TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2565, 25 March 1869, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The Duke op Edinburgh!.—A. telegram in our yesterday's issue announced that his Uoyal Highness will probably not arrive in New Zealand until the middle of April, Orphan Asylum.—The Times Minstrels, will give a concert in the Town Hall, on' Saturday, the 3rd April, in aidof the Orphan Asylum band and library fund. Acclimatization. - The usual monthly meeting of the council of this society will be held at the Literary Institute, at 3 p.m., this day. Dejeuner on Board the MersUid.— On Tuesday, Captain Rose entertained a select party on board his ship, on the completion of the loading. Many toasts were proposed, and success to the owners of the vessel was responded to by Captain Rose and Mr McQuade. Lyttelton Cadet Corps.—We are glad to notice that a Cadet Corps has been formed in Lyttelton. About 30 lads have joined it. Several meetings have been held, and another will take place to-morrow evening in the drill shed, for the purpose of choosing the dress and electing officers. Meat Export Company.—lt will be seen, by reference to a report elsewhere, that this company will shortly commence operations, which will be confined for the present to boiling-down only, as it has been considered prudent to defer meat-preserving until the best and most profitable process is ascertained. Up to the present time, 770 shares have been taken. Gazette.—We are in receipt of a Provincial Gazette published on the 2rth inst. It is announced that the Government offices will be closed from this evening to Wednesday morning next. The new boundaries of the Courtenay Educational district are published. Halke't on the West Coast Road is proclaimed an Educational district, and there are detailed schedu : es of merchandise tolls on the provincial railways. Cur Council;—A special meeting was held last night f er the purpose of considering the new by-laws. Councillor Jameson presided, and there were also present Councillors Ruddenklau, Calvert, Sheppard, Angus, and Sawtell. After a very brief consideration it was deemed most advisable to refer the by-laws to a sub-committee, and it was accordingly resolved to adjourn the matter until the next weekly meeting of the Council. Meetings op Creditors. Meetings were to have been held yesterday in re John Etherden Coker and James Heath, Thomas Buxton, Henry Brooks, Gabriel William tawrence, Henry Bachelor, and Samuel Edward Graham, but no creditors attended The meetings re Coker, Lawrence, and Bachelor, were adjourned for seven days; the other estates were declared to be vested in the provisional trustee 'Good Friday Excursions.—The s.s. Wellington offers a good opportunity for a trip to Akaroa and back Excursionists will be able to spend some hours on shore, and the Lyttelton Volunteer Artillery Band will go in the steamer. The s.s. Gazelle is advertised for a trip to Mackintosh Bay, and the p.s. Betsy Douglas will run hourly excursions to Rhodes' Bay. Early and lute trains are advertised by the Railway authorities the first train for the Akaroa excursionists leaving Christchurch at 8 a.m., and a late train will await the return of the steamer at Lyttelton. Ashley Church.—A public meeting, which was rather thinly attended, was held in the Ashley Bank School Room on Monday evening the 22nd inst., in order to considerwhat steps should be taken towards the erection of a church in or near the Ashley township. The Rev C. Turrell p esided, and the Rev Canon Dudley was also present. It was unanimously resolved to take immediate step 3 towards procuring the necessary funds, upwards of £IOO being already promised. A committee, comprising, the Rev C. Turrell, the Rev Canon Dudley, Messrs P. Fawcett, Aughton, Wright, Lay, King, and Willis, was appointed, in order to carry out the o ject of the meeting. Asiiburton Races.-The following are the entries for the Asiiburton races, to be run on the 30th inst:—Open Hurdle RaceMr Dehmaiu's Patch, Mr Walker's Elswick, Mr Middleton's Albatross, Mr Campbell's Gilderoy, Mr Glen's Gamester, and Count Geldern's Medusa. Mai !en Plate—Mr Walker's Elswick and lago, Mr Middleton's The Jilt, Mr Dowding's Jason, and Mr Irvine's Phoebe. Asiiburton Plate-Mr Delamain's Patch, Mr Maxwell's Sunbeam, Mr Webb's Bobby Burns, Mr Welbourne's Wild Boy. Ladies' Purse—Mr Walker's lago, Mr Middleton's Albatross, Mr Welbourne's Wild Boy, Mr Dowding's Jason. Visitors from Cliristch'urch will be able to reach the course in time by the Timaru coach leaving on the morning of the races.

Bankbuftoy.—David Gray, of Christchurch, horse-dealer, has filed a declaration that he is unable to meet his engagements with his creditors. Mr Joynt is solicitor for the bankrupt. The WiUTHEB.-Duriug the last few days we have been suffering from N.W. ■winds, which have raised immense clouds of dust. Yesterday morning there was a decided change, the wind gradually veered to the S.W., and for some time there was every appearance of a severe gale. In Lyttelton the "bad weather" ball was raised. At Dunedin it was blowing a gale, with rain. At Kniapoi the wind blew in a shop front belonging to Mr Funston, storekeeper. Some large trees adjoining the building were also broken down, In the country a considerable amount of damage has been done to stacks, many having the thatch blown away.

Zanzibar.—The Times supplies the following:— The territories of the Sultan of Zanzibar extend for 1100 miles along the cast coast of Africa, and under the rule of the present Sultan a very extensive trade is carried on with the United States, France, Hamburg, and Great B'itftin. The revenues of the Sultan have more than doubled within the last four or five years, nnd the city of Zanzibar now contains a population of 60,000 inhabitants. It is the chief mart in the world for ivory, cloves, gum, copal, ebony, and sandal-wood, and has also a large trade in oil seeds, rice, cowries, hides, gums, spices, &c.

Russian Emigration. The Pall Mall Gazette says:—The Russian Government has decided upon assisting the starving Finns by sending them out bodily to colonize the Amoor regions. An old German vessel has been bought for this purpose at the price of 30,000 roubles, and the emigrants will be carried by instalments from Bremen. Every man is to receive, on his arrival, 200 acres of ground, free of taxes for 24 years, together with the necessary implements, cattle, &c, This stock, as well as the expenses of the journey, is to be repaid in eight years' time, by instalments, to commence after the fourth year. The four-and-twenty years over, the colonist will be. called upon to pay a tax for his land, at the moderate rate of 24 roubles annually. It is said that the Finns are very grateful, and that both they and Russia are likely to profit by this colonization. A Wholesale Poisoner,—We read in the Pioneer of India:—" The last Police Gazette N. W. P., publishes the confession of a Hindoo, named Kamadheen, not quite 21 years of age, who for the last 20 months has followed the calling of poisoner. There is no nonsense about Kamadheen. He does not pretend to scruples or remorse o£ any kind. He calls his victims' shikar' and alleges no other excuse for his practices than that it was very dull at home in his village. So far as we can enumerate the persons he poisoned in the year and a half, they are about 27; but he is very cavalier and careless in figures, and talks of a family whom he may murder with a lordly negligence as to the number of its members. Ramadheen is not in the least superstitious. Most of his victims were either Brahmins or faqueers, and his favourite hunting grounds were what he calls 'holy places'—Bindaclmll, near Mirzapore, and the MaghMelahere,"

Hokitika Races.—The Times, of March 23 publishes the following as the entries:— First Day—Trial Stakes: Mr Barnard's b g Plying Jib; Mr Shirley's g g Vandal; Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack; Mr Garforth's bk g Backbiter. Hurdle Race: Mr Haworth's b in Blink Bonny; Mr Barnard's g g Don "Pedro. Trotting Race: Mr Jones's b m Rosebud; Mr Garforth's bm Gentle Annie. Town Plate: Mr Barnard's bg Fljing Jib; Mr Garforth's bk g Backbiter. Selling Race: Dr Ryley's c g Contractor; Mr Shirley's g g Vandal; Mr Ashton's b g Native; Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack. Second Day—Butchers' Purse: Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack. Westland Jockey Club Handicap: Mr Barnard's bg Flying Jib; Mr Garforth's Backbiter. Handicap Hurdle Race: Mr Haworth's b m Blink Bonny; Mr Barnard's g g Don Pedro; Mr Mitchell's c m Janet; Mr Ashton's b g Native. Ladies' Purse: Dr Ryley's c g Contractor; Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack; Mr Garforth's bkg Backbiter ; Mr-ABhton'a b g Native.

A.Difficult Question.—The Pall Mall Gazette has the following :—The Vienna tribunals will require Solomon's sagacity to settle a question that will shortly be brought before them. A few hours before the last drawing of Austrian " Credit Shares "—a kind of lottery—two friends meet in the street, and A. asks B. to accompany him for a walk. B. declines, since he has yet to get four "Credit" tickets, and the drawing will commence in a few hours. A. then begs that he will also get four for him, which B. promises to do. A. duly receives, before the drawing, an envelope containing his tickets, together with the account for four shares, which he at once pays. The envelope is put away, and in the evening the friends again meet just before the result of the drawing is known. The moment the list appears each looks to his numbers, and B. finds to his dismay that he has only three tickets, having sent to his friend A. by mistake five instead of four—the one which has drawn the prize among tbem. Al the same moment the lucky A. also discovers the error, but declines to share his gains with his hasty friend, who will now call the civil powers to his aid,

The Eight Hours Systesi in Ajiericv. — The Times American correspondent says: —" The "eight hour system" some time ago agitated the labouring classes in America, and laws enacting it were passed in various States, and also one by Congress extending the system to labourers on public works. Then arose a controversy as to wages—whether the eight-hour workmen should or should not get ten hours' pay. In most cases this was decided against the workmen, but Attorney-General Kvarts has just promulgated an opinion that all employes on Government work, under the law of Congress, may be entitled to the Bame pay for eight hours' work as they previously received for en—if they can get it; for he also says, the law being silent on the subject, it neither enacts anything nor forbids anything. The " eight-hour system" has generally failed in America, and the trade unions are abandoning it. The architect of the public buildings at Washington on this matter reports that its adoption there has greatly increased the cost and retarded the progress of the public works, and says:—The idea that as much labour can be performed in eight ai in ten hours has proved to be utterly fallacious; indeed, the experience of this office justifies the assertion that less labour per hour has in most cases been obtained under the eighthour than under the ten-hour system. Carlyle and the University op Edinburgh.—Mr Carlyle, ex-Lord Rector of the University of Edinburgh, having been asked la deliver a valedictory address to the students, he has sent the following letter to Mr Robertson, vice-president of the committee for his election—" Chelsea, Dec. 6, 1868, Dear sir,—l much regret that a valedict >ry speech from me, in present circumstances, is a thing I.must not think of. Be pleased to advise the young gentlemen who were so friendly towards me that I have already sent them, in silence, but with emotions deep enough, perhaps too deep, my loving farewell, and that ingratitude or want of regard is by no means among the causes that keep me absent, Willi a fine youthful enthusiasm, beautiful lo look upon, they best'W-d on me that bit of honour, loyally all they had; and it has now for reasons one and another, become touchingly memornble to me—touchingly, and even grandly and tragically—never to be forgotten for the remainder of my life. Bid them, in my name, if they still love me, fight the good flgut, and acquit themselves like men in the warfare to wmVh they are as if conscript and consecrated, and which lies ahead. Tell them to consult the eternal oracles (not yet inaudible, nor ever to become so, when worthily inquired of); and to disregard, nearly altogether, in comparison, the temporary noises, menacings, and deliriums, May they love wisdom, as wisdom, if she is to yield her treasures, must be loved, piously, valiantly, humbly, beyond life itself, or the prizes of life, with all one's heart and all one's soul. In that case (I will Bay again), and not in any other case, it shall be well with them, Adieu, my young friends, a long adieu, yours with great sincerity, T. Cariyle."

LONQEVITY.-The following extraordinary , illustrations of prolonged existence appeared < in the obituary of The Times of Deo. 23, . where the deaths of six ladies are recorded , whose united ages amounted to 519 years, \ giving an average of exactly 86 .years and | six months to each. Their respective ages were two at 83, one at 84, one at 85, one at | 91, and the oldest had reached the great age , of 93. The same Obituary recorded the death of a gentleman at 90 years of age, which, added to the above total, would give an average of exactly 87 years to each of those seven persons. A medical practitioner in this metropolis stated yesterday that he had just seen ten patients whose ageß averaged 87 years and 10 months each. Count Bismarck- at Home.—A letter from Stetting gives some account of Count de Bismarck's estate in Pomerania:—" No one thought anything abiut that country before the Chancellor, in 1867, bought his property there. At present the melancholy steppes which border the Baltic are well frequented, and Vertzin is now spoken of as Sans Souci was formerly. The railway from this town to Kceslin ought certainly to burn tapers in honour of Count de Bismarck. His residence is simply a grand seigcorial mansion, large and comfortable, but without any architectural style, the ideal of the dwelling of one who is half countryman and half townsman. In front is a garden laid out with great regularity, and further on is a large park which is well stocked with game. The Count frequently invites the neighbours to hunting parties, at one of which he had that fall last autumn which might have proved fatal tu Prussia. The sea is about 15 miles off, and during the winter the north wind must be particularly keen there. The proprietor of this domain is engaged in numerous commercial pursuits. The Minister of his Prussian Majesty sells wool, manufactures tiles and bricks, and distils brandy. His sheep-walks are renowned, and the proceeds of the shearing are sought for far and near. One of these days you will hear that he is making paper, as he has entered into partnership with one of the principal men of Kmslin, M. Behrend, to establish a factory where this article will be produced by a new process. I believe that the firm Bismarck and Behrend is going to make their produce from bark. The vast woods of Vertzin, Wussow, Chomitz, and Charlottenthal will furnish the raw material in abundance. Formerly, the first-named place had a manufacturing reputation, as large glass works were established there, but they are now abandoned. The Count is without doubt a country squire, but he is one who possesses genius. In him there is something of the peasant, with his rude cunning, but also his indomitable energy. There is in him something of the Norseman, which is the antipodes of the German whom we have hitherto known, almost a contradiction, M. de Bismarck has simply transferred to politics the proceedings, manners, and principles which he and his colleagues, the landowners of Brandenburg and Pomerania, apply in matters of domestic and rural economy. He treats the Prussians and Germans as he treats his peasants, if we may so describe the colonists of these countries."

Westund Goldfirlds. The Times of March 23 in its monthly summary say 6 : We have again to report unfavourably of the mining interest, which is, of course, the staple interest of the country. This is not, however, caused by any want of auriferous ground to work, but is altogether caused by the want of a constant supply of the necessary fluid to wash out the gold after it leaves its cruile bed. The long spell of fine weather has been very disastrous to the miner; we are, however, glad to be able to report that this state of things is likely now to be of short duration. We noticed in our last summary that water-races were then engaging the attention of the public, and since then several water-race companies have been formed, and we believe some of the raceß are now actually being brought in. One from the Kanieri Lake will carry about sixty Government heads of water, and is intended to supply the whole of the terraces and flats in the Kanieri and Hau-hau districts. It is therefore estimated that when this water reaches the ground on which it is to operate that there will be profitable employment found for at least a thousand more men. This is not, however, the only district in which water-races are being brought in, and in which they will play a very important part. At the Greenstone there are no less than three races at present commenced, and although they will not be of such magnitude as the Kanieri Lake water-race, yet they will undoubtedly be of much importance to the Greenstone district, From the South we have also accounts of water companies being formed j one of them on an even more stupendous scale than the Kanieri race. The above race will take its rise from the upper waters of the Mokinui river, and it is intended that it shall carry 120 heads of water. The object of this race is to work the terrace country in the Ross district, which is known to be auriferous to a certain payab'e extent, with a good supply of water, We have no fresh rushes of importance to report during the month, but there has been no lack of the usual picking of old leads, which in the early days of the coast had not been thought worth looking for. This is more particularly the case in the Hau-hau district. At Ross the interminable squabble over the drainage question still remains unsettled, From Okarito there is nothing new to report; the small population located there have, however, satisfactory returns. There is nothing new to report in the Kanieri district ; several of the wheel claims are now in new ground, and we learn are in the receipt of larger dividends. The Greenstone district is now settling down into a steady mining centre, and although there is not likely to be any " pile claims," yet good, wages ground will be found there for from 1500 to 2000 miners.

The Largest Kitchen in the Wobld. —ln former days the kitchen of the London Reform Club, where dinners are prepared in the season for some 400 to 500 gentlemen on an evening, was considered a sort of sight, and the kitchen establishments of other firstclass London clubs and hotels may be equally worth looking at. But every kitchen in the world, existing now and having existed before, disappears in magnitude if compared to Leibig's Extract of Meat Company'B Establishment at Pray Bentons, on the river Uruguay, South America. The Buenos At/res Standard, of 3rd September last, gives the following particulars :—The new factory is a building that covers about 20,000 square feet, and is roofed in iron and glass; we first enter a large hall flagged with the best Scotch rings, kept dark, cool, extremely clean, where the meat is weighed, and passed through apertures to the meat-cutting machines. We come to the beef-cutting hall, paved also with Scotch flags, spacious, airy, and well lighted. Here are four powerful meat cutters, specially designed by the Company's General Manager, Mr Giebert; each machine can cut the meat of 200 bullocks per hour. The meat being cut is passed to " digerators," made of wrought iron, each one holds about 12,000 lbs beef; there are nine of these digerators, and three more have yet to be put up. Here the meat is digerated by high pressure steam of 75 lbs per square inch, from this the liquid which contains the extract and the fat of the meat proceeds in tubes to a a range of " fat separators" of peculiar construction. Here the fat is separated in the hot state from the extract, as no time can be lost for cool operations, otherwise decomposition would set in in a very short time. We proceed downstairs to an immense hall, sixty feet high, where the fat separators are working, below them is a range of five castiron clariflers, lOOii gallons each, worked by high pressure steam through Bfallett's tube Byst-m. Kach elarifler is provided by a very inuenious steam tap: in the monstrous clariflers the albumen and fibrine and phosphate magnesia are separated. From hence the liquid extract is raised by means of airpumpß, driven by two thirty-horse power engines up to two vessels about twenty feet above the clariflers j from thence the liquid runs to the other large evaporators, Now we ascend thestaircasereachingthe hall where two immense sets of four vacuum apparati are at work, evaporating the extract by a very low temperature, here the liquid passes several filtering processes before being evaporated in vacuum. We now ascend some ttepa and

enter the ready making hall, BeparateTTT* wire gauze wall, and all windows, door, i * guarded by the same, to exclude flies' 72 dust. Here, again, we notice the i?; Scotch flats. The ventilation fa »Z?'4 Here are placed five ready making pa l I°' structed of steel plateß with a systemof i discs, revolving in the liquid extract a cool in! unelevating, evaporating process, invented h the company's general manager. These fl pans, by medium of discs, 100 in each i? effect in one minute more than two mill square feet evaporating surface. Here f*' dudes the manufacturing process; the extrnnv is now withdrawn in large cans and don'n;? J for the following day. Ascending a £° ted we enter the decrystallising and p ackin 'JP where two large cast-iron tanks are i? provided with hot-water baths under tf?' bottomsj in these tanks the extract is th™ in quantities of 10,000 lbs at once, and W i< decrystalined and made a homogenen,. mass and of uniform quality. Now samn ]p arc taken and carefully analysed by t chemist of the establishment, Dr SeeLm the representative of Baron Liebig un 7' whose charge the chemical and techZi operations are performed. We witnessed • the afternoon the cleansing of the estabr if meat, water cocks in all corners tJZ pouring in from all aides—in an instant «, whole place was cleansed, the water wash n! down into large drains builtof cemiKfi empty into the river, c eamines's w„» of the chief objects in every dlr If ?"! this splendid factory. It should b m 2 B °J that the company's buteherkS| e arth°S small double-edged knife thew f M»« t the cerebri, th e S animal taneously on a waggon, and is conducted to a place where 150 men are the meat for the mtosapeces ,400 are being wVked per