LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2434, 20 May 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An hotel is to be erected, it is alleged, at the foot of the Great Pyramid. Kentucky has two comities in which there is not a single church. The French Government has just forbidden all military physicians to make any üße whatsoever of hypnotism Mr Christie Murray declares the Wangauui river to be the most beautiful he has yet seen in the ■world. It is notified in this issue that the pupils of the Ashburton High School will ro-asscui-able on Monday next, 2Gth iiist., at the usual hour. The Minister of Mines (the Hon. T. Fergus) will address his constituents at Queenstowii this week —probably on Thursday night. At Eastbourne a gipsy woman known as Naomi was sent to Dewes for a week's hard labor for pretending to tell the fortune of a servant girl. In Hungary a man convicted of bigamy was compelled to live with both wives in the same house. Hcuce bigamy is rare in that country. The youngest life convict in the United States is John Wesley Elkins, 12 years of age, who had just been sent to prison for life for the murder of his father and mother. Europe is increasing its national indebtedness to the extent of about £100,000,000 a year, while the debt of the United States is decreasing at the rate of £20,000,000 a year. A smart little boy in Georgia, who waa kicked by a mule, instead of saying naughty wprds or going home crying to his mother, tied the mule within five foet of a beehive, backed him round to it and let him kick. ; The International Electric Congress will [ meet in Paris in June next. A supplementary vote will be asked for of the Chamber in order .to receive the delegates with all the hospitality due to tfceiji,

Of the 603 candidates ordained deacons j and priests in the various dioceses of the | Church of England at the Christmas ordinations, there were 162 graduates of Cambridge, and 80 graduates of Oxford. Tbe "Post" says that a youth named George Colclough, who some four years ago was in the employ of Messrs Nelson, Moale, paid Co. in Wellington, has been proved the heir to a fortune of some half a million sterling. Mrs Henry Hunt, Wakanui road, has sent us a magnificent collection of chrysanthemum '* blooms of the incurved, Japanese, and other 1 varieties, yellows, whites, bronzes, and crimsons. Many of them measure fully five inches in diameter. Mother - (to baby): It's muzzer's little ootsy tootsy; muzzer loves her little darling baby. Fanny (who has just been spanked): | Don't believe her, baby. When you (sob) §row up she'll spank you, t-too ! —" Texas if tings." "Ma," said Bobby, "is it wrong for little boys to tie tin kettles to dogs' tails ?" "Decidedly wrong, Bobby; I hope you'll never do such a thing as that." " No, indeed ma," replied Bobby emphatically; "all I do is to hold the clog."—" Harper's Bazaar." In consequence of the Queen's Birthday falling this year upon a Saturday, his Worship the Mayor, by advertisement in another column, requests the burgesses to observe Monday, the 26th host.", as a holiday in honor of her Majesty. Monday next is to be observed as a postal holiday in honor of her Majesty's Birthday, The local Post and Telegraph Office will, however, be open from 9 till 10 in the morning, and from 7 till 8 in the evening. No mails will be made up after 10 a.m. Belgian farmers have become alarmed at the way in which the frog 3 are being exterminated by French pot-hunters, and have petitioned the King to forbid killing frogs during certain months of the year, as is done with game. The farmers regard the frogs as valuable slug and insect destroyers. Following is it appears the correct reading of a telegram published yesterday:— "There is further trouble at St. Mary's-on-the Hill. The Bishop allows the articles objected to to used on Saints 'days, and the majority of the congregation intend push ng matters to extremes." The following is the route which will be aken by Bishop Julius in tho course of his visitation of this part of the diocese: Arriving at Geraldine yesterday, he will remain in that neighbourhood until to-day inclusive, proceeding to Pleasant Point tomorrow (Wednesday), to St. Andrews on Thursday, Waimate on Friday, and Timaru on Saturday, where he will preach on Sunday next, returning to Christchurch on Monday. The "Daily Times" says:— The switch back railway was offered for sale by auction by Messrs E. C. Reynolds and Co. at their rooms on Saturday, there being a large attendance on the occassion. The bidding started at £80, and after brisk competition the railway was knocked down at £125 to Mr 6. S. Smith, who bought on behalf of a syndicate. We understand that it is the intention of the syndicate to erect the railway at the Caledonian grounds. A Wellington telegram received last night says :—The cable-repairing steamer, Scotia, has returned to port for a further supply of cable. She was successful in picking up the defective Strait cable ; but as it was found to be :in-a.very bad condition, the ends were, buoyed and the ship came'on here, not having sufficient new cable on board with which to splice the defective parts. It is expected , she.--will go out again on Tuesday morning, -and • that the cable will be in working order again in a day or two. The town of Ontario, in California, has a tramway in one of the principal streets on which are some very steep inclines. The car is dra^m up hill and along the levels by a pair. of. mules ; but as they are not required on the down grades the animals mount the car, and ride with it to the bottom, where they are again harnessed. To this end a platform with folding slides i 3 added as a sort of scable tender to the passenger department. Prince Waklemar of Denmark is testing a new submarine boat, built after the idea of Jule- Verne's famous craft. It is like a fishin form, and can go bolow the" submerged chains in harbors, can run round buoys, and can cut cables with the shears at its keel. It is as easy to hang on the davit 3of a vessel as a lifeboat. Two men who work the vessel have stayed in it several hour 3 undor water without feeling inconvenience. They take with them a supply of oxygen, and they can eat their meals quite comfortably. The inventor is M. Goubet, after whom the boat is named. At a country school not quite 100 miles from Oamaru one of the members of the School Committee wr~ c-,—-'" ■ lass of boys. One of the ■_ ", was: Who is Governor of* New Zealand ? The question put clown two lads, but the third and fourth held out their hands. The third exclaimed, in his turn, "Tom Duncan." But as the examiner .showed by his countenance that the answer was not correct, the fourth boy became enthusiastically eager to give his answer, " The Hon T. W. Hislop ! " Perhaps it may be said that if these boys know nothing of Lord Onslow, they are not absolutely ignorant of the identity of some of his Excellency's " trusty and well-bclovei counsellors."—" North Otago Times." The " Hawera Star " says :—A' handsome memorial cross has recently been erected by the Te Ngutu Domain .Board close to the place where Major Yon Tempsky fell. The cross stands about twelve feet high and is made of the best quality concrete. A large, marble slab with lead letters bears an inscription to the effect that the cross is erected in memory of the officers and men who fell at the several engagements at the pah, of whom a full list follows, The cross is placed on a slight rise on the reserve and is backed up < by native shrubs, so that it stands out well in the landscape, and cannot fail to attract the attention of eveiy visitor to the reserve and of passers on the AhipaipFroad.