TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11884, 6 May 1899, Page 7

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The following \ auctioneers’ announcements appear on page 11J.. Ingrain, D. Thomas, North Canterbury. Co-operative Stores Company, and - Abraham and Williams. Mr W. F. Carncross, M.H.R. for Taicri, is at present in Christchurch. Chief-Detective Cbrvstall arrested a lad at the Styx yesterday, who will be charged with stealing a post office order, value 18s 6d, the property of the Post-master-General. Mr Horace Brown, who has held the position of stationmaster a.t Papanni for over twenty-one years, has resigned front the service. He intends to settfe in the Ashburton district. Among those who left for the south by tho express yesterday were Messrs A. C. Pringle, W. Henderson, C. F. Tcdhunter, Captain Willis, the Hon W. J. Steward and the Hon W. Hall-Jones and secretary. Dr Thacker last evening commenced a series of lee-tures to the Volunteer Ambulance Bearer Corps, to be given every Friday night in the City Council Chambers. The lectures are given in connection with the St. John Ambulance Association. Captain Owen, superintendent of the Sailors’ Home,. ,at Lyttelton, desires to acknowledge the receipt of : a donation from Captain Hume,, of the ship Conway, of £l7 6s 3d, being the proceeds of a concert given by the crew of that vessel. In the prize-list of the chrysanthemum show, two prizes obtained by Mr D. Craw were omitted. Mr Craw gained first prizo in Class 45 for six new’ and distinct chrysanthemums, and second prize in Class 59 for twelve Japanese and twelve incurved, distinct varieties. In the latter class no first prize was awarded. At a meeting, of the Winter Show subcommittee recently held, it was decided to appoint members tp take charge of the various sections. Each of these . members ■■will -have class stewards working under his direction. ' By this -means it is hoped 'that the placing of exhibits will be expedited, and anything, approaching confusion avoided. , . The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association intends to hold, an extensive trial of drillling machines in September. The Secretary of the Association, has received a letter from a .prominent North Island agriculturist, asking ,for full particulars of the trial, arid expressing Ids intention not to purchase a drill until the trial has been held. - On Thursday evening, the sub-committee appointed by the City Council met a committee of the directors of the Christchurch Tramway Company, but it is understood that no agreement was arrived at. Yesterday morning, representatives of the Christchurch and New’ Brighton Tramway Companies met in conference at the Caledonian Society’s Rooms. Tho Premier received a number of private deputations at Warner’s Hotel yesterday. In reply to a deputation from Wooiston, he sax l , that he would not be able to deliver an address in the borough at present, but hoped to do so later on. In the evening Mr Seddo-n, with the Hon R, W. Best and ■Mr W. A. Trenwith; were the guests of tire Mayor at-the Canterbury Club. The Premier, with Mrs Seddon and Messrs Crow and Macalister, private secretaries, left for Wellington by the 9.15 p.m. train, catching the Talune at Lyttelton. Great preparations are being made for the opening of perhaps the most unique form of entertainment that has yet taken place in Christchurch, The Great Early History Carnival, as will be seen elsewhere, commences at the Opera House on May 15. Close on 150 performers have been instructed by Signor Borzoni. The great feature of the carnival will he a number of marches, and .tableaux, illustrating the history of Canterbury from the arrival of the first settlers up to the present date. His Worship the Mayor has consented to open the carnival. When the Premier was at Springfield on Wednesday, -he was waited upon by a deputation from the Malvern Road Board, who urged upon him the necessity for the construction of a traffic bridge over the Kowai River, to connect the Kowai and Otarama districts with Springfield. They pointed out that the river was a dangerous one to cross, and that at the present time it cost the Road Board from £6O to £7O per annum to keep the fords in order. The Premier, replied that the work was more one for the County Council than for the Qovemment, and advised the Road Boards interested to approach tbe Council on the matter. In the meantime, however, he would undertake to have the £6OO which was voted last session “earmarked,” so that the vote should not lapse.

It will be £een by reference to advertisement, in another column, that the Te Aroha Hot Springs Domain Board invite tenders for the exclusive right to bottle and dispose of the overflow from No. 8 Spring for a period of ten years. There can be no doubt the concession is a most valuable one in view of the remarkable 'curative properties of the waters ; and when their value has been made more widely known, there should be a very large and steady sale for the waters, which will bear such very favourable comparison with many of th© expensive mineral waters now being imported. 6101 A great rush of business is reported by Messrs W. M’Clea and Co., whose large Warehouse was yesterday filled with wellsatisfied customers. The Capes, Jackets, and Millinery, all this Winter’s Fashions,, are selling rapidly, because of the sterling reductions made in price; ; certainly all buyers seemed to-be delighted with the Bargains offered. 6939 Your wise investment in bicycle pleasure for 1899 demands that you read the beautiful Waverley catalogue, now ready. You will also find, on inspection, that these are the highest-grade wheels that money can obtain. The latest stock of sundries kept on hand. Waverley Cycle Depot, 217, Colombo Street, Christchurch. 2396 Blankets, Flannels, Rugs, and Men’s Lambwool Shirts and Pants. We are now showing a very special purchase of 500 pairs White Blankets, commencing at 8s lid per pair; 48 pieces of Flannels, from B£d per yard; 25 Rugs, frbm 10s 6d each; and 20 dozen Men’s Lambwool Pants and Shirts, from 3s lid. See our windows for special show of these goods.—Shaw, Robinson, and Co., 213, Cashel Street > 92 , Strongest where others are weakest. Zea--1 n.nrH.'i. Bicycles, price £2l, built with the new butted tubing, making frames, front forks and head unbreakable, also overhanging chain-wheel and twin roller _ chain. Write for catalogue. Oates, Lowry and Co., Christchurch and Ashburton, • 62 A good opportunity to secure a useful mount for -winter riding. The Anglo-New Zealand Cycle Company have several se-cond-hand machines for sale, good, useful bicycles, both ladies’ and gentlemen’s, from £4 10s upwards. A special display of these is now being made at the D. 1.0. Depot. A full range of the latest model Anglo Specials and Osmonds now being shown. Orders booked for the world-renowned Humber cycles. 278 Special Notice. —Crown Brand Tea prize competitions will be continued all this year round, and will close on the last days of April, June, August, October, and December in each year. Prizes of ladies’ silver and other watches, albums, workboxes, etc. Hubbard, Hall and Co. 2384 Haiuner Plains. —Visitors to the Hanmer Springs will find the best accommodation at Mrs Lahmert’s, Jack’s Pass Temperance Hotel, for 37s and 20s week. Free conveyances from the Springs twice daily. X 2356 Evenden’s Patent Roofings and Fencing Nails, neatest and best; perfectly watertight. Recommended by architects, and can he obtained from all ironmongers. X 2414 Cyclists who require their machines well and carefully repaired should send them to the “ Premiers ”of the cycling trade. Boyd and Son, Gloucester Street. Telephone 658. 2374

The Saturday sixty-four column edition of the “ Star ” will include the following special features;—Tales and Sketches —The Baron’s Choice, Amusing Misprints, Simon Dowling—Miser, Women as ■ Speculators, The True Story of’ the Colleen - Bawn, A Botanical Miracle. Ladies’ Page— To Pass the Time, Health Hints, Girls as Farmers, For Thin People, Household Hints, Woman’s World. Reading for Everybody— Fun and Fancy, Notes and Notions, Brief Mention, Band Gossip, etc., and all the Ihtest telegraphic and general news. , .

Messrs E. J. Hallenstein and Dr Wait* arrived from- the south last evening. • Mr James Mills wont south by the Monowai yesterday. ‘ ‘ ’ ; , Mr J. S, Tennant, of the High Street School,. Dunedin, has been appointed headmaster of the Ashburton High School. There were twenty-three applicants. Mr W. Reece has presented a safe to the Cathedral, and it is proposed to place it in the great porch as a collecting box, with a book for subscribers’ names and a large picture of the Cathedral as it will appear when completed. The old Ballanoe Liberal Association has now been entirely reconstructed. Many of the objects for which the Association was originally formed have been achieved, and it was therefore necessary ‘to revise tho programme. The officers of tho new society have all been elected, and the programme is now in the printer’s hands. The name has been changed to “The Independent Liberal arid Labour Association.” The following is a return showing the amount of Customs duties collected at the port of Lyttelton during the week ending May 5 '•—Spirits, £1669 5s Id ; cigars, £253 15s; tobacco, £605 17s ; wine, £lls 18s lid ; beer, £7; tea, £224 Os 4-d ,- coffee, &c„ £7l 13s lOd ; sugar, .£3BO 11s ; weight, £1063 5s 6d ; ad valorem, £34*10 9s ; other duties, £B2O 6s 6d; total for the week, £8622 2s 2d.’

The “ target” system of collecting wab suggested at tbe meeting of the Cathedral Completion Committee last evening aS a means of raising money. The Bishop,' however, said that there was one practical difficulty in that a canvasser with a, £5 card went to five people, each of whom ought to give £2O, and got a guinea from each. These five people had then subscribed, and were deaf to the blandishments of the regular canvasser. A meeting of draughts players was held last evening at MrriV. Robinson’s shop, High Street. Mr Robinson was appointed secretary and send an invitation immediately to Mr R. Jordan, the champion draughts player of the world, to visit North Canterbury. Messrs G. Burgess, A. L. Myers, J. Little, T. Menzies and S. T. Crook were appointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements. It was decided to send circulars to draughts players in the country districts inviting them to meet Mr Jordan when he arrived.

On Thursday evening at a meeting of managers of the Gust Presbyterian Church it was reported that the recent reunion had, after paying expenses, netted the sura of .£35, which would enable the linancial year : to close in credit. The Eev P. Stubbs gave an outline of a scheme under which it was proposed to raise an amount as a Century Fund, for the purpose of carrying out some improvements to the church and manse. The proposal was supported by the managers, and will be further considered at the approaching congregational meeting. The Fairfiejd Freezing Works have had a busy week. Fifteen hundred sheep have been slaughtered daily; 35 vans were loaded up for the Eaahrne; 5017 carcases were sent on to the Tokomaru, and 80 bales of wool to the same vessel; 165 casks of tallow were sent to the Waiwera, and 24 bales of wool to the’ Westland. The skeletons of the new cottages are up. The cooperage it nearly finished, as is also a locomotive shed, for which the engine has now arrived. Stables are almost complete, and a new mam road for sheep into Ashburton, on the eastern side of the works, is in course of formation. The annual meeting of the Kowai Eifle Club was held at Sefton on Thursday evening. Mr Eitchie was in the chair. It was decided to revert to the trophy system of prizes, and to have two classes, the competitors in the first to fire from scratch and those in the second to be handicapped. The election of officers resulted as follows:—Patron, Mr C. Easor; president,*Mr .T. Brown; vice-presidents,' Messrs Pate, Cameron and Pemberton; captain, Mr W, Eitchie; lieutenant, Mr E. C. d’Auvergne; secretary and treasurer, Mr J. T. Smellie; committee, Messrs Beaven, Topp, Thomson, Vallance, Ferguson, M’Gowan and W. Fleming. The"programme for the Queen’s' Birthday was arranged as follows:—Match, seven shots each at 300 and 500yds; Ladies’ Bracelet, seven shots at 400yds; the highest aggregate to take the Club’s gold medal. A meeting of the committee of the Knightstown Librai’y was held on Monday evening; present—Messrs Thos. Palmer (in the chair), T. Elerig, J. Hathaway, W. Hathaway, J, Moore, Charles Carter, J. Beanland and J, Jowsey. The sub-com-mittee reported having added to the library thirty-six volumes, by the latest authors, and acknowledged having received from Mr H. Forward a donation of £2 2s towards the book fund. Eegarding. the sale of the St Albans Lane property, it was stated that Mrs Blakiston had left for England without her signature being obtained to the deed, and instructions were given to the solicitor to forward the deed to England for her signature. The Treasurer reported that in the hank and in hand the balance was J6ll. The Librarian reported an increase of twelve members since last, meeting. The following have consented to act as the new trustees:— Messrs F. Waymouth, T. Gordon and G. Capper. WOMEN SMOKERS. That cigarette smoking by women is coming more into vogue (says the “Wanganui Chronicle ”) there is no doubt. Unfortunately the practice is not confined to females of a mature age, but is being adopted by maidens of tender years./ On Sunday evening last two girls, apparently about sixteen or seventeen years of age, and members of respectable families, were cycling along the Quay, enjoying the beautiful moonlight night, and in the full enjoyment also of their cigarettes, which they smoked like old. hands. The practice is deplorable enough among grown women, but when youngsters take to it it is time some steps were taken to put down the practice. THE TEOUBLE IN SAMOA. A private letter received by an Auckland merchant from a resident in Samoa makes, the following comments on the present situation: —“It is an awful pity that instructions came to suspend hostilities pending the result of the Commission; for-we’ had the rebels on the run, and in two weeks they would have been completely, crushed, They were breaking up, and lots were going home, and their stock of ammunition was getting low, while the Malietca people were increasing and improving every day, and were just finding out the usefulness of order and discipline. Besides, they were well armed, and have- plenty of ammunition, - so you can see it was only a matter of time before the others were bound to be whipped. In the meantime the rebels are gathering strength again, and making and otherwise procuring more cartridges, and deserters are returning, and in every way this cessation of hostilities is a perfect godsend to them, and dead against . our side, and will cause us to do all our work over again after the Commission does something or fails to do anything.. It’s certainly dis-

gusting how the Germans manage to pull the wool oyer the eyes of the other two at every turn. is only one settlement of this business, and that is annexation, and England should have it at any cost.” • AN EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT, , A peculiar misfortune has befallen a lad! ten years of age, who is at -present an inmate of the Dunedin Hospital. While running to afire on Monday afternoon he swallowed a small whistle, and when picked up by a cabman was in a half-choking condition. The whistle, evidently stuck first of all in the youth’s windpipe, for every time he gasped for. breath the whistle would give out a shrill sound. The doctors have so far, says the “ Otago Daily T'imes,” been unable to remove the obstruction, which afterwards shifted on to the boy’s lungs. The X-rays were being used to discover the position, and by this means its place of lodgment has been located; but any operation is fraught with much danger. A hope is entertained that a fit of coughing may move the obstruction sufficiently to permit of its being extracted. SHEEP FOE THE SOUTH ISLAND. A telegram from Wellington says:—Theexport of sheep to the South Island is, if anything, increasing. Nearly every day mobs of five hundred, or so are driven through the streets of the city down to the wharves. THE MAORI CENSUS. After describing, the proceedings at a big meeting of Natives held the other day, the “ Waikato Times” says:—“ When one sees such a stalwart race of people gathered together it is hard to realise the truth of the statement that the Maoris are dying out. Their fine physical frames and intelligent faces would seem to betoken a long racial existence. The Maoris themselves say the former idea is erroneous, and the census cannot be taken as anything- like a correct estimate of their numbers.” AN UNCERTAIN'BRIDEGROOM. Preparations fori the marriage of his Majesty King George of Tonga are (saj a . the Tongan correspondent of the “ Auckland Herald”) going on in a mysterious way. The making of the wedding garments have been, entrusted to two Europeans in Nukualofa, and rumour says that' their instructions are to make them so that they can be readily altered to fit the bride whom the King finally selects. The wed T ding bake, too, which came from Auckland months ago, and which has since nourished some millions of ants and copra bugs! is in the hands of a local confectioner, who is busily engaged repairing their ravages. Meanwhile nobody, apparently not even the prospective bridegroom, knows for whom the dresses and cake are intended. NEWS FROM KLONDYKE. The latest news from Klondyke appearing in the English papers, and dated from New York on March 24, says that ;the steamship Laurada has arrived at Seattle from Alaska with 150,000d0l in gold. It is the first shipment from Klondyke that has arrived this year. A woman who has-been residing in Dawson City is one of the richest of the party. The miners say that the SkagWay River was frozen up completely when they left. Everybody was short bf water. The rich men on the Klondyke were washing their faces with champagne. Mr “ Bill ” Partridge, an English mining expert, who has also arrived at Seattle, says that Mr Alexander M’Dowell, otherwise known as King of Klondyke, has disposed of six of his richest claims to an, English syndicate for two and a quarter million dollars. The basin of Pande Lake, in Bamoff Island, has been drained, and a great quantity of gold gravel found exposed on the bottom. A New York syndicate has purchased it for two and a half million dollars. A DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. ■ Speaking at the function given in his 1 honour by the Marine Engineers of New ' Zealand at Wellington, Mr Archibald Denny said the country appeared to him to be a perfect Garden of Eden—mixed up a little with,the Highlands of Scotland. (Laugh- : ter.) Some of. the harbours were very good -vat any rate, they were very numerous. (Laughter.) The east side of Canterbury was the Garden of Eden, the West Coast—about Westport—was reminiscent of the 1 Grampians. The country had room for/ scope, and would take a good deal of spoiling. The people he had met—well, he didn’t; want to say too much, lest he should make them too proud. (“No! no!” and laughter.) Well, at any rate, ha did not’■want to meet people more friendly than the people he had met in this colony. (Applause.) MOTOR CAES. Mr H. W. Lucy, writing to the “ Sydney ; Morning Herald,” says:—l confess to having shared in full degree the widely-spread prejudice against motor cars'. Ttbre is no- ’ thing so positive as ignorance. I had never 1 ridden on a motor, knew of them only by; their failure in the London- streets, and the peculiar unattractiveness of their promotion as an industrial concern. Staying at a country house from Saturday to Monday, I ha.l the opportunity of learning at first hand : something on the subject. Amongst the house party was a gentleman who arrived in a motor car, having driven over in twentyfive minutes from his own place seven miles ; distant. It was a roomy vehicle, built in waggonette fashion, capable of seating, 1 six : persons. In the morning we went out for an , hour’s spin, covering • over eighteen miles. , That is, of course, against the law. But as the driver and all- his passengers save one were members of Parliament, some h-; cense must be allowed. After being en- i gaged through six days of the week (includ- ; ing a Saturday sitting) in making the law, there is a temptation to break it on the seventh Occasionally, on a level, welll-made road, the car, put at its top speed, did a spin at the rate of twenty-five miles rn hour. Happily, no policemen were met, and no provision was made for piquant police court reports in the Monday evening,papers.What I was struck with in the conveyance was in the perfect command the driver had over its action; the ease with which it climbed hills; the steadiness with which, under brake-power, it descended them; the absence of smell; the smoothness of the motion; and the delight of careering along a highway at such a speed. This particular car cost £4OO, and its pleased owner is having one built at a cost of £BOO. He toll's me there are motor cars made for two to be Lad at a hundred guineas. Compared with the country requisite.of even a single horse and carriage that is a temptingly , moderate outlay. -|