THE Mount Ida Chronicle AND St. Bathans Weekly News. SATURDAY, APRIL 29 1882.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 656, 29 April 1882, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle AND St. Bathans Weekly News. SATURDAY, APRIL 29 1882.

Mr N. P. Hjorring notifies a cheap sale for a short period. An important sale of horses cattle, &c, takes place at Eweburn Statiou to-mor-row.

Notices on the dates on which the annual licensing meetings will be held appear in another column.

It is notified that a complimentary concert to Mr W. H. Ash, on the occasion of his leaving the district, and in consideration of his many services to public char.ties, will take place in the Town Hall, Naseby, on Thursday evening next. We understand that those crops in nearly every part of the district which were sown late have almost invariably turned out satisfactorily. In a few places the early crops are good, but in the majority cf cases the want of rain in the early portion of the year seriously affected them. At the R.M. Court, Naseby, on the 24th inst., before Mr Hjorring, J.P., a female inebriate was fined.—On the 26th James Meikle was charged by W. J. Plummer with having stolen a horse, the property of the latter. This case arose evidently through a misunderstanding. The further hearing was adjourned till May 2nd.

Me Foster has, we notice, nominated Sailor Boy for the Hunt Club and the Grand National Handicap at the Grand National Steeplechase Meeting at Christchurch, while Rocket is down among the entries for the Maiden Plate. For the first event there are seven entries ; for the second, ten ; and for the third, ten.

We understand that the Government proposes to entrust to the Maniototo County Council for expenditure the sum of £ISOO, to be expanded in the formation of tho road on Deep Dell run, through deferred payment block (8000 acres.) Tenders will probably be called for in a few weeks.

As the Rev. Mr Smith purposes attending the anniversary services of the Teviot Church on the 30th inst., he will not preach at Naseby on that date. His place will be filled by Mr Hutson, a student for the Ministry, who has been engaged for some time past in the district known as the Lauder.

Messes Langmaak and Mitchell, following the example of others of our townspeople, are busily engaged rebuilding their place of business. It will, when finished, present a handsome and lofty appearance. The fact that sO many of those who are established in Naseby in business have sufficient confidence in the town to go to the expense of rebuilding and improving their premises is assuring. :

The following tenders have been accepted by the Committee for supplies to the Disrrict Hospital:—Coal —M. Fennesßoy ; M'Creadie'e, 31s per ton ; Stewart's, 265. Bread—J. Dawson, 8s per doz. of 13 4lb loaves. Kerosene—J. Dawson, 19s 6d per cas'e. Drapery—N. P. Hjorring. Funerals—coffins and burial expanses, Langmaak and Mitchell, £5. Groceries—W. Jacob.

Messrs Green and Clark, the delegates for the Land Board, accompanied by the Chief and District Surveyors, examined the reserves in. the lower part of the County at the end of last week, for the purpose of classification. Sunday was passed in Naseby. On Monday the Commissioners visited the northern part of Maniototo and the southern part of Vincent, reaching Blacks that night. On Wednesday they returned to Naseby, and the same evening made another stage on their homeward journey. A correspondent informs us that Mr Darlington has returned to Serpentine, from Hindon, with the results of the trial crushing from the Golden Belt Claim, Serpentine. The trial has been very satisfactory, as the yield was lOoz sdwt from barely 9 tons of quartz, under very disadvantageous circumstances. This claim is one of those situated on the dividing range between the Serpentine and Long Valley, in which are included the Golden Link Try Again, Golden Belt, and Winter's and Hoffman's leases. The result of this trial should set at rest all croakings that the Serpentine district does not contain good payable reefs. As this party has the whole control of all the water in the Long Valley, there is no doubt this claim will make itself felt in future returns from this district.

The New Zealand Practical Agriculturist, written by " Conrad Hoos " which has been sent us by the publishers, Messrs Mills, Dick, and Company, is a book that is creditable to the Colony. The get-up of the work is plain, but neat, and well finished. The book will be very valuable to intelligent agriculturists. It abounds with facts and information of a most interesting discriptiou, and if some of the methods advocated by the writer do not meet with general approval the data he gives on nearly every branch of the subject will be of infinite service to its readers. It is abundantly plain that the writer cannot be charged with a want of industry in compiling his book. He claims to have gathered materials from no less than 26 different writers, commencing with Cato and ending with the recently-deceased model farmer Mr Mechi. The book is a valuable one, and should be read, by every agriculturist. The price is reasonable. A recent coach brought into Naseby a respected gentleman whom we have not seen for years. We refer to the Rev. E. Williams, who was the first resident Episcopal clergyman of the district.' It was hoped that the rev. gentleman would have remained over Sunday, and have officiated once more in St. George's Church. The regret is general that he cannot do so. We understand that he leaves this d:.y on a visit to Invercargill. We can assert, without fear of contradiction on any hand, that Mr Williams is one of the most forcible and eloquent preachers the interior of Otago has ever -seen. Mr Williams was very popular among all classes of the community, being, iu addition to his other good qualities, most indefatigable in visiting, and particularly attentive to the sick. His present visit to Naseby is a hasty one. We hope he will return before., his leave-of absence expires, and give church-goers the pleasure of again bearing his clear ringing'voice, to the sound of which they listened * with so much pleasure in past years.

It is stated by his own paper that Ifr Ballance will riot now coutest Stanmore. The Victoiian Government have accepted the tender of the Wesport Company for the supply of 50,000 tons of coal at 10s per ton. The Grampian stone selected for the new Parliament Houses at Melbourne has been found to. be quite unsuitable. It is stated that it can-be reduced to powder by merely rubbing it. Tuhek thousand Chinese have started from Hong Kong for the United States via Bntish Columbia. They hope to get into the States despite the attempt on the part of Oongiess to keep them out by prohibitory legislation.

The Catholic Bisbop of Montreal has served a notice to quit on all tenants of church property selling liquor. The Eev. W. P. Tanner, for twenty years incumbent of the Aeglicon Church of St. Peter's, Invcrcirgill, died there las'. Sunday week.

_ Genebal Me'ikoff has recommended that vigorous measures be taken for the supprrssion f Nihilism. It is believed that a suddeu swoop upon the Nihilists is imminent.

A texegbam from GKsborne states that i.t a meeting of the East Coast Native Land Company it wus reported that 47 0 '0 :icres of land had beau secured ou unjue.-iinn.ble title.

Owing to the wide-snread danger uppre bended from Nihi-ism, the Russian Gi-VL"n-ment have issued an order prohibiting the theatres of Moscow from being opened for performances.

The convict Arthur Orton, by consent of the prison authorities, is to visit the supposed Orton who was discovered in the Paramatta Lunatio Asylum, Sydney. It is alleged that he is the convict's brother.

To thope who follow racing, it will he interesting to know that " the Governor's " mare, Gitana, has at last won a race—the Trial Stakes at Timaru The Cup was won by the Envy Ally—the first of the Cassivo - launus breed that has proved valuab e. Waitees in restaurants should commit the following item to memovy :—"An ancient rich spinster lr»ed, not long ago, in Geneva. She was in the habit of making a yearly visit to Lucerne, and she always stayed at the 'Sweizerhoff.' One of the waiters at ihe hotel was always particularly attentive to her, not from anj sense of favors to comp, for the lady is too old to fall in love with him, and his expectations could not well extend beyond the handsome * trinkgeld ' which he always got—but from kindness of heart and a desire to please. A few weeks ago the old lady died, and the accommodating waiter has been notified that £SOOO was left to him in consideration of the zealous service he hud rendered the lady during her periodical visits at the Sweizerhoff."

One fine moonlight night a Kilmaronock farmer setting homeward from Bonhill, where he had sat too long and drank too deep, had reached the burn near his own house. Attempting to cross it by the stepping stones—to effect which in safety required a steadier head than John's was—he missed one stone and came down splash into the burn. Unable to raise himself beyond his bands and knees, he looked down into the clear water ia which the moon was reflected, while the water streamed from his hair. At last he began to shout to his wife, " Marget I Marget !" The good woman, hearing his cry, ran out, exclaiming "Oh, John, my John ! is that you 1" Whar are ye, John ?" " Whar ami?" he rejoined; " I dinna ken, but I see I'm faur abune the mune."—' Scotch Folk.'

There are some aldermen in New York who are of Hiberian origin, and about one of them, notoriously deficient in early education, a story has reached me regarding a recent utterance of his at a municipal meeting. It is too good not to be told. Mind you he is an Irish American, and he did not come from Belfast. The story runs thus:—A vote was sought to sanction the expenditure of 1,500 dollars for ten gondolas to be placed on the ornamental waters of the Central Park. The alderman objecled to the expense being so heavy for anything not necessary, but said to be chiefly ornamental, and wound up by saying—"Well, I think 1,500d0l too munh, but I vote for the purchase at 150dol of a pair of gondolas, a male and & female, and let the rest be left to nature!" Comment on such a delirious anecdote would be superfuous—New York correapondent of ' Belfast Weekly."

South America has of late been attracting -much attention in Otago as a field for enterprising settlement. This is scarcely to be wondered at if the following extracts from a letter by Mr James Colville, and published in an exchange, are any indication of the general condition of things in the favored region of New Mexico, whither the writer proeeded some months ago—" Myself and family are enjoying all the pleasures of the world in the beautiful far Wo t. . . . I have - settled down here and it was a good day for me when I left the Arrow. . . . This is going to be a fine country and San Vegas will be a great c:ty. There are ample resources in the 6hape of gold, silver, copper, iron, and oil, and it is the finest grazing country you ever saw. It is not fit for agriculture, being too dry. The climate is equel to any part of New Zealand and better. The business people are making money—no ' tick,' as there is with you. The Americans are a jolly lob of people; and the Indians and Mexicans are ill quiet now 5 in fact a man is just as safe lere as in the Arrow if ho minds his own jusines?, and does not want to qi arrel. . Buying land in the rising towns is a ine speculation, and a deal of money is made it it. . . . lam in the butchering busi-

ness again, and am doing well; killing 2( head of cattle, 35 sheep, 10 hogs, and 2 dee or antelope weekly, for this I got the monej as soon as it is sold. . . . People here k the restaurant line could make a fortune, at there is not half accommodation enough foi the people who com" —numbers of them having to stay in the railway cars. There are 8000 people here now, but we expect fully 20,000 by the spring."

The hostility between the late and present Czar commenced almost from the day Alexander 111. became Czarowitz, and had its principal origin in the unlucky Dolgorouki. When, after the death of the Czar's eldest son, Alexander became presumptive heir, and was married to the beautiful Princess Dagmar, the Dolgorouki was in the height of her power. After a thousand unreasonable requests she insisted that the Czar should bring his lovely daughter in-law to see her. The impossibility of it was made known to her, but she insisted that a stratagem should be used to accomplish her design. The madness of the Czar can hardly be estimated in agreeing to this preposterous proposal, but he invited the Princess Dagmar to a drive with him, He stopped with her at the Dolgorouki's house, and representing her as a lady of high rank and of ardent devotion to the royal family, the unsuspecting princess went in. So agreeable did she find her visit that it was said the Czar would have been glad to have curtailed it. As it was, they were absent nearly the whole day. When they returned the truth came out The indignation of the Czarowitz knew no bounds, the Empress was ill from shame and anger, and the King of Denmark sent a manly remonstrance to the indignity that had been offered his daughter. Prom that to the cud there was a coldness between father and son that increased as years went on, and indeed the Duchess of Edinburgh was the only one of his children with whom the late Czar was on affectionate terms. The day of the Princess Dagmar's entrance into St. Petersburg is still remembered. She rode in a magnificent open carriage with the Empress, who was tben a pretty aud interesting woman. The dazzling beauty of the Princess Dagmar, then thought to be superior to her sister's, the Princess of Wales, was the admiration of nobles and peasants. The Czar and the Czarowitz rode on eacli side of the carriage as a guard of honor, in gorgeous uniforms of white and silver. The popularity of the Princess Dagmar has always been great, partly owing to her many charms and partly to her devotion to the first Czarowitz, who was the darling of the Russian people and who died at Nice of consumption.

Labbikinism in Melbourne seems Xo be getting worse every day. It will neV«;«be put an end to until the lash i B put in Jf rce. as a punishment to the notorious y9jHl rascals that parade the streets and insultUß public.

The valuations in some road districts in Hawke's Bay being notoriously too low, the County Council decided to object to them but Judge Kenny ruled that the Council 1 ad no loam standi There will be an appeal made against this decision.

Mbs Renwick, who died some time ago on the Continent, left a sum of £2O 0 which is to be devoted to the purchase of a piece of land in Nelson, and the erection thereon of six two-roomed brick tenements the use of which is to be granted rent free to that number of deserving poor. In a recent issue of the "Australasian" there appears a letter showing the injury done to hides by overbranding, causing depreciation in their value ; one member of an English firm states " that the branding system of Australia decreased every hide tanned by at least 55." '1 he use of smaller brands is suggested.

The Shah of Persia fell violently in love with the Princess of Wales during his visit to EDgland some years ago, and about once a year mukes a tempting offer to the Prince for her. His last proposition was to give him two of his be&t wives, his mother and his grandmother in exchange for Alexandra, but Wales still declined.

L 2f D Carluigford, the Lord Privy Seal in the English Government, has been invested as a Kmght of St Patrick. Speaking at a banquet given in his honor at Dublin lie said that the Government had resolved to do their best not to lose heart in the present struggle in Ireland, despite the difficulties raised against the maintenance of law and order.

Iwo Highlanders were conversing on tlm recently issued revised version of the New lestament, and more particularly a»-out the change at the end of the Lord's Prayer, where the words "deliver us from evil" have been changed into "deliver us from the evil one." "Ay, ay," one of them remarked, " that will be a great luft (lift) to

• Ihe Customs officers, Melbourne, have finished overhauling the cargo of Chinese goods brought by the ship Meath, the invoices of which were discovered to be falsified almost throughout, The officers found the following contraband goods amongst the cargo :—140,000 cigars, 250,000 cigarettes, 920 gallons spirit, 2A tons tobacco.

The Dunedin " Star " makes the suggestion that special trains at cheap fares for the working classes should be laid on to the Chnstchurch Exhibition ; and that in order to secure that such trains should not be taken advantage of by persons able to pay ordinary excursion fares, tickets should be issued by such a body as the Dunedin Trade and Labor Council.

The 'Auckland Star' says :—" A gentleman who recently had occasion to visit Manukau Heads informs us that an old bushman in that prime\al wilderness is iu possession of the secret of making a most wonderful hairdye from the tender shoots of a plant indigenous to the colony. The head of the person to be operated on is shaved, and the mixture is rubbed in. The next crop of hair is a permanent black,' no matter what may have been its former shade."

At the Grosvenor Gallery I observed a young man with unmistakeable rouge on his cieeks. lam told that the fashion of making up the complexion is by no means unknown among our gilded youth. While young women imitate men in the masculinity of their attire, empty-headed young men perhaps deem it advisable to endeavor to maintain the true balance of things by making 1 heir faces resemble those of girls. It is a noble and knightly enterprise, chivalric and worthy of all praise !—' Truth.' British India according to the recent census, has a population of 252,541,210. This ia the first complete census ever taken ' and the result shows 15,000,000 more people than the usual estimate allowed. Theie are 10,427 males to every 10.000 females The area of the provinces j directly under British administration and of the native Feudatory States is 1,472,854 square miles The population, therefore, is 171 to the square mile.

The inhabitants of tho Shetland Islands must be a law-abiding people, as the total police force in the islands consists of two constables, who respectively hold the titles of county superintendent and burgh superintendent, while in addition to his police duties the latter gentleman also as burgh fiscal, burgh officer, ind officer to the burgh and landward school board. By tho last ™ tl , lO P°P ulat i°n of the islands was 29,464, thus giving each policeman charge of nearly 15,000 people. The country is tli e only one in Scotland that is not under the County^Police Act.

The following statistical extraot, which is taken from the ' British Medical Monthly' will show what the pipe does for the boys : —"A medical man, struck with the largo number of boys under fifteen years of age he observed smoking, was led to inquire into the effect the habit had upon the general health. He took for his purpose 38 aged from 9 to 15, and carefully examined them. In 27 he discovered injurious traces of the habit. In 22 there were various disorders of the circulation and digestion, palpitation of the heart, and more or less taste for strong drink. In twelve there were frequent bleedings of the nose, ten had disturbed sleep, and twelve had slight ulceration of the muscous membrane of the mouth, which disappeared on ceasing the use of tobacco for some days. The doctor treated them all for weakness, but with little effect until the smoking was discontinued, when health and strength were soon restored."

A Rookhampton man, Mr Beardmoro. of Tooloomba, has interviewed Prank Gardiner the notorious ex-bushranger, in San FranCisco, and describes him as "respectablelooking man, though rather grog-blos-somed. Gardiner told his visitor that he was very hard up, and that through giving too much credit he had lost his saloon? and had been living out of doors for six months sleeping on wharves, etc., or anywhere be could hnd shelter for the night. Ho 'also said he would rather be back in New South Wales, living on damper and mutton, than in the height of luxury in California. He further stated that, when taken prisoner in the Abercombie Mountains, about 186° lie bought himself off from one of his ca'ptora for the sum of £SO 10s, and that in addition paid the same person £3OO to say littlo about him when on his trial. Thus vanishes the false-glory of the bushranger. The wiry, black-haired, sallow man—once the patron samt of every flash native horse-thief-has from sticking-up escorts descended to sleeping in wharf-boilers in a foreipi land Gardiner's father once kept a Johnny-all-sorts" shop in Kent street, Sydney Mrs Brown, the woman with whom the bushranger lived at the time of his capture, shot herself some years ago in Now Zealand. Prom all accounts, Gardiner has for a long while had very hard times. Several Sydney men who have met him in San I'ranoisco concur in describing him as utterly broken down, crippled by rheumatism, and as sitting behind the bar of his little drink- 1 jug den, which bore the sign of "TlieTi|LJ

ON" her last trip from this colony to Sydney,, the Wakatipu took 60,0001bs of Zealand butter, most of it from and Christchurch. eays the Melbourne Mail,' ascribed his ruin to his fortune in drawing a prize of £240 in Miller's sweep Intoxicated with his success, he netrlected his business for the turf, with the inevitable result—insolvency. According to the "Rev. Dr Rosehy there arenow spots on the sun of such enormous size that they may be seen without the aid of a telescope. The eye must, however, be protected by a piece of smoked glass, The spectacle will only be on view for a few days,, it Is supposed.

Thb majority of members <>f the Wanganni Highway Poartf "boycotted " a colleague recently by passing a resolution appointing a committee consisting of "every of the Board, except the objectionable one, to transact all the ordinary business of the Board. The Christchurch Freethinkers have forwarded to Mr Bra'llangh a resolution expressing " their admiration of ability, courage, and perseverance displaved bv him " in his struggle on behalf of the rights of the constituencies, and thanking the electors of Northampton for again re-eleoting him. Mr Jame3 Nicol Fleming, who has been In prison for some days, charge! with being concerned in the transactions which brought about the fall of the City of Glasgow Bank, was liberated on bail, on February 3rd., the amount being £6OO, the highest which the Court could exact. The case of Roderick M'Lean," the wouldbe assassin of the Queen, was again brought

before the Special Commission sitting at Reading. After full enquiry the prisoner -was found not guilty of the charge of treason, on the ground that he was in an insane condition when he committed the act. M'Lean will consequently be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure. Once upon a time a womin died, and as

the mourners were carrying her to the grave they tripped against a stump and let the coffin fall. She revived, having only been in a deep trance. Two yeais after she really died, and as they were carrying her down the same road, and neared the same stump, the disconsolate widower sobbed, ' Steady boys, there. ■Be very, ve-ry careful."

.. A YOtns'G- lady was married in Louisville tbe other day, and a newspaper account of the event was headed. "Mated in May." The 'New York Graphic' supposes that "Joined in June" and "Attached in vi Augast" will be the fate of those who come ; latetjii the season. Likewise some will be - "Spliced in September" '"Orange-flowered, in October." "Nuptialised in November," "■and "Doubled in December."

article in support of a proposal to'tnrn"~Dartmoor to profitable account by turning out rabbita thereon, pointing out -Ihat the recent Ground Game laws have so "thinned the numbers of "bunny" that his ■market value has been considerably enhanced This reads curiously enough in New Zealand, ■where any number of leading articles have been written dilating upon the. evils of the ■rabbit, pest, and the necessity of strong measures for its extinction.

A New Plymouth bankrupt was recently ■"awfullysold." Antonio Domingo filed a declaration of insolvency, and as Mr Rennel, ■clerk of the District Court, quite accidentally dropped into the Bank of New Zealand* to transact a little private business he found the insolrent quietly drawing., a cheque for £22. Just one glimpse was enough, and be interposed with the words "This gentleman is an insolvent debtor. I am, in my official position, his trustee, and therefore all bis property for the time vests in me. I therefore object to the withdrawal of any money by him." The Bank officials acquiescedj and Antonio departed sadly crestfallen. There has been a great rumpus in London over the proposal to dispose of the elephant Jumbo, and the Fellows of the Zoological Society have applied for an injunction in Chancery to restrain the Coun•cil. of the Society from selling him to .Barnum, but the application was refused. Jumbo, however, will not go into the moveable box prepared to take him from the Zoological Garden, and it will be necessary "to draw him into it by chains, but the chances are problematical, considering the "brute's immense size and strength. The Council plead that Jumbo is dangerous and uncontrollable, and, if kept, must shortly be killed.

>'Archibald Forbes, the famous war correspondent, and W. E. Sheriden, an American tragedian of repnte, will be passengers by the incoming 'Frisco mail steamer. It is however, probable that Forbes will make a short stay at Honolulu and come on by next steamer. The much-travelled Smythe, Ihis agent, returned by the Cuzco, and says that Forbes will coo-mehce his colonial tour in Sydney or Melbourne, according -to which has tbe best hall available on his arrival. His first lecture will be on " Royal Teople I have Met," or "The Sword and the "Pen." Forbes proposes to give five lectures in each of the principal towns of Australia and New Zealand.

The following general order has been is-. isued to the members of the police force of "New South Wales. Similar instructions to New Zealand constables are not altogether unnecessary : —" Having in view the serious consequences to the holders of publicans' licenses, should they be convicted of offences under the. new statute, it will be desirable to impress upon the police generally the necessity for exercising extreme discretion in -proceeding in such cases. They should be -well assured, not only that an offence has been committed, but also that there is clear and sufficient evidence to support" a prosecution. Further, the members of the police force, authorised generally no specially to enter licensed honses, should not exercise that right capriciously, or without being clearly satisfied that the law is being vio3ated, and that it is' their duty to act." The Teport of the Ballarat School of

Mines for 1881 shows the expenditure for the year to have been L 3 512, or L4OB in excess of the receipts. It is stated that during the past and previous year a total sum of L 1498 (bad been absorbed in buildings, repairs, machinery and museum. The lecture-room which has been erected is capable of acommodating from 200 to 300 persons. The Government give an annual grant of £2OOO to aid the usefulness of the school. There is a total of 352 individual students attending the different classes carried on, the greater number attending the telegraph classes, the next best-attended classes being chemistry, followed by mechanical engineering, mathematics, oil-painting, etc. y' A CART-horse performed a very extraordinary feat at Nantwieha few days ago. Near -the railway station there is a level crossing -protected by very strong wooden gates six feet high. A carriage drawn by two horses, containing ladies, was driving fust to catch . the train, and on passing an empty coal-cart, the horse draw ng it took fright, or was not satisfied to be left behind. He started off at full speed, - approached the railway gates, which were closed for the approaching train and took a flying leap, cleared the gate 9 without injury, and landed at the other side with the cart, weighing 11 cwt., at his tail. The horse was uninjured, and at work the fol- » lowing day. Fortunately the signal box is lust at hand, and the road level, bo that the signalman conld stop the approaching train, «rhich was near.-