Local and General.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XVIII, Issue 4365, 7 December 1897, Page 2

Local and General.

Tenders are called by the Upper Ashburton Road Board for shingling a portion of the road near Hackthorne, Sneak thieves are about in Feilding, and petty robberies are committed there every Saturday evening. The South Australian Treasurer states that the land tax assessment just completed amounts to £28,056,291. The yield of gold for Victoria during October was 74,2770z. A prohibited person was fined $5 by Judge Kettle at Wanganui last} week toe : entering an hotel. Persons who have not yet paid their land tax are reminded that 10 per cent, penalty is added to all fca^es unpaid after Friday, 10th Last. The threshing plant of Messrs Chapman Bros., of Willowby, will be offered for sale , at the Tinwald yards on Tuesday, 14th: inst., by Mr Darid Thomas.

It is understood the Premier was anxious that Chief Justice Berkeley, of Fiji, should go down and investigate matters at Earatonga, but he could not spare the time, and so our own Chief Justice waa sent.

Mr David Thomas notifies that he will hold the last skin sale of the season at his yards on Friday, Psoember 10. Farmers having skins for disposal wijl do well to note this.

A bachelors 9 ball will be held in the Dromore schoolroom on Friday evening next, when a large attendance is anticipated. Trevurssa Bros', drag makes a special trip on that evening.

A joke is going round the Taranaki district that at a recent show three samples of the same churning of butter were sent. One took a $rst, the other a second, whilst the unfortunate third w&s disqualified.

An up.-couu.t/y teacher in the Puller district recently wrote to hir school' committee that) if they ,did not send a carpenter to do some necessary rspaira to the school, they might aend one to oiaka her coffin. The order for repairs was forthcoming.

A lady bought a non-poisonous snake at Fillis' live stock store. She explained, when asked, that she wanted to put it in her husband's boot to make him <£uit drinking by imagining that he was beginning to see snakes, pink-eyed rats, green mice and things.—Exchange.

J£r R. Alcorn, J.P., at the Police Court last evening remanded til! Wednesday three men .charged withi assault, Ib was alleged that they had very serioajajy assaulted, under aggravated circumstances, William Jamieaon, farmer, Wakanui, the assault having taken place at Dromore. The names of the men are William, James, Matthew, and Herbert Clarke, and Mr Aloorn admitted them to bail—themselves in £25 each, and their father ia £25 for each of them.

Two cricketers named Ford and Hall were seriously injured at Blackheath, New South Wales, recently through colliding while running to catch a ball,

A new species of venomous snake, of a greenish colour, was capture.! near Gaulburn, New South Wales, recently. A dog bitten by it died in 20 minutes.

The Yiclorian Customs House authorities intend to prosecute the proprietors of aertain clothing- factories, whom they suspect of having defrauded the department.

The estimated profit on the Wangatiui Show is £170. The proceeds, including mmbere' subscription, amoir ted to £530, and the expenditure, including priEe money, £360.

A correspondent of the Adelaide " Advertiser" writaa as follows;— Our old enemy the crow has boon the agent this season in destroying scores of lambs, This bird is our greatest pest at this time of th« year. He is so cunning and quick that the ewes are holpiesM in his hands. His methods are simple but effective. As soon as the ewe has lambed ho is on the alert, and pouncing down upon the lamb instantly has both its eyes out, In this way hundreds are killed ia the south-east districts of South Australia,

The Highbank School Committee met on Friday evening Present—Messrs J. McLean (ohairman), Davit, Dohcrty, Drisool, GallaKhan, and Smith. The Board forwarded a report of the recent examination, which the Committee considered very satisfactory in view of the short time the school has been opened. After transacting usual business, the question of getting a musical instrument as HOhool property was discussed, and it was resolved to open subscription lists and hold a concert in aid of same, The date of concert was fixed for Friday, December 31, New Year's eve, The Committee has been successful in getting a first) class programme and tickets are now ready.

The Hudson Surprise Company, which will appear on Friday evening at the Oddfellows' Hall, is one of the cleverest) travel* ling. This fact is borne evidence to by the other fact that since the company's arrival in the colony crowded houses have given the puhlio's kindly expression of opinion, and complimentary notices in the press show that the critics have been more than pleased. In Dunedin the company played nightly to undiminished houses, and the Press was very marked in praise of the performances. Mies May Hapgood, the pianinte of the company, is said to be one ot the best exponents of that instrument to be found anywhere, and throughout the list oi performers only artistes of high merit are to be found.

At a Good Templar Jubilee in Dunedin on Friday evening Mr J. W. Parkinson, D.C.T., said that the first lodge in New Zealand was instituted on the 9th of September, 1872. This was the Southern Cross Lodge, and it was instituted at Invercargill by a then minister of the Primitive Methodist Ohuroh, the Rev, B. J. Weatbrooke (now of Mount Somers), no that Dunedin could not claim the honor of having formed the first lodge. Bro. J. W. Jago said Bro. Robert Gregg obtained authority from Rev. Bro. Weatbrooke to open a lodge in Dunedin, and on the 30bh October, 1872, a meeting was held at All fc-'aiuts' Church Schoolroom. They gathered together twenty-two members. At the end of the first quarter the membership numbered 124, and at the end of the second quarter 200 exactly.