TOWN & COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7178, 1 March 1884, Page 5

TOWN & COUNTRY.

Mandevills and Rangioba Licensing Committee.— At a meeting of the above newly-elected Committee, held at the Road Board Office, Rangiora, yesterday, Mr Q. Wallace was elected Chairman. District 1 Court. —His Honor Judge Word will sit in the District Court on Tuesday next. The only cases set down* for hearing are John le Valliaat v. R, Fleming, and W. B. Scott v. James Wallace. Vital Statistics. —The following are the local Registrar’s returns for February:— Births, 143; marriages, 80; deaths, 53. Those figures show a great improvement on February last year, when the births were only 121, and the deaths no less than 74, Marriages were about the same. Weather Exchange. —New Zealand: Increased and uniform pressure all over; moderate westerly winds and generally fine. Australia: Equal pressure, and light east and north-east winds. Barometers: New Zealand—Russell and Wellington, SO’2 ; Bluff, 30‘1. Australia—All stations, 29’8.

Volunteer Cam?.— Little River has been selected as the site for the Volunteer encampment at Easter. The picturesque surroundings of the neighbourhood and facilities for bathing, with easy access by rail, should offer strong inducements to volunteers and the general public to render the proceedings a success. The force will go into camp on a Thursday: evening and return to Christchurch on the Monday night, in order to avoid inconvenience to employers. Passengers by the Wairarapa. • Several of the Directors of the Now Zealand Shipping Company took passages by the Wairarapa yesterday to attend the Ruapehu banquet. Donald Dinnie was a passenger by”” tbe same vessel, and the racehorses Sou’-Wester, The Poet, Emir Bey, and Taiaroa also went up for the Wanganui meeting. Last of all five of the late crew of the American schooner, Sarah W. Hunt, left on their way to America by one of the San Francisco mail steamers. Excursion to the South Sea, Islands. —The Union Company intend to repeat last year’s excursion to Fiji; this time on a more extended basis. Samoa and Tonga will be included in the trip, which, allowing for stoppages at the different points of interest, calculated to last over 28 days to and from Auckland. The Wairarapa will be the steamer, and the number of passengers will be limited to 100. The Company give notice that passages must he booked by May 1, and unless 70 are taken the trip will not take place. Accidents. —As Messrs Heineman and M'Quillan, of Waikuku, were engaged in stacking on Tuesday afternoon,® the latter, in delivering a sheaf up to Mr Heineman, ran his fork into the latter’s body. The exact nature of the injuries is not known, but -we understand' they are somewhat serious.—Late last night the wheel of Mr Garrick’s carriage caught in the rail of the tram-line at Cook and Ross’ comer, and was wrenched off. The occupants of the carriage were conveyed home in the next tram.—Last night a man named Andrew Parvis was admitted to the Hospital suffering from injuries received through falling off the shafts of a threshing machine at Upper Riccarton. It was found that .he had. sustained a bad. flesh wound in the rigßt leg, and that his left foot was braised and cut. He was attended to, and at a late hour was doing fairly well. Gospel Temperance. —Sir William Fox will conduct a Blue Ribbon Gospel Temperance Mission in Christchurch during the coming week. The first meeting will he held in the Oddfellows’ Hall on Wednesday evening, when we presume there will be a large and enthusiastic audience to welcome the veteran Temperance reformer of New Zealand. The second meeting will be held in the Durham street Wesleyan Church, the use of which has been generously -granted by the Trustees, owing to the Oddfellows’Hall being engaged for that night. Sir William Fox will be assisted at all three meetings by the Revs J. O’Brien Hoare, H. C. M. Watson, J. Elmslie, C. Worhoys, P. W. Isitt, R. Erwin, J. Wilson and others. The Committee have also secured the services of his Honor Judge Ward, the Venerable Archdeacon Dudley and Mr George Booth, as Chairmen of the several meetings. A large and efficient choir will render suitable music..

BtrEGLAUY. —Another burglary, and of a more serious nature than that referred to in yesterday’s issue, took place on Thursday night. The house of Mr Major Cuningham, in Cashel street east, was entered and a quantity of jewellery and other valuable articles carried off.. Mr Cuningham left home about 8 p.m., and there was no one left in the house, Mrs Cuningham being •away and the servant out. About 9 p.m. some of the neighbours heard a breaking of glass, and when Mr Cuningham returned at 10 o’clock he found that a small piece of glass had been cut out of a window near the catch and the window opened. The thief or thieves, who had .been evidently watching for the favourable moment, had thus effected an entrance. All the jewellery belonging to Mrs Cuningham bad been taken, and also the servant’s trinkets. Of the value of the goods stolen Mr Cuningham is not sure, as he does not know what amount of jewellery Ms wife had with her, but the loss is very considerable. The matter has been ’placed, in the hands of the police, but we are not aware that they have obtained any clue. Possibly this may be the work of some of the professional thieves who, it is stated, have come from Timaru.

Tbceatee Royal. —Yesterday evening the popular “Lights o’ London’’ was given for the last time in Christchurch, the “ Youth ” Company having to start for Wellington this evening. There was a very large house, and Mr Sims’ work was, as uinal, received with the utmost enthusiasm. The play, indeed, could easily have run some nights longer had the engagements entered into by the company rendered a further stay in Christchurch possible, Local playgoers have now had their appetite for good scenery, stage realism, and * “ spectacle ” generally, thoroughly whetted- The old state of affairs which prevailed for so long has been done away with, it is to bo hoped, for ever. There was a time when those who visited Christchurch theatres were fain to content themselves with the same old pieces, played by the pn-Tne old troupe of actors and actresses, and to feast their eyes upon the same old fomilin.r stock scenery and properties. A modern revolution in such matters has fotwi place at Home, and we are now feeling the benefit of it out here. The successes of London quickly find their way to Melbourne and Sydney, and thence to New Zealand. The present lessee of the Theatre, Mr Macdonald, was one of the pioneers of this new rigime , He was connected with Mr Eignold's performances, the production of “Patience” by the Williamson troupe, and it is now duo to his enterprise that the latest developments of the English drama, in the shape of “Youth” and “The Lights o’ London,” have reached us. For the future we shall be able to demand plays well acted throughout, appropriate scenery artistically painted, and an attention to detail in points which have hitherto been neglected. In many ways vfo are the gamers, and companies who travel through New Zealand no# will find that, a process of education in such matters has been undergone by Antipodean audiences which will. them very critical and impatient of mediocre performances accompanied by second-rate mounting.

Southern Cross Petroleum: Company.—The Directors of the Southern Cross Petroleum Company report that No. 2 bore, has reached a depth of 560 feet. The pipes for No. 1 bore have also reached the works, and operations are now being continued with this bore.. No. 3 Building and Land Society.The tenth annual meeting of the No. 8 Building and Land Society was held last night, when the report and balance-sheet were adopted and the retiring Directors were re-elected. A report of the proceedings appears on another page.

Cathedral Services. —ln order to relievo the boys of the Cathedral choir, it has been arranged that the choral services on Friday afternoons at a quarter past 5 shall be sung by men’s voices only. The special services used are set for a double choir, with an nlto, two tenors, and two basses on each side. Christchurch Amateur Swimming Club. —The following is the number .of entries received for the various events at the annual jporta of the Christchurch Amateur Swllnming Club, which are to take place at the West Christchurch School batlis on March 15: —100yds Hep, 19Tub Race, 6; 100yds Scratch Race, 8 j Learners’ Race, 5; Long Dive, 5; 100yds Steeplechase, 11; Diving for Plates, G; Muffs’ Race, 5. Total, 65. -

Akaroa.— Our correspondent writes: Mr P. O’Reilly, a well-known blacksmith and Borough Councillor, has died somewhat suddenly. The grass seed is not in all cases turning out so heavily as the rank growth led people to expect, but it is in good condition. Notwithstanding the rain of Sunday, the prevalence ,of bright northerly weather has facilitated the threshing of a very large quantity, and there is every prospect of all being got in successfully.

Alleged Larceny op a Cheque.— Enquiries were made by the police yesterday in Eaiapoi for a man named S. R. Hanson. It appears that some short time ago Messrs Vincent and Co., brewers, of Christchurch, forwarded a letter to a Mrs S. Hansen, of Kaiapoi, covering a cheque for £75. It is presumed that through an error at the post office the letter was delivered to Hanson, for that person proceeded to Oamaru, and there presented the cheqdo for collection through the Union Bank. The money was romittted in due course, hut ultimately the cheque was found by the Bank officials to have got into wrong hands. A warrant was issued against the man Hanson under the hand of his Worship the Mayor,

Orchestral Society’s Concert.—An advertisement referring to the forthcoming concert of the Christchurch Amateur Orchestral Society will be found in another column. This, the third public performance of the season, is to take place on Thursday next, and the programme, which consists of Vocal as well as instrumental pieces, is long, varied and attractive. It opens with Herold’s bright, brilliant overture to “ Zampa,” and Weber’s fine prelude to “ Der FreischQtz ” introduces the second part of the concert. Miss Spensley is set down for two . solos, and Signor P. Luisetti, who has not been heard of late in Christchurch, will also sing One of Blumenthal’s best songs. There are various “ selections ” from well-known operas, and instrumental solos by different performers, whose names are already familiar to amateurs here. The most important work on the programme has yet to be mentioned. It is Haydn’s symphony No. 5, of which the three divisions. Adagio, Menuetto and Vivace will be performed. Presentations.—At the monthly meeting of the Lodge of Unanimity, No. 604, E.C., Lyttelton, held on Thursday, an official visit was received from the Lodge of Concord, Papanui. There was a good attendance of members, and in the course of the evening a very pleasant duty was performedßrb P,M. Derbidge was presented with a handsome P.M. jewel, as a mark of esteem and respect. The jewel was manufactured by Messrs Coates and Co., of Christchurch. After the Lodge was closed a pleasant evening was spent.—Miss Allan, a teacher of nine years’ standing in the Timaru public schools, was yesterday presented with a valuable set of silver knives and forks by the teachers and pupils of the school on the occasion of her retirement from the service. Constable Sullivan, lock-up keeper and Inspector of Weights and Measures, who has just left the force and leaves to-day for San Francisco, was last evening entertained at the Ship Hotel, Timaru, and presented with an address signed by a great number of leading citizens, expressive of esteem and of regret at his departure. ; Ambulance Lectures. —Last night, at the JDriil-shed, the first of a series of ambulance lectures was given to Volunteers by Surgeons Chapman and Robinson. There was a fair attendance. Surgeon Chapman gave the preliminary remarks, after which Surgeon Robinson gave anatomical descriptions, illustrating his observations by reference to a nicely articulated skeleton. Surgeon Chapman next put the men through a preliminary stretcher drill. Lieutenant-Colonel Lean returned thanks to the lecturers for the highly interesting information they had imparted. Among those present was Sergeant Britten, of the City Guards. A difference of opinion has been expressed between the officer commanding the district and the medical 'officers as to the best men to form an ambulance corps. Lieutenant - Colonel Lean inclined to the opinion that the bandsmen were most suitable, as the strength of the Companies, already slight enough, would not be thereby diminished. The surgeons, on the other hand, hold that there are some members bn the effective force who can well be spared, and that having been sworn in they are subject to necessary discipline, which the bandsmen are not. To support their view it may be mentioned that last night very few bandsmen, and those only tbo young to fully profit by the teachings of the lectures, attended. The second of the series will be given this evening, beginning at half-past six o’clock. Sydenham Rifles.—The annual meeting of the Sydenham Rifles was held last evening. There was a good attendance, and Captain Joyce presided. A discussion took place on the advisability of procuring great coats and new uniform's, and it was decided to send a requisition to Wellington for 60 great coats. The report of the Committee gave a brief account of the circumstances connected with the formation of the Company, and stated that the attendance at the various parades had been satisfactory, 62 men had qualified themselves as “ efficient,” and the class firing, judging distance practice and other work had been done very creditably. The present strength of the Company was 54 members. The corps \fas greatly indebted to the kindness of the Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, who hod allowed the use of their grounds and shod for the purposes of drill. The attached balance-sheet showed that the gross receipts for the year were .£2lO 13s, including £l3O capitation grant. The expenses had been £72 12s, leaving a credit balance of £l3B Is. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. On the motion of Captain Joyce, seconded by Lieutenant Linn, an honorarium of £lO was voted to Colour-Sergeant Morton for the untiring energy he had displayed in training the Company during the past year. ColourSergeant Morton briefly acknowledged the vote, stating that he appreciated the expression of opinion even more than the grant of money. He felt, however, that the best way the members could acknowledge Ws services Was by sticking to their drill. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association for the use ofthe ground*and shed. The meeting then adjourned to Wednesday' evening next.

Fire at Oxford.—A four-roomed dwelling house, the property of a man named W. Barrett, was totally destroyed by fire, together with all the furniture and effects, *on Thursday night, about; half-paat ten, The house was occupied by Barrett, his wife and child. They .were in bed when the fire commenced, but were awakened by the smell of fire. They had just time to got out, but were unable to save oven their clothing. The loss is covered by insurance. • Lower Hbatiicote Racing Club.—A Committee meeting of this Club was held on Thursday; there was a large attendance, Mr Dunbar in the chair. The Secretary laid before the meeting offers received from Messrs J. Spencer, J. Pepperill, and Sir Charles Clifford for a racecourse. After a long discussion, a resolution was passed recommending the Club to accept the offer of Sir Charles Clifford for a renewal of the lease of the present racecourse for a term of ten years. It io proposed to form a mil» course when the lease is completed. A general meeting will he called shortly to consider the offer, ft was resolved that the privileges he sold by public auction, and the meeting then ended. All competing exhibits for the Christchurch Horticultural Society’s Show, to bo hold in the Queen's Theatre, on March 6 and 7, must he ready for staging hy 10 a.m,, on March 6. The first ordinary meeting of the session of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, will ho hold at the Public Library, on Thursday, March 6. when Professor Hutton will read a paper on Earthquakes. An election of five persons to form the Licensing Committee tor the Courtenay district, will he held at the Bead Board office, Klrwee, on Monday, March 17. A meeting of the Canterbury Eughy Union will he hold on Thursday evening, at the Commercial Hotel, to consider the Sydney trip, and the question of instituting Cup matches.

Purchase Op a Volcano. —Americans forever! The sale of a volcano is not an every-day event; but, according to a Mexican paper, Popocatepetl has been bought by a large American house, who intend to build a railway up its sides and to drive a tunnel to the crater in order to mine out the sulphur, which will he chiefly used on the spot for making oil of vitriol, after tOOO tons have been annually exported, e firm has, it appears, contracted to supply that quantity, hence the purchase. As the great Mexican volcano is by no means an inactive sort of giant, the enterprising Yankees may, one day find themselves involved in something worse than hot water. It would he lively times for the workmen if they had, to skip down the side of the volcano with a stream of molten lava on their track.

A New York Tussaud’s. —Madame Tussaud’s famous establishment in Baker street is soon to have a rival, not in London, but in New York. The building is to be called the Eden Museum, and over £IOO,OOO is to' be expended on the models. A mechanical negro brushes every visitor as he enters. The costumes are to be changed as M. Worth dictates, and will illustrate the newest Parisian fashions. President ArthiA will be shown entertaining the reigning monarchs of the world, all clad in the uniform of generals. In the centre of the saloon will be a grand group of artists, authors and musicians in social meeting.. Sarah Bernhardt is to be seen conversing with Sardou ; Victor Hugo and 'Richard Wagner are in conversation; 1 Nilsson and Verdi are looking over the score of an opera ; Patti and Gounod are at a piano. There are" to be scientific groups, the great bankers of the world, and the travellers, such as Livingstone and Stanley. But the piice de resistance is what is called the basement floor. This is to be hung all round with “ highly sensational” pictures, and, those who wish to explore these infernal regions, for here are all the horrors, will be let down in a “ cage.” They will find a gold mine and its workings, and a silver mine. Then all the methods of capital punishment are to he shown, the Stewart body-snatch-ing, the ’tween decks of a steamer, with O’Donhel in the act of shooting Carey, and as many horrors as will delight the American citizen for years to come.

Minins Models foe Canterbury College. —l have been, says a writer in the European Mail, to the Geological Museum, Jermyn street, London, to see the models designed for the Canterbury College, New Zealand, in order to indicate the best known methods for putting in the timber framework, of mines. The models in Jermyn street are exact duplicates of those made for the college, and are, I may say, admirably adapted to teach men in the Colonies, who may not be fully experienced, the very best means for shoring, up workings. The models, which are all constructed on the very good and intelligible scale of one inch to the foot, are copies of the works actually existing in the Comstock mine, Cornwall, and have been originally based on designs laid down .in American drawings. They have been obtained through Mr Fletcher, of St Day, Cornwall, and comprehend timbering adapted to every imaginable variety of purpose and situation in mines. Thus, there are models showing the sloping timbers adapted to a vertical ■ engine, and possessing the obvious advantage of enabling the miner to utilise short timbers. One model exhibits the arrangement of the Wheal Eose, near the New Glyn, East Cornwall, which has been judiciously chosen as an example; of heavy timber work; another model shows a special adjustment of timber to meet special difficulties of very “ running ” ground, , where it is impracticable to have a support from below. The whole of the present models have been examined and approved by a shaftman who has been shaft-timbering at the Comstock mine. Nothing of the kind could well be better, I think, than these models. Kalizoic Society.— This queer looking title is the name of a society which has been formed in Melbourne, with the following objects in view:—The encouragement and cultivation of the beautiful, the planting of trees and flowers in promenades, and also in the city, suburbs, -places of public resort, and the laying out of the protection of all ornamental plants, flowers, trees, and of song birds, and all insectivorous birds and their nests; the diffusion of correct principles of decoration in all its branches, as applied to public as well as private purposes, architectural as well as horticultural. The gradual removal of what is objectionable and offensive to the senses of smell and sight, and is injurious to health; the purification of the back slums; the removal of all dwellings unfit for habitation; the promotion of cleanliness in the back yards; the encouragement of window, cottage, or front gardening; the prevention.of the pollution of our streams and reservoirs; the application, wherever practicable, of the laws ,of sanitation, and the true principles of constructive art to domestic architecture; the promulgation of the objects of the society among pupils of all the schools, and the inculcation of a feeling of reyerence and sympathy for the beautiful, so as to induce the young to become the natural guardians of whatever is intended for the public enjoyment; to enlist the sympathies of the professional and general public in improving the appearance of our city and its suburbs by the creation of an artistic taste, and by constituting every citizen a custodian of our gardens, trees/ and birds. Poisonous Bank Notes.— A Washington correspondent of the Medical RecoTd, visiting the Treasury department, noticed that many of the women employed countincf bank notes looked m, and had sores upon their hands or heads. The superintendent gave the following account of the trouble Very few, he said, “ who spend any considerable timo m counting money escape the sores. They generally appear first on the hands, but frequently they break out on the head, and sometimes the eyes are , We can do nothing, to prevent, tim All of the ladies take the greatest pare of themselves thbir lato they are afflicted wth sores.-The direct Sue of the sores is >ho arsenic employed

in the manufacture of the money. If the skin is the least abraded, and the arsenic gets under the flesh, a sore will appear the next morning. The habit that everyone has of putting the hand to the head and face: is the way the arsenic-poisoning is carried to those portions of the body. ‘See here,’ said one of the officials, stopping by the Side of a young lady, and picking up a glass vessel containing a sponge, ‘this sponge is wet, and is used to moisten the fingers while counting the money, Yoti sec how black it is. That’S arsenic. Every morning a new piece of Tspongo is placed on tho desk of each employee, but before the day is over it is as black as this. I have known half-a-dozen cases where ladies have been compelled to resign their positions. There arc throe ladies who were hero six years before they were afflicted with sores. About throe months ago they were so visited with them that they had to quit work. They have been away ever since, and ihe physician's certificate in each case says that their blood is poisoned with arsenic.’ ” We presume these bank notes are the familiar greenbacks, that being a colour into the composition of which arsenic largely enters.