LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume 29, Issue 1522, 31 December 1898, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An ordinary meeting of the Maniototo County Council wili.be held on Wednesday next, 4th prox. - . -A table recently compiled In• the Olil • Country shows that 93 nioney-leuders died ■■ 1 worth collectively £19,444;878. .1 Under the Stock Act Amendment Actj, 1898. the time allowed for. dipping sheep is iii lieu of the period between the Ist; ■ February and 30th April. ' 1 ■ The holidays on the Reservoir works ejt* ■ I tended from Friday, 23rd inst. to Wednesday, 4th prox. It is: understood that on resuming the work will be paid on" co--operative lines, the men being divided into •ganes, and each member of a gang earning the same wage, which is determined by the •.amount of work accomplished. • ; An old man named John Lebnon lias been : 1 found dead in his hut five miles beyond Ser- ' ■ pentine. His body Was by Air John Cogan and other friends to Linn bum which , was reached at I am. on" Thurs-' ' ■ day morning, where it was met by "Mr.; J. Mitchell anil thence conveyed • that' ' oay by Mr J. R. Smith to its final resting place in Naseby. Mr J. Lundon read the funeral service at the grave. The deceased • was well-known by old residents of Naseby ; and Nenthorn, at which places he formerly : followed the calling of a digejer, • ■ * O.vChristmas day, at both Episoopalia'n ' $ and PresDyteridi),churches the »vholes<?rvice . including the addresses of the preachers, i !\ Revs- G. W. Christian aud, J. M'C.osl» smith, were fitted to tho occasion.:. St.". George's hadbeen beautifully adorned with . , flowers bv the ladies. At.the Tresbyterian ~ church after service in the'choic* C, rendered very nicely anumber of Christmas'-' carols. ,: r ." ;v', A young man nuned Robert Shearing - " was committed for trial at Tapanui oil the 22nd inst., on a charge of shooting-three .v. . : sheep belonging to John Edie, a farmer.itff;*'' Crookston, Mr Hanlon appeared 'for the l accused, and Detective M'CJrath conducted the prosecution. Mr R. S'. lJ Hawkins, S.M., • before - whom the case Witt tried, ad- • mitted accused to bail in'his own recognisance of £2O aniline surety of £2O. There is humour in everything even at a f tragical fire. According to the New Zealand ' Times, just at the moment when the flames had begun to spread in real earnest over the 1" Royal Oak Hotel, the night porter, who was on the ground floor, was rung up by a gentleman in,one of the upper rooms, who wanted ' " a porter ■ to help him with Jiis luggage!"-' The porter answered the summons by yelling to the boarder to get liunself outas " rapidly as possible. V' A splendid rain fell last night (says the ' North Otago Times of Friday, 23rd)t—the.a.. best for some time—and its beneficial effects' i will be felt all over" the district. It may '< he said that the majority of farmers and potato cruppers will now be hopeful of a - good return for their labours. The rain that had previously fallen micht have been dissipated by a day's north-wester. We are informed that more rain has fallen in the back parts of the district within the past two or three days than along the coast:This six directors of the Bank of New Zealund divide the sum of £2OOO annually. They appoint their own chairman, who w.UI probably draw a larger holiorarium thai).his colleagues. The four members appointed ■ by the Governor-in-Council shall hold office " .I for two years, but a proviso is made that of tho four first appointed two shall retire by lot on the 31st day of March, 1901, and the other two the following year, all being eligible for re-election 'The travelling expenses of the members of the Board are paid by the Bank. The following are the results of the finals of the lawn tennis championship tournament alluded to in our Dunedin correspondent's letter :—Men's Championship Singles, C. C. Cox; Men's Championship Doubles, C. C. Cox and J. U. Collins ; Ladies' Championship Doubles. Misses Lean and Nunntley; Ladies' Singles, Miss Lean ; Miss Nunnoley ■" beat Miss Lean for the Championship of New Zealand; Men's Haudicap {Singles, E-r 1 . Ciilthurt; Ladies' Handicap Singles, Miss..,.', ISunneloy ; Combined Handicap Doubles, Misses (Jori ie aud Parker ; Men's Handicap Doubles, A. Young and J. Wilson; Ladies' Handicap Doubles, Misses Core and Nunneley. , / A cokrespondent of the Bruce Herald ; thus sums up tho Tuapeka Show 'The second annual show of the Tuapeka Agri*,, ' cultural and Pastoral Society held', on*' Wednesday, 22ad inst., was a record, one , • for attendance, upwards of 1000 persons . being present. Tha westher was beautiful, ' and the entries were about 150 in excels of last year's show. There was only a poor show of draughts, but a splendid one of light and harness hoiscs The exhibition of cows and sheep was only fair, some of the latter scarcely deserving prizes at all. Tim quantity of dairy produce was small, but' the quality was really first-class, while the show of hand boqueta and button-holes wus specially good. Beer drinking, according to the Chancellor of the Kxcbequor, is increasing rapidly. Last year mote than 35,000,000 barrels were produced in the United Kingdom, and itappears, according to the official figures, that every man, woman, and child drinks on an average 3) gallons of beer in the course - of the jretr. .This is really astounding, saysthe Daily Chronicle, when we reflect that the vast majority of the nation never touclt beer, and we do not quite sen how to reconcile the figures with Sir Michal Micks Beach's comfortable reflection that the fashion of temperate habits is growing throughout the country. It will seem to the plain-man that.' ' a great many people mnst be drinking morabeer titan is good for them and that there has been a severe set back to the temperance movemeut. Tire following lines from the Christian Outlook relating to Rev. W. H. Ash, wlio has many friends in this district, will be read with interest:—The friends ot the Rev, W. H. Ash, late of U&vensbouruo, -will bo glad to hear that his health is continuing to 1 improve in New, South Wales.- He- has applied to be admitted to the Churoh in that colony and we understand that steps <' are now being taken by tho congregation of - North St. Leonards, Sydney,- to:gi\e:him a call as colleague-and successor to the Rov. Dr Bruce. If he accop.ts the call Jie will ' realjy be the sole minister,- as Dr Bruce has •. taken up the work of Travelling sioner for the Church within the colony. North St. Leonards is one of the healthiest - of Sydney's suburbs. Its population- is- , already very considerable, and, it is rapidlyo, ; increasing'iiiiln-andimportance. We aij\':.vsorry tl>at OUigo loses,his services. -He gave- ' up a-hicrative bnsiiic«» position wjtlt eifcellent prospects to study-for the ministry. ' . At tho close of his studies he was called tp Ravensbourne. Here he did good' work, and. was consolidating the congregation. They had built for Lim a comfortable manse, and' were altout to undertake the construction of a new and more commodious churclt, Then cmno Mr Ash's unfortunate,, break-' , down in health, aud now the close in'this colony of what seemed so promising a minis-' terial career. It is gratifying, hovO«veii,.'to know t hat the change of sphere -is ;lik» ly to restore his health, and give him all.that lie dfifires on l-liat score. Mr Ash has great Htui varied abilities. lif addition to'his business traininp he liaa journalistic experience, and is a diligent student pf men, and things. Thu Now South Waltii Church gfcitls"" in him a worihy sorvaiit. His friends hero wish him every success."