South Canterbury Times WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1899. NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2571, 23 August 1899, Page 2

South Canterbury Times WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1899. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Messrs Priest and Holdgate have purchased the property known as the Sophia street Hall, from the Timara Permanent Building Society. A start has been made with the new block of shops, the scene of the Christ* mas week fire, in Stafford street for Mr J. Mee. The contractors are Mr F. Palliser (brickwork) and Mr Wood (carpenter’s work), and the block will include five handsome shops. It speaks well for business in Timaru, when it is stated that three of the shops have been already taken. A man charged at Waipawa with having been drunk three times within the last six months, candidly admitted the soft impeachment, and attributed the offences to his dread of prohibition being carried at the next poll, which had caused him to consume too much liquor in a short period. He was then ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. How to Prevent Pneumonia. In a recent letter from Washington, D. 0., to an old friend. Major G. A. Studer, for twenty years United States Consul at Singapore, says While at Des Moines I became acquinted with a known as Chamberlain’s Pain Balm, whicch I found excellent against soreness of the throat and chest (giving me much easier breathing). I had a touch of pneumonia early this week, and two applications freely applied to the throat and chest relieved me of it at once. I would not be without it for anything.” For”sale by J. C.Oddie, chemist, Timaru.

In the Rakaia accident cases beforfe the Supreme Court at Christchurch on Monday, G. A. Bushell, the lirstplaintiff, a gardener, twenty-one years of age, in addition to pecuniary loss, had suffered much pain ; the elbow of one arm having been completely excised, while the wrist of the other arm was broken. He had already undergone five operations, and it was possible that he might have to undergo a sixth. Dr Fox said his right arm would never be of any use, and the left was not much better. The jury assessed Bushell’s damages at £IOOO. The second plaintiff, G, E. Hartley, a young man who had been employed at the Islington works, claimed compensation for an injured and paralysed leg, and spinal injury, and was also awarded £IOOO. There was some difference of opinion among the doctors called in this case.

There was a splendid “ffcouse,” at the Theatre Royal last night when Pollard’s Opera Company, appearing for one night only, produced one of the brightest of modern comic operas, “La Poupee,” “ The Doll,” and produced it in a way that deserved all the patronage it received. The plot of the work was an inspiration, and this was well worked out in words and music and situations. The monks in a monastery are hard up. Among them lives a novice whose wealthy uncle has promised him a fortune in cash on the day he marries. The father or superior of the monastery hears of a great inventor who is turning out automata of marvellous lifelikeness, and he suggests to the novice that he should impose one of these automata on his uncle, as his bride, claim the fortune and return to the monastery. The young man agrees. He finds the inventor, and bargains for his crowning achievment, an almost perfect automaton in female form. Unluckily other members of the household damage the doll beyond immediate repair, and to carry out the bargain the inventor’s daughter undertakes to similate the automaton, the less reluctantly because she has already been smitten by a fancy for the purchaser. The instruc tion of the purchaser in the mysteries of the “ buttons ” which start the machinery for different actions of course affords great possibilities of amusement, and these are increased by the confusion which is created by the girl making acquaintance with the uncle and a friend of his in her own proper person before she is introduced as a doll by her maker. It is indeed a “comic” opera. The ending is inevitable, the young fellow is married to the doll for the good of the monastery, and finds a wife for his own benefit. Miss May Beatty played The Doll in excellent fashion; and Mr W. S. Percy was a host in himself, one of the most memorable of the characters, as Hilarius, the Inventor, and his airy toast “All my work, all mine,” will be a street cry for a while. Mr C. Carter as the Novice played and sang, too, very well, and Mr Fitts as the Superior gave a fine rendering of some excellent numbers. The uncle and his friend—Messrs Aif Stephens and Harry Quealy, very old and popular acquaintances here—made capital old men, and contributed much to the fun of the piece, The mounting and dressing were superb; seldom if ever has a comic opera been so finely put upon the Timaru stage, and seldom if ever has more excellent fooling been conceived and wedded to clever dialogue and good music.

Wheezing and cold In the chest is the name give nto harsh, noisy breathing which is characteristic of asthma and often accompanies a cold in the chest. It is caused by obstructing mucus discharged from the inflamed membrane of the bronchial tubes. A certain cure is Townend’s Celebrated Cinnamon CdreMrs Knight, of Doyleston, near Christchurch, states: —“For six months I was troubled with wheezing and a cold in the chest. I consulted three doctors but jcould not get relief. Two bottles of Townend’s Cinnamon Cure completely cured me. Townend’s Celebrated Cinnamon Cube, price 2s 6d per bottle. Loasby’s Wa# M?g. Co. Ltd, sole proprietors..