LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume xxii, Issue 6456, 28 December 1904, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

fiiVEB Fepokt—The Telegraph Department advises as follnws : —The Han-jitatß, Raktia, and Waitakirivera are uotfishable.

Drunkenness. — A first offender was brought before His Worship the Mayor at the Police Court this morning, on a charge of drunkenness, and wa3 mulcted in a fine of 5s and costs.

The Sneak Trie*'—During the progress of Ibe cricket match in the Domain yesterday some sneak thief ente ed th< pivilton and rifled the pockets of one of the Sumner p!ay- rs.

The Wkathbr.—The reading of the therm-metsr in the Domain yesterday was 81 degrees in the shade.— Following the extreme heat of yesterday, the rain, which commenced to fall early this raoruintr, will be warmly welcomed by the farmers.

County Council—Notice of motion wa-> given by Or Harrison for the County (Council nice ins: to be hwld on J muary 6, 1905, a« follows; -•• That thHra »tion oirried *t the meeting of the Council h-Idon Wednesdny, 23rd November, 1904, adopting the ruport of the Water Race Committee, be rescin led,".

A Fatal Gun Accident.—A fatal gun accidei.t < ccsured at Oamaru on --unday, by which a young mail n imed David brown lost hi* life \ pnrtv of youn^ ana w^re out on the hills when the-leoea«ed'a exploded, the ohnrjje lodging in the breast, and dt-ath heing abno't insfrmfrine 'is.

Lawn Tknnis.— The N.Z. Lawn Tennis ChHmjjionphip Meeting was continued at Dunedin yesterday, when fine wwarher again prevailed, fright courts were n usa Most of t,he eventßare still in the first or second round.

Bowling.— The Bowling Tournament was continued at Timaru yesterday. The Consolation Riuk match for rinks put out iv the first and second rounds resulted thus: —Payne (Kaitua*) 10, beat Wadd«ll (Oamaru) 9 ; Sealey (Pimaru) 13, beat Capstick (Caledonian) 7; Harrison (Ashburton) 12 beat MoHnb-heson (Timaru) 6 ; Courtis (Timaru) 13, beat Priest (Timaru) 9. Second Round—Payne 16, beat Sealey 10 ; Harrison 9, beat Courtis 7. Final Kound •—Payne 9, beat Harrison 7 after an exciting and close game.

Angling—A local angler reports making two good catches during the holidays. On one occasion fishing above Digby's Bridge he caught i 3 trout averaging a little over fibs each. Fishing yesterday at the mouth of the Ashburton the same angler landed 6 fair sized trout, the largest turning the scale at 61bs.—A number of anglers visited the mouth of the Ashburton river yesterday and on Boxing Day, among them being a fair sprinkling of ladies. Moat of ihe local fishermen were fairly succpssful, Mr and Mrs R. D. Johnston laiding 22 trout, weighing up to 4|lbs, while several minor catches are reported.

Demand for Wool.—There has been a great influx of wool-buyers into Southland during the past week or two (says the Southland Times), and the country is being practically scoured by gentlemen anxiou3 to do private deals in the flaeay product. The buyers are snapping up all they can secure at from lod to lid, the latter price being given for only p/trticularly bright samples The average price seems to range from 9d to lOd for ordinary crossbred.

Opening of the School at Carew.— A very pleasant fjfitherin^ of parents and guardians took place at the Careiv School on Monday, December 19ih, to welcome the newly appointed mistress (Miss Cossgrove) and to assist her in the opening of the school. The chairman (Mr J. Scaly) on behalf of the parents and householders, welcomed Miss Co3sgrove to the district and exnresstd the hope that the school would prosper. Miss Cossgrove in a neat speech thanked those present for the hearty welcome they had accorded her, and was gratified at seeing not only so many parents present but h.lso so many pupils at the opening, and t- osted they would be res?ulnr and punctual in their attendance, which would assist her in the advanonuieut of the school. After three hparty cheers were givf-n for Misa Cossurove, the pupils were enroll- d, twelve being the number present. This done and the school buing declnred open by rho chapman, aff«rnoon tea wa3 h^ndud round, which had been prnpmed >>y the parent-* ef the chiidrel. The young folk spent a vnry pleasant time and brought a happy s:»thoring to a close by singiug the National A»tiiem,

Mb Clement Wragge's Pk^fheot.—A correspondent writing to a contemporary says:—" Mr VVragge re'ies on the sun spot theory to bear him out in his late prediction of the coming drought. But, fortuna^oly, for oureelvas, the sun spots have a diffnrantialeto tell. A drought accompanies the period of sun spot minimum, wh eh will be theoretically past at the cud of thu pres-nt month. We are now, therefore, about to enter the sun spot mnximum period with its six years of rain 3 and flood*. The years of sun spot minimum were 1900, 1901, 1902, IQO3, and 1901. Those of the sun spot maximum will i-e 1905, 1906,1907, 19u8, 1909, and 1910. Thus ifc may be seen the lean years are over and the fat years are to come. For the next six yoars there will gL>w in the sun a greater power, and and fresh visrour will be given to the soil. Where every blade of grass now grows two shall spring up, and the seed that now increases fifty fold shall increase a hundredfold. So we can eat, drink and be merry till 1911."