LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XVI, Issue 136, 13 June 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Post AND Telegbaph Ojfice. — The combined public office of the amalgamated Post and Telegraph Department waa opened this morning. Blenheim School Committee. —The meeting of the Committee originally intended to be held this evening, ii postponed till Wednesday evening next. Police. — Inspector Ateheson, Inspector m Charge of the Nelson and Marlborough Police, is at present m town on an official visit. The Eclipse.— The Eclipse of the moon of which we gave due notice on Thursday last vras watched by a great number of persons m all parts of the town. The first contact of the earth's shadow took place at abnnt twenty minutes to five o'clock, just as dusk set m. The total eclipse began at a quarter to Bix and lasted for an hour and a half and by 8 o'clock Luna was herself again. The Eclipse was one of the finest we have witnessed. The Comet on the Western Horizon was also clearly visible up to the commenceof the total phase, when it began to pale and ultimately disaappeared flom view. Supreme Court. — The Winter Session of the Supreme Court; will commence at 10 o'clock to-morrow morning. The presiding Judge will be Mr Justice Richmond. The several cases for trial are set down m the following order :— Anthony Nichohon, bestiality on January 4th ; Bawiri Kepn, and Mary Ropoama, manslaughter on April 25th, at the Waikawa Pah ; George Richard Okey, stealing from a railway station on June 2nd last. The ci\il business will be the case of the Corporation v. Sinclair, which it has been arranged to take on Wednesday. The appeal m the matter of H. P. My"^ 1 '" t. Education Board will be heard m banco.

Bankkuptct.— A meeting of the creditors m the estate of James Main and Fra/k RciKkruge will be held on Saturday, the 25th\ instant, to consider the debtors' application for their discharge. Football.— ln consequence of the lieavy rain that lasted all day Saturday, the Football Match Blenheim v. Awatere did not take place. The members of both teams met at dinner m tue evening at Casey's Hotel, where an excellent dinner was served by Mr Priddle. We understand that a fresh challenge has been issued by the Awatere men to play hi Blenheim on July 2nd, and that the United Club will meet this evening to consider it. Picton Coaii.— The prospectus of the Picton and Shakespeare Bay Coal Mining Company Limited, has been issued. The Company is formed to work the coal deposits on the Peninsula dividing Shakespeare Bay from Picton Harbour. The proposed capital of the Company is £25,000, m as many shares of £1 eaoh, 2s on application, 2s on allotment, and the balance m calls not exceeding Is per month, The provisional directors are Messrs Conolly, Galloway, Blizzard, Pugh, GreensiU, Card ; O. Fraser, and W. Syms. Fodl Chimney.— The fire bell rang out at a little after four o'clock on Saturday afternoon and though considerable public alarm was created, its cause was nothing more serious than a olsimney at Penney's Hotel -which bad taken fire. Whether it is advisable to perform on the fire bell every a chimney gets aligbt is a matter of time opinion, but ne cannot help thinking that m this instance it was quite unnecessary. Blenheim School Committee.— The Blenheim School Committee meet this evening to cousider the recommendations they shall make to the Board ooncerning the appointment ot a Head Master, Head Mistress and assistant Master to the Schools. Church of thb Nativity Sunday School. — The annual entertainment m connection with the Sunday school of the Church of the Nativity, will take place as already announced m Ewarb's Hall's on Wednesday next. The programme will include the usual children's sale of work, vocal and instrumental music, Christmas tree, &o. A novelty m the form of a bran pie has been introduced, and will, we feel assured, prove one of the most attractive features of the day. The hall will be open iii the afternoon for sale of work from 2-30 to 4*30. The doors will open at 6.30 m the evening, the entertainment commencing at 7 o'clock. Astonishing.— Just fancy !(the"Gundagai Times " says) thirty head of well-conditioned cattle offered m exchange for tbirty good laying hens. This is a fact, owing to the want of grass on the northern border of the Gundagai district. A New Invention.— A watchmaker at Copenhagen, by the name of Sonderberg, is reported to have made a watch which requires no winding np, inasmuch as it performs the work itself by means of an elee'rio current. Aq electric magnet fixed inside the watch keeps the spring continually m a state, of tension. All that is required to keep the watch going is to preserve the hattery m perfect working oider, for which purpose one or two inspections m a twelvemonth are said to be sufficient. Paradise — A. Dundee paper has been "requested by Mr Edward Jenkins to contradict the rumour that he has any inteuiion of going to Canada to edit a newspaper there. Mr Jenkins says it was never suggested or thougbi; of, and that he would prefer Botany Bay to editing a Canadian or any other newspaper." * Captobed by Brigands.— A telegram man American paper, referring to the capture of Mr Suter by brigands, says:—" The retreat of the brigands who captured Suter, the English man, demanding m ransom for him, was cut off on the land side by Turkish troops and by sea by gun-boats. The Turkish gnn-boats recently chased a barque which was believed to be manned by the brigands, and having vainly summoned them several times to stop, sank her. It is feared that Suter was on board the barque. A Flood of Immiokants.— The arrivals at Castle Garden, New York, during April were 60,000, about 1400 m excess of the immigration during April last year, and upwards of 4000 m excess of that of May last year, when 55,083 were recorded. This is the heaviest monthly immigration m the history of the port. From Jan. 1, 1881, to May 2, the total was about 105,000, being about 25,000 more than was reported during the first four months of 1880, The cteamsbip companies say they are advised by their agents m Europe that the exedug from there will be even greater m the coming month from all North-German and Scandinavian ports, and arrangements to put on extra vessels to provide the needed accommodations, have been made accordingly. Markets for Corn.— The following is an extract from a letter from a resident m Adelaide, who is dealing largely m corn for the Home market :—" I wonder you New Zealand farmers send your wheat always to London. It is the cheapest market m England, and the expences are greater. If three or four farmers clubbed together and chartered a ship for Cork or Falmouth. or any safe port m the United Kingdom or Continent between Bordeaux and Hamburg, you pet the chance of the best market m the world, and the little extra freight you pay 's as nothing compared with the price you get. Take a case m point. We had a cargo arrived the ether day for orders. It was sold at 493 6d per quarter of 4801bs. The value of wheat m London at thot time was SOs per 4061b5. We made quite 3d per bushel extra by having the oargo for orders." Severe. — After peaoe was concluded with the Boers ; each of the English Cabinet Minis, ters received a card from some unknown source, bearing the following words : — " Sacred to the memory of Honor, John Bull's wife. She suffered greatly m India, and died at the Cape. Her end was Peace." The Census.— The population of the oolony is as follows:— Auckland 91,169, Taranaki, 14,639 ; Wellington, 61,049 ; Napier, 17,0v!7i Marlborougb, 9,273; Nelson, 26,177 Westland, 14,756; Canterbury, 1] 1,430; Ofcago, 134,401. Wqn't Hit.— Mammi : " Why, my dear Willie, what m the world is the matter with I ittle Oscar's head f" Willie j " Well, we're playing ' William Tell,' an' somehow my arrow won't hit the apple, but keep's pluggin' his eyes an' nose."