LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1183, 27 May 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Rxsijbnt Magisxba.tb'B Court, Gkbai.dinb. —A sitting of thii Court for the hearing of ciril cater, will be held to-morrow. Suicide.—A man named J. M. Cochrane of Mount Whit?, shot himself in the head, at the Bealej, on Friday night. Ho died on Saturday morning. Temuka Linseed Factory.—Toe opening of the works of this Factory will take place tomorrow, and shareholders in the company and the general public are invited to attend. Luncheon will be provided. Pkoposed Town Boakd District for Geraloine.—We understand that Mr W. Coltman having received a copy of the petition together with the signatures attached thereto recently forwarded to Wellington praying that Geraldine may ba formed into a Town Board District, steps are being taken to test the names therein, as to whether they are actual residents within the proposed boundaries of the same or not.

Loed St. Leonards. —A telegram from London state* that Lord St. Leonards, who was committed for trial by the Magistrates on the Bth inst. for indecent assault on one of la is servant!, bail being refuted, has de manded to be tried by hit peers.

The Unemployed in New South Wales. —A telegram from Sydney states that on account of the unemployed neglecting to accept offers of work at 6s to 6» 6d per day, the Government decided to discontinue the measures for their relief. This excited the wrath of the men, who met and passed some foolish resolutions on the subject.

Change in Hotel Proprietorship.—As we intimated in this paper a short while since, the Bush Hotel property at Geraldine has been purchased by Mr D. Mcllwraith, who took possession of the same on Saturday evening last. Mr T. Farrell, the recent landlord of the hotel, has taken the Grown Hotel, in the township, from the 16th June next.

Presbyterian Soiree at Geraidine.— The annual soiree and concert in connection with the Presbyterian Ohurch was held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Geraldine, last night. Tea was laid on the tables at 5 p.m.,and a very large assemblage partook of the good things provided. A concert was afterwards given under the able leadership of Mr Edmonds, the conductor of the Geraldine Philharmonic Society. A full report of the proceedings will appear in our next is«ue. A dance was afterwards held under the auspices of the Loyal Victoria Lodge of Oddfellows.

Geraldinb Floral and Horticultural Society.—The adjourned meeting of this Society was hold on Saturday evening last, Mr J. Pye being voted to the chair. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and confirmed, Mr A. Fisher was requested to act as Hon. Secretary pro tern. It was decided that the membership fee* should be as follows :—A subscription of £1 would entitle the member to exhibit and to have four tickets of admission to any show ; a subscription of 5s would entitle a member to exhibit, and to two admission tickets ; a subscription of 5s would entitle a member to exhibit and one admission ticket. ThegHon. Secretary was requested to write to several gentlemen in the district asking them to become members of the Society. The meeting then adjourned.

Fibs Ar Winchester.—About midnight last Friday a fire broke out in the house and store of Mr Robert Taylor, Winchester. The fire was discovered by Mr Taylor's eldest daughter who waa awakemed from sleep by the noise. The origin of it is unknowa, with the exception that it is supposed that the chimney around the fireplace was defective and that sparks went through tho crevices of the wood. Miss Taylor at once alarmed the family and the neighbors, who rendered much assistance. Mr Taylor was absent from home for some days previous. Though a large crowd collected shortly after the alarm was given and everyone did his beet, the goods in the store were completely destroyed and very little of the furniture was Saved. The building was insured for £250, bat the furniture and Btock were completely uninsured and consequently Mr Taylor is a loser to a considerable extent.

DtmEDiK Races. —The Dunedin Jockey Club's Birthday meeting took place last Friday and Saturday. On Friday the weather was fiae and th» attendance fair, but it rained all Friday night and on Saturday the course was sloppy and th« attendance small. The following are the results of the events contested : —Hurdle race, of 50 sots — Little John, 1; Mokarakara, 2. Maiden Plate, of 40 sovs—Holderness, 1; Larry, 2. Provincial Handicap, of 100 sots—Lady Emma, 1; Hippodamia, 2. Trotting Race—Ace of Club, 1. Selling race—Mata, 1. Tradesman's Handicap, Minerva, 1 ; Rubina 2. Flying Handicap, Hurdles, of 40 sovs— G-lenara, 1 ; Little John, 2. Birthday Handicap of 120 sovs—Rubina, 1; Billy, 2. Novel Race Handicap of 80 botb —Mokarakara, 1; Prospero, 2. L«ap Year Handicap Trot, of 60 sovs Cock Robin, 1. Su. Clair | Welter Handicap, of 70 sovs Billy, 1 ; Holderness, 2. Consolation, of 40 sots — Happodamia, 1. Auckland Catholics. —A petition was read at all the Roman Catholic churches on Sunday last, in order to procure signatures to it for presentation to the Assembly, praying for an amendment of the Education Act. The prayer of the petition is that a capitation grant be given to every Roman Catholic school, based on average attendance at Sunday school, and on results of examination made under Government inspection ; that whilst the average annual cost to the Government for each child attending the State schools is estimated in the Government returns at £3, and the result of closing of existing Roman Catholic schools (in the event that lies in the diecretionary power of your petitioners) would involve Government in an extra annual expenditure of some £5600, exclusive of cost of extra school buildings in many already overcrowded districts. The proposed remedial measure would entail a considerably less expenditure to the State, and go far to allay the considerable and reasonable discontent of Her Majesty's subjects in the provincial district of Auckland. The petition goes on to say that 18,000 Catholics in the Auckland diocese are conscientiously opposed to the present system, and who have consequently established and maintained 18 schools, involving an expenditure in sites and buildings of about £28,000, exclusive of any Government grant or cost of maintaining such schools, and 1400 children are now being educated in these schools without nny aid from Government. ,

Mh Booth's Tbkpibancb Mission. —Mr Booth continues his temperance movement in Sydney, and the police state that there is a decrease in crime since the commencement of his mission.

Waitohi Watee Supply Distkigt.— In another column will bs found a list of the sections and reserves in the Waitohi district affected by the proposed water supply for irrigation purpose*. A Poheb. Last Friday night at Mr Williams's meeting (says the Press) a free and independent elector asked the following question :—' Are you in faTor of the members only receiving one harmonium V What this meant seemed for a while to puzzle the member, but at last he grasped the idea tha fc the question had reference to the honorarium* and be answered it as such.

Acoidimt.—A lad named Jame»Tetberidge> employed by Mr N. C. Nicholas as groom in his, stable had his leg broken above the ankle and the ankle dislocated last Sunday evening by a kick from a horse. Tha horse had been left in the stable, and the lad was feeding it when it kicked him. He was taken to Mr Nicholas's house, where he was attended by Dr Campbell, who sot the injured limb. He is getting on farorably. Tbottihg Match.—On last Saturday a trotting match between Mr Smithson's Taffy and Mr N. 0. Nicholas's Fenian took place. They started at Winchester and finished at Mr Craig's shop, Terauka, and the distance was covered in 12} minutes. There are some disputes as to the winner. Taffy was comiog in the winner, but he broke about 50 yards from home and consequently the win is claimed by Fenian, to whom no one will begrudge it as he is 20 years of age.

A Delayed Mail Owing to tbe alteration in the time of starting the first train from Timaru for Christchurch yesterday not being sufficiently or conspicuously advertised, the whole of the mail for the northern offices was delayed till the express train. The mail was taken to the station some time after the departure of the train, which left at 6.45 instead of 7.30. Quite a number of intending passengers were also left behind to cogitate on the way our railways are mismanaged. Extbaordinabv Death.--Capt. Cable, Waikouaiti, an old identity, aged 88, is dead. Recently hia mind allowed sigas of weakening. Last Friday he told his attendants he was going to be flogged by some persons, and he would go into the water so that they could notget at him. So, laboring under this hallucination, he went and laid down in a creek, immersing the whole of his body except hia head which he rested on a atone. A short time elapsed before he was discovered. When taken out of the water he was quite numbed, and he gradually sank through tbe shock to the system.

Gbaxd National Stbbplhohasb.— The Grand National Steeplechase meeting was held at Christchurch yesterday afternoon, on the C.J.C. racecourse. The weather was dull and cold ; a heavy shower fell in the morning, but the running track was in good order. The attendance was moderate : Grand National Steeplechase, of 200 sots ; 4 miles. Mr Butler's The Agent, 12st. 61b. (T. Lyford), 1; Mr Pilbrow's Barbary, list. 31b. (Sheenan), 2 ; Hercules, 12st. 71b. 3. Black Doctor, list. 31b, also ran. The betting was 5 to 2 agst The Agent, 2to 1 Hercules, 3 to 1 Barbary > and 5 to 1 Black Doctor. Black Doctor made the running, followed by Barbary and Hercules. At the second jump, Black Doctor and Hercules baulked, The Agent then going to the front with Barbary in' attendance. After several attempts, Hercules got over the second jump, but Black Doctor persisted in refusing. The Agent jumped well till entering the straight the second time, when Barbary made an effort and got on even terms with him, but soon fell »way again, Hercules at this time being hopelessly behind. The Agent kept the lead to the finish, Barbary being distanced, and Hercules and Black Doctor walking in. The pace was very moderate throughout the race.

Fitah Acoidkht. —The body of a man named William Lockwood was found on the railway line near Heathcote station on Saturday night, hating been evidently run oyer by a train. It is supposed the accident happened late on Saturday night. Lcokwood formerly liyed in Timaru, and had a wife and family residing at Heathcote. The Press giyes the following particulars : Information reached the Lyttelton Police Station on Saturday night that a fatal accident had occurred at the Heathcote Valley Station. Sergeant Mason sent through two of his staff to investigate the and went through himself oaSunday forenoon. i The sad occurrence resulted in the de*th of a j railway workman named William Lockwood, whose body was found in a frightfully mangled state betwesn the Heathcote station and the entrance to the tunnel. From enquiries made it seems that the deceased had a half holiday on Saturday, and was seen at about ten o'clook at night quite sober. The presumption is, as he left the Valley Hotel to go to his brother-in-law's house, that he stumbled over the wires that work the signals for the tunnel, and falling upon the rails was rendered insensible. The lo p.m. train from Christchurch to Port must have passed over him, for his body was found between ten and eleven o'clock, as stated above. The discovery oreated quite an excitement amongst the residents at the Valley, who speak of the deceased in terms of sincere regard. He hadbeen but a few j months amongst them, having removed to the Valley from Timaru with his wife and two children, for whom the deepest sympathy is felt. . ■

Mr J. Mundell wants a smart boy ai groom. Messrs J. Mundell and Co. will hold their monthly sale of stock on Wednesday 4th June. They are now receiving entries for it. Mr Geo. Taylor returns thanks to hi 3 friends and neighbours who assisted at the fire at his premises at Winchester on Friday night. With our present issue, will be found a bill giving particulars of the great clearing sale now being helu by Messrs Gabites and Plant*, drapers and clothiers, Timaru. The bill speaks for itself. Mr W. S. Maslin announces that he will sell a large quantity of contractors' plant, etc, on the premises of the Geraldint Dairy Factory on Thursday next, 29th Ma -