General News.

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 36, 2 December 1899, Page 8

General News.

At the Dunedin Supreme Court sessions, Catherine Ashton, found guilty of conducting an illegal operation, was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. A bazaar will be held on 13tb, 14th and 15th of December in the Bluff Drill Hall in aid of St. Matthews church of England. A very attractive programme will be carried out, including fairy well, Christmas tree, children’s fairy dances, grand fancy dresa march, etc.

The Sew Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. are in receipt of the following ■cablegram from their London office : Wool sales opened at an average advance of about 16 per cent on last sales’ closing rates. The attendance of both Home and foreign buyers is large, and competition by both Home and foreign buyers is good.

Tenders are being invited for the erection of a new police station at Invercargill.

Mr E. B. Jones has something of interest to say in this issue regarding the course to be followed in cases of influenza.

The supporters of the Hon. J. Gr. Ward are specially invited to Record their votes on Wednesday owing to the nomination of a second candidate.

A correspondent forwards the following ■*' locally grown ” joke : School teacher, ■endeavouring to draw the word “ vegetable ” from the class : When we eat potatoes what w«uld we call them ? Patsy MoClintic (brightest boy in the class) : Spuds, ma’am. Collapse of teacher.

The poll for the election of members of Parliament will be held on Wednesday next, between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. Electors will also be required to vote on the question of the continuance, reduction, or abolition of hotels in each district.

Some particulars are given in an advertisement of the sports to be held at Clifton on 26th December under the auspices of the Clifton, Woodend, and Bluff Athletic Society.

Messrs M. Carr and Co., Don street, solicit the support of wool growers in view of the sales to be held on 9th and 31st January.

The hotelkeepers in the Awarua district held an important meeting in Invercargill on Thursday.

jg'he proprietor of “ The Little Dust Pan,” Spey street, publishes a list of the chief lines dealt in.

The return of the Hon. J. G. Ward for Awarua is of course almost a certainty, but he is not to have a walk over. Tha Prohibition Party, wishing to avoid the disadvantage under which they labour in districts ■where there is no contest, have nominated Mr W. T. Murray, of the Underwood Milk Factory, who, in a short printed address to the electors, intimates that he has come forward in the “ interests of temperance and fair play.”

The Hon. J. G. Ward, in an advertisement published in this issue, explains why he is unable to address the Awarua electors at the various centres, and states that he will greatly esteem the active co-operation and assistance of his friends throughout the electorate.

Mr J. W. Kelly addressed the Invercargill electors in the Theatre on Tuesday evening, facing an audience that filled every available inch of space above and below. The Mayor preeided, and for a time he and the candidate were fairly pelted with bouquets. When the floral shower ceased Mr Kelly began a vigorous defence of his past actions and present political position, and after answering a number of questions was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. Mr Sim, aged 85 years, who was residing with his daughter, Mrs Evans, senr., at Orepuki, went out for a stroll on Tuesday afternoon, and has not been seen since. It is feared that he has fallen inton a race or down a shaft. The Liberty League issue an address to the electors of Awarua. The Xmas number os the Southern Ckoss will be published on 23rd December. It will consist of 24 pages, and will contain a number of illustrations, including views of the Inrereargill Abattoir, the Southland Erozen Meat Oo.’s buildings at Mataura aad others.

Politics have invaded the schoolroom. Thus the Mataura Ensign : —So high does political feeling run in the lower part of the Mataura electorate that a schoolmaster in the Wyndham district recently had occasion to punish two boys who were fighting with a view to settling which was the better man —Mr Raymond or Mr Me Nab.

The Hon. Mr Seddon, the Hon. J. McKenzie, and Capt. Bussell have been re-elected unopposed.

When shall we hear the last of the Tichborne case ? A number of doctors now declare that a lunatic named Cresswell, confined in an asylum in Sydney, bears numbers of marks and has certain characteristics similar to those of Sir Roger Tichborne.

At the London wool sales merino and fine crossbred advanced 10 to 15 per cent., while medium and lower crossbreds were 15 to 20 per cent, higher and were keenly competed for.

Part of Muckross Estate, including “beauty’s home,” Killaroey, has been bought by Lord Ardilaun for .£60,000.

Mr Martin Simonsen, the musician and operatic manager, who was well-known throughout the colonies, has committed suicide in Melbourne. Providing amusement for other people was, in his case, an unprofitable game, and has had a pitiful ending.

In spite of the fact that the payment of old-age pensions has absorbed £IOO,OOO, the Hon. Mr Seddon states that the first seven months of the present year show a surplus of of £218,000.

The church of England services at the Bluff will in future be held in the Athenaeum Hall, commencing on Sunday 3rd December.

A committee meeting was held in connection with the Bluff Harbour regatta on Saturday last, when everything was arranged for this annual function. Mr F. Jones was appointed secretary and Mr B. F. Dawson treasurer.

Bishop Nevill, of Dunedin, and the Bev. D. C. Bates went to Stewart Island on Wednesday last by the tug Awarua to open the Anglican church (St. Andrew’s) at Oban. The building occupies a good position on rising ground in the centre of Oban Township.

Mr C. W. Brown has building sites in Campbelltown east for sale.

The Invercargill jetty presented a gay appearance on Thursday night, the occasion being the formal opening of the local boating season. The event attracted a large number of pleasure-seekers. The slight breeze prevailing early in the evening died away, and by eight o’clock weather, wind, and water were all that could be wished, and lent themselves to a successful opening ceremony. The Garrison Band was in attendance, and submitted a varied programme. A number of rockets were sent up from the steamer Bimu and from the Bowing Club’s boats, which were very prettily decorated, Chinese lanterns being effectively introduced. The programme of music, sailing, and fireworks was not concluded till ten o’clock, when everybody left feeling that the promoters deserved to be complimented on the way in which they had inaugurated the aquatic season. On Wednesday afternoon the members of the Wesleyan District Synod, on the arrival sf the afternoon train at the Bluff, were met by Mr G. B. George, who entertained them and members of St. Paul’s congregation at a garden party at his residence. The Eevs McLaren (Presbyterian) and Boys (Primitive Methodist) were also present by invitation. Before leaving the rev. gentlemen tendered thanks to Mr and Mrs George for their hospitality.

Invercargill burgesses, unlike those of Napier, who have elected the same man for fifteen years in succession, believe that the office should go round, and accordingly on Wednesday last elected Cr. J. S. Goldie as mayor, as against Mr J. Stead, who, complying with a requisition, stood for a second term. The figures were : —Goldie, 365; Stead, 326, giving Mr Goldie a majority of 39. There are 1,188 ratepayers on the roll, and of those only 691 exercised the privilege of voting. The Mayor-elect, who has served an apprenticeship of some years as a Cr., is an old resident of the town, and has taken an active part in local affairs for a lengthened period. It is worthy of note that he is, like his predecessor, a member of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, to which, by the way, Crs. Bissett and McKellar also belong. In returning thanks for his election Cr. Goldie intimated that his motto would bo economy.

Miss Kirk delivered addresses in the Theatre Royal on Sunday and Monday evenings in connection with the no-license campaign. The first consisted of an eloquent

exposition of the reasons why the electors should cast their votes against the'continuance of the liquor traffic, and the second was devoted to a consideration of the financial aspect of the question. The lady is admirably equipped as a platform speaker, and she frequently roused her audience to enthusiastic applause. On Thursday evening a great no-license demonstration was held in the same place, the speakers being the Revs. TSlliott, Lewis, Sinclair, and Brook.

Mr W. B. Scandrett has for disposal a property at Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island. The Health World. —A Magazine written plainly for the home, showing how to prevent and cure diseases of the human frame. No. 94d post free, has articles on how to be beautiful, how to cure rheumatism, lumbago, sciatica, corpulence, consumption, gout, diseases of men and women, deafness and head noises, the hair, etc., 9, Gt. Russell Street, W.C. London.