NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10635, 20 April 1900, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Government- offices throughout tha colony are to be closed on Monday next, in celebration of St. George's Day.

There were .six. bankruptcies recorded in the colony last week—-«i labourer, v, board-inghouse-keeper, a blacksmith, a atomkeeper, and- two farmers.

A piece of land containing about 194 acres, in Block VI., Rangiura survey district, part of Reserve 1921, and hitherto set aside for railway conservation purposes, is now to be devot-ed to river conservation purposes.

The Premier, who is in Auckland, visited the colonial ammunition. Tactory at Mount Eden yesterday morning. Mr Seddon will probably leave for Te Arolio. this morning, accompanied by Miss Seddon and the Hon. Jas. Carroll.

Some mischievous person has torn the gnomon otf the sundial in the Gardens in front of the head gardener's house. The Board have now moved the fence so as to enclosa the sundial. While it can be seen no damage can be done to it. The gnomon will be replaced at an early date.

A copy of til* "Boys' High School Mag* cine" for the first term of 1900 is to hand. The Magazine, which appears in slightly altered form, contains much interesting gossip concerning the work of the school, and in it are included also a number of well-written articles, short sketches, etc.

"Tho honorable members of the Lower House," said the Hon. Mr Twomey last night, "are only political apprentices. Wβ in the Council are the finished tradesmen, and have to take up the bills sent to ua from the Lower House a.nd polish them into shape. After the work is done by us, they are fit to be taken up by the judges and administered as the law of the country."

In the case of Mrs Margaret Keane, charged at Auckland Avith having administered laudanum to her son, aged eleven, the Magistrate said he did not think there was any use in sending the case- to the supreme Court. Accused apparently did not know what sho was about at the time, and regretted her action afterwards. Accused Having been cautioned, the information was dismissed.

A meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society was iield at 4 p.m. yesterday. Mr Scott occupied the chair. The election of officers for the year resulted as follows:— Fr&iid-jnf. Mr J. B. Fisher; vicepresidents. Mr Izard and Dr. Moorhouse; Garden Committee, the President, Dr.

Mccrhouse. Messrs Izard; Harman and Meredith-Kaye. A vote of thitrikriwae accorded to the president and officers'ifor the past year-for their services in the interests of the society. Mr G. W. Bennet was appointed an auditor.

Nothing is being talked about on the West Coast except gold dredging, and all along'the route from Springfield to Jackson's even the visitor hardly hears any other subject being discussed. On arrival at tho Bealey last week visitors were shown what appeared an excellent specimen of gold, said to have been taken from the New River. On the Coast, of course, almost every second inun one meets has a sample or two i 1» his waistcoat pocket. Last week Mr Anderson, who has been inaugurating the working of tie Totara dredge, cycled! over from the Coast, and though tlie road is in many part 3 not an ideal cycling one and a considerable amount of wading of rivers is to be done, he apparently enjoyed the experience.

As indicative of the celerity with which the pegging out of dredging claims on the West Coast is proceeding, it- is stated th»t numerous claims have been pegged out in the vicinity of the Totara dredge's claim. The company which is working this dredge have two claims, each of one hundred acres.' and in order to protect themselves they have had to peg out a sluicing claim in the vicinity of the claim they .are at present working. A Coast paper, referring to the Easter holidays, remarks that on Good Friday "numbers availed themselves of the excursion trains to go shooting and pegging out dredging claims."

The launching of the pontoons of a dredge on tho West Coaet is, according to a correßpnderv of a local newspaper, a function of great importance. At the launch of the Pactolus dredge recently, "every man, woman, and child on Try Again Terrace" put in an appearance to witness the ceremony." Further on it is stated that Mr Buchanan, one of the contractors, "all the time gave the word of command" in connection with the launching. Then the hostess of the adjacent hostlery "performed the christening ceremony- by breaking the 'usual' bottle." Following on this the crowd, led by the contractors, satii; "Rule Briv-Jinnia." '"The Absent-minded Beggar." and "Soldiers of the Queen." making the Nelson Creek Valley "ring with patriotism." The gem of the whole description is in the concluding sentence: "The men working oo the dredge expect lo driak the health ol the Ahaura pontoons."

The care observed by Mr Caseidy'n drivers on the West Coast road has almost passed into a proverb, for it is the proud boast that no accident of a serious nature has happened durintr th«j twenty years and over that the coaches hays been running. The surprise of the inside passenger* on a recent trip from Jackson's to Kumara may be imagined when sxjdnf.nly and without warning c, passenger on, the top leaped to the ground, evidently fearing tiiat wjm»thing serious was about to happen. Iγ was seen that one of the leader had slipped over the edge of the ro;id and that his fellow was being dragged over. The hors» that had slipped was, however, a quiet ani mal. and the driver experienced no difficult* in getting him up. The bank was no , more than six feet steep, and the shaft horses had a firm footing on the road. Th» driver not having noticedjthe unceremonious departure of one of his "passengers, drov« on, and the passenefr, after n short sprint> had to climb aboard as best he could.

The Wairarapa "Star" of Tuesday says : — Afc Court this morning a defendant in » case, when a witness was being examined, ejaculated "Rot" to an answer. Hi.i Worship severely reprimanded the defendant, and cautioned him not to make a remark during examination. Later on the defendant called out "It , * a lie" to another statement, and Mr Northeote again reprimanded him and threatened to convict him for contempt of Court if lie spoke a train This did not have the desired effect, and tin defendant again culled the witness "a liar," when the Magistrate ordered that a summons for contempt of Court be issued against th» accused, and, from the evidence given, a •iarge of assault will be brought agains> him.

X roMfstion has been made that all •h'ouM wrar a rose on Monday next. St. George's Day. •» honour ot the occasion. ••{ u , unnette" notifies the dismissal of Under Mi*. pf tho Devonport Artillery Volunteer-, fur refusing to obey the command of a superior officer. The Lyttelton Borough Council propose to borrow £10.000 for the purchase of land near their waterworks in Heathcote Valley, for building a lire brigade station and town hall. *nd for the extension of the drainage system of the Tort. In connection with the relief of Ladynnith and the naming of children born on that day. it may be mentioned that one in Christchurch whs registered as Redvera Bu!i« White Smith. jVn alarm of fne was given shortly after 2.30 yesterday, and on the Fire Brigade responding the outbreak was found to be in the top hV- of the warehouse of Rc**e and {iotis- l l '*"**'* "*''. v a ver }' sm a-l outbreak, however. »nd wm extinguished before the marine arrived. The damage was estimated »t about £50. Monday, an elderly man. named George Harding, who bus followed a seafaring lif e - wa * found on the roadside near Snerd street, Kniapni. in an epileptic fit. and"was taken by the police to the Kniapoi Hotel, where hft received every* attention. On Wednesday evening, however, hv became very f»t range in his manner, and was veatertUy mi medical evidence committed to the Sunnyside Asylum. To th* astonishment of everybody in Lyttelton, Mr K. S. Wardlf*. who was supposed to have lilk-n overboard from the 'IV Anau in her |ia.««ige from Wellington tv Lyttelton, arrived by tin* Rotoiuahaiui yesterday. It a pi-ears that after leaving his luggage ou the Te Aiwu he went on shore, and failed tv return to the steamer before her departure. A splendid specimen of a young New Zealauder is thus referred to by the Rangitikei "•.Advocate":—"A son of Mr Grieve, of Kiinbiilton, who is but eleven years of age, but weighs 10 stone, and measures 37 inches round the chest, attracted a good deal of attention at the patriotic sport* on Wednesday. The boy is strong and healthy, [ and growing fast." An admirable instance of "cheery stoicism" >9 found in the letter of a private in the Coldstreams describing his experiences in the battle of Modder River: — "1 happened to find a bit of looking glass. It made a rare bit of fun. As it was passed from comrade to comrade, they said, "Have a last look at yourself, my boy, and bid younelf good-bye.' The laugh went round. Then 'Advance!' and we were at it again. Certainly, as General Buller said, 'The men are splendid."' Reminiscences were much in evidence at the Pioneer social last night, and one was told of the first bicycle road ride by the Club on May 27th, 1879. It was to" Amberley from Kniapoi, the members, nine in number, taking the early train from Christchurch to Kaiapoi. Recent rains had made the roads bad. At Woodend one member had to stop to effect repairs, and at Ashjey bridge another had a spill which delayed thfcfwrty. One of the number dirt not make beyond Leithfield. and when he had got back to Kaiapoi he had accomElished about twenty-seven miles in 4£ ours. The others "did the full journey from Kaiapoi to Amberley and back, at the rate of six miles an hour, and reached Christchurch by train. Three of the machines ridden were Humbers, and one was a Ganders Alerts of 56in diameter. After the fire at the Merivale Vicarage notice was sent to the Church Property Trustees who returned their liability at £34 10s, which amount they offered to the Vestry in full settlenuiit of the claim. This, explained Mr Gibb*, at the Parishioner?*' meeting last night, the Vestry declined to accept, and invited the Inspector of the riro Insurance Companies to make a report. On it they »-»nt in a claim for £80. and the Trustees replied with an amended offer of £60 to cover the damage. He was absent at the time, and the work having to be done, the amount was accepted, and the parish had to find the additional £20 required. He particularly drew ( the attention of the parishioners to the gutter. After the parish had paid premiums for a number of years without making any claim, when a fire did occur they were offered about half of the real amount of the damage which had occurred to the Earsonage. Any insurance company would avo reinstated the building without a claim on -the parish, after the many premiums which had been paid. He alluded to the matter in the hope that no other parish would be placed in a similar position. About tha most exasperating of the many nuisances that annoy mankind is the individual who mutilates the papers and magazine** in public reading rooms, and thus not only destroys projterty that does not belong to him, but deprives other people of the tree of them, and again the Public Library authorities have had to put up with this kind of thing, and the latest cases are moot glaring. instance, tb© last "Scientitle American" haa been torn and stripped of its most interesting illustrations. The "Australasian" of March 17tb is almost unrecognisable. Illustrations ha\*e been cut and torn from it in all directions, and what is left of the paper is covered with grease the daily papers the "Timaru Herald" seems to have suffered most, come individual, with an apparent interest in volunteering, having deliberately cut out whole columns of references to the recent Kaster encampment. The Librarian has informed the police, but it in unbkclv that they -will be able to do anything. 'Magazines are rcgularlv stolen from the Library. The 'Temple Bar" for this month has already disappeared, and the way some of the periodicals are treated is enough to make one despair. An employee at Hillside Workshops, named A. R. Pollock, met with an accident last week. When 'ifting a heavy weigbt his foot slipped, and he sprained his ank'o •marely. Koolib&h cured hi* very ouickly and relieved the pain instantly.—(Advt.) Toi Toi Butter. The favourite Toi Toi is now to be had fresh every day at Kincaicrs 0.1.C. Advt. Tea sets complete for six persons 7s 9d, Boxed Dinner Be*i (20 pieces) from 12s sd, 32 pieces from 17s lid, 54 pieces from 26s Bd, Bedroom Sets from lis 9d. Earthenware Cups and Saucers Is lid half dozen, G. and W. China 2s lld half dozen. Fiefcher Bros.. Crockery Merchants, High street. Advt. Finest Roller Flour £7 per ton, less 2£ far Prompt Cash, at Kincaid s Q.I.C. Advt. Gey Undo Tea at Kincaid's G.LC. — Ceylindo is rich, malty, and fragrant. Prices Is 6d, is lOd, 2s 2d, 2s 6d per lb, at Kincaid's G.I.C. 599^ Tho new rim brakes, fitted to any make of bicycle for a few shillings. Any bill can b« ridden with case aud safety." Oates, Lowry and Co.. Manchester street.—-Advt. It is a well known fact that seeds produesd in this colony are superior in quality to most seeds imported from Britain and the Continent, and this is demonstrated by t ih« marked success obtained with them and grown by Nimmo and Blair, of Dunedin.— Adit. Every day Mr E. G. Lane (chemist of Oamaru) receives references to the value of his creaaoted emulsion of cod liver oil. We have been shown a letter written by a doctor, in which he states that he treated a case of consumption with Lane's creasoted emulsion, and was giad to say that after a course of treatment the patient had improved greatly. The sputum had diminished, the cough wm less, the night sweating had almost stopned. and the weight had increased seven or eight pounds. 41 Note our prices for live Witness Cutlery and Don Silver; wears" white throughout. Dessert knire* 4« 3d half dosen. table knives 4s \.u half down, dessert forks 4s 3d half dozen, table forks 5s 9d half doaen, tea spoons 2s 3d l:uU dozen. Fletcher Bros., Importers, High street, Christchurch. Advt. Umps ior all—Ladies and Gentlwnen, g:rls and boys. We _«ye just opened large shipments for toe coming winter season, andarer.ow showing the finest assortment jn town. Several new patterns in acetylins lamps. A visit of iuspeotion will be ot interest, and will well repay you. The Anglo«ew Zealand Cycle Company: a_eot*. D.1.C., and 226 High strast. 47

THE POLICE PENSION SCHEME. The following hare been granted pensions under the Police Provident Act: Sergeant Bell, Dunedin, 58 years' service; Sergeant Fraser, Timaru. 34 years; and Constable Mac Donald, Nelson, 34 years. THE DREDGING COMMISSION. The Commission to enquire into the claims of persons in Otago and Southlaad affected (by dredging operations, eonsriat* of Mr Gordon, formerly engineer in the Mines Department, Mr Hives, the present engineer.'Mr Duncan, M.H.R., and the Comrni>iion«rs of Crown Lands in Ota_o and Southland. COMMISSIONS FOR COLONIALS. The Governor has received the following from the Adjutant-General. War Office, dated London 18th April:—-Messrs Wood' liolderness and Russell. I\\w '/. v A:\z\d local forces, hive been appointed s.-.-w-n! lieutenants in the Ist King's Liverpo... R?i.'iment the 2nd Essex Regiment, and the ampton Regiment. They shouid proceed at once to South Africa, Burmah. and Benjrai respectively." " TWO CURIOSITIES. On his last two trips up the East Coast (the "Hawke's Bay Herald" fays" Mr H. Hill secured two curiosities. Th» first is a very large cannon ball dug out of a cliff by the natives. How it got tnere is a mystery, for no cannon used in the Maori war fired such a largo bull, and it is evidently of such age that few ships of that period carried such large guns. The second is a piece of iron chain fished from the bottom of the sea. The oxidation of the iron evidently set up a cementing action in the surrounding mud and stones, and the result is that at each end i.s a mass of shingle and small boulders firmly cemented into a hard conglomerate. Is there not a hint for the Harbour Board here? If old scrap iron useless for any other purpose were thrown among the rubble protective apron it should set up similar action and in time bind the whole mass together as ona rock. i ANXIOUS FOR WAR NEWS. The passengers by the West Coast coach on the Tuesday before Good Friday, whilst walking up Porter's Pass road, came upon an elderly man working on the road, who stopped them, and made anxious inquiries as to the truth of the report that there had been a big fight in South Africa, and that a large number of the English had been killed. He was informed of the great loss of horses, but he was not concerned about them, nor did he show any signs of concern when informed of the capture of seventeen New Zealanders. "They are better that way than being shot," was his philosophic commentary. He had been an old soldier himself, he explained, and as the passengers left him he was indulging in mild anathemas against the.person who had informed him that the British had lost heavily. AN OLD DEBT REPAID. To find out that human nature is not so black as it is, perhaps, too often depicted, is one of the greatest pleasures of life. A West Coast business man has just four.d cause to say of an old and forgotten debtor, that the world is the better of his living in it. Seven or eight years ago the debtor in question went' through the Bankruptcy Court, when his estate paid something like 2s in the pound. Shortly after this he left the colony and went to England, and his creditor lost sight of him altogether. Recently the latter was astonished when he received a letter from his old time debtor, enclosing not. only the amount owing, less the amount paid at the time of the bankruptcy, but interest added at the rate of 6 per cent., bringing the total up to about £20, In explaining matters, he stated that he had recently coma into a large sum of money, and from conscientious motives considered that he should fulfil his earlier obligations. BRODIE WINS THE DRAUGHTS CHAMPIONSHIP. , In the champion draughts tourney at Ir>veroargiU, Gardiner won his last game on Wednesday evening, and stocd level with D. A. Brodie with 18_ points. Yesterday these two met to decide the championship, when Brodie won three games, and takes the first prize of £20 and the championship ; J. Gardiner winning £12, J. A. Boreham £8, J. A. Lucas £5, J. iMulvev £3, J. Scott £2, and F. W. Langston £1. Mr Brodie, the winner, has been before the public as a prominent player for some years. He won the championship six years ago, when he defeated Boreham. He has mot been a frequent competitor at the New Zealand Draughts Associations meetings, but in 1897 he voluntarily gave up the championship. to the Draughts Association (or competition..

CANTERBURY'S BICYCLE PIONEER.

The Hon. E. C. J. Stevens, at the Pioneer gathering latt night, accounted for his having been elected the first president becanse he saw the first wheel race run in Canterbury. It took place, he recounted, about 1870. Th» oompetitar* wen. sis. in number: one gentlemifn appeared on an apparatus with two wheels, another on three wheels, one on four, another one on two, and v young friend just from England came with a magnificent machine culled an ordinary, which was now looked upon with some amount of contempt. But it was thon of the most approved pattern, and excited the admiration and astonishment of the beholders. The sixth competitor was a man living somewhere on the Lmcoln road. Having ueen for maaiy years lame, and having a taste for mechanics, Iμ bad constructed an apparatus entirely of wood The attendance was limited, but the exhibition was a remarkable one He would say nothing about the speed : that was of comparatively lktle moment. His friend from England did not win, and lie assisted at the competition by administering a etrong dose of brandy to his friend to restore him to consciousness. But none of the competitors, no matter what machine they were on. bore any sort of comparison to U» old gentleman c*i the wooden concern As he (the speaker) Avas the first president of the Pioneers, he would be sorry ta sco them become conceited, and he hrmly believed that the old gentleman on the wooden apparatus was the pioneer cyelut of Canterbury. Had his audience seen the machine and the way the owner manipulated it they would have concluded that they had seen nothing more edifvinjn in their lives. " °\