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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2739, 31 December 1881, Page 3

■ Messrs Peacock and Geaney are going to do a seasonable act this evening, viz., to give away joints of meat to those whose circumstances preclude their purchasing. We do not like to admit that there any such resident'' amongst ns, but the fact is indisputable. No doubt Messrs Peacock and Geaney could afford a considerable draft on their stock, but we hope that the demand for gmti» Sunday dinners will be small. :

A model engine, made by a prisoner in the Dunedin gaol during bis spare hours, is being exhibited, and will be sent to the Christchurch Exhibition.

A meeting of the Levels Road Board was held to-day i the busineea being to look over the balance sheet prepared by the Clerk, previous to its presentation at the annual meeting.

A woman named Mrs M'Haffie died suddenly in Christchurch yesterday afternoon. She had been ailing for some time previously, and had occasionally been attended by Dr Ned will, who, however, had not seen her immediately before her death. An inquest will be held. Mr W. M. Sims, local agent for the Victoria Insurance Company, has drawn our attention to the advertising calendar of the Company for 1882, as an illustration of the pitch of excellence to which the lithographic ®art has been brought in Melbourne, where It was printed. Exception may be taken to some portions of the design, but the technical skill displayed in carrying out the design is undeniable. It is printed in eight different colors—two rede, two blues, green, buff, black and gold, with superpositions that produce other shades. A shark about seven feet long was hooked by a fisherman off the Breakwater early this morning, but he proved too powerful for the line and carried it away. An hour or two later he was seen coming from the direction of the landing service, where he had been examining the changes made by dynamite charges, perhaps. He spent some time among the piles of the wharf as if making an official inspection. Perhaps he was commissioned by friends at home to report upon the extraordinary outgrowth from the beach that has taken place within the last year or two. He seemed to be a shark in respectable circumstances. There were some youngsters bathing in the sea at the sheds in the afternoon. There may be no connection between that fact and the appearance of a full grown shark in the neighborhood, but on the other hand there may be. Yesterday afternoon Mr Federli submitted to a number of gentlemen some of the practical results of his experiments in sericulture. The operations had been so conducted that the visitors were enabled to see every stage of silkworm life, and also to watch the manipulation of the cocoons in reeling the silk. As a matter of scientific interest, it may be mentioned that of the “ grain” received from Japan, portions were subjected to currents of electricity of varied strength ; and that whilst the grain not operated upon is yet lying dormant, that which was subjected to the strongest current is hatching out freely. Mr Federli purposes, during the forthcoming International exhibition, to exhibit silkworms in all their stages, and to daily demonstrate the simplicity of the required operations. An election of members to the Levels Road Board takes place on Tuesday next. Ratepayers will bear in mind that unless all rates are paid they will not be allowed to vote ; but we are informed that arrangements will be made whereby rates will be received at the polling place at Gibson’s paddock (at this one only) on the polling day. As the rates are now all due, and the Board intends to take action to recover them, there is no good reason for delay, while delay means disfranchisement.