NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 391, 13 September 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

PEDESTEIANISM. —Edwards, the champion walker, has arrived, with the intention of trying to make a match with one of our local walkers. Previous to this taking place he intends walking seven miles within the hour on the Plough Inu grounds. Immense loss of time and patience is saved by purchasing your boots at Spensley’s. The Sale is now going on, and you can depend upon a good article. No profit this month. The Purchaser gets all the benefit. Note the address —Spenseey’s Boot Store, Cashel and High streets. — [Advt.] Concert. —We perceive by advertisement that a concert will take place on Thursday evening, at the Catholic school-soom, in aid of the funds of the school. As the services of Madame and Miss Winter have been secured, and a host of other talent have promised to assist, we predict a most enjoyable evening, and hope also to see it successful in a pecuniary point of view.

Inquest at Oxford. —On Saturday, an inquest, touching the death of George Inch, was held at the house of Mr Doige, Oxford, before C. Dudley, Esq., coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr R. Perham was foreman. After hearing the evidence of deceased’s father, who said his son had been suffering from heart disease, and Mr Weld, surgeon,who gave it as his opinion that death had resulted from that cause, the jury found a verdict that the deceased’s death ensued from natural causes. Football. —The match on Saturday was Fifteen v the Club, but only thirteen of the former put in an appearance. Mr J. Anderson, jun, captained the Fifteen, and Mr A, Ollivier the Club. No goals were got, though there were several touch downs and some good play exhibited. We are glad to notice that the captains rigidly enforce the rules on all occasions, the result of which is that the players are rapidly becoming familiarised with them, and a marked improvement is noticeable in the play. Holy Trinity, Lyttelton.— The monthly meeting of the vestry was hell on Friday evening. Present—Dr Donald (in the chair), Messrs Edge, W. Graham, A. B. W. Parsons, G. N, Phillips, and Dr Rouse. The chairman informed the vestry that Rev F, C. Lloyd, of Hamilton, Waikato, had accepted the cure of the parish, and may be expected early next month. It was resolved that the church be lighted with gas, for this purpose and to put the parsonage in a state of habitable repair a sum of £IOO is needed immediately. Notice was to be given on Sunday that the churchwardens will be glad to receive the contributions of the congregation, and the names of any ladies willing to undertake a house to house collection. Accounts, amounting to £5 Bs, having been passed for payment, the vestry adjourned. St Albans Mutual Improvement Association. —The monthly entertainment of the above society was held in the lectureroom, High street, on Friday evening last; Mr W. H. Wynn Williams in the chair. Mrs Long presided at the piano. Songs were sung by Messrs Carder and Brooks, and Mrs Thompson, and a song and dance in character by Messrs Dickey and Richards. Recitations were given by Messrs Mahar and Brady, and Master Butterfield. The Rev Mr Knowles, Mr Lamb, and the chairman, each gave very humorous readings. There was a good attendance, and the whole of the performers acquitted themselves very creditably. Oxford. —A meeting of the Central Town Hall Company was held at Olphert’s Hotel on Friday evening. About twenty shareholders were present. Mr John Lee was voted to the chair. The chairman stated that 233 shares had been applied for, and that there was every likelihood of the company being a "great success; that the meeting had been called for the purpose of discussing how the affair should be managed, and to select a site for the hall. He then read the share list, and twenty-five other shares were taken up in the room. It was decided that a Board of Directors be appointed, to select a site, and that the section near Mr Lee’s should be treated for. A vote of thanks terminated the proceedings. Many people do not know the reason why some descriptions of soap, when being used, cause the hands to smart and feel sore. It is simply owing to the imperfect knowledge of some soap boilers, who not being thoroughly acquainted with the ingredients they are using, do not compound them in a scientific manner, or as is more commonly the case, that manufacturers either try to pass off a spurious adulterated article, or else by using an undue quantity of the cheapest commodities, make one of inferior quality. We are aware that the Star Brand Soap is made on the strictest principles of chemical affinity, and that every care is taken by the manufacturers to produce an article possessing the strongest abstergent properties. All persons, whether old colonists or new arrivals, should use the Star Brand Soap, as it is the best in this market. [Advt,] Lyttelton Borough School Committee, — A meeting of this committee was held on Saturday evening last at the schoolhouse. Present—Dr Donald (in the chair), Dr Rouse, and Messrs H. N, Nalder, H. Hawkins, and H. Allwright. The minutes were read and confirmed. In reference to a letter from the Government re the erection of an infant school, it was resolved that as the value of the land given up by the town and proposed to be given was more than onesixth of the cost of the present and proposed buildings, that the committee do not feel justified to call upon the ratepayers to contribute any further sura. A letter was, read from Messrs Scott Bros, in reference to a sum deducted from their contract money for salary to the clerk of the works. The matter was referred to Mr J. S. Willcox. A letter was read from Mr Gideon Henderson, asking to be excused from paying his education rates. Mr Nalder asked if the committee had been formally apprised of the appointment of a new educational rate collector. The chairman said he had seen the appointment in the Gazette. Mr Allwright spoke with reference to a fire escape for the Colonists’ Hall, to be erected in the school grounds. It was resolved that the Colonists’ .Society be allowed to fence off the passage leading to the back premises (part of school grounds), fence to be placed at the top of the bank, This concluded the business.

Old Blues. — A meeting of Old Blu3s was held on Saturday aft' moon, at Warner’s Hotel. Present— Messrs Bain, Warner, Beaumont, Hamilton, Lance, and Digby, It was resolved that a dinner be held on October 23rd next. Messrs Bain, Warner, and Beaumont, were deputed to make the necessary arrangements. Mr Beaumont undertook to write to the secretary of the Melbourne Society of Blues for a copy of their rules. It was decided to hold over the formation of the New Zealand Society until after the 23rd October.

Inquest. —On Thursday afternoon last an inquest was held at the South Rakaia Hotel, South Rakaia, before H. T. Winter, Esq., acting coroner, on the body of William Sullivan, aged eighteen, Mr J. N, Sharp being chosen foreman. The following evidence was taken :—Daniel Dainby, a farmer, residing at South Rakaia, stated that “ the deceased had been living at his house since the 24th May last, and that he had been in ill health during that period. On Monday night last he returned from Christchurch about 10 p.m., and Sullivan was then in his usual spirits. We talked for a while, and after he was sitting listening to me reading a paper, and then went to bed. Between seven and eight o’clock next morning I saw part of his face uncovered, and thought he was asleep. After we had our breakfast the other man, who is living with me in the hut, called him by name. I told him to leave him alone, that he was asleep, and called his attention to the position his hand was in. I then went out to work, about half-past eight or nine o’clock, and returned to dinner about one o’clock, and ( put the horses up, and found Sullivan still in the same position as when I left in the morning. On touching his hand I found it quite cold, and went to the door of the hut. Upon examining him I found that he was dead. I then told Michael Quirk, and sent Thomas Mowlaud for the the police.” Michael Quirk and Daniel Sullivan, brother of the deceased, corroborated the above evidence. Dr Trevor said he had that day made a post-mortem examination of William Sullivan. Could not discover any external marks of violence, but from its extreme state of decomposition could not be certain on that point. The body was too far decomposed to make a very minute examination. He opened the abdomen, and found it greatly distended with fluid. He had heard the evidence of the other witnesses, from which, and the examination of the abdomen, he was fully satisfied that the deceased died from dropsy. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence.

Kaiapoi Farmers’ Club.—The monthly meeting was held on Thursday evening at the Kaikainui Hotel. Twenty-two members were present. Mr J. Beharrell was voted to the chair. The question for discussion, viz, the “ Breeding of draught horses,” was introduced by Mr Geo. Edwards. After referring to the different classes of draught horses he concluded that a perfect model of a horse suitable to all the requirements of farmers should be an animal standing from sixteen to sixteen and a half hands with short well set legs and good flat bone, without coarse hair. The formation of the chest was an important point, and not only was the proper round rib an essential, but as sufficient depth in that point materially affected the condition of horses he was sorry to notice that many of their animals were lacking in that particular. The head onght to be mat and well set; the nostrils rather round, full and open; the forehead well shaped; the eyes docile but lively looking; the ears small and nicely curved at the tips; the neck with a nice curve and of sufficient length to admit of free respiration when the horse was straining at his collar ; a round and deep barrel was necessary to give endurance for long journeys; a good long quarter with powerful muscle, deep in the breech, was indaspensible; the hock should have the proper bend, as straight hocks would be taken to be a sign of weakness; another very important point in a good horse was that its hoof should be well formed, Spreading at the base sufficiently without being flat and shelly. The large horses known here, as Clydesdales were the most profitable for sale; but, being slow and cumbersome, were probably after all not the best suited for the general run of farm work. At a dead lift these horses could uadoubtedly put a greater weight into the collar, but they certainly had not the activity to maiatoin what they had thus gained, or endure a moderately quick pace for any length of time’ How that the railways were extending and the roads were invariably well formed, there was more need for the breeding of the class of horse sketched out by him. A discussion followed, in which Messrs J. Birnie, J. Walls, J. Guild, M. Jones, E. Parnham, C. Young, W, M. Ross, the chairman, and others took part in. On the motion of Mr J. Lowthian Wilson, seconded by Mr Parnham, a unanimous vote of thanks was passed to Mr Edwards for leading the discussion, the club agreeing with him in his model of the modern horse. Further business of a routine nature having been discussed, a complimentary vote to the chairman terminated the proceedings.

The Louvre has bought for 12,000 francs the statue of the Virgin recently discovered at Touraine. It is said lobe a fine example of French art of the sixteenth century. An expedition of scientific men belonging to the Italian Geographical Society is about to embark for Tunis, to study and report upon the project for introducing the waters of the Mediterranean into the marshy districts to the south of Tunis and the province of Constantine. The Allgemeine Zeitung announces that the recent excavations near the old Dipylon at Athens have brought to light the foundations of a house belonging to .the time of Mithridates, in which were found fifty silver coins of the same age, some of which are of great value and unique in character. At Aquileia interesting discoveries have also been rewarding the zeal of explorers ; and, according to recent reports, the foundation walls of a circus of colossal dimensions have been traced. A correspondent of the Daily News , writing from Oushak on May 9th, says :—“ On Sunday, the 2nd inst, at half-past 9 p.m there occurred an earthquake of a severity such as I have never before experienced. Thank God that we are still alive. A large part of our town has been laid in ruins. Foi seven days now the earth has not ceased to tremble. We sleep at night under tents set up in the open plain. Fortunately we have no loss of life to deplore, but I ant informed that at Shiklu, a hamlet three hours’ distant from here, eighty-nine persons perished ; at Baltshir, five hours’ distant, seventy; and at livril, equally distant, 198.”

Two Frenchmen have been arrested in the act of sketching the inner fortifications of Mayence.

The Italian papers state that two of the men who last year robbed four English ladies four miles out on the Appian Way have been arrested, and that all the property has been recovered. One of the robbers formerly belonged to the Pontifical Carabineers.

“ Our own magistrates,” observes th e Pall Mall Gazette, “ often delight the officials of their courts by their witticisms, but their humor is not to be compared with that of their brethren of the United States. -The other day, according to the Detroit Free Frees , ‘a little bit of a man, wearing a bilious-looking plug-hat,’ and speaking in childlike tones, was placed in the dock. ‘Why for, thou seedling?’ inquired the judge, looking up. ‘l’m a prisoner, but Pm entitled to be treated with respect,’squeaked the little man, standing on his tiptoes, and growing red in. the face. * Respectfully, your obedient servant,’ repilied his honor, waving his hand around with'’inimitable grace. ‘ I won’t be made fun of—l J tell you, I won’t I’ squealed the prisoner. ‘Fun ! fun P repeated the judge. ‘ Sir, this is a serious world, with four pounds of -heartache to one old-fashioned grin. No, sir, I see no fun. here. The charge is being drunk and raising a great row—a very serious thing,’ ‘Who says I got drunk ? ’ squealed the.little man ; * who says I raised a great row T lt is a conspiracy to get me out of the neighborhood.’ ‘Prisoner at the bar,’ said his honor, when the evidence was all in, ‘now is the time to make a Fourth of July speech if'.you are ever going to make one. If you have any evidence, hurl it at me.’ Silence, ‘ Uarius Worthington Jones,’ resumed the judge, after waiting for an answer* * you are chalked for 60 days. You won’t set out any onions this spring, and you won’t be around when the first circus strikes Detroit Mayday will find you making chairs, and June berries will have ripened and vanished ere we gaze upon your face again.’ ”