LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2265, 10 October 1891, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

To Correspondents. Correspondence is unavoidably held over. Geraldine Road Board. —The monthly meeting of the Geraldine Road Board will be held on Monday. Wesleyan Church, Temuka. —The services for to-morrow will be found in our advertising columns. Primitive Methodist Church. The services for to-morrow in connection with this Church will be found in our advertising columns. Temuka Dairy Factory.— The Temuka Dairy Factory will be open on Monday morning, under Mr Bowman’s management. Farmers and others should keep this industry floating, by seeing that it is well supplied with milk. Sale of a Run. —The Achray Estate of 18,000 acres at Amuri, the property of Mr James Macfarlane. has been purchased by Mr Harrison Davis, The price is understood to be somewhere between £50,000 and £60,000. About 14,000 sheep chiefly crossbreds are included in the sale. Illicit Still.— At Auckland Vereker Bindon was fined £75, including costs, for having an illicit still in hip possession. Defendant was allowed six weeks ih which to pay, and entered into a bond for that purpose; in default of payment the alternative is three months’ imprisonment. The articles seized were forfeited. Found Dead. —Benjamin Stuthridge, a farmer residing at Belfast, near Christchurch, aged 59, was found dead in a ditch on his property on Wednesday afternoon, He left home after dinner apparently quite well and his wife cannot account for his death us he was hale and hearty and in his usual state of health. The Edwards Case. —Information was brought by the last English mail to the effect that the papers in the Edwards case had reached Home and that the case stands upon the list lor the Privy Council to come in its turn for argument. Messrs Mackrell and Co., the regular London solcitors to the New Zealand Government, have been instructed to retain Sir Horace Davey, Q,0., and Mr Finlay, Q.C., to argue the case for the Government.

The Weather.—After three days of damp misty weather yerterday morning the sun. came out quite warm, and everybning appeared fresh and green. Crops are coming up splendidly throughout the district and orchards are blooming nicely. The fields show that cattle will soon have plenty of feed. These interchanges of wet and sunshine is doubtless an augury of a good harvest in store for farmers this season. Professor Mason.—Every seat in the Volunteer Hall, Geraldine, was taken up on Wednesday evening last when Professor Mason gave his lecture on “ Love Courtship and Marriage.” The lecture was a very amusing as well as an instructive one, and the young people present became so interested in it that at the conclusion they could hardly believe that they had been listening for nearly three hours. Of course the great event of the evening was what the Professor termed “Mating.” Five young ladies mounted the platform and went through the ordeal of being mated to five young men. Out of the five couples, however, the Professor was only able to fix up two, one of which he assured the audience t was really a good match. Obituary.—We regret to learn that Mr Thomas O’Driscoll, of the Hibernian Hotel, Timaru, died last Thursday night. Mr O’Driscoll had been only eight or nine days ailing, and during the beginning of the week had four doctors in attendance on him. On Thursday they performed an operation on him from which he never rallied, and he died the same evening. Mr O’Driscoll’s only daughter died in Sydney only a few weeks ago, strange to say of a complaint somewhat similar to that of which he .died. He was a very old resident of Timaru and had a large number of relatives in the district. He was only 52 years of age, and always enjoyed excellent health. He leaves a widow and several step-children grown up, to whom he has always been good and kind. He was a munificent patron of the Catholic Church and other institutions. Fire at Hilton.—At about 11 o’clock on Tuesday morning last Mrs Constable discovered fire coming out from behind a weatherboard close to the chimney at the back of the Hilton Hotel. She instantly gave the alarm,and several neighbors came on the scene and began pulling - furniture and other things out of the hotel, thinking there was no chance of saving it any other way. Mr Julius Healey, Mr O. G. Bradley, and Mr Dalton got up to where the fire was coming out and wrenched away the weatherboard, and were thus enabled to get at the fire, which, by pouring water on it, they managed to extinguish in about half an hour. The fire had evidently originated by a defect in the chimney close to the roof. There was a good deal of damage done through the hasty removal of furniture. The hotel being lined with lath and plaster within no doubt saved it from total destruction. About £35 was the amount of damage to the furniture by hasty removal, and £2O should cover the damage done to the building, The furniture was insured for £2OO in the Liverpool and London Globe Office. The hotel was insured, but it is not known in what office. It is believed to be insured in the Liverpool and London Globe. The Crown Brewery Company, Christchurch, are the owners, and Mr i Henry Homes is the occupant. Mr Homes was at Winchester at the time of the fire. Band of Hope.—The monthly meeting of the Bangitata Island Wesleyan Band of Hope was held in the Bangitata Island schoolroom on Wednesday evening last, and proved to be the most successful meeting that has yet been held since the opening of the Band of Hope. The meeting was opened with harmony and prayer, after which the chairman, Mr H. Grainger, made a few appropriate remarks, in which he urged all to remain firm to their temperance pledge and to be thorough teetotallers. A reading was then given by ! Miss Emma Grainger, and was followed by the best piece of the evening, in the shape of a dialogue called “ Theopolis Snipe.” In I this dialogue Messrs D. and P. Watts, Morrison and Buck, and the Misses S Grainger and N. Watts performed the several parts entrusted to them ip a very i manner. Mr. D. Wait?!, especially deserves great; credit/ fpr, ’ the pleasing manner in which’he acted the part of Theopolis Snipe. A recitation being given bj' Mr H. Watts, another dialogue followed, which was almost as successful as the first. It was called “The Teetotal Barber,” and was acted by Messrs J. and W, Somerfield, C. Waller, J. Ledgerwood, 0. Weaver, and C. Heame. Mr j- Ledgerwood, as a chimney-sweep, provoked much laughter, and Master Charles Hearne made a competent barber’s, assistant. A recitation “Nail your colors to the mast,” was well given by Mr H. Wright, jun. During the evening short addresses were given by Messrs Watts and H. Wright, sen., and harmony was indulged in at intervals. Miss S. Grainger officiated at the qrgan. The meeting, which terminated about. 9.30, was acknowledged by all to have been a mpst enjoyable one,

The Premier.— The Hon, J. Ballance, Premier, wlli arrive in Christchurch on Tuesday morning, and will probably remain there a few days. Waihi Football Club. —Mr R. Morrison, Geraldine, has on view in his window two large group photos, of the Waihi, Football Club’s First and Second Teams. Geraldine Rifles. The muster on parade on Thursday evening was very good Several members "of the company have left the district, and consequently left the corps, but Captain Pearpoint has had no difficulty in filling their places. Found Drowned.— The body of William Cooper, the missing publican of Waerengahiki, near Gisborne, was found on Wednesday morning close to where he is believed to have plunged into the river. The body was found fully dressed. Immigration and Emigration Returns. —The immigration and emigration returns for September show that the arrivals were 938 persons, and the departues 1238. The arrivals were—From the United Kingdom, 190; New South Wales, 435; Victoria, 226; Tasmania, 30; other places, 57. The departures were—To the United Kingdom, 62 ; Queensland, 3 ; New South Wales, 801; Victoria, 208 ; Tasmania, 73 ; other places, 91. Tasmanian Exhibition. Altogether twenty firms have entered as exhibitors at the forthcoming Tasmanian Exhibition, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill being represented. It is understood that a number of firms have also sent entries direct to the Tasmanian Government. At least ten artists will send ten pictures, and one or two persons will be selling Maori curios in the New Zealand Court. Mr F. N. Meadows, who had charge of the Canterbury court at the late Dunedin Exhibition, will go to Tasmania as superintendent of the New Zealand court. Winchester School Committee.—A special meeting of this committee was held on October sth to pass minutes of last ordinary meeting, consider financial matters, and secretaryship. Present—Messsrs Carston (chairman), Jones, Beattie, Bishop, Connelly, Haar, and Lowden. The revised minutes were read and confirmed. After going through minutes and ’bank books there was nothing tb show how the prize fund had been expended, and it was resolved to make further enquiries and report at the next ordinary meeting. With regard to the secretaryship, the chairman undertook to fulfil that duty. Education a.l Institute. —The annual meeting of the South Canterbury Educational Institute was held on Saturday last. A discussion took place on a proposal to discontinue the meetings of the Institute, owing to the want of support on the part of country teachers, but the motion received little support. It was stated that the contributions from this branch to the New Zealand Institute were quadrupled this year, owing to the formation of a legal defence fund, and that unless’additional members were secured the South Canterbgry branch could not remain affiliated. The following officers were appointed for the ensuing year:—Mr G. Hogben, President; Mr J. Thomson, Vice-president; and Mr F. W. Wake, Secretary and Treasurer ; Messrs Aitken, Steven, and Bell. with the Misses McLean, Avison and Haskell were appointed a committee of management. Mr G Steven, of Hilton, was nominated to represent this branch at the next session of the New Zealand Institute in Christchurch The following resolutions were passed as suggestions to the conference :—“ That the levy to the Legal Defence Fund be Is per member after the first year; ” “ That this Institute protests against the formation of any compulsory Teachers’ Benefit' Society.” The secretary reported the enrolment of four new members, and the meeting adjourned till the first Saturday in February.

Mr T. Gtjnnion’s Ball. —Those who anticipated a pleasant evening at Mr T Gunnion’s ball at Temuka on Thursday evening had their expectations fullrealised. It had been intended to hold it in the Volunteer Hall, but towards the last it was seen by the way the tickets were being disposed of that the larger hall would have to be used. As it was, this only sufficed for the number present, some eighty couples. The decorations were very tasteful, the lighting good, and the floor in capital order. A very nice supper was provided by lady members of the Quadrille Assembly, and Messrs Goodwillie and Colville played in their usual good style At about nine o’clock the ball was opened with the “ Grand March,” which was gone through by thirty-seven couples, under Mr W. McCalluxn, who acted as M.C. This had been rehearsed beforehand by most of those taking part in it, and its graceful evolutions made a very pretty sight. Then followed a nicely-selected programme of dances, with a supper interval at about half-past eleven. Advantage was taken of the interval to make a presentation to Mr W. McCallum for his services as M.C. during the winter session. The presentation was made by Mr P. Coira, and consisted of a very handsome “ Historic ” album. After supper dancing was kept up merrily until the small hours. Mr Gunnion is to be congratulated upon the success of his dances. He spares no trouble to make them pleasant, and his courteous J treatment to visitors other than members' of his assembly is much appreciated.

Salvation Army. When interviewed by a correspondent of the Sydney Daily Telegraph on the subject of the Over-sea Colony, General Booth said: —“ Arrailgements with respect to the Colony will have to be made in a few days. I’ve got an offer from the Cape—a remarkable offer —for nothing, which cannot be trifled with. I was all in favour of the Cape until the last few days, but lately, I must say, I have wavered a little. This is a very different 1 country. There must be a great future before this nation; must be, if the people who have got it in hand knqw anything about it, and how to manage it, as I suppose they do.”—The General also stated, with regardto the finances of the Army, that everything is made self supporting as far as possible. The receipts for the work in Great Britain, for local expenses, overseeing, and management, amount to between £SO.QOQ and £60,000 from all sources. The total income of the Army comes to about a million a year. The cost, of management, clerks, and so on, is, more than met by trade profits. —His Excellency the Earl of Onslow has signified his intention of being present at General Booth’s “In Darkest England ” meeting in Christchurch. —Acting on the advice of Mr Justice Hawkins, the Salvationists offered to compromise the dispute at Eastbourne by agreeing to confine their marching and band playing to a certain section of the town. This conpromise vfas rejected by the Council, and hence the battle will have to be fought to the bitter end. The English newspapers severely censure the action of the town counol'i.— Lady Henry Somerset laid one of the stones of a Salvation Citadel at Tottenham, London. The building, tQ he erected at a cost of £2OOO, will accomodate 850 people. This is one of ten Army buildings in tbe neighbourhood of London which have been commenced since January of last year, all of which are to be completed by Christmas. Seven of them are already finished. They will altogether seat 9000 •people, at a cost £33,000, j ,