LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

-» Meteorological. — Captain Edwin win. at 12.3 p.m. to-day :— Glass further rise. Drunken Danevirke.— According to. Mr , T. W. Glover, Danevirke is for its e'zp, the worst place for drunkenness m the colony, £20,000 being yearly spent there m liquor. Tenders.— The tender of Messrs Boberta and Newberry has been accepted by Mr R. Matthews, of Spring Creek, for the erection of 100 chains of fencing. Mounted Bjfles. — Captain Dodson has got his tents up and the mßn aro to go into camp this evening for a week. Captain Coleman will arrive here to-morrow by the Waihi. Mining News.— Our Havelock correspondent writes: — Mr Beere, engineer from Wellington, has proceeded to the Wakamarina, bis object being to select a site for quartz crushing for tho Golden Bar Company. He expresses his belief that the Golden Bar reef is one of the best defined m the colony. lam also informed that a new directorate has been appointed, and that the battery will be erected forthwith, as the new directors really mean business. Church Congress. — The Anglican Church Congress opened at Folkstone on October 16th. After an address of welcome a procession was formed, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, which marched through the crowded streets to the church. A number of Lqw Churobmen took up a position near the paessing procession with a banner inscribed, <( We represent Eidley and Latimeri the stake exhorting^churchmen to withstand idolatory, priestcraft, ritualism, and Popish processions." They tried to follow the procession, but thR spectators set upon them and tore the banner to , ribbons, ; . .

The FißE.^vln alluding yesterday to the bucJtet brigade which worked at the outset of the fire we omitted to mention that Constable Cameron, who gave the alarm, was the one who originated the idea. Constable Cameron has now been the means of giving alarms sharply on a number of occasions, and his services deserve some recognition. Lecture — Mr T. Watson will deliver his new lecture entitled the " Wild West," next Friday m Ewart's Hall. We understand that this will be the best yet given by Mr Watson, introducing amusing sketches of life m the Western States, and some of Mark Twain's reminiscences. The lecturer should be at home with his subject, as he has twice visited the land of the Stars and Stripes, and spent many months travelling there. Wno were the " Rats " ?— Naturally a great deal of. soreness is felt at the shameful manner m which the country has been " sold " by the Government over the Women's Franchise question, and the N.Z. Methodist, we notice, intends publishing at an early date a list of the " rats " who have figured so disgracefully m this business so that its readers may know who the men are who have shown themselves bo signally wanting m the first principles of political honesty. That journal also hopes that, wherever practicable, opportunity will be taken by resolution at a publio meeting to protest against such a glaring breach of faith on the part of the Government. Upper Wairau Racing Club. — At the annual general meeting of the above Club, held at Shaw's Hotel last night, there were present : Messrs S. Tapp, W. Tapp, Hillman, Miliard, Bird, W. Brydon, O'Coughlan, A. Shaw, S. Shaw, Tissiman, Wratt, Rogers, Andrews, and W. Gibson. The report of the out-going Committee was as follows : — "The Committes have much pleasure m placing before the Club the annual balancesheet for the year ending 30th September, 1892. They have much pleasure m congratulating the members on a very prosperous season. Th c totalisator receipts showed 1 a further increase of £25 over last meeting. The Club now numbers 50 members. The Committee would draw the attention of members to the necessity of obtaining a '. permanent course, as at present. the Club are at considerable expense every year for rent, and for arrangements for the day's racing. The assets of the Club during the past year increased by a sura of £10 193, 1 after having written off the books the sum of i £8 13a." The report and balance-sheet were ■ adopted and the following officers elected for the ensuing year : — President, Mr F. B» 1 Ward ; Vice-President, Mr W. Tapp -..Starter, Mr Seymour ; Judge, Mr Chas. Watts ; 1 Treasurer and Clerk of Scales, Mr Andrews ; Clerk of Course, Mr Chas. Eves ; Secretary, Mr H. Hillman ; Stewatds, Messrs W. Brydon, A. D. Bird, Newman, A. Shaw, G. 1 Wratt, H. O'Coughlan, W. Tissiman, and W. Gibson ; Committee, the above stewards and Messrs S. Shaw, Miliard, Andrews, Rogers, F. W. Dodscm, and G. Ward; with power to add to thsir number, five to form 1 a quorum. The Committee were empowered to appoint a handicapper. A hearty vote of thanks was unanimously accorded to the late President and othor retiring officers for the manner m which they have carried out their duties m the past. The meeting then adjourned. Obituaet.— Aguin have we to record the : death of one of the oldest settlers m the district, thus causing another gap m the link which connects the present with tho past, or pioneer age. In this case the 1 deceased was a veritable pioneer — Mr Joseph ! Ward, for he actually Burveyed the Wairau. Mr and Mrs Ward came to the colony m 1842 by the ship " George Fife," so that he was one of the expedition men. After remaining m Nelson for some years practising as a surveyor Mr Ward took the contraot to survey the Wairau, and this rather onerous duty fulfilled he brought Mra Ward and family m 1354 to Brookby, where he has remained ever since. After following his ■ profession for a numbor of years Mr , Ward took to sheep-farming at the Clarence, where at one time he had 50,000 sheep. Being a man of active habits and mental temperament, it did not take i long to convince Mr Ward that m politics, local and general, he could find a sphere of usefulness, and from the early days of provincialism he waa a member of the Nelson and afterwards of the Marlborough Provincial Council. In fact, with Messrs Adams, Goulter, and Sinclair he was very largely instrumental m getting separation. Later on he defeated Mr Moorhouso for a seat m Parliament, and wrs m turn ousted by Mr Seymour. He has been ■a member of almost ail the local bodies m the district, and "at the time of his death he was Chairman of the Hospital Board, which position he had occupied since 1885, when the Act came into oroe ; Chairman of the County Council, and member of the Education Board. No nan bore a higher reputation for honesty than Mr Ward,', and whether his viewa were m • accord with those working alongside him or not, the fact that he thoroughly believed m them was always recognised. In losing him Marlborough is losing a good stamp of settler. Mr Ward was a very devoted Catholic, and one wsllread m. the history and constitution of his church, though the subject was never made the matter for polemic discugsion. With the general literature of the day Mr Ward was also well acquainted, and the science of Political Economy was a hobby of his," though he could not adopt the Socialism which m these latter days has permeated the whole system of civilisation. In politics he was what might be termed an old fashioned Conservative, who had, however, kept himself abreast of times and ideas of the rising generation by reading and atudy. Deceased has left behind him' to' mourn, besides a widow, six sons and two daughters (Mrs Smith and Miss Ward), and to them we pan oxtend the sympathy of a largo number of readers, who though not surprised at the intelligence, considering that Mr Ward was 75 years of age and had been ailing for some months, will regret the fact. His end was peaceful, though he was unconscious for some time before death. The funeral takes place to-morrow afternoon. ~ HoiiELT Advice. — A young lady who was canvassing a portion of the Taieri district, says the Taieri Advocate, for thß purpose of obtaining signatures m favor of woman's suffrage met with several rather atern rebuffs One worthy old quid-wife, who has brought up a splendid family of son 3 and daughters, gave the fair canvasser a bit of her mind m something after the following fashion : — " Hoot awa, lassie ; div ye no think shame o' yetseF gadding aroond wi' a paper like you ? Can ye no find onything better to to tak' up yer time ? Can ye no git a laddie to take car* o 1 ye? Gin I faßhed masell aboot sic stuff as woman-folk yotin', div ye think I could hae.brocht up nine sons and doohters ? Get married, woman, and when ye ha'e twa or three bairns to look aifcer yel l leave sio trash as politics and votin' to the men folk." And the canvasser left, evidently pondering, ovor the homely words of wisdom she had just listened to. Strange but True.— The man m the Moon writing to the Wellington Herald as follows:— That it strange, but yet true that one of the conditions under which the .Messrs Wirth Bros , obtained tho services at their circus of the Bedouin Arabs was that they had to furnish them once a week with ene meal of ' locusts,' and which they obtained from Constantinople; to whioh plßoo they are brought far sale from Mesopotamia. The Wirth Bros., get strings of them by the direct steamers so, therefore, they experience no inconvenience m obtaining a supply. This may look strange food to us, but when we find m Lev, xi., 23. : ' Even these of them ye' may eat : the locust after his kind, and ths beetle after his kind, and the grass-hopper after his kind, 1 we not wonder. Even John the Baptist ate locust 3 washed down with a little honey, and, not strange to say, the cirous Bedouin 3 wash theirs down with Yankee molasses." A PoiiYGamus Clergyman. — Considerable amusement was caused (says the Marion Mercury) at the Diocesan Synod meeting by an unintentional " bull " perpetrated by a clergyman who was speaking on the Pensions Bill question. Referring to some clergyman's case as an illustration, he said, " he has a wife and children all small, and there are several of them. 1 ' The laugh whioh went round awoke the speaker to a perception of the comprehensiveness of the word " them," and its wicked suggestion of polygamy. He then laughingly righted himself, and sailed gaily on with his argument. If you.are suffering with langour, debility, pimples, boils, catarrh, chronic sores, scrofula, or any disease arising from impure blood, take Ayer's Sarsaparilla— the safest and moat economical of all bio ;d-purin ers.

Cowan-Vacghan Company. — The third night of the season of thi3 talented company passed off as successfully as the previous ones. " Black-eyed Susan " iB replete with good things, and creates a great deal of fun. The dancing of the ladies is beyond doubt clever and graceful, and the versification witty. This evening the aver popular " Uncle T om's Cabin " is to be put on the boards, and its soul-&tirring scenes will be given effect to we have no doubt. The caste is as follows :— Uncle Tom, Harry Cowan ; George Harris, A. Brandon Creraer ; Eliza, Amy Yaughan ; Cassey, Annie Wynniard; Ophelia, Annie Vaughan ; Topsy, Daisy Thornton ; Eva, Master Cresswell. A Hit and a Miss.— A curious thing happened at the recent N.S.W. rifle shooting match. Private J. Mclntosh, who should have won his match, had to take second money for scoring a miss, although the y miss " was a bull's eye. He fired at the wrong target, aDd hit it fair m the middle, but the shot went to tho credit of the other man, who mißsed it altogether. The flag at the target at which Mclntosh should have fired of course showed a miss, and Mclntosh lost his prize. Relioioub Inconsistencies. — Archdeacon Sinclair thinks there are many inconsistencies m the church service. •• To hsar merry -looking, chubby faced choristers," he says, shouting with jubilant and reckless carelessness aloud to Almighty God that they are miserable sinners, and that there is no health m them, is indeed distressing, and a woful, almost irreparable, shock to the whole devotional spirit of the service. ■ Havino the Spabrows. — A Pahiatua farmer fooled the sparrows who had picked up his seed oats last year, by this year ploughing the seed m. As the sparrows are not built for mining, he has a good crop coming on. Another lot of those little boys' fancy sailor suits st 8s lid each. These are the best and prettiest good's ever seen m Blenheim. Ladies' ,5a 6d umbrellas for Is lid each, all new goods, and very stylish handles. A splendid line of striped flannelette, reduced from 9£d to 4J per yard. Gents' 5s 6d regatta shirts, new patterns, reduced to 2s lid each. Solid leather portmanteaux, never sold under 255, we are clearing at 11s 6d. A great variety m fancy and cooking aprons, reduced from Is lid to Is. A special line of new navy ground prints, fast colors, 6d per yard. — R. Allan, Market-street. Is Tea Drinking Harmful ? — Most people believe so. And the doctors say so. Then why drink so muoh ? Use Crease's A.I Coffee. It aids digestion and clears the brain. Sold everywhere m lib. and 21b. tins. His Excellence Lord Glasgow, while partaking of some ref reshmentst during an interval at the Opera House, remarked : ', . " One thing you have here, that is, good Coffee." It is scarcely necessary to say his Excellency wag drinking Cbease's Al Coffee. Sold everywhere m 1 and 21b tins. . No other medicine is so reliable as Ayer's Cherry Pectoral, for tha cure of coughs, colds, and all derangements of the respirat- .. ory organs. It relieves the asthmatio and consumptive even m advanced stages of disease. . • BEWASE Of cheap imitation. Tho name— Ayer's Cherry Pectoral, is prominent on the wrapper and is blown m the glass of each of our bottles. : To Overcome Weakness. — Pepper's Quinine and Iron Tonic gives New Life Appetite, Health, Strength, and Energy, cures Indigestion, Nervous Debility and Neuralgia.— Half-crown bottle's. .Everywhere. Insist on having Pfppebs. As a toilet, article, Ayer's Hair Vigor Btands unrivalled. It cleanses the scalp and removes dandruff, cures itching humors,