LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8156, 2 November 1904, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

'' At Taihape, a large meteor burst over the township at 3.35 this morning, with * tremendous report, like a heavy gun. It Vbb the most brilliant seen tor many years. The Mayor has decided to call a meeting of ratepayers for Tuesday, November 15, , to discuss the raising of a l«an for the pur- / chase of the Bank of New Zealand corner. "' The meeting will be held in the Alexandra Hall, if it it available. * . The Christchurch Diocesan Synod opened its session at the Christ's College Library ihii afternoon. In the absence of Bishop Julius, the Bishop's commissary, Archdeacon Harper, presided, and delivered the presidential address. The appointment of committees and other routine work were also taken. The choir of Trinity Church, Timaru, left ■r by^tbe nkftil train yesterday to take part in the choirs' competition at Dunedin. to-my. It was seen off at the station by a. fiuWber of friends ami well-wishers, and was ; encouraged by $&*> news- that its soloist rewresentativ«s, 4 Misses M'Gaihon attd And«rEon, had don* well the previous d<4yAt the Christchurch Magnetic Observa- . lory the readings at 9.30 a.m. to-day were; * —Barometer 29.679 and falling, maximum . temperature during preceding twenty-four hours 58.1, minimum during tlje same period 45.7; temperature at 9.30 a.m.. dry bulb 54.9, wet bulb 51.4, humidity per cenb 78, minimum thermometer on grass . 41.6, cloud >(0-10) 7. The wmd was northeast and the rainfall had been nil. The matron of the Samaritan Home deRirce to acknowledge the following contributions during October : —Cakes and scones, four times— Freeman. Picnic" Party, Mr Binden, Methodist Church, Addington; milk-^-Addington Factory; books m& ■papers— Rev W. Bean and. Mr Barrel, also Friend; pieces— Boss and Gkndimng, a Friend, Miss Mlntosh ; fruit and tea— Mrs Murphy; hats and ribbon*— Ballantyne ; boxes and barrels, Mr T. Taylor. In^onnecbion with the dedication service >t the Cathedral yesterday, the Dean and Chapter sent invitations to the representatives of the Freemasons, who subscribed for the erection of the Masonic column m the north transept. Those invited were R. W. Bro F. C. Binns, Grand Superintendent- R'W Bro F. J. Smith, P.G.S.VV. ; V :, *$W. Bro G. W. Hulme A^^C^gr ■/ &and Constitution); and W. Bro^, HtSy, D.D.6.M., and W. Bro TND. ; Go^eil, D.G.S. {English Constitution). V Th* Engineers' Band will play the followiiK programme on t.h© Victoria. Square ■ ftotuada. to-morrow : — Quickstep, J ' Don Quixote" (Dalby) ; selection, 'Sydney by Night" (Bulch); waltz, "Gipsy Revels" (Fitzgerald) ; American, mardn, "Samho'a "Wedding" (Hiram Eden); setec-tio-n, "Pirates of Penzance" (Sir A. Sulh; van) ; schottisohe, " Dancing on the Pier ;■ (Christie); quadrille, "[Fascination (Kaynor); and quickstep., "Farewell, My Comtades" (Rimmer). At Wanganui on Sunday afternoon lqst, v the result- of a. 'horse bolting through b6ing' frightened by a motor-car, a jmrna jady waa threnrn out of a triup and tradjly Shaken, acd the vehicle was i!mashe:l. . 1-he - dirrver of, the motor-car pleaded guilty, and ■was fined £5, with coats £1 11s, at the "Wanganui Polica' Court tins morning for drivmg at an excersive. speed through the ' fctreets' Witnesses declared that the motorcar was travelling a* at least , ftftaen nute> an'Jioiir. The bylaws only allow a speed of eight miles aa hour. It is iiii'derstood ■ thatli civil action is pending for damages to t^e> trap and injury to tne lady v The anniversary services in connection with the Linwood! Methodist Sund'at6ohool were 1 continued last night, wbenUw tea and public meeting w«re held. Both meetings were well attended. Mr J. RDrunt presided at tie public meeting, and addresses were delivered' by the chairman and the Revs H. Dewsbury and J. Oreb6r<l, and an excellent programme was gone through. Prizes were fllso presented to th© successful scholars. The annual report made special mention of the work ttone by Mrs Wise and Mr F. Wise, who had recently resigned the positions of »u---perintendont and secretary of the : school. ; . The thirty-first annual report of th© New : Zealand Shippiug Company! submitted to • » g«n«ral meeting of sharelioldters in London on October 5 last, recommended a ddvi- ; dend of 5 per cent for the year, free of income tax, of which 2£ per cent had been paid on April 6. The directors- recorded with deep regret the deaths of Sir Edwyn Dawes, chairman of the company for ten years,, and of Mr A. C Garrick, a director, The vacancies had been filled by the (election ,of Messrs J. Gould and WarringXton Laing. The balance-sheet showed that after jaying the 5 per cent dividend, ■which amounted to £23,692, the company , would! carry forward! a balance of £10,886 l(te 6d. The fleet of steamships, fifteen in ell, had a total tonnage of 94,324, and ' were valued at £1,057412, 6s Bd, after deducting depreciation. An interesting experiment in well-rinking has been mode at Timaru. Mr W. Evrims, managing director of tho Atlas Milling Company, engagied Mr Job Osboroe to put down a deep well, hoping to obtain- » sup- . ply of water for the use of the mill eDgine, the water from the town supply being expensive. Mr Osbornci sent down one otf Ibis deep well plants, and last week, at a depth »f 440 ft, sfcruck a stratum, from which water rose to tihe ground level, and a mall Bteain pump attached drew out about thirty gallon© a, minute. This, however, is not nearly sufficient for tho requirements of tba mill, and "the pipe will be carried' further down. After papaing tferougih between 30rt and 1 40 ft of volerite rock, the material passed through was mostly fine Shingle, sand ? and day, and tJhe lowest- stTaturm Teached, from which, the water comes., is «• sharp blue pand with some finely oomminutea shells.