LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume X, Issue 2388, 23 May 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A school-boy of a good family commit ted suicide hi Vienna because he found Latin' to difficult. Mrs Tom Williams, of Bradyotte, Term,, has given birth to five children within twelve : months—twins and triplets. During April seventy-six children under five years of age died hi New Zealand, /iftynine of whom were under one year of age. A bride m Montreal appeared aji the altar with her pet canary fastened to her shoulder by .a gold chain. Daring the marriage ceremony the bird broke into song, To-inorrov morning there iril! be a total eclipse of the moon, visible m New Zealand as a partial eclipse from «,bout 3 a.m. till 7.1 "> a,in. when, the moon sets, He needn't have asked. The coprespoupent of a .Scotch evening paper complains of a clergyman who, after preaching for 63 minutes, gave out the hymn, "Aft thou weary ':" i The Rev E. A. Scott will condact Divine Service to-morrow (Sunday).in the Seatield Schoolroom at three p.m., when a sermon will be preached npou the Melancsian Mission and a collection made on its behalf. . The " North Otago. Times " says :—To show the enormous success of the phonograph m New Zealand >ye may mention that the imt profits so far for the New Zealand trip amount to about £5100, Runaway hpvses can be stopped ijqw by an electric jcehtriyanofi, thinks tj> au American inventor, Should t\i& animal j^olt.pje driver (says " Tlie GpApliic") touches a b.H#ou, a/jd the runaway receives an electriosh<jckwhjcli Inings him to a standstill at Once. Our readers will notice by.advertisementthat the Ashburton Lodge, of Drnicls Jiold their annual festival oh Monday evening next m the Oddfellows' Hall. This offers a §rst-class opportunity to conclude the day's Hoiiday^ a^d doubtless there will be a large aMe^dancQ. !jPlie folkwiijg Eiyr,6pean Jiceusing dfetripts yorth of Auckland city havp declared fyv complete prohibition :—\y*aipu, Maunga-tnroto.lMt-ligapai,, Albertland, Hotes, faujjoa,,

The Tongariro left Capetown on the 22nd forHobart ami Wellington. Western Avenue, Chicago, is twenty-four miles long. Haistead-street m the same city is twenty-one and a-half miles long. The Oanmru Licensing election h;is been ' declared *:qirl, owing to the objection-that the* J&eiunmig "Officer was not properly , appointed. A fresh election will take place. ( " An official letter from the Eastern Lunatic A«ylum of Virginia to-tho Governor of that ■ State says that "one of the inmates has l>een there for fifty-four years and is 109 years old. Mr John Nathan, a well-known antique dclcr, of London rlo.i-1, Southwark, has l>cen discovered to be the possessor of a Rubens which is supposed to be won h several thousand pounds. Mr Nathan acquired it for Bs. ' A meeting of ratepapers, convened at the instance of the County Council, is called for Saturday next.,at 2.30 p.m., at the Orange, Hall, to consider the question of proceeding with what U known as the " Lavington " irrigation scheme. , ■„■. -. >.•;., .• Eleven kings of Kn]rland--viz., tVilliani the Conqueror, William Rufus, Henry T, Stephen, Henry 11, Richard I, Jojhn, Henry 111, Edward 1, Edward, 11, Edward 111, arc said to have been unable to sign their own names. - ■ The-death pluitof Java lias-flowers which continually give off a perfume so powerful as to overcome, if inhaled for ahy length of -time, a full-grown man, and which kflls all forms of iuscit life that come tinder its influence. Tim "LytteHoir Times" says that on Tuesday eveying the Ann.it Hotel had a narrow escape' from' being burnt down. Softie of the landlord's (Mr M'Nae's) children were engaged hi one of the rooms, and placed a candle near some clothes and linr-n. .The consequence was that the clothing was soon on fire. Mr M'N,ie discovered the fire m time to prevent serious consequences, bitfnot .before the paper was burnt,;oiFa portion of. ■thejwall and the ceiling scorched. ■'A; man m America who was noted for his religion left .the bulk of his money; about £20,000, to religious bodies. A judge Has just set t;he will aside iv favour of the children, owing to the "stranpe incon-j sistency between the man's life and his "post- ! moctem intentions." The Russian Government has just issued >a ukase ordering that ,all sardine boxes are to be opened at the Customhouses on the frontiers. It appears that shoals of Nihilist tracts and proclamations have recently Jjecn 'imported into Russia from France m apparently genuine sardine-boxes. Joseph Gardiner, of Bourne Heath, near I Stourbridge, met his death while cleaning his \ gun. He blew down the barrel while his .son held a candle to the nipple, The gun {, unknown to Gardiner, was loaded, and ' went off, inflicting deadly wounds on the -unfortunate man, who survived only two hours. The Faust Family and London 801 l ringers ' gave their final performance m New Zealand a few days ago at Petonc, Wellington. Mr JoerStClair thanked the audience for their patronage, and stated that New Zealand was not iv the bad state it was represented to be !pr they had taken £6000 during their tour through the colony. As the prevailing sickness is seriously .affecting the attendance ot. the various schools throughout, the Qhigo district, Pr Steiihouse intends to move at the next meeting of tlio Education Board, as a recommendation to school committees, that winter holidays of not less than two weeks be | grafted. ! The R-jv Dr Trvil was one day christening a child for the Rev Mr Spark, one of the parish ministers of Kitkwall. The Rev gentleman had a numerous small family, o.idi child having come cloae on thu heels of the last; He gave out t !»• Scriptural paraphrase to lie sung commencing, " As sparks m close ■succession rise, >; elc, much to the amusemeiit of the congregation. On every New Year's morning each man and" boy! m China, from the Emperor to the lowest peasant, payj a visit to-his mother. He cavriea her a present, varying m value according to his station, thanks her for all she has dcr.ie for him, and asks for a con-' | tindaiiceof Ijor favour another year. They are j taught to bpUovo that mothers have rin influence for goo.l over their sons all through life. : We have received from Oainaru a full report of the inaugural tea meeting of the Prohibition Association which has just been founded there. To Mr E. T. Smith, an elocutionist wiio has made a speciality of Gough'a orations, is ascribed the merit of being mainly instrumewtal m the formation of the Association, and the place of honor m the programme was devoted to the presentation to him of an address recognising the success of his efforte m the cause of Temperance and I'rohibition m North Otat?o. . . , ; Jjiist evening No. ,">, Orange Lily Female Lodge, of the Orange Institution, gave their first social, which was attended by over 150 friends. To entertain I heir visitors ' the' ladies of the L-nlge, now numbering about twenty, prepared a moat excellent programme, consisting of readings, recitation*, songs,-etc, given by brut hers of the Order and friends who were not inside the pale, but it m.xy be mentioned that among the instrumental music was a nice little piano duct by the Misses Ranger, and orchestral pieces by Mr and Miss Simmonds, Mr Brools-, and: Mr McKay. Throughout the eveuiu" nnujerous songs were sung and other pleasing items were given, so that there was no lack of amusement between the dances, the music for:which was supplied by Mr Brooks and Mr McKay. Mrs Page, the chief officer of the Female Lodge, and her assistants, were indefatigable m their efforts to care for the visitors. We have to acknowledge .receipt! per the Kaikoura of a speccially-addressed copy of the " Shropshire Guardian.and Shrewsbury Herald' of February* 28, containing an" account of some interesting proceedings on the 20th of that month at the Shrewsbury Com Exchange. On the date and at the place named, there Was a large and'enjoyable gathering, the employees of the Perseverance ironworks, together with a iar'*e number of friends, to partake of a supper of 'fa most recherche desdriptioni" given m qpnimcmoration of a threefold event, v\>/,., fche silver wedding of Mr and Mrs Corbett, and the wedding and birthday of their eldest son, fMv T, Kyj Qorbett. Mr C*betf, senior, jis *he proprietor of the ironwoi&s ineiitioiied, and has, we understand, relatives m the Ashburton district. Congratulatory speeches, toasts, and songs were, of course, the i order ot the evening, and all the proceedings appear to have passed off most successfully. The young couple were the recipients of fifty or more very handsome presents, including a drawing-room suite of furniture given by the employees at the works," and the presents to Mr and Mrs Corbett, senior, were also numerous and ! costly.