Latest Locals.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6936, 20 August 1890, Page 3

Latest Locals.

Prime Beef. — Mr S. Garforth to-day Bold his champion orize heifer " Middleton Maid" to Mr John Mann for £15 ss. This heifer is by far the largest and fattest that has ever been seen in the Addington Yards. On Nov. 8 ehe weighed on the public weighbridge 20701 b, and she bears an unbeaten record, having taken three first prizea at Christchurch and two at Dunedin. She waß nearly a pure-bred shorthorn. Early Closing. — A meeting of the Bangiora Early Closing Association waa hold on Monday night, Mr H. Blackett, iunr., in the chair. It was reported that three-fourthß of the business people of the town had signed an agreement to close at tho hours advocated by the Association. After discussing the position of affairs the members came to the conclusion that little further could be done until the fate of the Shop Hours' Bill was decided. SyDENHAM Presbyterian Church.— A very excellent programme of music, &c, has been arranged for the concert to be held in tho Oddfellows' Hall, Sydenham, to-morrow evening, including solos by Mrs Corrick and other vocalists. The instrumental items will be given by Mr Pooley's string band, and the Rev P. R. Monro will, in addition to presiding, give one of his humorous Scotch readings always so attractive. The tea will be laid at 5.30 p.m., and the concert begins at 7.30. Unpleasant Weather.— Christchurch residents are familiar with dust, and the Nor'-wester which blew this morning brought their old enemy back again. The wind changed to the southward as the day advanced, but it was as tempestuous as before, and clouds of dust sweeping along the streets rendered walking through them the reverßeof pleasant.

The Avon Stramer and Dredge.— The Directors of the Avon Steam Packet and Dredging Company (Limited) met today, and considered the tenders received for the construction of the steamer and dredge. It was decided to accept the tender of Messrs Scott Bros. The work is to be finished by November next. There are still a few shares in the Company open for application at the Company's office.

Chbist's College Rifles. — The members of this corps have decided to give another of their pleasant "bread and butter dances," at Hobbs' buildings, on Sept. 11. The tickets are obtainable from Private Evans, Cathedral Square, and other members of the Company.

Gratitude.— The Kaiupoi Volunteer Fire Brigade have received cheques for £2 23 each from Mr John Sims and from the Kaiapoi Bacon syndicate, in acknowledgement of services rendered at the fire in their premises in July last. A Find.— Some children, pl&jing in Kiver'B paddock, opposite Coker's Hotel, Manchester street, found a cashbox, which had been broken open. It contained a cheque for £1 103, but no money. The police were informed of the discovery and the box was given up t:> them. It has been identified as the cashbox ntolen from Mr Fletcher, grocer, Lower High street, some weeks ago.

Mutual Improvement. — Ofl Friday evening last, at the Durham street Association, a debate on " War v. Arbitration" t ;ok place. Four representatives from the East Belt Association took the side of arbitration and a like number of the Durham street Society spoke on" war. At the conclusion of the debate, a vote was taken on the question, and arbitration was upheld unanimously. The Rev R. Taylor occupied the chair. Next Friday the editor reads the journal of the Society.

Kaiapoi Literary Institute. — The entertainment in aid of the book fund of this institute, to be given at the Kaiapoi Oddfellows' Hall to-morrow night, should be largely attended, as the programme is excellent, the performers being local amateurs of proved talent. Besides this, the object of the concert is to assist the vigorous and most deserving efforts of the Committee, who have themselves sacrificed much time and expense to keep the institute in a state of efficiency.

Richmond Fkee Methodist Church. — A concert will be held in connection with this church to-morrow evening, when vocal and instrumental items will be rendered by the Misses Deakin, Puller, Messrs J. Puschell, J. P. Cliff and others. Mr G. Kelly will also give one of his characteristic recitations. In addition to these items, there will be a further attraction in the shape of mirth, magic, &0., by a very successful conjurer. In the interval light refreshments will be provided. The proceeds are in aid of reducing the trust debt of the church.

Addington Mutual IirpROVBirKNT Association. — The weekly meeting of the above took place on Monday evening, August 18, in the Bible Christian Schoolroom, Selwyn street South. An excellent paper was read by Mies Bowden on "Happy Homes." The essay was full of suggestions for the increase of home happiness, and dwelt particularly on the political aspect of the question. The young lady gave a very effective reply to the criticisms which were passed, and was accorded a hearty -vote of thankß for her able paper. The President (Mr Down) announced that the members of the Lower High street Mutual Improvement Class would supply the programme next meeting.

Football. — The matches for the Junior Flag have been resolved into an exciting finish between Lin wood and Merivale, and we see by advertisement that the issue will be decided on Lancaster Park on Saturday next. The Linwood are at present leading by half a point, and have not been defeated this season, having playpd fourteen matches, winning eleven and drawing three. Merivale have played fourteen, winning twelve and losing two. Both teams will be btrongly represented, and have been in strict training for some time ; the match should therefore be well worth seeiner.

The Mayor's Gift. — The Eun-dial which is the ejift of his Worship the Mayor to the City haß just been completed by Mr A. Noble — that is the dial itself, not tho stone column on which it is to be fixed, which has yet to be made. The dial is a rectangular plate of polished bras 3, a square foot in measurement, graven with a circle round which are marked the hours calculated for the latitude of Chribtchurch — 43 degrees 33 minutes. Figures are also given indicating the number of minutes to be added to or subtracted frous the time shown by the shadow in order to obtain the mean time. The gnomon, or pin, of the dial is also of polished brass, neatly cut. The dial bears the appropriate motto " Fugit irrepardbile tenvpus." When erected it ia to be fixed upon a column of white stone, suitably carved, and of a convenient height for passers-by to read the time as shown by the great timekeeper in the heavens.

A.0.F., Court Star op Canterbury. — The ordinary bi-monthly meeting of the above Court was held on Monday ovening, at the Foresters' Hall, the attendance being but limited. The chair was occupied by the C.R., Bro J. Matthews, to whom during the evening Bro H. Crooks, District Treasurer, presented a handsomely-framed P.C.E/s certificate and insignia of office as a token of approbation for services rendered ; a more striking token, Bro Crooks remarked, beiDg seen in the fact of his reelection to office for a second term. The compliments of Bro Crooks were echoed by Bro T. Gapes, District Secretary, in very congratulatory terms, and Bro Matthews suitably replied. The formal business of the evening was soon transacted, and the report of the Management Committee recommending the calling of tenders for hall painting, the purchase of a large scale map of the city and suburbs for the use of the Court, and appointing a Visiting Committee to inspect various properties under the control of the Court, was approved of. One candidate was initiated during the evening, and a second joined by clearance The meeting closed at an early hour. The month's receipts amounted to £93.

The Late Mb Eobert Flett.— From a private letter received in Lyttelton by the last English mail, tho cable announcing the death of Mr Robert Flett, late of Lyttelton, i<3 confirmed. Mr and Mrs Flett left Lyttelton a few months ago on a visit to Scotland, and from the letter, which waa written by Mrs Flett, it appears that her husband left his lodgings early one morning to go shooting. He got on a high cliff, and it is supposed lost possession of his gun in some way, for he was seen to go to the\ beach and procure a boat hook to endeavour to reach it. Nothing more wa3 seen of the unfortunate fellow, and it is supposed that in attempting to reach his gun he overbalanced himself and fell over the cliff into the sea. The letter was written several days after the accident, but the body had not then been recovered, although repeated search had been made for it. The night following the day of the accident was a very stormy one, and a large number of lives were lost close to the spot by mishaps amongst the fleet of herring-fishing crafts.

Improved Photography. — Messrs Standish and Preece have been experimenting with the recently invented " colour sensitive " photographic dry plates, otherwise known as the isochromatic or orthochromatic plates. The purpose of these is nob to obtain a picture in natural colours — an achievement as yet beyond the power of photography — but to render colours in the Bame order of intensity in which they are presented to the eye, so that the various sbade3 shall appear in the photograph in the same order of relative lightness or darkness in which they appear in the natural object. The experiments made by Messrs Standish and Preeoe show that this is, to a great extent, secured by these plates. The object photographed was the cover of a child's picture-book, adorned with a rainbow-like figure, having bands, of scarlet, orange, yellow, light green, light blue, dark blue, purple and white, on a black ground. The picture taken by the colour sensitive plate rendered the intensity of the various colours with a considerable degree of faithfulness, the eight tints of the rainbow being represented by plainly distinct six shades in the photograph. A picture taken with an ordinary plate showed but three shades, the red, yellow, green and orange being blended in what was practically one dark mass. Messrs Standish and Preece have found that the amount of exposure necessary to obtain a photograph with the new plates 13 less than what is required when the old ones are used,