The Southern Cross. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. INVERCARGILL, SATURDAY, APRIL 13. General News.

Southern Cross, Volume 9, Issue 2, 13 April 1901, Page 8

The Southern Cross. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. INVERCARGILL, SATURDAY, APRIL 13. General News.

. ♦ . It is understood Mr A. Kinross will be a candidate for a South Wardcouncillorsbip. Despite the introduction of the penny post, there has been an increase of postal revenue of .£20,000 for the last quarter. That Southland generally is advancing, is evidenced by the fact that several Northern business men have been paying attention to Invercargill and Gore during the past week, with a view to settling permanently in this district. A petition, favouring the adoption of the unimproved value in rating, is in circulation in Invercargill. Mr P. Walter, architect, invites tenders for the erection of a house in Yarrow at. Mr H. McLean, Town Clerk of Gladstone who, to quote his own words, hasn’t had a holiday since 1861, leaves shortly for Auck« land on a well-earned tour. The church services at Gladstone commence at 6.35 p.m. to-morrow for the winter months. It is no wonder carpenters are busy now-a-days. Report has it that in Dunedin alone no fewer than 800 new houses are in course of erection. At Gore last week, Messrs Wright, Stephenson & Co., on behalf of the N.Z. Agricultural Co. (in liquidation) sold nine farm properties, totalling nearly 2000 acres, at from £4 to £2 Is per sere. The buyers were Messrs R. McDougall, Harringtons ; A. McAlister, Lumsden ; J. Crosbie, Lumsden ; T. Yarcoe, Huntley; F. W. Galbraith, Lumsden; Sargiason Bros., Gore (three farms); and J. Macpherson, Balfour. Only three of the agricultural and pastoral areas were disposed of, the buyers being Messrs M. McCabe, Gibbston; and A. Small and R. Yardley, Lumsden. Mr Reginald Day, Winton, has been appointed secretary for the H. and C. A. Board at a salary of £153 per annum. There were 17 applicants. The salary of the master and matron at Lome Farm (Mr and Mrs Cuswarth) has been increased by £SO a year During last month produce to the value of £l7 12s 6d was sold from the farm.

Mr H. Wilson has been elected Mayor of Gladstone. There was no opposition.

Mr Horace Bastings, who is a candidate for the mayoralty of Invercargill, will address the electors in the Theatre Eoyal on Monday evening. Mr W. B. Seandrett has a house and freehold section in Esk street for sale. The police are reported to be making enquiries for a young man who has absconded with over .£IOO belonging to his employer, a Dunedin merchant. Owing to ill-health, the Eev. Mr Baird, for many years minister at Winton, has had to forward his resignation to the Southland Presbytery. In the N.Z. Draughts Tournament, decided at Palmerston North, Gardiner (Gore) succeeded in gaining first place by the narrow margin of half a point, his score being out of 22 games, Brodie and Mulvey tied for second place with 18 points, and Boreham was fourth with 174, one point covering the four leading men.

The anniversary of the Don Street Primitive Methodist Sunday School will be celebrated to-morrow, when services will be held morning, afternoon, and evening. The preacher will be the Rev. R. Hall, the newly appointed minister of the Bluff circuit. Mr Hall has made a very favourable impression at the port, and as this is his first visit to Invercargill, the services are looked forward to with much interest. A feature of the anniversary will be the special singing of the scholars, they having been in training for some weeks past.

Mr C. Rodgers, of the Railway bookstall 5 who last year scored so well with his photographic buttons in connection with the South African war, has forsaken military celebrities for royalty. In other words, he has secured a large quantity of buttons, in various pretty designs, and bearing excellent likenesses of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, and, with characteristic enterprise, visits Melbourne to dispose of his attractive novelties during the stay of the Duke and Duchess in Victoria’s capital. Mr Rodgers will afterwards sell the buttons in New Zealand, travelling from Auckland southward for that purpose. The buttons can be obtained at prices advertised in this issue.

In connection with the death in the Southland Hospital on Thursday of Dr Ward, of Riversdale, we learn from the Mat aura Ensign that the circumstances surrounding the case were very sad. The deceased some time ago invested heavily in dredging shares, and became financially embarrassed. He left Riversdale a few months since with the intention of starting in practice at Feilding, in the North Island, but returned to Riversdale about three weeks ago. On Tuesday of last week, Dr G. Copland, of Gore, was called in to attend Dr Ward, and found him suffering from the effects of poison. Dr Ward admitted that, in a moment of desperation, he had taken a dose of cyanide of mercury. He expressed sorrow for what he had done, and there appeared no likelihood of bis again attempting his life. On the following day, however, when Dr Ward and his housekeeper were at dinner, he picked up a knife and attempted to cut his throat with it. Dr Copland was again summoned, and as Dr Ward’s state was then such that be was thoroughly bent on self-destruction, he communicated with the police, and the unfortunate man was charged at Gore with attempted suicide. The wound in his throat was a mere scratch, and on removal to the Invercargill Hospital he was treated for poisoning. From the effects of the cyanide of mercury, however the properties of which are to set up violent and continuous purging and vomiting) he never recovered. The late Dr Ward was a man of wide intellectual attainments, and of very devout disposition. He was over 60 years of age, a widower, with one son, who is stated to be in Sweden.

The N.Z Book Society, Athenaeum Corner commence their Annual Stocktaking Sale on Saturday, 30th March, for one month. Our large stock of General Books, Prize Books, Story Books, Children’s Picture Books, Hymn Books (Sankey’e, Church Praise, Wesley’s Hymns, Common Prayer and Hymns and Hymns Ancient and Modern), asd Bibles at sale prices. Everything reduced during the sale. 500 dozen large Floral Wall Cards, 2d and 3d each, offered at Is per doz. Country orders receive prompt attention at the N.Z. Book Depot, Athenamm Corner, Invercargill.