Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5651, 22 June 1886, Page 3

Local & General.

For the Ashburton Woollen Factory, the Loch Awe, now at Lyttelton, has a quantity of new machinery, and the Tongariro, nowafloat for these shores, is bringing a further consignment. The Colorado Minstrels, who were to have performed in the Oddfellows' Hall laet evening, did not give their performance owing to the extreme paucity of the attendance. The company open this evening in Lyttelton. The many admirers of Mr George Rignold and his excellent company will be pleased to learn that they have been doing splendid business in Auckland, and that they purpose revisiting this city next month. The E.M.S. Tongariro's mail was delivered in town yesterday. The Northern portion was despatched by the U.S.S. Company's steamer Mahinapua. It consisted of 131 bags, and the steamer left. Lyttelton at 4 p.m. ' At the bazaar in aid of the Baptist Church fundß there was a good number of 'people present last evening. The (bazaar seems to be still popular, judging from the brisk trade that was being done at the various stalls. A poor lame girl of weak intellect, named Mary Holdborougb, made her appearance at the Police Court, Ashburton, yesterday, charged with vagrancy. Her father gave evidence as to the girl's conduct, and she was remanded for eight days, to enable the police to make enquiries. The Ashburton hounds met at GreenBtreet's, Ashburton Forks, on Saturday afternoon last. There was a very large field out, but the magnitude and number of the fences soon reduced the following to a bare score, who enjoyed a capital run, and wound «p with a kill. This pack, which meets three times a fortnight, has shown some very good sport during the season, but the Committee talk of exchanging beagles for harriers, as the smaller hounds are found hardly fast enough for the enclosed country. The members of the Hororata Excelsior Brass Band visited Kirwee on Saturday evening last for the purpose of joining in with the Kirwee Band in giving a torchlight performance. Notwithstanding a cold east wind, a large number of persons assembled to hear the music, which consisted principally of marches and dance tunes, played in really fine Btyle. Altogether the tiro bands, though neither in full force, numbered nineteen instruments. The members of the Hororata Band were afterwards entertained at supper in the Kirwee Hotel. At a meeting of tho newly-elected Committee of the Aahburton Kacing Club, held on Saturday Mr C. W. Purnell was unanimously re-elected Chairman. A number of sub-Committees were appointed, and a large quantity of other routine business disposed of. Mr S. Saunders tendered his resignation of the Secretaryship of the Club, and submitted increased business engagements as his reason for taking this step. Mr Saunders undertook to discharge the duties of the office until the appointment of his successor, and was directed to advertise for applications for the position. A Committee was appointed to draft a programme for the annual Spring Bace Meeting of the Club, which will probably take place early in December. A meeting of the Ashburton Electors' Protection Association was held on Saturday evening, Mr Weymouth Boberts presiding. There was a fair attendance of members, and a large amount of business was transacted. Copieß of letters, on business of the Association, sent to the members for the district, were read. The letters enclosed the following resolutions passed by the Committee : — " (1) That this Association is of opinion that the electoral rolls of the Colony should be cancelled triennially, and freßh applications made for enrolment by persons claiming the franchise; (2) that it be a recommendation to the local members of Parliament that claims to vote should not be received within one month of an election ; (3) that the member for Ashburton ! be informed that, there being no roll of his district available to the public at present, this Association cannot examine it, and would recommend that the rolls be handed over to a public official with more time at his disposal for the work." Letters were read from Mr Murray- Ayneley, expressing his approval of tho Association's objectß and enclosing a subscription; from Mr W. C. Walker, M.H.8., acknowledging receipt of the Association's letter, and promising to submit the suggestions made in the resolutions to the proper authority. The Secretary j produced a list of about 100 names which j ought to be erased from the Wakanui roll. The list, after amendment, was approved. A Committee waa appointed to see the Registrar, with a view to having the names removed from the roll. The rest of the business was formal. Tho following are the latest figures of the strength of the French army. They are taken from the book, " Avant la Bataille," which wp.s published recently by the " Patriotic League," and has been a sort of nine days' wonder in Paris. There are eighteen corps d' armSc, comprising 450 battalions of infantry, 153 squadrons of cavalry, and 324 batteries. The total effective force is said to bo :— Officers, 18,738; men, 671,292; horses, 200,092; guns, 1,944 ; carriages, 38,754.

Hiss Harband, head mistress of the | Ashburton Borough school, has been , presented with a handsome copy of ', Longfellow's poems, as a souvenir of her ' connection with the Wesleyan Sunday School. She was also the recipient of a handsome testimonial from her fellowteachers at the Borough school, previous to her removal to Christchurch. The following extract from a letter from Jerusalem was rather startling until it was shown that the Jerusalem in question was in Tasmania, not in Palestine : — Pig mustering is going on vigorously here at the present time, and a buyer now at hand | expects to clear with between two and three hundred, en route for the tin mines. $ Henry Pigott, a butler, has been stealing two leathers, three brushes, two sponges, and a bottle of varnish from certain stores (says the Pall Mall Gazette). He did not actually put them in his pocket and fly, but be told the shopman that they were for a lady living at Queen's Gate Gardens. This was a lie, and Pigott has been committed for trial. Wls| le the man certainly deserves bat little sympathy, it is still evident that he is a faithful fellow. He was butler to Lord Saltoun, at Cadogan place, where varnish and sponges must be plentiful ; yet he does not rob his master. This ii a good eign, and Pigott's little misfortune should not stand in his way when he is in search of another situation. A London paper says: — In the Lords' Gallery on one night last week sat a venerable white-haired figure, with delicate features and gracefully bent head. This [was the aged Lord Cottesloe, who was born in the last century, and Bixty-Beven years ago took double honours at Oxford. Eight years later he was the Tory M.P. for Buckingham, and just forty years ago he was Sir Eoberfc Peel's Secretary for Ireland. He listened to the Home Bule Bill, he listened to the Land Purchase Bill, he listened to the Budget, he has listened for session after session to almost every important debate in the Commons. He is eighty-eight years of age, and yet his interest in politics is unabated. He sits for hour after hour with his hand to his ear, never speaking, never stirring — a venerable, pathetic figure, which members of the House would be sorry to miss. ' The Ar§us has the following in ref e*«nce to , some questions recently put in the Legis- ■ lative Assembly : — The hon member for j Warrnambool deals in outside subjects. | His latest affects sport. There are too many accidents on racecourses, and he wants enquiry made as to the cause. " How are we to do it," retorted the Chief Secretary—" through the police ?" "Well," drawled the hon member, " policemen, as a ' rule, are pretty expert in keeping out of danger, but I have seen some >A them \ nearly hurt on racecourses. Perhaps they'll i know something about it." Most of the | accidents arise from the fact that small j boys under 7et are employed as jockeys. " Now, this should be stopped," said Mr Murray. "So it should," added another j hon member, and Mr Gillies evidently j thought so too, for he undertook to consult ' some gentlemen not directly connected j with sport to see what can be done. As the colonel put on his overcoat to go out, his wife calmly observed : "You ; haven't been in lusk lately." "In luck ! j How ?" " How much have you dropped on poker in the last two weeks ?" He looked at her a long time, and never attempted a word in reply. " You aren't sharp," she continued. "If I was going to play poker I'd play to win. I wouldn't pit myself against old gamblers." " Madam," said the colonel, after a painful silence, " maybe you know some poker player who has got more cash than keenness. Maybe you do f" "Well,there's — there's John thehired man," she stammered. " John has4oodols laid up, and I heard him talking about poker the other day. Why don't you play him ? " The colonel went out without a word. When he reached the corner he stopped, looked carefully around, and presently turned down the side street and into the alley leading to the barn. John was there, engaged in his everyday duties. "John," said the colonel, " someone was telling me that you played poker." " Well, sir, I — ah — I won't do it any more ! " " Oh, it's no crime, John — no crime — but perhaps I'd better Bhow you a few of the latest (kinks in the game. I don't want any of these stable-men fleecing you." "Thanks, sir, I'll be a thousand times obliged." Two hours later John entered the house and placed in the hands of the colonel's wife a package, and said, "There's 120dols.— all he had— but he'll raise another hundred to-morrow." When the colonel came home to dinner he seemed greatly preoccupied in mind, and at the table he said, " doesn't it seem to you that our John is rather neglecting his work ?" "Why, no. He seems very attentive." " Well, I've got my eye on him, and if I catch him loafing he'll go without an hour's warning !" growled the colonel, as he settled down to hie coffee. — Detroit Free Press.