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South Canterbury Times, Issue 3314, 15 November 1883, Page 3

The last of the arboreal giants at the corner of George and Barnard streets yielded to axe and rope this afternoon. His downfall was witnessed by a considerable crowd. The ground is now clear for the new building, Woodyear’s great circus is announced to open at Timaru on Tuesday evening next, for a short season of two nights. A special train has been laid on from Pleasant Point, for the convenience of visitors from that district, stopping at all intermediate stations and returning after the performance. Several London papers recently contained the following amusing story A Parisian lady went to pay a visit to M. Gounod, at his villa at St. Cloud, the other day. Arriving at lunch time, she passed through the dining room where the servants were clearing the table. Here she saw some cherry stones lying on a plate, where the maestro had just been partaking of his solitary meal, his family having gone to the seaside. Picking up one of the stones, she carefully thrust it into her glove, as a very valuable relic. Sometime afterwards Gounod returned the lady’s visit. Smiling and blushing at the same time the Countess showed him a cherry stone set with diamonds, which she wore as a brooch, and related to Gounod the origin of the remarkable jewel. “ I never eat cherries,” said Gounod. “It is my footman, John, who eats all those he places on the table,” A writer in the “ Liverpool Mercury ” discloses some startling facts in connection with the pernicious habit of tightlacing. She mentions a case where a woman went to a dentist to have some teeth extracted, as the operation would be painful she consented to the administration of anfothetics. The dentist asked her to see that her dress was quite loose and easy in every part, as otherwise there would be danger connected with the business. She declared that everything was quite right, and the operation was gone on with, but, to the horror of the dentist, the lady died under it.. Upon examination it was found that under her corset a steel hand was fastened with a screw (intended to reduce the size of the waist), which prevented the free action of the vital organs and death was the result.