LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1700, 18 January 1895, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Bv the report of the Dunedin Jockey Club it appears there is a defijieaoy of L 731 on the yeat*a transactions. Tub insolvency records show that in Melbourne there 20 less stquestrations last year ’lran in Toe total liabilities arn noted to L 4,560.000, and the aisets to LI 968,000.

We have to acknowledge the receipt of a complimentary copy of Mills, Dick and Co’s almanac for 1895. This volume maintains to the full all its excellence a d is a most useful production, e übracing, as it. does much information of very general importance. To farmers, especially, it is very useful.

The next English and European mail via San Francisco will close at the Clyde post office on Monday, the 21st day of January, at 2 p.m. The on newspapers ' for the United Kingdom and foreign countries is now charged by vve i lit—ld for the first 4ozs and id for each succeeding 2oz?,

Thb Wowing telegram from the Hon. the Premier was received last Friday by Mr W. Bairon, chairman of the Otago Central Rai’way League Your telegram in reference to my memo, to Mr Earnshaw received, and lam sorry you should see fit to protest against that which is an admit ed fact—namely, that the RaiHvay League is a semi-political body."

Mr Lkask, of Blacks Fat, purchased, a short time since, two ram« from Mr McKenzie’s (Tapanui) well-known flock of Romney Marshes—one a full grown, the other a hogget. Last week he had them shorn, leaving a good Thickness ot wool on. One fleece turned the scale at 1741bs the other at 151bs Had they been shorn close, he estimates that each fleece would have weighed fully 21bs more. This introducof fine wool sheepintothedistrict is agood, heal hy sign, and evidences the forward strides the district is making. Av eye witness of the late explosion of over 5001bs weight of dynamite at Freni ant e states that a huge tongue of flame, surrounded by a ball of fire resembling a meteor, shot into the air for a distance of about 200 ft. and was visible for 14 miles. The shot of flame was observed on board the steamer Adelaide, which was at t’’e time approaching. The captain states he distinctly felt the shock and from the ap. pearance of the flame lie judged that Fremantle had been wrecked. At Rockingham, 13 miles away, the shock was felt, and at Claremont many persons were aroused from bed. It is not yet ascertained how the explosion occun’d, but it is evident that the pruning shed was not fired by accident. A WELL KKOWy farmer from the Tuapoka district was travelling by the s s.Tasmania the,other day ,and the boat being crowded, and the company pleasant, by the time a “sbakec , own”was made for him in the bath - r ora —the only available space left—the had a rived at that hj ippy stage that he was prepared to sleep anywhere- In the morning, when the early risers came fo.i their bath, they found our worthy friend sleeping paaee f ully the sleep of the just and dreaming, perchance of the delights and sorrows of a farmer’s life. Efforts to rouse him only elicited a louder snore, and finally one bold spirit shifted the head of the bed under the shower bath an ! pulled the string. Instead of leaping up and cursing bis tor, mentors, our honest friend sleepily sai l ; “Thank God, it’s a dornmed fine rain ! ” and, turning over, went to sleep again. Til* cycling mania has fairly seized Paris It is roughly ea imate 1 that there are in and about Paris same 40.000 addicted to this form of sport, of whom at least 10,000 are women. These women do not in general use the streets of Paris with their machines, except as a moans to an end, that ’a to reach the Boia De B mlngne, to which they lend a great part of its animation in summer or to reach the roads in the suburbs, wbeie their presence is so familiar tha f they have cease! to'e an object of interest. They are from every class of tonietv, the aristocracy furnishing its contingent, and curiously enough, the women of the work ■ mg ol.vsei puticipa'ing freely The la'ter rent their machines nr purchase them on the instalment plan. The wheel frequent the velodromes, of whi 'h there are four or five already, with another threatened, and compe'e in the races with tho feverish energy for which the sex is remarkable. The costume of the ladies is usually made of some grey material, and is compose 1 of a bodic tin the usual form. Turkish trousers displaying the caff, black stockings, and a cap supposed to be jaunty. Whan a woman thus attired is donbled up qve? her machine her bead disappears, and she presents the appearance of a fluffy bundle of dry goods, with four formless protj»be r ui'‘C<s caused by the pantaloons and the gaffed ahouldofs.

The income tax is payable in one sum on Thursday, the 31st inst. \

Cardinal Vaughan and a committee'of Catholic bishops hj ive drafted a bill for presentation to Parliament allowing voluntary schools State aid within the existing board districts.

A Paris butcher has been sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment anrt 50 f ancs fine for having sold a magnificent Angora cat, suitably dressed for the occasion as a lamb, to a restaurant keeper. At the request of Archbishop Redwood ami bishop Moran the Southland Education Board decided to authorise their in* spectors to examine the Catholic schools in that disfrict, provided the inspectors can overtake the work. According to the ‘Palmerston Times’ a petition is being circulated asking that steps be taken under the Laud for Pettle tnenta Act to purchase Mount Royal, the prope ty of Mr John Douglas and to have it cut up into sm.ill farms. Mr Douglas disclaims any knowledge of the mat er.

A would be New South Wales whose petition against the sitting members was held unsustained by the Parlimen ary Election Committee, courteously describes tha f body as ‘*a lot of bottle-eyed dog wollop-vs ” That’s better chan swearing at a man in Gaelic Or chumping him with A pickle jar. The news from the East is getting monotonns again. Oh. dear mew; never know whether the Japs have it or the Chinkies are in it. Certain it is that the Chinamen in New Zealand, no thanks to the Seddonian Government, are increasing and there is no order out yet to deport them to the place from whence they came. That Goat —Tim following story is from Mr Le Fanu’s book : —Cardinal: "Were you at Mass today, my boy ?’ Roy ; * No f wasn’t.’ Cardina 1 : ‘Why not?’ Boy; ‘I was bonlding the goat!’ Cardinal: ‘We e you at Mass -ast <mulay? ’ Boy . ‘No ; I don’t Don't- I tell you I be bonlding ’h goit? 1 Cardinal: ‘B t i-ouldn'tyou sometimes gc someone else to hold i ?’ Boy: ‘No; f couldn't. You don’t know that goat. The -evil couldu t hould that goat ; you couldn t hould that goat yourselt,’

Ak extraordinary duel is reported bv French papers 'o have taken place in India between two Eng'ish. officers—Captain Pliillipps and Lieutenant Shepherd. They caused a venomous serpent to be sbu* up n a dark room. An hour later the two adversaries simultaneous!v entered the room by different doors; Ten minutes afterwards Lieutenant Shepherd was bitten He died ••irbin a short time. As for Capt in Phillips wh 'se hair had turned com pletely white, he is to be court-martialled

Hbkb is the latest postal-note joke:— “ A resident of Master ton rendered one of the new postal notes to a well-known publican in payment for drinks The publican thought it was a joke, and with the re* mark—“ All right my frisnd. there’ll be no more joke- with this one. I assure you ” he took the note and burned i* in the kitchen fir-. He has since had to find the difference between the price of the drinks and the value of the note in hard cash.and he does not think the joke at all a merry one.”—Wairarapa Star. A curtos illustration of the complications which may result from American divorce law is reported from Augusta, Georgia. A lady living in that city suffering from a mental malady, conceived it her duty to live apart from her husband, and in order that he might appy for a divorce is said to have forged documents which would give him cause, The husband, knowing they were not true, hut thinking that to humour his wife would cure her malady, presented the papers to the legal authorities, and a divert was granted The ex-husband immed ately began to make love ’o his former wife again and p opo-ed marriage in due form ; but although she appeared happy in his com pany, and would go with him to the theatre and like place®, she absolutely refused his proffer of marria ’e, and expressed a wish that he would wed a girl whim she named. The man therefor? sorgit to have the decree of divorce set aride on the ground that the documents were fo ged.

The following is a pretty little story told of the Princess of Wales:—One day last autumn an old woman, while busily engag'd in picking up fireward m the woods adjoining Mar Lodge became aware of a lady, quite young as she thought, beckonher to approach. With true Scotch indifference she, however, hesitated to do so. for “ I juisb thocht it wad he the Duchess o’Fife." he old lady explained, * and I was thinking she mioht a* weel come to me as I to her.” This, indeed, che young lady, who, as it happened was not *he Duchess but ’ho Princess of Mules herself, scon d : d. Her Royal Highness was the first to commence the conversation by the somewhat characteristic inquiry, “Do you think I look like a grandmother ! “ Deed no, I thocht ye was her,” was the old .woman's reply, pointing to the Duchess of Fife, who at that moment joined her mother. The Princess, smiling at this artless tribute to her still wonderfully youthful appearance, afier a little further kindly conversation took out her purse and offered a piece of silver to the old woman At Hampshire Quarter Sessions a tobacconi-t was iudictid for trying to indnee the bead clerk at the Windsor Post Office whose name he did not knaw, to divulge the contents of racing telegrams for his benefit. The following was the letter he sent to the M’indsor Post Office:— “ Memorandum. Edward John Tythcrley, tobacconist Bournemouth East. --To the chief clerk. Telegraph Office, Windsor A friend of mine at Windsor tells me (hat all ’he big money on the Royal Hunt Cup passes through the Windsor Post Office, Could you kindly let me know what horse they are going for next week, and In return. I will send yon a bag of good cigars or ;ash if it comes off? I enclose address and stamped envelope My brother is a telegraph clerk, so this will be strictly private. The letter was opened by the head clerk, he handed it to an official who s»w the prisoner, who at once admitted that he had sent the letter. The defence was that no intention to get the information improperly existed, hot the Post-master-General ordered the prosecition in the interests of the Public Service, and of the revenue. The prisoner was sentenced to t<-o months’ imprisonment. There is a tale told of the T'arl of Fife, the tno r companion of Ge >rgofV any* ’ly ■London 4 Sun ’ which, now that his suecesso-. the Duke, is at his Banffshire home. Duff House, is appropriate, and as the story has not yet appeared in print, it nny perhaps, prove interesting. The o'd Eft'l. when out walking one day. came across a poor man breaking stones by the roadsi e. Oh ! Adam ! Adam !’ was his federated comp’aint. ‘ What is the cause of your o«f cry against poor A lam? ’ was the query of the E trl. 4 To think that hul it not V) en for Adam and file’s curiosi y, man would not have been forced to earn hie bread b> the sweat of his brow ’ was the reply 4 Well, my man.’ rejoined the Earl, 4 come to ray house I will un lert.ike to give you a good dinner eve y day so long as you ccn refn n from inquiring what mav he in one cert in dish, over which a co e: shall be placed.* That’s c;bt enough was the reply. The man ate his dlnne in accordance with the agreement, for sospe weeks, but one day the fatal curios ’y whmh tempted our father and mother m the Garden of Ed ra overca ne the £m s proteve—just to nave ono peep undsr the dish r Bub no sooner was the tnought carded into execution than a mouse jumped from under the cove’ - . The dinners, of course, wore discontinued, and tne man returned to hi* seoM-breakihg iwf quite ao ready to rail at the folly of Mother Ere as before tne tern patina had bet« fl«W« us ’ Ida way by the Earl Fife.

TbK,annual meeting of the Clyde Sports Club was held night, when it was to hold jhe usual spor‘B oa Easter Monday. Fall particulars in next issue; ' -

A committee meeting of the local branch of the Miner’s Association was held in Clyde on the sth inst. Buies for the guidance of the branch were drawn up to be submitted for approval to a general meeting to be held on the 19th inst.

Mb Edison s latest improved Phonograph was exhibited to a fair house, by Mr Leyden, in the town hall, Clyde on Wednesday evening last The records given were ready splendid, and were heard distinctly all over the hall. Among the records given was a speech by the Hon..W. E Gladstone, which alone should draw a larger attendance than that on Wednesday night.

Stosr’r directory- of Otago and Souths land is now before us. It is a similar vo'utne to that of previous years and is fully up to its former standard of excel** lenee containing, ss H does besides the directory pr per, a large amount of general information useful to the mercantile world as also to agriculturists.

After no end ft expenditure, in hot! labor and money, Mr Cards has succeeds at last in overcoming the difficulties tvitl which the o'd Newcastle coal-pit wa surrounded, and it now on a fine seam o coal, some 20ft in thickness, and : i turning out some ten tons a day: It. i Mr Card’s intention merely to raise til coal to the surface and to sell to teamsters giiaran‘eeing constant supply. The pritc we believe, is to be 12s per ton at the pit' mouth,

In Central Asia a curious accident happened recently to a train near Tashkend. While making its way from the station Kleff II to the station Kleff 1 the train came across a vast heap of living cater* pillars which ' were crossing rhe line. Thousands and thousands of these strange creatures were crushed into a paste, but so enormous were the numbers f dead and living insects that the ’ocomotive wasposi* lively brought to a stand stiif. A second locomo ive having been procured, the train was taken to its destination.

At Blenheim the other day. the Ednca* •ion Board were debating an important question, when suddenly the S'uud of a brass band was heard. Two or three members interjected “ Oil it's the circus 1” and in a twinklng a rash was made for the windows The bottom panes ere frosted, and there was consequently a straining of necks, when a happy thought struck the Secietary, and he advised opening the windows to -ecure an uninterrupted view This saved standing on the table and looking above he frosted panes, which the younger trio of the board were about to do, and for about five minutes an enrapiured gaze was taken and business was absolutely suspended. Subsequently the chairman announced that the circus had passed and the board might resume its business.

OCR Matakanui correspondent writes as underOn Thursday, the 10th inst., the children of Matakanui were given a rich treat in the form of a dance with refre*hments. The treat came as a surprise to the little ones, and thus their minds were not kept in a state of excitement for days beforehand. To Mrs R. Sheppard is due the honor of giving the treat, and ic is pleasing to reflect that we have one in our midst, who takes a kind interest in the happiness of the children growing up around us. As one might expect the attendance was large, and ’he happy faces of the children testified that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. About 10 p m the dance was brought to a close. After the departure of most of the children, the adults tripped the light fantastic toe till early morning. Mr Jas. Trnesdale acted as violinist, and Messrs A, Willum* son and T. Jones as M.C’Si The following extraordinary story has been told to us, says the ‘ Waipawa Mail ’ : —A small and struggling settler near Waipawa who has been dabbling in spirit** ualism, asserts that he bolds cemmunion with an old Maoii chief who at stated in* terval# revises this earth* During the last visit they bad a long talk, in the course of which the old man to ! d the spirit that he was hard op and did not know where to turn for money The sympathetic old chief roidiod that he would help him out of the difficulty, and told him to get a spade and a fowl to follow him. The settler did as instructed, and after a short wilk the materialised Maori told him to kill the fowl and sprinkle the blood ovei the ground, ’'his being done, he was told to dig Our informant set to work with a will, and after digging for a few minutes he unearthed a ske'eton of a man and seven guineas. He ro«buried the skeleton but kept the guineas. He refused to disclose the place, hut has shown the guineas to os. They are in a good state of preservation. «* «» Ak accident by which two men were drowned occurred on Monday morning last. It appears that the men were going to work their shift on the Tuapeka Go’d Miiing dredge, now dredging on the Moly. neux river, just below Edie and Kirk* Patrick’s claim Horseshoe Band, To get on board the dredge, which is on the west side of the river, they had to cross the river by a boat attached to a wire rope. The men were beard by the manager (Mr M'Cleiland) going to the boat, and soon afterward* he heark one of them cry ont te the other to keep steady, or something to that effect. Mr M'Cleiland jumped ont of bed to eee what had happened, bnt was only just in time to see the body of one cl tne men sink, the other having already disappeared. The boat by eome means capsized and threw the occupant* into the river, and anyone knowing the force of the current in the river will easily realise that the chances of escape were very small. The bodies up to the present have not been recovered. One of the unfortunate men was Thomas Beaumont, who leaves a widow and young family, and the other was John Robertson, a young man, qnj married, son of Mr Alexander Robertson* storeman in Meters Herbert and Co.*e, of Lawrence. The cad occurence has cast quite a gloom over the district, and much sympathy is expressed for the relatives ol the deceased. | Wg understand that Mr Dona’d Borrio, of Papakaio, intend* to contest one of the 'bree vacancies which will occur in the Education Board by the retirement of Messrs Clark, M'Kcrrow and Ramsay. Mr Birrfe wsa for three years a member of the Board, and was chairman for the last twelve months ot his tenure of office, and it ie admitted that during that period he showed a good practical capacity for administering the affairs of the Board, and made the repn-ation of be ; ng a painstaking, zealous member, warmly interested in the welfare of our educational system, and, above all, a staunch friend of the country sehoo's. In their own in*crests eountay school committees should support Mr Borrie. though it must be said, speaking from some knowledge of his connection with the Bard, his past services entitled him to appeal to a widet circle for support—* o the committees of tbe towns as well asthose of the country districts.

Certainly the oest mecuoine it Bavuhr asb *ovs ffiwoAirm Extract. Test Its eminently powertuj effects in coughs colds, influenza ; the relief in inetantaneous.ln eerione bruises and accidents of alj kinds-be they wounds, bums, scalding, brul no sprains,—it is the afcst remedy— no swelling— see inflammation Like urprising effects produced in croup, diphtheria, bronchitis, infonnmtien of tho lungs, swellings, etc. diarrhoea, djhsatery, disease •f the kldnevs and urinary org&oi. In use In hospitals and medical clinics all over the world ; patronised by HU Majesty King et Italy, enf crooned with medal* and diplomat at |b* inter aithml Exhibition, Amsterdam. fknA. »CP«wHI atfMe »d«eJw*«Bolhenk—Aotr.