LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Hon. W. J. M. Larnaoh does not entertain an ex*Ued opinion of the usefulness of the Otago Central Railway League. Addressing bis constituents at Lawrence last week, he said the league was a body of busy people, some o£ whom were earnest and fom?, he thought, indifferent, who met occasionally in Dunedin to spur on the Government to make faster progress with the Otago Central line. In his opinion the league did not assist the progress of the railway one bit. They rather irritated the Gjveroment, for the Government were absolutely sincere in (heir determination to do their duty to push on the lint, and a good deal of the agitation maintained by the league | was in the nature of political moves rather than ' prompted by an earnest desire to push on the line. He would advise the league to leave the line alone and much faster progress would probably result from their non-interference. A late cablegram in the Australian papers says :—": — " In accordance with the scheme for strengthening' the defence* of England, steps have been taken to establish a line of strong positions inland. Tha fortification of positions in the Surrey Hills, which extead through tbe middle of the county from Farnham, near Aldmhot, to Weiterham, within the Kentish border, is being proceeded with." * The wish has been generally expressed among the members of the Anglican community that the services of Canon Robinson should be retained at St. Panl's Cathedral, and much pleasure will be felt that there is a prospect of this wish being fulfilled. Bishop Nevill is desirous of appointing the reverend Canon to thi <ttiSo« of •ssistant bishop, and has laid too

matter before the obapfcar hb representing the cathedral congregation and bei'ore the Standing Committee as representing the synod of the diocese. At an adjourned meeting of the latter body, held last week, it was un jniraotnly resolved to cordially concur io the proposition to appoiut C»non Robinson to the position mentioned. At Fort Gbalmers on the 2lsf-, before Messrs J. R. Monson and W. Goldie, J.P.s, a small boy naiied Hngh Ruddy pleaded not RUllby to stealing seven flounders. George Wineman, the cofuptainaub, stated that; during bis absence on the 16bfa insfc. seven flounders were taken from his boat. A boy named Hay, who was carrying flounders on a string, on being questioned, stated that he had been aaked to carry the fish by Buddy, who had said he found them. The Bench docided there was do evidence to show that Buddy took the fish, and dismissed the charge. Biihop Nevill will complete his silver jubilee on the 4th Jud» next, when he will enter the twenty-sixth, year of his episcopate of the Bee of Dunedin, his consecration. h»ving taken pl*ce on. Trinity Sunday 1871. A bequest of more than 270 volumes to ft library is a truly wetaoms one. Such a legacy (says the L.vttfclton Times) has jmt fallen to the* Christ cburch Public Library, under the will of thfl late George Williamson Hall, who, for this valuable gift, deserves to be held in grateful memory by bis banefimaries. Ihe collection comprises, among others, a number of works that have been out of print for some time, and, of. these one or two a?e by no means easy of access. The same institution has recently been benefited in a similar way through the generosity of another Chris tchurch j resident (Dr Hacon), who has contributed gome SO volumes, among which are a few very old I aud rare editions. The nautical superstition as to the Firing Dutchman •!ill survives, Evidence of it cropped up (nays the Post) on the voyage of the bugAntine Sunlight, which arrived at Wellington from New York last week, manned by a coloured crew. One Sunday afternoon a report was raised tint a mysterious vowel could be seen sailing a course parallel with that of the Sunlight. None of the officers conld distinguish any euoh craft, neither could a m»n who was sent aloft, but several of the crew maintain to this day that it wat seen by them. Another disturbing notion set sfioat was that a ghostly figure had bees ocsn near the forecjst!«^2£3,"nnrifor some time the m«n^ weriinrVaid to walk along the d<.ck in that part of the vessel. As the ship's cat and the captain's dog were subiequeufcly washed overboard ( and lost, aud a sailor also went over th« side and was drowned, these faots are regarded by the superstitious tan as proo? positive of ' the presence of the bodiog apparitious. The damage caused by the railway accident at Matamau on the 16 h inst. is estimated at about £1000. The train, when returning from Danevirke to Napier, ran into a m >b of cattle oq the line when within a quarter of a mile of Matamau, and more than half of the train,' consisting ;of the engine, tender, five large cattle trucks, a truck of firewood, and an intormediatd Tan, became completely derailed, the cattle' tracks, which were fortunately empty, being smashed to atoms and thrown into the gully. The passenger carriages and guard's van were untouched. Driver OK Q. Flinn and Fireman W. G. Hood had a marvellous escape, beiDg thrown clear of the wreck the moment the engine capsized. Hood received a eerere gravel rash on the cheek, and was considerably bruified and shaken, while the driver, who fell on top of him, escaped uuhurt. The stoppage was hardly felt by the passengers, who could not nuderstand why the train had shopped. Had the train been going at any speed nothing could hive prevented the passenger carriage) following the truck* over the embankment;. A practice fraught with much danger which is becoming too prevalent of late is that of throwing empty bottles aud other objects from railway carriages along the line. The other day on tha north line a surfaceman^ was rather severely injured by being struck with a missile from a railway carriage, and neat Palmers' on recently, as a young lady and gentleman were j driving along the road adjacent to the line, an j empty battle thrown with considerable force just missed the gentleman's head. The regu'ar meeting of the Benevolent \ Institution Trustees was held on the 2?ud ( inst., and was attended by 'Messrs Crufhclnx (chairman), Hayuea, Allan, Bridgman, Solomon, Gourley, Green, Brown, and Swan. The accounts pasted for payment amounted to £186 153 7d, and it was reported that Catherine Broadhursb (aged 62) had died in the institution during the past week. The cost of the institution for March was £299 16s lid, ttto number of inmates 258, and the cost per head per week 5s l^d. Mr Solomon mentioned that there was now a proper arrangement made for a library. A room had baen fitted up with shelves for the books already catalogued, and amongst the inmates there had bsen found a very capable man to act; as librarian. It would be as well if the press would notify that the trustees were ready to receive contributions of i books from thoso who had any spare volumes. i Mr Hajneg laid (be idea of vacationing (he

matter was that the public might knon, fchifc auy books given would now be Uksu care of. It w*» mentioned fcbut & named Dicks on h*d fallen down at the institution aud injured herself. She had been removed to the hospital, and it was thought th*fc the might hu've powibly frfcc'.ured hsr thigh. About 50 roliuf oaset were dealt with. CumpUtßt is made by th« Timaru Herald of the treatment which passengers' luggaga receives at the Daaedin railway station, and it i<< stat«d that at Easter look* wew wrenohed off boxes, handles smithed off, and travelling bags to thrown about as to be almost entirely knocked oat of shape. We baliev* ib U admitted that at time* of prewar© like tbe Eisfcer holidays (here is a too harried handling of luggage by the porters, bat a fair share of blame for the rough treatment rests with tho passengers themselves. They -are too often impatient to get away from the station, and seiza at their own luggage rogirdlesi of that of others, trbioh they recklessly throw about. A» to tha specific complaint of our contemporary, it has to be said that the traffic this Easter was very haavy. One of tbe trtins from the north was nnexpestedly long, and the luggage van stopped at a portion of the station wbere there le ao barricade. PasgengeM and th« public, who were present in crowds, swarmed round and obstructed the porters, and. no doubt some of the luggage may have been damaged. The f act is that tha accommodation at the Driuedin railway station is entirely inadequate when the traffiq is heavy, and the present station, which is inferior to many stations in third-class towns, | should be replaced as soou as patsible by a new one. When thatis done no doubt the grounds I* for complaint will disappear. Of the Rev. J. H. Hector, "the B\ncfe Knight," who is likely to visit the colony at tha invitation of the" Prohibition Leagues, the Gamp Fire wnks i— " His life story aarpaiset any lomance in its startling realities. Left an orphan at an early age, he passed a youth of viciatifcado, hardship, and privation such as few have experienced. Later on he fought in some of the fiercest straggles of the great American war, and was five times frightfully wounded, so that his survival w*a almost miracalous. Subsequently as an engiae driver he had many a perilous experience; but he came through all to be a oonverled man, an earnest Christian, a successful minuter of tha Gospel, and one of the most effective advocates of prohibition and other moral reforms, flic Hector U a full-blooded _ JSeg* o, o\ superb physique <&£ ■ ; great natural ~ abilities, to which, ■aeflpifce all diffioolties, he ha« add^ * self-education which ndunfc compd admiration.' As an orator he is a phenomena, carrying his audience along with him by a tornado or eloqu^noej hamesr, and pathos that 'is fairly irresistible. His originality, wit, readiness of repartee, and intense earnestness quickly open (be way for the shafts of train, whteh he hurls with consummate tact and telling force." Mr Peter Milne, an old settler, died at Woodland*, Southland, on the 20fch. A native of Aberdeen, he arrived in O&go in 1858 in the ship Btrathfieldsaye, and shortly after* ward* rettlid in the Tokomatriro district. Oa the discovery cf gold at GUbrtals Gu'ly he tried his luok *b a miner, and afterwards settled at Woodlands, where he has resided for 30 years. He leaves a widow, cix sons, and three .daughters, An address on "Christian Movements Among the Universities of Europe, America, and Asia^' by, Mr John K. Mott, M.A., was delivered in the Chemistry Lecture room, Uuiverrity Buildings, on the 22ud. Mr E. B, Cargiil (vice - chancellor of ■ tbe university) presided, and about 80 peraona were present, inoluding Bishop Nevill, Professor Giltay, Dr Salmond, the Revs. Dr D union', A. B Todd, R. Waddell, J. Kirkland, and W. H. Ash.