Local & General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4815, 1 December 1893, Page 3

Local & General.

v * Oubselves.— The eight page issue of the Star to-morrow will contain an article in which a gentleman who has an intimate knowledge of the poor of Christchurch gives his opinion as to the relations between intemperance and poverty and pauperism in this city. There will also be, in addition to the latest political and general news, a most attractive budget of miscellaneous reading. Miss Braddon's Eerial Btory, " All Along the River," will be found to have reached a particularly interesting stage. There will also be an extremely curious Bhort story, "The Banker's Satchel," and a very thrilling one, " The Phantom Death." An account ; of some adventures in Matabeleland will, doubtless, be read with interest at the present juncture; and an article entitled "Reminiscences of a Journalist" will be found to be both thrilling and amusing. Our London correspondent's Literary Note 3 and the Dramatic Notes will furnish some very entertaining reading. The ladies' columns will contain a shrewd and well written paper on husbands' relations, a budget of "useful hints," and a number of other items interesting to the fair sex. There will alao be special articles on various topics, and other interesting matter, which will, on the whole, make to-morrow's Star one of the most readable numbers ever issued. Auction. — Messrs Joseph Clarke and Son advertise an auction of island fruits, peas and new potatoes,- at their rooms for 10.30 a.m. on Monday next. The Weatheb and the Cbops. — The crops in the northern district had the benefit of a Bplendid rain last night. The j downpour lasted for several hours. . ' The Kennel. — The notes of tha judge, ' Mr H. N. Watson, on the exhibits at the i recent Wellington Dog Show, are published J in thiß week's Canterbury Times. I Rejected. — Twenty members of the ' late Parliament were rejected at the general election on Tuesday, and eleven candidates failed to secure the number of votes required to Bave the forfeiture of the .£lO deposit. Nelson, Moate and Co.— The Chriatchurch retail branch of Messrs Nelson, Moate and Co.'s business was closed yesterday. As announced by advertisements, they aro giving up their retail business throughout Now Zealand, in deference to the prejudices of their wholesale customers. The firm wish ib to be distinctly understood that this closing will not in any way alter the teas sold by the firm ; it simply means. that those who have been buying the tea from their shops will now be able i to obtain it from their grocer. 1645

| The BeiiLbingees.— The Lynch Family ! gave one of their enjoyable entertainments at the Rangiora Institute Hall on Thursday evening, and, in spite of the heavy rain, there was a very good audience. Poultry -bbeeding. — An interesting article^ on the causes of infertility in eggs, a subject in which poultry-breeders are much interested, will be found in the current number of the Canterbury Times. An Annivebsaby.— Thirty years ago today the first railway in New Zealand, the Christchurch Ferrymead section of the J Lyttelton line, wa3 opened for traffic. The j late William Sefton Moorhouee, it is said, drove the engine— for part of the trip at all events— on that occasion. ' ' j The Ministeb fob Education.— The _ Hon W. P. Reeves has received about a j hundred letters and telegrams from all parte of the Colony, congratulating him ! upon his return for Christchurch, and upon ! the success of the Government at the ! elections. J Lake Ellesmere Lands. — Sections 11 \ and 4, Block 14, of the lots of laud on the j Lake Ellesmere reserve, which were un- : allotted at the ballot yesterday, were to- ! day granted to Ellen Buckley Crooks and i Ot. Dunford respectively, The remaining { eight lots are now open for application. j Lily Cultttbe.— Loverß of flowers will j find in this week's Canterbury Times an ; article, by one of the first growers in EngI land, on the cultivation of lilies, with notes on some of the best varieties, j A Lunatic. — A man, formerly a labourer j at Sefton, walked into the police station to-day, and requested the sergeant in ! charge to relieve him from the tormenting ■ presence of a familiar " devil." A " some(thing," he said, had in yeara gone by, been j placed upon him by the Orangemen of j Sefton, and this something had hovered ; about him for sixteen years. He had now j grown tired of its company, and prayed ! the police to rid him of it. He was taken 1 into custody, and will be charged with j lunacy to-morrow. Land and Income Tax.— Mr M'Gowan, !l Deputy Property Tax Commissioner, attended in the room of the Chief Postmaster in the Post Office yesterday to give information to any person desiring ii in connection with the preparation of returns f for the Land and Income tax. A large number of persons availed themselves of the opportunity. Mr M'Gowan was at the Post Office again to-day, and a large number of persons took advantage of it. He will attend again to-morrow for the convenience of any persons coming in from the country who may desire assistance. Sale op Wobk. — A most successful sale of work and conversazione in aid of the St Albans Wesleyan circuit fund was held at Papanui on Thursday. The good 8; which I were provided by the ladies of the Papanui, Crescent road, and St Albans churches, found a ready sale, whilst the ladies in charge of the refreshment stall and tearoom were kept more than busy. During the evening the St Albans choir rendered Beveral glees, and the various attractions, especially the phonograph, were well patronised. The net proceeds will be about £45, and the ladies are to be con" gratulated on their success. j Band of Hope.— The monthly meeting of the Tai Tapu Band of Hope was held on

Sunday afternoon. There was a large attendance, and a good programme was contributed. Quartettes were given by Mrs Wills, Miss Mangels, and Meßsrs J. F. Watson and G. Mangels; solos by Miss Laura Champion, Miss Lizzie Delieu and Mr W. Watson; recitations by Misses Mary Tobeck, Bessie Griffiths, Edith Parrett and Messrs J. F. Watson and W. 'Parrett. A very interesting temperance address was delivered by Mr W. Harrison. The meeting was closed .with the benediction, i Ariel Bicycle Club.— A general meeting of the Ariel Bicycle Club was held on Wednesday evening. There was a large attendance and Mr F. Clark occupied the j chair. The Chairman on behalf of the Club welcomed Mr J. Forbes, the Captain, who had returned to Ashburton. Officers were elected to officiate at the annual race meeting of the Club to be held on Wednesday next. • The Committee reported that everything in connection with the race meeting was proceeding satisfactorily, and that ifcpromiaed to be the most successful race meeting yet held in Ashburton, eighteen-' riders 1 having entered from Christchurch alone. - It was decided to hold a smoke concert at the conclusion of the race-meeting, and a Sub-committee was appointed to arrange details. Mr J. Forbes' name was added tothe Committee. Several new members were elected, and a vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting. Labottb Day Dehonbtbation. — The Committee met in the rooms, Ingliß' buildings on Wednesday, Mr W. I. Ballinger in the chair. His Excellency the Governor and the Countess of Glasgow wrote according their patronage to this year's Labour Day demonstration and wishing it every success. The Countess of Glasgow expressed her regret that, owing to another engagement on the date mentioned, she would be unable to accept the position as one of the judges of the baby show. Mrs Julius wrote wishing success to the demonstration aud regretting that owing to a long-standing engagement in South Canterbury, she would not be able to act as a judge of the baby show. Prizes were allotted for the best home-made bread and also for the best half-dozen home-made scones. A guessing competition was also arranged for : competitors to

guess the weight of the first prize babies' in the two classes in the baby show ; guessing coupons to be handed in before the judging takes place. Messrs Collie Bros, having given a guinea towards a prize for a cabmen's race, the opinion was expressed that the cabmen could gather sufficient prizes to make this event a very interesting one. Donations towards the prize fund were received from tha following : — Messrs J. T. Brown, R. W. England, John Waller and Co. and the Workingmen's Co-operative Society. After transacting routine business the meeting adjourned until Wednesday. Stock-bbeeding.— A paper on " Pedigree and Age in Reference to Breeding," read before the leading English farmers' organisation, by one of the most eminent English authorities on the subject, is published in this week's Canterbury Times, and Bhould be read by all stock-breeders, poultry-fanciers included. " The Haymakers." — Last evening this popular cantata, which waß given some weeks ago by the Addington Pree Methodist Church choir, was repeated in the Baptist Tabernacle, Oxford terrace. There was a good audience, and the performance was very successful throughout. The principal parts were taken by Mesdames Paterson and Shirlaw, Miss Weston and Messrs W. Dougall and Johnson. MrE. Halley waß to have taken part, but was prevented by illness, and his place was taken by Mr Johnson. Miss Brown presided at the piano, and Mr J. A. Flesher at the organ. Mr W. Skelton was leader of the orchestra, and Mr J. H. Jones conducted. The proceeds were in aid of the fund for the extinction of the church debt. It is believed that lightning is visible at a distance of 150 miles, but it is still in controversy how far away thunder oan be heard. A French astronomer has made observations on the subject, and he declares it impossible for thunder to be heard at a greater distance than ten miles. An English meteorologist has counted up to 130 seconds between the flash and the thunder, which would give a distance of twenty-seven miles. The cyclone which devastateda portion of the State of Kansas on June 21 last, swept through a. forest and uprodted elm and walnut trees from two feet to three feet in diameter along a track six hundred yards wide. Barbed wire fencing and telephone wires were flung into the tops of high trees. Heavy farm wagons were wrecked, gravestones were carried three hundred yards, trees were stripped of their leaves, and birds of their feathers. There is only one factory in Russia for ! the manufacture of playing cards. It has a monopoly of the business, and belongs to the . Foundling Hospital. It is calculated that i there are 30,000,000 ( people in Russia who play cards, and to Bupply the demand this factory piife out 6,000,000 packs of cards annually.

y Rose Show.— The annual rose show will s be held this year at the Art Gallery, i- Armagh Btreet west, on Tuesday, Dec. 5. 7 *T 8 Excellency the Governor and the Countess of Glasgow have announced their y intention of visiting the show. , ; _ T £? E ItfTTEMON Accident. — Messrs 3 M Kenzie and Hamilton, the two members . of the Permanent Artillery who lost their < lives in Lyttelton harbour on Tuesday, had . their lives insured in the Government ( Insurance Department. Mr Hamilton had , been insured exactly two months when , the unfortunate accident occurred. , I Hayes[ Cibctjs.— The attendance at i Hayeß* circus last evening waß very good, •f the clever feats of the principals were i i received with loud applause, and all the I , other members of the company acquitted j themselves very well. There will be a ' . change of programme this evening, and j ab three o'clock to-morrow afternoon a . matinde performance will be given, the j company concluding its season in the evening. . The Ladt Mayob.— Mrs Yates, who has been elected Mayor of Onehunga,is(saysthe Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily ! Times) the wife of Captain Yates, formerly i Mayor of that township. She is i thoroughly conversant with municipal ; affairß and general politics, and in her husband's term of office was practically { Mayor. She was the only lady returned to j the Auckland Union Parliament: j Vital Statistics.— The following are ; the vital statistics for Christchurch and disj trict for the month of November : — Births : i City— Males 16, females 12 j district-i Males 40, females 36 ; total 104. Marriages : City 18, district 24; total 42. | Deaths : City— Males 8, females 5 ; district—Males 14, females 17 j total 44. The totalß for the corresponding month of laat year were :— Births 103, marriages 29, deaths 50. 6 Garden Pabtt at Kaiapoi.— On Thursday afternoon a garden party in connection with the Kaiapoi Wesleyan Chnroh was held in Mr Isaac Wilson's beautiful grounds. About two hundred persons were present at tea. During the* afternoon various games were entered into with spirit, and when the outdoor amusements bad_ to be discontinued owing to rain setting in, an adjournment was made to the Sunday-school, where limelight views were shown by the Rev J. S. Smalley. Ministees.— Our Wellington correspondent telegraphed last night :— Sir Patrick Buckley had intended leaving for England by the San Francisco mail tomorrow, but has, I . believe, decided to await to attend a fnll Cabinet meeting, The Minister for Lands is expected back on Sunday. It is the present intention of the Premier to remain in Wellington until he goes home for his Christmas holiday. Mr Ward goes from Napier to Auckland, and returns thence on Wednesday next. Mr Reeves is expected from Chrißtchurch in a few days. Bicycle Recobd.— On Wednesday afternoon R. Shearman and A. Prichard, members of the ABhburton Cycling and Athletic Club, esaajed the Methven record, with the result that both were successful, Shearman doing the distance in 2hr 56min and Prichard ib 3hr; Prichard had the misfortune to break his saddle eight miles from home, and had to ride that distance on the saddle-bar. His performance is, therefore, very creditable. Shearman thuß holds the record, having beaten the previous time made by E. J. Craighead, of the Ariel Club, 3hr 4min, by eight minutes. Fire Fete at Tahuna. — In spite of the drizzling rain last evening the annual fire fete given by Profesßor Bickerton at Tahuna, in aid of the funds of the Kingsley Club, was a great success, The extensive grounds were illuminated by sun lamps, and coloured fires, and music was provided by the Garrison Band. The fireworks were brilliant, and many startling and beautiful effects were produced. A sketch by the Messrs Bickerton, jun., illustrative of chemical union changing the nature of substances, was exceedingly clever. A shadow pantomine of a unique and clever nature, some capital effeots being gained, wa3 given. The performances of Mr Pemberton were much admired for their dexterity and cunning. The duplex chromatic ..shadows, : produced by apparatus designed by Professor Bickerton, were wonderfully entertaining and admirable for the cleverness displayed in their manipulation. Military Ftjnbbai,.— Yesterday the remains of the unfortunate torpedoman, F. G. Hamilton, who was drowned in Lyttelton harbour on Tuesday last, were accorded a military funeral. At 3 p.m. the cortege, headed by the Lyttelton Garrison Band, and a firing party consisting of members of the Permanent Force, left the deceased's house and proceeded to the Church of England Cemetery. The procession included, besides friends and relations of the deceased, a large number of members of both the Lyttelton Volunteer Corps, warders from H.M. Prison, representatives from H.M.S. Lizard and the members of the Torpedo- Corps and Permanent Artillery. Staff SergeantMajors Barrett and Purvis were present. The ceremony at the grave was performed by the Rev E. E. Chambers, Chaplain of the Force, and after the coffiu bad been lowered to its last resting place, the escort fired three volleys over the open grave. His Excellency the Governor has requested Sir Arthur Douglas, the officer in charge of the Permanent Militia at Lyttelton, to express his deep sympathy with the relatives of the victims of the late accident. Sydenham Boeough School. — The scholars and teachers of the Sydenham Borough. School who took part in the concert and operetta last evening, in aid of the prize fund, are to be congratulated on the success which attended their efforts. The Oddfellows' Hall was filled to overflowing with the children and their parents and many people were unable to gain admission. The programme opened with a rowing song, given by about sixty girls of the higher standards, and later in the evening the same girla took part in a gipsies' chorus, which was exceedingly well sung. A tambourine song by the second and third standard girls was much appreciated by the large audience, as was a musical drill by the scholars in the infant classes. About fifty' boys of the upper classes sang a camp - fire song exceedingly well, evoking hearty applause. A juvenile operetta, entitled Golden Rair and the Three Bears, was performed by .several children, the principal characters being sustained by Misses Maud Hall, Bertba Adams and Susie Kent, Masters W. A. Hill, W. Whithair and P. Ferguson.. The children acquitted themselves very creditably. The concert and operetta will be repeated this evening. Lttteiton Naval Artii/lert. — A concert in connection with this corps was held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday evening, the proceeds of which were devoted to the Drum and Fife Band belonging to the company. There was a good attendance. The orchestra was under the direction of Mr F. Seelen, and before the programme was put in hand the "Dead March " waß played as a mark of respect to the memory of the members of the Torpedo Corps who were drowned the previous day, the whole audience standing fvhile the solemn strains were played. The orchestra then contributed a couple of overtures, and songs were given by Mrs Gilmore, Miss . Hollis and Mr Colcloagh, Messrs Price and Dougall each gave a comic song, which waß encored, as was also a song and chorns by Mr A. Aschman and a number of members of the company. Messrs Newton and Jones contributed a song and dance, while Master Davis danced a sailors' hornpipe aud Masters Burns and Kenny an Irish jig. Mr Stone wbb encored for the recitation "Gunga Din." Mr D. Sinclair contributed a clarionet solo, and the choir of the Wesleyan Church, under the directorship of Mr C. Aschman, gave the gleeß " Brotherhood " and " The Carnivale " in very nice style. Miss O'Brien and Mrs Bromley accompanied the singerß on the piano. It is proposed to give the concert again in about two or three weeks, the proceeds to be devoted to the widows and orphans of the men recently drowned. France has over 1,000,000 foreign residents, the Belgians alone being nearly as ■umerous as the Irish in England.