Geraldine Stock Sale.— The fortnightly sale of stock at Geraldine takes place to-morrow, Messrs J. Mundell and Co., H. B. Webster and Co., and A. E. Cox advertise a large number of entries, which are well worth attention. Entertainment at Temuka. Tonight the Black Star Minstrels give a variety entertainment in the Temuka Volunteer Hall, at which a most enjoyable programme will be gone through. The entertainment promises to • be most successful. The Late Accident. —The friends of Mr N. Money will be glad to learn that he is progressing favorably, although still seriously ill. Since writing the above one who saw him again yesterday considered his prospects of recovery very doubtful. He was unconscious on Sunday. [ Land , Settlement. At a meeting convened at Patea by the mayor and county chairman, resolutions were adopted unanimously impressing on tho*Government the serious drawback the district labored under owing to the delay in opening up Crown lands at the back of Patea and Waverley. Scores of people are continuously coming and leaving the district without being able to get land. A number of works were specified which it was absolutely necessary, in the opinion of the meeting, should be put in hand a| once for the purpose of opening up the inland district, and a deputation was appointed to wait on the Government. Football. —The following will represent Temuka Second in their Cup match with the Union Second (Timaru) on the Caledonian ground, Timaru, on Thursday, Aug. 20th:—Russell, Storey, Polaschek, McAulifie, McKinlay, Rodgers, Findlay, Robinson,Thomson,Graham,Scott,Henry, Marshall, McCaskill, Holden; emergencies, Morton, Lee, McOallum. A. drag will leave Temuka at 1.15 sharp.—The following will represent the Temuka and Waihi Clubs in their Cup match, to take place at Winchester on Saturday, August 20th ; Temuka ; Storey, McLeod, Velvin, Gillespie, Armitage, McOallum, Anderson, Carr, Austin, Lavery, Goldstone, Fitzgerald, Gaffaney, Brosnahau, and Ross. Waihi: Moore, Morrison, Shallard (2), Opie (2), Stewart (2), Hart (2), Brinkman, Wakely, Lewis, Turnbull, and McLeod; emergency, J. Henderson. Lady Cyclists. —lt may not be generally known but it is nevertheless true, that the lady cyclist is now an., accomplished fact in Christchurch.. During the past two or three months. these lady riders may have been seen practising on an evening, and to such good purpose that they now venture out in broad daylight. On Sunday two of these ladies journeyed from Christchurch to New Brighton and back, doing the return journey in the very creditable time of thirty-five minutes. The machines ridden are Rovers, and were locally made. Some people have the erroneous idea that the lady sits astride of the machine, but such is not the case, the machine being so constructed that the lady may sit in the saddle as comfortably as if she were sitting in a chair. The pedals are immediately in front of her, and she may mount and dismount with the greatest ease. At the opening run of the season, which takes place shortly, it is expected there will be a large muster of ladies, who, by their presence, will add greatly to the interest of the occasion.— Press. An Expensive Practical Joke.— Offering somebody a chair for the sake of the satisfaction of dexterously withdrawing it as he is in the act of sitting down is not a very brilliant joke; neither is it a very original one. It appears, moreover, that it is not a particularly cheap one; at least it was not so in the case of a Liverpool gentleman who : indulged / in this little pleasantry at a ball in that city. His victim fell to the ground, which no doubt added greatly to his betrayer’s enjoyment of the jest, but the consequences were rather serious, for though the victim quickly got up again he had subsequently “great difficulty in keeping some dancing engagements he had made.” After the ball was over it was found that his spine was injured, and he had to keep his bed for four weeks, and then go to Llandudno I “ to recuperate.” ■ The matter has been investigated in the Liverpool County Court, with the result that the practical joker, in spite of his denials, has been adjudged to pay the plaintiff’s claim (£l6 17s 6d) with costs. A Curious Case. —The attention of Mr Justice Williams was occupied for some time on Tuesday morning at Dunedin in hearing the divorce suit of Crawley v. Crawley, in which the wife petitioned for a dissolution of marriage on the ground of the husband’s desertion and adultery. An unusual circumstance in connection with the case was . that the parties separated on the day of their marriage, which was in June, 1886. The wedding was aptly described by the counsel engaged as a gloomy one, for the petitioner, who married against the wish of her mother, was stated to have cried throughout the ceremony, and when it was concluded, the witnesses to it having left, the newlywedded pair decided to go for a walk, and elected, of all the places in Dunedin, to visit the cemetery, where accordingly they proceeded, the petitioner crying all the way, both going and returning. Five hours after the marriage was solemnised the husband parted with his. wife, and from that time never set eyes on her again, Evidence was furnished which satisfied His Honor of the husband’s adultery in addition to desertion, and a rule nisi was granted. \

Winchester Fair.— The monthly sale of stock, etc., takes place at Winchester to-day. Messrs Grade, Maclean& Co. advertise a number of entries. A Present for a Queen.— A sun dial in bronze has been constructed at Wellington to the order of His Excellency the Governor for presentation to the Queen of Raratonga. Musical and Dramatic Entertainment.—ln our advertising columns will be found the programme of the entertainment to be given in the Volunteer Hall on Thursday evening in aid of St. Saviour’s Sunday School Building Fund. It is a first-class one,* and should be sufficient to attract a large audience. Tasmanian Scenery.- A Tasmanian settler was taking home his young and newly-married wife, who gushed prettily about the scenery, How, fresh! how delightful! ‘how beautiful!” she exclaimed. “Yes,” said the husband, “the scenery is.pooty fair even now; but I mind the time it was nigh up to the axles! ” Consumption Curb, —From a letter read at the Nelson City Council on Saturday night it appears that a new treatment for consumption has been introduced by Mr H. Oiapham, who wrote offering to treat a patient, to be nominated by the Council, free of cost, to prove its efficacy. Some of the councillors testified to Mr Clapham’s success and his offer was. favorably feceiyed. An Australian in America.— The San Francisco Bulletin says :■—“ A man from Sydney, Australia, now in Ohio, claims that he can draw rain from the driest skies by an electrical apparatus, and that his operations in Australia have been successfully carried out over 250,000 square miles. His place is out in Nevada, Colorado, etc. He is running to waste in Ohio. We have read a good deal of late years about irrigation works on a grand scale in Australia, but nothing about the serial irrigation of this. Sydney scientist.” Fire.— Had it not been for the timely assistance of Mr T. Baxter the People’s Drapery Shop,” Geraldine, would have been in flames on Saturday evening last. Mr King, who occupies the premises, happenad to bej out when one of the window lamps burst, and had ignited a bundle of wool and other articles in the window when Mr Baxter who was passing noticed the flame, and, entering the shop, attempted to smother it, but not being able to do so was obliged to call in the assistance of a neighbor, who, with a bucket|ofyyater succeeded inputting it out before much damage was done, Mr Baxter received several nasty bums about the hands, and deserves credit for his action. Baptisms at Kakahu. —At about two o’clock on Sunday afternoon last a large number of people found their way. to the sod whare between Gapes’ Valley and Kakahu Bush, near Where a number of persons were about to be baptised by immersionlin a water-hole four feet'deep. The proceedings commenced with the singing of a hymn from Sankey’s hymn book, after which the candidates for baptism stood forward (fifteen persons in all; six women and nine men), and were emersed by Messrs Hurley and Coppin; After the baptisms the service "was continued by Mr Hurley, who delivered an interesting address, urging those around him to become converted and baptised. Others having also spoken the proceedings terminated.

A Rival to Tennis.— Tennis, though it has its peculiar charms, is gradually waning in popularity, and . a new game, which may possibly replace it, is attracting some notice at the present time. It ig called anelletto, the Italian: for a little ring, and is a mingling of tennis, croquet, and bowls, being played with a racquet and colored balls, very light, which are served through rings by means of racquets. These rings are raised upon iron rods to a distance of 6ft or so from the ground. It takes some practice to put the ball through them so as to let it drop in a good position for getting it through the next. The server has to stand on the spot where his ball drops in order to strike it through the ring. Whilst the new game steers clear of the monotony of croquet, it is claimed that it avoids the fatigue and exertion of teunh. There is no running, yet plenty of exorcise, a combination which should certainly make it an ideal open-air game for women. The Sea Monster. —A correspondent of the Wellington Evening Post Writes as follows : —“ People seem just now to be sorely exercised in their minds on account of the reported appearance of the great sea serpent in our waters. Now, the explanation is very simple. I have not t>e slightest doubt that the animal recently seen was nothing more than one of those gigantic squids, or ten-armed cuttleSshes. The cuttles are fond of swimming on the surface of the water, trailing their arms behind them. All the cephalopoda swim backwards, with the posterior end raised above water, and the arms, to some 50ft or 60ft, following, and looking very much like the undulations of a serpent’s v body... They also frequently leap out of the water to a height of many feet. Yoxi may remember that three of these monsters have at various times been, stranded on the shores of Cook Strait,’ and were fully described and figured in the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. I will to-morrow leave several drawings at your office showing how easily these animals may at a distance be mistaken for serpents.”

True Neighbors.— -The gift auction and dance organised by the residents in Winchester for the purpose, of assisting Mr J. Nisbett and family, who it will be remembered have - recently . suffered through his protracted illness, was a pronounced success. The committee worked very enthusiastically, and their efforts. met with a warm response. On Friday last, in the Public Hall at Winchester, was displayed a very large collection of produce of all kinds—the gifts not only of friends, but of many to whom Mr Niabett was personally unknown. This was submitted to auction by Mr H. B. Webster, and the bidding was spirited iff extreme. Every line of it was readily disposed of. After a reasonable interval to 1 admit of the room being/cleared, the dance was started. Mr W. McOallum Acted as - M.G., and Messrs Haar and Barrett furnished capital music: Young and old appeared thoroughly to enjoy themselves, and dancing was kept up merrily until the small hours. Before closing it was announced that the sum of £SO, or thereabouts, had been realised, and this gratifying notification was very warmly received. ' ’

Religion in Germany.— Two remarkable religious movements are "afoot in Germany. At the head of one is Pastor Stoecker, who* since his disgrace at Court, has devoted the whole of his energies to the organisation of a national church on a Protestant basis and with an ecclesiastical hierarchy. This accomplished, he proposes that it shall undertake the direction of the social movement, and shall win back the working classes to religion by promoting their material Welfare. At present, the great bulk of the German socialists are practically atheists; and it is a striking proof of the popular indifference to religion of the people of Berlin more particularly, that whereas there was one place of worship in that city to every 2300 inhabitants in 1700, there was only one to every 14,000 in 1890. The other movement is headed by a certain Herr von Egidy, lately an officer in the Saxon Hussars. Last 'summer he published a pamphlet entitled “ Earnest Thought,” which produced so profound a impression that he resigned his commission a few months afterwards, and devoted himself wholly to the work of religious reformation. He follows in the steps of St. Paul, Luther, and Spencer; and makes “Purify your hearts by faith,” the keynote of his teachings. He is thoroughly sincere, but his ideal tendencies will scarcely bring him into touch with the classes he most wishes to reach and influence. , Synopsis of advertisements. South Orari School—Concert and dance on August 20th. Gapea’s Valley School—Concert and dance on Tuesday next. Grade, Maclean & Co.—Additional entries for Winchester sale to-day. Comer & Larcombe—Funeral notice re late daughter of Mr and Mrs O. Bates. D. McLeod, Geraldine Notice re trespassing on his farm; also poison laid for dogs. J. Brown—Notice re great sale of drapery, clothing, boots and shoes, at Temuka Beehive Stores for fourteen days. E. C. Dann—Notice re Howden and Moncrieff’s garden seeds, herbal beer extract, chemicals, patent medicines, etc. Musical and Dramatic Entertainment —At Temuka on Thursday evening, in aid of St Saviour’s Sunday School Building Fund.