LOCAL & GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2587, 28 November 1893, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Catholic Missionaries.-— I Three Catholic priests have arrived from London for the Ma ;ri mission at Hokianga and Rotorua. , A Property Oasb.— The Supreme Court ’ at Dunedin was occupied on Friday with a ,in which Richard Vaughan, supposed [ to be (0# .the point of death in 1892, when he conveyed p° his married sister, sought I to get the property back, but she refused to give it up, Mr Justice \yilliams gave judgment for Vaughan with costs. Evading Duty.—Ernest Lewis, a passenger by the Waihora from Sydney, was arrested at Auckland on Friday night on a charge of evading customs duty on a ! quantity of jewellery of the value of £lO, consisting of watches, rings, etc, Lewis Was - fined £25 and, the jewellery was forfeited. L r i default of payment of fine, a month’s iinpHsoSraent WAS impfcsed. Serious Accident,—At Auckland, John McLean, a married maa,_while adjusting a belt on a pulley in Craig’s wqod.-cjilting yard while the machinery was in motion, got his left hand caught, and in trying to save himself got his right hand caught also. His right arm was fractured, and left hand alnost severed from the wrist before he got free from the shafting. Alleged Starvation. —Last week it was reported to the police that a child named Knuckey, living with its mother, in Courtenay place, Wellington, was dying, apparently of starvation. 4 doctor visited it and said it could not live long, The child was on Saturday taken from the mother, but died, and the doctor refusing to certify the cause of death, an inquest will be held. Railway Extesnion.—The Turukenga ■•iou of Rotorua railway, nineteen miles secu. reaching within eight miles of long, an . ■ opened oa Saturday without Rotorua, was ’’'nsrlneer-in-chief has informality. The -l. -'cfcionsof Midland spected and passed two s. -hoi's of lake i Railway, along the Northern Rrunner, to within three miles Tcremakau. The remaining section to tua river ism early finished, and the bridge is expects Ito bo roaly by February. Railway communication will then be established between Reefton, Hokitika, and Jaokma’s. Cycling. Three Woodbury cyclists, Messrs J. Pearce, W. Woods, and the captain of the Amateur Cycling Club, Mr J. Meredith went fora day’s bicycling tour to Kakahu from Woodbury on Friday last. The hills were rather rough on the “ ordinaries ” and Woo ls got a nasty “ spiil,” but for “ safeties ” the roads were splendid. The. cyclists paid a visit to Mr Burn, at the schoolhouse, Kakahu, who was very bind to them, and got some warm water to bathe Woods who was somesvhat stunned with his fall. After lunching with Mr Burn, the cyclists made for Geraldine. They thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and advise other members of the club to try it. It would be a good thing if the club could arrange two or three day’s tours at holiday time,

Correspondence. —There is a rumour abroad that we have refused to insert several letters sent to us. This is not true. Every letter which reached this office from the Opposition side has been inserted, not a single one has been refused insertion. Wo have declined letters criticising Mr Rhodes, but not a single letter which was in his favor or against Mr Platman. We have published all of them free of charge. Mr Twomey was not treated like that by the Timaru Herald. Mr Twomey had to pay as an advertisement for a letter in the Timaru Hmald, although it was only a reply to a letter which had been inserted for another correspondent free of charge. Our Late Governor. —Who would be a Governor in those degenerate days of cheese-paring and fanaticism 1 A Home paper tells us that it is the current report in England that Lord Onslow (our late Governor) is in a state of chronic impecuniosity, brought about through administering the Government of New Zealand on a salary inadequate to discharge the functions of Governor in a decent manner. In proof of this assertion, it is alleged that thousands of pounds worth of family pictures, oil paintings, etc, belonging to the noble lord are now in the hands of a London dealer for sale. No doubt, none of Her Majesty’s subjects regret this state of adairs more than us New Zealanders, but what can we do with a light purse ourselves ? —Exchange. A Remarkable Cat. —A member of the London Zoological Society recently stated —“ I once had a cat which always sat up to dinner table with me, and had his napkin the round his neck, and his plate and some fish. He used his paw, of course, but he was very particular, and behaved witb extraordinary decorum. When he had finished his fish, I sometimes gave him a piece of mine. One day he was not to be found when the dinner bell rang, so we began without him. Just as the plates were put round, puss came running up stairs, and sprang into his chair with two mice in his mouth. Before he could be stoped, he dropped a mouse on his own plate and then one on mine. He had divided his dinner with me, as I had often divided mine with him.” Mr Ballangb’s Cheap Money Scheme. —The Sydney Daily Telegraph, commenting on the scheme of the New Zealand Government for advancing money to settlers, says that on paper it looks all right, and it should be an excellent thing if working producers obtain money at the lowest possible interest, and it can hardly be doubted that, with the Government as financial agent and guarantor, this can bo done. Nevertheless, the system is surrounded with perils, and presents practically the same possibilities of maladministration as the cedilla system, which resulted in wholesale disaster in the Argentine Republic. The article goes on to say that New Zealand has done excellent legislative work, and has prospered accordingly, but to venture, on a scheme of this kind is attempting too much, and perhaps some cons iousness of this induced the late Mr Ballance to withhold the scheme from publicity. Train Accidents. —Mr John Hinchey, a farmer at Pernhill, Southland, was killed at the Invercargill station on Saturday. He was run over by a train by which he intended to travel home. There is a complete conflict of evidence as to how the accident occurred. Some say Mr Hinchey was on the train,.and fell off as it started, but a man who was on the platform adjoining that from which Mr Hinchey fell, says tfiat he arrived late with two awkward parcels; that he ran a few yards alongside the brain, making as if to thro v the parcels aboard: that he then changed his intention, tucked the parcels under his right arm, and grasped the standard with his left hand, and was switched off his feet, and fell on the rails between the carriages. Mr Hinchey, who was an elderly heavy man, was fearfully mingled, and death was instantaneous. — 4 man. name unknown, fell off the up Waikeo train, near Pukekohe, Auckland. when rounding a corner. He was brought to the Auckland Hospital, and is suffering from concussion of the brain.

The Legal Marrying Age.— ln Austria a “ man ” and “ woman ” are supposed to be capable of conducting 1 a home of their own from the age of 14. In Germany the man must be at least 18 years of age. In France the man 18 and the woman 35. In Belgium the same ages. In Spain the intended husband must have passed his 14th year, and the woman her 12th. In Hungary, for Roman Catholics the man must be 14 years old, and the woman 12 ; for Protestants the man must be 13 and the woman 15. In Greece the man must have seen at least 14 summers and the woman 12. In Portugal a man of 14 is considered marriageable, and a woman of 12. In Russia and Saxony they are a little more sensible, and a youth must refrain from entering into the bonds of matrimony till he can count 18 years, and the woman till she can count 16. In Switzerland the men from the age of 14 and the women from the age of 12 are allowed to marry. In Turkey any youth and maiden who can walk properly, and can understand the necessary religious service, are allowed to he united for life. An Defective Remedy Cornelius Wrinkle, in the Reporters’ Shorthand Magazine, throws out a suggestion for putting the gag on Parliamentary windbags in England. He would not restrict the privileges of Parliament, but every member would still have the liberty to speak till he drops. But the suggestion is this ; “ That the speaker pays a toll in the shape of os a folio tor every word spoken after he has been at it for 20 minutes. The enormous revenue derivable from this source should be equally divided between the Hansard reporters of the House and the members of the Parliamentary reporting stalls of the daily papers. However, Ido not anticipate that this would snuff out all, though it would close the mouths of some of the worst offenders. Ministers, of course, should be exempt. And I would quadruple the toll on all who offended after midnight.” This is a very good suggestion, and if applied to our New Zealand House of Representatives would save the country considerable expense. But where would poqp Mr Fish be under this system ? Peesi*V£El|UN Church, Temuka. The Presbyjjerian Church was well filled on Sunday morning, Vh'ep the preacher was the Rev. A. B, Blake, who chose as his subject of discourse, Temperance, that recommended for the day by the General Assembly, He pointe 1 out that from the opposite fcermg ip. which the Bible referred to it, there must he fcwo kinds of wine, beneficent and intoxicating. Hi is jibe latter that is condemned. The discovery of pure spirit had caused the evil to assume tremendous propositions, and the Churches were now to the need for united action. The Christian principle of abstaining for the good .0 5 others wa? pointed out from Romans 14, ?lst verse, apd a permissive prohibitory Bill explained and defended. While ministers worked ma|n|y on the spiritual aspect, and members pf Churches used moral suasion, and doctors preato' p he disease, it was open to all to ihe legislative phase, and seek 0i ho parliament who the i. j.v, e -pest Interest* of the would have . cmntFJ at heart, people and or trie af(;en;ood The Ihv, A. HI ike coadu.. u t ‘* service in the Maori Church at the

Sunday afternoon. The building was quite full, and it is believed to have been the largest slathering of the kind yet held. The singing of the hymns was very hearty. The subject of address was from St. Luke xvi., 2u—the great gulf fixed after death between the two worlds, the impossibility of passing from the one to the other, and the urgent need of embracing the offers of mercy and grace now made. The Maori service being concluded, the rev gentleman went on to address the audience in English, as several visitors were present who would not ba able to understand the native language. Good attention was paid throughout, and in, addition to the Maori hymns, English, hymns were suug from Church Praise.

Seventh Day Adventists. —The Seventh Day Adventists have pitched their camp in Abel Smith street Wellington, and it was expected that by the end of last week fuliy 200 religious enthusiasts would be under canvas. The camp will extend over a fortnight, and during that period addresses will be delivered by Elders Wilson, Israel, and MeOullagh, of California; Dr M. G. Kellogg, medical missionary of the mission brigantine Pitcairn, now in harbour; Elder O. A. Olsen, president of the general conference from Capetown; Eiders J. 0. Carliss, of Washington, and W. C. White and W. A. Calcord, of Michigan. Marriage Made Easy. —A Washington firm of clothiers, holding doubtless the same views as Mr Walter Besant, has, it is said, done its best to make marriage easier by throwing in a bride to anybody who will buy a wedding suit of them. All that the applicant has to do is to purchase the wedding suit. The firm do the rest—furnish the bride, the best man. and the officiating clergyman. Six of their customers have already availed themselves of this offer; and it is claimed that the supply of brides, as well as wedding suits, is practically unlimited. On the last occasion, the bride, a tall willowy brunnette, was tastefully attired in a travelling costume of tan-coloured Henrietta cloth with bat to match. The groom wore a black diagonal coat aud vest, with dark grey striped trousers. Immediately after the marriage ceremony the newly-wedded pair drove to the station for an extended bridal trip. There are many ways of getting married, it seems, but surely this developement of the “ given away with half a pound of tea ” system seems to be the least dignified that one has yet heard of. Effects op Certain Plants on Butter. —As showing the effects of a certain class of plants in pasturage on the churning of butter, a rather extraordinary case is recorded in late Home papers. Nearly the whole of last summer Mrs Sworder, of Tawney Hall, Bpping—an expert in dairying, and a prize-taker for her product—found the utmost difficulty in churning the cream of a herd of 17 cows, Jersey and Shorthorns. The butter would not “ come ” properly, and there was therefore an immense loss of it in the buttermilk. After churning for a considerable time, probably for hours on some occasions, instead of forming into granules the cream remained as if “ whipped ” and could only be made into butter by putting it through the butter-worker. All sorts of expedients were resorted to, such as churning every day, churning the cream from each cow separately, and the use of various feeding stuffs. At length it was decided that all the trouble must be in the pasturage. The excessive drought had rendered it necessary to give the cows access to land which had always hitherto been mowed for hay,and it was noticed that a plant similar to parsley or dwarf hemlock was growing in a portion of this. The cowman recalled to mind that an old herbalist had told him this plant would prevent the butter from coming, and it was resolved to try the effects of shutting the animals out of the parts so affected. The effect was almost immediate, as in a week or so the cream had come back to its normal characteristics. The plant proved to be one of the saxifrages, though not mentioned in any dairy work. Four Months in a Calm. —Held for nearly four months in an equatorial doldrum or dead sea calm, until her provisions were exhausted, and her crew on the verge of starvation was the terrible experience o' the American ship Edward O’Brien, which mul long been given up for lost. The ship left Victoria, B. C., early in December last for London, with a large cargo of wheat, and nothing was heard of her until June 22, when she was sighted by the steamer Galileo in lat. 16 32, long. 25.16, flying signals telling that she was short of food. She was supplied by the steamer, and Captain Whitten brought to New York news of her safety to tin underwriters, who were demanding heavy premiums for re-insuring the vessel and cargo. It wap learned that the ship had made a fine run down the Pacific coast and round the Horn, but when near the Equator she had been caught in one of the dreaded calms that prevail in that latitude. For three months she remained within a distance of half a mile from where she first struck the calm, and during that time there was not enough wind to fill even the lightest of her sails. Finally a small cu rent, probably m >de by a storm many miles away, appeared and served to send her slowly out of the locality, which threatened at one time to become a place of death to all on board. On this current the ship drifted for almost another month, then a welcome w.nd carried her back into the paths of navigation. When the Galileo was encountered the water supply of the Edward O’Brien was exhausted, food was almost down to the last ration, and in a few more hours the men on board would have been beyond help. After being supplied with food and water the ship proceeded on her way to London. SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. P. W. Stubbs—notice to electors. J. A. McCaskill—Refreshments at all hours. Temuka Good Templars—Grand social on Thursday evening. 0. Begg & 00., Timaru—lmportant notice re Collard & Collard pianos. T. Bourke—Sale of firewood at Mrs Powell’s, Temuka, on Thursday. H, B. Webster & Co.—Clearing sale of drapery at Geraldine oa Thursday on account of Mr J. Robertson,