LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4029, 19 March 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

ASUBUBTON INDCSTBIAL EXHIBITION.—Tho «• Certificate of Merit" forms, which aro to bo iiucd in connection with tho forthcoming Industrial Exhibit ion, at Ashburton, havo just been completed. The deaign, which waß propared iv the lithographic department of tho Lyttelton Times establishmont, is a highly creditable cxam^lo of Colonial productive skill t «wd happily tho mechanical portion of tho work is such a» to do juatice to tho artistic excellence of the design. Tbe colours used mo verniillion, ultramarine, dead gold, black and white, upon a ground of pale Minion. Tho richly illuminated border includes four circular panels^ withiu which aro {-roups and viows representing art, commerce, manufacture, and agriculture. Tho title is in hold ornamental lettorinc, enriched by vu'i'cll tracery. For tho second degree cer ili- .';.(.«, the same design has been used, but tho rich colouring is dispensed with. It may fairly be said that these certificates have been rendered so thoroughly presentable, tint ' recipients will prwervo them with pleasur*.*"" It may bo addod that tho certificates hsy» been printed upon one of the more modem inmt surfaces, technically known as "dull enamelled."

Tub Labour Mabkbt.— lnformation from reliable souroeß shows that an aotive enquiry has set io. for good useful servant girls, principally iv town, for private families. It appears that roally good servants capable of undertaking the routiue of household work, are exceedingly scarce, moro especially that olass who can produoe satisfactory references from their last employers. Ladies in many oases I aro urgently in want of servants, but Btill pre* ' fer to wait rather than to ongago suoh as cannot produce good references. Taking into consideration the great annoyance and moonrenienoe arising in many oasos, this is hardly to be wondered at. There is not, unfortunately, an o^ual demand for men, of whom considerable numbers aro now seeking employment, and cannot alford to show the same independence as the majority of servant girls seem to exhibit. Chim> Vaobants.— Notwithstanding the persevering efforts of tbe police to suppress that noxious growth whioh forms, unfortunately, one of the moßt painful features of our civilisation, cases of youthful vagranoy hy girls of tondor years constantly reour in Ohrißtohurch. Quito rooently v girl of uot more than fifteen, .was brought boforo the Court on a oharge of having no lawful visible means of support, and this morning another unfortunate of the same olass, and nearly about the Bame ago, made hor seoond appearance within a few. days for similar oonduot in the streets. The latter, who apparently viewed the matter quite jauntily, was fined 20s, with an admonition from the Benoh that a repetition of the offonoe would bo visited with a severer penalty. Looad Ind usTEy.— Lome highly creditable specimens of silversmith's work, of looal manufacture, are to bo seen in tho window of Mr A. Blytt'e jeweller's shop. Thoy consist of a number of artioles whioh Mr Blytt purposoß sending to the Ashburton Industrial Exhibition. The most prominent of these is a toa aervioo, in sterling silver, of particularly ohaste and elegant design. There is also a pair of handsome vasee, composed of emn eggs mounted in frosted silver, and supported on bases of rimu wood. Besides these there are some silver cups, fruitstands, a handsome oporgne, and othor articles, the workmanship of whioh is remarkable for taste and delioaoy. Doo Rbgistbation.— lt may possibly bo of sorvioo to the owners of valuable dogs to loam that tho City Ranger is now engaged in an aotive howe-to-house inspection, with a view to the discovery of unregistered dogs. A considerable number of canine pets have been found to be unregistered, aud against tho owners of these it is the intention of the Inspector to institute proceedings. It may bo as well to mention that tho owners of dogs found wearing old badges render themselves liable to a penalty not exceoding £20. PiiESENTATiON.— Last night a presentation was made to Mr Thomas Bradley, the late choirmaster at the Wesleyan Ohurch, Lyttelton, by the members of tho choir. The Rev W. H. Book handed tbe prosent to tho esteemed rooipiont, namely, a handsomely hound hymn book, upon which in gold was inoribed, " Presented to MrT. Bradley by the members of the Lyttolton Wes.eyan Ohoir." An illuminated address aooompanied the book. Mr Bradley suitably acknowledged the presents. Haevkst TiiANKsaiviNO. — Harvest thanksgiving services will bo hold in the Wesleyan Church, Colombo road, to-morrow, at whioh addresses will be delivered by tho Roys J. B. Richardson and J. S. Rishworth. In the afternoon a floral sorvioo, for ohildren, will be conduoted by Mr J. Broughton. Tho churoh will be tastefully decorated with fruit and flowers. Theatbioaii.— We aro informed thafc Herr Baudmann ha*) settled a most profitable engagement for himself and his company with the eelobruted Now Zealand manager DeLias, who hus my do him a capital offer for Auckland and several other towns. Wo hear that Herr Bandmann'B tour will extend for upwards of four months longer after Wellington. Tempobaby Home.— The temporary home for young women, particulars respecting which havo appeared in .these columns, is now ready for the reception of young women who may desire to take udvantago of the institution. The terms which have been deoided upon are 10a per week. The ' home is at No. H, Tait's building*, Montreal etreet. Pioeon Bat.— The residents in this bay and vicinity made their annual trip to Port to-day, tho p.s. Titan bringing them all up gratis in time for tho 9.35 a.m. train to Ohrißtohurch. The excursionists returned homo this afternoon. Steamed ExctrnsioN.— To-morrow, should the weather bo suitable, the steamer Lyttelton will make two excursion from port down the harbour. Supkbme Court.— ln contoquenco of indisposition, His Honor Mr Jußtioo Johnston postponed tho majority of the causes set down for hearing In Banco yesterday, aud thoy will bo taken on Tuesday next, and some Bubiequent day. Pbesentation at Akaboa.— Ou Wednesday lust tho friends of Mr H. H. Fonton met ut tho Madeira Hotel, Akaroa, for the purpose of presenting him with a toßtimony of their respoot in the shape of a purso of sovereigns. Mr A. 0. Knight occupiod tho chair und mado tho presentation. Good Yield op Wheat.— Mr JJ. Herrick, of Tui Tapu, haß just threshed a ftold of Tuscan wheat, a very fine sample, off lay land, whioh has given an average of 75 bushels and 91bs per aore. Tho land wub ploughed iv July, and tho Bood was bowu at tho lattor end of August, two bushels per acre drilled. Naebow Escape pbom Fieb.— On Thursday morning Mr Howell's store, Probbloton, had a narrow escape of boiug burnt down. It appears tho ohimney caught firo, and a spark lighting on the roof, in a few minutoß ifc was in a blaze. Fortunately, by tho prompt exertious of Mr Howell, assisted by somo neighbours, tho lire was got out before muoh damage was done. Swimming.— Our roadors may bo reminded that tho swimming contest for the special prizo presented by Mr. R. J. S. Harman to tho Canterbury Rowing Club, j*b to take place at thrco o'clock this afternoon. It will bo remembered that the leading oondition Bpeoified was that fche competitors must bo attired in ordinary boating costume. Tho race will bo nturtcd from a littlo bslow tho footbridge. Tub Dkainaoe Wobks.— Tho excavation for tho South bolfc sewer hai now reached to the cornoi' of Durham street, and iB being rapidly pushed forward. Tho main sewor loading to tho pumping station haß been constructed up to tho East Bolt, and tho excavations for the East Belt sower, extending along tho Belt north and south from tho ond of the main drain, are also being carried out with vigour. Sunnyside Asylum. — Hoad-attondant Clarko and attendants Eastham aud Lcnnon havo boon awarded by tho Government gratuitioe for spooial services in connection with i tho roraovul of a lunatio from his cell at tho risk of Borioiiß personal injury. The lunatio hud barricaded the door of his cell, broken up tho flooring, and armed himself with piocoß of wood. In order to provont the man hurting himsolf, or escaping, tho door was i'orcod amid a shower of wood, sawdust, and Btonos, and he wub removed with safety to unother cell, after having bitten and otherwise injurci his captors. _ Tho uttendants, wo aro informed, behaved with courage and forbearance A Vexatious Tiibpt.— Mr Samuel Lucas, paintor, .".shbuit>n, while cunped for a job at Chortsey, last Wednesday ovoning, saw the gr*»»B near fche railway burning pretty fiercely. The Arc had boen caused bj sparks I from tho engino, and its progress was steadily endangering tho Bafoty of somo fifteen etaoke of oats in a neighbouring paddook. Mr Lucas left his tent, and with an effort succeeded in extinguishing the firo. When he camo back fco camp ho found eomobody had boen thero in his übsonoe, who had relieved him of his blankets, a pah* of boots, and some handkerchiefs. I'ho stolen articles have boen found in tho possession of a man named Murphy, who will bo tried for theft to-day. , , Suuz Canal Bhabto. — The founders' sharo* in the flue-* Canal of 5000 francs, are now worth tt.V>.o.')o francs. If M. do Lessep*' speculation nt Panama i*> equally successful, ho will do vory woll. Under tho company rocotitly floated 10,000 eha«B fully paid up nro us»i*«M-d to tho sooiety of original grantees for tho concessions, surveys, ko. Eighty por c.-nt of tho nett profits only are to go to the shareholders, tho balance to tho grantees of concessions. Ifc is estimated that tho vuluo por ton that will bo savod to vessels pisßing through tho Panama Canal instead of going round Capo Horn, i» eighty francs, and th* tariff is to bo only fli'toon francs por ton. If mieoossftil, ifc will rovolutionisu fcho trado to Now Zealand.

Fibk pbom Railway Ehginbs.— On Thursday morning, as tho first train waa proceeding from Oxford to Christohuroh, a spark from the engine set firo to a gorse fenoe on Mr J. Gow'b property, near Feroside, whioh, but for the assist anco of some neighbour*, wo«.M h>.n) destroyed a good deal of his fence. Fortunately, they managed to prevent it spreading above two ohainß. It iB not many days since a similar fire ooourred on Mr Roy's land, the adjoining sootion to this one. Soum Oamtbbbuey Footbaed Ditto—The annual meeting of thia Olub was hold at the Grosvenor Hotel, Timaru, on Wednesday ovening. There were eighteen mombers present, and Mr 801 l waß voted to the ohair, The annual report was of a satisfactory nature, and tho statement of accounts showed a credit balanoe of £7 9s Bd, with outstanding liabilities amounting to £11 Os lOd. Sixteen newmombers were elooted. The following officers and Committee were olootod for the ensuing year :— President, Mr A. 8t t G. Hamersloyj Captain, Mr J*. S. Bmith; Secretary, Mr A. Maokay j Treasurer, Mr W. Eiohbaum; Committee: Messrs Bull, Chapman, Craig, Gordon, and G. Wood, Messrs Chapman, Bull and Smith were elooted a Matoh Oommittee. It was deoided to holdan afternoon's athletic sports in connootion with the Club during the coming season. It was resolved that the season should be oponed on the first Saturday after Easter. Othor routine businoss having been transacted, tho meeting adjourned. Shop-mptinG. — A respeotablo'lookiog young woman, matriod and of Scotoh origin, named Mary Ann Booths, appeared at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Ohristohuroh, yesterday morning, ohargod on no less than six different occasions, with stealing goods the property of tradesmen in this nity. She pleaded giultv to some four of the oharges, and tbe othor two were withdrawn. In extenuation tho woman urged that misfortune had overtaken herself, husband, and family. He had onoe held a reepootablo position in tho London, Liverpool and Globe Insuranoo Company at Homo • but waß at present iiway from her, and nor ohild had boon ill, necessitating altogether tbe expenditure of money whioh Bhe did not possess. Sergeant Morico said there had beon a large number of cases of shop-lifting rooontly, and that thoro had been found in the prisoner's poßßcsoion a quantity of new goods for which no owner could bo found. It was a sad case, Tho accused had occupied a reepootablo position. Tho Bonoh, taking all tho oiroumstanoos into account, sentenced tho prisoner to ono month's imprisonmont in each oase, amounting, as tho termß will run concurrently, in all to one month. Kaiapoi Fabmkbs'-Cltjb.-— Theadiourned monthly meeting of this Olub was hold in the Olub Chambers on Thursday evening ; present — Messrs Paßhby (chairman), Kidd (secretary), Walls, Robb, Wilson, Coup, Parnham, Young, J. L. Wilson, and 0. E. Dudley. It was resolved to hold the Annual Foal, Grain, and Root Show, on the second Thursday in April. Soveral small accounts wore passed for payment. The meeting drew up a list of persons to bo invited to aot as Judges at tho forthcoming Show, and the following gentlemen wore appointed to aot as Stewards in tho different classes '.—-Foals : Messrs W. M. Ross, J. Stevenson, and G.E dwards. Grain : Meßsra J. Behavroll, E. Muloock, and R. Coup. Roots: Messrs J. Perrin, E. , Parnham, J. L. Wilson, and E. Wilson. Butter and Cheese : Messrs 0. Young and J. Walls. Tho catalogue wub then gone through, and after a good doal of discussion, and a fow amendments, last.year's wan adopted. After a very long and animated debate, it waß resolved to open the Show to woollen goods, tinware, maohinery, and »oy other goode of bond Jlde local manufaoturo j also, tbat the Bhow Bhould remain open till oor 10 p.m. After transacting some routino bußinesß of minor importance, the Olub adjournod. Owing to a misunderstanding botween tho Score* tarioß ot tho Clubs the matches botweon the Bohemian 0.0. and the Presa 0.0. will not be played as annouuood on Thursday. The matoh, Press v. Bakers, will be played as announced. ' The anniversary servioos in oonneotion with the United Methodist Free Churoh, St Asaph stroet. will be hold to*morrow. The Eev "E. Taylor will preaoh in the moruing, aud the Eev 0. Dallaston in the eveuiny. ___ A Caltpobnian MAeeiaob.— At tho marriage of Miss Sharon, daughter of San Fran* oißoo's wealthiest banker, with Sir Thomas Fermoy Hcsketh, Bart., tho bride wore £40,000 worth of diamonds. Spooial traiuß wore laid on, at tho father's expense, from San Franoisoo to tho township nearest to his mngnitioent villa, to convey tho wedding gueßts. At tho wedding feast the most costly wines were " swilled " in barbaric profusion, the consumption of champagne alone reaching 1500 large bottleß. The bride'B dowry ia £10,000 a year. Adesoription of the wodd- . ing festivities ocoupied nearly 16 columns of the San Francisco Post. Dangbbottb Wobk.*— A ourioitß explosion is reported by the Western Advocate. An employee in Mr M'Nab' b cooperage at Orange was preparing to cooper a whisky cask, and, when examining . tho bungholo, it suddenly exploded with a report liko a oannon, whiob was hoard for a considerable distance. Tho top of tho oask was forced out, a portion flying up to the roof and forcing a hole in the irou. Another piece struck the man on the forehead with the pointed edge, indicting an ugly wound. Tho injured man was taken to the hospital. As ho wub smoking at tho time, it is believed a spark from his pipo fell through the bungholo and ignited gas generated in tho cask. Idiot oe Inoendiaey P—Among tho last batoh of Communists jiißfc arrived is ono Amist, now a lunatio. During tho last fighting day of tho Commune, ho was driving cheep and pigs to tho market, in tho suburbs of Paris, when ho was accosted by a captain of tho Communists, flying for his lifo, and who offored his groafc coat, with, gaudy gold ' trimmings, to tho shepherd, in exohange for his old overcoat. The bargain wub concluded. A fow hours lator somo cavalry, rcouring tho country, arrested the daw* in borrowed feathers. He was summarily sentenced to transportation for lifo by tho Court Martial. He put iv ton years. Chinese Law.— A Celestial, named Ah Fat, was brought before the Fitzroy Court, Molbourno, latoly, oharged with mulioiously wounding Ah Tung, a fellow-countryman. A letter arrived there addrosted to An Fat, of whioh complainant took possession, and having opered, road tho contonts. On the defendant's return, he, in consequence, became "oxooodiui* wroth," ifc boing tho law in China, ub alleged, that if ono man opens another man's letters, tho wronged ono is allowed to stab tho offender to tho heart. All Fat prooooded to enforo the ponalty on Ah Tung, but only succeeded iv inflicting a nasty wound in oomplainant' « forehead. SOMH OP TUB EPPEOTS OP SIIOKIKQ.— Dr Decaisno, the oelebrated French physioian und scientist, has mado a communication to tho French Annals of Publio Medicine—the result of seventeen years' experiments to ascertain tho effects produced ion tbe heart by the uso of tobacco. His rej port is to the offoot that tho abuse of tobacco produoos in cortain Bubjeot3 a Btato whioh may be oallod niootißm of the heart, and whioh is translated by intermittonoe in tho heating of tho hoart and tho pulsation of tho radical artery. Even the restricted uso of tobacoo in ohildron leadß often to a change in the blood, and sometimeß to ehlorotio anaemia, paleness of tho face, emaoiatiou, morbid sounds in the carotid arteries, palpitation and intorinittenoe of tho heart, diminution of lho normal quantity of tho blood coi'pußO.es, diflloulty of dictation, ko. Young person* who Bmoko generally show sluggishness of intelligence, and a moro or loss pronounced taßto for strong drinks. Tub Lion Queon, young, beautiful, beloved, on the morning of her intendod marriage to a Fronoh nobleman, unknown to her futuro husband und tho invited guestß, entered tbe cage of the royal brute. Her shrieks brought immediate assistance, but alas too lato to save. Beautiful though in death, sho can bo seen at Hay's Froo Fine Art Exhibition, Markofc plaoe, noar Victoria bridge, Ohrißtohurch. AU agents are speoially invited to oome and sco tho Art Union Prizes. Tiokets for samo only 2s Gd. Remember, admission free.— Advt.