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Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 115, 19 June 1880, Page 2

Elgin School. —Mr. Proudlock (late o Weedons), the gentleman appointed tyo take charge of the new school at Elgin, arrived in Ashburton on Thursday, and commences his duties on Monday next. The Mail Services.— I The Premier on Thursday said it would have cost the Colony last year L 59,000 gross for the conveyance of mails via Suez if the San Francisco contract had not been in force, or L 21,000 net. The San Francisco service cost L 7,000 net. 1 The Audit of Local Bodies’ Accounts. —ln the House of Representatives, in reply to a question, Major Atkinson said Government had under consideration, and he hoped this session to be able to introduce, a Bill that would deal with the whole question of the more effective audit of the accounts of local bodies. Obstructing the Thoroughfare. Henry Beckett was charged before his Worship yesterday, on the information of Charles C. Fooks, with obstructing the thoroughfare on the Wakanui road. Mr. O’Reilly appeared for the defence. Mr. Purnell, who appeared for the prosecution, asked for an adjournment in consequence of the non-attendance of an essential witness in the person of Mr. Baker, the the Chief Surveyor. The case was adjourned for a week. The Templars in Tinwald. —A “ Good Templar ” writes “I am pained to observe that a great amount of antipathy to the Order exists amongst some in Tinwald, as evidenced by the restrictions placed on the Lodge by the School Committee, and the frivolous pretexts put forward by the master as a hindrance to the progress of the Order. The Tinwald members have the utmost sympathy of their more fortunate brothers and sisters in Ashburton, who will gladly welcome a more prosperous future for them.” Masonic. —In our notice of the St John’s Lodge installation ceremony in our last issue, we omitted to mention that the D.D. Grand Master, Bro. Henry Thomson, presented Bro. P.M. Paige with a jewel, in the name of the Masons of Ashburton, complimenting him at the same time on the very efficient manner in which he had conducted the duties of his office as Worshipful Master of the St. John’s Lodge. The jewel was manufactured by Messrs. Coates and Co., Christchurch, and a suitable inscription was engraved on the back. Lyttelton Prison. —In reply to a question in the House, The Hon. W. Kolleston said that according to the prison regulations, prisoners in Lyttelton Gaol, awaiting trial, were dressed in a garb different from that of other prisoners. It was done as a convenience for carrying out the prison regulations, but it was not compulsory. Ho was afraid the non-compulsory feature of the regulation had not been made sufficiently known. Ho would take care that it was property understood by prisoners in future. A prison library was provided, and prisoners before trial were allowed to change books once a day ; after trial, weekly. The library contained 1000 volumns. An Auckland Scandal. —The Auckland Star publishes a strong scandal about a doctor who recently purchased a practice here. A young Swiss lady, to whom he had become engaged on board ship six months ago, came out by the last mail steamer with her trousseau ready and prepared, expecting to bo married in three days. He never went near her till forced to do so by the chief officer of the mail steamer, and subsequently lie said that he would not marry her, and must have been drunk when ho proposed, It then transpired that he was engaged to a lady living at Rangitikei, where he has since gone, leaving tho poor Swiss girl to her fate. The affair is creating a great sensation here. £gSl§ “The Lost Ship.” —The above is the title of the piece to be plajed by the Amateur Dramatic Club on July 9 and 10. On the 9th tho performance will be for the benefit of Mr. C. Bourke, the Club’s painter, the masterstroke of whose genius will be exhibited in the new drop scene he has just finished —“Lake Maggiore.” We have no doubt many friends will patronise the hall on the 9th. About the middle of August “Ten Nights in a Bar Room ” will be produced, on the anniversary of the Dawn of Peace Lodge of Good Templasr. The piece has been in rehearsal for some months, and ought to come off with great effect. We desire to remind the Club that Thursday nights are set apart for rehearsals, and meetings for business in the upper room of the Town Hall. A Nurse's Claim. —At the R.M. Court yesterday, Mrs. Haynes sued Mrs. Bryant for the sum of L 7 10s., being amount claimed for s ervices rendered as a nurse and attending Mrs. Bryant in her confinement. The evidence was very lengthy, and through a pressure of other matter it is crowded out. It appeared, however, that tho plaintiff had gone to live at defendant’s house fully a month before the confinement took place, understanding that for this time she was to receive LI per week. Tho defendant stc.ted that it was of Mrs. Haynes’ own free will that she went so much sooner than was necessary. It was alleged by defendant and several witnesses that the plaintiff had been at the Hinds Hotel on one occasion, had stayed there for several hours, and returned intoxicated, and with a bottle in her pocket. Plaintiff stated in her evidence that she was at the hotel only half an hour, and the occasion of her going there was to return some candles which had been borrowed, and Mr. Little had given her one glass of something warm as she was knocked up with constant nursing, and that she was perfectly sober. The parties, on that occasion had some words, and the plaintiff left tho place. Mr Ireland appeared for the defendant, and Mr. Branson who appeared for the plaintiff, asked for a week’s adjournment, so as to obtain the evidence of Mr. Little, rebutting the evidence which hid been given to the effect that the plaintiff was drunk at the time mentioned. The case was accordingly adjourned for a week.

A.O.F.—The anniversary of the Court Star of Ashburton, No. G 034, was celebrated on Thursday night by a dinner, in the Somerset Hotel, purveyed by Bro. Shearman. About thirty members were present, and enjoyed a very pleasant evening. Bro. Edwards, C.R., occupied the chair, and Bro. Thomas Smith, S.C. R., was croupier. In the course of a reply to the toast of “ The Officers,” Bro. Zouch, treasurer, said there were not so many members of the Court now as there had been when it first started, still, the position of the Court was very satisfactory. J.O.G.T. —The usual weekly meeting of the Will and the Way Lodge was held at the schoolroom, Tinwald, on Wednesday under tho presidency ®f Bro. Galloway, W.C.T. A great number of members from tho Dawn of Peace Lodge attended, nearly filling the little schoolroom, and a very pleasant evening was spent in harmony, contributed by the Lodge and the visitors. It was announced by Bro. Corrigan, in re'erence to the proposed Temperance Hall at Tinwald, that lis shares had already been applied for, and in a short time the Order hoped to meet in a hail more suitable to their meetings.

Tinwald. —The pretty little church at Tinwald, that was opened about sixteen months ago, hasbeen up to the present time very badly offfor an instrument for the choir. We hear the parishioners do not intend this state of things to last much longer, as the township and district are being actively canvassed for subscriptions for the purchase of an American organ ; and Messrs. Wilkin and Carter have promised six guineas towards it. If the district will only make up the balance of twentyfive guineas Messrs William and Garter will guarantee tho remaining portion (whatever that might be) of the purchase rnwioy, trusting to the parishioners to recoup the amount at their convenience. We think that under these conditions St. Andrew’s Church should not be much longer without an organ. Drunk. —A man named William Fowler was brought before Mr. Guinness yesterday morning, charged with being drunk and disorderly in East street. Constable Warring deponed to arresting accused on the previous night. He was hanging on to a fence outside the Somerset Hotel. Prisoner admitted having had something to drink, but doubted whether he was drunk. After hearing the evidence of Constable Neill, who said that Fowler had frequently been before the Bench in Christchurch, both of drunkenness, for lunacy, and assaulting a constable in the lock-up, his Worship inflicted a fine of 205., or forty-eight hours’imprisonment. Henry Davis plead guilty to being drunk and using obscene language in a public place. For the first offence he was fined 205., or forty-eight hours’ imprisonment, and a like penalty for using obscene language.

The Impounded Furniture. His Worship, on the application of Mr. O’Reilly, at the afternoon sitting of yesterday’s Court, made an order that the furniture now in possession of the police, and which Mr. Davis bought of Mrs. James, to remain at the police depot until a case had been decided in which Davis sues Bariera for the amount owing by tho latter to the former. His Worship, at Thursday’s sitting of the Court, ordered the goods to remain in possession of the police until Davis had been paid L 7, by the woman Emily Davis, upon which payment, the furniture, at the request of Bariera, was to revert to Emily Evans. As, however, Bariera was indebted altogether to the amount of about L2O to Davis, the former’s action in disposing of his property until tho claims of his creditors were satisfied was somewhat premature. Amusements. —It will ho remembered that about a month ago, several ladies and gentlemen gave an entertainment of a very pleasing character in the Primitive Methodist Church. The results, both as regards finance and encomiums passed by those present, were so encouraging as to warrant the promoters in considering whether a series of such entertainments during the winter months might not prove both profitable, in a monetary sense, and also instructive. After due deliberation arrangements were entered into for the purchase of a scioptican, witli eighty slides, and with this ingenious piece of mechanism, along with other attractions, our Primitive Methodist friends are determined not to be behindhand during tho long winter evenings in catering to the recreation of the Ashburton public. I ho first entertainment will bo given in about a fortnight. The whole of the proceeds are to be devoted to clearing oft debts in connection with the Primitive Methodist churches in the district. Civil Cases. —The following cases were disposed of at the R. M. Court yesterday Jos. Clark v. W. Aitken, claim L 7 Us., judgment by default for amount and costs Ll.° Jos. Clark v. Thompson, claim L 25 IGs. Mr. Branson for defendant. It was acknowledged that L2O had been paid, but plaintiff had omitted to give notice to tho defendant. L 4 10s. had also been paid into Court. Judgment was given for plaintiff', but the latter to pay L2 2s. costs in consequence of the neglect above stated. W. Harris v. O’Brian, judgment summons for L 5 IGs. 6d. Plaintiff said lie knew defendant was at work on Mr. Grigg’s station, at Longbeach. O’Brian informed the Bench that he was getting 15s. a week and his food, and might be able to pay 10s. a mouth until the debt was cleared off, but he owed money to others besides Mr. Harris. His Worship said the claim of Mr. Harris must be satisfied before any other, and ordered defendant to pay 20s. a month, or a fortnight’s imprisonment. Yery Strange Advice.— A peculiar correspondence has just been published at Bristol. A lady, Mrs. Edwards, has been refused communion by the vicar of Cheddar on the ground that she had married the brother of her deceased husband. The Bishop of Bath and Wells had been appealed to, but he supported the vicar. Ultimately Mr. Edwards, the lady’s husband, appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his reply (London Telegraph) seems the strangest of all. He is quoted as follows ; “ In similar circumstances my advice has boon that persons so circumstanced desiring to communicate should go to some church where their history is not known.” Mr. Edwards in a further letter says this advice is somewhat startling, as it recommends persons situated to obtain the church sacrament, if not by false pretence at any rate by a concealment of the truth. The Party Processions Bill. —ln the House of Representatives on Wednesday Mr. Pyke moved the second reading of his Party Processions Bill, but after a short discussion, the Bill was ordered to bo read that day six months. In the course of the discussion the Premier said the recent disturbances at Christchurch and Timaru had brought down such an amount of condemnation as would prevent a recurrence of such proceedings. Mr. Pyke said that he felt very considerably “sold” over this Bill, as gentlemen on all sides had promised him their support. He would know in future what their honor was worth, and if hereafter blood was shed it would be upon their heads. Experienced matrons advise young people to marry in the spring time. That gives them six months of happiness before they begin to quarrel on the question of who should get up in the morning to build the fires. A Fond mother in Valparaiso, on hearing that an earthquake was coming, sent her boys to a friend’s in the country to escape it. After a few days she received a note from the friend, saying “ Take your boys away and send along the earthquake instead,” 1

Cruelty to a Horse, —A man named Meharry, living at Rakaia, was brought before his Worship on Thursday and fined L 5, or a fortnight,s imprisonment for working a horse while in an unfit state It was proved that the horse had a deformed leg, and experts gave evidence that it was exceedingly cruel to use the horse in any way ; and as the accused had recently given only sc. for the steed, it will easily be imagined that it was not very valuable —an impression, no doubt, which existed in the mind of his Worship when ho ordered the poor brute to be destroyed. Strong Principle. —At the meeting on Thursday of the Tinwald Templar Lodge, a brother gave an instance that- had come under his notice of loyalty to the principles of the Order. A young man, whose finances are at present at a very low ebb, but who has always been known to be a smart counter man, was offered this week a very remunerative situation in a barroom, but he declined the position, notwithstanding his empty pocket and the chance offered of filling it. We gladly publish this item at the request of a temperance man, with a view to encouraging loyalty to conscience. Worthy magistrate : “ What !.a man be cruel enough to maltreat his lawful wedded wife, and even hurl a plate at her head V Prisoner: “ But, your honour, do you know my wife 1” Worthy magistrate : “I have not that honour.” Prisoner ; “ Then just go slow.”