The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1903. TOWN & COUNTRY.

At 11.50 a.m., yesterday Captain Edwin advised as follows:—"Gale after 12 hours from now from between north-east and north and west, glass fall soon, tides moderate, expect much rain." A special and important meeting of the South Canterbury Builders' Association will be held at their rooms at 8 o'clock this evening. Business—Consideration of new rules and accident insurance. The Premier and Mr Carroll will arrive at Wellington from Eotorua on Thursday, and proceed to Kawhia in the Hinemoa to deal with native matters there. Hence they will go direct to Wellington. Dr Neligan and the Bishops of Chris cchuich, Dunedin and Nelson arrived at Onehunga by the Rotoiti yesterday morning. The Bishop-elect was welcomed by the representatives of various Diocesan Boards. Dr Neligan's consecration will take place to-day. Mr C. A. Wray resumed his duties as Stipendiary Magistrate yesterday, after a few weeks'" absence in search of health. Mr Wray made brief sojourns at various points in the Hot Lakes district and other centres of Auckland, and he has returned ve;y much the better for his holiday. The Premier has received the following cable message, dated London, May 19ch, from the Agent-General:—"At the Royal Geographical Society's dinner the president refened in cordjal and grateful terms to the sympathy and assistance given by the people and Government of New Zealand to the Antarctic expedition." The final round for the president's pri:;e was played off yesterday afternoon on the Timanv bowling gr-jen, between Messrs Gabifes and Courtis. The former won by 6 points, and Mr Courtis wins Jhe second prize, a trophy presented by the Westport Coal Company. This concludes play for the season, and the Ground Committee will at once proceed with top-dressing and resowing the green ready for next season.

A meeting; was held at Claremont sche'ol- ' house on Tuesday evening in connection •with the dairying • industry. Messrs Hurdley and Dixon attended on behalf of the South Canterbury Dairy Company. An enthusiastic meeting subscribed 146 shares and guaranteed 129 cows, and elected a committee to canvass the district for further support. A vote of thanks to the company's representatives and the chairman (Mr H. Graham) closed the meeting. A meeting was held in the Garrison bandroom on Tuesday evening for the puipose of forming a Recreation. Club during the winter months. The existence of such a club has been a long-felt want, as hitherto bandsmen have had no recreation provided for them, save continual practices and sacrifices made by them for the benefit of the public. To make the lot of the bandsmen blighter the Club mentioned has been formed. Mr Cameron presided at the meeting, and a set of rules was drafted and adopted. The recreation provided is of a very healthy nature, and such as many members should appreciate. The election of -officers resulted as follows : —Patron, the Hon. Hall-Jones; president, Mr James Craigie; vice-presidents, Messrs R. H. Rhodes, J. Hole, T. Jowsey, T. Hawkey, T. Pratt and F. Hathaway; committee of management, Messrs Cameron, Williams, Webb, Collins and Mara. The fixing of the opening night was left in the hands of the committee, the procuring of club j material being also left to the committee. Judging by the interest displayed, the Club will have a successful term this winter ; it will be open on Tuesdays and Fridays of each week. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated a successful | meeting. '

The., bonis in Timaru observe Monday next, Empire.Day,, as a special holiday. The Majeroni Dramatic Company have .taken the Theatre Royal for. Thursday and. Friday evenings of the 28th and 29th inst.. Owing to sufficient sparrows not being procurable,, the committee of the Timaru liun Club., have decided to use inanimate birds for the match on Empire Day, and entries will be received on the ground until 11 a.m.

Mr Gilruth, chief veterinarian, says that it is a mistake to say that experience has proved that ragwort is not deleterious to sheep. As a matter of fact experiments proved that 'it causes chronic inflammation of the liver, and the presence of the weed is a danger which tarmers should take every means to eradicate. Mr E. Meechan made a practical start with. Mr Hornibrook's. Sandow classss at Timaru last evening, giving lessons, and instructions to about 30 pupils, who. took a very lively interest in their work. We understand that the classes which have been formed at Geraidine, Temuka. and • Waimate are very satisfactory as to the number ol pupils. A. meeting of shareholders of the No. 2 Terminating Building Society -was held in the Oddfellows' Hall last night to dispose of £3OO by ballot in two lots of £l5O each, and £3OO by sale in two lots of £l5O each. The first ballot of £l5O fell to share No. 769, and the second £l5O to share 848. The sale of the first £l5O realised £25 ss/ and the second £l5O £24.

Messrs P. Studholme, W. J. Hardie and Mr Bremnex (engineer) met as a sub-com-mittee of the Waimate County Council, and accepted the following tenders : Metalling Hillboro-Dairy road, one informal tender, work to be readvertised for the 27th inst.; metalling Painstown road, 8., White,' £ll4 9s 3d! (accepted), J. Hardy, £ll9 9s ; metalling Teschemaker's Tavistock road, R. White, £144 (accepted); carting bridge materials, to Cannington, one tender, work to be readvertised for the 27th. inst.

Amongst recent other changes in Waimate is that of the dissolution of partnership of Messrs Scott and Nicol in their flour-milling business, which has been successfully carried on for several years. Mr Nicol will continue the business, and Mr Scott, it is reported, will leave for Christchurch to take up other business. Mr Scott will be greatly missed at Waimate, he has been a leading spirit in several local institutions and societies, and highly popular in all. It is not long since he was elected to a seat on the Borough Council at the head of the poll, and he has rendered good service for years on the school, library and orchestral committees. As an active member and officer of the Horticultural Society and the Bowling Society, it will be hard to find a substitute of equal zeal and ability. Our Waimate correspondent writes:

Mr D. Kermard has lately taken up the business (grocery and - fruit shop) carried on by Mr Manton; Mr C. Dash, the saddlery business of Mr Henry Mann; and the Canterbury Farmers' Association has lately acquired, the business and assets of the Waimate Co-operative Industrial Association in Queen street. Several new buildings are being erected in different quarters of the town, the principal being a large brick building in High street for an auction room, business, and office premises for Messrs Guinness and LeCren; , a large building in wood in Shearman street, for Mr Beckett, for occupation as a private hospital; and 1 dwelling houses for Mr C. Manchester, Queen street, Mr D. A. Taylor, Mill road, and Miss Smart, Belt street. Mr R. H. Pearce, of Waitohi, rode into town yesterday on a bicycle fitted with a novel and ingenious driving gear. This appliance, which is of Mr Pearce's own invention, 'is similar in principle to others on the market, but is the first of the kind that has been seen here. The crank bracket is double, and each crank is supported in a bearing of its own, and'is fixed rigidly to a lever, the crank and lever together moving through an angle of about 60 degrees. From each lever a wire cord passes round one part of a double " freewheel" clutch on the back wheel, the sys"tem of cords being so arranged that as one pedal is depressed the other rises. The result of pressure applied alternately to the pedals is the rapid revolution in a forward direction of the rear wheel. One of the chiefs advantages claimed by the inventor is the facility with which the gear of the bicycle can be changed from aoout 54 to 80 or more, with three intermediate gears, the change being effected by merely sliding a small block up or down a slot lever. The machine, working on the lowest gear, is a splendid hill-climber, and very little effort is required to propel it. The novelty of the peculiar pedalling motion required, however, will not allow of a full appreciation of the good points of the gearing without an extended trial. Mr Pearce stated that he is using the wire cord, with a view to discovering whether it will wear any better than chains, as it is much cheaper to replace. The bicycle was built by Messrs Martin and 1 Co., of Christchurch, and the clutch by the inventor, who has applied for a patent for the device. l

It is not often realised that most of the huge industrial concerns of the present day owe their success directly to the patent law. Mr Joseph Chamberlain derived his wealth from the invention of the gimletpointed screw. George Westinghouse is a multi-millionaire through his railway airbrake. Another statesman, the Right Hon. A. J. Mundella, tells how he once 1 found a mechanic on the point of starvation who- had invented a little machine which Mr Mundella, to use his own words, "saw at once was good, and I took him up and employed him at 30s per week, and in a year he had perfected it. Then I patented the machine, and gave him onethird the profits. That started him, and I now see him at the head of a nice little business." " I could," said Mr Mundella, " give many instances of this kind. A machine which makes underclothing was invented by a man who was just coming out of the "Bankruptcy Court. I saw his machine, and I said, we will patent it for you and take _all the expense and risk of biinging it to success, and will give you or.e-third profit. My friend Samuel Mor- '■ ky, M.P., took out a license for which he paid £3OOO. I paid the man £IOOO down, and we are licensing other manufacturers ; and that inventor obtains his one-third wherever it is done at home, or abroad." • Full information relating to patents from J. E. S. Jackson, Cain's Terrace, Timaru, local representative' of Henry Hughes, International Patent Agent. 183 Hereford street, Christchurch. Obtain his free pamphlet " Advice to Inventors." Down, down —not in a descending direction, except of course in price, but that lightest feathers of birds that Messrs Barlow and Jones use when they make an eiderdown quilt. We are selling_ all our real down quilts at reduced sale prices. Quilts made of lightest of feathers sold at lightest prices:—3 real down quilts, 60 x 72 inches, light sateen covering, ventilated, were' 30s. now 20s; 2 real down quilts, 60 x 72 inches, figured satin centre, with light biscuit coloured border, were 39s 6d, now 25s 6d; 2 real down quilts, 60 x 72 inches, dark reversible quilts with plain sateen border, were 325, now 23s 9d; 3 real dcwn quilts, size 60 x 72 inches, mostly dark sateen with plain borders, were 37s 6d, now 29s 6d; 2 real down quilts, ventilated Japanese satin, size 60 x 72 inches, were 455, now 34s 6d; 3 real down quilts; size 60 x 72 inches, light satin centre with dark plain border, were 425, reduced to 35s 6d: 2 real down quilts, •frilled, 60 x 72 inches, choice pattern in sateen' were 555, now 37s 6d; 12 sample. Penrose's Drapery Establishment. . (Advt.) The recent rain has made the streets verv muddy; this is particularly noticeable in streets "away from the main thoroughfare. We would advise people to study their comfort and health during the wet sloppy weather, and wear goloshes, sold at A. Gabites, The Corner, at 2s lid for ladies' sizes, and 4s 6d for men's.—(Advt.) Prom time immemorial the dressing of her hair has been woman's chiefest care, and washes and curling contrivances innumerable have been used. The New Cenrarv Soft Rubber Hair Curlers are perfect.—(Advt.) Sore and swollen joints, sharp, shooting pains, torturing muscles, no rest, no sleep —that means rheumatism. It is a stubborn disease to fight, but Chamberlain's Pain Balm has conquered it thousands of times. One application gives relief. Trv it. J. C. Oddie sells it.—(Advt.) Figures without facts don't appeal to you. We've advertised the figures on page 2 of our issue this morning. The facts are located in our show room. Either Stafford street or Arcade entrance.—(Advt.) The elusive pigskin is the source of much sport and the cause of many injuries. Football players should use Chamberlain's Pain Balm, an antiseptic liniment, especially valuable for sprains and bruises. One application gives relief. Try it. J. C. Oddie sells it.—(Advt.) <

At the Oamaru Assessment Court a mild sensation was created by a person' who was believed to have referred to the Court as " agnostics," with an adjective in front of the term. Here was a reflection upon the religious tenets of the Court I The "North Otago Times " remarks that no disrespect was intended by the person in question, who me/ely used the wrong word, his remarks having reference, to the acoustics of the court.

The Rev. A. Peters, of Ashburton, in a Sunday night sermon on " Woman, in the Home, and in the. Church," remarked: Some women put more religion into- singing, hymns than they do into the scrubbing brush; there's more religion in a wellcooked dinner than in,, say, a Salvation Army bonnet, and more in keeping a clean tidy home than in being a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, though a good manager might be. capable: of both."

A deserter from the. Navy, named Heal, was court-martialled on board the Wa!-

laroo on Friday, and was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment. Heal had been at large for over two years, and lad. been working on the Wellington wharf for sume time. His capture, appears to have been due, to revenge. It appears that his watch had been stolen, and he charged a man with the theft and struck him. The other waited—he knew Heal was a deserter—and when the ship of the King swung to anchor in the harbour Heal was'taken. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday five fatherless children named Newton, whose ages range from three to twelve years, were brought before Mr C. A. Wray, S.M., on a nominal charge, for the purpose of ! separating them from their mother, a comparatively young woman, whose habits led to Sergeant Warring interfering under the Industrial Schools Act, to save the children. The mother did not appear. Sergeant . Warring, Constable Miller and a neighbour gave evidence as to the manner of life of the mother, and his Worship concluded that in the interests of the children they ought to be removed from her control. He adjourned the case till Saturday, in order to give the Charitable Aid Board an opportunity of providing for them, instead of sending them to an industrial school, his Worship thinking the former would be the better course in the interests of the children, who in the meantime are to be kept at the Old Men's Home. His Worship also directed tha£ the mother be brought before him on Saturday. Judgment by default was. given, in one small civil case, Bloomfield v. McPherson, claim 12s 6d, with costs ss. Some other cases were settled out of Court.

"UNCLE TOM'S CABIN." On Monday next, at the Theatre Royal, the popular Barrie .Marschel Company will reappear in a special production of Mrs Harriet Beecher-Stowe's evergreen and world-famous drama, depicting thrilling scenes of the slavery days of America, entitled "Uncle Tom's Cabin." The play will be staged in the usual complete and satisfactory manner inseparable from the Marschel performances. A pleasing feature of the piece is the incidental chorus and part singing, some of the old negro melodies and jubilees being exceptionally tuneful and pretty. Full advantage will be taken of the opportunity afforded for scenic display, and in this respect a particular feature will be made of the " River of Ice" and "The Plight of Eliza from the Shelby Plantation." The prices are popular, as usual, and to ttvoid the customary crush at the doors the management notifies that early tickets, without extra fee, may be procured at the Dresden, where circle seats may be reserved. SYNOPSIS OF NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. Maling and Shallcrass—Horse fair at I Orari on 4th June. Guinness and LeCren, Ltd.—Studholme stock sale to-morrow. Canterbury Farmers' Co-operative Association—Studholme stock sale to-morrow; horse sale at Studholme- on June 4th,. The Public Vaccinator —Notice re free vaccination for eight days. Waimataitai School Committee—Want janitor or janitrix.. > Football —Two matches on Athletic Grounds this afternoon. S.C. Builders' Association—Special meeting at 8 o'clock this evening. Bank Holiday—ln Timaru on 25th inst., Empire Day. Mr J. Gillies —Important musical notice, voice production and piano. Ballantyne and Co.—Corset expert will be in Timaru on Friday next. Theatre Royal—Last appearance of Inaudi, change of programme. Timaru Gun Club—Match on Monday next, entries on ground. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" —At Theatre Royal on Monday next. R. Sommerville—Has vaccination shields on sale. Wanteds—Two notices.