LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2429, 14 May 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

He : '' I love you more than tongue can tell!" She (thoughtfully) : "Suppose you put it in writin»g, George."

The Gospel of Matthew has been published in the Fiot tongue of the Lower Congo by Mr Wcsllind.

The number of people who. live in boats about Canton is estimated to be 100,000. Some put it at 230,000.

" Now, Richard why did the Israelites make a golden calf?" "Why, 'cause,'they dindn't have enough gold to make a cow, Is'poae." I

Latin Professor. —"Decline 'food' in Latin." Hearty Pupil.—" Excuse me, sir, but I would rather not, if it's, the same to

you."

The 'colony's drink bill for 1889 was £1,996,286, showing a decrease of £44,615 from tbftt of the previous year, the figures for which were £2,040,901. : The Brow'n-Potter-Bellew combination, piloted by Mr Lohr, make an early descent on New Zealand'; and George Rignold will visit us in the summer. Jt appears that Mr Henry George has r.ob yet glyen up all idea of visiting New Zealand, and the Single Tux Society has asked the Wellington City Council to give h ima public reception if he comes. A number of sportsmen, including some Victorian visitors, had a splendid day's dee*.' shooting on the Blue Mountains recently.. Two fine stags were shot, one of them being brought to Lawronce. At the Sydney Wesleyan Conference the Rev jQporge'Brown was re-appointed Special Commiasi/ongr at Tonga for another yeai\ The Tongan Committee is composed of representatives from t)}£ four Conferences. It appears that the furniture used in the library scene at the representation of Little Lord Fauntleroy on Monday evening was obtained from Messrs Pickford and Undrill of this town, and not from Christchurch j as we j,vere informed,

The "Zoo-" at Washington wfvs infested with:rats, and how to get rid of them had long been a perplexing question. Traps were used, but nothing would tempfc the rodents to enter." In a storeroom drawer was placed a quantity of sunflower seeds, used as food for some of the "birds. Into this drawer the rats gnawed their way—a fact wijich Jotl to an , experiment with them for bait in the traps. The result was that the rats could not ho kep 1; out. A trap, which appeared crowded with six or eight rats, Yru,s found bomo mornings to bold 15.

Cabs are now running in Paris which 1 j automatically register the distance traversed, ! I and indicate the fare which the rider has to i pay. A schoolmistress under the Nelson Board | who has been teaching thirty-four years, has I just been discharged, with a year's leave, on i full pay, £140. ■ ■ The huge Winter Palace at St. Petersburg will accommodate 6000 persons. Like all Russian palaces, it is a mixture of splendour and shabbiness, luxury and discomfort. I The Mataura Ensign is informed that five tons of cheese from the Mataura factory has, realised in London no less than 50s per -cwt. The product was shipped as ordinary cargo. < John Hudson/of Patea (Taranaki), has applied; foT.a patent for a mechanical apparatus for nursing infantsj to lie called "Hudson's Baby-Jumper." The unsophisticated Maori is in the march of civilisation. Hukaki Waretiu, of'Hawke's Bay, has filed, with, liabilities, chiefly with , storekeepers in Hprowhenua, £157, andi assefs nil ' 1

To-morrow being Ascension Day the-HolY pommunion will be administered in' StStephen's Church at 8.30 a.m. At'7.3o p.mthere will be evening service at which the Rev R. F. Garbett will preach., , „ , , The Right Rev Bishop Juliua will,arrive in Ashburton on Saturday, and will probably address a public meeting the same evening. He 1 will also officiate on Sfc: Stephen's Church on Sunday next. Lady Dilke declares that after sixteen years' experience in.the work of. organising unions,' shVhas''c'bme t6"the Jp6sitiv'e conclusion that working women cannot organise themselves.

At a meeting of shareholders in the Commercial Bank of Australia, which"' is in liquidation, it was stated .that, the,total losses of the .Bank were £600,000; whiqh is nearly double what was estimated when the Institution first collapsed. It is intended to make a fresh call of £2 per share.

At the inquest on the body of Agnes Driver it transpired that on Sunday week deceased went to the Purakanui cliffs. Her hat blew off, and in making an • J effprt to catch it she tripped ,over a vine, and fell a distance of 200 ft. A verdict of accidental death was returned. """

We have to thank the publishers for a copy of the May number of Zealandia. The ' • Mark of Cain " is continued, and the essays in the current number are "Byron's Domestic Pieces "by "5.D.," and "Women's Work in the World," by. " Egeriu.". -

The Hawera paper's correspondent says that in the Kaupokonui district' the peach trees seem to be wholly recovered from the disease which threatened their wholesale! extinction some time ago, and next year^we may expect crops of this luscious fruit in as great abundance as ever. - j

The United States correspondent of the "Dunedin Star" says:—Of the presbyteries who have taken action on the question of revision qf the Confession thus far, thirtynine are in favour and fifteen against. ' The discussion is becoming intensely interesting sometimes sharp, but fraternal and in the be3t of humor.

A very successful meeting in support of early closing was held at Sydenhain on Tuesday evening, the meeting pledging itself to suppqrt thelSarly Closing Association's r.v.-.■..■. r. .... .:.,} ..' „ carrying unanimously a '■ >■■'■••■• " '■: i'iv- that a legislative enactment should be passed to close retail shops at 6 p.m., and to compel all employers of labor to give their employees a weekly halfholiday

The estate of the late Mr David Berry, of Coolangatta, in New South Wales, estimated to be worth over £2,000,000, will shortly form the subject of a lawsuit. Mr Berry, having no near relatives, bequeathed the bulk of his property to a distant relation named Hay ; but upon an application- for probate being made, an equally distant relation named Simpson lodge! a caveat on fie ground that at the time the will was made the testator was not of sound and disposing'mind.

Says the " Bruce Herald " : Among other instances of magnificent yields this season we may mention that Mr H.L. Johnson, of : ' ' ' 1 bushels of sparrow- ■ ■■' ' ■ ■ " which five years ago it would not have been possible to drive a bullock. This marvellous return is solely due to the drainage scheme which was carried out some time ago, Mr J.A. Duthie also has threshed o,u,fe- from His Lovell's Plat crops 80 bii3]\bls from one paddock and 100 fvom another.

The weather in Scotland during March waß remarkably favorable for the lambing. The crop of lambs is proving a very ful one in general, and a remarkable case of heavy cropping is recorded. In the choice flock of Border Leicesters belonging to Mr Matthew Ridley, Peel : Well, -eighteen ewes produced forty-five lambs — one had four lambs, nine ewes had three lambs each, six had 'two. lambs each, < and two ewes had one lamb each ; and in every case bath ewes and lambs were doing splendidly. The quadruplets were sired by the £100 Mertounram, whioh-Mr Ridley purchased at the Kelso Ram Sales in September last.

Writing of the Premier the "Wellington correspondent of the "Otago Daily Times " says :—Sir Harry, though not so robust as his friends could desire to see him, is believed' to be quite able to meet Parliament and to perform all the functions that will be required of him in the short and light session which the Government hope to have. He will no doubt take his Parliamentary leadership as easily as. possible, and will be represented by one or another'of his colleagues, except on special:occasicps, 1 but both' .he and his. col-" leagues are convinced that be will be equal to all reasonable calls, upon his energies, and; no idea of his retirement the' session" has been entertained for one moment.

The, Queen of Great Britain is now sovereign over a continent*,''loo peninsulas*,*' 500 promontories, 1000 lakes., 2000" rivers, 'and 10,000 islands. She' wavfe's- Her- hand;and 900,000 warriors march to battle to - conquer or die. She bends her head,-and at';the signal 1000 ships of war and 100,000 sailors perform her bidding on; the ocean! She walks upon the earth arid 300,000,000 human beings feel the least pressure of her foo£. The Assyrian Empire was, hot so powerful. t;-.- r--i'. .-■»• ■ ■Empire .was'not so much .:. i•■ -panish' Empire wa'snotso 1' widely diffused. The Roman was weak in comparison, and Grcce was as a small village. •

A sensational affair occurred the other morr:" v: A V- -■* ■■ -. _.. Melbourne. A woman was : ■ : i." : <>•.,: : a; road, wheeling a perambulator containing her two children, when a horse came alorig.at good speed. He made a '.furious; tush at. the -woman ; and, endeavoured to bite her, and then jumped the perambulator. As he-(passed over he kicked out viciously and striking the pera'mbulatbr smashed it to pieces, scattering the children in different directions. They were picked up and attended to and-it was found that although no bones were broken severe shock had been sustained. In the case of one child this was so bad that its death for hours yras r momentarily expected. The horse was a young one v- -' -'il- - .-1 f y ■ harness put on fop the fjrst ■■!■.-. =..!.■.■■_• been left standing in a paddock, had jumped the fen and galloped off in fear. At the kind invitation of Mr and Mr 3 Makeig and Mr Wiggins a genuine treat was afforded to a large number of persons, young and old, in the shape of a magic lantern- entertainment at St. Stephen's Sclioolrooiii last evening. The slides were manipulated by Mr Wiggins, who first throw upon tho sqreen a series of excellent illustrations of the scenas.and situations of George R, Sims' poem *?The Lifeboat," which was read by Major {Steward. Then followed a capital seriea of views of London,' Mr Alfred Harrison kindly officiating as lecturer, after which Ingoldby's " Vulgar-, Boy " was read, while the counterfeit presentment of the characters was thrown upon the sheet. To this succeeded some excellent pictures "of ' the scenery upon the Thames from its source, to its mouth, and after these the touching poem, beautifully illustrated on the canvas, '.'Curfew must not ring to-night." Next came a mimber. of'exquisite reproductions ol statuary, after which the story of "Sam,arid the Elephant" was pictorially displayed, and tin's and .a: number of comic slides evoked: shouts of laughter from the juveniles" present. A V- 1"-^-'-— r.i-r"V"W .'-,-.-> a portrait of her *i ■■. ■.. :, "i iq legend "Good Night" appropriately' closed a very delightful hour and a half, a hearty vote of thanks, proposed by the Rev Mr } Scott, being tendered by the audience to heir kind entertainers.