The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1887.

Evening Star, Issue 7356, 31 October 1887, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1887.

The members of the Presbyterian Synod held their sitting this afternoon in private.

The Mariposa, with the inward mail, left San Franoisco on the 22nd ult., one day late.

The civil case Dickson v. Bayne is fixed to be heard at to-morrow's sitting of the Supreme Court. Mr R. B. Heriot has been appointed temporary Inspector of Schools in the Auckland educational district.

The Launoeston authorities report that no fresh cases of smallpox occurred there last week, and that the patients in the hospital are progressing favorably. The vital statistics for the month of October are as follow :-Births, 136 ; deaths, 54; marriages, 26. For the corresponding term last year:—Births, 127 ; deaths, 53 ; marriages, 21. A smithy and wooden hut, the property of A A. M. Graham, and leased by Charles Gamble, blacksmith, situated at Grey town, were destroyed by fire on the 21st inst. The tools contained in the building at the time of the fire were insured in the New Zealand Office for L4O. The amount on the smithy and hut is unknown.

The Rev. J. Skinner, of Waitahuna, met with a rather serious accident on Saturday while in the act of removing the cover from his horse, the animal striking out and kicking him en both legs. Fortunately no bones were broken, but the bruises are of such a nature as to confine the rev. gentleman to his bed for some days. A few days ago we published the following :—" A tradesmau has four weights only. With these and a pair of scales he can weigh any weight from lib to 401b, but not fractions of pounds. What are these weights V A Balclutha correspondent gives the following as the weights;—" lib, 31b, 91b, and 271b." It may amuse some of our readers to discover hovv it can be worked out.

A rather plucky act was performed by a lady yesterday afternoon. A horse with harness, minus the blinkers, bolted from the direction of South Dunedin and proceeded along Princes street at a furious pace, when, on nearing Lees street, the animal caught its foot in the traces and fell. A lady rushed forward ■uid held the horse down until the arrival of a constable, with whose assistance she freed the horse from the disentangling harness.

A wholesale destruction of trout by liming took place yesterday morning in the Upper Leith just above the bridge at Crowhurst's. Scores of fish were found lying dead in the pools and for several hundred yards up the stream, The police and ranger seem powerless to stop poaching in the higher parts of the Btream, and nothing but a good substantial reward from the Anglers' Society would benefit the public by bringing these dastardly marauders to justice. The anniversary services in connection with the North-east Valley Baptist Church were held yesterday, the church bejng crowded at both services. Mr Hunter officiated at the morning service, and Mr Smith, of Caveraham, at tfie evening. The former selected for his text part of the 36th Psalm i " Thy righteousness is like the great mountains." Mr Smith chose a part of the 3rd verse of the 37tb of Ezekiel: "Son of man, can these bones live?" During the collections the choir, under the conductorship of Mr F. G. Cray, Bang an anthem by R. A. Smith (" How beautiful upon the mountains,") and one by G. R. Poulton (" Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbaoth "), morning and evening respectively. Miss L. Derbyshire presided at the organ. The Order Paper for the usual meeting of the City Council contains the following notice of motion by Cr Solomon :—" That the next license issued to the Princess's Theatre be subject to the following conditions : That the space next to the dress [circle entrance, now used as portion of a clothing factory, be used as an entrance to the pit and stalls ; that the outer and inner doors of such entrance be kept unfastened during all performances; that the said entrance and all passages leading to the theatre be lighted either by kerosene lamps or by a gas supply so arranged that the main taps are beyond the control of any person within the theatre : that a passage, of such width as the City Purveyor shall think necessary, run down tlw centre of the pit | and stall Heats, and a straight staircasa of Jess than 12ft wide be constructed to ! lead to tjje dress circle."

Removal sale now an .at Wood, Scott, and Co.'s, Princes street, Sec advertisement. ~ [Advt,] On the Dunedin Olub's green on Saturday Mr B. Wilson's (junior) team played for the president and scored 23 points. The tea-meeting in conneotion with the Northeast Valley Baptist Church is to be held tomorrow night, and the children's meeting on the f ollciving night.

The monthly meeting of the Standard Pronerty Investment Society, for receiving subscriptions, etc., will he held on Wednesday, between thrqe and si# otelock. The Dunedin Hospital returns for tba past week are as follow: —Admission?, 1,3; discharges, 21; deaths, 2—George Williams and Tljprnas Walker. Keroaining in Hospital, 100. The first half-yearly meeting of the United Friendly Societies' Dispensary was held last week. The report stated that twenty courts and lodges, with a total membership of 1,758, had joined, and that the total number of prescriptions dispensed duriog the last quarter was 4,100, or an average of three per member. The pash sales had come up to expectations, and the Committee of Management thought there was eyery nelson' to congratulate members on the results. A 'jeyy of Jb per member was ordered. The dirootors earneatly invite the co-operation of all affiliated societies, The report was I adopted. 1 The following patents are applied for,:— EdflVond Julien, ot Brussels, for an improved | systew #f eleotric traction and apparatus therefor; James JJiller, Adelaide, for an improved s,team"- engine, cylinder, and valve;' Edward Ives, of South Australia, for an improved shaft-jack or couplings .for shafts and: poles; Francis Warton, pf Auckland, lor an. invention for refrigerating; James Holmes, of i Auckland, for an automatic compound cover for provisions and liquids, for proteoting them from flies and dirt; Simon Keir Martin, of Oamaru,< for increasing the speed of bicycles ; Henry: Abel Flatman and James Seed, of Ashley, for suspending and preventing the rattle of railway and tramcar wfivjusws; George Irving, of Auckland, an or catching rats or mice; Walter Cole, of WeJlington,for a roller-skate check; Henry Chamberlain, William Andrews, and Arthur Ward Beaven, of Ohristchm-eh, for, an improvement in chaffcutters. '