Latest Locals

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5170, 27 November 1884, Page 2

Latest Locals

+ Our readers are reminded that Mrs Price's concert takes place at the Oddfellows' Hall this evening. The following items appear on the fourth page of this issue: — Mayoral Elections; the Charges against Waring Taylor ; Further News about the Osprey ; the Army of the Soudan. The Hon E. Richardson left Christchurch to-day in order to visit various places along the north line of railway. He will probably be back in town to-morrow. A vocal and instrumental concert will be given this evening in the hall of the Working Men's Club. The lady friends of members are invited. At 11 o'clock to-morrow Mr H. J. Boss will hold a large unreserved sale of household furniture, on premises in St Asaph street, next the Free Methodist Church. The first membera* match of the Muff Cricket Club is to take place at Hagley Park to-morrow. Sides are to be picked on the ground at 11 a.m., and a very enjoyable day's play is anticipated. Steps are being taken to render some assistance to the widow and family of Thomas M'Cleary, found drowned in Lyttelton Harbour last Friday. A meeting of sympathisers is to be held at 8 o'clock on Friday evening, at Mr M'DowelTs store, corner of Lower High street and the East belt. A strikingly effective poster has been issued by the Canterbury Caledonian Society in reference to the sports to be held at Lancaster Park on Anniversary day. The design, executed by the Lyttelton Times Company, is a tartan ground, in colours, surmounted by the Scottish crest, the lion rampant, and the plant which no man may heedlessly grasp. As a .specimen of job-printing the poster is a really excellent production. Miss Genevieve Ward's advance agent, the übiquitous Liddy, is now engaged in the necessary preparations for the opening of the season at the Theatre Eoyal on Thursday evening in next week. Miss Ward has elected to make her first appearance before a Christchurch audience as Stephanie in " Forget-nie-Not." The brilliant reputation of the artiste, who brings with her a wellselected Company, is a warrant that theatre-goers have some pleasant evening? in pi-ospect. To the list of novel inventions from the land of wooden nutmegs must now be added paper cigars, " large quantities of which have been imported into the Australian Colonies." A correspondent of Truth describes these as being such an exact imitation of the natural leaf of the nicotian, herb., and to be so well flavoured, that it takes a magnifying glass to detect the deception. He adds, too, that they burn well, and hold their white ash firmly. Possessing so many excellent qualities, why should smokers bother about the magnifying glass ? It was only the other day, that society was startled at the discovery that the confidential maid of a lady of rank was in reality a beardless adventurer in corsets ; and about the same time a Paris hotel disclosed the secret that two excellent chambermaids were of the masculine gender. Now from the other side of the Hoboken flats comes the story of a treasure of a cook, in the employ of an aristocratic New Jersey family, who was discovered, through the medium of a red flannel undershirt, to be a masquerader in female attire. It used to be said that the best way for a man to secure a good dinner was to "kiss the cook," but if this business of disguising the culinary identity is to go on, it will no longer be safe or pleasant to make such a venture. As for the mistress of the mansion — but really the subject is too complicated to follow. One of the comicalities of the Philadelphia Electrical Exhibition -was the illuminated coloured gentleman who politely distributed cards to astonished visitors. The Edison Company conceived the idea of so locating one of their lamps that it could be seen by all, and to do this most effectually they placed it upon a helmet i Burniounting the head of the coloured party. Two wires led from the lamp under his jacket, down each leg, and terminated in copper discs fastened to his boot heels. Squares of copper of a suitable j size for him to stand naturally upon were ! placed at intervals in the floor, and were . electrically connected with the dynamo. So with each heel in contact with a plate he was ! enabled to make nnd break the circuit leading to his lamp, tlw movement required being so slight as not to attract attention, and his hands being free to handle tbe cards. Many nervous persons were startled by the sudden flashing of the light, and so great- were the crowds that continually surrounded this individual that he was frequently obliged to change his quarters in order to keep the passages open. i As a further improvement it was the inteni tion to place copper strips under a carpet and provide the heels with sharp points, so that each step would be illuminated. This. J simple exhibition led many folks from the I rural districts to inquire as to the cost of 1 such an appliance, as it was just the thing they waatod. « to carry around the bouse.'*

The following wM play for Denham'sL. P. Eleren «v Satnrday next, at Lancaster Park, against Midland, play commencing at 2.15 :— Bailey, Clarke, Denhair, Mountfort. Whiting, Waller, Uobbs, H'Cormick, Jones, A. Bulley and Pi ice.