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Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 21, 29 December 1877, Page 2

A meeting of the members of the Manawatu Acclimatization Society will : be held m the Palmerston Public Tffall to^c&y^'ag; ., 2 p.m. ■ .*■ ' We acknowledge with thanks the re.ceipfc of 10a from " Poor Chum " as a contribution toward the Indian Famine Fund. „- .-,.'..' ■* We are requested to announce that the Key Mr Hammond will conduct a Watch Night Service m the Wesleyan Church on Tuesday night next,, to commence at 10.45. We understand that a meeting of the Palmerston North Fire Brigade will be held shortly. A meeting was held on 1 the 18th inst, with very satisfactory results;-" .but owing to the pressure of other matters we were unable to secure a report at the time. A corner 'section opposite the Junction Hotel, Sandon, was recently sold at' the fancy figure of £300. It has been purchased with the view of erecting a large hotel upoii'it. The original owner was Mr B. Burt, of, the Hutt, and the price paid by him six or seven years ago was £1. With such prices for land and the long looked for and desired railway, the people of Sandon may certanily consider themselves m a prosperous condition. We are glad to observe that the ehflSren's treat given by Mr and Mrs Merritt passed off successfully on the 21st instant. The pupils and visitors to the number of^sixty sat down to tea, and after the eatables had received their share of attention Mr Pattion exhibited to the admiring view of the little ones the wonders of the magic lantern. The songs and recitations were gone through very creditably by , the juvenile amatueri, and. altogether the enterfaunment was very satisfactory. We regret to have to announce the death of Mrs, J". E. Gilbert, which, occurred at about half past four yesterday morning; The deceased had been suffering for many weeks previous to her death, but of late it was hoped that she was making some progress toward, [recovery. On Boxing Bay, however, she took an unfavourable turn which has ended fatally. The illness of the deceased lady, so long continued) excited a good deal of public sympathy, and there is now much regret expressed at its sad termination. Our -readers will observe by advertisement that the Bey. Charles Clarke will lecture m Foxton on Thursday and Friday evenings next, and' m Palmerston on the following Saturday. The people of i this district have nW an opportunity of hearing, one of the most brilliant orators extant who has won the "honorable mede of praise " from every audience that he has. addressed m his world travels. We have heard the " silver tongued orator " m times gone past, and can' assure our readers that the treat promised them is altogether unique of its kind.

i The crops throughout the Manawatn | district look splendid, and promise well j for an abundant harvest. I The first anniversary of the Primitive 1 Methodist Church at Halcombe was celebrated on the 26th inst. As previously, announced, a tea was provided m the church, the little edifice being beautifully decorated with flowers and evergreens. The public j responded m a very hearty manner to the invitation given by the trustees and friends by favouring them with a large attendance and substantial monetary help on the occasion. The tables were ably presided" over by Mesdames Green, Morrison, Sinclair, and the Misses McKenzie and Q-ower. After tea a short interval was spent by the youthful part of the company m pleasurable recreation. "A public meeting followed presided over by Mr R.~ Linton, who gave a ; brief, financial statement "of the working of the church, from which it appeared that tbTe debt on the buildirig amounted to £100. Appropriate addresses, interspersed with, melodies, were given by^Messrs. Lucas, and Adams, and the Eevd's^R. McGregor and P. "W". "Jones. A vdteVdf thanks to the ladies brought the meeting to a close at ■ ■=?*». :■-. ■..■:- ;?.';^;^- ' .--. The railway from is expected to be opened to Marion m. January inext. The connection with the, remaining portion of the line is expected, to be completed by February when the^trains will run right . through from Esxton tp^Tanganui:— "Patea Mail." ♦ * * AU the pUgrims who visit Mecca odsfc an offering into three sepulchres^f or , the de,fence of Islam. It is calculated that not less than 15, 000,000 francs a-year are thus contributed, and from'on^pf the sepulchres, which wastopened m immense sums' were drawn. Another sepulchre was i opened during the Crimean^ war, and now the Sheik-ul-Islam has gone <T to Mecca to draw funds from the thifd^l which has hot been opened since 1415. Taking the three sepulchres together, it S-is computed that they must contain abou€ r 600,000,0b0 francs. Smugglers' brains are proverbially fertile, arid 'a clever expedien^was recently adopted to import brandy into Paris without paying the Octroi duties. • J?6r..iseveral weeks a splendid elephant and^hiS keeper belonging to a circus had :eons£a£tW > gorie m "and oat of one of the Paris gates^-when one day a " Custom House officer tfirufjj his probe into the creature's side. The were horrified, but the elephant dad not, appear to feel any pain, while from; the wound fell four tiny barrels of brandy. ''' The^keeper considering that a little extra size m the unwieldy shape of his charge would not be noticed, had encased!^? stpmach^n the old skin of a large elephant, and had filled out the space with, brSndy— a very profitable enterprise. ■. ■■'■■$& :' Drunkenness on a railway train is an offence not only dangerous to the offender but also to respectably conducted passengers. Lately (says the ." New Zealand Herald" of the .2lsfciiist.) a drunken man, whqhad unobsjrveTiigo^intp a train, all the* 'carriages of wfificn were would persist m standing on tn*6' platform at'the end of the carriage, and was at last halfpersuaded, half -forced to "go into the carriage. At one of the stations' where there was a brief stoppage this person got out, and was reeling 1 abjqufc when "the train; started. He ran after tife carriage and clung to the uprightrod of the platformj the train at the time going .at a smart pace. Aided by the guard, who saw the man's peril, and by a passenger who was standing ou the' carriage platform,, this foolish person was partly pushed and partly, drawn on to the carriage, for if he had let, go his hold with the train m motion the chances where he would have fallen among the wheels. It appears that the guard has no power to compel a drunken person to go into the carriage^ if the latter should prefer standing on the platform ; but when a man is endangering his life the guard would be justified* in compelling his removal. Thetheory 'is, no person m liquor should be permitted to travel -by the railway, but it is next to impossible for a guard to detect all cases of the kind. This was oneof those cases ; and it would be domg good service if the culprit were • prosecuted for getting upou a train while, m motion. . /..'■• f' It will be remembered that w a short time since, theJElev, C. H; Spurgeon was invited to visit the Australian colonies, and it was' reported that he would accede to the invitation. However, m this month's number of- his magazine (the Sword and Trowel), Mr ; Spurgeon says :-^— " TJrgent invitations have come to us to go to Australia for a tour, and we beg publicly to thank .the churches for doing us ithis honor. Having well weighed the matter, we feel that we .caimot, at this time, leave. our post, if -indeed, we shall ever be able to do so*. Our numerous institutions must be watched the great congregation must be kept together, : and the -weekly sermon must continue to be published. These all; require us to be at home, and our absences must be brief, otherwise we should enjoy measure : a trip to the south sea.. It is no? indifference our^friends abroad, * but a conviction of duty, which keeps us at home: "We wish every blessing to those who, mso loving.a manner, have invited us to their shores." The -Pbofessionai Ebputation o* a Rbspeotablb^ Phtsician or chemist is at stake when either unqei'takes to pronounce ' upon the efficacy or purlCy^bf a popular remedy. Thousands of eminent physiciansand analysts have publicly concurred m declaring that for purity and ■ invigorating properties,- the medicinat^timulent best j entitled to public confidence is ITDOiiPHoWoiiPß's- Schiedam Aeomatio Schnapps. It "is the remedy par exeeiience^drliadaej disease,, indigestion, and debility .-^-Advfc. Holiday^News.— GJhristmas is coming, and those premises lately occupied by Messrs E: & W. Hvßrigb.tweE have been reopened ypith. a fresh, stock of general goods, so that the inhabitants of Terrace End m particular, and the public, at large* can purchase their clothings .drapery,, boots and shoes, .groceries, and fancy goods for presents, cheaper than at any other house m toi^nu y lt may,; also, be stated that 'b'ools^'and shoes are made and repaired on-the premises at low rates.— (Advt.)