TOWN & COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7224, 25 April 1884, Page 4

TOWN & COUNTRY.

Hbathcote Eoad Board. —The following nominations have been made to vacancies on the Heathcote Eoad Board : —St Martin's Ward, Mr H. B. Kirk ; Ashbourne Ward, Mr T. Hayward ; North Opawa Ward, Mr C. A. Ulrich; and Bromley Ward, Mr G. Dry den. Eailwat Bates. —The Premier will receive a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce and the other bodies forming the convention on railway rates, &c., on Saturday afternoon at 3.15 o’clock, at the Provincial Buildings. The deputation will assemble at the Chamber of Commerce office at 2.15 p.tn. Gold Mining. —Mr Macpherson and Mr Bridge arrived from the reefs belonging to the North Creek Goldmining Company yesterday, bringing some rich specimens of quartz, and a nice sample of gold washed from the casing of the reef. They reported that the weather has been perfect, no snow whatever lying on the hills. New Cadet Corps. His Excellency the Governor has accepted the services of the Christchurch Boys’ High School Cadet Corps, and the organisation of the Company will be taken in hand at once. The requisition which was sent to to Wellington proffering the services of the Corps was signed by upwards of 40 of the boys attending the school. Weather Exchange. New Zealand : Pine all over, with increased and nearly uniform pressure, and variable winds. Australia: Pine, pressure still steady, northerly winds on east and south coasts, south-west in East, and west in Tasmania. Barometers —New Zealand : Eussell, 302; Wellington, 303; Bluff, 30-2. Australia: Sydney, 30'0; Portland, 208; Albany, 300; Hobart, 208. Waste Lands Board. —The usual sitting of the Waste Lands Board was held yesterday morning in the old Provincial Library; present —the acting Chief Commissioner, Mr W. Kitson, Messrs G. Leslie Lee, and D. M'Millan, M.H.E. One section was sold, and the rest of the sitting was occupied with enquiries into question of non-compliance with the deferred payment regulations by several selectors, which had been begun last week.

Assessment Court. —The Assessment Court for the Borough of St Albans was held at the Council Chambers yesterday, before C. Whitefoord, Esq., judge. The following reductions were made on appeal :—J. Studholme, <£7oo to .£350; W. Stevenson, £SO to <£4o; W. Scanlan, £l3O to <£Bs; H. Brant, <£ss to <£3s. A few small reductions were ajso made, by consent of the valuator. The total reductions amount to .£450, leaving the total rateable value of property in the Borough ,£34,746. Last year it was £29,354. Cathedral School. —An examination of candidates for the two scholarships to the Cathedral School, which have just been left vacant, was held yesterday, before the Eev W. H. Elton, Precentor of the Cathedral, and Mr Wells, organist. Twenty candidates were examined, and the scholarships finally fell to T. E. T. Upton and E. H. S. Upton. The matter of the two next probationers was left undecided for the present, though two boys have been selected to whom the positions will probably be offered, subject to arrangements with their parents.

Canterbury Society op Arts. —The exhibition of pictures, held annually by members of this Society, comes to a close at the end of the week. We therefore take this opportunity of reminding our readers that there now remain but two days on which they will be able to inspect the many works of merit hung in the gallery in Anderson’s Buildings. It may be as well to mention, at the same time, that tickets for the Art Union, which will be drawn for as usual, may be obtained at the door. The attendance of visitors has fallen off somewhat during the last two or three days. Working Men’s Club. — A very enjoyable dramatic entertainment, consisting of a farce, “ The Spectre Bridegroom,” and Buckstone’s old favourite drama, "Nan, the Good-for-Nothing,” was given last night in the theatre attached to the Working Men’s Club, Oxford terrace. There was a very good attendance, the hall being comfortably filled. During the interval between the two theatrical pieces. Miss C. Dale recited " Mary Queen of Scots ”in character. The ladies’ parts in the farce were sustained by Misses Eay and Willton, and "Nan” was taken by Miss Carrie Fischer.

Legal. —Messrs T. S. Weston and Allan Holmes have favourably reported to His Honor the Acting Chief Justice upon the legal attainments of the following candidates for admission to the New Zealand Courts Mr F. W. Pennefather, a barrister admitted elsewhere; Mr Richard Butt and Mr Galbraith, solicitors admitted elsewhere 5 Messrs Levi and Buckland (Colonial students), as barristersj Messrs Gribbon, Skerrett, Kirk, Kennerney, Haultain, Franklin, Moorhouse, Sinclair, Dignan, Doubleday, Halliday, Richmond, Milne, and Stanford, also Colonial students, as solicitors. The last two gentlemen,"who claim to hold the degree of LL.B., were examined merely in New Zealand law and practice. We hear that Messrs Gribben, Skerrett, Kirk, and Kennerney passed good examinations, The Examiners have reserved for further consideration the question of honours.

Dunning’s Opera Compact.— Dunning’s Opera Company opened in Timaru on Wednesday night with “ Manola ” to a crowded house, and repeated the opera last night with equal success. Bankrupts. —There are no fewer than forty-two bankrupts under the new Act awaiting an opportunity to apply for their discharge. The great pressure of cases at the civil sittings of the Supreme Court prevents Hia Honor Mr Justice Johnston for the present appointing a day for hearing their applications. Fires. —Op April 18, three stacks of wheat were burned on Mr G. I). Long’s farm, Highflelcl. The origin of the fire is unknown. The grain was insured in the Union office. On April 23, a fire broke out on the Eastcott lands, and destroyed six stacks of wheat, the property of Mr J, Qoulding. The origin, as in the former case, is quite unknown. The wheat is stated to be insured in the Union office also. Amberley Town Hale Company. —At an extraordinary meeting of shareholders of this Company, held on Monday evening, the resolution passed at the last meeting re the sale of the property was confirmed. The Loyal Amberley Lodge of Oddfellows will, as soon as the documents are prepared and the affairs of the Company wound up, become the possessors of the Town Hall. The price to be paid for the whole property, including furniture, piano, &c., is £4OO. Mr W. T. Perrar was appointed liquidator for the Company. Benefit. —On Wednesday evening the members of the little company of amateurs who at Ashburton recently so successfully rendered “ Trial by Jury,” gave their conductor, Mr Sidney Wolf, a benefit. There was a good attendance, and the piece went very well indeed, as well as the little con.cert that formed the first part of the programme. A prominent point of excellence in the evening’s work was the violin playing of Mr R. Wood, of Kaiapoi, who led the orchestra, and kindly contributed one of his beautifully executed solos. Industrial Association. —An ordinary general meeting of the Industrial Association was held last night, to consider what steps the Association can take towards removing the existing depression in trade. After a long discussion a suggestion of the President, that a deputation should wait upon the Premier on Saturday, was negatived. The President thought it his duty to resign, but upon being assured that the Association had full confidence in him, consented to withdraw his resignation. A condensed report of the proceedings will be found on another page. Sydenham Football Club. —A general meeting of the members of the Sydenham Football Club was held at the Club Hotel last evening. The captain occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance. Mr Weekes was elected delegate to the Canterbury Rugby U nion. The Club rqles, as revised by the Committee, were approved with a few slight alterations, and ordered to be printed. The following were chosen as a Selection Committee :—Messrs Braithwaite, G. Fleming, Garty, M'Lean, and J. Hoban. A letter was read from the Sydenham Borough Council, declining to grant the use of the Council Chamber for the Club meetings. After some routine business, the meeting terminated. The Drainage Question. — A conference of representatives from the various local bodies within the Christchurch Drainage District was held at the City Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. Two hours of talk resulted in the passing of three resolutions ; one to the effect that a deputation consisting of one member from each of the local bodies wait on the Drainage Board and talk over the whole question; another requesting the Board to promote an amendment in the Act so as to bring the collection of the drainage rate under a law similar to that applying to the Waimakariri rate; and a third in favour of having a separate Board of Health composed of members nominated by the local bodies. A report of .the conference appears elsewhere. Harvest Thanksgiving at the Cathedral. —A thanksgiving service for the safe gathering of the harvest was held last night at the Cathedral, which had been very prettily and appropriately decorated for the occasion. Grain and different kinds of flowers and ivy and fruit were made of most effective use in adorning the screen and reading-desk, and a very tasteful result was obtained. Henry Smart’s beautiful evening service was used for the first time, and the anthem was “Sing to the Lord,” by the same composer. Hymns No. 381, 382 and 383, of Hymns Ancient and Modern (the first processional, the last recessional) were sung, and also 365. The lessons were read by the Revs F. Knowles and J. Chaffers-Welsh, the latter of whom preached the sermon, taking for his text St John, ch. 6, v. 27, " Labour not for the meat that perisheth.” After the service a “ Gloria in Excelsis ” was played. There was a very large attendance.

Athletic Trophies. Messrs Petersen and Co. have just completed two very handsome trophies for the South Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club, to be competed for at their sports next month. One of these is the Club Challenge Cup, which is to replace that won by Mr P. N. Robinson. It is exactly similar in design, being a plain “ loving cup ” of burnished silver with three handles, and destitute of ornament if any kind. ‘lt is accompanied by a silver salver, 12in in diameter, and supported upon three feet. It has an embossed and frosted rim, representing a wreath of vine leaves and grapes. The salver itself is burnished, and is adorned with an engraved vine leaf pattern. The other trophy is a burnished silver cup, 13in in height, intended for the Ladies’ Prize. Around the body of the cup is a representation of a laurel wreath in embossed and frosted wort. Altogether the trophies, though of plain design, are excellent specimens of silversmith’s work, and reflect no little credit on their makers.

Waiah. A very enjoyable tea and concert in aid of the Presbyterian Church was held in the Waiau schoolroom on the evening of April 18. The tea, provided by Mrs Rutherford, of Leslie Hills, and Mrs W. 0. Rutherford, of Montrose, received ample justice from about 300 people. Being the largest and most successful gathering of the kind that had ever taken place in the district. The following ladies and gentlemen, many of whom came a great distance, took part in the concert: — Mesdames Rutherford and Campbell, Misses Ancille, Best, Powe, Baker, and M Eae, and Messrs R. Poster, J. D. Macfarlane, J. M f Arthur, Hilton, Lance, White, Cox, and Lowi The programme, which consisted of some very pleasing selections of vocal and instrumental music, was thoroughly appreciated by an enthusiastic audience, encores being frequently demanded. Votes of thanks and three cheers were heartily given to the’perfoimers and the Mesdames Rutherford, for the time and trouble they had expended in providing the evening’s entertainment.

Supreme Court.—The case of Wright v. the Christchurch Drainage Board was concluded yesterday forenoon, by the jury finding a verdict for .£250 damages for plaintiff. It was arranged by learned counsel that a special case should be submitted to the Court of Appeal, who should either find for the defendants or for the plaintiffs for the amount assessed yesterday. The rest of the day was occupied in the hearing of the case Barker v. Weld, in which the evidence disclosed that Alfred Thompson, the solicitor who absconded some two years ago, had appropriated about .£BOO which he had been supposed to devote to the paying off of a mortgage on property on which Messrs Harman and Stevens, for defendant, had advanced .£IOOO, they being under the impression that the.property was unencumbered. The evidence was concluded, and it was agreed that the evidence and pleadings should form a special case, to be argued in Banco. A report of the proceedings will be found on the usual page.

Juryman Exeusjan.—George Mitchell, who was fined for non-attendance the otheiday, made an explanation yesterday afternoon, which His Honor accepted; The Chancellor of the University Wo regret to learn that MrH, J. Tancred’s health is in such a condition'as to cause serious apprehension in . the minds, of. his friends. The annual meeting of the:Sydenham. Horiitaltnrol Society will he held in the .Belwyu street schoolroom, this evening; at-7.30. An cntortiiimmmt will be given in the Lyttelton Colonists’ Hall to-night, in aid of the Free Heading, room. It will consist of two farces, the “Area Belle ” and “ Turn Him Out,’’ played by wellknown amateurs, and a number of songs, readings, Ac. The late City Guards Band will play on the lawn at the Working Men’s Clnb, the followingselections of music, this evening, commencing at 8 o’clock: Quick march, “No Surrender,’’ S. Smith; sacred fantasia. “Christian Soldier," E. Smith; valse, “ Fairy Eevels," H. Bound; grand rejection, “Emlro," Escudiej lancers, “Kip Van Winkle,’ Planqnette; selection, “II Trovatore," Verdi; valse, “Dream Faces" (vocal), Weisler; galop, “ Skating Kink ” (vocal), Luschwitz; National Anthem.

The Parcels Post at Home.— lt is said that the loss incurred by the Postoffice through the Parcels Post is very considerable, and that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in hia Budget, will have to announce a deficit of considerably over £IOO,OOO. It is to proposed to make certain changes in the tariff, and one of these alterations will be a reduction of the charges for delivery within short distances.

The Czar’s Yacht Lxvadia.—Alexander ll.’s famous yacht Livadia turned up not long ago as a coal balk in the harbour of Sebastopol, This is an ignominious ending for a craft which was expected to revolutionise marine architecture, and which was certainly one of the most gorgeously fitted vessels ever built. Her hull was hidden in a projecting basement, which supported a row of pillars; she had four tiers of decks, paved with black, white, and red marble. There was a magnificent marble fountain; the baths were hewn from white marble blocks; rows of electric lights illuminated the saloons and avenue-like corridors ; and the many sets of apartments were finished in rare woods and stone, furnished with the moat costly trappings, and ornamented with Oriental splendour. Altogether the Livadia was more like a fairy palace than a modern yacht; and it is not strange that the impression went abroad that one purpose of her creation was to dazzle the Asiatic mind, and increase the awe and mystery with which it regarded the Czar. But the Livadia was not a safe sailer, and she was practically discarded as worthless. A Thief’s Rebuke. —The Hon Theodore Sedgwick, one of the Massachusetts Judges from 1808 to 1813, was wont to relate the following anecdote with great relish:— One George ’White, an expert thief, who had been an inmate of nearly every gaol and prison in the Commonwealth, was at one time on trial before a Court at which Judge Sedgwick presided. While the Attorney-General was making the argument for the prosecution,one of the jurors leaned forward and covered his eyes with his hands. Noticing this. White rose in the dock and said, with the coolest impudence, “ You may as well stop, Mr AttorneyGeneral; you have talked one of the jurymen to sleep.” The Attorney-General was struck speechless with astonishment at this unlooked-for interruption, and as soon as he recovered himself he turned on the prisoner, exclaiming with passionate vehemence : “ You thief! You villain I Yonr forehead should be branded with the word ‘ thief,’ which stamps your character!” and proceeded to lash him with a torrent of invective, not forgetting to taunt him with the fact that nine indictments were then pending against him in that very Court. White stood calm and apparently unmoved throughout the stinging reproof of the irascible Attorney-Gene-ral, and at its conclusion he quietly remarked : “ You may now proceed, sir j. you have waked him up!”

Dangers op War Correspondents.— Newspaper correspondents are not having a pleasant time in the Soudan. All who ventured forth into the wilderness with Hicks Pasha lost their lives, and in the slaughterat various , periods of the campaign the non-combatants have had some narrow squeaks. Arabs make no distinction between wielders of the sword and of the pen. Amongst others, the correspondent sent out specially by the Melbourne Argus had a very disagreeable experience during' the defeat of Baker Pasha’s troops. The incident is described by the Daily Neics correspondent:—“ The bravery of a handful of Englishmen was the only redeeming feature of this frightful disaster. Here is a case in point. Lieutenant Maxwell and Mr Francis Scudamore, riding onwards to the front, overtook Lieutenant Barton, who, having lost his horse, was running on foot. Lieutenant Barton was quite worn out. Maxwell invited him to get up behind him, which he did; but the horse, besides being wounded, was scarcely up to the weight of his brace of riders—and Barton alone weighs some 17 or 18 stone. The horse came to a dead stop, and the Arabs were coming. Scudamore then gave his own horse to Mr Barton, remarking, ‘ You arc done up; lam light and can run.’ Mr Barton galloped off, and Mr Scudamore, seixing Maxwell’s stirrup, ran for a while. But this experiment failed also, and the runner got up behind Mr Maxwell; the former with his arms round his friend's waist, holding the reins and ‘steering,’ while the latter looked after the revolver and rifle, and in this amusing style of marching order the couple reached the fort. As there are in Egypt three of the same name, I may explain that the officer in this instance was Mr Maxwell, of Longford, Ireland. Mr Scudamore is the son of the well-known ex-official of St Martin’s-le-Grand, and ho came to the Soudan in the capacity of special correspondent to the Melbourne Argus.” Silk Industry in the United States. —According to a recent report, the production of silk goods in New Jersey exceeds that of all the other States combined. The capital invested is 7,524,200d015, distributed among 84 firms, yielding a product of 18,053,210d015, or 2dols 50c in silk goods to Idol of capital annually. The. number of hands this industry employs is given at 14,152, of whom 5458 are men, 5175 women, 3489 children. The uen average Idol 81c a day, the women Idol Ole, the children 63 - l-10c. The business has been somewhat overdone in this State, and its condition at present is not altogether healthy. A huge trade has been done in some cases on a small capital, and when the inevitable ruin came, the [market had suffered by forced sales at low prices. American silk-making is, however, no longer an experiment. It is, on the whole, as successful an industry as any other, ami the pre-eminence of New Jersey is a matter of just pride. After struggling against many adverse circumstances, the manufacture of silk has gained quite a secure foothold in California, the last year witnessing the introduction of new and improved machinery in place of that destroyed by fire in 1882. One establishment is engaged in manufacturing piece goods of really excellent quality. Another is devoted to the production of tram, while the thud and the largest of all exclusively manufactures spool, skein, and embroidery silks. In the latter line from forty to fifty (Operatives are employed—four boys, one man, and the rest women and girls. ‘y* make one dollar a day at a comparatively easy task. The value of the silk manufactured in the States in 1883 approximate 350,000d015, of which 200,000 was tia spool, skein, and embroidery lines. It peculiarly an industry in which light am cheap labour finds employment ; there u e not to exceed 20,000d01s was paid in to operators. With the premised inenma in silk culture in California, it is belie an occupation will be opened up extensiv ■ y for boys, girls, and women, by increas s the manufacturing capacities of the nn

Wolves in Italy.—A horrible occur--eccutlv happened at a village near T 1 in the province of Caserta. The , i lain' lies among the spurs of the Apennines. where the scenery is very wild, and solves are still known to exist. Some *mncn belonging to the village had gone nnt to *'ot wood, when they were surprised l,v three or four large wolves, whom famine 7' d driven down from the mountains. TVo of the women were attacked and thrown down by the savage animals. The others Hod, crying for help, but , voro followed by one of the wolves, which had just seized a young girl b V her dress, when a wood-cutter appeared who heard the cries. There onmied a terrible struggle between the man and the wolf. The arm of the woodcutter was torn, and, although he wounded the animal with his axe, it would have gone ill "with him had not another woodcutter arrived on the spot. The latter, with a well-aimed blow, despatched the boast, and several companions having now assembled, the partv went in search of the missing women. ' Thev wore found dead, terribly mangled and half eaten by tho famished wolves, who took to flight on the approach of tho searchers., One of the women was the mother of four children, the other a ,rirl of lO- ” Literature in Peril. —The Russian police, like other police authorities, have not much sense of humour, They take a sad view of life, which to outsiders is also sometimes a funny one. A friend of mine ossures me that a professor of English, long resident in St Petersburg, published a class-book of extracts from favourite English authors, amongst them a quotation from Hamlet. It was immediately suppressed by the police; and the Professor himself ran the risk of a political arrest. Whv ? Because Hamlet was thought dangerous to political morality. However, it is just as well that Mr Irving should know this. He might be tempted to act at St Petersburg, and I am sure we none of us wish to hear of him expiating his crime in Siberia, although we may not approve of his Hamlet on other grounds. However, soon after snubbing the English teacher of languages, the Russian police outdid even this folly. A French teacher published a class-book, in which he spoke rhetorically —too rhetorically—of the “majesty of nature.” The book was instantly suppressed, as containing a direct infringement of the Imperial title ! As Mrs Gamp remarked, “Some is Roushans.” Truly some is.— Truth.