Page 3 Advertisements Column 2

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5011, 20 May 1889, Page 3

The swell of last week washed up on Iho Waimataitai spit a huge tree stump, with far-epreachng roots attached. The roots are clean but the stump is covered with maarine anima’s, showing that the former have been buiied in silt, the latter exposed to the water. It looks like the same stump that lay some months on the spit after being washed up on that bad 1 tlh of May. A remarkable instance of presence of mind is reported from Greytown, which deserves to emblazoned on the scroll of (church) fame. During a recent Sunday evening service, the firobell rang its warning notes, causing a great commotion among the congregation, when the' attentive verger immediately closed the doors so that no ono could leave. The collection had not been

taken up. Ihe Masterton Borough Council has been threatend with a i;tai:da;nns.lov a receiver, for refusing to meet the demand of the Wellington Benevolent Institution for a contribution under the Charitable Aid law. The Council decided to pat off paying till all Iho local bodies of the Waii'ampa had further considered tho matter. Their objections are that one body finds the money and another body spends it; that the borough is asked for £l4O a year and only gets back £2O.

Stupidity in the management of fowling pieces unfortunately very often takes off not the stupid ono but the other. A young man named Mead, manager of a cheese factory near Auckland, was killed the other day by a stupid gun accident. A party of five wore going out pighunting, having three guns among them. Ono of the men carried a breech loader, Ho loaded it at starting, and was walking on with the gun at full cock, when another called out to him not to carry it at full cock. He turned round as if to answer or ask what was said, brought tho barrels in line with Mead, only three yards off, and tho contents lodged in Mead’s thigh all in a heap, smashing the limb completely. The others tried by means of bandages and straps to stop the flow of blood, but could not succeed, and by the time a doctor was got the man had bled to death.

A Melbourne correspondent writes : —The labor market of Victoria is in a better condition than is usual at this period of the year. Unskilled labor may experience a scarcity of employment, but the artisans are in full work. The Ballarat strike is approaching a settlement, the masters acknowledging the local Union and acceding to the wages scale, but retaining the right to employ non-Union hands. The printers’ strike at Brisbane is practically at an end ; and with the improved prospects, consequent upon the recent rainfall. which has been general over extensive tracts of country, together with the higher prices realised for Australian wool in the London market and the improved financial condition, a fairly good winter may be expected.

Flax owners in the mill districts of the North Island are getting handsome royalties just now. Humour says the Oroua Estate receives”£2Boo a year royalty on a weed that they have spent much money in trying to eradicate. Another big West coast estate is gettting over £IOOO a year iu royalties. The favourite form of flax royalty is a rent of £l4 per stripper per month for a day of 10 hours, whether the mill bo working or,- idle. Some landlords charge a royalty of 7s fid to 10s per ton of, "reeq. .flax, and even higher prices are mentioned. Manawatu Road Boards has a novel source bfclWtfMre—quite new in the history of local bodies. It receives a royalty of £2OO a year in aid of rates from a mill owner for the right of cutting flax growing along the road sides. The flax there is very good, healthy and vigorous, and of course its cartage is cheap, as it is growing along the metalled roads. The Bulletin is responsible for the following Maorilanders are reproached with lack of energy in prospecting for the precious metals, but there are great natural obstacles in the way. At Featherston (N.Z), recently, a prospecting association was formed and Messrs Marsh and Tidawell were solemnly sent forth into the wilderness to bore for gold, or coal, or diamonds, or other collateral securities. The obstacles alluded to were encountered almost at once, when a misguided bull chased Messrs M, and T. up a tree. Marsh ascended first. He attained the altitude of 7ft, and hung on to a bit of loose bark. Tidswell hung onto the slack of the Marsh’s pants. The bull grouped itself around and wailed. The bit of bark and the seat of Mr M’s. trousers gave way simultaneously, and the prospectors fell upon the bull, 3'eturning immediately to Featherston to write the report whence these incidents were extracted. After refitting they went out again, meeting—to judge from the local penny dreadful —with ampler success, for we learn that they found “ a quantity of mullocky rooks and iron pirates which which glittered like a diamond.” In these days of universal shoddy, of leaden bayonets and tin swords, it is positively refreshing to meet an iron pirate. The noted quality of the Coffee made in the Cafes of Turkey, France, and America is chiefly due to the fact that only Fresh Roasted Coffee is used ; so that none of the volatile oil and other essentials are lost. Ask your grocer for Anderson’s Coffee, and you will have a beverage alike refreshing and stimulating, as it is fresh roasted and ground at the factory, Timaru.—f Advt.l

For Continuation of Reading Matter See Fourth Page.