General News.

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 27, 15 October 1898, Page 8

General News.

“ If these documents are read they will keep us all day,” protested a member of the County Council yesterday. ' “ That’s what we’re here for,” responded Or. Kobertson, who travels all the way from Waikaia. Invercargill is about to be favoured" by a ■ visit from Mr W. C. Woodward, Grand Lodge Lecturer, 1.0.G.T. Mr Woodward opens a temperance mission on Tuesday evening, and continues on the dates given on the circulars issued through the town. Mr Woodward is an able speaker, having a crisp, bright delivery, and illustrates his addresses with a very superior limelight lantern. This opportunity of hearing Mr Woodward should not be missed. -

A performance of “ Messiah ” will be given in Invercargill early in December.

When you have a good thing, “ boom ’ it, is evidently the principle on which Mr 1. J. Price, chemist, acts. Hence the appearance in his window of a huge and artistically got up facsimile of one of his Albanian hair restorer bottles. It is made of zinc, and was put together by Mr J. B. Moir, the lettering and decorative part being left in the capable hands of Mr B. Nash. The Jumbo bottle is a big draw.

One point of view. . An old gentleman from the country, on being asked his opinion of the opera Buddigore, lately performed by our local Society, said : —“ Weel, there was a wee bit lassie singing a pretty song, and a lot of others came in and spoilt it. Ay, and they kept doing it all night. Mon, it failspoilt it a’.” “ Sirs, I will meet you half-way in the shape of two trucks of gravel, because it is almost impossible for the women folk to get either up or down to the house,” was the offer made by a Pukerau resident in asking the County Council to repair a footpath leading to his residence. The appeal was successful, and the work will be done in due course. The Hon. Mr Larnach, formerly Minister of Mines and Marine, and representative of Tuapeka in the present Parliament, shot himself in one of the Parliamentary committee rooms on Wednesday afternoon. The cause is attributed to financial difficulties. It issaidthathe lost heavily in the Colonial Bank business, in which he had great faith, The deceased gentleman was well-known throughout the colony and was highly esteemed. When the sad news was made known in the House, business was at once suspended. Messrs Tothill, Watson and Co. hold an important sale of town and country properties on Tuesday. We recently published a report of a bachelors’ ball at Wairio. i Our regular correspondent advised us that it was incorrect, and now Messrs E. J. Patterson and A. Bulman desire to disclaim the authorship, which rumour ascribes to them. Unless our informant can give a satisfactory explanation we will decline all further contribhtions from him. Persons interested in the sittings of the Supreme Court at Invercargill are now better off than formerly. Witnesses no longer risk the catching of colds while waiting in draughty corridors, nor do jurymen have to do penance when called to serve Queen and country. There is, however, one drawback to complete felicity—the inconvenience caused and time lost through the [uncertainty that prevails as to when civil business will be taken. In the case of country residents the uncertainty often involves a great loss of time and money, and Mr W. Y. H. Hall, before the late sittings closed, suggested that a date might be fixed for the taking of civil business. His Honour, Mr Justice Pennefather, while recognising the advantage of this course, failed to see how it could be secured unless counsel got all the accused persons to promise to plead guilty. This is all very well as a judicial pleasantry, but the reform might be effected if His Honour would name a date for civil actions, and deal with Chamber business in the event of the criminal cases being disposed of sooner than anticipated.

E. Robson and T, Baldwin have been committed for trial at Dunedin on a charge of burning down a house at Gore. Bail was allowed, but was not forthcoming. The Southland County Council are inviting tenders for a number of road works that should give employment to a good many hands during the next few months. Particulars are advertised.

“ The ratepayers can’t go on if this lasts,’’ said Cr. Robertson at yesterday’s meeting of the Southland County Council, referring to the cost of the County valuation. “It is something ridiculous that the work should cost £2619. I believe it could be as well, if not belter, done for much less.” At a later stage the Council adopted the resolution forwarded by the Hutt County Council, protesting “ against the exorbitant and monstrous charges for valuations as made by the Government,” and asking that the same be reduced.

A girl of fourteen, from the Riverton District, was committed to the Industrial School on Thursday. All the railway workshops are engaged in turning out additional rolling stock in view of next season’s grain traffic in the South Island ; overtime is being worked at each establishment, and more men are now employed than has ever been the case before.

In a riot, arising out of a strike in Illinois, fifteen of the strikers were killed by the police, while the mob inflicted fatal injuries on a colliery manager. The Gore Hibernian Society, with a balance in hand of £94 11s 4d, is to be wound up. At a recent meeting it was carried that the funds be disposed of as follows : —£lo 10s to be donated to the Gore Caledonian Society ; £lO 10s to the Gore Cycling Club, and the balance (£74) to the Sisters of Mercy, East Gore Convent. It was suggested that the money should all go towards the promotion of athletics, but this was not carried.

The Campbelltown Borough Council, in prosecution of the scheme of improvements initiated some time ago, invite tenders for a number of works.

Mr Robert Roberts, of Birmingham, who lectured here a few months ago on Biblical subjects, died at ’Frisco while on his way Home.

We learn that a serious accident happened to Mr James Taylor, Waikiwi, this week. It appears that while working with a slasher the implement somehow came in contact with his stomach, with the result that a portion of his bowels protruded. Mr Taylor, with cotnmendable presence of mind, replaced them, keeping them in position with his hand, and in this plight made his way to his home, when medical aid was summoned. Though in a critical condition last Wednesday, we understand that he is now doing as well as can be expected.

The Secretaries of the Southland Industrial exhibition asked the County Council yesterday to return the promissory note forms sent to that body, and to state, for the information and guidance of the Committee, what support the Council thought the committee might calculate upon in addition to the notes actually signed —The letter, after being dealt with by the Council, bore the discouraging minute—“ No results.”

The Invercargill Amateur Operatic Society gave two supplementary performances of ‘ Buddigore ’ on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Their ill-fortune in regard to weather pursued them on the first occasion) and on the second, when the weather was fine, the audience was not very numerous. There was, however, no hint of this on the stage—one and all played and sang with unflagging spirit, and the result was a delightful representation of the opera, to which Mies Organ’s brightly sung verses in the opening seene proved the keynote. Mrs Blue and Misses Smith and Hishon added to their laurels, and Messrs Grenfell, E. B. McKay, W. D, Smith, and Gladstone were exceedingly happy in their respective roles.

We have much pleasure in thanking the people of Invercargill and surrounding districts for their past patronage, and would still remind them we have one of the Largest and Best Assorted Stock of Books, etc., in Southland. We receive, by every mail steamer, new Books and Magazines. As the prize season is again approaching we would call special attention to these lines, and invite inspection of Schoolmasters, members of Committees, and Teachers. New Season’s PRIZE BOOKS by all the most popular authors and from the Best Publishers (carefully selected) and supplied at specially low terms to schools. Books to special order procured without delay by weekly shipments from London at the NZ, Bible, Tract, and Book Society, Athenceum Corner, Invercargill The springtide is with us, harbinger of summer, with bursting leaf and flower, freshness and verdure everywhere. But in its train it frequently brings constitutional disturbance of the human system ; amongst others, lassitude, debility and eruptions on the skin from blood impurities. Price’s Sarsaparilla Compound will be found a useful preparation ; on alternative for the Renovation of the Blood and for the Restoration of Tone and Strength to the System, 2s 6d per Bottle. T. J. Pbice, Chemist, Invercargill.