TOWN & COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7228, 30 April 1884, Page 4

TOWN & COUNTRY.

— l> St John’s Parish Meeting. —The Easter meeting of tlio parishioners of St John’s, which was announced for last evening, did not take place. Owing to the wetness of the night, there were not many persons present, and it was decided to adjourn the meeting' till Friday next at 8 p.m. Presentation. —Miss, M. Blee, who is severing her connection with the Leeston school and also the service, was presented hy the girls with a handsome work-box. Mr Barnett, Chairman of the School Committee, made the presentation. _ Mr J. 0. Woodward, having completed his apprenticeship as pupil teacher, and entered the Normal Training College, was presentee, with a case of mathematical instruments. Both recipients responded in suitable terms, Lincoln Library, —The annual meeting of subscribers was held on Monday evening. The Treasurer’s report showed tho receipts to have been Ml -<h including a grant of JJU 2s lid from Government j expenditure, 13s 4d: leaving a balance in hand of .£l3 Os 10d. The following gentlemen were appointed the Committee: —Messrs Pinch, TiTownsheud, Banks, W. Bartram, Oribb, W. Dunn, and P. Townsliond (Secretary). Messrs 33ixnks and »V. Bartram were appointed Librarians. It was resolved that tho Library be only open one night a week from Oct. 1 to the end of March, and twice a week tor the rest of the year. Mr Finch was re-elected Chairman for the ensuing year.

The Public Offices.— ln rnapecfc to the memory of the late Mr Henry John Tancred, tho public offices in Christchurch, excepting Customs, Postal and Telegraphic, will ho closed to-day at noon. Kaiapoi Electorate.— A Press Association telegram says:—Tho writ for Kaiapoi scat has boon issued, returnable before June 4. An advertisement elsewhere announces that the nominations will take place on May IG, and the poll on May 23. Jewish Congreoation. The Revs Zachariah, of Christchurch, and Lichtenstein, of Dunedin, returned from Wellington yesterday, accompanied by tho Rev' Van Stftvorin, minister of the Wellington congregation. The latter will take part in tho services at the Synagogue this week. Sir Geobob Geey.— Mr J. J, Parker, Secretary to the Working Men’s Political Association, received che following telegram from Sir O. Grey last evening in reference to his visit to Christchurch “ Will give earliest information of when I can leave. Hope immediately. Am working hard for general good.—G. Gkey.” Weather Exchange,— New Zealand : A slight decrease of pressure, and moderate, variable winds; alight rain in south, and rather dull. Australia : High pressure over centre and south coast; rain at Sydney; winds, northeast on west coast, and southerly elsewhere. Barometers—New Zealand: Russell and Bluff, 30'3; Wellington, 30 - 2. Australia: Albany, 80'0; Portland, 30-5; Sydney, 304.

Armagh Street Depot. — Mr Beetham took his seat on the Bench at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, Mr March called attention to the report of the case of Rose Lake, charged with vagrancy on the previous day. He objected to the statement made hy accused “that Mr March would not have her in the Armagh street Depot.” The girl, ho said, had twice been admitted there, and might bo there still. His Worship said the girl had made the statement referred to, but there was not much importance to be attached to it. Kowai Rifle Club. —On Saturday the members of the Kowai Rifle Club met to arrange for their annual field day on May 24, Mr J. Cameron, vice-President, in the chair. The accounts of the Club were submitted to the meeting and passed for payment, after which Committees were appointed to carry out the arrangements for the match on that occasion. It was resolved—“ That the match be open to allcomers on paying the annual subscription charged to members of ..the Club and the usual entrance fee for the different events.” It is expected- that the prizes to be competed for will as’usual be both liberal and valuable.

Game Licenses. —Notwithstanding that the fed for a license to hill game has been reduced, the number of such licenses issued this year is only 108, as against 232 last year. Either the taste for sport has seriously diminished in Canterbury, or, what is more likely, the majority of sportsmen are determined not to pay for their fun. If the latter is the case, we may look for a large crop of charges of poaching in the Magistrates' Courts, as the Acclimatisation Society are hardly likely to allow the game, of which they are at once the introducers and conservators, to be killed by persons not legally authorised to do so. Christchurch and Suburban Directory.—We have received a copy of a work, compiled and published by Mr Hugh Eeid, and printed by Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs, which should be of considerable use to business men in this city. It is entitled the Christchurch and Suburban Directory, and contains a variety of information on the city and its environs. The principal features are the Christchurch burgess roll, alphabetical, streets, and trades directories of- the city, and alpha- . betical directories of the different suburbs from the Heathcote Valley to Papanui, and statistics, usual in publications of the sort, of the various Government departments, local bodies, religious denominations, &c. There are also well executed maps of Christchurch and Sydenham, postal and telegraph guide, and a considerable amount of other information. The whole is comprised in a handy-sized volume, which is a creditable specimen of printing and bookbinding. Death of an Old Colonist. —Yesterday morning,, another of the earliest settlers in Canterbury passed away at a good old age. Mrs M. King, who arrived here in the Cressy, one of the first four ships, in December, 1850, was at that time the widowed mother of four children, three daughters and one son. Her house was one of the first erected in Port. Her daughters were not long with her, the eldest soon becoming the wife of one of the wealthiest squatters in the district, Mr J. S. Caverhill, then owner of Motunau Run. The second daughter married Mr E. M. Templer, and the youngest became the wife of Mr W. G. Shrimpton, son of the first proprietor of the Lyttelton Times. Having only the son left, Mrs King retired from business, and has since remained in private life. She has been for some years a sufferer from a severe cough, which has baffled all medical treatment, and to this she succumbed yesterday morning, at the age of 70, at the residence of her son, Mr C. G. King, near Leithfield. Ashburton Borough Council. The Ashburton Borough Council held its usual fortnightly meeting on Monday evening. Only two members were absent, viz., Councillors A. Orr and St Hill. The business done was unimportant, and the meeting lasted only twenty minutes. A report from the Fire Brigade Committee was read, which recommended some trifling alterations in connection with the' caretaker’s position. One was to alter his title to “ custodiananother was that he should be paid by the Council, but that the salary should not be deducted from the Fire Brigade’s grant; a third was that a formal intimation of what the caretaker’s duties are should bo made to the Brigade ; and a fourth that the caretaker, when requiring leave of absence for a night, should inform the Mayor. Councillor Nelson advocated the employment of ratepayers only in the labour gang. A carrier’s license was granted to W. Crooks, and accounts to the amount of .£67 17s 3d were passed. The Mayor announced that the Bank overdraft now stood at £IO7O 15s 4d. Musical Society’s Concert. The Christchurch Musical Society gave their first concert of the season last night in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Lichfield street. The programme consisted of Smart’s cantata “ The Bride of Duukerron,” and other instrumental and vocal music. The cantata was splendidly rendered, both by the chorus and the soloists, who wore—Miss J. B, Spensloy (soprano),Mr W. Izard (tenor), and Mr M. Gardner (baritone). The second part was opened by Mesdamos von Haast and F. Wilding, with Chopin’s rondo for two pianos (op. 73), .which was very nicely rendered. Miss Fairhurst followed, and gave Wellings’ “ Forgot, Forgive,” which she sang with her usual success. Mr J. Coombs played the violin obligato, and though ho unfortunately dropped his music, made a fresh start, and got through with his accustomed brilliancy, and the number was deservedly encored. Mr Gardner was encored for the next vocal solo, the “ Largo al Factotum,” from “ II Barbiere,” and was again loudly applauded for the selection he substituted for it. Mr F. H. Pickering was scarcely so successful in Harvey’s " Time Boys, ’ the last solo on the programme. The part songs rendered by the members of the Society were—Wilbey’s “ Sweet Honey-sucking Bees,” Walter Macfarren’s “ Shepherds all,” Schumann’s “ Gipsy Life,” and Stevens’ “ Sigh no more Ladies;’’ they were given fairly well, the weak point in the performance being that the tenors were overweighted by the other parts. Mr Wells conducted, Mrs W. Kitson and Mr D. Hunt were the pianists> and Mr A. E. Kelsey was the organist, and it need hardly be said that each played admirably.

Acclimatisation Society. —A report of tho meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society, held yesterday, appears in another column.

Parliament out or Session.—Mr John Holmes, tho member for Christchurch South, will address his constituents at 8 o’clock this evening, in. tho Oddfellows’ Hall.

U.A.O.D.—Tho Druids’ Coloured Opera Troupe gave a very successful entertainment on Monday evening, at their Hall, the object being to raise a little money to assist tho widow of the late Bro Susaey. There was a very good attendance. Songs were contributed by the following gentlemen:—Messrs Forsyth, Marriatt, Woodward, Peirie, Makanini, Brown, and Terry. A nogro farce brought tho entertainment to a close.

City Council. — A meeting of the City Council, in conformity with the Municipal Corporations Act, was held yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock, for the purpose of hearing and determining all claims and objections to the Burgess list. There were no objections; it was therefore resolved—- “ That the Mayor, Councillors Louisson and Lambert sign the Burgess 801 l for the year 1884-5.”

Temperance Lecture. —At the Oxford terrace schoolroom last evening, Mr John Harding, of Hawke’s Bay (G.W.C.T. of New Zealand) gave a lecture, entitled, “ The waste of food in the manufacture of intoxicating drinks.” The lecturer treated his subject in a very elaborate and able manner, showing the extraordinary waste in the manufacture of alcohol. During the delivery of the lecture, the audience testified their approval by frequent applause. The church choir, under the able leadership of Mr H. Corrick, rendered several sacred anthems at intervals. The lecture was in aid of the funds of the Oxford terrace Baptist Temperance Society, and the attendance was good, considering the inclement weather. Copper Mining. — A meeting was held in the Trinity Hall, Manchester street, on Monday evening, of those interested in copper mining in the Malvern hills. A series of experiments, under both the acid and blow-pipe tests, established the fact beyond dispute that the ground held by these Companies contained copper of such a character that those present looked forward with every confidence to the establishment of copper mining as an addition to onr industries, that would eventually employ a large population. This opinion -was expressed by those who had been employed nearly twenty years in practical copper mining in Cornwall. A desire was also expressed that the experiments should be again placed before the public in a better known place of meeting, and that the Minister of Mines should be applied to, so as to obtain the services of a competent geologist to report on the position. Both Mr Partridge and Mr Ford stated that they would be happy to comply with the request by holding another meeting, and at the same time would use every endeavour to obtain a report from a competent authority under Government auspices. We understand that a report by Professor Hutton, if it could he obtained, would be highly esteemed by those present at the meeting.

A soiree will bo held in the St Stephen’s Church schoolroom, Lincoln, to-morrow, at 9 p.m. There will he an entertainment to-night at the Young Men’s Clnh, of which the principal item will be the performance of the farce “lei on Parle Frau?ais,” hy the members of the dramatic class. The proceedings will begin at 8 o’clock. In consequence of the funeral of the late Mr Tailored, the meeting of the Hospital Board, previously fixed for to-day, is postponed till May 7^

A Forgotten Tragedy. —The Wairarapa Standard is responsible for the following statement; —About 30 years ago a Canterbury farmer, while making his way home, disappeared in a very mysterious manner, and nothing was ever heard of him until a few days ago, when an old man named Hubbard, over 80 years of age, while lying upon his death-bed, confessed that he and two other men murdered him, buried the murdered man, and agreed that the man who survived the other two men should confess the crime. Sham Attempt on the Comte de Paris. —A parcel addressed to the Comte de Paris, at his house in Paris, was deposited on March 8 at the railway station at Lyons, and, seeming suspicious, was opened by a police commissary. It contained dynamite and clockwork machinery for exploding it similar to that in the boxes found at the London stations. The incident caused a passing flutter, but the Paris correspondent of the Daily News says that the prevailing opinion now is that the affair was a fumisterie, or hoax. The well-dressed gentleman with double eye-glasses who sent a porter to the railway station at Lyons with a box addressed to Monseigneur, at his house in Paris, and declared it to contain ironmongery, silk, and samples, could scarcely have supposed the Pretender would have opened such a parcel in person. Moreover, the superscription was calculated to excite the suspicion which it did. It is not long since that a Legitimist nobleman was convicted of a sham attempt to blow up his own chateau in Brittany to throw discredit on the Republicans. The great probability is that some wrongheaded Eoyalist of this class has thought to serve his cause hy representing the Comte de Paris as a destined martyr.

Volcanic Eruption in Alaska. —San Francisco papers publish a report received by Professor Davidson of the volcanic eruption that took place last October at the entrance to Cook’s Inlet. The fishermen saw dense masses of smoke and flame shoot up from Mount St Augustine, accompanied by loud explosions. The sky was darkened, and a few hours later great quantities of pumice-stone began to fall, some very fine, some like coarse sand. One afternoon there was a great rumbling noise, and apparently a heaving of the bottom of the sea, and a wave 30ft high was borne, inland over English Bay, sweeping the boats that were on the beach before it and covering the fishermen’s huts. Fortunately it was the ebb time of the regular tide, otherwise the village might have been quite destroyed. Two other waves, about 18ft high, followed at irregular intervals. The daylight was completely obscured by the falling dust, which lay between fivo’ and six inches deep. At night the whole neighbourhood was lit up by the flames from the crater, which is usually covered with snow, but was this season quite hare. It was soon discovered that Mount St Augustine had been split in two, the northern portion sinking to the level of the surrounding hills. At the same time a now island arose in the passage between Chornaboura Island and the mainland; this island was an English mile and a half long, and 75ft above the water. The volcanic energy of the whole Alaska Peninsula seemed to be brought into activity. Not only was the volcano Iliamna, 12,000 ft high, fully at work, but two extinct volcanoes that lie to the west of it resumed operations, sending up volumes of smoke, and throwing out vast masses of dust and stones.

St Helena. —One of our smallest Colonies is reported to be in a bad way. St Helena, like the old coaching inn, has been mined by a sudden change in the method of locomotion. Since the establishment of the so-called overland route, the rocky island, which is perhaps better known as Napoleon’s prison than from any intrinsic merits of its own, has been steadily going down hill. It has lost the traffic once brought by passing ships, and is unable apparently to do anything for itself. As bankruptcy and desolation stare it in the face, an emissary has been sent out by the Colonial Office to enquire whether any steps can be taken to restore some of its old prosperity to the island. This Commissioner, Mr D. Morris, who has had much experience in the gardens and plantations of Jamaica, gives but a sorry account of St Helena. Its population is decreasing steadily; large areas are going out of cultivation. Trees are planted more rarely.

and spots are now barren which once wer< covered with wood. Tho cinchona has beei introduced, but has not prospered oi account of the shallowness of the soil Now Mr Morris suggests that the Englisl aloe should he planted, also New Zcalan flax, coffee, and sub-tropical fruits. Th fisheries might also be . profitably dcvel oped, but there is a dearth of boats am other appliances. All this pleads strong]' in favour of St Helena. The only quustfoi is whether State aid, even if it could h given, would do more than afford temporal; relief. Such paternal assistance is apt t be demoralising, and a community canno be kept on its legs if it will not try ti stand alone. Tne most feasible schemi would be to offer the whole island, on eaa; terms, to some enterprising company.— Home News.

Effect of a Lightning Stroke on u Ship. —Some time ago, says the Home Newsl of Feb. 1, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company’s steamship Columbia was struck by lightning. The vessel was not injured] as the conductor on the foremast conveyed tho flash into the sea; but tho forward part of the vessel was so powerfully magnetised; by the current that alterations have to be effected. When running on certain courses the compasses are untrustworthy, and the movement of flic wheel is sufficient to deflect them. Cap lain Bass, who is now in command of the Columbia, believes the steering chains and the wheels they travel on have been magnetised by the electric current, and when the vessel reaches Cal tv, they will he changed. The magnets on board were all de-magnetised, and reduced to the condition of ordinary iron. The circumstance ia rare, if not entirely new, and will attract the attention of seamen. Not Worth Sixpence. —“ Atticus ” in the Leader spins the following yarn:— Some little time ago a chemist; in Burke street was roused fiom his slumbers at 3 o’clock in the morning by the violent and reiterated ringing of thedoorbell. Thinking it a matter of life and death, the young man in charge jumped out of bed and,, partially dressed, rushed down the stairs and opened the front door. By the dim light of the moon he observed a man holding on by the jambs as if to steady himself. On being asked his business, he informed tho chemist, with a hiccough or two, that his wife was bad with toothache, and he wanted a tincture to relieve the pain. He then walked into the shop and sat down with a very melancholy, not to say tipsified, expression of face. The chemist, pitying him, made up the required prescription and handed it over, at the same time demanding sixpence. “ What,” exclaimed the customer, “ Sixpence I I’m not going to pay sixpence ; keep it. The old woman isn’t worth that,” and rising, he staggered to the door and disappeared. The chemist had a bad quarter of an hour before he again fell asleep.

The Waters of the Earth. —There is good reason for believing, with Saemann, Le Meunier, Frankland, and S terry Hunt, that in the remote future of the earth the waters of the sea will be withdrawn into her interior. The process of withdrawn!, adds Mr E. A. Proctor in Good Words., is

in reality taking place even now. any cavern, such as Kent’s Hole in Devonshire, on the driest and hottest day, or even after weeks of dry weather, and you shall find the roof wet with the waters which have been slowly making their way from the surface, where they fell in the form of rain months before. Throughout the whole crust of the earth, except in a few spots where rain never falls, the same process is going on all the time. Only a portion of the water, which thus falls on the earth, ever returns to the .-urface in the form of springs. Artesian wells show how slowly some of the strata of the earth permit water which has thus reached them to pass through; but they show also how large a portion of the earth’s waters are already beneath the surface. . . It may well he that the amount actually withdrawn from the sea surface in this way, and not restored, does not produce a change of level of more than a foot in a thousand years. Still even that would involve a very important alteration in the aspect of the earth In such periods of time as belong to a 'planet’s history. A million years would reduce the sea level by a thousand feet, and in a period of time, which cannot he reckoned long when compared with the vast periods of which the heavens and the earth speak to ns, every trace of water would have disappeared from the surface of the earth.

A Judge ox the Oath Question. —A little pamphlet, entitled “ Suggestions as to Oaths—ls the Oath of Allegiance a Profane Oath ?” has just been issued by “ J. M.” (who is understood to be Sir John Mellon, late Judge of the Queen’s Ben.h Division). The writer expresses his belief that “ the existing want of reverence and awe rightly attaching to the name of God is mainly due to frequent and profane use of oaths,” and *•' being profoundly convinced by a long judicial experience of the general worthlessness of oaths,” he advocates tin dr abolition as a test of truth, but would retain the punishment for false declarations wherever the law prescribes a penalty for a false oath. “An honest man’s testimony,” he says, “will not be made mo;o true under the sanction of an oath, and a dishonest man will only be affected by the dread of temporal punishment.” Sir John proposes as a substitute the signature of a declaration by every member of Parliament, on taking his seat, that he professes “ true allegiance to the Queen, her heirs and successors according to law.” The Eain Tree. —Some travellers in South America, in traversing an arid and desolate tract of country, were struck (says Land and JFarer) with a strange contrast. On one side there was a barren desert, on the other a rich and luxuriantvegetation. The French Consul at Lareto, Mexico, says that this remarkable contrast is due to the presence of the Tamai caspi, or the rain tree. This tree grows to the height of 60ft, with a diameter of 3ft at its base, and possesses the power of strongly attracting, absorbing, and condensing the humidity of the atmosphere. Water is always to be seen dripping from its trunk in such quantity as to convert the surrounding soil into a veritable marsh. It is in summer especially, when the rivers are nearly dried up, that the tree is most active. If this admirable quality of the rain-tree were ut ilised in the arid regions near the Equator, the people there living in misery on account of the unproductive soil would derive groat advantage from its introduction, as well as the people of more favoured countries where the climate is dry and the droughts frequent. How Cholera is Propagated. The Madras Weekly Mail of Feb. 27 writes — “ One of the most important discoveries which it has fallen to the lot of scientific, men to make in modern times has been made in Calcutta. Doctors Koch, Fischer and GaS'ky, who were appointed by the German Government to proceed to Egypt to investigate the causes of cholera, proceeded to Calcutta to further prosecute their studies. In Egypt they discovered bacilli in all cases of recent cholera. At each post mortem examination in Calcutta the same bacteria were found ns in Egypt* How to connect this bacillus with the subject suffering was an important point established. Did bacilli exist outside of subjects suffering from cholera ? The Hoogidy tanks and wells were searched with no success until last week, when an outbreak of cholera was reported in the vicinity of a tank. Sixteen specimens of water wore examined, and bacteria found in abundance. A few days afterwards the same water was examined. Although bacteria was found, though in much reduced numbers, the fact is now clearly established that cholera germs were discovered m abundance in water, pointing to the conclusion that the germs were received from the tank by the people. The merit of tno

discovery rests on the fact that the very micro-organism which is invariably found in all cases of true cholera was discovered in water used where the outbreak ocCn <ULVATIONISTS IN PARIS —SOQIO little excitement was caused on the Boulevards of Paris the other day by the appearance of several young girls, soldiers of the irrepressible “ Salvation Army/’ in uniform, selling the French translation of “ The War Cry ’’ —R» Aront—and persisting in their irregular doings despite the warnings of the police, who vainly explained to them that they could not sell books in the street, they not having taken out a hawker’s lieeuse. As they persisted in obstructing the pavement, the police at length took them formally in charge, and marched them off to the nearest policestation. They were mildly admonished by the commissary as to the duty of not violating the laws of the country in which they find themselves, and their names having been taken, they were let off, apparently much gratified at having undergone this very mild form of martyrdom.