TOWN & COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5715, 20 June 1879, Page 4

TOWN & COUNTRY.

Dipbmtsbia.— i very sevm case of diphtheria has appeared in Xaiapoi, but every precaution baa been taken to prevent ite spreading. Savitabt Fittings.—ln another column will be found particular* of a scheme which haa been prepared by Mr J. Whitelaw, architect, for securing improved sanitary arrangements for schools ana large institutions.

Ltwswon Rmidbnx Magistbats.—lt is understood that the warrant for the appointment of a Resident Magistrate for Lyttelton was sent from Wellington to Auckland on June 17, for the signature of Hie EsneUeacy the Governor. Entlbtainment.—An entertainment, consisting of readings and musical selections was giren in St, Michael’s School-room last evening in aid of the School Fund. There was a very small attendance, but all present seemed to enjoy the entertainment thoroughly. Boabd of Education.— -The Board of Education for the District of North Canterbury sat yesterday,afternoon at the Board room in the Normal School, and got through a considerable amount of business, chiefly of a routine character. A report of the meeting appears elsewhere. Fuojkotbo OASBIASJi Faciokx. —In the course of ajale. of some Sydenham sections to-day, the auctioneer, Mr J. G. Hawke*, informed the company that instructions bad oome out to a large firm in this city, to purchase a large block of land, on which it was proposed to erect a carriage factory. Presumably the carriages indicated were such as form railway rolling stock. ..

Maltkbn. —In consequence of the heavy rain in this districts on Wednesday night a Considerable body of water was entering the top. end of the recentlr constructed section of the Malvern water race, but after flowing a very short distance, the water entirely disappeared in the shingle. All the low hills around Eowai Pass were entirely covered with snow on Tuesday morning.

Oxfobd and Rangioba Railway. —The above line is at length being supplied with a fresh- coating of ballast which it very much required. It is, however, unfortunate that the work should have been put in hand at this season of the year, ae the carts which are conveying the ballast along the line are cutting up the road between Fernside and the Gust in such a manner as to make it very difficult to travel over. . ...

Wbaxhbb at TiKARtr.-—A very heavy tea hat been rolling into the roadstead for the last two days, and some damage has been done by clay being Washed away between the break* water and Government service. The sarf is rolling up under the railway viaduct at Whale's creek, undermining the piles and vnuhing away.the .embankment. li the rail: way authorities do not attend to this at once it will be dangerous to take trains over the viaduct. Sottthbbn Gboss Lodqh.—An open meeting was held last evening in the Templar Hall, Worcester street, nnder the auspices of the Southern Cross Lodge of Good Templars. The attendance wee considerably larger than could have been anticipated in snob weather as prevailed, and the meeting was of a nature that was thoroughly cheering to the members of the Lodge. Mr H, Bennetts, chief officer of the Lodge, presided, and - a miscellaneous programme of brief addresses and vocal and instrumental music, was submitted. .Thosh Spabsows I—-The ventilators of the main school at St. Albans having been rendered useless by the sparrows building their nests in them, the Local Committee were compelled to have them cleaned out and repaired. The Committee's estimate for the work was about £5, but the actual cost proved to be £l7 As. As the latter amount .was considered to bo too large to be drawn from the fund for incidentals, the Committee applied for its liquidation to the Education Board. The last named body, however, has declined to make itself responsible for the miscalculation of the Committee.

H.A.O.B.S.—The fortnightly meeting of the Catholic Benefit Society took place last evening, when the principal business was the election of officers for the ensuing term. The installations, which were performed by P.P. Bro. Howard were as follows:—President; Bro. Joyce; Vice-President, Bro. Hynes; Secretary, Bro. E. O’Connor; Guardian, Bro. M'Swigan; Warden, Bro. J. Conroy; Sick Visitors, Bros. Oassan and Archer. The minor officers were as usual nominated by the President. A special vote of thanks was accorded to the Secretary, Bro. £. O’Connor, to whoso untiring efforts the success of the Society has been mainly due, and particular stress was laid upon the warm interest ho had evinced in the discharge of his duties, and the courtesy he had always shown to individual members. Bro. O’Connor suitably acknowledged the compliment paid to him. A vote of thanks was given to the retiring officers, and was replied to by the President, Bro. Joyce. The auditors, it may be mentioned, arc elected at the annual meeting. “ Back PnoM xhb Geavb."—Since hie arrival in Dunedin, Mr George Darrell has developed a capacity for wild and daring advertisements,. which have quite appalled the sober folks of the Southern capital. Persons passing through the streets of the town have neen more or less startled by the apparition of what might easily be taken for the fhost of a hearse of exaggerated proportions, t is some 20ft long by 10ft wide, and has posted all over it, printed in the blackest of black ink, the legend, “Back from the Grave 1 ’’ The general contour of the edifice, which is drawn by a horse with a driver to match, is most funereal. This device, however, is not enough to satisfy the thirst for notoriety which has suddenly seised upon our usually urbane and serene friend, and the trick that he practices upon our unoffending Chinamen should make him ashamed to look a Celestial in the face. The JBerald, which tells the story, evidently prints it m good faith, but of course it was a " put up thing." There i* a Chinese gentleman in Dunedin known as “ the doctor," ftn d the many who see him in the course of his retailing peregrinations cannot but have noticed his scpulohral appearance. It was this no doubt that aroused iho inventive spirit of a youth who is employed in a local printing-office. The doctor paid a visit to the printing-office to dispose of his oommoditiee, and whim several of the hands were crowding around to examine his stock, a “ bright" idea struck the youth in question. The result was that in about ns much time M it takes to describe it, a long narrow streamer, "Back from the Grave was duly pasted and fixed on to the Chinamm a waterproof. The doctor was so absorbed in business, that be did not feel the operation being performed, and, labelled “Back from the Grave, ho went up Jetty street, and Princes street Into Walker street, wondering how he suddenly had become the observed or aU observers. Arrived in Walker street, a great.jabbering arose among the assembled celestials, and the medical gentleman to bis groat disgust found for the first time that he hu L b T giving Mr George Darrell a cheap puff. Our authority docs not say how many tree passes the.email youth carried homo that

Til* Uksmploykd.— About thirty men were put on attbdTfelerw street work yesterday morning. Ac coon m a little progress has been made an additional number will be employed. Gaiety BtmiiWQVfl Company,-— This comget little buriecque troupe are about to appear in Dunedin, where they flare taken the Princess for three roonthe. Several additions have been made to the company. Fiji ah Cobtositiks.—There are at present on view at Ink’s Central salerooms a largo and varied assortment of shells, native weapons, and curios recently landed from Fiji. The collection, which is well worth a visit, will be submitted to auction to-day. SonotAHSitiv Awakm.—At the meeting of the Board of Education yesterday the award of the scholarship examiners was made known. Thsir report and the table of results will be found in another column of this issue.

Tim Rechkt Com,mow m Ltttedtoh Habbocb,-—An enquiry into the collision between the Rialto and the hopper barge Samne', woe commenced yesterday morning, at Lyttelton. After evidence hod been taken at length, the Court adjourned till this morning. St Josh’s Cnom. The entertainment which is to be given in the St John’s school* room this craning, in «dd of the choir fund, promises to be an immense success. W* are given to understand that about 800 tickets have been disposed of, and that the pro* gramme, which has been prepared, contains some gems of vocal and instrumental music. CHBigTonnoH Ymm tob Exhibition —A day or two ago we gar* a brief description of the design for the frame* to hold the view* of Christchurch which it is proposed to send to the Sydney Exhibition. The order for the two frames has been entrusted to Mr Kent of Cathedral square, who will, doubtless, turn them out to the satisfaction of th* Committee. The cost will be abont £l3. A Model Gas bukhxs. A lecture is shortly to be delivered, under the ansplces of the Philosophical Institute, by Mr Cleminshaw, the Gas Company’s Manager, whose subject will be—“ Gas-making and it* economical consumption.” Numerous interesting experiments are to be introduced, and among other novelties Mr Oleminshaw purpose* to exhibit an improved gas-burner which he has just received from England, the light afforded by it being equal to 60 standard candles. OddfbIiLOWSHIP.—The Loyal Star of Waltham Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., held ita halfyearly meet ing fit the Waltham PabUo Library on Tuesday, the 17th instant; for the election of officer* for the ensuing half-year. The meeting was well attended, although the weather was so much against it. Bro Y. G. Withers was elected N.G., Bro North V.G., Bro G. M. Hurst E.S., Bro N. G. Sandford Lectors Master, Bro P. G. Thomson, Warden, Bro* P. G. Thompson and P. S. Bollett Auditors. The receipts of the evening were £2olos Id. Tub Baldwins.— To-morrow night the Theatre Royal will be occupied by Professor and Miss Clara Baldwin, who give entertainments somewhat similar to thos# of the Illusionists who were here a short time ego. They have hod a most successful tour in the South, the lost place they visited being Ashburton. Mr Ctonkling, advance agent, has been in Christchurch for some days, and has been very busy placarding the town with the attractive posters which are to be seen on every ride. Council Bbsbbtbe Committee. —At a meeting of the Reserves Committee held yesterday morning at the City Council Chamber, the resolution referred to them by the Council, ae to lengthening the lease of the Geraldine reserve, and insetting a valuation danse was considered. After some discussion it was decided to* report to the Council the Committee’s opinion, that it would be better to defer the .whole question until the present commercial depression had psesed away, as any conclusion arrived at now might require amending by the alteration of circumstances.

The True Blue Orange Irftdae will celebrate their anniversary by a ball in the Town Hall, at Cost, on Friday, July 11. The following will pUy for Avonvmr in their match with the second Fifteen of the Eastern Cl ab, to be played on Latimer Square on Saturday next, commencing at EABp.m; sharp:—Mesar* HaddreU, Bowley, Wagner. Parsons, Alexander, Kay, Man. ning, Elmsley, Haddrell W., Fuller (captain), Brant, Wright, Key John. Moalc. StamAEmer. goacies—Messrs Hills, Fuller, Uann, Fletcher.

A Pbbsuamt* Mimionabt.—We learn from a Cape paper that Miseiomry Witt, who stated that the naffi"- generally were treated by the colonist* like dogs, was himself convicted on November 9 last of presenting a loaded gun at a Kaffir girl who had refused to do his family’s washing.

Th* Ascieht Obsbb of Foebstem.— The official statistics relating to the progress of the Foresters daring the nut year show Hut on Jan. 1, 1879, this order numbered in Great Britain 591,176 benefit and 12,155 honorary member*, an increase of 9760 benefit and 776 honorary members during the year. The court funds amounted to £3,349,828 and the district funds to £299,381 additional—an increase during the year of £140,590 in the court and of £11,490 in the district funds. The new members admitted numbered 40,449, and the deaths hod been 5533 members and 3554 wives and widows. The avenge sickness had been 863 days per member. In Middlesex alone there are 632 courts, having 92,099 members, with £883,333 court and £81,215 district funds. Losses by Fixe nr New Zeaiasd.—The following paragraph occurs in the New Zealand letter of the Ituarance and Banking Record for June;—Tba Fire Insurance Companies have been very heavily bit daring the past four, months, not less than £160,000 having been lost by them during that time, and all offices now look very narrowly at any new risks' offered. Doubtless, heavy losses have been the cause of the collapse of the Hawkes* Bay Insurance Company, and the contemplated retirement of one or two Snglish offices is rumoured, the alleged causes being heavy losses and low rates. Were, in fact, fires to continue at the same ratio for a few months more, as in the past four months, we would probably have some practical experience of the survival of the fittest of Darwinian celebrity.

Wealthy Mbk.—The English newspapers generally hare copied a short article from the “Whitehall Be view,“ making a comparison of the Incomes of four of the richest men on earth. These are the Duke of Westminster, who is credited with an annual income of 4,000,000 dollars i John P. Jones, with 6,000,000 dollars i Rothschild, with 10,000,000 dollars 5 and John W. Maokay, with 13,750,000 dollars. The revenues of the English and French millionaires are doubtless approximately correct—the property of the first being valued at 80,000,000 dollar*, and of the latter at 200,000,000 dollars,—but John P. Jones, if common rumour is true, is not one of the very rich men. Street gossip in San Francisco accredits Mr Mackay with an income a little loss than that attributed by the Whitehall Review to Rothschild. Wan Dallooxs at Woolwich.—ln the event of Lord Chelmsford accepting a balloon equipment, as preferred by the Government some time stoee, a staff of aeronauts and several balloons are ready to proceed at once to the scone of operations. The adoption by the Government of the balloon as a warlike agent has created a new industrial department at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, as well as introducing another branch of study to military officers. Tbe Royal Engineers and workpeople engaged in the manufacture of the war balloons have had placed at their dispo«al a long loft near the inflating platform, which form* an admirable workshop for the purpose. An unusually large balloon, to bo called the Saladin, of 38,000 cubic feet, is nearly complete, while two smaller, the Talisman 19,000 ft, and the Saracen, 16,000 ft, have been finished and already made ascents. The Vodete, 14,000 ft, is ready for trial, and the Pilot, a small supply balloon of 600 ft, has been tested to good purpose. A great many ascents have been made to a height of 1400 ft, at which position the balloon is held by a rope, and signals by dashes and discs have been exchanged with the earth, practice at which the sappers who form the balloon class have become expert- Arrangements arc now hieing made to establish telephonic communication with the cur when aloft by means of the mooring rope. The practicability of so ruling up a fresh supply of gas to a balloon by moans of the little Pilot has been demonskated.—Morn iny Post,

MABDPActrau nv r bestos Manufacture are producing » „ np ?*- 0;“ As ‘ manufactured asbesta, . ' )ber mentioned the various ki Tl "h’ 1 "*y Z gland packing now much ° f WaS befltos mill- board iimf 1 * useful opplSoß covering steam pipe, f,J is applied like ordinary ccmf.,l f A ' ■ I' i» «wly manipulated. Ti," 1 0r » ,!a,, '-r, a n j " Wo * nhich' £!*‘r"r al, o with any pattern*. l ? h <‘ print*.] Production ov Stkki __ published statistic* tor 1H77 to of steel manufactured by’ the* ’ U 'l’ lar -tiiy groCOSS Was, during that veer The same statistics showth* ’th* / J of Bessemer .tool was i n that j! tons, viz., in England, 750fjf*i , ?i D i^fs Bl&t€ */ 825 m *°"«s iT]j i' r ‘ fh ° 71,758 tons jin Germany, 212 w i , 5f lrr >, France, 261,874 ten,/W - : n 31,789 tons. This quantity taken t age pnoo of JELL per ton would rf * W:f< value of over twenty million, a A PHOJXCTXD TbaNS-Bahaiu.v p... ~M. A. Duponchel, chief French Government Committee 0 f Chanttiet, it m favour of construct-/ ’ >l way to connect the two ’.) ri ‘lCommies, Algeria and Senega], j iie w the plans are discussed and armne.-"- e ' jf book on Le Chtmia d* J fr tran< \' >n 1 Jonction Colonial* entre A/yene el /, and would start from Algiers. A league* would be necessary, but M jy.'' 01 ;' ,J urgw the importance of the coloni*ar^ n, i Soudan by France. 4at,ol > o{ Air Indian Haimtobh.—a u;u, extraordinary severity parsed over tf 7r ' A rah district, in Eastern Bengal on \rl T?* The magistrate’* official hailstone, fell as large a* crick,* un, "'S 6 storm lasted only about 13 minute* track was apparently not more than wide. Large tree# were uprooted, clomp* awept down hke J.i • levelled with the ground. TwentyV *‘ oU ' es sons were killed add 114 woun,M'' m ;‘Ti 'V' the falling trees and houses. \ 1 7 number of cattle were idled, and aSSS victims was a tiger. ’ * Associated Banes.—The r n , vrqn r. . Banking Record thus remarks on th. dons action of the Associated Banks ‘,l. ; the excitement caused by the sunt-rsV I the Australian and European Bunk o‘lu we not to have an Association of jj ark rp common protection in -Vew Zealand O-r/ influence of the Associated Banks was d f played in a very marked manner on F-idw The mere announcement that they -vi dew mined to defend the City of Melbourne Ea/i against any clain,s presented, if 3Uf v, w ' ,* Quired,at once allayed the excitement w l v-' had on the previous day been at ferer w This influence was in a smaller wav V■' would be effected in a London panic Lv suspension of the Bank of England Charts- " The Chineses Famine.— The <-, t p.. (Shanghai) in a recent issue publishes a letter from a mandarin in Shansi, North C P-,'--* lating to the famine-stricken districts”’ la the Taiyuan Fu, the capital of the and its suburbs, the Government Burial Board buried no less than 12,000 corwti cf persons who died of typhus, whose relations were too poor to provide for thrir Ln<u-ai The number of mandarins who did of fever was about 300. In the four southern defa>*. meats, Pingysng Fu, Chiing Chiai Chow, only about three tenths of the population remain, the rest being chad or feme elsewhere. In the two districts 0! 'uanchu and Hoching in Chiang rh;,w only cne-tenth is left. Cannibalism Los become too common to be taken any notice of. People who have money left are afraid to have public funerals when members of their families die, lest they should attract attention and the bodies bceatea. The three public soup kitchens at Tai yuan Fu use a hundred piculs of rice every day. Bice -till coats one tael five mace per bushel (cf about 12 catties). A Mootaih of Glass.—Near the foot of Beaver Lake explorers recently discovered a mountain of obsidian or volcanic glass. This mountain of glass rises in basalt-like columns, and in huge masses several hundred feet high, from a hissing hot spring forming the margin of the lake, thus forming a barrier where it was very desirable that a waggon road should be, as the glass barricade sloped for some 300 ft. high at an angle of 4jJeg. to the lake, and its glistening surface was therefore impassable, there being neither Indian nor game track over it. To make the read, huge fires were made against the glass thoroughly to heat and expand it, and then bv dashing cold water from tue lake against the heated glass suddenly cool the latter, causing large fragments to break from the mass. The eastern side of the Grand Canon of the Gibbon River for about two miles in length consists of vertical pillars several hundred feet high, of glistening btaci, yellow, mottled, and banded obsidian or volcanic glass. This obsidian has beer, and used by the Indians for making arrow beaus and other weapons and tools,_ar.d the mountain ha* formed a vast quarry for making su.u instruments or weapons of a quality

equalled elsewhere. How to Make Sieves.—The fciiov-rg statement will scarcely be believed tm supported bv definite authority. The mention the United States will also be sumoicn. .o induce suspicion A valuable discovery it is alleged, been made by a Dr 1 Farris, m the United States- namely, u;e art of making silver out of cheap materials, iu-s gentleman was employed in tne " the lowa Wesleyan University « under-teacher, and while treating 0.».. panalysis before the class one -y was directed to the condition o. materials, or “ washings in tne •' where they bad remained au nigu.. ’ metals and acids had been used tn f ; 'd" , trations. In emptying tue vessel that a metal had been termed trom materials, which he concluded " ;1 i",.",' ’ This led him carefully to note and preportions that had oeeu * to be able to reproduce the same s “-*'. irJ ‘ He afterwards ascertained that ra not platina but silver, and re-eo the information to himself,! - investigations without publu.:,’ tinning tus experiments he «- succeed, and at other times - - " ; These experiments some years, and he has at |‘-! . ~e t perfect the process. Ho - Into business arrangements '*u 1 ,^\^- men to whom he has confidea t-•# the art, and preparations axe 'scalethe manufacture of silver on a fm. ; „.v The reports of experts who have of the metal produced leave, it l -' ' V, p, doubt as to its being the gemuuo ar -‘;.'V p, the present condition of financial a.*■ Farris* “ discovery” will hanlly be ' T ; boon, except to himself and his tears. v v.. The Native Popclatios or >- I.ASP.—The following letter - editor of the Da.7v .Vers cent issue of that journal■ 1 , lS has been called to a letter m ycu j April 21, headed, ‘The English - ‘T - on Labourer in New Zealand. !!’•« 1,1 -\ * ;1 * which the writer gives of that P r -4‘ Colony, and the prospect it oners . “ « u , bone and sinew is not at all ovenin • ,^ when, at the close of his well-writ ten “ refers to the‘native population, iu lu . the illogical error of drawing a general' sion from a particular case. It se<. , v j, Wellington, be saw some of the ; U mens of the Maori people-who, °J are by no means ‘ the large proport , then jumps to the verdict tint 1 a ‘dirty, squalid, unimprovabh, that a ably ugly generation. 1 * K ‘ ' . j llU *lify better acquaintance with them eo! |, e!l ,p. his opinion. It is that unfa ,• w ith a tuous way in speaking of am t)un / n . Joiitsonsitivo race which l )r0 '? k " - t - 0P ; n proment, and has much to atto i t more during that state of ! ‘ l^ l J at '°, ] , wuV to improvement. Itlhepn- 1 #. t i ia t oi New Zealanders be compari f w ;u half a century ago, the mid . be found of their J ; ,/,,o'Jung >» while many of t . hava .-ter a comparison wath U Tbcv !l ‘

. riviliwtion, and both as producer. and <* n -4 *«- they fora no mean olonsoat In tho atnpuw. &c.,Ja**S of “ Forty Year* in Now |SU” Nc»Z«da«d Villa, Lower NorK i j London, March 24.