NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XXV, Issue 3228, 5 January 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

HORTICULTURAL AND ABBORICULTURAL Society.—The monthly meeting of this society will be held this evening at the Clarendon Hotel, at 8 p.m. Electoral, —Mr J. E. Brown announces by advertisement that he will address the electors of the Ashley district at the Stoke schoolroom on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. New Zealand Church News.—We have roceived the January number of the New Zealand Church News, which contains a quantity of matter interesting tw churchmen generally. Theatre Royal.—"TheHandsome Husband," which went, capitally throughout, preceded the pantomime. In the latter, Mrs Walter Hill, Miss Fanny Power, Mr Walter Hill, and the other characters, were deservedly applauded. Complimentary Dinner.—A'complimentary dinner to the|Christchurch athletes who took part in the Caledonian sports on New Year's day was given by some Dnnedin gentlemen at Dunney's Hotel on Monday evening. Tne toasts were of a very pleasing nature, and a very pleasant evening was spent. Sporting.—The Timaru Herald of Tuesday says :—Mr and Mrs Wiltshire commence their 250 mile walking feat this evening at four o'clock, on a course situated at the back of the Commercial Hotel. They start at four o'clock, and have undertaken to perform the distance by 10 p.m. on baturday. Kaiapoi Episcopalian Sunday School. —On Tuesday last, the treat to the children attending this school, to the number of 220, took place, when, in charge of the Rev H. E. Carlyon and their teachers and friends, they spent a pleasant day in Lyttelton, where they were conveyed by railway. On their return to Kaiapoi they were in the evening regaled with tea and cake. Pic nic —The Christian Church, at present meeting in the Orange Hall, Worcester street, held its annual Sunday school pic-nic in Mr Duncan's paddock, Ferry road, on New Year's Day. The day being five there was a good gathering of children, parents, and friends. There was on the ground an ample supply of the good things. The sports were foot racing, cricket, &c, and various prizes were distributed among the children. About 7 p.m. the party broke up. Maori Election.—For tbe Southern Ma<;ri electoral district, Hori Kerei Taiaroa was returned at Kaiapoi yesterday unopposed. Had a poll been demanded it would have been taken at the following places :—Courthouses Nelson, Blenheim, Havelock, Picton, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Kaiapoi, Akaroa, Arow- ; henua, Dunedin, Campbeltown, Motueka Institute, and Moraki and ! Riverton school bouses. The Maori population of the South island is about 2608, and of this nnmber there are possibly 800 voters. Accident—An accident, likely to be attended with serious consequences, happened 1 on Monday last to a young man employed on Mr Strange's farm, near Southbridge. The man, by name Hobson, was employed by Mr Strange, with several other men, stacking grass seed in a paddock close to the honse. Whilst waiting for the drays, he attempted to jump over a fork that was sticking upright in the ground, using another fork as a vaulting pole. Unfortunately, his foot slipped, and hi fell on the shaft of the upright fork, which entered a considerable distance into his intestines. Dr Chapman was speedily in attendance, and did all in his power to alleviate the sufferer. Hopes are entertained for hia ultimate recovery.

SUPReMt^ I™'"1 ™'"- 1116 eitt »Qg yesterday concluded *1 peases except that of Regina v has been postponed until Toeoiey nftt- The cases disposed of were Regina v MTid JSowen, attempt to commit gowfcJ 5 the crown declining to oroaecate. leg' na T Wm Hassall, forgery, two years' anpnsomnent with hara labour. Begina v fteph OnUen and J. W. Tarrant, three years' ienaleervitude the former, and tW o years' * . lft J°« the latter, Begina v Theodore Ariw. unlawfully wounding, two years , imprieSment. Begina v Isaac Cordner, embezzlfen*. not guilty. The nisi prius sitting§or common jury cases will commence orifonaay next, at 10 a.m. KAIAPOI iiriTUTE.—The monthly meeting of the coiiPittee was held on Monday evening. Preifnt—Messrs Hewlings (hon sec), T. Wil£, Clark, Balch, Daws.on, Wright, anid Wilson (chairman pro tern). Oioihe motion of Mr Dawson, seconded by Miftaik, it was unanimously resolved that MrBW-Wright be elected librarian in place of M Camfield, resigned. The balance in handbag reported to be £41 16s sd. Accounts, Counting to £7 15s 7d, were passed. Dr D«ey and Mr J. H. Evans were elected members of the committee, to fill the vacanciefjaused by non-attendance of members at fflf successive meetings.

OddfellowsM.TJ.—Last evening the officers of the NOP Canterbury district discharged a moet pfM anfc duty, that of opening a new lodge aithe Waltham Arms, Wal« tham. After ceremony of initiation and opening fthe dispensation by the Prov G. M., J. Taf?, supported byD.P.G.M., B. Wright, and O|. Napier, the following officers were elect|for the young lodge :— N.G., Bro ; V.G., Bro Bradwell ; secretary, Bro Crojy ; treasurer, Bro Carpenter ; trustees,-.™ Jones and Ward. The full compliment 0 minor officers were also appointed. There as a large attendance of visiting brethren. |en followed the usual fraternal toasts andgintiments, after which the lodge was dulj leed.in peace .and harmony. I

Found DBOWNE|r-We learn from the Timaru Herald that|i Monday afternoon, as Mr William Uptonpas crossing the footbridge over the Temifi river, he saw a dead body in the stream. Iβ at once gave notice of the matter to the|plice, aed the body when taken out of theater was discovered to be that of Robert Jnnah, better known as " Cock of the Nortll Sergeant Rose had the deceased conveyedfj the Crown hotel, and as the face is s&rely injured a post mortem examination w$ be held before the inquest. The deceaseavas last seen alive on Thursday evening, |c 28th December, when he left Temuka |go to his work at Mr McCulloch's plaoe,|hich is near the town. i

Foot and Mouth I&jase.— A communication from Colonel %ies, Bengal Staff Corps, regarding the cia for this disease, appears in the New Zealand Gazette of December 30th. Hissescription is, for the feet:—" Wash the feqfrith warm water and carbolic soap. Dry Ijb a cloth. Mix lib of cutch, 4oz of camp& 3drms of liquid carbolic acid, and 1 galloif? water ; stir up well, and apply the lotionlith a feather to the corona, and between p clefts of the hoofs, and all round wherefe hoof joins the foot." For the mouth —" ash as clean as possible with warm water |l carbolic soap. Take 161b of ripe tamarindfcee from stones and stalks, with 41b of safand mix well into a paete. Draw out thelngue, and rub gently with the paste, ancflso round the interior of the mouth and Sizzle. Repeat both the above processes and evening, four to six days consec#ely."

Greendale. —A childreji treat took place on New Year's Day. Bras ostensibly the treat of the Sunday seal children of the first school of any kidttorganised at Greendale, but virtually it enlaced all the children of the district aloti with their parents and friends. The wiher was delightful, and a little after the young folk began to assemble in gups on the playground at the day school,|om whence they proceeded to a large j&bs paddock adjoining the house of their kip entertainer and superintendent of the Snjay school, MrT. W. Adams. The things pich young folk like, talk about, and dreaifbout, were liberally distributed at the hjUs of their Sunday school teachers. Requites for the various sports of cricket, footfo, running , and jumping, were amply proviflk in all of which sports the superintend! himself joined. On a natural parterre W. spread a repast as recherche as it was abaxant; and though the last not the least arising and instructive, was an improvised swing Bee. At dusk the various groups b% to disperse. I Aquatics in Port. — The I^γ-oared whaleboat race came off yesterday. A good start was effected at llh 27min. TpTimaru led by a length till abreast of breakwater, when the Ringaroompook her water. They pulled in this order Iftnd the buoy; coming home, the Timartypurted once or twice, but were unable to tost the lead from the Bingarooma, which Iβ* round the buoys at the breakwater by alHt five lengths, and gradually increased her&d to the winning buoy. Here, however, aflstake was made. The course as told to botijrews by the judge was to win to starboardt the last buoy; but tha Ringarooma triedjlpaes to port, and in doing so struck the bub, and became unable to pass. Meansvbtt the Timaru came up and rowed paslvThe Timaru shipped a sea soon after efeing, and came in half full of water. * The sea was rather high, but both Uews pulled admirably throughout. rhe money was not paid over past night. The pair-oar race was not *£cd. The yachts started from their in Dampier's Bay, shortly after 2 p.m. | Jhe Annie Ogle, Spray, and Fleetwing wetshe only competitors, the Xarifa not beipjin trim. Running down the harbor the Am e led, and in reaching uptbe harbor her supebr power and spread of canvas enabled hei 0 reach on the other yachts, and she routed the reef the first time some four mintfes ahead of the Spray, the Fleetwing some $. tance astern. These relative positions kept during the race, the Annie her lead and winning by about eight half minutes, the Spray being about fo* minutes ahead of the Fleetwing. A numb* of gentlemen accompanied the yachts in ti| Franklin Belle. The wind being fresh froji the south-west, favored the Annie Ogle, s£ being a much more powerful vessel thai either of the others. The Cook Strait Cable.—The Font o| the 30th ult. says : —The preparations foi repairing the Cook Strait cable still proceed vigorously, and it is hoped the Luna may be' ready for sea to-morrow night, unless any unexpected delay should occur. The tedious work of stowing the three and a half miles of spare cable on board is going on steadily, and should be finished on either to-night or to-morrow. Mr E. W. Mills also has in hand a second large paying out sheave for the bow, similar to that already fixed at the stern. A donkey engine of 25 horsepower has been placed just forward of the bridge to drive the large drum and gear. This latter was originally worked by a small portable engine and belt, but as the engine was not sufficiently powerful for any picking up operations should they prove necessary, it was disposedoorf r and the present one constructed under ths direction of Mr Nancariow, with two cylinders and a purchase working direct on the drum gear instead of the old belt, which had beea found inadequate to the strain required. The cable after, winding two or three times round the drum, passes by a succession of sheaves over the bridge and poop to the large payingout sheave at the stern. Similar appliances have been fitted in the forward part of the veseel in case it should be found advisable to work from the bow. The plan of operations is first to make an effort to grapple, and raise each of the broken ends of the cable, which then will be bu»yed, and each end spliced successively to so much of the spare cable carried as may be found requisite. The time occupied in the work must depend mainly on tbe success which may attend the grappling operation*. If the Luna is fortunate enough to pick up the severed ends at once, the work of splicing will not be ft lengthy one, bat it is quite possible, that two

or three weeks may be occupied in this important description of fishing. Dr Lemon is pushing on the preparations with rthe utmost energy and is being actively laided wh «eW machinery" designed by, Mr Nancarrow, and under con' etraction at the Lion Foundry,Ts pTocSSg with all possible deupatch; c

Leeston School Committee:.—A meating of this committee was held in the schoolroom, on Friday evening. Present—Messrs G -^ U i T 7 ( J U^ e chair) ' Pati O'Boyle, and T. S. Lewie, the other members of the committee having resigned at a previous meeting, and the householders of the district having declined appointing successors. The following correspondence was read by the chairman :—From the Minister, requesting the three members remaining on the committee to carry on the business of the school, and referring them to clause 31, Education Ordinance, which states that " j>ll questions . coming before the school committees shall be decided .by a majority of the members present, and that there shall be no meeting qf such committee unless at least three members be present," and informing them that a voucher for J542 2s lid on account of repairs to the school, school-house, and grounds had been passed in their favor. Also, from the same, requesting the committee to get plans and specifications prepared to meet the requirements of the side school about to be erected at Doyleston. It was resolved, on the motion of •Mr O'Boyle, seconded by Mr Lewis—

" That plans of a building, 30ft i 20ft, with a 12ft stud, be furnished to the Minister for Education for his approval." From his Honor the Superintendent, in reply to the resolution passed at the late meeting of householders, in which he stated that he had communicated with the Minister for Education, and was satisfied that there was no intention on the part of that gentleman to take any course which would be offensive to the committee. The chairman was requested to acknowledge the receipt of the letter. The chairman stated that the school would be closed from December 24th to January 4th for the usual Christmas holidays. A vote of thanks to the j chairman concluded the business.

Fibes.—About twenty-five minutes to three o'clock yesterday afternoon the alarm rang out from the Lichfield street Station, which was quickly taken up by the bell at the Market place, both bells ringing for some time, leaving the impression that a

large conflagration wa3 in existence. After some perseverance on the part of the Fire Brigade, it was discovered that a portion of the back roof of Mr Pye'e (gas fitter) shop, in High street, had been on fire, and the occasion for alarming the public, by the continuous ringing of the bells and calling out

the Brigade, fire police, and constables, was owing to the direction of a very energetic member of the Fire Brigade committee, who had sent a messenger to ring the alarm. The fire was caused by some chip sparks from the stack of Messrs W. Langdown's saw mills, which had lighted on Mr Pye's roof. It was first seen by Mrs Wyatt, who, observing a towel burning from a back window, went outside, when a burning chip fell on her head from the roof, and seeing it was on fire, she at once gave the alarm, Messrs Rowley and Pye, junr, by the aid of ladders and a few buckets of water, soon subdued the flame, and afterwards thoroughly extinguished all signs of fire. It should be here mentioned that this was the second occasion during the morning that burning chips from the sawmill stack had been put out. The fire bell was then rung, which occasioned the attendance of the fire brigade, comprising the hand engine placed at Wilson and Sawtell's tank, hook and

ladder company, steamer Deluge, a large number of the members, the captain, and a good muster of the fire police and the regular police under Inspector Buckley and subordinates, all of whom on arriving at the scene at once returned. The first persons present after the alarm were Sergeant Kennedy and Constable Neal. The stock was insured for £100 in the National, and the building was also insured. A few moments after five o'clock the Lichfield street bell again rang out the alarm, when it was discovered that some straw in the yard of an empty house fronting Colombo street, and at the rear of Messrs Toomer and' Sone 1 factory had been set

pn fire by some children who were playing there during the afternoon. Several members of the fire brigade, who were quickly on the spot, poured water on the burning embers, and assisted by the willing hands of the fire police and others soon distributed the burning straw and put out the burning portions.