Local and General Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1415, 24 December 1887, Page 2

Local and General Intelligence.

IS* In order to give our staff a holiday, there will be no issue of this journal od Wednesday. 4 h January, 1888. Advertisements intended for that day's issue will require to be inserted on tbe previous Saturday.

The business places of Lawrence will be closed on Monday and Tuesday,

A London firm has offered to subscribe £200 if Victoria will organise an Antarctic exploring fund.

The proposal of tbe Government to raise the school age to six was defeated by the House on Tuesday morning.

The Premier of Victoria, Mr GUies, has stated that as soon as the New Zealand Pailiament passes the Naval Defences 8 11 he wilcommnDicato with tbe Admiralty asking them immediately to commence building ships for the Australian squadron.

A betubn has been laid before Parliament showing that the following Government officials are now absent on leave :— J. P. Maxwell, Railway department (salary £1000), six months on full pay ; R, Carrow, Railway depaifcraent (salary £745), six months on fall pay ; T. D. R. Hewitt, Survey department (salary £312), six months (one month on fall pay, balance on half pay); F. W. Frankland, losuranoe department (■alary £800), nine months on full pay.

The Christmas show of meat on view at our local botchers' last evening was certainly one of the beat we bave ever witnessed in Lawrence. Messrs Bloy and Tncker'a premises were tastefully decorated with green stuff, and the stock of meat on show was a really grand one. Sumo of the large joints were superb both in quality and site, and demonstrated in a higb degree the the Block raising powers of the district. Messrs M'Keich aod Robertson's extensive display was greatly admired, their Christmas bullock being one of tbe largest ever ahowo here. There was some excellent mutton ; and iv small goods tbe flbov could not be eclipsed.

Wrra fchis inane wo pro-out ow ro»J«r» with a four-page illustrated Christmas suprilamert, coutainiog a variety of entertaining and season able reading.

We m.fcce that Masters W. 6. MK'iJay and W. H. Adams took first, prizes for eciei cc andgener&Hirerat'i'ea' tbe annual examination <>! tbe Dioedin Boy 4' Hi^h School.

Mb John Thompson sold the partnership property »f Messrs Hugh M Kocbale and Vv'ra, Hick'e, Rmkleburn district, at his salerooms on Wednesday last. The lot comprised two water-races, two dams, and an extended ciaim. The price obtained fur the whole concern wa £95, the purob&ssr being Mi M'Kechnie.

A COBBESPONDXN* wiling from Banaockbara inform* <be C>otnwell "Argun" that several tail boxes have been robbed during the past eight weeks. The opera ors are not ruppotted to be practical miners, as in each cane the wash•nsr np wa« done very clumsily. The matter will at ouce be investigated by tbe police,

Bates a member of Vernnn's cricket te»m, met wi.h a severe accident yesterday whit playing in a match on tho Melbourne ground. While in tbe act of bowling, he was struck over the eye by a ball hit by NWhain, wbo was practising on tbe next net. Tbe doctors are hopeful that the sight will not be permanently iujared.

Wits the exesptioa of the three Otago Ministers (says the " Daily Times" oorveapon dent) there are only two O'ago members left to take part in the final business of the session. The member for Boslyn and the member for Tuapeka have not desei ted their posts, All the ' other representatives of the Premier provincial district have departed.

The Hon. D.niel Pollen, better known m " Soapy Dan." haa mada the disoveiy that It would not pay him to give his valuable services to the country at the rate proposed by the Honorarium 8 11, and so he threatens to resign at the end of the session. There are few men in New Zealand who have made more out. of the public than this saponaceous " lord " : and when be goes, the verdict of a Jnnk'fluffflriDg country will be— "good riddance."

Dealers introduce (9ivn the London cones pondent of the " Otago Daily Times ") declare that the present season offers a good oppor tuoity for colon i\l and New Znland cheese. Several small pat eels of cheese have been sold in the London market at from 48< to 554. which is the average price of American cheese. Throughout the trammer Cork butter has maintained tbe prices nf 10S3 to 12$ , the average price being 70) to 80 », and it in considered that prices are nut likely to recede before next spring.

Rahelt perhaps has thera been such a striking oontraat between the relative pontioaa of plaintiff and dafeacUafc »* Is briefly set oat ia the statement of claim in the case of Mrs Dillon the Gil way midwfi, and Mr Btlfour, the Chief Secretary for lel tnd. It appears that Mr B vlf'inr had stated in his speseh ia support of the I in C im-w B 1! that the lady in qieation —Peggy D lion, to wit -ha j boycotted one of her sex when io that supreme moment at which the professional services of each a functionary are imperatively required. Pes?gy denies the allegation, and for the vindication of her professional reputation, gne« fir the statesman iv an action of damages for £500.

Thbeb should be a large gathering at the Caledonian sports on M<-nr)»y, the liberal and varied programme submitted by the committee giving every promise of a most etjiyable and successful day. Some of the pedestrian events, for which not a few lical cracks have heen training for some time past, should be the best i\i he kiud evee witnessed here. A fe*m-a of the day will be the bag-pipe competition, for which several entries are expect ed. The Kaikorai Excelsior Brans Bind will be in attendance. la the Town Hall in the evening there will be a grand concpi t and dai cc, under the direction of Mr J, J. Woods. The list of performers consists of come wt 1> known Danedia artist*, including Mias Coirigan. the popular poprano ; Miss Walsh, the favourite contralto ; Mr J. X ox, the well-known step-daocnr ; and Messrs George and Sttatton, the wtll-knowu instrumentalists.

INSTBUOTIVK figures with reapect to railways, comparing those of New Zealand with other places, were given in the Honse a few days *<?o by Captain Raesell. H<* pointed out that this col)uy was over-railwayed, and hence there was no probability of the authorised lines being constructed out of increased dividends io N«w Zealand. He mentioned that there were 800 miles of completed railways to every 100 000 of the population. la tbe States, wb'ch comes next-, there are 210 mMea to every 100 000 persons, and in the United Kingdom, which has more railways than any other European country, there are 52 m lea to every 100 000 of the population. Considering the number of authorised lines, there w«ll soon b« 400 mlas of railways in this colony to eve y 100000 of the population. He further states that a computatation of the railways in various parts of the world showed that tbey only paid a dividend of Si per cent, on the nominal value of the capital outlaid.

At the Land B /ard meeting on Wednesday, Alexander Fraser applied for a provisional license to raise lignite or coal from a section at Tuapeka East for which a gtazing license was recently granted to him. and over which the Warden at Lawrence since granted to John M'Crae an occupation license. — Mr J, F. M, Fraser appeared in Bupport of the application. —Consideration of this matter was again deferred.— —Tenders for the following among other perpetual leases were accepted :— Tnapeka West— sec ion 8, block Tin.. George Hogbes, l-i • Wftifcahnna Eusfc— aeeiioo 81, bl.clc v., Neil Bruce, Is. After further ioqairy, the Board recommended that run 51a be te-leased, as if tbe south west poit'on were opened under the small grazing run system (as the Board at one time thought of recommending), it appeared that the remainder of tbe run wonld not be taken up. ife being suitable only for summer occupation.— Ban recommended to be leased for seven years.— —David Bullantyne was de clared the licensee, by ballot, of email-farm allotment 49, block Tm,, Beoger.

The Rev. R. Taylor, of MiUon, delivered a lecture in the Wesleyan Chorea, Lawrence, on Tuesday evening last on " Eccentric Preachers.'' The lflctarer defined what wai to be understood by the word "eecent'ic," as applied to preachers, in a very able and lucid manner. He mentioned a g -eat number of preachers who had been eccentric in a variety of ways in preaching, in administering reproof, in their manners, etc. ; and clearly showed that they owed their popularity maiuly to their eccentric method of presenting the truth. The names of several of this stamp of preachers were men. tioned, who had been eminently successful iv winning souls. The lecturer brought forward, and cleverly used a number of illustrative and amusing anecdotes, and was listened to with maiked attention by a moderate but thoroughly appreciative audience. Tbe lecture occupied about an hour and a quarter in delivery, aod was extemporaneous, brief notes being used, Mr Taylor is a very good speaker, his style is simple, yet forcible, using mostly plain Saxon words. A small choir sang very nicely some hymns selected by the lecturer, Mr Miller presiding at tbe harmonium, A hearty vote of thtr-ks to the lectu er and to the chairman (Mr J. Edie) was moved by the Bsv, Mr Powell (Congregational ministo:) and carried by acclamation.

Trim were thirteen piufcntsin the Toapeka Hospital last evening— <leven male and two female. Three ware admitted during the week »»d three discharge 1. -The w»' ntman begs to acknowledge the «<f of » goo»e and a tot of jtlly from Mr* P. White, a ham from Mr* Btevens. % cike from Mrs Bnnhell, and a parcel of periodicals from Mrs F aer.

TIB Diamond Minstrels h%ve decided to give their opening performance iv th» T <wn Hall on Tuesday, 3rd J*nui»ry, io aid of the foods of tb* Lawrence Fire Brigade. The programme, which appears elsewhere, ia a particularly attractive one, and as an nil round christyminstrel show, the heal public, we venture to predict, have never been treated to anything like it It eonsH t* of the nsu >1 comic songs and choruses, ballads, etep-daocea. aod sidespitting faices. The troupe have been re* htsvsing for some weeks past ; and wh«n they appear in public for the first time on Tuesday WM»k, ahou'd command as good a house as they deserve. It is their it>t> ution to give an enter* tainment at Roxburgh immediately after.

Drama tb* oourt sluing* we (" Wnngftnui H«r»ld) heard a Rood story of a certain jadge's Mwociate. Daring % gambling case bis honour wanted to know whai '■ Yankee grab was, •nd oot of the counsel tefursd him to tbe associate for an explanation, bat that gentleman professed entire ignorance of the gamr. However^ the lawyer wan provided with a dice box and tlra neoessary " bonea," and he forthwith proceeded to enlighten the judge. He threw out and np came a six, five, and three. He was picking op th« fife and thret, when he wm rather astonUhed to hear the associate, who was interested in the game, rema'k, "leave the five, Jim." The judge smiled, and tbe associate, finding he had pot his foot in it, hastily withdrew, and was seen no more in court that day,

Tbi Christmas show of somt of the local shop* is vary attractive, giving to tbe town an unusually gay appearance. In the window of Mr Macdooald, the well-kaowa baker and confsotioner, h % display of good* inviting In the extreme, ana the style of decoration is at once novel and attractive. Tbe spacious shop of Mr George Jeffery, stationer, is stocked with an aboodanoeof fancy goods, cards, books, etc. suitable for Christmas presents : one of these places fiom which one never emerge* without taking » fancy to eomethiug. In the same line Mr Jonas Harrop has a display of equal merit, both varied and valuable, and to hare m«ny in search of presents of va-inm kinds mast wend their way. the choice being infinita. The Little Dast Pan is to the front with s> r»rt dispUy of tbo«e seasonable wares and nicknacks which one slwaya wants to buy, ■nd wh'ch are so very useful when bought. The loe-1 drapers are likewise to tbe fore, their wiadowa presenting no. appearance quite in keeping with their nsn»l enterprise; nor have the jewellers spared any pains to command tbe ' publ>c attention.