SHIPPING.

FOBI OF LYTTELTON.

Arrived. Saturday.

Hawaa, a. a., from Manakan, via way porta. Waitaki, 8.8., from Dunedin, via Timaru. Zibr, schooner, from Wellington. Onward, schooner, from Wellington. Orpheus, schooner, from Wanganui Grafton, a.s., from Wellington and West Coast porta. Celestia, barque, from Westport. j Letterfourie, barque, from Newcastle. . Croydon Lass, schooner, from Waitapn. Yesterday.

Fotest Queen, ketch, from Wellington.

Sailed. Saturday. c HaWea,a.a., for Dunedin. Olio, schooner, for Waitapn. Waiteki, s'.s., for Wellington; Grafton, a. a., for Southern ports. Ocean Bird, ketch, for Anahau. I**'? ! Yesterday. Oiematis/ketch, for Pelorus Sound. Scottish Hero, barque, for Cork or Falmouth, for orders.

COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian Office, ; ' Monday Evening. Alfred. Harrison reports his weekly sale as follows—Saturday, May rath. Out of a goodly entry, of horses "a ‘fair" proportion changed Hands, among them nothing specially worthy of mention. Nine cews were penned, and all but one sold, in fact there is always a good de mand for good cows in milk or close to calving. Prices as.follows:—Lß, Ly, Ly, L 5 10s, L 3 ss>; 3 heifers at LS Js fid. Pigs sold well, every lot being cleared as follows :—Medium sites, rßs and aos ; slips, 5s to Bs. There was - a Very large entry of fowls, viz,, 200 pairs; prides ranged from is yd to 2s gd per pair. Ducks,' 3s 9d to 5s 3d ; turkeys, 10s; geese dulL ‘ .Implements : Dray and frame, L 6 15s; trap,-L8 ids ; harness, £.5 as 6d; chaff cut ters, blacksmith’s tools,' aud an enormous quantity, of sundry .implements, etc., also passed through. Harness and saddles sold well, tvcry line. , Produce; Potatoes, 10 tons, from sos to 6osper ton ; oats, as; chick wheat, as,to as fid ; carrots, 40s per ton. A quantity of furniture and effects, as usual, came last and caused spirited bidding, and the time being now late, the sale had to be concluded, many entries’having to remain over. : Mr T. Bullock reports of the Horse Market for the' Week ending May sth : At the opening sale of the Arcade on Saturday there was a very large gathering of country settlers, and an unusally large entry of horses, though the greater* proportion were of a light descrip tion,'for ’■ Which there is. really very little de mand, but young draughts of a good stamp command attention, and ’for which there are always buyers, while aged horses and inferior stock seem'to be neglected. The entries for the day were 100, out ot which I succeeded in at the following prices, viz.:—Good draughts, Ll 6, L 29, L3O ; good useful farm horses,' Lai, Lai, Laa 10s, Laa ros ; light and'aged’ draughts, Ln, Ll 3, Ll 5 10s; old and' inferior ditto, I 4 to L 8; unbroken colts and fillies, light draughts, Lio to Ll 5; good unbroken , hocks from Lio to Lia; weight carrying hacks and buggy horses from Lia to Ll 6 ; useful hacks from Ly to Lio ros; in ferior and aged horses from La to L 5. Imple- Buggies, etc.: Owing to the latenessof the ionr when the sale of horses was con cluded these could not be offered, but will be siibmitted bn. Saturday next.

DAILY MEMORANDA.

AUCTION SALES : Tdesoat, Mat 15. Matson, Cox and Co., at the Ashburton Yards—Stock. ■ Tkubsdat, May 17. Davia and Co., at Rakaia— Fortnightly Sale of Stock, at 12 noen. Fbidat, Joins 1. Matson, Ooz and Co., at Waterton Farm, Live and Dead Stock ; at 12 "noon. MEETINGS. AMUSEMENTS. &o Wednesday, Mat 16. Oddfellows’ New Hall—Concert and ball. # ( .Fbidat, Mat 18. • Soiree,and Concert at Chertsey ; Tea at ■ F. 9& Upjier Ashbm ton Road Board District— Annual meeting of ratepayers. May JUith.,... : Tuesday, Mat *22. Tia and Public Meeting Wesleyan Ohhreh,at 6.80 p.in. Public Meeting r« storm water, at Town Hall, South Rakaia, at 7-30 p m. , r Monday, Mat 28. Borough Council, at Borough Council ChAmbers, at 7 o’clock. Upper Ashburton Boad Board District— General election of members ; nomina iibn May 27th, polling day 7th day of Jana. Monday, June 4. Ashburton Borough—Annual Licensing meeting for Borough,' June 4th. ■ - ' Wednesday,’June,6. Resident Magistrate’s Court, Ashburton— Annual Licensing meeting for Ashbur ton district, June 6th. :

MAIL NOTICES.

Mails close atthe Ashburton Post Office sb follows':— FbrChristchurch and North at 6 a.m. 10.S0a.rn., and 6 p.m., daily. For Ohertseyßakaia, Ac., at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. For Dunedin, Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, andQeraldine, at 10 a.m,- daily. 'For at, 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., For Timaru and South, at 6 a.m.,10 s.m., and 4.80 p.m.> daily. Ifpjf Greenstrect and Ashburton Forks, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, at 3.30 p.m. For Mount Somers, on Tuesdays and i Saturdays;-at <\o.m.and 4.30 p.m. For Mayfield, bn Tuesdays and Satur days, at 6 a.m. , j For Ashton, Waterloo and Longbeach, St4.3op.m. daily. For Remington, on Mondays, Wednes- ■ flays,.and Fridays, at43o p.m. : For Wakanui, Elgin,' Seaview, Seafield, and Kyle, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, .and Saturdays, at 6.30 a-m. F 4t Newlands, on Tuesdays and Fri ■ days at 10.30 a.m.

Mails arrive at the Ashburton Post ■■■ Office r . From Xlhristchurch an (5 Bakaia at 10.15 s.m., 4:35 p.m., and 7.20 p.m. From Chertsey, &o. at 10.15 a.m. and 435,p.m. daily. From Dnnedin and intermediate places at 6.30 p.m. daily. From Temuka anji Timaru at 10.40 a. m. 5.30 p.m., and 6 p.ro. daily. From. Greenatreet and Ashburton Wednesdays and Saturdays, at 10 *.m.' ' : From Mount Somera, on Tuesdays and » Saturdays, at 10.5 a.inland 8.15 p.m. FtomMay field, on Tuesdays and Satur days, at 10.6 a.m. From Ashton. Waterton, and Long ■ TO turn.' daily. ” Frond T Elgin, Wakanui, Seafield, and Kyle, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sat . urdays, at 4,p.m. . SVom KeWlahds, on’ Tuesdays and Fri days, at 9.30 a. nu From Flemington on Tuesdays, Thurs- a-nk

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas Et Prevalebit. MONDAY, MAY 14, 1883. A Good Recommendation.

An inquest is fortunately a rather un usual occurrence in Ashburton, but the fact that there have been two held within a week, would not perhaps call for special comment, were it not that the jury in each instance appended a rider to their verdict. In the case of the fireman Chesson it was so clearly shown that defective appliances to the engine were the cause of the accident that the jury’s recommendation can scarcely fail to make the Government alive to a great danger, and no doubt action will be taken to prevent the re currence of a like lamentable accident. The inquiry into the death of Joseph Mulligan, held at the Hospital on Saturday, certainly did not involve such important issues, but the rider of the jury is none the less worthy of the careful consideration of the Licensing Bench. The deceased, it appeared, was a hard drinking man, and, in common with the great majority of our agriculturists, was in the habit of celebrating the receipt of his wages cheque by having a drunken “ spree.” The post mottem examination proved that the immediate cause of death was not excessive alcoholism, but that has nothing to do with the question treated of by the jury in their rider. The evidence showed that Mulligan, after receiving his cheque, left the place where he had been working with the avowed intention; of going on to Rakaia. He did not, however, get beyond Chertsey, and it seems that in the hotel there he man aged to spend a considerable sum of money in an incredibly short time. As the case against the landlord will all probability form a subject for inquiry before the Licensing Bench, we do not intend to say anything upon a matter that is, in a sense, sub judice, further than to refer to a statement of a witness, who professed great experience in drinking, to the effect that the liquor at the Chertsey Hotel “ knocked him over ” more quickly than any he had ever drunk elsewhere. Anybody who has been tempted to enter an up-country hotel can testify to the villainous nature of the compounds that are vended as spirits in most in stances, but the question may be'dealt with upon a far broader basis. There can be no doubt that drunkenness in creases according to the facilities given to men for obtaining what they crave for. This is indeed a palpable truism, and yet we see that licenses are fre quently accorded to houses in places where hotels depend for their trade al most entirely upon people of the Mul ligan typei. The rider of the jury of Saturday’s inquest recommended that the Bench should consider the advis ability of withholding the license from the Chertsey Hotel until police super vision is established in the district, and we shall be glad to see this recom mendation given effect to. It would be well if the principle were carried out all over the colony, as the presence of the police would unquestionably do much to prevent the numerous drunken debauches which continually take place in these up-country hotels, while the facilities for carrying out the disgrace ful practice of “ lambing down ” would be considerably lessened.

The New Zealand Shipping Company's chartered steamer, the British Queen, ar rived at Wellington from London at three o’clock yesterday afternoon. The passage occupied fifty days. Daring the passage measles broke out, and as there were a few mild cases cn her arrival Dr Henry, the Health Officer, ordered the steamer

into quarantine. So far there is no clue as to the origin of the fire at Riverton. As nearly as can be learned, the insurances, amounting to L 4,575, were distributed as follows : Union, L 1,575 ; South British, L 1,150 ; Victoria, L 80 0; New Zealand, L6OO ; Royal, L 30 0; Standard, L 15 0; total actual loss estimated at L 5.500. With ex ception of the Caledonia Hotel, the fur niture and stock of the other buildings were saved, although damaged in removal. Mr A. G, Taylor, M.L.A. for Mudgee, thus apostrophises his colleague, Mr Bu chanan, in the Sydney Legislative Assem bly :—“ Nature, when the hon. gentle man was conceived, had given him blub ber for brains, polysyllables for eloquence, and with the lungs of a town bellman, had made him run away with the idea that he was a political Demosthenes. He was a man who would hoist any flag, de file any religion, or discard any creed or clergy, or use any vituperation,' so long as he served his own ends, and for a time basked in the sun of notoriety. He appeared once as a temperance lecturer, begging men to be temperate, and with the proceeds of that lecture he had chart ered a spring cart, and had filled it with brandy and champagne. He was next found in the wilds of Queensland, in the garb of Adam, and with a brandy bettle under his arm.” Mr Buchanan’s retort was of the tu quoque order—“ Who was he that he should speak of drink ? a man who came into the House and fell to the ground, and lay in that dreadful state till he had to be carried out.”

It has been decided to hold a steeple chase meeting at Oamaru some time in June. The Auckland police are sampling the liquors at the public house bars, and handing the samples to the Provincial Analyst to test for adulteration. A man named Henry Robertshaw, re cently arrested at Wellington for wife desertion, was discharged by the Hamil ton Bench, his wife declining to prosecute. The New Zealand Shipping Company have received a cable that the Waipa, with immigrants from London, had been spoken on March 19th, in 15deg. south latitude.

At Coromandel three men were cap sized on Saturday from a punt. A man named Bamford was in liquor, and >as drowned. He was a native of Canter bury, and a baker by trade. Mr Nicoll, North Shore, Auckland, has received an order from the Tonga Govern ment to bui.i a schooner to cost LIOOO. It is expected that the Government will shortly call for tenders in Auckland for building two other schooners. The Government have informed the Christchurch Chamber of Commerce that it would be best not to take any re sponsibility in connection with the Boston Exhibition, as the time available would not give New Zealand an opportunity of being satisfactorily represented. Samuel Chesson, the railway fireman killed on Tuesday last, was buried at Timaru yesterday with military honors, he having belonged to the Artillery band. A special train from Christchurch brought down about one hundred of his fellow em ployees, The funeral was attended by many hundreds of people. Two "uninsured stacks of grain were burned at Waiareka on Thursday night. Incendiarism is suspected. It is also re ported that two stacks of wheat, valued at L2OO, were destroyed by fire on Wed nesday night last on Mr isdale’s farm at Teaneraki. The stacks were not insured, and the opinion that the fire was the work of an incendiary is strengthened by the fact that both stacks were seen to blaze forth at the same time. The movement which was started t° present Sir Bryan O’Loghlen with a sub stantial testimonial has been [dropped, as Sir Bryan disapproves of the statement published that the movement was totally unconnected with politics, and has de clined • to accept the testimonial apart from his position as a public man and leader of the late Government. The sub scriptions already collected, which amounted to a considerable sum, were re turned. Another divorce case is now mentioned as coming on for hearing at the next sitting of the Wellington Supreme Court. The petitioner in this suit is Richard Mil ler Elwell, whe seeks dissolution on the ground of adultery. The document filed sets forth that the petitioner is a com mercial traveller, and on the 18th October, 1879, was legally married to Miriam Nel line Violet Alexander, described as a widow, at the parish church of Si. James, Townsville, in the colony of Queensland, and cohabited with her for some time, no issue, however, resu’ting from the union. The petitioner then alleges that on the 29th of March of the following year his wife left his house in Townsville without just cause, and against his express wish, and was not seen by him until the 29th of last month, on which day he arrived in Wellington from Queensland, for the purpose of seeking her. Enquiries, the petition proceeds to state, were made re specting the respondent, and.it was ascer tained that during the months of Febru ary, March, and April, 1882, and April 1883, she had been living in adultery With Solomon Phillips, pawnbroker, of Well ington, by whom she has had one child, now aged four months. On these grounds tnerefore, the petitioner prays for a divorce from the respondent It is one of the wonderful properties of printing paper that it can be split into two or even three parts, however thin the sheet. Some time ago an advertisement appeared in one of the London journals, to which an offer was made to show how this might be done on receipt of a stipu lated sum of money. But the British and Colonial Printer and Stationer has fore stalled the advertiser by giving the fullest particulars with regard to the process, without money and without price, in the following words : —“ Get a piece of plate glass and place it on a sheet of paper : then let the latter be thoroughly soaked. With care and a little dexterity the sheet can be split by the top surface being re moved. The best plan is to paste a piece of cloth or strong paper to each side of the sheet to be split. When dry, violently and without hesitation pull the two pieces asunder, when part of the sheet will be found to have adhered to one and part to the other. Soften the paste in water, and the pieces can be easily removed from the cloth. The process is generally demon strated as a matter of curiosity, yet it can be utilised in various ways. If we want to paste in a scrap-book a newspaper article printed on both sides of the paper, and possess only one copy, it is-very convenient to know how to detach one side from the other. The paper when split, as may be imagined, is mode transparent than it was before being subject to the operation, and the printing ink is somewhat duller; otherwise the two pieces present the ap pearance of the original if again brought together. ” The writer of the above says : —“ We have seen a sheet, of the Illustrated News thus divided into three parts of three thin leaves. One consisted of the surface on which the engravings are printed ; another was the side con taining the letterpress, and a perfectly blank piece on each side was the paper that lay between. Many people who have not seen this done might think it impossible, yet it is not only possible but extremely easy, and only requires a little dexterity.” As it is likely that the statement made by Major Brown at the Taranaki banquet in reference to the late Governor will be

hereafter referred to, we give a full re

port of the remarks :—Major Brown thanked them on behalf of the Colonial

Forces and the Volunteers, who had re sponded so nobly at the time of the Pari-

haka affair. He did not think there would be any necessity for calling out the Militia again. He very much approved of the firm policy adopted by Mr Bryce, and he considered it better to have some one as Native Minister who had not too familiar acquaintance with their affairs. Mr Bryce was free from objectionable trammels for dealmg with the natives. He thought Mr Bryce wouidbearhimoutthathe was always in favor of a more strenuous policy than was exercised when he (Major Brown) was- Civil Commissioner. Though not personally himsolf, some of his friends had felt grieved at his dismissal, but cir cumstances beyond the control of Mr Bryce had rendered the speaker one of the too many cats than there were mice for, and -his services had therefore to be dispensed with. He was glad to hear Mr Bryce’s remarks about the present Go vernor. The character he had brought with him was a very high one. He had not made this known publicly, but be had reason for thinking the late Governor a very mischievous one. He supposed he (Sir Arthur Gordon), considering the speaker had been dismissed from the public service, might be accessible to serve his purposes for use against the Colonial Government. The Governor opened a correspondence with him, and sent his aide de-camp to see him to get informa tion against the Ministry. Whatever Ministry had been in power it would have been the same—his loyalty was due to the colony first. (Hear, hear). He thanked them for the toast, but at the same time hoped his sword was exchanged for the pen for the rest of his life,

The concert in aid of the Catholic School takes place in the Town Hall this evening.

There was only one case at the Police Court this morning, that of an old of fender, named Andrew Fames, who was fined 10s for being intoxicated. His Wor ship the Mayor was on the Bench. At the close of his meeting at Reefton on Friday night, Mr Shaw explicitly stated that the Government had brought him forward in opposition to Mr Wake field, and had told him that Mr Wakefield had refused to stand as their candidate. This disclosure caused some sensation. The election takes place to day. According to the New Zealand Times, a new kind of impudent robbery has been invented in Wellington by certain females of ill-repute. The plan is for three or f our to enter a s’ l op where some young man is in charge, and begin coax ing and tempting him. Then some handy articles ate taken up, and the young man is chaffed in t® a sort of bargain, to the effect that if he wants paying for them he can call at the girls’ place of abode. They carry away the articles, and the young shopman has to choose between a disagreeable exposure of the trick before a magistrate or keeping a guilty silence on the transaction. A case of this kind came before the Resident Magistrate last week. Nellie Shepherd and Mary Sul livan were charged with stealing two small baskets and a book from the shop of Mr H. Sunglen, in Manners street, on the previous day. Samuel Short, aged about eighteen, was in the shop when four flighty girls entered, the prisoners being two of them: They larked with him in the shop, and carried off the articles men tioned. Their defence was of the nature indicated above, but the youth informed a constable of the theft, and the articles were traced to the possession of the two prisoners. They called their two com panions to confirm their immoral excuse. The Magistrate said this was no defence at all, because if it were true, the girls were accessories to a robbery of the young man’s employer. Sentenced each to seven days' imprisonment with hard labor. If a doctor is also a lover, can he, in case of death, charge for visits of affec tion as professional attendance 1 Such was the question decided by Mr Justice Chitty the other day. The action was an administrative one, in which the next of kin of a maiden lady who left L 4,000 be hind her complained of the charges made by her executor (a medical man) for ex ecutor’s expenses and professional ser vices. It appeared tha< the defendant had been engaged to be married to the lady, and though the match had been broken off he continued to attend her for a complaint of which she eventually died. The judge had to decide upon a charge of nearly LSOO for medical services, of which L 92 was for two visits a day for 377 days at 2s 6d each. The plaintiff contended that the visits were made as a lover and not as a doctor; but Mr Justice Chitty thought that as the charge per visit was very moderate, though the number of visits was perhaps excessive, he might al low him one visit a day as a doctor, and, regarding the second visit as that of the lover, knocked eff half the charge. As, however, a charge of three guineas a day for taking the lady for drives was allowed to remain, the doctor’s pocket has not suffered severely for his devotion. The use of the telephone appears to be rapidly advancing in public favor. Ac cording to recent statistics it is now em ployed in 303 cities by 78,808 subscribers, of which 30,066 are European, and 47,185 American. England is first, with seventy-five towns and 7,287 subscribers ; Italy next, with thirteen towns and 5,507 subscribers ; France follows, with eighteen towns and ~ 4,437 subscribers ; and Germany last, with twenty-one towns and 3,613 subscribers. In France and Germany the telephones are worked by Government. From a statement recently issued by the United Telephone Company (Limited) it appears that while the number of London sub scribers on the 28th February, 1831, was only 845, at the same data this year it had advanced to 2,541, and the Company are receiving new orders each day of the annual value of LIOO. As showing the general use of the wires, it is stated that while in February, 1881, the calls averaged 4,451 per day, for the corres ponding days of 1883 they numbered 19,021.

Mr Walter Sykes, dentist, telegraphs that urgent business detains him in Christchurch, and that he cannot possibly arrive in Ashbur ton till Wednesday morning, i6th inst., when he may be consulted at Mr Cambridge’s.— [Advt.]

[Correspondence.]

AM EVIL AND ITS REMEDY.—To the Editor, —It is a healthy sign of the times when our local papers are beginning to deal in a fearless manner with bankrupts andjthe bankruptcy laws. The time has come when something must be done either by the legisla ture or by business men themselves to put an end to a state of affairs which is a disgrace to our boasted civilisation. We (the under signed) have been doing business in Ashbur ton about 3j£ years, and the money we have lost during that period by bankrupts, levan ters, and blacklegs generally amounts to a great deal more than the margin usually allowed for bad debts. If the law cannot pro tect us then we must protect ourselves, and there is only one way to do so, viz., to abolish the credit System altogether. This system has ! been the curse of other countries besides New Zealand, and past experience has proved it to be rotten to the core. Owing to recent heavy losses we have resolved to sell for cash only in future. The honest man who is willing to pay his 20s in the £, and pay as he goes, will find this no disadvant age but a great gain, as he will be able to obtain a first-class article much cheaper than he would under the old system. We shall exert our selves to- the utmost as heretofore to give our customers full satisfaction, and every order will be executed in our usual first-class style—but we shall no longer run any unnecessary risk. Under the cash system we are prepared to offer-a special line of tweeds at the following unusually low prices :—Gentleman’s suit made to order, £2 18s fid; ladies’ tailor made ulster, £2. All other goods in proportion, for cash only. Craighead and Co., tailors and clothiers, Tancred street. Holloway’s Pills.—The changes of tem perature and weather frequently upset persons who are most careful of their health, and most particular in their diets. These corrective, purifying, and gentle aperient Pills are the best remedy for all defective actions of the digestive organs; they augment the appetite, strengthen the stomach, correct biliousness, and carry off all that is noxious from the system. Holloway’s Pills are composed of rare balsams, uumixed with baser matter, and on that account are pe culiarly well adapted for the young, delicate, and aged. As this peerless medicine has gained fame in the past, so will it preserve it in the uture by its renovating and invigorating qualities, and its incapacity of doing harm.—[Advt.] Another bankrupt sale ! Wait and watch ! Stop buying drapery and clothing. Telegram “Dunedin, May 11, 1883. Just bought a bankrupt stock from the trustees for cash, at 6s 3d in the £. All new goods ; 50. cases and bales leave here next week, rest to follow. Advertise sale to commence on Saturday, May 19. —C. R. Church.” Now we shall be able to do the sensation trade of the season. Closed for marking down on Friday, May 18. So wait for C. R. Church’s Dunedin bankrupt sale. The stock is not six months from Home. This is the sad result of over-trading, but good news for the public of Christchurch. Remem ber the address—C. R. Church’s Dunedin bankrupt sale, Kiver’s Buildings, Cashel street, three doors from High street.—[Advt.]

CORRESPONDENCE.

vVe do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.

“JUMPING” IRON.

To the Editor, Sir, —I notice in your issue of the 10th, a letter from a correspondent signing him*

self “ Novice. ” There are two statements in that letter, which 1 think, in justice to Mr Yerdon, should be discussed. -First: “ That any lad knows that he should never jump iron if it can be avoided.” That 1 must object too, as I know a great many lads who don’t know any such thing, although they have been working hot iron for a good many years. Second: “Every blacksmith knows that jumped iron is not so strong by nearly one-third as it was before that operation.” Does “ Novice ” mean that a bar that has been jumped until it is twice its original sec tion, possesses only two-thirds of its origi nal strength. If this is so, it is high time it was better known, for at present the usual custom is to jump a bar at any point where extra strength is required. I will admit that jumping does injure iron to a certain extent, but I hold that the in creased bulk due to the jumping more than compens ites for any injury done, pro vided the jumping be properly performed and the iron be good.—l am, etc., Fair Play.

NOAH’S ARK FOUND.

A contributor to the Auckland Herald , ot the 31st March, writes : In last Wednesday’s Herald , a Reuter’s London telegram announced that “ in telligence is to hand that a series of avalanches have occurred at Mount Ararat, in Armenia. A number of vil lages have been completely destroyed, and hundreds of people have been killed.” It is surprising that no re ference was made to a remarkable alleged discovery in connection with one of these storms of avalanches, and which is referred to in the following ex tract from the Levant Herald\ just re ceived, being nothing less than that of the supposed remains of Noah’s Ark. The copy of our Oriental contemporary must have joined the mail from Con stantinople at Alexandria, which may account for its anticipating our receipt of the English journals commenting on this most remarkable item of intelli gence. Our contemporary says :—We have received from our correspondent at Trebizond intelligence ot the return of the Commissioners appointed by the Turkish Government to inquire into the reported destruction of Moshul, Ashak, and Bayazid by avalanches, and to render relief to the distressed vil lagers, who had suffered so severely from the unusual inclemency of the season. They found the destruction to have not been exaggerated, and the distress very great. But the expedition was fortunate in making a discovery that cannot fail to be of the deepest in terest to the whole civilised world, for amid the fastnesses of one of the glens of Mount Ararat they came upon a gigantic structure of some very dark wood, imbedded at the foot of one of the glaciers, with one end protruding, and which they believed to be none other *han the old Ark in which Noah, with his family, navigated the waters of the deluge. The place where the discovery was made is about five days’ journey from Trebizond, in the department of Van, in Armenia, and about four leagues from the Persian frontier. The glen is one of the sources of a tributary of the river Aras, .which flows into the Caspian. The -villagers of Bayazid, which was situated about a league off, had seen this strange object for nearly six years, but were deterred by a strong superstitious fear from approaching it, as there was a rumor very generally be lieved that strange voices were within it, and it is said that some young men more daring than the others who had approached had seen a spirit of fierce aspect gazing out of a hole or door in the upper portion. of the structure. Nothing deterred by the -fears of the villagers, the Commissioners, accom panied by their personal attendants, proceeded to examine it, the villagers positively refusing to approach even the neighborhood of the glacier in which it was imbedded. The way led through a dense forest, and the travel lers were obliged to follow the course of the stream, wading sometimes up to the waist in water, which was intensely cold, being from the melting glacier. After a toilsome journey, of three or four hours, during which they incurred considerabie danger from the masses ot snow impending from the heights above, they were rewarded by the sight of a huge dark-mass projecting 20ft or 30ft from the glacier, on the left hand side of the ravine.; They found that it was formed of a wood not grown in these elevated districts, nor nearer than in the low hot valleys of the Euphrates, where it is known by the 'natives as “ izira,” said to be the ancient gopher wood of Scripture. It was in a good state of preservation, being painted or stained on the outside with a dark brown pigment, and constructed of great strength. It was a good deal broken at the angles, from being sub jected to somewhat rough usage by the moraines during the slow descent of the glacier from the lofty peaks tower ing away beyond the head of the val ley to a height of over 17,000 ft —a pro cess which, considering the nature of the country and the slow pace at which these snow rivers travel, especially in the higher altitudes, must have required thousands of years. The projecting portion seemed about 40ft or 50ft in height, but to what length it pene trated into the glacier they could form no estimate. Effecting an entrance through one of the broken corners, the explorers found it filled for the greater part with ice, the interior being partitioned off into compartments of about 12ft or 15ft high, into only three of which they were able to make their way, owing to the mass of frozen substance with which these were filled, and also deterred by their fears of the structure collapsing with its superincumbent and overhanging mass of the huge glacier. The Commis sioners (one of whom is an Englishman —Captain at tached to the British Embassy in this city, and well known as a scientific in vestigator) are fully confidant that it is the Ark of Noah, and they support the position by maintaining that, having been enveloped in snow and frozen, it has been kept in a state of perfect pre servation ; that having rested on one of the peaks of the Ararat range, as described in Scripture, the Ark must have been lying on the soil, for the waters had covered the whole earth, and the tops of the highest mountains, “ and all the high hills that were under the whole heavens were covered ; fif teen cubits upward did the water pre vail, and the mountains were covered.” In these' circumstances the snow that ordinarily covers this lofty moun tain, for it is 17,23011 in height, would have been all melted away by the waters of the flood when Noah first

grounded on the peak. . But as the waters were-slowly receding for some five months, and Noah and his family following the receding waters gradually made their way towards the lowlands, the mountain would of course resume its great height over sea level, and, in consequence, be again covered with snow, which must have enveloped the Ark as it lay—it may be supposed— on the slope, near the summit of the peak. As perpetual snow now covers Mount Ararat for more than half way down, it is manifest that the Ark must have been kept in a perfect state of preservation ; while slowly, during the silent lapse of 4,000 or 5,000 years, creeping down, after the manner of the glaciers, into the valley below, there to appear in these later ages to discomfort the scoffer and confirm the sure word of revelation. The Commissioners had already reported the discovery to His Majesty, and at the instance of the German Ambassador prompt steps had been taken to protect from destruction and to preserve a relic so interesting, to the whole world.

A SENSATIONAL DIVORCE CASE.

The developments in a suit for divorce are causing a sensation at St Louis (U.S.) just now. The plaintiff is William Wad dingham, and the defendant his wife Pauline. Mr Wadding ham has been a resident of St Louis all his life, and is the possessor of great wealth, being reputed to be worth from 300,000d0l to 400,000d01. He met his wife for the first time; in St Louis about thirty years ago. She was . then known as Pauline Hulett. They were married on August 30, 1853. A' short time ago he accidentally discovered that at the time be married her she.had : another husband—one Charles R. Qavin —still living, and it was upon this ground that he brought suit for divorce. In 1843 - Gavin, who was then a young mane of twenty, and Pauline Hulett, aged then about sixteen, lived together as man and wife. Shortly after this period Gavin wandered eastward, and, being caught in: an act of grand larceny, waa sent to the Auburn „ Penitentiary for three years. While be was in prison his wife went to the bad, and he became s sort of wanderer, serving shortly thereafter a term in the Columbus (Ohio) Penitentiary for counterfeiting. For the past few years his family and acquaintances have entirely lost sight of him, and his mother,, who had not seen him for thirty years, supposed him dead. In response to these damaging charges Mrs Waddingham enters a general denial She alleges in 'her answer that she was never married to Charles R. Gavin, but that a cousin of hers, who greatly resembled her, named Martha Jane Haskins, was the one who married Gavin. Mr Waddingham was kept busy.for several months endeavoring to discover the whereabouts of Charles R. Gavin. Monday was the day set for the hearing of further depositions on behalf of the plaintiff, and the defendant had been duly notified to be on hand at the office of Waddingham’s attorney's. The purpose of Mr Waddingham was to sur prise the defence by the production, of. Gavin. The plaintiff and his attorneys, with Gavin, were on hand before ten o’clock. At that hour the defendant en tered with her attorney, and here a scene intensely dramatic in its details ensued. Mrs Wadlingham, who is a.well-preserved woman, seemingly about forty-five years of age, though older, and of small and shapely figure, came into the room with a smile on her face, and entirely unconscious of the trap that had been laid for her. Gavin was standing against the wall, and facing the door. When the woman, who is said to have been his wife thirty years ago, but whom he had not seen for over a quarter of a century, entered the door way, he looked her directly in the face, - - but gave no sign of recognition. She gazed at him for a moment as if she had suddenly been confronted by an apparition, throwing her hands into the air, and staggering towards a corner of the room, calling out in frantic tones “ Ch tries ! Charles I Charles !” and then fell on the carpet in a hysterical fit.. : Water was dashed in her face, and after being revived she looked wildly around and said, in scarcely audible tones, “I . thought he was dead,” Gavin stood there all the time with his hands behind his back, staring at his wife, but not say ing a word. His stolid face betrayed no emotion whatever, and he looked bn with . the indifferent air of a spectator who had - no concern in what was transpiring. When the lady was led away he coolly re marked “ That’s her.” He was then put on the stand, and his deposition pro ceeded. The most sensational as well as melancholy episode of that extraordinary •* domestic drama is yet to be told. It was ; the intention of plaintiff’s attorney te-t place the defendant on the jtand and try to obtain her admission, under oath, that she was lawfully wedded to Charles Garin, and had never been divorced from hint 1 ; • but it was discovered that she bad left " the city on Monday night, tad there was left no further doubt ou the question of the previous marriage. Mr Nichols left for Detroit on Tuesday to procure addi tional testimony, if not the actual record. He took Gavin with him, and it was a ■ part of their trip there to have him iden tified as the Charles B. Gavin who lived ' there in 1845. Gavin’s mother, Airs Mary Marsh—she having been married a second time—an old lady of eighty-four, has been living in Detroit for Sty years, her recent home being at 101 Catherine street. When the two callers tapped at the door it was opened by a girl, who con ducted them to a room where the old l°dy was seated. She rose to receive them, but the same moment recognised her lost son, and screaming out his name, fell dead.— N.Y. Herald.

SPORTING.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN JOOKE7 CLUB MEETING. [Received May It, 11.1 a.m.] [REUTER’S TELEGRAMS—COPYRIGHT. ] Adelaide, Saturday. At the South Australian Jockey Club’s meeting to-day, the Good woo 1 Cap was run with the following result : Coldstream ... 1 Royal Irishman ... ~, 0 , Local 3

CABLE NEWS.

LATEST FROM EUROPE. . [eeuxer’s telegrams— oopvmoht.] The Phoenix Park Murderers. London, May 11. O’Brien and Doyle have pleaded guilty to complicity in the murder Of Lord F. Cavendish and Mr Burke. The Dynamitards. The dynamite conspirators were again charged at Bow street to-day, and all committed for trial. Monetary and Commercial. Consols remain at j New Zea land securities continue at the following quotations:—Five per cent. 10-40 loan, 106 j five per cent. 1889 loan, 10 px diy.; four and a half per cent.' 1879-1904 loan, 102 ; four per cent inscribed stock, 191 The market rate of discount has risen to and,. is now }i below the Bank irate. Aus tralian breadstuff's continue quiet, but

THE ASHBUUrON GOAKDIAN, MONDAY, MAY 14, 1883.



»EW WORK. “THE ROYAL PATHOF LIFE; or. Aim# and r Aida to Sucoesa and Happiness,” illus- Steel Engravings, in differ % ,Mit'bmdißgs. Also, a beautiful adaption ofEASTER CARDS'. '* Ahdbiwks Bbos., Booksellers and Stationers, East street



Wanted WANTED— An experienced PLOUGH MAN. Apply, A. Murray, Lau riston; or Office of this Paper. 1103 WANTED —A strong GIRL to assist in house. Apply Mrs J. Tasker, East street. 1107 WANTED, Contract HANDS for Hedge-trimming, Fencing, Draini ng and Rush-cutting; also, a good Fencing Hand accustomed to timber work.—Apply to E. H. DOBSON, 938 - Manager Lowcliffe Estate. ‘ANTED—Two or Three TEAMS lor Contract Ploughing. J, Car ter, Grove House, Tinwald. 1088 WANTED KNOWN— Hayes and Co. have a lot of EMPTY OASES for sale. Arcade Shops. au!2 KNOWN—That Robert ft Elston, Burnett street, Ashbur ton, having procured the newest appara tus, is prepared to Sweep Chimneys at very low rales. Any orders left at the Town Hall will receive prompt attention. Terms cash. 760 c w ANTED KNOWN. That BONEDUST, specially prepared for dHUing with carrots, mangolds, etc., can be obtained from the undersigned. F. MAYO, Hampstead Bone Mills. TXT ANTED KNOWN—Every descrip ’ * ' tion of Plain and Fancy Pointing executed on the shortest notice, at the Guardian Office, next Matson, Cox, and Co.’s, West street Special Advertisements.



Money ! Money! ! The equitable investment COMPANY OF NEW ZEALAND, limited, are prepared, through their agent, J. 0. Dun'Jan, East street, to LEND MONEY on Ashburton approved free hold or leasehold property, repayable by either monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly instalments, or for a fixed period. The'Company are also open to DIS COUNT BILLS. J. C. DUNCAN, 883 Agent, East street.



JEL M. Jones’ COUNT BOOKS. NEW VOLUMES— Boys’ Own Annual | Girls’ Own Annual Chatterbox Child’s Companion Infants’ Magazine, &c., &c. poe rs VARIOUS. Authors ; Sir Walter Scott’s Works, new edition, complete. ' TOYS! TOYS!! TOYS!!! GREAT VARIETY—in Wood, Tin, China, aiifii Indiarubber. GOOD BUSINESS Envelopes. SIX SHILLINGS PER THOUSAND CASH. A Bargain. Good Second-hand PIANETTE, £2O. FANCY GOODS! FANCY GOODS ! A NICE SELECTION of the above now in stock. ALL the above Goods are offered at the LOWEST Possible Prices for CASH. A LIBERAL DISCOUNT allowed to schools on parcels of Toys, Books, etc. , SECOND-HAND Pianos, In good order, £ls, £2O, 22 10s, 25. H. M. JONES, BURNETT ST. & BARING SQUARE. 13d



Milner & Thompson Ashburton, H. M. JONES, Agent. T>IPE ORGANS.—Especially suitable for Ohurches. Far superior to any Reed Organ near the price for richness and purity of tone, volume of sound, and durability of onstruction. Price—Ll2o. REED ORGANS.—By Smith and Co., Mason and Bmlin, Wood and 00., Esby and Go., New England Oompany, and Olongh and Warner—from Ll2 12s. PI AN OS. —Brinsmead and Sons, Broad wood, Collard and Oollard, Erard, Pleyel and others. Dresden Model, and German and French manufacturers, with all latest improvements. JtT DEFERRED PAYMENTS Wholesale and Rrtaid. ol j



P YOU WANT GOOD AND STRONG FURNITURE, GO TO DAVIS’S CHEAP FURNITURE AND BED DING MANUFACTORY, EAST STREET SOUTH. ASHBURTON. INVERT article Sold at Christchurch Pbiobs and guaranteed bes. of *naterial and workmanship, FUNERALS CHEAPLY & COMPLETELY FTJBNXBHBD ASH RECEIPTS Printed at “The Guardian' office. '



Special Advertisements. THE NEW ZEALAND Clothing Factory HAY E spared no effort to place before the public a MOST COMPLETE ASSORTMENT OF NEW WINTER MANUFACTURES Comprising all the latest styles in MEN’S & BOY’S CLOTHING Manufactured from the best qualities and newest Designs in COLONIAL, SCOTCH, BRITISH, AND CONTINENTAL TWEEDS. The large and increased trade has en abled the Proprietary to offer their cus tomers still further advantages than hitherto, and THIS SEASON’S GOODS, upon inspection, will be found CHEAPER THAN EVER. rirr A SINGLE GARMENT AT WHOLESALE PRICE. . SHIRTS, HATS, HOSIERY, and every requisite at Wholesale Prices. Nineteen Branches now open in New Zealand. Agents for the Unrivalled WERTHEIM SEWING MACHINES Ashburton Branch : EAST STREET.



JAM IN 763 CASH PURCH ASER OT BRIGHT MILLING Oats, AN 5T QUANTITY. ALBERT ROBERTS, West street.



gPECIAL NOTICE. TO THE INHABITANTS OF ASH BURTON AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS. GL R. West and Co., MUSIC AND PIANOFORTE WARE HOUSEMEN, Princes street, Dunedin Have great pleasure in announcing that it is their intention to cater for the Music loving population of Ashburton in such a man ter as has never before been at tempted. Messrs G, R. West & Co. are the Largest Direct Importers of PIANOS, ORGANS, HARMONIUMS, BRASS, WIND, AND STRINGED INSTRUMENTS In the Colony, and a large and varied stock of the above can always be found. Mr G. R. West, being at present in England, is shipping direct to Dunedin all the latest novelties in MUSIC ! MUSIC 1 ! MUSIC !! ! And the firm respectfully solicit a call from their friends, teachers, and the public in general to inspect their magnifi cent stock of Music, personally selected. did



TATIONERY OF EVERY DE- I SCRIPTION. Account Books Ink—from small to largest jars School Books—School Committees sup plied at lowest rates Latest Novelties in all kinds of Fancy Goods, Toys, &c. All the Home Journals, Magazines, and Papers by every mail. Subscribers wauted for any Magazine or Paper published. Andrewes Bros., BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS, &c.. East street South, Ashburton. n!5 FOR SALE The UNDERSIGNED have received instructions from the Owner to SELL BY PRIVATE TREATY, All that COMPACT BLOCK OF LAND on the Acton Station ESTATE, SOUTH RAKAIA, Being SECTIONS 31757, 31758, and 31759, Containing 1099 acres. The block has been SPECIALLY SELECTED by the Proprietor, and is thoroughly adapted for farming purposes, the adjoin ing sect iocs having this season grown some of the HEAVIEST CROPS ON THE PLAINS. Only a small instalment on the pur chase is required to be paid, the balance to remain on mortgage at 6£ per cent, for a term of years as may be agreed on. We have also FOR SALE an Improved Farm Containing 1026 ACRES. Situated close to Ealing Rilway Station, and well watered. For further particulars apply to THE NEW ZEALAND GRAIN AGENCY AND MERCANTILE COM PANY, LIMITED. Christchurch or Ashburton. 13au Roberts, Paxton & Co. CHRISTCHURCH, CASH PURCHASERS OF WHEAT BEANS BARLEY PEaS OATS COCKSFOOT AND BYE GRASS SEED.



They supply farmers with the best quality LARGE OORNSAOKS, at the Lowest Market Bates, AND WILL MAKE LIBERAL CASH ADVANCES against grain placed in their hands for shipment to London or elsewhere. ROBERTS, PAXTON & CO., 137, Manchester street, Christchurch Or their Agent,— ALBERT ROBERTS, 278 Ashburton. R LAURENCE OXLEY has been Appointed Agent for the Ashbur ton Guardian at South Rakaia.



Special Advertisements. AND TOWNSHBND ARE CASH BUYERS OF WHEAT OATS B\RLEY GRASS SEED Agents for A. Moore & Co. ROBINSON AND TOWNSHEND, Havelock street. 229



Coro Sacks, rates. J AM A CASH PUR CHASER, AT HIGHEST MARKET RATES, of WHEAT OATS GRASS SEED BARLEY Farmers wishing to SHIP ON THEi ?- OWN AC COUNT can get information as to Cost, Freight, etc., by applying to JOSEPH CLARK, 267 Ashburton & Tinwald. Corn Sacks, lowest market rates.