Local and General.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11727, 3 September 1902, Page 4

Local and General.

At the Police Court yesterday morning, Arthur Pearcey wax fined 20s. for drunkennesy, and George Allen was fined 205., in default 48 hours, for resisting a constable in the execution of his duty.

A Greymouth wire says that on Monday twenty additional men were put on the Coal Creek railway, connecting -with the State coal minei, and 20 more will be puton next Monday, making'in all about 70 workmen. Not-withstanding* this, owing to the large influx of workmen lately, there is a great deartih oif employment* in the district-, there being 130 names down at the Labour Bureau. "* Trie Government seismograph in Wellington distinctly recorded the severe earthquake felt in Manila laslb week, and the instrument shows that the quake began at 8.30 a.m. on the 21st of August, and lasted 83^ hours witibbarb closing, xuitil 7.45 p.m. on the 24th. Them were also several tremors for days after that date. The seismograph also records severe shocks in "Wellington last Sunday night and yesterday morning. A society has jusifc* been foi*med', called the Auckland Society of Musicians, for the punpiose of protecting thiei members of the musical profession and to' raise the status of the profession generally. A pianoforte and several musical books have been given generously by a member of the society, and ib is hoped that this society, which aims at the advancement! of music and musicians, will meet with the cordial support of all interested in the arb of music, its theory amd practice. The idea is worth copying.

Mr. Musgrove states that Madame Melb'a left Vancouver for Australia a week ago. The practice of the Orchestral Club takes place to-night punctually at 7.30 o'oock, 'instead.of 8 o'clock, especially,for strings. To day at 1 o'clock Mr. J. H. Keesing will sell the whole of the household furniture and effects at the residence next the stables in Bates street (opposite the courthouse). The sale will be without reserve. Miss Evelyn Price received a wire on Monday evening from the Trinity College examiner, Mr. Alfred Mistowski, stating that the practical examination witl; be helid in Wanganui on Thursday and Friday, 11th and 12th September. Members are renidndled of the ballot to be held in connection with, the Economic Building Society to-night. There will be £300 to be Ballotted for in two sums of £150 each. The drawing takes place in the society's rooms, Ridgway street, at 8 o'clock. The "dust fiend" is evidently worrying the good people of the Victoriam capital. At the last meeting of the Melbourne City Council one of the members moved "that it be an instruction to the Public Works Committee to take the necessary steps to test the efficacy of orudte: petroleum oil as a means of. a'Uaying the dust in the streets a* the city." Tho London "Chronicle" isaye: One of a.u_ j j. x_i.: l i_ xii.,. „_„

Tho London "Chronicle" isaye: One of the produest men taking1 part in the. parade of colonial troops was Mr. Scarth, whose handsome blue uniform, witlh, red facings, puzzled curious spectators. Inquiries showed that he was the ony Klondike representative among the colonial troops in Engi!andc~ He belongsi to the Dawson City Volunteers, a. body which was formed only a few months ago. He travelled night and day for a couple of mjonths in order to attend the Coronation, as the official delegate, and reached the Mersey on the day news of tihe postpone-mr-ib was publMied. He should have crossed with the Canadian Contingent, but missed his boat at Montreal.

The biggest "Trust" that is contemplate ed in Australia (says tlhe Sydney "Commercial News") is known as the Jarrah "combine." From the particulars issued to the shareholders of Miller's Karri and Jarrah Forests, Limiiited, we learn that" the present debenture and share capital of these concerns is £1,836,516, and they are to be taken over by the new company for £934,450, $'o that about half the original capital is written ■ off. The authorised share capital of the new undertaking is £1.490,00U, half in iper cent, cumulative preference shares and half im ordinary; while powers will: be taken to issue 4£ per cent, debentures to the amount of half the share capital issued. It< is anticipated that •suffiGient will be earned to pay 7 per cent, on the ordinary, With, ai .surphis of over £63,000 available tor depreciation.

The ceremony of "chasing the devil" was performed at the Chines© camp, Bal;----laiat East, Vioto-'ria, one night last week. The hunt commenced shorty after 10 o'clock. Aboiuit 100 Mongolians joined in tha chase, and in addition to the light of the moon the proceedings were illumined by the flames oi a targe bonfire in the yardTof the joss house and by lanterns of divers shapes and colours. A large number of Europeans assembled to witness the fun, and a posse of police were in attendance to maintain order. Just before midnight his Saitanic Majesty was discovered hidden at the rear of a "bank" that was recently declared '"btfoke," and on the gongs being sounded a number ctf the Celestials, armed with bamboos, frying-pans, pick?), shovels, amdl brooms bombarded the stronghold occupied by the Evil One, putting him to flight, amid loud yelk and jargom. He, however, sought refuge in another part of the camp, and here a second descant was made upon him, but he kept (so the Mongolians believed) "dodging around" until 1 o'clock, when a shot from Captain Ah Shure sent him into atoms in mid-air. The whole company then sat down on the sward and "dined" on -roast pork, fowl and sucking pigs, washed down with oopious draugbie of Chinese brady "welly strong."

John Masturcrton Burke (who in known (says the New York correspondlent of the "Argus") to very few people in the city where he has spent his life, and whose name has never1 appeared in the list, of our millionaires, has just given 4,000.000 dollars to found and maintain an institution for the cave of the worthy poor while they ara ill. and for the support of such persons during their convalescence. Our philanthropists say that the field in which this money is Ha be used is one that, has been neglected. This noble gift surprises almoaii everybody in New York. The first question asked was, "Who is John Burke? This friend of the poor is a bachelor, »U years old, but still in good health, who made hia money in the South American trade, and retired 30 years ago to take care of it. A .man of the simpiJest tastes), he has been living quietly and inigally in a small house, plainly furmsliied, with two or three faithful servants. He lias noifc even kept a carriage, and at is unnecessary to «ay that he has noNgallery ■of costly paintings. Indeed, lie has been accustomed to do his own marketing, with a basket on his arm. But he has not been close and stingy. In a suburban town he hag a farm, where he has enjoyed rural life. In making this great gift he instructs his trustees that no part of the'money shall be expended in ornamental decoration,, architectural, mural, or otherwise. The day after whab he had dotae became known he received a bushel of begging letirs.

The Irish Rifles parade to-night at 7.30 at the Drill Hall. A fall muster is particularly requested. -

The committee of the combined assemblies requests the pleasure of patrons of the Dorothy, Thelma, and Olivette Assemblies at their Pinafore Ball, to be held on 10th September. Double ticket ss.

The Waterworks Committee of the Borough Council met last evening. After considerable discussion of matters connected with the proposed^ Avater supply, it was resolved to write' to Mr Mestayer for infoi mat-ion as to pipes and various items in his report.

On Tuesday nest the Highland Rifles will hold another of their popular winter socials. Honorary members' are- informed that their tickets will be sent put at the end of the week. An excellent musical programme has been prepared, and at the conclusion of it dancing will start, Mrs Lockett supplying the music. Members of the corps may obtain their tickets from the secretary or from any member of the committee.

At the S.M, Court yesterday, before Mr G. C. Kettle, S.M., a civil case—James Levett v. Charles Lee, claim £29 17s 4d— was heard. Mr Wray appeared for plaintiff and (Mr Treadwell for defendant. The case arose out of a threshing contract, defendant declining to pay foi" work done, alleging that the oats had not been sufficiently cjeaned. Lee entered a counter claim for £5 16s for loss occasioned by the threshing not having been properly carried out. The case had not concluded when the Court rose for the day.

A substitute *w wood pulp in the mianufaatiurei of polpetr is claimed, ihas been forand in what is known as bagasse, a Louisiana product, and the refuse of the cane stalk after the saccharine juice has beem crushed out. The "New Orleans Times-Democrat" says that at present bagasse is a waste product, used mainly for feul. As the. bagasse output, in Louiiana tamioumts to nearly 2,000,000 tons a year, the business may mean a new and more prosperous future for the sugar industry, as well as for the (State.

-■- Last night there was a Government parade in the Drill Hall, at which the Highlianders and Rifles attended. There were excellent musters, of both corps, the Highlanders having slightly the larger number. Colonel Watt, Major Hughes, and Sargts.-Major Peacock and Anderson were present. Captains Redmond and McNaught exercised the companies in battalion drill. Lieut. Hogam put them; through the manual exercise, and then Staff-Sergt.-Major Peacock gave instructions in piling arms. Sergt. Bell afterwards put the Highlanders through the physical #111, and was followed by CoTour-Sergt. Purser, who exercised the Rifles in the same movement, the Rifles showing somewhat better form!, though the drill-shown by both corps was not up to their usual standard.

One of those pleasant little functions thafc go to relieve the monotony of everyday life took place on Monday evening last, when Mr H. T. Johns, builder, and his staff assembled in Mr Bustin's rooms to bid farewell to their late foreman, Mr Kirk, who has severed his connection with the firm to take ui> a. position in Messrs Holt's timber establishment, Napier. Mr Johns presided, and, after expressing his regret at Mr Kirk's departure, handed to him a silver teapot as a mark of his esteem and good wishes, saying that he hoped both Mr and Mrs Kirk would be long spared to use it. Mr W. Mayea then', on behalf of the employees, presented Mr Kirk with a. smoker's outfit, at the same_ time expressing the regard of himself and his fellow workmen for their late foreman. Mr Kirk responded on'behalf of himself and his wife, thanking those assemled for their presents and for the kindly wishes accompanying them. During the evening vocal items were contributed by Messrs Mayes, Piokard, Ellis, Lake, Smith, and Slight. Mr Heap acted as accompanist. The proceedings were characterised by the best of good-fellowship, and showed that both employer-and employees greatly resneeted the one departing from them. Mr Kirk leaves to-day for his new position.

The incorporation of the two Boer states into British Scuth African territory increases the British possessions on the African continent (including Egypt) to a total' of about 3,300,000 square miles, and this includes the richest part—that from north-east to the south—of this, great coming land. The French axe the next largest , territorial power, they having annexed vast tracts of land in the arid, sparselypopulated regions of Sahara. From the north to the south of tnis huge continent the British have established a line of communicatdng territories, embracing the great coal-beds of the Zambesi, the enormous iron deposits of Lake Tanganyika —which has been emphatically pronounced the finest system: of natural waterpower on earth—through the tropical riches of the central belt, onward through the fertile Bahr-el-Ghazel to the ancient land of Egypt.. The war has set the seal of unification on these vast territories and on British African poliov. Henceforth South Africa will become more and more delocalised, until it,merges its distinctive name into that of Federated British Africa, which, stretching from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Southern Indian Odeajn, must texerqifee ia dominating influence upon the world. —"Fiel'den's, Magazine." :

•Of William and John Scott, afterwards Lord Stowell and Lord Elidon, Lord John Russell used to tell with infinite .zest a story which lie declared, to be highly characteristic of the methods by which they made their fotrtbunes and position. When they were young men.-at the Bar., having hod a stroke of professional luck, they determined to celebrate the occasion by having a dinner at a tavern and going to the nlay. When it was time to .call- for a reckoning William Scott dropped a guinea. He and his brother searched for it in vain, an- came to tlie conclusion that it had fallen between the boards of the uncarpeted floor. "This is a bad job," said William; "we must give up the play." "Stop a bit," said John; "I know a trick worth two of that," and he called the waitress. "Betty,"' said he, "we've dropped two guineas. See if you can find them." Betty went down on her hands and (knees, and) found the one guinea, which had rollied under the fender, "lhat's ia, good pcirl, Betty," said John Scott, pocketing the coin, "and when you find the other you can keep it for your trouble." And tlia prudent, brothers weub with a light heart, to the play, and so, eventually, to the Bench and the Woolsack. —"Oassell's Magazine,"