Local & General

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5189, 20 December 1884, Page 3

Local & General

The School of Art Exhibition will be open to-day, Monday and Tuesday, from 10 a.m. till 7.30 p.m. I Nominations for an 'election of nine members to form the Christchurch Drainage Board must be sent in to the Returning Officer before noon on Dec. 29. The election will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 6. : His Excellency the Governor lunched yesterday on board the R.M.S.S. Kaikoura, with the Chairman and, Directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company. He was received on board by a guard of honour, composed of officers and men of the Royal Naval Reserve, of which Captain Crutchley is a member. The blue ensign was flown at the main during Hi 3 Excellency's stay on board. Last night, the members of the Christchurch Musical Society held a rehearsal of the " Messiah," which they are to perform injthe Tuam street Hall on Tuesday next. There was a good attendance, and, judging from the manner in which the rehearsal went, the performance should be successful. Yesterday, special " Holiness Councils " took place in the Salvation Theatre, at three and seven o'clock p.ra. Both were well attended, particularly that iv the evening, and the proceedings were of the earnest, if somewhat eccentric, nature, now tolerably familiar to those who have observed the doings of the " Army " in Christchurch. Mr Robert Marshall, an old and much respected resident in the Ellesmere district, waa buried at Leeston yesterday. Mr Marshall has been in the district for over 20 years, and most of his time he has lived at Lakeside. The funeral was one of the largest that has been* in the distvuit for some time, as Mr Marshall leaves behind him many sympathising friends. It is our duty to chronicle the demise of another lady, well known and much beloved and respected in the district in wldcli she resided, namely, Mrs John Grigg, of Longboach. Mrs Grigg had • • been ill for some days, and died yesterday rfmerniug. Much sympathy is felt for the i vespectwi.jiir-ribel 1 for Wakamii in his [ ' bereavemeiirr***.--.

The master of the Armagh street Depot begs to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of one guinea from Mr Charles Clark, and one pound from Mr R. Wilkin, to provide come Christmas cheer for the inmates. A meeting of the Woodend Horticultural Society was held in the district schoolroom on Thursday evening ; present— Hon. H. B. Grepson (in the chair), Rev C. H. Gossett," Messrs A. Catchpole, D. Hewitt, J. Trim, W. Powell, and E. Mossnian. A cordial vote of thanks was passed to Messrs J. Lowe, W. Norman, T. Robson, and W. Stapleforth for their generous and efficient services in connection with judging the exhibits at the late show. Several accounts were passed for payment. The results of the spring show showed .£lB 33 3d to bo due to exhibitors as prize money. The Treasurer was authorised to pay the same on demand. The meeting then adjourned. A general meeting of shareholders in the Ashburton Woollen Factory Company was held yesterday. There was a moderate attendance. Mr Hugo Friedlander, Chairman of the Board of Directors, presided. The Secretary read the following motions, of which notice had been given : — " That it has been proved to the satisfaction of this Company that this Company cannot, by reason of its liabilities, continue its business, and it is advisable to wind up the same ; " " That Messrs be appointed liquidators, for the ptirpose of winding up the affairs of the Company, and distributing its property, and that the remuneration to be paid to them for their services be — ." The Chairman explained that the Company was now in such a position that any statement by him of how that position had been reached would at this juncture be unwise. He might say, however, that since the former meeting, at , which the Directors had obtained power to j borrow money to carry on with, Messrs • Scott Bros, had issued a writ against the Company, and in consequence of this the borrowing arrangment had fallen through. Hence the present meeting. A petition to wind up the Company voluntarily had been lodged in the Supreme Court, owing to the ; action of Messrs Scott. After some talk, j it was decided to adjourn the meeting till i Monday week next. A bazaar and gift auction were held in the Town Hall, Leeston, on Wednesday last. The object of this bazaar [ was to help to build a Sunday School | for the Church of England at Le&- j ton. A bazaar of a similar nature was I held last year for the same object, when { about JS9O was taken, which has for the j last year been put out at interest. A tea ' meeting has also been held, and now the ; Committee are in possession of about .£llO, and with the amount which they hope to obtain on the present occasion they intend at once to start building a Sunday schoolroom. Great preparations have been going on for the last few months in order to make it a success, and the ladies may be ; congratulated on the result of their efforts. I A Christmas tree, which was on the stage, j \ was presided over by Misses Allan, Durant ; j (2), Cooper and Spring, who seemed to do j j a good business with their little bags and j bits of x>aper. Down each side of the hall ! were two long tables, over which Mesdames ! Spring, Wood, Lawrence, Dixon and Lunn ! and several young ladies had charge. In one corner of the hall was placed a refreshment stall, over which Mrs M'Conkey had cole charge, and did a very good, business, j having many tempting delicacies." The needle and crewel work was very tastefully done, and had a ready sale. In the evening Mr Bluett kindly officiated as auctioneer, and great fun was experienced in knocking down the different articles to not over-willing buyers. The bazaar on the | whole was an immense success, about JEGO having been taken. The railway crossing the Techachipi Pass, California, is a feat of extraordinary character in engineering that reflects ! credit upon everyone concerned in its accomplishment. At a first glance the mounI tain seems a formidable and almost insur- '. mountable barrier. It rises 3000 feet in ! seven miles. The intricacies of approach, through hundreds of water-washed arroyos, are utterly confusing at first sight, and it was necessary to make the line twenty-five miles* long in order to overcome the height, even with an equated grade of 11G feet to the mile. In the locations the road is made at one point to describe a spiral, so that it crosses over itself at a height of 97 feet above the lower tunnel, and that, too, on such a well-computed gradient that the 'passenger is readily assured that no undue strain is being exerted by the two engines. After the spiral of the Techachipi had become somewhat known abroad, it is said that the engineer from the St Gothard came to California especially to study the pass-of the Techachipi, and that upon his return he relocated the approaches from both sides, introducing several spirals in bhe solid rock. If this is a fact, the statement that the Americans have copied the St Gothard solution is incorrect. — Iron. Writing on the reform of the House of Lords the Times remarks : — " While many hereditary peers are very able men, taking a keen and intelligent interest in public affairs, many are far from conspicuous for intelligence or public spirit. Would it not be possible to attach to membership of the Upper House some • other condition than birth, and to make it the coveted i distinction of patrician merit ? Together with the reduction of the hereditary members there might well be a more liberal in- ! fusion for life of commoners who have proved | themselves worthy to share in the high functions of the Upper House, and who would bring to it much valuable informaj tion gleaned in fields not always open to I peers. As a general result of measures j which we indicate in the most general way it is conceivable that the whole body of peers, selected, elected, hereditary, or j sitting for life, might acquire a judicial : tone, placing them beyond the reach of j partisan motives and fitting them to proi mote national harmony aud national inj terests. In that way the House of Lords I might become the revered custodian of the liberties of a great people, and enter upon a new career worthy of the best traditions of its past."