LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11847, 20 July 1893, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

« On our front page will be found some delayed Home and foreign wires, as also an interesting account of a .big sandstorm in Arizona. 'Ye hear that a well-known and highly respected officer of the local Telegraph Department has entered the ranks of the Benedicts, A meeting of all those interested in the formation of a gymnasium is called for this evening at 8 o'clock sharp, in the old Borough Council Chamber. Mr F. P. Fookes, land agent, of W.averley, reports the sale of Mr H. Forlong's farm of 450 acres (leasehold) to Mr J. A. Kemp at a satisfactory price. The Borough Council moot in com. mittee this evening at 7.30 o'clock, for the purpose of revising the new bye-laws, copies of which have been forwarded to all the Councillors and also to the local medical gentlemen. MisCoburu notifies in another column that having closed her Avenue premises, she will in future conduct her registry office business in the premises on Taupo Quay, next Messrs Hatrick and Co.'s warehouse. A person was arrested yesterday after, noon for using, in a public street, language that did not savour of meeknesß nor come within the category of decency. He will hold a consultation with theßench this morning. We understand that the conference between the representatives of the Waitotara County Council and the Wanganui Harbour Board, in connection with the representation question now before the House, is to be held to-morrow morning at 11 o'clock, at the office of the latter body. Preparations were commenced at the Diill Hall yesterday, for the Alexandra Cavalry's annual ball, which takes place to-morrow evening. Evidently the troop intend to eclipse their previous successes, and those who are the fortunate posasssors of invites may anticipate a thoroughly enjojable night. Acting in accordance with instructisns received from the Education Department, the Wanganui Board are issuing circulars to all teachers under their jurisdiction, requesting them to forward returns showing the working average for the June quarter. The field gun of the Wanganui Naval Artillery, which the Commandant in his report alluded to as being of no possible pood, was yesterday shipped by the stormbird to Wellington. Ihe gun— a 61bE.B.L.— is to be returned to the Government stores. Testerday, at the residence of the bride's parents, Mr W. Carter, of Foxton, was united in the holy bonds of raatri. mony to Miss F. Cumberland, eldest daughter of Mr William Cumberland, of Wanganui. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. C. H. Garland. The younp couple loft by the afternoon train for Palmerston, and go on to their future home to-day. We wish them every auoI cess and happiness.

A cable from Melbourne gives the followng additional entries for tho Metropoli--4n Scakes :— Ducrow, Oxide. Ascotvale, Fyra, Correze, Sainfoin, and Elymas, Mr E. J. Chapman intends, we understand, placing the services of hiß ;horoughbred horse Strenuous (by St. ieorge— Stronua) at the disposal of weeders. Mr G. Chamberlain has the lorse in charge at the Newmarket Hotel. Well may our people rejoice and give shanks, for a great blessing has befallen ihem. Their fortune is marvellous, CerSainly the treasures of Solomon's mine lave not been opened unto them, neither iias the philosopher's stone been found in jur principal streets, but simply a book igent has left the town. The native birds of New Zealand do not seem to pay that strict attention to the 3eaßonß that their fellows in the Old World do. Mr Geo. Morse sends to the Musenm a wild duckling about a fortnight old and speaks of seeing woodhens and young pukeke about the same age nearhis farm at Fordoll. During the past fortnight or sc the Wanganui Hospital Board have been advertising in the Auckland and Wellington papers for two trained nurses to take the place of two ladies who have resigned on account of the recent publications in the Wanganui Herald. Of course they have not yet found one mad enough to put her head in the noose. A correspondent in Eome telegraphed on June 14th that the Pontift had given a long audience to Dr M. Glynn (of Now York), tho recalcitrant priest. It was cordial. Dr Glynn was enchanted with his reception, and announces a oomplete reconciliation with the Pope. He left Eomo for America after a sojourn of a few days. We notice that the Palraerston Standard has copied our report of the results of the pupil teachers' examination, letter for letter, and without a single word of acknowledgement. We do not obiect to offering a contemporary whatever assistance is in our power, but when we have compiled reports for the benefit of our readers we would rather they were not copied by other papers and put down to a source from which they never came. As will be seen by advertisainent elsewhere, Mr C. Fenton, for 20 years manager for Messrs W. H. Fenton and Co., of Auckland, has commenced business in Wanganni having taken the premises lately occupied by Mr Tisdall, gunsmith. Gentlemen may obtain at this establishment any description of hat to measure, and can alao have any of their top coverings, which show sign? of being none the better for being bought so soon, thoroughly cleaned and repaired. Some old documents weie discovered in the city of Mexico on June 7, by which it was learned that treasure amounting in value to .£2,000,000 was buried in Perpotui street in that city. The documents bear official marks, and state that the wealth was secreted by order of the Emperor Maximilian. The discovery of these documents produced a sensation, and temporarily interrupted by a flow of water. We have to acknowledge the receipt from Messrs Gilberd and Sons, of the Caatlecliff Soap Works, a box containing samples of the different brands manufactured by them. We believe that cleanliness is next to Godliness, and as the commodity usually brought into use to gain the desired end is soap, it necessarily follows that its producers must be of great importance to a community. The industry is a good one, and judging by the variaties now before us, is in the hands of thorough experts. Messrs Gilberd and Sons are fast gaining an excellent reputation throughout the coast, and will, we think, have no reason to regret their venture. The following team will represent Turakina in their matsh against Fordell to be played on Saturday next on the Fordell ground :— Full-back, Kawana ; three-quarters, Jas. Glasgow, A. Glasgow, and Tui Waitere ; half-backs, Patterson and Shaw; forwards, F. Schultze, b\' Knox, F. Sieson, W. Glasgow, B. Glasgow, E. Green, J. Keane, Whata, and T. E. Kiernan. The Fordell team is as follows: Kuscoe (Captain), Cameron, Doole, Higgie (3), Emeny, Whiteman (2), Bell, Christie, Morse, Young, and Tilley. Emergencies — Bullock, Howie, Gifford, Neal, Harrison and Clover. The following are the teams for the Kaierau A v. B match on Saturday:— A team: Richardson, Harvey, Doran, Craig, Cathro, Kiernan, Lyell, Brown, Hughes, Lomax, Adamson, Purcell, Craig, Carroll, Radie, and Blaremberg. B team : Hogg, \vakely, Willis. Murray, Bullock, Townsend, Lockett, j.-'arkes, McLean, Sweeney, Craig, Brooking, Williams, Richards, and Corby. Thiß match will be played on the Recreation Ground at 3 o'clock. The two junior teams of the Wanganui Club also try conclusions on Saturday, when the following will represent the A.'sj — Pyle, Wi Piri, Wakahi, Irvine, Hodgson, Bullock, Ferguson, Oresswell, Mcßeth, Delves, Franklin, Keegan (2), Digan, Mowina, and Jimmy, The B. team 1— Field, Clark, Gilberd; Foster, Tingey, Mitchell, Frances, Duigan, Lewis, Qmn, Beaßely, IWiddoD, O'Hara, Ryan, Delves, Garrett, Higgins, and Dallas. Thin match is also fixed for ' 3 o'clock on the Recreation Ground, so thab things should be tolerably exciting, and, if for nothing elfe, the novelty of the sight of two simul. taceous games on the same ground. Notwithstanding that our benign Government only allow us one guaidian of the peace for Btreet duty at night, the local police officers are doing all they can towards the suppression of the grow, ing plague of larrikinism. An information has, we understand, been sworn against a person for having used indecent language in the vicinity of the Salvation Army Baracks on Sunday night last, and the offender will appear at Court in the course of a few days. With the question as to whether or not thi6 alleged offender may be guilty we have nothing to do, but we do know that the language used at night in our public streets to pedestrians by a lot of big and little blackguards has become intolerable. We are in no way disposed to blame the police for this unhappy state of affairs, as, as we have already stated, we have except on Bpecial occasions, only one policeman on our strepts at night, which ia practically as good as none at all, as the cubs who haunt the corner can easily apply the smal.l amount of brains of which they are possessed to out-mancauvring a single constable. Our population, nearly 60C0, must, in the eyes of the Dowers that are just at present, be composed of a particularly law-abiding people, or surely some further police protection would be given. The suddonness with which celebrity has come upon Colonel Fox is impressive. A week ago, says Oivis in the Otago Witness, I was not even aware that Colonel Fox existed. There must have been a good many other people in the same state of ignorance. But there are not many now. You can't take up any newspaper without encountering in its columns Colonel Fox j you can't spend two minutes in the society of any citizen-soldier without hearing Colonel Fox blessed or blasted through all the]moods and tenses. This is fame, ef • course— the bubble reputation, sought by some even in the cannon's mouth, where, no doubt, Colonel Fox himself would hare preferred to find it, rather than to have it thrust uwn him as the consequence of merely publishing an inspection report. Well, there ia one good thing, atf.nvrate, that he has succeeded in doing, it he never doe^ another : he has effectually wakod up the volunteers. From tho Bluff to the North Cape our amateur Tommy Atkins at thi3 moment stands at " Attention >." I can't imagine anything except Colonel Fox's report that would have beeu equal to producing this result so swiftly and so thoroughly— not even a Russian invasion. Forty-one corps are to bo disbanded as inefficient, including every volunteor company on tho Weab Coast— a region under »he Bpecial protection and patronage of Mr Seddon as Minister for Defence. Conld the horrors of actual invasion exceed this? Then there are the colonel's inverted compliments to the capacity and intelligence of sundry offices, and to the equipmpnt, drill, subordination, and other soldierly qualities of their mon. No wonder he hns sundenly become famous. Outside of military circles public feeling is divided. We respect our citizen soldiers, and think their pluck is sticking together, apite of Government neglect and ill-usago, altogether admirable ; but we are delighted that they have at last got a_ commandant with tho courage to imagine them as they ought to bo and to see them as they are.

M. Cana, a Frenchman, has been for a length of time closely obaerving the ao tious of several commonly-known plants, when the barometer gave indications of a change of weather. He found if the heads of clover lud other leguminous plants stand upright there will be rain. If the leaves of sorrel turn up it was a sign of storm, which is also foretold by the leaves of willow grass olowly turning up. The closing of the flowers of convolvulus indicates rain, which, as is also gonerally believed, may be said of the flowers of the pimpernel, and also the hibiscuv flowers. When the flov/ers of sorrel open it 13 said to be a sure sign of fine weather, but if they close it will rain. If the flowers of the carline thistle close there will be a storm. The expanding flowers of cinquefoil suggest rain, but their closing means fine weather. The African marigold flowers close before rain ; while the scales of the teasel pressing closely together pretty surely means rain. It is Sir Arthur Sullivan himself who 1 in Mr Willeby's memoir tells how, when he was travelling on a st»go coach in a rather wild part of California, and was about to stop at a certain camp of miners tor refreshments, his self-esteem was gratified by the observation of his driver, "They expect you here, Mr Sullivan." The announcement was confirmed when, coming across a, knot of prominent citizens at the whiskey store, the foremost of the group catna up to a burly bystander and enquired. " Are you Mr Sullivan ?" " No," replied the burly man, while he pointed at the English traveller. The citizen looked at the stranger rather contemp tuously and B&id, "Why, how much do. you weigh?" This seemed a curious method of guaging the powers of a composer, but he received the prompt answer, ''about a hundred and sixty-tvo pounds." " 'Well," returned the man, " that's odd to me, anyhow. Do you mean to say that you gave fits to John S. Blackman in Kansas City F" " No, I did not give him fits," was the reply. Conferring further, it proved that the person expected was Sullivan, the prize-fighter. It appeared, however, that the musician's fame had nevertheless, in a dim sort of way, reached this remote settlement, for this "prominent citizen," in an outburst of cordial hospitality, finally exclaimed, " Oh, Arthur Sullivan ! What, are you the man that put Pinafore together ?" Mr Henry Labouchere, M.P., has lately been the victim of a peculiar kind of annoyance. Some individual, presumably not an admirer of the well-known editor, has been writing to a number of tradesmen in Mr Labouchere's name, ordering goods to be sent to that gentleman. Among the extraordinary list of goods ordered were (to quote from Truth) " two hearses, each with two mourning coaches, and requested a representative of the Cremation Company to call and arrange for my cremation ', He also ordered a marriage cake of Messrs Buszard ; a bed of Messrs Shoolbred; furniture of Messrs Maple, Messrs Druce, and Messrs Barker and Co ; coal of Messrs 'W hiteley, Ricketts, Herbert Clarke and Co., Cockerell and Lee ; a coat of Mr Cording j caps of Messrs Lincoln and Bennett; a billiard table of Messrs Thurston ; prints of Messrs Clifford ; caipets of Messrs Swan and Edger; beer, spirits and wines from several firms, some of which were delivered, and a vaßt number of other goods from West End houses, including an umbilical belt for hernia from a city firm. He also sent letters to various physicians in my name, and they havo favoured me in reply with prescriptions for divers diseases. He further engaged cabins for me to India and to the United States. Not content with this, he ordered a salmon to bs sent in my name to Mr Gladstone, a travellingbag to Mr Aequith, a Stilton cheese to Sir William Harcourt, and a haunch of vonison to Sir Oeorge Trevelyan. And he supplemented these liberal orders by issuing invitations, in the name of a mythical niece, to a large number of people to a party at Twickenham, and to a dinner at my London house." It is satisfactory to learn that the hearses were not supplied, nor, up to the time of going to pros 3, has Mr Labouchere been cremated.