Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4869, 7 December 1883, Page 3

Local & General.

•» The Triumph is reported to. be breaking up, and there ie now little hope of saving her. \ Tho Wilmott Combination Oompany wero to leave Ohristohuroh this morning for the West Ooast, where, they intend to make a professional tour during the Christmas holidays. Ths Kaiapoi amateurs will give Gilbert and Sullivan- opera "Patienoe," in the Oddfellows' Hall, this evening. Tha oast will be tha same as that whioh so successfully produoed the ssithetio satire last week. Several influential requisitions have been signed, addressed to Mr B. Gf. Wright, M.H.8., asking bim to Btand for the County Oounoil for Ashburton Biding in the plaoe of Mr Winter, resigned, but it is not oertain hat he will consent. His Worship the Mayor has telegraphed to the Hon B. Mitohelion, asking him to fix a time and place for receiving a deputation on the unemployed question on his return to Christohuroh. The following items appear on our fourth page.:— Tale: "Jaok Browne's Mistake." Ashburton Orohestral Society's Concert:; Ohriatohuroh Horticultural Sooiety ; Timaru Talk.; Jute Woolpaoks ; Cable news ; Supreme Oourt Sittings in Canterbury; The Texas Clergy. Last evening information was given to the polioe that an old man, who was living by himself in a oottage at Sydenham, was lying j seriously ill with dysentery. Sergeant Willis proceeded to the house and found tho sufferer in a helpless condition, and literally lying in the midst of filth. Tha Sergeant took the police trap, and with the assistance of Constable Daly, removed the patient to tha Hospital. The spaoe allotted to most of the exhibitors at the forthcoming Industrial Bxhibition has been marked off on the floor of the buildings The gun-shed is being partitioned into Secretary's offioe and Committee and refreshment rooms. A. great improvement is being effeoted in the appearanoe of the drill-shed, by whitewashing the interior of tho roof. The walls ara also to be covered with sorim. The organ is in oourse of erection on tha stage, and altogether the preparation of the building for its new purpose is in a very forward state, As >a contrast to the extraordinary lateness of the oropa in thia Colony owing to the unsettled state of the weather, it may be mentioned that Messrs Boberts, Faxton and 00. have reoeived by the last mail from a sister Oolony some splendid speoimens of barley of this year's growth. The samples in question, whioh oonsist of two olasses, were grawn in Yiotoria, in the Bohuoa ■ distriot, and are oapital speoimens of fine, olean malting barley, heavy in grain, but olean and bright. The anniversary service! of the South Malvern Baptist Ohuroh were oonduoted by the Bey J. D. Gilmour on Sunday; and on Monday an exoellent tea was provided by the ladies of the congregation, and the j bachelors. After tea, a publio meeting took .place in the distriot sohoolroom, when Mr M'Lennan .presided. Mr Ford read a very -satisfactory report. Addresses, interspersed wth singing, were delivered by Beys J. Maxwell, J. Gilmour, &o. Mr Grinrod presided at the harmonium. Sunday's collections and •the proceeds of the' tea meeting amounted to -about _17. ' The Oourt Thistle of the Forest, A.0.F., •held .its quarterly .summoned meeting >in St Saviour . sohoolroom. There was a very good attendance of members. The nominations of officers for the ensuing term took plaoe with the following result :— 0.8., Bro . Hioholls ; 5.0.8., Bro Luce ; Treasurer, Bro j laoon; Seoretary, Bro Marks; M.S., Bro Foster; J. W., Bro Bobertson; 8. B„ Bro QDerry ; J. 8., Bro Trengrove ; Med. Offioers, ; Drs Guthrie and Thomas. An offioial visit < was paid by Oourt Papanui, and the Distriot ■. C.B. was also present. After transacting the J buaineaa of the Oourt they Adjourned to the ' Club Hotel, where lunoh wae partaken of by ' the visiting brethren, P. 0.8. Bro Hoddinott J in tha ohair. , An adjourned meeting of the Sports | Committee was held at the Linooln : Hotel on Monday, Deo. 8, Mr J. Doherty ' in the ohair. It was deoided to hold the 1 sports in Mr John Tod's paddook. The foi- , lowing officers were appointed : — Handicap- ] person horse events, J. Muir,vW. Holley, P. Tod, B M'Oredy,; athletio events, H. White, A. O. Bertram, J. Hunt ; Starter, O. MThereon ; Assistant Starter, J. Muir ; Olerk of Oourse, P. Tod.; Olerk of Scales, J. Judge. It was resolved to hold a ball lin aid of the j sports on New Year's Day, and .Messrs D. I Broome, J. Dalton, H. White, J. Hioks, B. M'Oredy, and J. -Hunt were appointed a j Committee to. carry it out. After a vote of thanks to the Ohairman the meeting adjourned. A meetiqg ,in connaotion with the Blue Bibbon Gospel Temperance movement was held .at Bt .Paul's .Presbyterian Ohuroh last evening. The wet .weather accounted, no doubt, ifor the rather limited attendance. After a portion of Scripture had been read and prayer .offered by the Bey J. ELmslie, Mr B. Seattle took tthe ohair, and referred to his .uooegsful owner as a oommeroial traveller -for twelve years, during which he had been a total abstainer, in order to show that in business transaotiona .drink waa not required. He was followed hy the Bey Mr Erwin, whq, in an earnest addreaa, urged hia hearers to abstain, as suoh a course ; was conduoive to their physical good, advis- < able for eoonomie reasons in the community, a_d_ duty on the ground of Christian expedi- < enoy, whioh forbid Christians to do.anything whereby a brother stumbled. The Bey J. Blake, in » short speech, advocated the claims of the Gospel Tempetanoe Society, as furnishing a means for stemmiagthe tide of intemperance. The Bey 0. Worboys spoke with considerable power in urging his hearers to endeavour to reolaim those who bad fallen under the influence of drink. An apology was made for the absence, through illnesss, of the Bey B. Best The ohuroh choir rendered anthems during the evening, Mr Bilton presiding at the organ. An opportunity was afforded those present of donning the blue ribbon, and several availed themselves of it. Totes of thanks to the Ohairman, speakers and choir were carried by acolamation on the motion of Mr Broughton, seoonded by Mr J. T. Smith, and tha meeting was olosed by the Bey 0, Worboys pronouncing tbe Benediotion. I

Yesterday the Board of Eduoation voted the usual grant for pri-es to be distributed at tha breaking up of the Normal School, on Friday, Deo. 14. .-,.-. ... The members of St Patriok . Branch, 80. 82, are requested to attend a summoned meeting this evening, at half- past seven. Business important. The new excursion steamer on the Avon, intended to run trips from Oolombo bridge to New Brighton, will be lannohed about two o'olock to-morrow afternoon. We notioe from an advertisement in another column that Mr 0. B. Ohurch has purohased the assigned eatate ot S. Swaine Bnd 00. from the trustees, and commenoes a clearing eale to-morrow. | Notwithstanding the unfavourable state sf the weather last evening, there was a fairly numerous congregation at the Mission Service in the Cathedral. 'Xhe aubjeot of the address was— "Tho seeking and taring love of the Saviour." Another similar servioe will be held in the Cathedral this evening. The Island of Pines, referred to in a cable meisage yesterday, as one of the nnmber claimed by Franoe, lies immediately to the southward of New Caledonia, and praotioally belongs thereto. Moorea is probably Mare, lying to the eastward of New Caledonia. The Austral group is also known oolleotively as Tubuai, and'inoludes the islands of Tubnai, Bimitara, Rurutua, &o. Rapa is (comparatively speaking) a mere dot of ooral. Tbe yearly installation of offloers of the Southera Cross Matonio Lodge, No. 760, 8.C., Kaiapoi, took place on Thursday evening. The oeremony was oonduoted by the D.D.G-.M., Bro Thompson, assisted by P.D.G.8.W., Bro Daamer ; DGr. Tres., Bro B. 0. Bishop ; D.Gt. Seo., Bro W. B. Mitohel • and D.G.S. Worka, Bro William Sansom; and was oarried out in a most effeotive and solemn manner. Most of the sister Lodges in the distriot were represented. The following is the list of officers installed :— W.M., Bro W. B. May 5 S.W.,BroQ. Hay-Barolay ; J.W., Bro J. Ooohran ; 8.D., Bro O. Young 1 J.D., Bro N. Kidd j J.<_-., Bro H. Walls • M.0., Bro W. D, Humphreys; Secretary, Bro H. J. Day ; Treasurer, Bro 8. S. Powell. A meeting <wai held at the Council chambers, Bangiora, laat evening, to make preliminary arrangements for holding the annual sports. There were twelve gentlemen present, and, in the absenoe of the Mayor, Mr G. Cone was voted to the obair. A balancesheet ef last year's sports, showing receipts £48 10s, and expenditure £49 2 s lOd, was read by the Treasurer, Mr O. I. Jennings, and, on the motion of Mr T. Boyd, was adopted. Ie was resolved to hold the sports en New Year's Day, 1884, as usual, and a general management Committee of about 60 was, appointed. Mr O. J. Jennings was eleoted Seoretary, and Mr T. Boyd, Treasurer. The Seoretary was instructed to issue subscription liata, and to call a meeting of the Committee at an early and convenient date. A vote of thanks was then passed to the ohair, and the meeting terminated. On Wednesday evening, Deo. 5, the annual entertainment in aid of tbe Bangiora sohool prize fund took plaoe in the Literary Institute Hall. There was a very good attendance indeed, Mr A. H. Ounningham, Chairman of the Sohool Committee, presiding. The following ladies and gentlemen contributed the greater part of the programme, namely, Meadamea Hardy and Bmith, Misses Bramley, Mulcock, Wilmot, Hammon, Hunnibell, and Eitchingman, Messrs Good, T. G. Smith, Harper, and Oumberworth. Borne of the elder sohool boys aoted a oharade in a creditable manner, and the scholars alao rendered some songs very nioely, the Kindergarten songs/with, appropriate actions, by the infants, being especially well performed. The Ohairman aHd Mr Goodeve thanked the audience for their attendance, and the performers for their assistance, and the National Anthem brought the proceedings to a termination. We were yesterday shown by Messrs Wbodoock and West a most ingenious ■contrivance for barbing wire fences (already ereoted) by hand, and judging from the very quiok and efficient manner the barbs oan be placed on the wire, we have little doubt the patentees will find _ ready market. The implements oonsiet of a pair of steel plyers, whioh hold the main wire and the barbs ; a second instrument — or key, having notches to oatoh the two barbs — is then applied ; two turaa are given, and a four-pointed steel barb is seourely fixed. The simplicity is remarkable. A boy can barb about 50 chains of fenoing a. day, at a oost of about 20s for barbs. The instruments may bo obtained from all ironmongers at a moderate prioe. We may mention that they are manufactured in Ohriatchurch, thus adding another to the daily inoreaeing list of local manufactures. It is intended that the contrivance and its mode of working shall be shown at the Industrial Exhibition. Considerable alarm was oooaaioned at Weymouth by a mad dog rushing into one of the houses in the prinoipal streot of the town, and getting into a bedroom. A dog-fanoier named Bashleigh was sent for, and he at once boldly entered the room where the dog was shut up. As soon as the animal, which was a retriever, saw tho man, he at onoe made a rush at him, when Bashleigh, who was a man of great strength, seized it and attempted to muzzle it, but was unable to do bo. The dog at laat got from hia grasp and again aprang at him, when Baahleigh, who never for one moment lost his presence of mind, atruok it backwards. Again and again the dog attempted to bite, chasing the man all round tbe room, but each time the dog jumped at him he warded it off with a blow. The struggle lasted for some time, a considerable delay being oaused in getting a man to shoot the animal, whioh wua at last accomplished. Baahleigh only reoeived a eoratoh or two from the dog's claws. A painful feeling was oosasioned in th _ oity ,(says a Liverpool paper) a short time ago by an announcement that the wife of a wellknown tradesman bad eloped with a-friend of her husband, who waa also extensively engaged in business in this oity. Neither of the parties waa very young, and both left familiea behind them. The case was, by the injured husband, put into the hands of his legal adviser, with the intention of proceeding to obtain a divorce. But matters have taken a very extraordinary turn since then. . It was ascertained that the runaways went first to Manohester, then proceeded to New York in the Bteamer .pain, ond a little while ago returned to Liverpool from America in the White Star Btoamer Germanic. On reaching Liverpool the parties, strange to say, decided to make it up ; the runaway wife has gone baok, and is now living with her husband again, and the man who eloped with her haa also returned to his wife. So that, after the extraordinary escapade, all has ended hanpily. ihe interest in the -visit of Mr Henry Irving, writes a New York correspondent, is increasing as the time of his arrival appreaohea. Tbe aale of tiokets has never been surpassed in New York but onoe, and that was for a " mammoth" musical festival, in whioh several thousand New York people were direotly interested aB singers in the chorus. It was. quite ahead of the sale of tiokets for Sara Bernhardt, though that waa at the time unprecedented for any theatrical entertainment. The plan of tho manager was distinctly favourable to the " speculators." The seats were disposed of in lots of 24, euphemistically .ailed"" subscription.," and embracing a seat for eaoh performance of the first season. - hese were put at 60 dol a lot, while single ■eats will .cost Bdol a pieoe. Thus the speculators could .get their seats _t a prioe whioh would give them SO percent profit without any premium whatever. Tory few single seats were aold. The box office, was announced to be opened on a Monday morning. Saturday evening a line, of half grown bojß and young men, hired by the speculators, formed outside the theatre door. They were relieved .on Sunday morniog by another jet, and _( Monday morning the speculators themselves took their places. In this way nearly all the seats were sold early on the Monday morning, while soaroely one reaohed the bands of any purchaser who would use it. Ihe exceptions were in tha oases of boys, who went into the business on their own account, and sold their places in the line to would-be purohasers for a c_i_ider-tion. Ultimately, however, the .eats will all reach the regular playgoers, for the speculators aoldom make any mistake in their judgment of popular demands. There is a very general grumbling at this method of disposing of seats for popular entertainments, but it is probably unavoidable, and, on the whole, not so inuoh of an evil as it looks. The publio pay higher for the seats, but they do not probably pay more than what they consider a fair equivalent for tbe caving of time and trouble they would otherwise have in besieging the box-office. In this case, at any rati, the desire to soe and hear Mr Irving has made a perfeotly suffloient force to sustain tha speculators' soheme.