TOWN & COUNTRY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2876, 29 November 1898, Page 2

TOWN & COUNTRY.

Captain Edwin yesterday forecasted southerly winds for this quarter, changing to stronger northerlies after ten hours. The Timaru Recreation Club journey to Temuka on Thursday to play their first match of the seasou with the Victoria Park Tennis Ulub. The question has been asked whether, m the Mayoral election to-morrow, a burgess is required to vote m the polling booth m the ward wherein the property is situated which gives him his qualification. The .Returning Officer informs us that this not required. It is not a ward but a Borough election, and a burgess of the Borough can vote at any booth he finds most convenient. Each burgess has but one vote. Many a man owes his figure to the imaginative insight of his tailor and cutter. The cutter is the architect, the tailor is the builder of the garment. There are many men m this town and district who acknowledge the excellent results achieved by the tailor and cutter at Penrose's drapery establishment. We might mention that they are showing an excellent range of colonial tweedy for suits to order at 56s.— [Ai>vt.] In connection with the late visit of Mr Hyde, the poultry expert, it may be well to publish some of the market quotations we find m London papers of the middle of October. " Large Surrey fpwls are fetching from 7s to 9s a couple; smaller birds may be bought at 4s 6d to 5s a couple. Ducks, 7s to 83 a couple. Turkeys 4s 6d to 8s apiece. Geese m very good condition 7d per lb, or at 5s to 7a each." There is surely money m such prices for New Zealaud poultry farmers. The (Jhristchurch Press is severe on our University output. " Out fear is lest our system of University education m this colony, excellent as it is m many respects, should raise up among us a generation of colonial prigs. At laying m information— at cramming m short — our young undergraduates and graduates are not easily to be surpassed . This is shown by their success when they are pitted against other students m the Old World. Unfortuuately, among their endowments modesty seems to be rarely included. It used to be said that the most conceited person on God's earth was the amateur tenor, but the author of that ' mot ' had not seen a New Zealand undergraduate m his second year." We remind the many lovers of music that the Timaru Orchestral Society will give the last concert of the season at the Theatre Royal this evening. One of the finest programmes the society has compiled is to be presented. The soloists are Miss Gardner and Mr Hockley (Christchurch), and their choice of vocal numbers is a very happy one. We hope to see the theatre filled m every part, as the society richly deserves the most liberal patronage Those who have listened to previous concerts need no remarks to commend this concert to their favourable anticipation. But there arej hundreds of musical people m Timaru who have never heard the society, and to those we can offer' the assurance that if they attend to-night's concert they will enjoy a musical treat. An amusing incident happened m the dining room of a Mastettou hotel on a recent evening. Three people were having dinner, two ladies and a gentleman, the latter a well known commercial traveller. A cat m the room caught a small-sized rat, and was playing with it beneath the table. The young ladies became alarmed, and the commercial travellerenjoyed himself by scaring them. When it was noticed that the cat had lost the rat the ladies quickly left the room, much to the amusement of the man. The cat then displayed a special fondness for the man, and took up a position at his feet and refused to leave. Without the traveller knowing it the rat had eacaped up the leg of his trousers, his underwear preventing him from feeling it. It was not until the rat jumped out from his waistcoat on to the table that he was aware of its presence. With a yell he bounded from the room amidst the laughter of the waiters. We have received from the Government Printer a hand-book containing extracts from the annual report of the Department of Agriculture, relating to Biology and Pomology. Rome was not built m a day, and it is not to be expected that a Department which has only been half-a-dozen years m existence should have its reports made models of clearness. There is, however, a lack of order m the arrangement of these reports which must greatly reduce their value. Some of the reports from individual officers ramble " all over the shop." A very bad instance of this is the official report of the Department's representative at the fruit-growers' conference at Brisbane. This report, which should have been confined to matters relating to fruit, runs away from fruit cases along the grain of the wood to crates for chickens, and this leads to a description of how the Victorians treat the chicken trade. Having got off the track the reporter goes on to describe hare and rabbit crates and the way they are filled, and then egg-boxes and butter-boxes. The orchard was now entirely lost, and the next subject is molasses for cattle feeding. There were several other local delegates each of whom reported m a more or less rigmarole way, some giving very little useful information to season almost infantile chatter about the novelties they saw to wonder at. The head of the Department should get the materials for his annual publications reduced to some sort of order. It is killing to read the higglepiggelty mess some parts of them are now m. And the right bits are not prepared for the right people. An entertainment was given at Waitohi Flat on Friday evening m aid of the school prize fund. MrJ. Fraser, chairman of committee, presided. The entertainment opened with a pianoforte selection by Mr Collins, entitled " The Moa," and later m the evening he contributed some amusing recitations and some comic sketches. Mrs Mackay and Messrs J. A. and P. McOaskill each contributed several songs, all of which received encores. The balance of the entertainment was made up of an exhibition of Mr R. Macdonald's loud j speaking graphophone. The various items were much enjoyed and those present, who had previously heard these instruments considered Mr Macdonald's by far the best that had come under their notice. A very hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Macdonald and to the vocalists. The Matriculation, Medical Preliminary and Junior Scholarship examinations m connection with the University of New Zealand, begin on December 6th and end on the 14th. This year there are m all thirty-two local oandidates,the largest number that has yet sat m Timaru. Twenty-seven go up for Matriculation, one for Medical Preliminary, and four for Junior Scholarship. For Matriculation, the Girls' High School sends ten, the Boys' High School four.the Convent three, Waimate four, Timaru four, Temuka one, St. Patrick's College Wellington, one. The one candidate for Medical Preliminary is from Waimate. For Junior Scholarship, the Girls' High School sends np three, and the Boys' High School one. For Matriculation, the 27 candidates take English, Arithmetic, Algebra, Euclid; 24 take Latin, 24 History, 17 French, 13 Geography, 13 Biology, 2 Music, 1 Physics, and 1 Chemistry. Six subjects must, but more may be, taken. Four take nine subjects, nine take eight, twelve take seven, and two risk their chances on the six. The Medical Preliminary candidate takes only cix— Latin, English, Arithmetic, Algebra, Euclid and French. The Junior Scholarships candidates are only allowed six subjects. They all take English, French, Mathematics, Botany and Electricity; then three take Latin, and one History and Geography. The examination hall is to be St. Mary's schoolroom, and the Bey, W, Gillies is supervisor.

At Court yesterday, a drunkard arrested m Bank Street at 11 p.m. on. Saturday was subjected to a prohibition order for twelve months, on the application of Sergeant Fraser. A committee meeting of the Souih Canterbury Jockey Club will be held this evening to consider matters relating to the improvements on the course, fencing, etc. Mr J. J. Grandi, the retiring Mayor, who is alao again a candidate for the office, is to give his second address m the Assembly Rooms this evening. Mr Grandi invites the burgesses and the general public to be present. The prize-giving of St. Mary's Sunday schools will take place this evening, a musical programme has been arranged m which Mrs Smithson, Miss J. Priest, Mr Stonehouse and others have kindly promised to assist. It is hoped that the members of the church will make a point of attending. The prizes will be given away by Mrs Elworthy. Christmas is now close at hand, and to fit your gift-giving needs as decorations for the home, we have gathered a m perb collection of high-class art pottery, basketware, photo frames, glassware, etc. To delight the children we have tables piled high with dolls and ;toys of every description. The assortments are priced to make a clearance before Xmas.— Davies and Murphy.— [Advt.] The Press says :- No fewer than four ladies, who were passengers by the Rotomahana on Saturday night, reported that their pockets had been picked and their purses taken. One purse was subsequently found on the wharf. The money it had contained was gone, but the thief had left the lady's passage ticket. The Rotoraahana put back after she left the wharf, and it was thought that the police were required on board, but the reason for her return was that two ladies who were not passengers for Wellington had inadvertently suffered themselves to be carried from the wharf. The Waitati correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes:— "An extraordinary haul was made at Goat Island, near Purakanui, on Wednesday evening last. A party of five residents of the district went out to fish. On trying to draw their net m they found they could only get it as far as they had the assistance of the tide. On wading m they discovered that their catch consisted of sharks. They had to bring about half of the sharks ashore before they were able to haul m the net. On making a count the number was found to be 257, measuring from about 2ft to 4ft 6in long. On casting their net a second time they secured another 20, making a total catch of 277 sharks. It need not be added that every one was killed." SYNOPSIS OF NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. I Guinne-s and LeCren- Large clearing sale at Trentham on sth inst. NZ S. Co.— Have s.s. Tekoa and ship Turakina loading here for London next month. St. Mury's Church, Geraldine— Notice to erect memorial to late Key. J. Preston. Shaw, --avill and Albion Co.— S.s Matatua due here on 20th Dec. ; ship Invercargill now on berth. J. Q. Cowan— Particulars of summer underclothing. A. H. Wilson Smith and A. L. Temple— i\otice of dissolution of partnership. Mrs Cargill— Opens fancy work, china and glassware, etc., shop on Thursday m Stafford street north. St. Mary'a Sunday school— Prize-giving to-night at 7.30. Theatre Royal— Orchestral Society's concert this evening. I—^— — — — — — — — — — i— — — »