The Southern Cross. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. INVERCARGILL, SATURDAY, DEC. 15 General News.

Southern Cross, Volume 8, Issue 34, 15 December 1900, Page 8

The Southern Cross. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. INVERCARGILL, SATURDAY, DEC. 15 General News.

A mail for the United Kingdom closes at Invercargill this afternoon. Sports will be held at Waianiwa on the Blst inst. Mr James Noble, of Yellow Bluff, Otautau. was on Wednesday afternoon the victim of an accident which ended fatally. He was standing at the Spey street corner watching his son trucking a horse from the show, when the inward train from Riverton, after giving the usual warning, came on to the station. Mr Noble apparently did not hear the whistle, and was knocked down and thrown clear of the line by the cowcatcher. His skull was fractured, and he died next morning. The deceased, who was in his 82nd year, was a very old and highly respected settler. Mr P. Walker invites tenders for two residences—one here and the other at Gore. Mr S. Lithgow, Tay street, calls attention to some noteworthy features in the Sun bicycjes, whose good qualities he has tested, and of wnose merits he speaks very highly. The system of Drakes is very good, and should be seen by all interested in such matters. A twelve months guarantee is given with the tyre

The musical event o£ the year im Invercargill, the performance of .Handel's great oratorio, “The Messiah,”will be given in. the Theatre Eoyal on Tuesday evening by the combined choirs of the town. As will be seen from the advertisement/ the solos are in good hands, and a worthy rendering may bo looked for.

Owing to the demands on our space we have had to omit our draughts column for a time.

Entries for a number of events at theClifton sports on Boxing Day close to.day.

Our correspondent advises that the Eev. Mr McDonald has accepted a call to theForest Hill charge, and will be inducted on the 20th inst. We have to thank Mr G. Trew, chief agent for the Eoyal Insurance Co., for one of their compact and handsome wall calendars. The funds of the Company now stand at over nine and a half millions. An entertainment will be given in the Woodlands Hall on Wednesday evening, by the I.A. Musical and Dramatic Club. The Club’s entertainments have proved very popular, and the members have decided toreturn to Woodlands with an entirely new programme, consisting of a refined drawing--room entertainment, quartettes, duets, solos, comic songs, and the latest jokes, also the up-to-date side-splitting farce, “ Mad as a Hatter.” A very pretty wedding took place in the Don street Primitive Methodist Chureh on Wednesday afternoon, the contracting parties ■ being two highly esteemed members of the congregation, Mr Arthur J. Service and Miss Charlotte E. Ashley, third daughter of Mr • Ashley, senr., Don street. The ceremony,, which was witnessed by a good number of' deeply interested spectators, was performed by the Eev. T. H. Lyon, the bridal party passing under a floral archway which bad been erected in front of the aisle. The bride, , who was given away by her father, wore a handsome costume of white silk stripe lustre, with orange wreath and veil, and was attended by the follow iug bridesmaids Miss Eose Ashley (sister of the bride), Miss Yera McConnochie (St. Bathans), Miss Lizzie Ashley (cousin of the bride), and Misses Alice and Evelyn Ashley (sisters of the bride), together with Masters Ashley, Lennie, and Frank Ashley, nephews of the bride, as pages. The bridesmaids were attired in dresses of cream nun’s veiling with cream trimmings, nud hats of cream Leghorn trimmed with pink. Mr Albert Service, brother of the bridegroom, acted as best man.. The bride carried a beautiful bouquet of white flowers and maidenhair fern, and the bridesmaids each bore a very pretty bouquet of white flowers, pink ixias, maidenhair fern and asparagus. Several appropriate hymns were sung by the choir, and as the happy pair retired to the vestry the organist, Mr A. S. Froggatt, played the wedding march f while the bell rang out merrily as they left the chureh for the carriage in waiting, which 1 they reached after passing through a shower of rice. Shortly afterwards about fifty guests sat down to a sumptuous wedding breakfast in Ashley’s Hall. The Eev. Mr Lyon presided over the happy gathering, and in eulogistic terms gave the toast of “ The bride and bridegroom,” and referred to the valuable services they had rendered to the church, “ The Parents ” and “ The Eelatives ” were acknowledged respectively by Mr Ashley,, senr., and Messrs W. and H. Ashley. Mr Storrie and Mr Lennie replied for “ The Guests,” and Mr Albert Service for “ Th* Bridesmaids.” Mr and Mrs Service, who were the recipients of many choice gifts, including a handsome time-piece from thechoir, left by the afternoon train for Queenstown. • Britain’s “ grand old songster ” is no more. The death is announced, in his 87tls. year, of Henry Bussell, author of a number of well-known songs, including “ Cheer, Boys, Cheer.” “Born at Sheerness six years before Queen Victoria, and four years after Mr Gladstone,” observed a recent writer, “he became passionately fond of music even as a child, and in his infancy sang contralto in children’s opera with Elliston, the famousimpresario of Drury Lane. As a boy, too, he sang at the fool of the very throne itself, George IV. being so delighted with the way in which ho acquitted himself that ho took the little singer on his knee andf imprinted a royal kiss upon Me cheeks.”

Sir Weatby Perceval, late Agent-General for New Zealand, is returning to the colony, and will re-enter the political arena. It would be interesting to know what position in the Ministry he will ultimately fill.

The Home mails via San Francisco will arrive by to-day’s express, and the usual delivery will be made at the Post Office between the hours of 7 and 8 p m.

The City Band hold a picnic at Gorge Hoad on Boxing Day, and have made every preparation to promote the enjoyment of their guests.

Time flies, but lest we should forget the fact, Mr W. G. Gilchrist, chemist, Tay street, has sent us a reminder in the shape of a neat little calendar, in which the attributes of a business card and an almanac are nicely blended.

Tenders are invited for the erection of a new jetty at Queenstown.

The Southland Pipe Band left for the North en route for Sydney by yesterday’s express, and were sped on their way with cheers by the crowd who thronged the platform. They expect to be absent about six weeks.

Charles Arnett was before the Invercargill Police Court yesterday on a charge of attempting to murder C. Milne, J Gordon; and W. White by administering poison. The hearing was going on when we went to press

An inquest on the remains found ©n the Longwood on Saturday last was held at Orepnki on Tuesday, before Mr McCarthy, S.M., and a jury of six, of whom Mr Walker was chosen foreman. Evidence was given by Mr J. S. Evans, who testified as to the disappearance from Orepuki in Nov., 1889, of his grandfather, Mr J. Sim, aged 85 years, and as to the subsequent unsuccessful search made for him. The witness identified the purse and watch chain found on the remains as those of his grandfather. Mr Walter Bain, another grandson of the deceased, identified his walking stick. Mr J. Hennessey deposed as to finding his remains, stating that they were resting on a bed of flax, which had evidently been cut by the deceased. His walking stick was lying across his arms, and everything indicated a peaceful ending. Con. stable Ferguson deposed to the removal cf the remains from the ranges to Orepuki, and the jury returned a verdicb>that the body was that of Mr J. Sim, who died on the ranges from exposure, on or about 29th Nov., 1899, and that every effort had been made to discover his “whereabouts, and that no blame attached to anyone. A pathetic feature of the sad occurrence is that deceased had often expressed a desire to view the country from the summit of the Longwood, and that the spot where he died commands a panoramic view of the greater part of three counties —Southland, Wallace and Fiord. Moses-like, he died alone on the mountaintop in his ripe old age, in view of a land literally flowing with milk and honey, given as a heritage to the early pioneers, of whom he was one. As one’s mind goes back to the lonely figure lying there in the silent, watches of the night, four lines of Mrs Alexander’s beautiful poem on the death of Moses suggest themselves

“ And had lie not high honour, — * The hillside for a pall,— To lie in state, while angels wait, With stars for tapers tall?” The remains of the late Mr Sim have been conveyed to Dunedin for interment beside his late wife, who pre-deceased him by five or ■ix years.

We have been informed by a traveller, who recently passed through Fortrose, that the Opening of the railway to Waimahaka has prejudicially affected this township. Before the line was opened a small si earner and sailing craft visited the port, but now these visits are discontinued, and the pilot has been discharged. ■‘-ereral houses are empty, and landed property has fallen in value. The country around Fortrose is hdly, but the soil is good. Adjoining the township, on the farm of Mr Andrew Christie, there is a crop of oats that promises to be exceptionally heavy.

When leaving the Bluff for South Africa the other week Mr B. G. East was asked to write to a number of. his friends, and jokingly replied the Southern Cboss here —l’ll send a letter to it. and you’ll all see it.” He has been as good as his word, and his first notes by the way appear in this issue.

The weight-guessing competitions at the show on Wednesday resulted as under : Weight of bullock, 14101 b. Ist, Patrick Dooley, Kapuka, 14101 b; 2nd, W. Cochrane, Isla Bank, 1410jlb; R. Yardley, Lumsden, guessed 14121 b and J. W. Dun, Ma f aura, 14151 b. There were 115 guesses made, the highest being 50001 b and the lowest 18alb. Five fat sheep—correct weight 605i1b. First prize £2 and a £l4 sewing machine from the Singer Manufacturing Co.; second prize £l* Four hutmred and fourteen guesses were receive d. Out of this number there were no fewer than nine ties, six being a quarter of a lb below, and three being a quarter ,of a lb above the actual weight, viz. : Jas- Scott, Wyndham 6051bs P. A. Yyner, Invercargill 6051bs H. C. Creighton, Winton 6051bs Jno. McNaughton, Riverton 6051bs Neil McNeil, Loehiel 6051bs Mary Matheson, Don street 6051bs A. F. Hawke, Invercargill Jno. McGregor, Makarewa 605 Jibs Louisa McKenzie, Kenningt’n 605 jibs The highest guess (by a butcher too) was 7029 lbs and the lowest 62 lbs. The milk test competition was won by Mr R. Harris, of Mill Road, whose cow yeilded milk weighing 311b=1.24 per cent. Mr W. Waddell’s (Waibaka Valley) entry being second with 231b=1.06 per cent. We cordially invite all to call and inspect our Large and Choice Stock of Seasonable Books foi Presents, School Prizes, etc. We have just opened up the Largest and Best Selection ever imported by us. All are carefully selected from the leading Home Publhhers’ Lists. We offer exceptionally good value, and have one of the largest stocks in Southland to choose from. School Committees and Teachers will be supplied at the very lowest prices. New Volumes to hand of Chums, Boys’ and Girls’ Own Annual, Leisure Hour, Sunday at Home, Chatterbox, Sunday, Prize, Our Darlings, Child’s Companion, and other New Annuals to hand. Christmas and New Year Cards, and 1901 Floral Calendars. Special lines (very cheap) in mixed Packets, and Boxes of Autograph Cards with envelopes. Xmas Cards in boxes, Ivorine hand-painted a magnificent stock of these to choose fx*om (all the latest designs.) Country orders receive prompt attention. The Depot will remain open every evening till after the New Year, Inspection invited at the N. Z. Book Society, Athenaeum Corner, Deo Street, Invercargill —(Advt) A Cremation Society has been formed in Dunedin, with Mr Justice Williams as President. A recent number of the Quarterly Review favoured reform in the mode of burial as being preferable to cremation, holding that nothing that ever comes up from the cemeteries does harm, and that the resolving process would be more quickly effected, and without the slightest danger to the living, if the bodies were placed o ly a short distance below the surface and enclosed in something less dui’able than the coffins now in use.