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South Canterbury Times, Issue 6753, 6 February 1892, Page 3

A telegram informs us that Mr Andrew Eart. who baa spent so many years in the Timam Customs Office as srcond officer, is to return hero presently as the successor to Mr Hicb, the collector, on the lat ter’s retirement on pension.

For some reason unexplained we have received no cable messages to-day. The Timaru Fublio schools re-open on Monday.

There were very few country people in town to-day. They ere too busy for shopping and gossiping just now.

A second railway track access to the Moody wharf has been provided lately, which gi’eatly facilitates tho working of the wharf. Messrs Kern oh an, McOahon and Co. have just received a lot of new goods, ox Morayshire.

Messrs J. Ballanlyne and Co. announce that their present stock must bo reduced to make room for autumn and winter Their price Hat in another column shows that they are selling at greatly reduced prices in every department. The Governor passes through here on Monday for Christchurch. Probably he will not come near Timaru again. Couldn't we raise a cheer for “ tho moat popular Governor we’ve had ?”

The port of Wanganui is looking up. Tho barque Loobnagar crossed tbe bar a few days ago, drawing 1 lift.—the first vessel of her size to enter the river.

The Napier Evening Netos, after a very chequered career of six or seven years, announces that it must close its doors next Saturday. It has closed its doors two or three times previously, but managed to reopen them. It is to bo hoped this experience Will also be repeated. A good deal of rain fell last night, so that stacking must have been stopped for to day. As the sky cleared and a light drying breeze has been blowing during the day, however, reaping would bo resumed this afternoon. The farmers are getting very broken weather for their harvest. The settlers around Palmerston North must be doing well- A local journal states that Messrs Browning and Tory, coachbuilders there, have in band fifteen orders to execute of buggies and phaetons of various designs, besides a number of vehicles to repair. The firm have been compelled to take oS an extra number of hands, and the shops seem like a hive of bees. Sergeant-Major McDonald and Constable Crawford ieffc town for the Pareora this morning to search for a lunatic reported to be wandering about there. They beard of him at several points but could not find him, and returned to town without him. On their return they were informed by a settler who had come in that be saw the lunatic on a road a short time after the police passed over it, and the officers wont out again this afternoon. A recent visitor to Tasmania relates an amusing circumstanco that occurred at Zeeban. “ A New Zealander who had laid down his swag in an ho’el, found himself suddenly pounced upon by a crowd of fellows some of whom held him while others out the lashings of bis swag which they distributed in shreds amongst them. He thought he had got among a lot of lunatics, but soon found they wore Maorilanders who had hot seen a blade of flax for so long that they could not resist. 1 have been made to promise on all sides that I would send over some flax seed as soon as possible; they say the place is unbearable without it. The rain of yeslerday and the day before appears to have been very heavy in North Canterbury. Two inches of rain fell in two hours at Bangiora yesterday afternoon. All the rain rivers from the Ashburton to the Hurunui are in flood. The Parau,near Culvordon, overflowed its banks and by a small wash-out prevented the train reaching Cul vordon. The Selwyn was higher yesterday than it has been for many years. The fatal accident reported by wire yesterday, of the death of Mrs Beattie by drowning in the Hapuka river, Kaifcoura, was due to the stream toing in flood The trp was nearly through the river when it capsized. As it went over, Mr Beattie, who was driving, jumped clear, but Mrs Beattie failed to do so, and was swept out to sea with the conveyance and horses. Her body was recovered two miles from the mouth, floating near the beach. It is worth noting that yes terday (Feb. sth) was the anniversary of the big flood of 1868. The Wairarapa Star thinks the Picturesque Atlas prosecutions are assuming the complexion of a grave public scandal. " When and where are they going to end ? For nearly six months at intervals the Beeident Magistrates’ Courts in this diatrict'have been largely occupied by them. Scores of settlers day after day are marshalled before the Bench to listen to evidence of a moat extraordinary character. Farmers and graziers, who pride themselves on a regard for truth and who recognise fully the sanctity of the conventional oath, are dragged from their work to be pilloried in the witness box. They are confronted with documents containing 1 which purports to be their signatures but what they have no hesitation in declaring to be fraudulent. On the other hand we have evidence, duly sworn, of Metcalf, the Atlas agent, that each of these settlers signed the patron’s list, and also the printed contract. On each side, the evidence is most positive. But there is this groat difference. The agent’s evidence is almost entirely unsupported, while that of the settlers is generally supported by the testimony of persons of good reputation. There is only one conclusion to be arrived at, viz., that perjury, corrupt and wilful, is being perpetrated on a wholesale scale ; and somebody, undoubtedly, ought to bo in the criminal deck.”

Ask your grocer for Hyslop’s Pure Ceylon Tea in load packets j there is nothing to equal it.—[Advx.]