Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4748, 19 July 1883, Page 3

Local & General.

An auotion sale of the stock- in- trade of a tailor it announced by Meaars Beauchamp and Bell for 2 o'clock to-morrow, in Mr ISllen'i premises, Cathedral Square. Our reader* are reminded that the aoiree and musical entertainment in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association, takes place to-morrow evening, in the new hall, Xuam street. The Maiden City L.0.L., Lyttolton, gives a ball to-night in the Oddfellows' Hall, Ljttel-' ton. Every effort has been made, by taste- 1 fully decorating the hall, &0., to make the ball a luccesr. A considerable amount of excitement prevails in town in certaia quarters on account •of the alleged discovery of gold near Southbridge. It ia stated that a number of men have already left Ohristohuroh to try their fortune at the supposed gold field. The railway to connect Oxford and Sheffield is rapidly approaching completion. The contraot for finishing the last ssction is nearly finished, and it is anticipated that railway communication between the two townships will be opened in about a month* time. Colonel M&vkos and his "Bssence of Fun" Company repeated their entertainment in the Theatre Boyal last evening to an audienoe not remarkable for numbers. The Colonel's ' tricks pasted off ■uooeafully, and more or leas fan was obtainable from the rest of the entertainment, whioh ia '.he final one by this Company in Ohristohuroh. This evening the Druids' Coloured Opera Xraupe give their first annual entertainment in aid of the Benevolent Fund of the Order, at the Theatre Uoyal. The performance will be of the reguUr minstrel character, including coxnio songs, ballads, stump orations, danoing, faroei, &o. Members of Friendly Societies are requested to appear in regalie. At the Ha vrko'i Bar County Council on Tuesday, Mr SuMon, M.H.8., was presented with a Splendid s jli J silver centre piece, in token of his lervicei as Chairman for many years. Owing to Mr Button's absence in Wellington, a complimentary letter was forwarded him, atating that the presentation had been sent to bis residence, and regrettißg it could not hare been made in parson. The Ashburton Raoing Olub Committee, at its meeting on Tuesday last, resolved to hold the Spring Meating on Thursday and Friday, Hoy. 15 and 16, when * sum of £600 would be given in stakes. It was i>lio deoided not to remove the disqualification of the horse Steel Dust. The idea of holding a meeting on Boxing day was abandoned. The present season appears to be in favour with the various Volunteer Corps for the holding of festive gatherings ; one company -celebrates the occasion by a ball, another by • oonoert. This latter form of amusement has been lelected by the Sydenham Bifl«s, who have decided to get up an entertainment in the Oddfellows' Ball, tJydenham, to take place on August 2. The services of a number of ladies and gentlemen, well known in muiioal circles, have been secured, and a very successful gathering is anticipated. Yesterday, at Timaru, Mr W. Ziesler, on! behalf of a faw friends, presented Ludwig Sorrensen with a lever watch, suitably in* ■oribed, as a token of appreciation of the promptitude exhibited by him on July 12 in laving the lite of 0. Baikea. It will be remembered that the latter was washed off the breakwater by a heavy sea on that date, and Borrensen, a seaman of the sohooner Young Sick, instantly jumped into a boat and pulled to his assistance, reaching him only just in time. Several friends justly considered his promptitude on that occasion very meritorious, and hence the very pleasing incident of yesterday. The Bangiora Fire Brigade Demonstration Committee held a meeting last night in the engine shed, Superintendent Gulliver being ia the chair. Termß submitted by two Christoburch Dramatic Societies, for playing on the night of the demonstration, were considered, and it was agreed to accept the offer made by the Albion Company. It was deoided to supplement the grant made at the former meeting for the purchase of fireworks with a sum for the purchase of an extra quantity of rockets and coloured fires. Pome other matters ware satisfactorily reported upon, and the meeting adjourned for a fortnight. Onßundaytheanciveriaryaervicesin connection with the We4eyan Sunday aohool,BpriDgfield, were held in the Sowai Pass schoolroom. At the afternoon service tho children recited eaored poetry and sang a selection of hjmn*, and in the evening Mr B. Harker conducted a ■peoial service for parents and ohildren. A very successful tea meeting and entertain- i ment was held at the Spiingfield Pottery 'Works in connection with the ohurch and school, on Monday evening. About 200 persons aat down to the substantial tea provided. After tea the room was cleared for the entertaiament. Captain Parker occupied the ohair and distributed to all the ohildren belonging to the Sunday school the prizaj that had been provided for them. A little child, about two years old, son of Joseph Urich, a German, residing in East Oxford, was playing about the house on Tuesday morning. The mother happened to go oat to do aome work about the back door, a*d during her absence the child got too near the fire. Its clothes were ignited, and before the mother could render «ny assistance to put out the fire the child was so severely burned on the side of its body thit ifc died from the effects in about two hours, after suffering great agony. ' An inquest wai held on the body at Love's Hotel yesterday afternoon, before MrD. Bladden and a jury of twelve, of whioh Mr J. Lough was chosen foreman. The verdict waa " Accidental Death." A meeting of the Committee of the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association was held at The Shades last evening. Mr E Btrange occupied the ohair, and there was a good attendance. Some misunderstanding appeared to prevail with referflnoe to the allocation of special prizes in the poultry classes, bnt thia waa got over by the Chairman giving a ipeoial prize for the beat game cock in class 5. Mr J. Goodman announced that Mr Bird had offered a special prize for the beat green canary. Tenders were opened for the supply of birds for the ■ " Art Union," to be held in connection with the forthcoming Show, and that of Mr Hawker accepted for dressed poultry. The acceptance of other tenders, and the final completion of arrangements, were left with a sub-Committee. Mr Newton's tender was accepted for carting. Mr Morgan was appointed bird feeder, and Mr Smith oheoktaker at the Show. It was resolved that entries be received up to 6 p.m. to-day, at Mr John Goodman's, Colombo street, and that all exhibits must be at the Hall between 6 and 8 p.m. on the evening preoeding the Show. After appointing class stewards, and dealing with other routine matters, the Com•mittee adjourned. The Salvationists here evidently do not intend the rougher element of the city to interfere with the Army's proceedings in the high-handed manner attempted in Dunedin and elsewhere. On Tuesday evening a man presented himself at one of the oirole doors, and was refused admission on the ground that the place was full. He walked over to the other entrance, and, being again refused, told the doorkeeper that the " other " man had informed him he would be admitted •there. The offioial replied that he could not go in, and the convert in posse said he would. The janitor promptly stopped him, but being rather diminutive, was dragged upstairs by the robust intruder. However, he hung on to hia man, and called for " Jim." The latter, a Bix-footer, promptly appeared at the head of the stairs^ and, seeing how matters stood, without more ado collared the visitor who " would get in " and flung him down the steps with some f oroe. Bather astonished and considerably coolod, the man picked himself up, and ascertaining that no bones were broken, betook himself to the stalls entrance. There he was suffered to remain in peace, but a few minutes' oraning of the neok over the intervening throng to get a glimpse of the interior convinced him that there was 41 nothing in it," and he departed, looking rather crestfallen.

Messrs Hurse and Wearing have been again nominated by the Government as members of the Waimakariri Harbour Board. An unusually large auotion sale of fruit and forest treea, flowering shrubs, &c, is announoed by Messrs Ayers and Co., for 11 o'olook on Monday, July 23. At a meeting of the Aahburton County Hust Club, held on Tuesday, it was decided to accept Mr John Smith's offer to hunt the hounds twice a week during August and once a week in September. A meeting of the Committee of the West Coast Bailway League was held last night, at whioh a report reviewing tho reoommenda tions of the West Coast Bailway Commission was disoussed and adopted. It appears in extenso elsewhere* - It is understood that Professor Biokerton's report on the samples of brandy, whiskey, and gin submitted to him for analysis by the police is of a favourable oharaoter, as none of the samples have been found to be adulterated. Oae or two of thorn are laid to be rather weak, but not sufficiently so to warrant a prosecution for adulteration. Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held j at the Crown Hotel, Montreal street south, on the body of Mrs Jessie M'Gormiok, who died suddenly on Monday night. .Dr Coward, Coroner, presided. Dr Patrick, who had made a post mortem examination of the body, stated that death had resulted from fatty degeneration of the heart, and a verdict in accordance with his evidenoe was returned. A large and influential meeting in oonnoc tion with the Blue Bibbon movement was held at the Oddfellows' Hall, Kaiapoi, last evening, about 500 being present. Tea was provided. The meeting was addressed by Messrs J. L. Wilson, the Bey Crewes, Archdeaoon Dudley, and others. A vote of thanks was accorded to those persons who had provided the entertainment. About 100 enlisted in the army at the close of the proceeding*.