LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1689, 21 January 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Attbmttid Suicide.— Swan, the pedestrian, attempted to commit suicide by taking poison at Melbpurno on WednseJay, The death of his'sweetheart is alleged to be the eause.

Elopements,— Elopements ore assuming of an epidemic in the North Island. The last took place in the Lower Valley of the Wairarapa. One of the parties is a woman with two children.

ArOTION. —Mr W. S. Maslin holds an extensive sale of furniture on the premises of Mr H. Fauvel, Temuka, on Monday next. As Mr Fauvel is leaving the colony the sale will be an one. , '<

Immigration and Emigration. —During the month of December 1476 persons arrived in the colony and 756 departed. The net gain to the colony from* excess ; of .immigration over emigration for the year was 1016. “■ ; " v(

Pbbsbttheian Ohdbcm, Gbballinb.— Ths opening services in connection with this Church takes place to-morrow. The services will be conducted by Rev, Mr Blmslie, of Christchurch, and the collections will be in aid of the building fund.

Thursday Hair-Holiday at Geraldine,—This institution is becoming - more (highly prised in Geyaldine weekly. - A good ; gaule Uf cricjet was. obtained op Thursday last, quite a number of the employees turning iip. Several spectators also put in an appearance, including some.ladies. . District Court, Timaru.—The Gasette notifies siftings of'the District Court in lieu, of those previously fixed as follows:—For civil business oa 2lst May, 16th July, and 19th November; and tor civil and criminal buemesa on 12th-March and 17tb September. Accident to a Teain.— lhe passengers by the train from Wellington to Magterton on Thursday morning had a narrow escape. When the train reached near Pigeon Bush the passenger carriages and four trucks were blown off the line. There were about nine passengers—three of them ladies —but none were hurt. Ai showing the force of tbs ijyind, it may be mentioned that each truck contained!a load of between 4 and 5} tons. -

Nareo* Escape.— On Wednesday (says the Press) on alarm was given at 8,2 o.ro. of a fire at Guerin’s (late Middleton’s) Hotel, Kaiapoi. A child with a .lighted candle, while pulling down a blind of an npataire room, set fire to tbs long piuslin curtains, which were soon jn a,blaze, but almost as quickly extinguished by “persons whose attention was immediately called thereto. The fire brigade, with the hand engine, had the same placed in Imin 26sf>c, bat although the steamer was drawn out the fire was not lighted. The damage whs trifling. The insurance risks on the building amounted to about £ISOO.

Cautioned. —At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Ashburton, on Thursday last, Charles Hunter who attempted to commit suicide by.cutting his throat at Ashburton recently, was brought up charged with the offence. Mr Ollivier* addressed Hunter at some length telling him that in attempting to take his own: life; he was gui'ty of attempted'murder I justi as it he had attempted tp .take the Jife of another. He had a good rfiindTo «n’d him to another Court for frial, ahdihOUld he ever again appear beford he should commit him for trialiattheSupreme Court. Honter expressed his panitence and said he would never touch strong drink again, Lbciubb AT Tbmuka.—A lecture will be delivered in the Volunteer Hall on Tuesday evening next by the Rev. John ' Dickson, M.A., the proceeds of which will be devoted to the Presbyterian Sabbath School. Tus The subject is “Superstitions of the Old Country, Past and Present,” and a more interesting one could not hays been chosen. The' Rev. Mr Dickson collecting information respecting the fairy lore of Ireland, and most racy and entertaining anecdotes may be expected. We are sure all who ajtejld; will enjoy an intellectual treat. The Rev.' T. A. Hamilton will take the chair, and during the evening a number of solos and musical selections will bs given. Mobbing Madame -Limousin.— Madame Limousin, who has been so discreditably mixed up with the Oaffarel affair in Paris, has experienced some rough usage at the hands of the students in that city'. Accompanied by her friehd Lqrenz, she had visited a beer shop riearThS on the night qf the 25th November, when .she was recognised, and a cry was raised, “ A. bn la Limousin!” She and her associate took refuge in a cab, front which she was dragged by main force, her hair torn out, her face spit upon, her person kicked, and her clothes torn from her back. The police came to her rescae, and Madame Limousin and Mr Lorenz Were removed to A place ; of safety, more dead than alive. . . /

Gross, , Carelessness. -4 During the present dry state of everything people can no' be too careful as to how they light fires. A few days ago an instance of the carelessness of boys in this direction was seen in the-setting jfre to the Goraldins bufsH. Another instance octflrred on Thiltsday last; whereby the old narrowly escaped destruction, The church is surrounded by long dry grass, and some boys having set fire to some rubbnb by the river bank, and a strong wind blowing at the time, the lames spread' towards the chu-ch. Fortunately plenty of assistance was at hand and the fire was put out before much mischief was dune. Had the building caught, it would io all probability have ignited the ehingle roof of the Post-office towards which the wind was blowing. Exposed.— Mr J. 0. Brown has just returned from the Old Country, and the Daily Times contained a glowing account of the excitement that, prevailed in his native town, Lawrence, on the occasion of his reaching Auckland. According' to that journal, flags were flying in all directions, and in the evening the town was illuminated and there was a grand display of fireworks. A Lawrence resident writing to the same paper a day or two later puts a somewhat different complexion on the According to this latter-day prophet, the pyrotechnic display was confined to a couple] of sky-rockets projected heavenward from the hon. gentleman’s own backyard by bis better half, and the bunting dwindled down to a couple of fLgfl, one of whir 1- only attained the dimensions of a handkerchief on a broomst/clf, and the other, elevated by a local publican, pefpaisd to ascend further than half-mast, causing an ijppycsaion to got abroad that Afr Browp had 4 e P a f to !? f° r 8 better world.^Exchang©.

Poaching.— A very large amount of illegal sport has been carried on lately in the Waihi and other rivers about Geraldine. A vratob, therefore, has been kept upon these rivers, with the result that several names have been secured, and the parties will possibly make their appearance before the Court at an early date. New Zbalandbbs in N.S.W.—A meeting of New Zealanders now in New South Wales was held in Sydney on Wednesday night, and was attended by about 100 persons. Resolutions were passed, in favor of Protection, and condemning the Atkinson Government for shelving the tariff question last session. A resolution was also passed calling upon the Colonial Treasurer of Now Zesland to make the fiscal policy of the colony the first business of this year, and asking him to substitute land and income taxes for the property tax.

I.O.O.T.—The fourteenth annual session of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand Good Templars commenced at Wellington on Wednesday. Bro. Clephano, G.C., presided. Among those present were J. W. Sawle and G. W. Andrews, Ashburton; A. Mills, Timaru; W. G. Wallace, Alford Forest; W. E. Barker, Peel Forest j and W. Ooltman, Geraldine. Sisters Duncan, Wakefield; M. Pearoy, Port Ahuriri, and Sister Eflord, of Christchurch, received the Graid Lodge degree. The Grand Lodge of the World is also bolding its annual session at 'Wellington.

R.M. Ooubt, Timaru.— At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Timaru, on Thursday, before Messrs W. C. Boswiok and J. Jackson, J.P.VHenry Ayers and a first offender wore sach fined 5s for drunkenness. John Topi, for the larceny of is scent bottle from the shop of Maurice Salek, pawnbroker, was sent to gaol for a month. Messrs Moody and Ziealer wore fined 10s for allowing horses to wander. James Newton, John Taylor, Wm. Weir, B. Gould, John Bradding, and Henry Oookson were severally fined 10s for leaving their vehicles Unattended. Cornelius Collins And John Topi were fined 10s each for fighting in a public place.

; The Albatross Message.—Our reader* will remember some weeks ego that a sen* sational story went the rounds of the Press referring to the finding on the sea beach near Preemantle of an albatross haring round its neck a collar of tin on which was scratched words in French to the effect that shipwrecked sailors were awaitiag rescue on the Oroset Islands. This collar of tin has . linos been exhibited in Melbourne, and does not, it is said, bear on it the impress of truth or genuineness. Captain Brown, of the Ullooh, barque, just arrived at- Sydney fram Hamburg, reports that ho passed unusually close to those islands on his way out, being only six miles away; he was thus enabled to make, through his glass, a most minute examination of Possession and East Island, but without discovering anybody or-anything to betoken the presence of human beings. Bound fo do Good.— Thu Waimate •Hospital (says the locai Times) has just come, into possession of the sum of £2 7a 3d under peculiar circumstances, Mr John Douglais, Waihao Downs, made an agreement with one of bis employees that in the event of said employee indulging in intemperance during the period of his engagement, any amount of wages not exceeding one month’s pay would, be forfeited to the Waimate Hospital. The object sought was to keep the man from imbibing too freely, but tile means failed, and he lost his billet and forfeited the amount mentioned, which haa been handed aver to the Hospital Trustees, so that if the stipulation did not save the unfortunate man from intemperance, it will at any rate aid the funds of the Waimate Hospital. The Stae 01 Bethlehem.— The “Star of Bethlehem** is said to be visible just now. Have any of our readers seen it P A Baugttikei surveyor, writing to a friend in Auckland, says |—“ By-the-way, have any of you seen the star that is travelling before the sun 3i hours ? We hare seen it for the last week or so quite bright all day. Seen from the upper part of the Rangitikei River on December 2nd, it was travelling 3i hours before the sun, and we hare seen it pntty well ever since. Rather a strange thing it is to see a star when the sun is out P’ 1 As if to corroborate this, a letter has teen received in Auckland from the United States in which the writer says 11 The * Star of Bethlehem * has at last arrived. Bright, beautiful, and glorious it gleams in the morning sky, and though its brilliancy is eclipsed as the sun rises and the day opens it is yet still distinct and visible far into the morning. Some say they have seen the star at noon; I have not done that, but I hare seen it about half-past nine in the morning, almost overhead and with an unclouded sun." Q hs South Canterbury Rabbit Fence. —The Preeideat of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce has written to the Hon. the Premier concerning the recent action of (he Government in respect to the South Canterbury rabbit fence as follows;—“ Sir, —lhave the honor, by direction of fclie Coramjttee of this Chamber, to express its very great concern that the Government is showing some hesitation in deciding to proceed with the erection of the rabbit-proof fence in the Tasman Valley. The Joint Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and of (his chamber, recently drew up a report respecting the. advance of rabbits into Canterbury, of which a printed copy was sent to you, and a perusal of ( that report must convince everyone that irgent and drastic measures are necessary if this Provincial District is to be saved from the terrible curse of a rabbit nuisance, ft will be unnecessary to recapitulate the various arguments in favor of ihd erection of this fence, more especially as my Oommi'tee has observed that personally, yon are fully alive to the extreme gravity of the situation; but I may be permitted to point out that, the Government officials here who know the country are unanimous in recommending the immediate prosecution of the work under notio°, in order that a great danger may be averted, and that an ever-increasing annual loss to the pastoral interest, and to the colony at large may ba avoided.—l have, etc,, Frank Graham, President.” Bambe’s Lung Phbsehtbe has gained great popularity in this district as a speedy and effectual remedy m the treatment ot Coughs, Colds, Bronchitis, and othei chest and throat complaints. Read advt. and try it. Holloway’s Pills.— lndigestion.— How mnoh thought has been bestowed, and what voluminous treatises have been written upon this universal and distressing disease, which is with certainty and safety dispelled without fear of relapse by a course of this purifying, soothing and tonic medicine 1 It acts directly on the stomach, liver and bowel*—then indirectly, though no less effectively, on the brain, nerves, vessel*, and glands, introducing eueh order throughout the entire system that harmony dwells between each organ and ite functions. Dyspepsia need no longer be the bugbear of the public, sines Holloway's Pills are fully competent to subdue the most chronic and diitreiaing oasss of impaired digestion, and to restore the mieerable e«ff«rec tp health, strength, and cheerfulness.

SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS,

Geraldine Town Board—Publish noli foation of valuation lilt.

Lecture—By R«v. John Dickson at To* make on Tuesday evening. F. Flatman, Woodbury, and B. Bowie, Timtru—Offer reward for lost hone.

A' J. Queloh and Co., Iromaengeri, Titnan —Space reserved for their advertisement. Chairman of Geraldine Sohool Committee —lnvites applioatieas for the position of pupil teacher. J. Brown, Beehive Stores, Temuka—Has large stock of harvesting requisites for sale at lowest prices. J.Mundelland Co., Auctionsers, Geraldine —Hold monthly sale of stock on Wednesday, let February. J. Ballantyne and Go., Victoria House, Timaru—Notify that their stocks are of the most varied and extensive character and imported direct from England and the Continent of Europe, thus effecting a great saving, of which their customers get the benefit; now mark all good at lowest cash prices. Mogridgs and Wiltshire, Drapers and Clothiers, Temuka—Notify that they are giving up business, and will hold a great clearing sale for twentf-ona days, during which they will sell drapery, clothing,' end boots at a large discount off cost price. All accounts owing to the firm must be paid before the Ist February.