Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7318, 12 November 1891, Page 3

Local & General.

Banquet to the Hom W. RoliLßSton. — A banquet tendered to the Hon W. Eollcßton by his friends and supporters was held in the Tuatn street hall last evening, and wsb largely attended. A number of speeches were made, the gathering terminating shortly before two o'clock this morning. A report appears in another part of this issue Amateur Opera.— The Chriatchuroh Operatic Society repeated Gilbert and Sullivan's opera Pinafore at the Oddfellows' Hall last night to a capital house. The opera went very smoothly, and was thoroughly enjoyed by many of the country visitors who had never heard its whimsicalities before. Taking it altogether, the past short season of Pinafore has been a marked success. Fiscicultuek.— The Greymouth Acclimatisation Society last week placed ] 5,000 brown trout in the Arnold River, its tributary, and Lake Brunner. Through facilities granted by the local Managers of the New Zealand and Midland Railway the fish were conveyed in splendid condition. Jt is to be hoped they will thrive in the waters in which they have been placed, thereby adding another attraction to so romantic a neighbourhood. The Amateur Minbtrkls.— To-night the Christchurcb Amateur Minstrels commence a short season at the Oddfellowß* Hall, under the patronage of his Excellency the Earl of Onslow. Those who remember the really admirable manner in which the minstrels rendered some of the best of both the old and the new plantation ballads and part songs will be pleased to hear that room has been made in the programme, by judicious alterations, for more of that very deservedly popular music. To-night's programme, we think, will please everyone, for while there will be a sufficiency of the sweet old negro songs, due allowance has been made for those who like a hearty laugh. Gkraldinb.— Our correspondent writes: —A welcome rain has been steadily falling over this district since Monday evening, with every appearance of continuing. On Tuesday night it was accompanied by a coldness approaching hailstone weather. The growth of every description of vegetation iB very rapid. The shearers are hindered in their work by the rain. Several farmers have shorn their flocks of good fleeces. — The fortnightly meeting of the Baptist Sunday school Band of Hope was held on Tuesday night, when there was a | good attendance of young people. In the absence of the President, the chair was taken by the Rev G. 0. Griffiths. Addresses were delivered by the Chairman and Mr Leigh. Recitations were delivered by Messrs Mieklejohu, Cullen and George Collinaon, and a reading by Mr Colee. Selections from Sankey's hymns were Bung, Miss Sh< ate presiding at the harmonium. A Curious Point. — One point in connection with the recent magisterial investigation arising out of the murder of a woman named Adams in Limehouse a short time ago cannot bo allowed (the British Medical Journal says) to pass without some comment. It wa3 stated by the magistrate, in discharging the prisoner brought up on suspicion, that the knife prod coed could not have been the weapon used, as there was no blood upon it, and, therefore, there must have been another weapon, which was taken away by the assailant. This assumption on the part of the magistrate is entirely erroneous and most dangerous, and to refute it the journal quotea From the greatest authority on the subject in this country the following passage : — In reference to stabs, the knife is frequently without any stains of blood upon it, or there is only a slight film, which on drying gives to the surface a yellowish brown colour. The explanation of the fact appears to be that in a rapid blow or plunge the vessels are compressed, eo that bleeding takes place only after the Budden withdrawal, when the pressure is removed. Even if blood should be effused, the weapon in being withdrawn is sometimes cleanly wiped against the edges of the wound, owing to the elasticity of the skin." The italics are ours. It is bad enough that when blood is found on a weapon it is assumed that it must have been the particular one used j but surely it is far worse when the assumption is boldly mado that the weapon with which a fatal stab was given mußt be bloodstained. Theatre Rotaii.— That very amusing Hibernian drama, The Irish Dttective, was repeated last night at the Theatre Royal by the Grattan Riggs and Macmahon Dramatic Company, when its rich comicalities were highly appreciated. To-night Dion Boucicault's Arrahna-Poguc will be repeated by speoial request, and as Shaun the Post is one of Mr Riggs' beßt impersonations, while the Arrah-na-Pogue of Mies Appleton is a charming presentment, a good house is Bure to result. Fibst Aid. — The Wellington Times says : — A very interesting exhibition of skill in rendering "first aid to the injured " was given at the military tournament on Saturday. The exhibitors were three little boys, aged thirteen, twelve and eight years of age respectively, the sons of Mr S. J. Loring, of the goods department on the railway at Dunedin. A Bubject was found in the person of a young member of the bugle band, who, in a very short time, was placed on a stretcher and bandaged and swathed in the mott artistic manner. The ambulance kit they used is the invention of Mr Loring himself, and is the moßt compact and useful we have yet seen. The covers can be used for splints, to be lengthened at will, inside is a collection of linen, bandages, &c, while on the cover are instructions for dealing with wounds of an ordinary character, added to which there is a number of corresponding diagrams showing how the injured limb should look when bound up. In fact, the kit iB a complete assortment in a very small compass of everything that could possibly be required in the case of emergency, and will doubtless find great favour with the general public. Darwin says the elephant is reckoned to be the slowest breeder of all known animals, and he has taken some pains to estimate itß probable minimum rate of natural increase. It will be under the mark to assume that it breeds when thirty years old, and goes on breeding till ninety years old, bringing forth three pair of young in this interval ; if Hub be so, at the end of the fifth century there would be alive 15,000,000 elephants descended from the first pair. (London is not the county town of Middlesex, becaus* it is not a town, and forma no part of the County of Middlesex, being a corporate city. It is in no way subject to the jurisdiction of any Middlesex authority. Recently a great portion of the City surroundings have been absorbed in the new County of London. The county town of Middlesex is Brentford. A Peerless Beverage.— Hyslop's Ceylon and Indian Teas.— [Advt 1 A perfect beverage, "Arab" and «•' Shah " Brand Teas, 2b and 2» 4d per lb. Have your sight tested and real pebble specs, best quality, fitted |for 6b 6d. S. Clarke and Co. X502