Mt. Ida Chronicle AND ST. BATHANS WEEKLY NEWS. NASEBY, SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1890.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XXI, Issue 1063, 19 April 1890, Page 2

Mt. Ida Chronicle AND ST. BATHANS WEEKLY NEWS. NASEBY, SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1890.

Mb. H. G. Murray has heen appointed schoolmaster at Nenthorn.

Typhoid fever is prevalent in Dunedin, and is thought to be due to the milk supply.

The influenza epidemic has spread all over India. The bulk of the troops are prostrated with it.

Farmers and others are reminded of the ram and ewe fair, which is to be held at Naseby on Wednesday, 23rd inst. A native cashier of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China lias made lar»e defalcations, and the directors of the bank have placed £50,000 to the credit of the contingent fund to provide for the losses.

The choir and orchestra in connection with the Dunedin Exhibition made their last appearance on Saturday, when the concert hall was crowded in every part. On Saturday evening the Exhibition will be officially closed.

There is great excitement consequent upon the find of gold at Perth (W.A)., which is said to be the richest made in the colony. A thousand ounces of coarse gold and nuggets have been found at Ashburton, the scene of the fiud.

The " Musical Monthly " for April is to hand. A full report is given of the decision of the judges as regards 13 out of the 16 bands in connection with the recent contest at Dunedin, and it also contains other matter of much interest to musicians.

We have received a copy of the " Australian Mining Standard," a weekly journal published in Sydney. It is well printed, and contains a great deal of information useful to those interested in. mining. The subscription is 22s per annum.

Mr. Dawson (of Speight and Co.) exmayor of Dunedin, was in Naseby at the beginning of the week, aud announced to Mr. H. Wilson, the secretary of the N.Z. Curling Province, his intention of giving this season for competition among the various clubs in the district a trophy of the value of £5 ss.

In our report of the autumn show of the Mt. Ida Horticultural Society, we referred to a beautiful collection of dahlias which were grown by Mr. West, of Dunedin. We have been requested to state that the exhibitor of the collection was M r. Harry Davis, gardener, of this town, who is prepared to receive orders for plants. We have to acknowledge receipt of the April number of " Zealandia," which 3ontains several capital articles. The serial tale, "The' Mark of Cain," continues extremely interesting, and an article entitled "The Higher Purpose and Meaning of Physical Education " is well worth reading. "Scenes in the Southern Alps" is also an interesting article. Footballers in Maniototo will be interested to learn that Mr. R. Donaldson (who last season so ably captained the Naseby Prospectors) is one of the leading players in the Star Club (Invercargill). The " Weekly Times," in reporting a match between the Star and the Alhambra (Dunediu), says "Donaldson was certainly the mainstay of his team, his kicking and running being most serviceable to his side."

I The "Dunstan Times" referring to the i fact that Mr. Warden Wood has been 1 granted six months leave of absence, and that he purposes taking a trip home for the bcuefitof his health, says :—" Whether the present arrangement of Mr. Dalgliesh, R.M. and Warden, doing the combined work of the two districts is to continue during the whole time, we have not learned ; but if such is the intention of Ministers we should suggest the matter be reconsidered, as to ask any one man to dc the work for so long a stretch is neither fair to the man nor just to the districts concerned. Mr. Dalgliesh is doubtless a man capable of undergoing a lot of fatigue, mentally and bodily, but day in and day out for weeks and months continuously, either driving over our up-country roads or sitting on the Bench, is, we say, beyond any man's power of endurance, even if he were ma le for the special occasion."

«, m Ma r?n; 8 of Salisbury is anxious for the Marquis of Lorue to succeed Lord Harrington as Governor of New South

Messes A. a Campbell and R. Hosie Played off on Wednesday for the tennis tournament the former, winning very easily. Mr Campbell .has now to meet Mr. Clements, and this match will decide the tournament. u^ IGGI f S; ' th X -=«« ant,. ascended in a balloon from Croydon, Surrey, with the in entaon of descending by meaus of a parachute In the ascent, however, he lost his P d S e ' and the balloon with'its occupant dsappeared a,mong fche clouds. Hi-gins subsequently landed safely at Tunbridge!

Lawyeks' bills of costs have always been the subject of much ridicule and bitter pleasantry. None of the bills told of in truth or Z% eT ' i uite ec l ual one which has says the "New Zealand Times") recently been occupying the individual attention of the rec lpi ent and various Supreme Court registrars This particular account was rendered to certain natives, and the amount ™ilr a 8« 600 °- The exacfc language used by the natives when they received this bill has not been preserved for historic reference, but there is reason to believe that it was expressive and free. Subsequent invesications by registrars led to 1 sum of £4600 being knocked off, and the amount of the bill as it now stands (subject to further reduction) is £I4OO.

G\\ Saturday afternoon the return footba 1 K^Ti? We ,T , v - Non-volunteers will ™ XI 1 ■ i° lOCk Shar P- The last match resulted in a draw, so that a close game may wni^ 1015^"1 - The Volunteers 3 (Color? will be represented by :-Buchanan (2) Marshall, Alf. King, Fraser, Sneeston Srbv F 6 ' R? 0 -"' i M ' Gre g° r Dixon, A S^;/"^ R M'Lean and Stewart. The Non-volunteers (Blues) will Sh ,° f rf ?° nal ;?' Deehan Church Marslm, S. Inder, C. Inder, J. Bradley Fennessy, Thomas, Francis, Geddes, S ton, Ferguson, Ladd and Watt. The Naseby players have invited the St. Bathans The battle of the football grounds was Hit - he ani S 2al meetin S & the OtIJo £&/ Uni ° n ° n Saturday night, and ended Amatenr U r? lete * s ° omfiture of the Duuedin Amateur Ground Company, the owners of ground, who had attempted to acquire a monopoly by leasing the Cale mated n ?** ? loc ™*™& ™e aniT>r Pn, Jf? meCfclng fastin « tiU midnight. Dr. Coughtrey was re-elected President, Mr. -J. ±l. Chapman Hon. Treasurer, and Mr. wh P e ?° n - S ! cr o etar y- Mr. Rose, Secretary nrovtp? nl ° lmd . P om P an y> and an provincial captain, appealed to the delegates fh P fnnf "? a but he was at u a . °L£ e P oU > aud in a letter in IK? S a Hta lf SayS that he asce Pts the verdict and wiU not again seek office at the hands of the O.R.F.U. The Union matches wiH now be played this season ou the Caledonian ground.-The Naseby Prospectors Club was admitted into the Union. _ The Maniototo' Flour-mill Company obtained secondlplace for Tuscan wheat at the special show of agricultural produce at the Exhibition on Tuesday. The show, which was postponed from last week on account of all the exhibits that had been entered not having come forward, was disappoiutins in one respect, the number of entries bein" considerably smaller than had been antic? pated. The quality of the produce was, however, in most instances, excellent. In allxlasses it was remarked that it was owing doubtless to the dry summer in better condition than that of last season. Many samples of the old crop—samples that had been previously judged—were forwarded for competition on the present occasion, but the jurors were strongly of opinion that this show was intended to be one of the new season's produce, and they consequently put aside these exhibits without judging them The agricultural seeds, also, were not judged' the reason, in their case, being that two of three jurors felt that they were incompetent to pass a judgment upon that description of exhibits. These will be judged at as early a date as possible—as soon as the complement of jurors is made up.

The Bairnsfather Family appeared at the Town Hall, Naseby, on Monday evening Coming with such a high reputation, it was only to be expected that there would be a large attendance, and this proved to be the case. The Family consists of only four performers, but what they may lack in number is made up in ability. The entertainment 18 a thoroughly characteristic one, and among the audience were many who had come considerable distances and were ea«er to avail themselves of the opportunity thus presented of hearing the grand old Scottish songs sung in their mither tongue by vocalists of such acknowledged ability as the Bairusfathers. Although perhaps specially appreciated by the natives of " Caledonia, stern and wild, ' the entertainment is one that cannot fail to please any lover of music no matter what his nationality may be. From the opening selection to the concluding number every item was capitally rendered, and in nearly every instance an encore was demanded, and in most cases responded to It is well worth the price of admission to hear Mr. Bairnsfather alone. He is a born humorist, and possesses an apparently iuexbaustible fund of Scottish anecdotes and jokes, while his posturing and facial expression are in themselves sufficient to keep the audience in roars of laughter. Mr. Bairnsfather is also the possessor of an admirable voice, and the style in which he san« the stirring patriotic song '< Scots Wha Ha'e" drew forth continued applause. "He's a Cronio o' " Mine," " Get up and Bar '' the Door," and "A Man's a Man for a' that" were also splendidly sun". Mrs. Bairnsfather, who is a fiuished"vocalistj has a remarkablysweet and powerful soprano voice, her high notes being brought out clear as a bell, and in many of her song 3 she went straight to the hearts of her audience. She gave a fine interpretation of some of the grandest of the old Scotch songs, including " I'll lo'e nae a Laddie but Ane," Prince Charlie," " Mary of Argyle," and " Whistle aud I'll come tae ye, my Lad," the lastnamed, with "Doon the Burn, Davie" (which was sung by special request), bein<* perhaps the beat rendered of all. MrsT Bairnsfather, like her husband, possesses considerable histrionic ability, and the duet " The Crookit Bawbee" was admirably sung. Miss Maggie Bairnsfaiher is a very good pianist, and a couple of characteristic arrangements of Scotch airs, played as solos, were very well cxeauted. This young lady also succeeded in playing correctly u selection through a plaid which completely concealed the key-board. Miss Bairnsfather Cossesses a sweet though not powerful voice, ut it is as a danseuse that she most distinguishes herself, her dancing of the Highlaud fiing with her brother being a very pretty a id clever performance. Master Bairnsfather also sang several songs. The entertainment, which was thoroughly successful, and free from the slightest trace of vulgarity iu speech or muun.Gr, was brought to a close by the singing of " Aiild Lang Syne," the audience joining in the chorus" —On Tuesday evening the attendance was even better than on the preceding ni"ht and an almost complete change of programme was submitted. " Auld Robin Cray," "Annie Laurie," "Jock o' Hazeldean," "John Grumbly," " When ye gang | nwa', Jamie," aud many other favorites were sung, but the gem of the evening -was " Robin Adair," which was sung by Mrs. Biirnsfather with exquisite expression.

Sib Chaeles Eussell has received the Jargest sum ever earned at the English bar m one week. He had a retainer of 1000 guineas in the Eustom case ; he was the I leading counsel in Herbert Gladstone s action against Malleson ; and he was eugaged during the remainder of the week in _ the blackmailing" case. His total earn?ff™ 'J are estimated at between ±4OOO and £SOOO.

_ Me.-Warden Wood has so far recovered •MWnf 1-^ en - fc "^ ggy accid ent (says the Mataura Ensign ) *at he is able to take exercise at appropriate times in the various spots in Dunediu so charmingly and rusti-cally-situated. So seriously has his health been affected that he intends to take a trip to the Old Country, but not until he'has paid a visit to Waikaia, whose associations will always be familiar to him.

. Some sensation has now been caused at ban Francisco by a tragedy which has taken place in the domestic circle of Judge Clark, of California. His two sons had a bitter quarrel on family matters, and during the altercation one lifted a chair to attack his brother. The latter instantly drew his revolver and shot his brother dead on the spot. At the inquest the coroner's jury held that the shooting was justifiable, and directed that the survivor of the fray should be released from custody.

Sensational prices were realised at the sale of Mr J. White's horses at Sydney last -Briaay. Titan was the second animal put up. Mr. Kelso opened at two thousand guineas, and hundred guinea bids carried the price quickly to three thousand, and then, amid breathless excitement, four thousand was reached. Messrs Lloyd and Brodribb were the principal bidders, and the a-eldinc was eventually knocked down to the = latter, amid tremedous applause, for 4600gs.—the highest price ever given for a racehorse in Australia. All the other horses offered also brought very high prices. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) have received the following telegram from their London office dated 10th inst. :—" The sales opened this day at an average decline of 5 per cent on last sales' closing rates except for fine crossbred, for which the market is unchanged, and coarse cross-bred market easier. Competition of both Home and foreign buyers is fairly active, and the attendance of both is good. The total quantity available, including wool held over from last series, is 470,000 bales, 85,000 bales of which have been forwarded to the manufacturing districts direct."

« 4 -i" B ' wl, ere * s tne state 0I matrimony ? " "It is one of the united states. It is bounded by hugging and kissing on one side, and cradles and babies on the other. Its chief products are population, broomsticks, and staying out o' nights. It was discovered by Adam and Eve while trying to find a north-west passage out of Paradise. The climate ia rather sultry till you pass thejftropics of housekeeping, when squally weather commonly sots iu with sufficient power to keep all hands cool as cucumbers. For the principal roads leading to this interesting state consult the first pair of blue eyes you run against."

An interesting discussion, says the London correspondent of the " New Zealand Times," has lately taken place over the value of rabbits as an article of food. Careful researches have given a creditable estimate of the quantity of rabbits annually consumed in Great Britain. In Manchester careful calculation shows that 25,000 rabbits per week are disposed of by sale in that city and the surrounding districts. The other centres also consume rabbits in large quantities. In London it takes over eight million rabbits per year to satisfy the demand. The present price is Is 6d per rabbit retail, or 2s 6d per pair. Now it has been suggested that as rabbits are plentiful in New Zealand, they could be frozen and sent over there. As they fetch Is each wholesale in quantities, there ought to be a large margin of profit for someone. No doubt the experiment is well worth trying.

We apologise for mistakes made in al former issues (says the " Sauk Rapids Sentinel ') and say they were inexcusable, as all an editor has to do is to hunt news, and clean the rollers, and set type, aud sweep the floor, and pen short items, and fold papers, and write wrappers, and make the paste, aud mail the papers, and talk to visitors, and distribute type, and carry water and saw wood, and read the proofs., and correct mistakes, and hunt the shears, and write editorials, and dodge the bills, and dun the delinquents, and take abuse from the whole force, and tell our subscribers that we need money. We say that we've no business to make errors while attending to these little matters and getting a living on gopher-tail soup flavoured with imagination, and wearing old shoes, and no collar, and a patch on our pants, obliged to turn a smiling countenance to a man who tells us our paper isn't worth Idol, anyhow, and that he could make a better one with his eyes shut.

The 'Hu Pao," a native Chinese paper, states :—We have now flourishing copper mines in Yunnan, silver mines in Moh-ho, and coal mines at K'aip'ing. There is also much gold buried in the earth in the southwest parts of Iliasutai, Mongolia, the territory of the Sain Noni Khalkhas. But the Government is so afraid of disorder arising from the flocking of adventurers to the mines if they were opened, that it keeps a cordon of twenty-two k'a-luns, or barracks, to prevent their access to this El Dorado, and a Mongol djassack, or head of a tribe or banner, is held personally responsible for their protection. The general at Saiihsing, in Kirin, has reported to the provincial Government that a man was recently arrested for unlawfully digging for gold. On examination he stated that in the summer of last year he and four others went to work at the gold diggings in the Eastern Hills. While they were there a patrol came to the place, and the_ officer in command of it promised not to interfere with the miners if they would pay him Boz. of gold dust. This amount ihey duly handed to one of the soldiers. The officer, his lieutenant, and the men implicated strenuously deny this statement ; but the memorialists, who appear to believe in the truth of it, request that they may be regularly placed on their trial." If the clergy were really in touch with the mass of the laborers, if the sous of toil were worshippers in their churches, they would have known of the coming storm, and thus able to have given wise counsel to the men wheu it would have been possible to have effect, which in times of excitement is impossible. After all Bishop Blomfield's exertions for the erection of churches at the East Eud, after the endeavors of Bishops Tait, Jackson and How to rouse the rich to a sense of their duty to the poor, after the noble efforts of Father Lowdcr, the clergy of Whitechapel, Haggerstou, and other churches of the Oxford Mission, of ladies who have gone down from the West End, and of devoted Sisters of Mercy, tho Church has still comparatively little influence over the working man. AH that has been done is but as a drop in the ocean. The Church of Rome lias lar more influence over the working classes, and making all allowances for the advertising propensities of the Salvation Army, General Rooth seems to advance on parallel lines with Cardinal Manning in popular favor. In particular instances, in specially favored parishes, the Church is strong ; but her influence is rather on the godly few, the aged and tho young than on the men with brawny arms and strong sinews, and, to put it midly, those who use forcible language—" Church Renew."

Some men fall on their feet. Holt, exprisoner and ex-nmnager of the Bank of New S dne got int ° a good biUet ' m

The 'North Otago Times" says.—A number of horses are affected with influenza in Uainaru, and in several instances the owners of the animals have been unaware of the character of the disease. It will be re numbered that in the Old Country and in Europe large numbers of horses suffered from the disease.

At the R.M. Court, Naseby, on Friday, several debt cases, of no public iuterest, were dealt with—Margaret Lennane sued John M atheson to contribute to the support of her child, of which she alleged him to be the ™f Mr- Kerr appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. M Carthy for defendant, who admitted being the father of the child. After hearing both the complainant and the defendant" His Worship remarked that he considered the former had been very badly dealt with, and ordered that Matheson should pay to the complainant the sum of £75 in the following manner : -£25 within 14 days from date, and the balance of £SO within 12 months from date, defendant to pay 10s per week until the whole of the said £75 shall have been paid. Defendant was also ordered to pay the sum of £5, being the expenses incidental to the birth of the child A professional fee of £2 2s was allowed.— Joseph Spedding was charged by the Police with having failed to obey an order of the Court to contribute toward the support of his two children in the Industrial School. The arrears amounted to £22 ss. The case was adjourned for a month in order to enable defendant to collect money to reduce the amount of arrears.

On the important subject of registration of voters, a person -who lias evidently well considered the subject writes to the" Christchurch Press " as follows:—It being a universally acknowledged fact that the electoral rolls urgently require revision and correction, may I venture to suggest that the present time offers an opportunity which may not occur again for thoroughly purging and reorganising the rolls of the colony. Owing to the changes now being made in the boundaries of the various electorates, a general drafting match is necessitated under the preseut system. Batches of electors must be transferred from one roll to another, and, as an old registration officer, I feel certain that many errors will take place in spite of all care aud supervision. The result will be to make confusion worse confounded. One course only is open in order to get a clear, fresh start, and that is to destroy all existing rolls, as.d to call for fresh claims to vote from all the electors of the colony in their respective new districts. Speaking from experience, I can safely say that, as a registration officer, I would sooner compile a new roll from new claims to vote than undertake the hopeless task of drafting and reorganising the present rolls. Whether it would not be advisable to make fresh registration compulsory every three years subsequently is an open question, but I do not think there can _ be any doubt that a clean sweep is advisable and even necessary now. The city of Chicago has been selected as the site of the great Exhibition to be held in 1802 to commemorate the four hundredth | anniversary of the discovery of America. Settiug aside the rival claims of New York, St. Louis and Washington, it may be doubted whether, all things considered, the decision of the United States House of Representatives is not the best that could have been made. Cnicago is the most striking of those western towns which have sprung into existence within the last fifty years. Its situation is admirably central, being easily reached by rail and water. The energy aud business capacity of its citizens have made ib the most essentially characteristic of all American cities, and its wealth has increased in a ratio far beyond anything known iu the world's history. In addition to these strong and definite claims, Chicago possesses an equable climate, never so hot as St. Louis, and ofteu quite as cool as New York. It owes its growth and progress to the remarkable development of the railroad lines focussing it as a centre with every State and city of the Union and with the Dominion of Canada. Chicago is the head-quarters of the grain and the cattle trade of the immense region between Lake Michigan and the Rocky Mountains, and it is the home of industrial establishments and manufactories outnumbering those even of New York and Philadelphia. Taken, therefore, as the type of city in which all true-born Americans must feel a just pride, the selection of Chicago for the commemorative exhibition of 1892 will be endorsed by all civilised nations.