Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4872, 11 December 1883, Page 3

Local & General.

♦ Regarding the wreck of the Southern Gross at Nelson, it appears that the wind failing the was oarried on the rook by the tide, and a gala subsequently springing up, dashed her to piecei. Tomer And Hanroj, after awing all they ooold, went te Pelorui, where they lire. A man named Joseph Stewart wai found on Sunday in an unoooupied building at Weitport with his throat out and juite dead. The jury returned a verdict of " suicide while of unsound mind, from the effects of drink." Deceased was well known as an old coast miner. Mr B. J. Lee, M.H.B. for Belwyn, has been lying dangerously ill at his home, Beaohoroft, Bouthbridge,for the last week, and on Thursday wai not expeoted to reooter. A ohange has, however, taken place for the better* and hopes are now entertained of his reoovery. A oonoert in aid of the fund for erecting a statue in the Ootagon, Donsdin, to tke memory of Boberb Burns, "Scotia's deardstbard," will be held in the Theatre Eoyal, Timaru, on Thursday evening next. The promoters of the affair ara preparing a splendid programme, and the oonoert is likely to prove a grand suoceis. The City Ooanoil held a special and an ordinary .meeting last night. At the latter a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to his Worship the Mayor for his conduot in the chair during the past two years. Each member of the Council took the opportunity to pay due compliments to his Worship. On Sunday a three-roomed unoooupied cottage at Nelson belonging to Mr Harley was destroyed by fire. It had reoently been used as a store-room. The place was uninsured. Mr Harley's watohman states thai; the building was looked on Saturday night, but the policeman who discovered the fire says the door was unlocked. The place contained lome lacks of wheat and some oaski. Mr M'Donald, business manager for " The Australian Blondin," Mr Alexander, is now in town, and is making arrangements for a series of performances during the holiday i. The feats of "The Australian Blondin" hare been favourably noticed by the Queensland jour* nals. It will no doubt be remembered that young Moni*, the New Zsaland Blondin, secured an engagement in connection with the Calcutta Exhibition. The Lyttelton riot cases were heard at the Lyttelton B.M. Court yesterday, and dealt with summarily. M'^evenyand Neary were fined £5 eaoh, Harrison and Burns £8 eaoh, and Lord, Johnston, Phillip*, Marsden, Hllwood, Newsomo, and Archibald £1 eaoh, or proportionate terms of imprisonment in default of payment. Six of them elected to go to gaol. The decision is more fully reported elsewhere. The house in Armagh street that was destroyed by fire on Monday morning was the freehold property of the Ber B. T. Dudley, of Auckland, by whom it was leased to lsr Doyle. It was insured in the London and Lancashire Insuranoe Company for £800, £400 being in favour of the landlord and £400 in the aamo of the Permanent Investment and Loan Association. Mrs Baisiogthwaita'a furniture was insured in the London and Liverpool and Globe office for £200. Mr A. Bteniog, of the Britannia Hotel, has again reosivod from South Canterbury another very fine trout, the dimensions of which are length 33 inoh.es, and girth 22 inches. Its weight is 19ilbi. It was caught by Mr William Binley, with a N*. 5. soleskin minnow. As the genuineness of the bulk of the last trout sent to Mr Stoning has been doubted, especially by writers in South Canterbury papers, that gentleman will be happy to prove to the sosptioal that the details of the fish under notice are unimpeachable. Confirmation was onSuaday administered in Bt Stephen's Church, Ashburton, to 15 female and 11 male candidates. The oeremony was performed by the Bight Bey the Primate, assisted by the Bey B. A. Scott, the Incumbent There was a large attendance, the ohuroh being completely packed. A most impressive address was given by the Primate, who took for his text Bomans iii., verse 8. The anthem, "If Te Love Me, Keep My Commandments," was most effectively ren. dered by the excellent choir of the ohuroh. The Primate preached again in the eveniog to another large congregation. Last evening a conoert was given in St John's schoolroom, in eonneotion with the paroohial temperanoe sooiety. There was a large attendance, and a well-arranged programme was gone through, in a style which evidently met the approbation of the audience. Bongs and instrumental pieces were given by the Misses JLe Gassiek, Leah, and MesiM F. Hymen and Gardiner. A musical farce, entitled " Ljttle Annie's Birthday," was given by a number of amateurs in a manner which produced m uch laughter and applause. Mention must n«t be omitted of Mr Gardiner's band, whioh performed several selection* in very praiseworthy style. Captain Hoist, of the Blaokwall, reports (that on 'Jhureday last, whiUt on a trip to Okain's Baj, bis craft became fbsoalmed about one and a half miles off Lyttelton Heads, and one or two of the crew amused themselves by fishing. The water was smooth and still, when ono ot the hands noticed a huge, blackish matin* monster in the water, which, from its size, they at first ' thought was a whale. It, however, proved to be a shark of the species known as "blue," and as tfa.B huge fish sailed slowly round the ' ketoh, his nose being at the boat's mizzen i chains and his tail reaching to the bows, his i length was roughly guessed at 30ft. After i satisfying hi* curiosity, the shark slowly dis- * ] appeared. Eveu in the tropical seas of the I 1 West Indies, whew sharks attain their largest ' ' size, old sailors tell to this would be reckoned ) ' • monster. 'I

The Muter of the Canterbury Orphanage deiirei to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of £30 4», as the remit of the benefit given by Mm Louise Pomeroy. Up to date 183 entries have been reoeived for the Caledonian meeting on Deo. 17, prinoipally for handicap!. A most Bucoeiif ul meet* ing i» expeoted. The Home Steward of the Ohristohurob. Hospital wishes to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of a quantity of roses and a number of illustrated papers from Mrs E. Biehardson, Opaws. Yesterday the City Oounoil labourers commenced laying an asphalt crossing from the weitern end of tho footpath in front of the City Hotel was begun. This is a work whioh has long been desired by the residents on the Colombo street side of the Triangle, to whom it will doubtless prove a great convenience. A number of new fishponds are now in oourse of oonstruotion at the Acclimatisation Gardens, and are intended for the aooommodation of peroh and young trout. They are situated near the river, from whioh thoy will be supplied with water. The following items will be found on our fourth page:— Tale: "A Christmas Star" (conoladed); Meetings of the City Oounoil and Drainage Board ; Inquest at Kaiapoi ; Cable News, including an account ef the Battle of Souakim, *o. A speoial meeting of the Ohristchuroh Distriot; Drainage Board was held yesterday, when the formal striking of the rat* wag carried out. Several deputations waited upon the Board, and were heard against the amount of the rate. The proceedings will be found reported on our fourth page. Two auction sales are announced by Messrs Beauohamp and Bell. At 11 o'clock tomorrow they will offer a " first- olass merry-go-round and powerful German organ," and on Saturday they will submit some valuable town and suburban properties. ( .. An entertainment in aid of the Oxford Horticultural and Poultry Association Show was held in the West Oxford Town Hall on Friday. The ohair was taken by Mr White before a very limited audience, owing to the unsettled state of the weather, but all who attended seemed to fully appreciate the singiDg. After the concert the room was cleared and danoing was kept up till the small hours of (he morn* ing. An adjourned meeting of those interested in the Leithfield sports was held at Stace's Boyal Hotel on Saturday. There was a very good attendance, Mr D. Shaw in the ohair. A Working Committee and officials were elected, along with a sub- Committee, to attend to the amusements of the children. Mr Btac»'s offer of a paddock was accepted. It was daoidfd to hold the usual ball, and a Committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements. A conoert aad ball was held at Eyreton on Friday in connection with the distriot sohool. The performers were the Misses Wilmot.Ross, Bailey, Murphy, and Messrs Harper, Beeves, B. Miller, B. James, and the sohool children. The entertainment consisted of songs, recitations, violin and pianoforte soles. The ball was well attended. Musio was supplied by Misses Bailey, Murphy, and Meisrs Harper and Jennings. Ihe prooeeds, whioh amount to about £7 *!», are in aid of the children's treat fund. Ihe Oolleotor of Customs has communicated with Government regarding an expedition in search of the crew of the schooner S. W. Hunt, and received the following answer from the Marine Department : — " Government maintain stores ob Campbell and Auckland Islands. The Eekeno is now down there. Stella oannot be spared." The Kekeno is the Government sohooner deputed to watoh the seal fisheries. From the tenor of the above, the Government evidently think it useless to despatoh a speoial vessel. An enjoyable and' instructive entertainment was given in the Bible Christian Ohuroh last evening. It was well attended and passed off very successfully. The B<>7 J. Gilmouv presided, and made a few opening remarks on the subjeot of temperanoe. Bongs were given by Miisss Hopper and Higgott and Master Gillespie, reoitations and dialogues bj Misses Saunders, Simpson, Clements, tiuraon, Chapman, Bell, Brewer, and Sorimgeour, and Masters Moses, Simpson, and Kent. Hymns were sung at intervals, and the band of the Primitive Methodist Ohuroh, under the direction of Mr Berryman, was in attendance and enlivened the proceedings by their performance. The parish fStt to be held to-morrow in the Ham grounds at Biocarton promises to be a great suooess. Ihe things sent from England and elsewhere are of a more than usually varied and attractive kind, and will be offered for sale at very moderate prices. Creature comforts will be amply provided for, as (hero will be lunoheon ob the ground from 11 till 3, and tea, coffee, and other refreshments after that hour. Ices will be made on the ground, and there will be an abundant supply of strawberries and oream. We are requested to state that, in order to allow for the presence ' of large families, children will be admitted for threepence each. Ooaohos will run to and from Ham throughout the day, at the hours advertised in another part of this paper. At the meeting of the Timaru Borough Oounoil Isst evening a deputation from the Court Southern Crosr, A.0.F., attended to urge a petition for the remission of Borough rates payable by the Court, on tho ground that their Order was purely a benefit one, and that by lessening the expenditure for charitable aid it really assisted the revenue of the Colony. The Council, considering the petition conflicted with clause 115 of the Municipal Corporations Aor, ordered it to lie on the table. In ooHnection with the whole matter of remission of Borough r«tes> Councillor Sutter, referring to a proposal by the local Mechanics' Institute Trustees to send a similar petition to th« Oounoil, pointed out that fully half the members of the Institute lived on and beyond the Town Belt in the Levels road distriot, and should application be made for remission of Borough rates he would be prepared to move that the Counoil should contribute £ for £ with the Road Board, up to £25, in aid of tbe funds of the Institute. The last of the Advent series of mission •ervioes took place in the Cathedral last evening, and was attended by a large congregation. The service was similar in oharaoter to those whioh preceded it, and was oonduoted by tho Yen Arohdeaoon Harpeir, assisted by the Bey Canon Stanford. The sermon was preached by the former, and was on the words, " Lay Hold of Eternal Life, whereunto also thou art called." Immediately before the conclusion of the service the whole congregation knelt in silent prayer, after whioh His Lordship the Primate pronounced the Benediction. To eaoh person, as those present left the Cathedral, was given a memorial card, bearing a short prayer for Divine protection. It was intimated by the Bey Canon Stanford that another series of services of a similar nature would shortly be initiated. With every prospect of tho next annual review of tho various Volunteer corps of the South Island being held io Ohristohuroh, it may be pointed out that tho present Exhibition building would be particularly appHcable for that purpose. The building, when dear of exhibits, would format admirable barracks, with all the necessary accommodation requisite for a large body of troops. The various outbuildings could bo utilised as mess-kitohens, canteens, ttat. t the main building for sleeping purposes, while the opon square in the oentre would form a suitable parade ground for telling off the companies prior to marohing off to a more extended «pace for carrying out the various manouvres appertaining to battalion drill. The subjeot is one well worthy of consideration at the hands of the officer commanding th« dietriot, as to carry it into offset the neoessary preliminaries would require to be Undertaken before the final dosing of the Exhibition, The King of tha Belgians has entrusted Messrs Yarrow and Co., of Poplar, with the construction of a very shallow draught steamer for the navigation of the upper waters of the Congo, in connection with the Association (Internationale Africaine, for the use of tho expedition of whioh Mr Stanley <has oharge. Ihu vessel is of speoial and ingenious design. It will be propelled by a atern paddle wheol, and the hall will be arranged in such a manner that it can be readily sub-divided into a number of sections, each boing floatable, and provided with fittings for receiving four large wheels. These wheels can be attaohed to eaoh section while afloat, so that it can be drawn out of tha water for transport overland without difficulty. Eaoh of the sub-divisions of the hull forms, when fitted with tho wheels, a complete wagon of itself, capable of carrying the machinery of I the steamer, merohondise, stores, &o. J

A trade sale of paper hangings will be conduoted by Messrs Beauchamp and Bell at 2 o'olook to morrow. Mr H. E. Alport will sell by auction, at 11 o'olook to-morrow, the rights in connection with the Anniversary Sports. Also, at soon, 300 saoks wheat. An important sale of furniture, &o , will be held at 11 o'clock, on Thursday, by Mr B. Walton, noting in conjunction with Messrs Acland, Barnes and Go. The sale will take plaoe at the residence of Signor Otto Hug, Hereford street east. A number of exhibits intended for the Art Gallery of the Exhibition were received at the building this morning, and the work of hanging them will be oommenoed as soon as practicable. Several exhibitors huve begun to make preparations in the shape of erecting " bays," and in various other ways. The additional shed rendered necessary by the unexpectedly large number of entries is on the point of completion, and has already been allotted among the exhibitors. Some little, exoitement was oaused in the vicinity of the Armagh street bridge about half-past 10 this morning, by the misfortunes of a spring cart whioh had been taken to the adjacent; watering- plaoe. The driver of the vehicle took it into suoh deep water that the horse waa unable to draw it out, and for a short time it looked as though a capsize was imminent. A number of the Corporation labourers, and others who were in the neighbourhood, went to the rescue, and after some trouble the animal was uoharneised, and both horse and out brought safely to land.