LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 244, 15 October 1903, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Labor. —Tenders are required for raising the Pukaka bank.

Tennis Club.—The annual meeting of the Renwick Lawn Tennis Club is to be held on Monday evening next.

Meteorological. — Captain Edwin wired as follows: — " Gale from between west and south-west and south, glass rise, tides good, probably rain."

Agricultural Machinery.—Messrs W. E. Clouston & Co., the local agents for the Massey Harris Company, have an announcement in this issue of interest to those who use agricultural machinery.

Clairvoyant.—Mr W. H. Bryant, clairvoyant, has removed to a new shop in Market Street South, where he may be consulted daily during the hours notified in our advertising columns.

Entertainment.—The Montgomery Entertainers appear at Victoria Hall tomorrow evening. The Bulletin speaks of the performance as being •'one of the best night's amusement given in Sydney."

Probate. —The will of the late Mrs Mary Twidle, of Pelorus Valley, was this morning proved in the Supreme Court in Chambers before Mr T. ScottSmith, Registrar, acting in the absence of a Judge, and probate granted to William Twidie, William Couper, and Ada Twidle the executors and executrix named in the will.

The Canterbury Show.—Mr A. Bell, manager of Green Hills, is to be one of the judges of sheep (Corriedales and half-breds) at the Canterbury Metropolitan Show, Mr T. Chapman, Mt. Palm, is one of the judges of fine combing Merinos; and likewise Mr C. Gouiter (Blenheim) and Mr F. M. Foster (Seddon), in the English Leicester and Lincoln classes respectively. Mr W. L. Clifford (Flaxbourne) is a judge of hackneys and hunters. The Show takes place on the 11th, 12th, and 13th of next month.

Rifle Shooting.—The following will represent the Tua Marina Rifle Club in the Shield match on Saturday at Vernon: — Cresswell, McKenzie, Cuthbertson, Law, F. , Soper, Hall, Smith, J. Neal, Eccles, Millard; emergency, Botham. The junior team firing at Tua Marina will be:— Robinson, Middlemiss, Gifford, Drake, A. Soper, C. Neal, Hastilow, Wilkins, Davies, Powick; emergencies, McNab, York.

Awatere Road Board. —A meeting of this Board was held at Seddon on Tuesday last, all the members being present. The Town Clerk, Blenheim, wrote advising the Board that the conference of local bodies with the Traction Engine Owners' Union would be held at the Council Chambers on Wednesday the 21st inst, and asking that representatives be appointed. It was resolved to reply that all the mem* bers would attend. The Secretary was instructed to draw the attention of the Railway Department to the encroachment of the river on the northern side of the Awatere bridge. Tae question of making by-laws to regulate the width of tyres and heavy loads over all the roads in the Board's district came up for discussion ; eventually the Chairman and Messrs Meehan, Armstrong and Dollar were appointed a sub committee to obtain all information and report at the next meeting. An account from the Omaka Board for building bridges at Riverlands was handed to the Board's solicitor to deal with. After passing accounts the Board adjourned.

A Tohunga's Practice and Procedure. — When Matene Kaipau was being tried at Gisborne last week for killiog Heta Te Kani, the evidence for the prosecution showed that though cold water had been the staple item in the tohanga's treatment of his patient, there was a mild suggestion of distant warmth in the prescription. Te Eani was directed to face the rising sun when the cold water cure was being tried on him. He objected that he did not think cold water would do him any good, as he had not used it for over ten years. Matene assured his patient that he had a bird (a tui) in his throat, which obstructed his breathing, and he applied boiled herbs to drive away the impediment. In doctoring his patient the tohunga declared that he was showing affection for him, but Te Kani was held under the witchcraft of one called Eria, and every part of him was affected by this witchcraft. For this reason he had sent a messenger to Eria to come and relieve him. As Eria would not come, he had to apply to another god, Toiaroa, to remove the incantations of Eria from Te Eani.

* A Brutal Fight.—-A San Francisco despatch of August 15th says: — Ten thousand persons, representing the flower of Californian aristocracy, the best people of the sporting element, and the leading lights of the criminal classes in this country, saw James J. Jeffries, the champion American pugilist, beat James J. Corbett in ten rounds at the Yosemite Club last night. It was a punishing and cruel encounter, and that saeh an exhibition should have been allowed does little credit to San Francisco. But the spectators who had paid an average of £1 a head for their seats yelled lustily every time anything particularly brutal happened. It is likely that as a result of this exhibition a stringent law will be introduced prohibiting such encounters in the future. j Ditorce in Kansas.—Kansas ha/"a knotty point to unravel in its divorce law just now. The law provides that a divorce shall not become final until six months after the decree has been granted. At Emporia, two months ago, a woman was given a divorce from her husband. Recently she noticed that he was very much in the society of another woman, taking her to church and buying her peanuts and popcorn. She now says she is going into court to have a ruling on the question whether the man has a right to "keep company " with another woman before his decree is made absolute. Tbe case is as deep as another which arose under somewhat similar circumstances. A woman was divorced from her husband. Before the six months had gone by he was elected to the office of district judge. Thereupon his divorced wife had her visiting-^ards printed with the title announcing herself as " Mrs Judge Blank." Society in the district broke all to pieces over the question whether she had the right to do it. !

Arrived Today!— Another shipment of beautiful Lace and Chiffon Pelerines, at 3/0, 4/6, and 4/11 j usual prices 8/11 and 10/o.—B. Allan, draper.

The Czar as a Farm Laborer.— The latest Royal personage to join the list of those who have found that the sweat of one's brow is not a very terrible thing when one does not have to earn one's bread by it is the Czar of Russia, who thus shows himself a worthy descendant of Peter the shipwright The occupation which Nicholas 11. has chosen is that of a farm laborer. He has long taken an interest in the theoretical side of agriculture, and is now finding relaxation from the cares of State in the practical side. Two photographs have lately been published, one of which shows a gronp, consisting of himself, M. Witte, M. Yermoloff (Minister of Agriculture), and an engineer, the last of whom is giving the Czar the final instructions with regard to the management of a newly-invented plough. The other photograph shows the Autocrat of all the Russias gaiding the plough &s it turns up the furrows.

Arrived Today!—A stock of our noted rich black Roman Satin, at 1/the yard; worth 1/11.— R. Allan.

An English Record in Harvesting. —A smart piece of harvest work has just been performed, says a London paper, at Thurlby, near Bourne, Lincolnshire. A field of nine acres of wheat having been cut with a selfbinder, the horses were taken out and fetched a threshing-machine into the field. The corn was threshed next morning, a sample sent to that day's market at Peterborough, a sale effected, and the same night the wheat was put on rail and despatched to its destination. This is regarded as a record feat in harvesting, the corn growing in the field one day and being on the rail the nest.

Collarettes! Collarettes I Laco Collarettes in great variety, 1/-, 1/6,1/11; worth double—R. Allan, draper.