TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11580, 16 May 1898, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The trustees of the Hyman Marks Estate have made a donation of £2 2 s to the funds of the Christchurch Beautifying Association. The Telegraph Department supplies the following memorandum “ Flinders advises ‘ Some delay to Tasmanian business pending cable repairs/ ’’ There have been only two bankruptcies in the Christchurch district since the beginning of the present quarter, and thirteen since the commencement of the year. A considerable crowd collected in Cathedral Square on Saturday evening, when several interesting magic-lantern views were shown, interspersed with the usual advertisements. At a meeting of the Addington vestry it was unanimously resolved to start a branch of the Christian Social Union in the parish, and ask Bishop Julins to give an address at the inaugural meeting. A man was brought down from Wellington on Saturday, where ha was arrested on a charge of having stolen £lO from a Waimate resident. He will he taken on to Waimate by this morning’s express. The pictures of the permanent collection in the Art Gallery have been removed from the ballroom to the larger room, where they have been hung on the line. They have also been cleaned and renovated, j There wefe large attendances at the meetings of Onr Father’s Church in the Art Gallery yesterday, when Mr J. O’Bryen Hoaro gave addresses, in the morning on “ Our Senses ” and in the evening on “ Cruel Circumstance.” The Cheviot Draughts, Chess and Card Club held a successful meeting in the Town Hall Chambers on Saturday evening, several members from a distance being present. All the games were very evenly contested. Three new members were unanimously elected. A special meeting of the City Council was convened for noon on Saturday for the purpose of considering claims and objections in reference to the burgess list. As no quorum was present, the meeting was adjourned until 7.15 p.m. on Monday, the night of the ordinary meeting. Inspector Stringer on Saturday morning seized and condemned several cases of dried fish consigned from Wellington on the ground : that it was .unfit for .human consumption. This,is the second consignment of the kind that has come forward since the large haul made in Cloudy Bay some time ago. The first round of a cribbage tournament was played at Rangiora on Friday night, when the Rangiora Fire Brigade beat the Oddfellows by 36 games to 24, the Southbrook Fire Brigade beat the Druids by 25 to 22, and the Sons of Temperance beat the Rifle Volunteers by 31 to 22. The matches are to be continued weekly throughout the winter. A flower show was held at Amherley on Thursday, and was a great success. The walls of the hall were gaily decorated with floral designs, the most effective being a representation of the Stars and Stripes in red and white chrysanthemums. The mildness of the season allowed roses to be exhibited in some profusion, and Mr Barnes had on view a dish of fine gooseberries of second growth. A jarrah pile in the main wharf at Timaru was taken up last week, as it had been damaged by a vessel. It was found that a minute animal, which eats away the outside of timber work at about lowwater mark, had got into two bolt holes and enlarged these so as to cut away half the pile, while near the bottom level the boring worm had done about an equal amount of damage. An open-air Prohibition meeting was held in Cathedral Square at 8.30 on Saturday evening, when addresses were delivered by the Revs F. W. Isitt and T. H. Lyon, The weather was very unfavourable, which probably accounted for the small attendance. At the close of the meeting the Rev T. H. Lyon announced that on Tuesday evening a farewell “ social ” to the Rev F. W. Isitt, who is going north for a few months, would be held at the rooms of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. At the meeting of Torkshiremen, held on Saturday afternoon, Mr H, B. Kirk remarked that much of the success achieved by the Province of Canterbury was due to two of its Superintendents, Mr W. S. Moorhouse and the Hon W. Eoileston, who, in addition to their other good qualities, were Yorkshiremen. A member wished to add the name of another Superintendent of Canterbury, Mr S. Bealey, to the list, but Mr Bealey’s name was ruled out of order, as he was discovered to be a Lancashire man. At the monthly meeting of the Mandeville and Eangiora Road Board on Friday the measures to be adopted for the destruction of small birds this winter were discussed. It was decided not to distribute poisoned grain, as in former years, but to pay 4d per dozen for small birds’ heads, which it was thought would be a remuneration sufficient to induce farmers to destroy the birds either by poisoning, shooting or netting. This arrangement will remain in force during the months of June, July and August. A personal recommendation is undoubtedly the very best advertisement. This fact is borne out by the extensive business transactions in all departments, and especially by the sales of high-class , pianos and organs, at the D.LC., who have recently sold numbers of these splendid instruments simply through the personal , recommendations of delighted and satisfied customers. Every intending purchaser should see and inspect these instruments and note the prices. 2238 We are always up-to-dato. The new Perry - Osmond, or Appleby twin roller chains fitted to Zealandia bicycles without extra charge. Best quality £2l. Oates, Lowry and Co., Zealandia Cycle W orks. 62 Dunlop tyres and Dunlop Welch rims are the fastest and most reliable combination in the world; guaranteed for twelve months. —[An vt.l

j The Union Steamship Company desires i to call the attention of passengers and / shippers by the Monowai to the fact that the j steamer will now pass through Lyttelton on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, as ’ previously advertised. j The usual spiritual service was conducted j last evening at the Choral Hall by Mrs f Harris, inspirational speaker, the subject J being “Reincarnation, or the Word Made Flesh.” There was a good audience, and the speaker was listened to with earnest attention. There was a very large congregation at St John’s Church, Latimer Square, yesterday morning, when the Bishop of Christchurch preached. His Lordship took for his text St Mark xiii., 7, “ And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars be ye not troubled ; for such things must needs be,” making special reference to the war between A merica and Spain.” The choir sang the anthem, “ What Are These ?” Messrs G. F. Richardson and D. M’Kenzie came up from the south by the express 1 train on Saturday night and went on to i Wellington by steamer. Mr T. Cooper I and Detective Marsack came from Dunedin i, by the same train. Messrs E. J. Le Grove, ; S. Weetman, R. S. Smytho, J. Grimmond f ami Dr Trotter went north by steamer on I Saturday night. District Judge Ward arrived 'from Wellington by the Penguin yesterday. 1 A rather peculiar theft took place some time during Friday night. Mr T. Dalton, who has a paddock on the North Belt between Madras and Barbadoes Streets, on the St Albans side, had dug a number of bags of potatoes which ho intended to I deliver on the following morning. When he went for them, however, he found that half-a-dozen bags had been taken away, and upon making an examination the I s tracks of a cart were found leading up to the paddock fence. The strained relations between the committee of the Temnka District High School ; and the South Canterbury Education Board relative to the appointment of a ! headmaster have resulted in the following ; resolution being passed at a special meeting of committee, held on Friday evening: , —“That the Secretary he instructed to j call a meeting of householders for Wednosday. May 18, to consider the advisability of closing the Temuka High School pending a judicial decision as to the legality of ■ the action of the South Canterbury Board 1 of Education in the matter of the appointment of a headmaster.” j The usual weekly meeting of the com- 1 mittee of the Sydenham Poultry Society j . was held on Saturday night. Arrange- | ments were made for taking entries at the Fanciers’ Club rooms, Cashel Street, and at the Sydenham Club Hotel, and it was j decided that no entries should be taken after Saturday night, the time for closing. A large number of special prizes and donations were reported, and a vote of thanks was accorded the donors for their kindness. The display, from the numerous inquiries for entry forms from fanciers of poultry, pigeons and canaries in all parts of the colony, promises to eclipse all previous exhibitions yet held by the Society. The committee has arranged for a display of dogs from the kennels of the h6st fanciers in the colony. A meeting of the Cheviot County Settlers’ Association Show Committee was held in the Town Hall ou Friday night. Mr W. T. Robinson presided. The Secretary reported that he bad received several replies from judges accepting positions. It was decided that entries for high jump, tilting ; at ring and best hunter should remain open j until ten o’clock on the morning of show, j It was decided to award the prize in the | egg class to the heaviest dozen. It was j agreed that the competitors in baby show I should be on view in the Town Hall between | the hours of 4 and 5 p.m. Special officers I were appointed to deal with the show ! privileges, the fitting up of cattle and ! sheep pens and other important work in [ connection with the show. The Secretary reported having received a telegram from the Minister of Lands regretting his inability to be present at the show. THE EXPORT OP RABBITS. A gentleman who travels through ihc Central Otago district informs the “ Otago Daily Times” that the rabbit-trapping in-’ dustry is assuming large dimensions: Not long ago fourteen tons of rabbits passed the Middlemaxch railway station in one day. A depot has been opened at Wedderbum, and in six days five hundred cases were despatched from that point, each case containing twenty-four rabbits, the price given being s}d per air. Another depot is being opened at White Horse Hotel, Bocks, and S rabbits are being brought from as far inland as the Clyde commonage. One agent at Hyde has paid out already this season over £I2OO. At Queenstown the rabbits are being boxed and shipped across the lake for freezing at the Bluff, and the price at Queenstown is now 6}d per pair. The amount of money thus being put in circulation is enormous, and the consequence is that everyone is busy and trade is much brisker than it has been. A hotelkeeper stated that he had not seen a swagger for many months, whilst every boy and youth in Central Otago is provided with remunerative work in the vicinity of his home.AN ENIGMATIC MESSAGE. ’’Te Whiti’s famous message, “ The potato is cooked,” is well remembered in connection with the Parihaka bother. Hone Toia, of Rawene notoriety, has been emulating the enigmatic communication of the “ prophet” of Taranaki. One of his messages to Mr Hone Heke, M.H.R., took tne form pf a proverb. Freely interpreted the message was, “ The fish has passed the rock.” The proverb has reference to a rock near Manganui, and to a particular fish which, having once passed the rock, will not, according to Maori belief, return to the coast till the next season. The inference intended j to bi drawn from the message was that the Natives had gone so far that they could not retreat. The force of Hone Touts pro- | \ erb was, however, entirely destroyed by Lieutenant-Colonel Newall’s Maxims. Thus maxims occasionally prove better than proverbs. TROUT OVA FOR NEW ZEALAND. The “North Otago Times” states that Dr De Latour, who is in Great Britain, has ■ an offer to collect and send to New Zealand, 1 free of charge, 250,000 ova of the best English non-migratory trout. This is a hand- ; some offer, and will benefit the whole of . New Zealand. A CURIOUS FIND. An exchange says that Mr Nathan, road ! inspector, made a curious find of fossil at Whangamomona the other day. The fossil was in the papa rock, and was in shape something like a pig or a miniature elephant. It measured about two feet in length by one foot in height, and was complete with the exception of the nose, which was broken off. The fossil has been offered to Sir James Hector. | DISEASED CATTLE. j Out of 1143 animals slaughtered at the Wanganui public abattoirs, nine were condemned as unfit for human consumptionfive cattle, three pigs and one sheep. All the cattle and two of the pigs were affected with tuberculosis. One of the- cattle presented the worst case th,at has yet come under the inspector’s notice in Wanganui. Not only were the lungs, liver and diaphragm studded with tubercular nodulos, but the whole lining of the thoracic and ,abdominal cavities was covered with

tubercular masses of various sizes; ' these were also found hi the «fiesh along the course of the sternum and vertebral column, close to the bones. Strange to say,' this beast was in fair condition. AN EFFECTIVE REBUKE. The wagging of tongues and the constant shuffling of feet proved too great for the endurance of the magistrate (Mr W. L. Haselden) at the Wellington Court on Thursday. At length, in sheer desperation, he rose from the bench and left the Court, announcing that he would proceed with the business in half an hour. The rebuke, which was aimed at some of the members of the legal profession present, had its effect-, for when the Court resumed and Ids > Worship again took his scat, the proverbial | dropping pin might have been heard. I MUNICH S AL GASWORKS. I The Wanganui Gas Company has declined the offer of "the Borough Council to buy the • gasworks for £Booo. Ihc company points ! out that the works have cost over £20,000, j and are as up-to-date as any other works in j the colony. The Lighting Committee of the | Council is to consider the expediency of i making further overtures to the Gas Com- | pany, or whether the borough should go in for gasworks of its own, or get the electric light. SCALE ON FRUIT, i The “ Post ” understands that there would have been no necessity to have condemned the oranges and lemons brought from Sydney by the Wakatipu on Tuesday if the con- [ signors had taken the trouble to clean the | scale off it, an operation which it is said can | bo performed very cheaply and expedi- [ tiously with a machine invented by two in- ! genious Americans. The fruit is first ■ placed in a water-trough at one end of the machine to loosen any foreign adhering raati ter, and it is then passed down the feedtrough beneath the brushes of a wheel revolved by a crank handle, the lower portion ! of the wheel passing through a rinsing ! tank. In this tank is a series of segment-ally-arranged brushes, between which and : the brushes on the periphery of the wheel the fruit is passed. The brushes on the periphery of the wheel are supported by spring rods, whereby their pressure upon the fruit may bo a yielding and flexible one not liable to injure the rinds, and the fruit is passed out through a delivery spout at the opposite end of the machine. The New Zealand Department of Agriculture approves the use of the machine, but points 1 out that equally good results can be atI tained by using an ordinary scrubbing biush.