Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 4539, 30 November 1889, Page 2

The Committee of the North Oiago Horticultural Society met at the Coffee Rooms last evening far the purpose making arrangements in conneotion with the Spring show, to be held in the Public Hall on Thursday and Friday next. There were present— Messrs M'Corkindala(ia the ohair), Forsyth, Boss, Stephens, and Watson. Letters were read from several gentlemen agreeing to aot aa judges at the show. The tender of Mr F. Ongley for BtaglDg was accepted, and Messrs Watson and Stephens were appointed stewards. The musical committee reported that satisfactory arrangements had been made for a promenade concert on each evening, and other matters having received attention, the meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the chair.

Mails for Honolulu, America, Continent of Europe, Samoa, and United Kingdom, per Alameda, olose at Auckland on Monday, 2nd December, at 1 p.m. This mail is due in London on January Gth.

Intending exhibitors at the Bhow of the North Otago Horticultural Society, to be held on Thursday and Friday next, should bear in mind that entries will oloae with the Secretary (Mr G. Brownlee) at eight o'clock on Tuesday evening. The nsual monthly meeting of the Awamoko Blue ribbon Army was held in the Georgetown Ball on Thursday evening last, when about 40 persons were present, the President (the Bev. J. Steven) occupying the chair. The meeting was opened with the singing of the beautiful hymn " The Great Physician," Mr Kive following with a few remarks dealing on temperance. The next item was a hymn by the audienco, " There is life for a look." Mr A. M'Leod gave a humorous recitation, "Nay, John," and Mr Shadwell read " The Family Wreck,'' which was wall received, as was also Mr Bisset's esßay. The President gave a reading, and during the evening Mlsb Macgregor presided at the After the Benediction was pronounced, the meeting closed. At a meeting of the Maheno Caledonian Society held recently it was not to hold any sports on Christmas Day this year. This decision is consequent on the possibility of many residents of the district being away at the .Exhibition. The Taranaki News writes:— A remarkable man is now Btaying temporally in this town—Mr Alexander, nearly related to a family who, not long since, came to settle here. This gantleman haß spent, we learn, no less than forty years of his life In travelling almost entirely on foot, and with no other company than himself, his tent, and artist's requisites, over a large part of the globe. Be has twice visited the Yellowstone regions—the first time before, the second time subsequently, to that district of hot springs being opened up to travellers j has sojourned with Indians in the wild North West; explored no inoonsiderable part of Wyoming and Colorado; and psnetrated ss far north as the shore of Hudson s Bay. Mr Alexander? has. lately found his way back to New Zealand, where, twenty year 3 sgo, was a resident and familiar with Taranaki province, from °onth Africa, where he has been tramping through Katal acd the Karoo desert, among other spots. He will, in a short time, b« on his way, folded tent on his back, to Wellington, whither, wo believe, he intends to proceed to Melbourne, and then ultimately to South America. His tours are profusely illustrated by water-color sketches taken by himself.

We are requested to draw attention to an announcement appearing in this issue of the sale of some Canterbury runs.

The ordinary meeting of the Waiareka School Committee waa held last evening, there being present Messrs Williams {chairman), Jackson, Brownies, Carson, Chalmors, and Firth, St the conclusion of the ordinary business, the patltiona sent by certain residents to the Education Board, re alteration of school boundaries, and referred to the Committee for report, was considered. After consideration, the Committee agreed to the alteration of the boundaries of the dUtriot to include the portions of the Totsra and Enfield as set forth in the petition, provided the other Committees interested raised no objection. The Waiareka Library Committee applied for the use of the school in which to hold a lecture. The request was complied with. This completed the business under consideration.

The annual meeting of shareholders In the Camaru Woollen Factory will be held in the Athenaeum Hall, at 8 p.m. on the 9th December.

At Johannesburg, the great goldfield town of South Africa, house rents are quite in keeping with the auriferous wealth that abounds. It is difficult for families to find a suitable house at ail, A cottage of corrugated iron lined with wood, containing from three to six rooms, Inoluding a diminutive kitchen, ia let as a favor at from Lls 11 L 25 per month. Servants are not to b9 had—we were going to say for neither love nor money, but it appears that they are to be had for love, for no sooner do girls make their appearance than they fall a prey to that matrimonial craze which deprived Mr fiusoombe Searell of his opera girls. Bssuto or Zulu "boys" have mostly to be trusted to do duty for " domestics," whilst, if one Bhould be fortunate enough to get a female servant, 150 per annum and "keep " must be the recompense, it is stated that carpenters, masons, and others earn " their faur hundred a year." At Ssndhurat recently seven policemen were separately ordered to administer floggings to several youngsters who had been convicted for various offences. The men distinctly refused to obey the order, and the matter'was therefore brought before the head office. The Minister in charge upheld the men in the position they had taken up, and instructed the superintendent In charge of tbe district thvt a man would be engaged for the special work of administering chastisement to juveniles. General Sooth is a great consumer of paper. The War Cry circulates 277,030 weekly, and the circulation of the Young Soldier is 119,100 copies, besides the numerous pasters, handbills, tracts, eto, which oonEumes an enormous quantity of p»per. Tha number of reels of paper, eaoh about a quarter of a mile long, required to print one issue of both papers is 112J, working out something like 5850 for a year, while the length of the paper needed is 256£ miles, or 13,338 in the year- Tve paper weighs 26 tons 6cwt 2qr. or about 1300 tonß in twelve months, while the amount of printing ink consumed in the same period is 16 tons in weight. It said the Army had acquired the patent rights of a new printing machine, which tutns out 10,000 papers an hour and is capab'e of printing six colors simultaneously.

Submarine navigation fs occupying the attention of the French Government, and the new "fish boat," the Gonbet, arranaed on the principlaa of the form and force of a fish, appears to come very near the solution of all the great problems connected with this branoh of defenoe and of industry. Two men reoently passed an entire day and night at the bottom of the sea without Buffering the slightest inconvenience, eating, drinking, reading, playing cards, and peering out upon the marine wonders about them; rising to the surface, plunging down into the depths, at the command ef the authorities transmitted through an electric wire, and coming np, on the conclusion of the experiment, none the worse for their immersion, and ready to'repeat their singular journey. It is thought that the Goubet will supersede every other method of going nnder water, whether for blowing up the enemy's fleet in time of war, or bringing up pearJs, sponge, etc,, or sunken ve:ae:s, from the bottom of the sea.

Tuesday next, December 3rd, being the first Tuesday of the month, Mr Geo. Robinsin will pay his usual professional visit to Waimate. 899