LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume X, Issue 2307, 16 February 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The R.M.S. Kaikoura from New Zealand arrived at Rio Janeiro on Friday, all well. ! An English paper states that the Princess of Wales has intimated thac nothing he submitted for her inspection or that of her daughters i:i which birds are used as a trimming. The Fielding " Star " works off the following l~~" As there are four newspapers working hard against Mr McSuire m his contest for the Egtnont seat, his victory niny be looked upon as certain. In the par.titioa of Africa:by,the European Powers, France has-aecured 2,300,000 square miles, against 1,90#,00Q? oWiie'tf' by limit Britain, 1,030,000 by Germany, and' 775,000 liy i'Portoga^<;^M\iclrof^Fifattiße J& il'.i()'ossfei&siong 1' are m the western part of the .Sahara. Mr H. McElrea o'fHampstead brought to our office on Saturday four American Alpha potatoes grown m his garden. The tubers weigh—the largestllll Boz ; the next lib loz; and the two smaller 14oz, and 12oz respectively—or, m. all,, 4^bsj,lpz.: s : Under the will' of -the late Allan Fraacr, his castle ts..Hospitalfield, Arbroath, Scotland, will become a monasfcery:for a brotherhood of painters, sculptors, and literary men, and a trial school for young artists, who will be bound to study art for a term of years; Never waste time by telling people what a lot of good things you have done. In the first place, they won't believe you; and m the seebnd, place, they are waiting for a chance to tell you What a lot 1 of good things they have done themselves. ' The gradual disappearance of fair hair is now ascribed to th 6 liver, for a"sufferer bays : "Heaven sent US golden-haired women m the olden times: -and'the devil sent us cooks m modern .tithes.-'''. The'cooks are responsible for disordered livers, and the livers are responsible for the dark hair." Wedding presents'have-become such a tax m the United Scates that efforts are being made to check the burden. When a fashionable couple were married lately their cards of invitation tto the wedding contained the injunction "no presents," distinctly inscribed m the lower lelt-hand corner. Since the accession of Queen Victoria the Royal Family has ccfst, the nation £^622,623. Nfearty 42f,00p,00Q has been spent m maintairiing the state and household and filling the privy purse of the Queen. The Prince of; Wales has drawn from the nation up to the present day about £3,300,000. An English mechanic and an . English millionaire have different food and drink and amusements and manners. A French millionaire and French mechanic dine about the same hour, drink wine, play billiards and cards, and address and are addressed m much the sanje fashion, f Here the two lives are m different worlds; there one isu, cheap exampier—no^ an imitation —of the other. A cable message received from San Francisco by the Union .Company.slates that the R.M.S. Monowai, which left San Francisco on the 7th instant, with the English mails tc 24th January, had returned to port owing to her thrust block haying carried, away when 650 miles' out. ItS'was expected that the new shaft would be fitted and the steamei resume her voyage on the 22nd instant. The London,correspondent of- the Dunedin " Star " writes :—'* The subject bf a possible change m the Agent-Generalship has cropped up again with the news of the result of the New Zealand elections. -Every one is 'hoping that the long-looked-for day of Sir b\ 1). I Bell's retirement has at last dawned. No doubt Sir Fraiieis did understand something of New Zealand affairs years ago, but his knowledge of the colony and colpnists of today is of the vaguest. The method of preserving fruit for which th<J medal of the Royal Horticultural Society, England, was awarded is as follows :—Pick the fruit from-the stalks ; put them into the bottles*; put one drachm of alum into four gallons of boiling water, let it stand till it k cold. Then, fill the bottles and bung them tight; put them into a boiler of cold watei and heat it to 176deg., then tie the mouths of the jara over with bladder and seal them. A gigantic stag m Muckross Forest near Killarncy, which had come to be regarded as what Oarlyle would have termed "an uncanny and quasi-infernal object," and which has been the mark of many rifles, was shot recently by Lord Mayo. The creature had a magnificent head of. 14 points, and its " clean " weight is said to have been nearly 29 stone, m which base it must be about the heaviest stag that has ever been killed either m Scotland or m Ireiaud. At the ITampstead School Committee meeting on Friday night Messrs Wright and Walker were voted for m the Education Board election. A Committee comprising Messrs .Orr, Smitli, Crooks, and the master was appointed to make arrangements for the annual treat. Applications for pupil teacherships were received, and the Committee decided to recommend Charles Allison and Florence Bell. The other business was loutine. The members present were— Messrs ■ Orr (Chairman) Smith, Crooks, Hoare, and Baker. We have to acknowledge receipt of No. XI. of the New Zealand Crown Lands .Guide, issued from the Government Printing Office; price one shilling. It is an exceedingly useful publication, containing all the necessary information for those wishing to purchaiseland, and is corrected up to the very latest-dates. It givesl full particulars as to the different modes of obtaining land, valuable statistics^ a digest of the Land Laws, and an excellent map of the colony indicating the locality of the various blocks .open for settlement. The Appeal Court has dismissed the appeal lodged against the order of the Court below for, the production',jn.: the Whitaker-Hutchi-son case of the private bank accounts of Sir H. Atkinson and Mr Mitehelsou, on the ground that m the alleged libel against Sir P. Whitaker, a confederacy between the parties as members of the Government m improper procedure, is charged, and the accounts m question may be pertinent to the issue. Mr Hutchison thus gains the point for Which he was contending, and the appellant is, saddled with the costs of the appeal. Some idea of the irftportance of the Baring family may be gathered from che fact that two of Lord ReveMoke's daughters are married to Viscount Castleross and the Hon. Robert Spencer, and that last year his son, the Hon. John Baring, was suggested as a very likely candidate for the hand of the Princess Maud of Wales ; that the eldest son of Lord Northbi-ook is M.P. for North Bedford, and that the Northbrooks are connected with the noble families of Sturt (Lord Alington), Boyle (Earl of Cork), and Howard (Earl of Efiingliam) by marriage; and that the Ashburtons are connected by marriage with the Earl of -Sandwich, Earl of Galloway, Lord'Digby, Marquis of Northampton, and Due tie Bassano. An; apt allusion was made by the Rev W. Gillies at the Presbyterian Assembly last week; The Rev Mr Monro, of Auckland, took exception to what he considered was a vote of censure upon himself for delay m furnishing certain reports. The mattei was being seriously taken up by the others, when the unpleasantness which seemed to be rising was aptly turned aside by the Rev Mr Gillies drawing the attention of the House to a mottd on one of the stained windows of the Provincial Council Chamber (m which the Assembly sat) which ran, " Censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent." The whole meeting, including Mr Monro himself, was immediately thrown into good humor and the matter dropped. When does a heifer become, a cow ? The question has never been absolutely decided, and it cannot be said to have been settled, evenf.Qr. Canada, by tf dqcisjiqn recently given m a GanailiajrfJQurj; qf" Justice., An ' exhibitor sent three female cattle over'three , o > "* °* a Se t0 tue, °^ass 0!' C(WS over that *%?*l IL f^lbh Fat Stock Show, and they Se^eVted by Indent and ViceProficient of the Cl-lp'i CluJ °11 H" S^und Hut the) ttne not com-., .is they r l'l not Ind ,i calf The cxlubitoi !>iouj,M t \nacr;oi tui dim.it',e«, iuml jh" .lud<,e druded v\ his f,i\oi, bccuibc, he wid, '' Ww define-* ..' cow a cj an .mmul wit!' o calf, Out "v iph thcfcininineof the bovme spoon ■*,' Vfu as ti.i. (Limition n any gmdo, > jcmale of a.c bo\i k '})C(.j( .i uiy old I, a )iV} rll Ui then v i,o *■ mli liiii o ,i^ o liuf^ ,) a "- Xc Wtii (loin I'cvi-ttrii'lcv . b'^uiad^fli i ,i ! je if(.) Lal- p.i'su'* m l thud nU i i ( u.ltq ' tyle ■hwa ow» i

The vital statistics for Ashburton for January are—Littlis, 25; deaths, IS; marriages, 1. This morning's *'Times" says that Dr Ro-:s, a former resident m Canterbury, and well known m sporting circles, is at present onavibic to Christchurch. The Rev, P. Nbrrie, of Auckland, con.iuulcl bot!i set vices m the Ashburton Presbyterian Church on Sunday, and the afternoon service at Wakanui. The rev. gentleman's sermons were listened, to at both places, and at all the services, by good conyieg.ilions. The proposal that was set on foot during the Kxhibition to establish a Working Men's College m Dunedin lus now been' dropped, the chief reason being the refusal of the last Parliament to grant £JOOO m aid of the object. The committee that had charge of the matter, promise, however, that they will keep the institution steadily m view. The tournament of the New Zealand Howling Association, which ba,s been held m (Jhribtchurch last week, concluded on Friday. Thu Taieri Club won the Champion Rink Tournament, with the Caledonian Chib as runner-up ; the Roslyn Club won the North v South match, with the Caledonian Club as runner-up ; and Mr O. 8. White, of Milton, won the championship m the singMianded tournament. The gatheringwas most successful throughout, until the last hour or two, when heavy rain fell. ■ Mrs Hayes, wife of the ex-President of the United States, always declared that a perfectly adequate substitute for liquor, when reeded as a stimulant, could be found m hot milk, and after any cold or wetting she gave this m place of wine or whisky,/which others would have considered necessary. This is, by the way, a custom of Mrs Cleveland's also, who discovered after the fatigues and many long and wearisome receptions which she was obliged to pas 3 through, standing for hoars on her feet and shaking hands with hundreds of people, that nothing would restore her so quickly as a cupful of boiling milk. The following will play m the match on Wednesday between the Wesleyan and County Cricket Clubs :—Rev J. N, Buttle, Messrs Johnson, Andrews, (2) Bonnington, Gamble, Undrill, Murray, Purchase, Owen, and Buchanan (3). County: Rev E. A. Scott, Messrs Cuthber.tson, Makeig, Simpson, Dixon, Sawle, Bell, Kidd, Russell, McLean, Davis, Audrewes (2), and Denshire. Play will commence at 2.30 sharp, if possible, and ( m order that the match may be played out the gentlemen above mentioned are requested to be punctual. If it is practicable, the ladies will have much pleasure m providing'tea. At Auckland on Saturday Sir George Grey spoke into the phonograph exhibited there the following message for Edison, the inventor :—" Auckland, February 14th, 1891. —Professor Archibald has kindly given me the opportunity of sending you a message. ' I wish to speak words of encouragement to &o 'great a discoverer, who has overcome such vast difficulties, and so constantly labored for the good of all. Ido thisfbykelling you <■ that we m New Zealand constantly think of you, and regard with esteem aud gratitude one who has rendered such vast services'to mankind. I Hope yet to make your acquaintance, and tell you personally how strongly 1 and my friends feel the gratitude We owe to you. —Yours truly, George Grey."

The Union Steamship Companj are having two sister ships to the Tavinni built,'and these arc expected to arrive m the colony about July. The capacity of each will be abput 1250 tons. The vessel for the Fjji&e\v Zealand trade is being built 1 tiy/Denhy Bros, of Dumbarton, and is to be called the Ovtilaii. The new boat for the Sarnoan trade will be called the Upotu, and is being built by' Fleming and Ferguson of paisley. The ■dvalau brings with her new boilers and engines for the Wakatipu. These are quadruple extension of the most modern typo. The Company have, decided to takeup permanent runmng between N&w Zealand and Calcutta. The special steamer which has been chartered loads m Calcutta m June, and returns from New Zealand with a load of horses m. August; but next year ix, is intended to build a vessel of 4500 tons capacity, which Will be specially designed and fitted for the Eastern trade. Mr James Mills 'managing director of the U.S.S. Co. r has addressed a letter to'Mr D. P. Fisher, Secretary of the Federated Trades Council, Wellington, m Which he says :'■■ —" I am; afraid there is nothing to be gained by ouis discussing the question whether it is or is riot the case that members of the Seamen's arid Firemen's Unions have been refused employment m our service; simply because they were members. We have been perfectly sincere m our intentions to give -them and those who are not members of their body the same chances of employment as. vacancies arise, and it would liavre been a; pleasure to us to have continued to do so, had the Union men left our free men alone, and been content to give their loyal services to their employers. I am sorry, however, to say that, either of their own dpsire or by the instructions of their leaders, a large number' of reinstated Union men have forgotten their loyalty to the Company and set themselves to sow discontent among the fr.ee men. We feel it forced upon us to decide that future vacancies m our service shall be filled up from those outside the Union, and this we hope to accomplish to a very large extent from the ranks of. the young men growing up m our midsiti niany of whom are oaly too anxious to get into our employ." The prize of a pretty wife (trousseau found), the expenses of>the honeymoon, imd £100 a year for life, which Mr Pearson, of "Pearson's Weekly," has tendered for corn- 5 petition to his readers, m creating; quite an excitement amongst the middle classes, especially m the North of England, where papers of this description chiefly circulate. The editor tells me application's come iivat the rate of fifty ,jper post. The best port, of masculine competitors are doctors, curates, and schoolmasters, the girls being m the' main either behind counters or governesses. Amongst the ,male competitors Mi- Pearson discovered a widower with nine children and a gay old " geeser" of sixty, who' justified his letter by declaring he felt barely forty, avid was satisfied he'd make a more satisfac' tory husband than nine ous of ten youngsters. Mr Pearson has already sifted down the thousands of answers and photos to about one hundred men and fifty girls. A committee will take these m hand and the lucky bride will then be selected. Six eligible for the post of bridegroom,have next to be chosen, and'introduced m turn to the fair demoiselle. She must either take one or retire from the contest m favor of lady No. 2 on the committee's list.