LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12120, 7 December 1894, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Wangonui County Council meet to-day.

The Eev. James Trcadwell left Christchurch, en route for Wanganui, yestsrday, and is expected hero on Tuesday next.

One first offending " drunk " was yeslerdiy fined 5s with the usual 21 hours' alternative, by Mr E. N. Littiton, J.P.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Wanganui Harbour Board takes place this afternoon.

The Eev. C. H. Garland will preach in Wanganui Schoolroom this evening at 7.a0.

Members of the Wesleyan Choir are reminded that the practice will be held as usual to-night. A good attendance is expected, as there is sjme special business to be transacted.

Tenders for the sole right to supply refreshments at the Matarawa Picnic close this evening with the Secretary to the Friendly Societies' Committee (Mr Paul), at Massrs Williams and Garner's Browery.

Mrs Pinchos, assisted by pupib ai.d friends, intends givingan attractive con cert in tho Oddfellows' flail on Chrictmas Night. The programme, which will include a well-selected number of vocal and instrumental items, will bo publish* d at an early date.

The annual contest between the Coilegiata School and the Wangat.ui Lawn Tennis Club will be played this afternoon, The following players will represent the Wanganui Clvb :— W. H. Barniooat, G, Marshall, A. P. Thomson, and J. Harold.

We were shown yesterday a samplu of strawberries, grown at Mangaetaroa and forwarded from there by post. Although they had not been improved in transit the berries were very fine, both ia size and flavour, and all the greater credit is thrown on the Wairaarino when it ia stated that they were grown 0 a la3t year's runners which only received the ordinary treatment.

Ilie building in Wicksteed Place destroyed by firo on Wednesday night contained 11 rooms, and was valued at JSGOO. The building was insured for £320 in the South British, and Mr Hogan's f urnjture for in tl;a Commercial Union. The insurance on Mr Price's stock was, as we previously stated, .£SO in the New Zealand ofli : ).

The Countess of Glasgow, who during her brief stay has been tbe guast of Mr F. A. Krull, Gorman Consul, left for Wellington yesterday. Her ladyship oxproaßeg herself a3 charmed with the town and its surroundings, and it is quite probable that arraugements will be mady for a throe months' residence here, commencing early in the new year,

An auoault tiiafj js likely to terminate in . a Court case took place at Castlecliff on Wednesday evening, the assailant being a map named Robinson and the victim Peter Bowon, foreman of tlio freezing chamburs. Bowen at the time was in a very woak state and had ]tnt returned from a visit to Dr Innes, who had certified as to his being a fit subject for Hospital treatment.

The following haat3 have been drawn for tho President's trophies (U.8.C.):Cronin v. M. Keonan, O'Shannessy v. P. ICeogan, Williams v. A. Gray, Kendall a bye. The first heat will be rowed to : morrow afternoon as s->on after 4 o'clock 1 aii possible, so that the three heats may bo pulled o#' the sanp afternoon. The Committee of the cfyb megf'tljis evening.

Samoa has come into so much political proinineiiao of late thit it is a pleasure to Had that it is to be made the 6ubjact of a lecture by nuch a shr'owd observer and finishod speaker as Sir Robert Stout. A year or two ago Sir Robert Stout paid a vitit of some duration to Samoa, and he is therefore in a position to speak of it from personal knowledge. Tho lecture ipill be delivered in St. Paul's Hall on •Tue£,<iiy njght next, at 8 o'clock, when it is hoped tnat bis Worship the Mayor (Mr Freeman R. Jackson) jyijl be able to take tbe chair.

The December time-table of the Wanganui Up-river Steam Packet Line ia published, Bhowing that thb Manlwai or Wairere will leave Wanganni every Tuesday at 7 a m. for Pipiriki, and loaving that place on the return journoy on tho Wednesdays at the same hour. A boat will be run on Fridays also provided sufficient cargo or passengers offer. This service ensures the new tourist route — Auckland-WoH'n'ton, or vice versa, via the Wanganui Rivor (New Zealand's Rhino), the Mountains Ruapehu, Tongariro, Kgauruhoe, Tokaanu, Lake Taupo, Huka Falls, Watrakei, and Rotonu, and tourists should bear in mind that ili9 Morthorn coaches connect with Tinsday's stoumers. The usual summer Sunday afternoon excursions are also advertised, a boat leaving Betts' Wharf for JJonn'odyV'and Kaiwhaika at 12.30 o r "cloc|£. ' v ; ''

Messrs Jl'allonstoin Qrou , of the New Zealand Clothing Ifactoryj undoubtedly make a point of keeping tlwir various brancos throughout the colony thoroughly stookod with up-to-date goods, Iv IU T. Blannerhasselt, their WaDganui manager, thoy have an enorgetic representative, and one who understands the requireiu9uts of the town and district. In unothor column the firm have pleasure in notifying that tjieir stock for the season is now fully asserted iv every department, and thoy respectfully invlto the public oE Wanganui and surrounding districts to pay them an early visit of inspection, feeling assured that it will be to their mutual benefit, as at no time since commencing business in Wanganui have tho firm opened a season with su.Oi a magnificent assortment of new and fashionable clothing, mercery, shirt?, hats, ties/ <fco,, and the pricos are fully 25 per ceiif. jQsa tlinn usual. T], e boot and shco department is als*) referred to as having been most' successful;' with the rosult that an increased stock ' ia c> now

pprej. at redu ytl prices.

Fireman C. Perrett, who wae injured at the fire on Wednesday night, was, according to latest reports, progressing favourably towards recovery, although by no moans out of danger. His comrades of the Brigade have done all they can onhi.l behalf, and their help and condolence hus been thoroughly appreciated. Parsons riding or driving in Wicksteed Place will, no doubt, be as quiet as possible.

Tno four local rinks to play the representatives of the Palaierston North Bowling Club on the Utter gresn ou Wednesday next were picked yesterday 83 follows;— No. I— Foster, Alexjndor Anderson, and Eodwell (skip); No 2Armstrong, Perretr, Tawso; and Bonnie (stip); No. 3-Cattoll, McCarthy, Mcn't, and Downes (skip); No. 4— Elliott, Bennefbld, Notman, and Boss (skip), Several practice parries were played on the greon yesterday afternoon.

A story is being told concerning a liorao dealer at a recent up country sale. At the close ot business some rather queer looking specimens of horses remained unsold. A buyer purchased one, for a few shillings less than £3, and askel the owner to return him half-a-crown 'just for luck.' The owner refused, but said, ' 'Ere, I won't be 'ard ; take another 'oss instead.'

The competition between the Union Steam Ship Company and the Huddart--I'arker Company on the Bast Coast is having curious effects on the trade. Thus it costs £2 12s 9d to bring a ton of sugar from Auckland to Hawera via Manakau and New Plymouth; whereas if it be shipped from Auckland to Wellington by the East Coast and transhipped to Patea the cost is 30s, or about three times the distance for not much more than half the cost. The secret is that the cost per ton from Auckland to Wellington is ss.— Hawern Star.

Thore was a good attendance at the usual monthly meeting of tho Wanganni Women's Political Leagu?, which was held in the Borough Council Chambers last evening. The interest of the meet ing centred in a paper delivered by Mrs Williamson, which dealt in a very able manner with the " Modes in which women's talents may bo mads serviceable to the State." The paper was listened to attentively, and on its conclusion was discussed with aiiraation. As an outcome of the paper and discussion notfee to move at next meeting, "That the Wanganui Political League, teing of opinion that the Stato would in no way suffer by tho employment of women in i Ha Civil Service, and in other capacities, respectfully urge upon the Government that the Civil Service be thrown open equally t« persons of both sexes win shall havo passed the necessary examinations."

Japan, a cable message tells us, wants a guarantee that China can and will pay a big war indemnity. If travellers' tales are to be trusted, China should be able to pay the biggest war indemnity on record without any difficulty. Mm* den is the sacred city of the Manchu dynasty. It is stated as an authenticated fact that the wealth sent annually by the Court of Pekin to Moukden and hoarded there is immense. It has been the custom of tin Court since the inauguration of tli9 present dynasty to send every yesr to this city 6,000,000 'taels to be stored, and calculating at this rate th 9 treasure must have reached the sum of 1,200,000,000 taels by th ! s time, for thb reign of tha prasent dynasty over a vast torritory of 400 provinces, dates back to 200 yoirs ago. It seems incredible to the Western world that such a vast amount should have been buried and storied in i he earth without ever being utilised, but it is in perfect harmony with the Chinese methods of taking precautions for future contingencies. A tael is nominally worth 4? 10] d. Tho reports of the treasure in M u'iden m»y explain the anxiety of the Japanese to capture the city,

One of the most singular enses on record occurred at Merthyr Tydfil, in the vicinity of the fan at Colliers' Row, which ventilates the Cwm Pit. of Messrs Craw ahay, A man on horseback, leading a valuible mare, was passing close to the old parish road from Rhydycar, when immediately after he had passed a certain point tho earth opened, and the mare, falling in backwards, breaking the rein that connected it with the brake, was immadktely, to the surprise and horror oE tho man in charge, swallowed up alive. Being near the Colliers' Row, there were plenty of hands soon upon the spot, but it w.n seen that tho animal was be-yond all succour, and n gang of men from Oyfarthfa cams down and filled up the grave. One of the suppositions concerning the case is that a fall must have occurred in the workings below; another, and a reasonable one, -that an old archway had given way, causing a deep hole, and almost leading to a tragedy. In tho recollection of groyb,oards of tho district curious occurrences of a similar sort are remembered one iv the same neighbourhood, wlion a man, going blackberrying, was astounded to see a bush that 1)0 bad just left disappear into the eartj).

A welkattended meeting of representatives of the various churches was held in St, Paul's Hall last night, to consider tho possibility of securing a visit from that eminent Evangelist, the Rpv. John McNeill, who, in company with Mr Burke, is now visiting the oolony. Mr oarson having been vote! to tin chair, the meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. H. Peters. Mr W. Bruce, by whom the meeting was convened, stated that the Rev. Mr Tread. well, tho Re-v. Mr D.'illl, and'; other gontlemsn had mterosted themselves in endeavouriag to induce the famou3 Evangelist to visit Wangwui, and there was every proba> bility that their efforts would be successful. Mr McNeil), however, had only arranged for ono year's leave, and he hid spent co much time on his mission in Australia that his meetings in New Zealand would necessarily ba v ery limitod in numb9r. It was resolved that the gentlemen present form themselves into a Commiltae to prepare for Mr McNoill's reception, and that an invitation be forwarded to that gentleman and Mr Burke to Visit Wanganui and- hold a one or two nights? miasion "here, ' Mr IJruce was a'pjpintod Secretary"to the Co'mmitti;ij. It was reso}vod, should a favourable answer bg received, to hojd a ignited prepar&Wy meeting of all the churches represented in St, Phiil's Hall on Wednesday pvoning next, at 7,30 o'clock. The meeting was closed with prayer by the Rev. C, H. Garland.

Gloves in Light Shades. Choice Ties. Fancy Vests, and Silk Socks in great variety, Fred H. House. — Advt.