Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 908, 28 April 1871, Page 2

Local and General.

. Canterbury Music Hall. — A public ball, for the benefit of the orchestra, will be given at the above hall this evening, commencing at eight o'clock. This ball will be the last of the series. Easter Vacation. — On and after Monday next, the offices of the Supreme Court will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. City Council Bye-Law. — A bye-law of the Christchurch City Council on drains, consisting of nine clauses, is published in a Provincial Gazette issued yesterday. Masonic. — The regular meeting of the Canterbury Lodge of F. and A. Masons 1048, k c, will be held in the Canterbury Masonic Id all at half-past seven o'clock this'evening. Theatre Royal, — "Leah" was reproduced last evening to a middling house. Mrs Steele takes a complimentary benefit to-night, and playgoers will doubtless pay her the compliment she deserves — a house filled in every part. New Zealand Flax. — A Wanganui paper states that a gentleman writes from a small town in the west of Scotland, that a manufacturer there is now erecting a large range of buildings expressly for working up New Zealand flax into all manner of fabrics to which the fibre can be turned. Ayonside. — The parishioners will be glad to learn that the churchwardens have made arrangements with the Rev. — Giles to officiate as Curate until a permanent incumbent is appointed. They will also be gratified to learn that Mr Martin's health is somewhat improved, and that he will be able to undertake some portion of the parish work. Gymnasium. — The preliminary measures for forming a gymnastic club, were initiated at a public meeting held in the commercial room of White's Hotel last night. Estimates »f the probable expenditure in the first year were submitted, and a committee was appointed to canvass for members and subscriptions. The committee are requested to meet *t|White's Hotel, at 7.30 p.m. to-morrow.

Rifle Match. — "We are informed that the rifle match between the Christchurch Cavalry and the Heathcote Engineers is fixed to come off to-morrow week. Bazaar. — The bazaar at the Music Hall was reopened yesterday, and was numerously attended, more especially during the evening. The St. Alban's Drum and Fife Band was in attendance, and played several selections.. Shortly after eight o'clock, the Managing Committee played " The Man with the Carpet Bag, or honesty the best policy," which was very favourably received. The Sale of Kerosine.— lt is not generally known, but it is worthy of notice, that persons selling kerosine must use specific labels or they are liable to a fine of not less than 10s, or not exceeding £5. No 10 of the City Council by-laws says " the licensee shall not sell or expose for sale for use within the colony of New Zealand any petroleum as herein defined, unless the bottle or vessel containing petroleum have attached thereto a label in legible characters stating as follows — ' Dangerous ' : no light to be brought near." - Mendelssohn Societt. — The fourth public rehearsal of this society, and first performance in Canterbury of Mendelssohn's oratorio "Elijah," will be given on Friday, May 12, at the Canterbury Music Hall, and will be limited to members of the society. The society has now upwards of fifty performing members, and, under the able direction of Mr Parker, has attained a degree of proficiency that reflects the greatest credit on that gentleman's training. Judging from the very satisfactory rehearsals that have lately taken place, we anticipate a very creditable rendering of the oratorio. Minin* Reserve. — In a Provincial Gazette issued yesterday, it is notified that the following reserve has been made, to cover an alleged discovery of auriferous quartz : — Six hundred and forty acres, more or less, situate in the Malvern district, commencing at a point on the western side of the range running from section 3108 towards Rockwood, the same being about 108 chains southwest of the south-western corner of the before-mentioned section, thence following a line bearing south 38 deg. west magnetic a distance of two miles, and extending back north-westerly half-a-mile, in a rectangular block. Runaway. — As a young man in the employment of Mr P. Tish, North Road, was yesterday driving a pair of horses attached to a dray laden with coals, they bolted through Cathedral square and up Colombo street at a furious pace. It appears that one horse was in the shafts and the other was harnessed to an outrigger on the off side. The horse in the shafts was a young one, and the conjecture is, that it saw some timber which was laid on the coals projecting some distance along the shafts, and that being frightened it became unmanageable. The driver made an effort to hold it, bnt the second horse also becoming excited, the two broke away from him. On arriving near Cookham House the shaft horse fell and was dragged some distance, but it ultimately had the effect of stopping the other animal. When taken out of the shafts the former was found to be seriously injured, and it had to be taken to a veterinary surgeon. Fire Tank. — During the week Mr Bailey has had the water pumped out of the tank in High street with a view to stopping the leakage. A hole in the bottom, where one of the springs had forced the cement out of its place before being set, was found, but this was the only noticeable place where leakage could occur. The bottom of the tank was kept dry for an hour with a view to seeing whether any of the interstices between the blocks leaked, hut after a most careful scrutiny not the slightest symptom was perceptible. The hole in the bottom was covered with a strong layer of cement, and the tank has since shown most unmistakeable signs of improvement, but, as the full power of water has not yet been turned on, it is impossible to say whether the tank is completely water-tight or not. Both for the sake of Mr Bailey, who must suffer a great loss in the matter, and the City Council, it is to be hoped that this will prove to be the case. Improvements in Lyttelton. — The Provincial Government invite tenders for additions to the Orphan Asylum, and construction of a building for the purposes of a Magistrate's Court at Lyttelton. The additions to the Asylum will supply a pressing want, which has been felt ever since the present premises were entered upon. They are for the accommodation of the male children, who are now very numerous. Up to the present time, the dining-room has also been used for school purposes, and it will easily be understood that apart from the inconvenience of such a proceeding, the savoury odours from the adjacent kitchen were anything but conducive to scholastic attention. The intention now is to erect a schoolroom apart from the main building, together with additional sleeping room for the boys and a private room for the under master. The schoolroom will be 40ft. by 20ft., and the dormitory 24ft. by 20ft. The excavations have nearly all been done by the boys themselves, and the building is to be of timber and corrugated iron. The works in connection with the Magistrate's Court, comprise additions to a building purchased a short time ago from Messrs England, Brothers, in Oxford street, and adjoining the gaol. The original buildings have been partly appropriated to the police, and the remaining portions are, with additions, being converted into a Court-house. The Court-house itself is to I be entirely a new structure immediately in rcarof the original building,and is approached by a right-of-way from Oxford street. The offices of the Resident Magistrate and Clerk to the Bench, are formed in the original buildings. The Court-house is to be 31ft. by 20ft,, and is to have a raised platform for the Magistrates, with a division railing at the opposite end to keep the public out of the space appropriated to professional men. In '

rear of the site of the new Court-house buildings, Mr Reston has employed the hard labour gang to level a piece of ground on which it is intended to erect accommodation for the more depraved characters, in order to keep them separate from the ordinary prisoners. Champion Pedestrians. — Yesterday morning Mr Harris waited upon the Provincial Secretary with a view to obtaining authority for making a charge for admission to the Hagley f ark Cricket Ground, on the occasion of the proposed athletic sports. Mr Ktnnaway replied that he was not favourable to such a proceeding, but that he would lay the matter before the Executive, and forward a reply in due course. Mr Kennaway's objection was based on the following resolution, carried at the instance of Mr John Hall when the lease was granted to the Cricket Club on the 18th of August, 1864:— "That the public shall at all times be allowed free acceßS to the land leased to the club, but so as not to interrupt any game being played there, or to injure the ground for the purposes of the game of cricket." The Government considered the application in the afternoon, and though fully alive to the fact that authority to charge an admission fee was given when the All England cricketers visited the province, were averse to such a proceeding in the present instance, and the application will therefore he refused. C.V.C. — Yesterday evening Colonel Packe held his usual monthly inspection of the Yeomanry Cavalry in front of the Drill Shed. There was a very creditable muster, and the result of the inspection was satisfactory. On its termination Major Wilson, C.8., who was in command, called Trooper Fleming to the front, and ordered him to manoeuvre the corps with a view to ascertaining his qualifications for the lieutenancy of the Cavalry Cadets for which he has been nominated. Trooper Fleming exercised the men for some time, and on conclusion Colonel Packe expressed himself as very highly pleased with the efficiency shown by the lieutenant elect. The corps were then marched round the town, headed by their excellent band, and were subsequently dismissed in front of the White Hart Hotel. Later in the evening an adjourned general meeting of members was held at White's Hotel. The committee appointed for that purpose brought up their report on the revision of rules which was discussed, and a series of rules agreed upon. Sergeant Slater, Corporal Cox, Trooper Harper, and Trooper Stead man were then appointed a committee of management for the ensuing year, and Troopers Cox, Cohn, and Anson were appointed as a firing committee. Lieutenant Strouts was appointed treasurer of the corps, and aft*: a vote of thanks to Mr White for the use of the Orderly Room, and the transaction of some routine business the meeting I terminated. Silent Spirit. — The Argus of April 8 gives the following curious particulars which came out in evidence in the case of Harrison v. Uggles, heard under the new Insolvency Act : — Connected with this case, there, is, however, another matter of very great interest to the imbibing public, and in fact to all those who are compelled to frequent hotels and public-houses for necessary refreshments. A very useful light has been thrown upon the manner in which the liquors supplied at some houses of entertainment are manipulated. It has been a very popular delusion that what is vulgarly known as " square gin," and especially the peculiar brand of JDKZ, could not be easily adulterated, and many a traveller on leaving Melbourne for a tour in the country bade farewell to his favourite brandy and soda, and until his return took nothing but JDKZ, under the impression that if the beverage was not particularly pleasant it was at least wholesome. The result was not always satisfactory, and Wilson, the partner of Harrison, has favoured us with a solution of the problem. In bis evidence before the Chief Judge in Insolvency, he makes the following valuable confession: — "Some of the silent spirit manufactured at their place was made into JDKZ gin. The way they did it was that they got Warrenheip gin, and mixed two parts of their silent spirit with one of Warrenheip gin, and thereby they made a capital geneva. The Warrenheip gin was bad — rather fiery — and their spirit being a soft one modified the Warrenheip spirit, and made a good gin, which they sold as JDKZ gin. If Mrs Uggles bought JDKZ gin from them she was bound to get the made spirit he spoke of. The silent spirit they made went into everything that passed out of their store, wines and spirits — except Hennessy's bottled brandy, for which the silent spirit would not do." Nothing can be more deleterious than what is known as silent spirit, and in the statement of Mr Wilson we have a complete explanation of many a suicide, and, of what is still worse, many a living death within the walls of our lunatic asylums. When will the authorities take really energetic measures to stop the sale of the vile poisonous trash which, under the guise of wines and spirits, is now supplied to the infatuated fools who haunt the low publichouses of the city and suburbs ?