The Ashburton Guardian. Magna et Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1890 THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

It would appear from a letter from Mr Wilson, the Engineer of the Mid land Railway Company, that while the Company intends to, complete the line through from Canterbury to the West Coast, there is no probability of its completing the branch to Nelson.] This was made an integral part of the work in the contract between the Government and the Company, but it looks as if tee Company had no inten tion of going farther than expending the sum of £60,(300 on the Belgrove > section, thus giving the colony only a price of useless line instead of the i through railway stipulated for. In the letter referred to, Mr Wilson writes :—" I consider the construction of the Nelson and Springfield sections at the present time a grave mistake from an engineer's point of view. The line to be made at Nelson will join the Government line at a point near Bel grove, the present terminus, and pro bably extend up Long Gully and terminate a short distance into & tunnel at the summit of Spooner's| Range. The topograpldcal features of i the country will unfortunately render this portion of line absolutely unre-i munerative to the company, and use less to either man or beast until the range is pierced and the line extended into the Motueka Valley. This can not be done with the present available capital, the amount fixed in the con tract. To show how adversely this part of the contract affects the interests of the company, I confidently state that from a financial aspect it| would be a gain to the shareholders to place the £60,000 required to be ex-, pended, on deposit, and hand the interest over to the people of Nelson to dispose of as they think best; because not only will these unre munerative works have to bear interest charges of about £3000 a year, which they cannot earn, but will also be charged by the Government with pro perty tax, as well as charged with local rates. With such an unbusinesslike, not to use the stronger terms of unfair and unjust, arrangement attached to this part of the contract, I am not surprised that the thinking public, knowing the circumstances, doubt the fact that my directors have instructed me to carry out the works at Nelson." The " Post" remarks that this is " a pretty disclosure—-£60,000 to be ex pended in constructing a line Avhich leads from no place to nowhere, which, when completed, will be of no use to anyone, and which will in the mean- \ time end in a half-pierced tunnel," It is a pretty disclosure, indeed, but as the Company entered into a contract to complete the whole line, we want to know how it is that they can give up just so much of die work as they think unprofitable, and construct only that part which will best repay them. This is a matter which cer tainly needs looking into. Surely if one party to the contract performs less than is covenanted for, the other party thereto —the colony in this case—has a right to revise the concessions promised in respect of the fulfilment of the con tract as a whole.

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Seven million people are engaged in vine cultivation in Prance, There have been some sixtegn outbreaks p" influenza in Russia since 1830. Thirty-five bags of oysters, sold at the Melbourne market recently, realised £255 4s Qd, qr over £7 5s per bag. Berlin now has 1,5,30,0,00 population, to which should be added f.ie suburban popula tion of 175,000. Staßlev intends to visit the Australasian colonies at ike conclusion of his tour through the United States.. The evidence at the inquest on tlio body of Mr Locke., ex M.H.R., showed that death had resulted fronj apoplexy. j Stanley considers that the expenditure of three millions sterling would be required ! before England could bring about a complete j subjugation of the Soudan. It is reported at Brussels that King Leo pold hasrefiisedGermany'sßfferoflOO,ooo,OCO francs to acquire the Congo Prea State- It is cabled that at the suggestion of the Emperor William, His Holiness the Pope will shortly issue an encyclical letter advo cating a general disarmament. It is cabled from Ottawa that the Arch.- ] bishop of Kingston, Ontario, has ordered his | priests to refuse the Sacrament to parents of j children attending State schools. It is stated that Emm Pasha'? disappoint ment at not obtaining employment iyas thg principal cause of his having entered the German service. [ Kftwau Island, purchased fconj Sir G Grey two years ago by Mrs Thomson, has j been sold by that lady to Mr W. D. Holgate i and Mrs F. A. Beyton, of Victoria. j Last week's attendance at the Exhibition was 34,769, the largest yet recorded. Up io Saturday last the total attendance was 581,580., i Efforts are being IM ide in Melbourne to ! provide a substantit 1 testimonial to Mr Mat- j thew Burnett, the temperance lecturer, : who has been orcVed complete rest for one year. " When you have put. into daily practice j those things in the Bible which you do, understand, it will be time enough then to' find fault with the thing 3 which you do not understand." i It is caloulated that, with good manage ment, the Western prairies of Texas are! capable tf sustaining 3,000,000, horned cattle! 1,000,000 horses, and 4,000,000 or 5,000,000 sheep. Large quantities of potatoes avq now bcin sent from Scotland to America, the trad j having been greatly stimulated by the low | price of the present growth and the con- ] sidcrable reduction of freights. i Colonel North, the nitratejking of London,' has a dog-house which is a perfect canine | palace, filled with costly animals. The best dog cost £1500. There are dressing-room and cloak-rooms filled with dogs' coats. j A singular discovery has been made in a J I timber yard at Scarborough. It appears that in a large elm tree -which was purchased at 1 Driffield, and which was cut up several weeks ago, an almost perfect figure oi a human body was found. It is expected that "oge outcome of the meeting between the Emperoi? William and Queen victoria at Darmstadt will be the settlement of the Hanover complications. The Emperor is iucreasing the German armaments. Tlie "Pester Lloyd " protests against the continued massing of Russian troops on the Austrian frontier. This miserable policy of provocation unsettles the Balkan State 3, and endangers peace to an extent which it is i impossible to «ndure much longer. Recently a man was sued in London for an account and raised the defence that no account has ever been rendered. The Court found for the plaintiff, and said the law of England was that no creditor was bound to | send an account: the debtor was bound to * find out his creditor aad pay him, i

r The Samoan Convention has been finally | ratified by all three Powers interested. j The Wellington "Evening Press" is re-^ sponsible for the statement that at. the end of this year the Defence Department purpose disbanding the whole of the Volunteer Force throughout the colony, and creating a partially-paid force. It states also that this was the meaning of the circular sent round to officers commanding corps last month warning them not to incur further liabilities for uniforms, etc. Some sensation has been caused at ban Francisco by a tragedy which has taken place in the domestic circle of Judge Clark, ofTehama. His two sons had a bitter quarrel on family matters, and during the altercation one lifted a chair to attack his brother. The latter instantly drew his revolver and shot his brother dead on the spot. At the inquest the coroner's jury held that the shooting was justifiable, and directed that the survivor of the fray should be^ sure released from custody. At the Police Court to-day—before Major Steward—John Clifford, an old offender who had been before the Court four times within six months, was charged with having been drunk in East Street on the 15th. The record of convictions extended from 1882, and these were quite numerous from that date forward. The Magistrate said that the case was a bad one, and he thought the best place for Clifford was the gaol. He sent him up for three months. This term .would en able him to recruit his health, and come out to the world at least free from the bad effect of liquor. The usual privileges in connection with the Ashburtou Racing Club's Autumn meet ing, were sold yesterday by Mr D. Thomas. The Luncheon Room and Bar under grand stand was knocked down to Mr John Henry, Commercial Hotel, for £10 10s a day; the Bar under shilling stand to Mr Henry Davis, Royal Hotel, at £11 10s a day; the Confec tioners' room, to Mr W. C. Davis, at £i a day ; Shilling Stand, to Mr R. Patterson at 25s a day ; Right of Sports to Mr R: Patter son at 17s 6d a day; and Horse Yards, to Mr Moody at 15s a day. The Borough Brass Band, Mr Horace Gates, conductor, has been engaged to play both days of the meeting; Mr W. Baker has purchased the Race Cards. A terrific storm occured at Emu Park, Rockhampton, on the night of the 26th ult.', A Survey party, under the Government surveyor, Mr Richardson, were camped in the scrub just off the beach. The party consisted of Harry White, in charge, and two chainmen named Leonard and Frank Lses. While the latter was outside the tent cooking, and the other two men were in the tent, a flash of lightning struck Leonard Lees, blackening him and setting light to his ryjamis. The lightning struck his knees and entered his l>ody, coming out at his right side, and killing him instantly. White was also struck, but was not much injured. The " Inangahua Times " of April 3 says : The Midland Railway Company are lo3ing no time in .bringing the newly-constructed Nelson Creek-Ahaura section into profitable work. It is to-day announced that on Eaßter Monday the Company will give a service of trains between Brunner and Ahaura temporary station. The section between Nelson Creek and Abaura has been inspected on behalf of the Government, and has been passed as fit for traffic working. Within a very short tune the company will run a daily service of trains, and carry both goods and passengers to and from Greymouth and Ahaura. As an example of what irrigation would <Jo for the Cromwell Flat (says the Cromwell Anjus), people need only look at a fine paddock on Mr James Ritchie's farm, which was laid down in English grasses two years ago and irrigated at intervals. The paddock has been carrying a very large number of ! cattle for the fast five months, and even , now is ankle deep in rich, nutritious food. In a smaller bub equally convincing manner, I the . '' '■ *I- V- 1- ."■■".■ to Mrs Williams att!--i! "■■ :!■■■■ ■ '••/ fail to show the observer what water can do in the way of grass growing. We understand that this small patch (about two acres) one season. yielded three crops of hay, besides feeding ; j during the summer months several cows. ■ The "Temuka Leader" says "the luxuri-. ant growth of the roob crop 3on the Rangi tata Island was abundantly testified to on Sunday last on the occasion of the Harvest Thanksgiving held in the schoolroom. One turnip sent by Mr Henry Hearn measured three feet nine inches in circumference. Mr Snell contributed some beautiful specimens of lapstone kidney and blue derwent potatoes, some of the former weighing over 21b each. We are informed that Mr Grainger has a paddock of turnips, the tops of which reach to a man's waist. Mangold wurzels of enorm qus size may also be seen growing in an ad joining pa,cldoCk. Evidently Rangitata is ijot all riverbed and boulders, nor man or beast compelled to adopt starvation diet." The centenary of the establishment of the first Roman Catholic diocese in the United States was celebrated on a recent Sunday in Baltimore. Large crowds were attracted to V. ,li 'r.^v V.- '-1-- ceremonies, which continued ■..-■■ .■■.■■ !■ \ At a pontifical high mass over GOO prelates and priests attended. Cardinal Gibbons said that fewer than 40,000 Roman Catholics were in the United States when the see of Baltimore was created, Now there are 9,000,000, with 80.000 clergy, JO.OOO churches, and 650 institutions of learning. The congress adopted a Declaration of Principles. This deals mainly wijli American social topics ; but it also demands the absolute freedom of the Pope, to whom the'congress expressed its sympathy and devotion. A cur'ous story is related in the New York " Tribune " apropos of the death of Mr Franklin A. Paddock, a well-known New York lawyer. Mr Paddock died very sud denly, haying been at his office late on the afternoon of the previous day. The "Tribune" says: —"Three years ago Mr Paddock was at his country seat in Deli, Delaware County, and one day read "Allan Quatermain." Haggard's romance caused him to dream that he was in a sea, swimm ing away from reptiles. He though the saw his brother standing on a rock stretching out ' his arm to save him, and imagined that he had to dive to save Uimsglf from some approaching monster. So vivid was the dream that he dived out of bed and struck his head such a blow that paralysis subse quently set in. Although he resumed the practice of his profession later, it is believed that the attack of paralysis caused his death. The " Tuap&ka Tjmes " reports that while Mr J. Ellis was proceeding along the road to Waipori from Lawrence, he noticed, near Bungtown, some five-and-twenty or thirty ferrets (haying been liberated only a few days previously) huddled up together in a hole, evidently in a state of starvation, and altogether very wretched and repulsive look ing. On smelling some meat which he had in his express they at once crowded out and commenced clambering up the spoke 3, evidently intent on raiding the provender.' In order to get rid of the vermin he found himself compelled to throw out a tin of sausages among them, which they ravenously devoured, he in the meantime making tracks with all possible speed. Mr Ellis has since soen several dead ferrets lying about close to the road, having apparently died from starvation. This is all the more curious, as in the country where the vermin were - ..■ !■■'■' !'f "■ ' "-1 " ■ ■.":- r"-: At;~ numerous ■■ ; •■■:--  s ■-,i ■■■. «- -. -t*.-j_" ■ <■■■■■ pi-esonce of the ferrets. In talk with Mr R. Alcorn, and on jthe look-out for novelties, that gentleman showed us the new Davis Sewing Machine. Some years ago we remember the stir that pretty Mrs Fish caused when, in Mr Andrew 1 Orr's large shop window, tinder the blazing lights, she took her seat at the Davis Verti cal Feed, and for two hours. shewed the wonders of the then new machine. The good looks and bewitching mnilcs of the fair Yankee had no doubt much to do with the fame that was won for this machine at its advent. This is a I,ong time ago, and the Davis has improved wondcrfujjy since then, The improvements effected would be quite g, conjuring paraphernalia to a second Mrs Fisk should she come along. The arm of the machine has been very considerably raised, to admit of the passage under it of any kind of work, no matter how bulky, and with ease to the operator. Its best feature, however, is that it f feeds from the top"— the vertical feed—and while with it the most delicate fabric can sown, and artistic work done, it fears not either cross ' seems in its track nor inequalities of 1 material. It is a strong machine, and it Avas only a few days ago that we saw still at work one of the machines that Mrs Fish set running when pn h§ pioneer mission to the Hub.

Alleged Important Dis covery of Gold.

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Napier, April 15. News has been received from a source believed to be reliable that an important discovery of gold has been made at Gala tea, in the Uriwera country, between Waikaremono Lake and Whakatane.

The "Scramble for Africa."

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Berlin, April 14. J It is rumored the Congo Free State is about to be dissolved, and the terri tory offered to Germany. It is believed the King of the Belgians desires to sell his personal interest to the Emperor. 1 ■ Zanzibar, April 14. The Germans have persuaded the new Sultan of Zanzibar to cancel a portion of the British Company's con cessions. ' The representative of the British East Africa Company declines to accept the Sultan's cancellation of privileges. London, April 14. Sir James Ferguson stated in the House of Commons to-day that the news of the Portuguese expedition to Mpondo, Shire, has not been con firmed. Germany has assured England that the operations of 'Emm Pasha will be confined entirely within the German sphere.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

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Wellington, April 15. It has been finally decided to hold a special session of the General Synod for the election of Primate on April 23. The use of the Diocesan building has been granted. It is hoped the business may be finished in time to let visiting mem bers away by Friday of the same week. Dunedin, April 15. ' In Lever Brothers v Collector of Cus toms, the Judge held that sunlight soaps were properly chargeable as fancy soaps, and gave judgment for the Crown with costs. A five-roomed house in North East Valley, owned by Mr Schlotel, clerk to the Borough Council, was burned down. Insurance, £610 in the Victoria Office. By the burning of stables at Milton the South British Office lose £200.

Woman's Career.

She was a fair girl graduate, enrobed in spot less white, And on her youthful features shone a look of holy light. She bent with grace her dainty head to re ceive the ribbon blue, Whence hung the silver medal, adjudged to be her due. I watched her face with rapture as she raised to heaven her eyes, And moved her lips in prayer as her fingers clasped the prize. For I knew to education she had pledged her coming clays, To unclasp poor woman's fetters, and free her from man's ways. Time passed. Our pathways parted, but ever and anon My thoughts would stray towards her, and I speculated on What my graduate was doing,'if athwart the scroll of fame, Among unselfish workers, had been written high her name. At last I chanced to meet her, but her books were pushed aside, While around a dainty garment she sewed - the lace with pride. And at her feet her baby, dimpled, happy, crowing youth, Upon that silver medal was cutting his first tooth.

A Human Vampire.

The following incident seems incredible, but nevertheless is a fact beyond doubt. Peo Perez, accompanied by a small boy, Enrique Bello, seven years old, left Val paraiso to travel on foot to Santiago. Upon arrival at the entrance to the rail road tunnel, near San Pedro, Perez seized the boy and undertook to eat him alive. Amidst the screams of the boy, he ate the fingers of one hand, a part of one foot, and bit pieces out of £he cheek. He then commenced sucking the blood, but in the meantime the boy fainted. The guard of the tunnel, in passing through and out of it, came upon Perez while in the midst of his feasb, but before he could be arrested he fled up the banks and disappeared. The boy was taken care of, the coming train was stopped, and the lad put on board to be conveyed to the Limache Hospital. Subsequently the "vampire" was captured by the police in Quillota.

Wreck of a Timber Ship

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SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS,

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Lyveijcak.gili,, Ajjril 15. An inquest wag held to.-day on the body of John Brownrigg, mate of'the wrecked barque Emilie, who died in the Hospital shortly after admission, from gangrene of the limbs and exhaustion. Charles Cum mings, one of the survivors, deposed that when the vessel left the Bluff he and the others of the crew knew slip was not fit for sea. They had no canvas that would stand any sort of a breeze, and the standing rigging was* in a bad Condition, the bolts in the topsides being loose, as if the wood round them was decayed. The bolts that fastened the decks to the beams were nearly all eaten away by rust. Several of the crew told people at the Bluff tljat the ship would never reach Pprt Pirie if jt met rough weather. The captain told" Cummings and i others who joined at the Bluff to take a look at the vessel for a day before signing articles. They said they would not dis : appoint him, and joined the ship. They spoke to the constable at the Bluff about the ship's condition, but made no official complaint, Those of the crew who had been in the barque before told him she had five feet of water in the hold" when she went into dry dock at Melbourne, and that on the voyage from San Francisco they were at the pumps day and night. Had tlie vessel been sqund the disaster would not have happened, the. gale not being anything serious, and had the can vas not been rotten they could have weathered the breeze by running before the wind? Mr J. G. Ward, who chartered the vessel, at this stagjs informed the Coroner that a Nautical Enquiry would bs held into the wreck and the examination of Oummings ceased. It transpired that Brownrigg was a native di Canada, aged fifty-six, and had two children, resident in Upper Stanley street, Liverpool.

A commercial traveller up North handed a merchant, upon Avhom he had called, a portrait of his sweetheart out of mistake for his business Qard, saying that he represented that establishment. Thi? merchant examined lit carefully, remarked that it was a fin^ establishment, arid returned it to the astonished and blushing traveller with a hope that he would soon be admitted into partnership.

An Iceland Woman and a British Tar.

Hall Came in the "London Figaro" writes: —On the Eastern coast of Ice land there is a great fiord called Seydis fiord, where the Danish mail boats and the Scotch cattle boats put in for cargoes of horses and sheep from the interior. Near to Seydisfiord there lived a man whom I shall call Grimsson. He was a farmer of middle age, a hard, selfish, cruel-hearted fellow. But he was rich as such men go, and it came about that the sole trouble of his life was the circum- j stance that he had no one that he could leave his land and money to when his time came to go under the grass. So, just that he might have an heir, he resolved to marry. There are not matiy people near Seydisfiord, and there are few women to choose from, but he lit on a maid servant of somebody's, named Helda, and married her, as I understand it, and took her to his home. It may be that without other ceremony he took her as Jacob took Rachel—l cannot say with certainty. In due' course she bore a child to him, and suckled it, and then, at the end of three years from the day that he received her into his house, he bundled her out of it. He kept the child, and told her to shift for herself. Now, I was assured that the law of Iceland allowed the man thus to divorce the woman who stood to him in the rela tion of wife, without word or wink from legal functionary. It seems incredible, but my authority was a sea captain, who had sailed 20 years to Iceland, and seemed toknoweveryman and woman atevery port of call. I should say that Helda was "not the man's married wife at all, and that in turning her adrift the worthy Grimsson was but abandoning his mistress.

Poor Helda was in despair, but not so much for her necessities, which were great, as because she was cut off from all inter course with her child. Again and again she crept up to the house to see her little one, and kiss and fondle it, and again and again she was caught and driven away. She did no work ; she became an outcast; she seemed to be going mad; but her husband did not relent. These were the days when America was holding out her hand to Iceland, and asking all Icelanders who could not live on their cruel rock of the frozen seas to come out and found a new Iceland on the shores of the Pacific. And the ship that my friend the captain sailed lay at the time off the jetty at Seydisfiord, . . • One day Helda watched her Opportunity, crept up to her- former home, - stole .her own baby, hastened down to the fiord, went aboard the ship amid the crowd of a hundred emigrants, and stowed away in some dark corner below decks. The ship in due time weighed her anchor, and steamed down towards the sea. Then there was a hue and cry, and an Iceland boat came scurrying after her. Grimsson was in it, with the Sheriff and half a dozen other men. The steamer slacked off for them, they came aboard, and the captain asked what they wanted. ■ "There is a woman on your ship who has stolen a child," said the sheriff.

" Whose child ?" said the captain. "Mine," said Grimsson. ' " We'll have her up," said the captain. Every woman aboard who had a child with her was then brought on deck, and among them was Helda. Grimsson singled her out, and then began the in quiry. ■ ( "That's my child," said Grimsson, " and she has stolen it." The captain asked the woman if that was true, but Helda could not speak or understand a word English. The captain on his part could not speak or understand a word of Icelandic. So things seemed to go hard with Helda. But she knew what was going on before her, and clung closer to the child and shed tears. At that the captain began to suspect, and, turning to Grimsson, he said, " Where is the child's mother ?" Grimsson made no answer, and then an Icelander who stood by repeated the question to Helda in Icelandic, and she answered in her own tongue, "I am his mother. It is true I took him, but he is my own child." When this was translated to the captain he asked if it was true, and the sheriff had to admit that it was so ; but Grimsson protested that by the law of his country the father, not the mother, was the guardian of the child, and as the father of this child he demanded it. " It's the law of Iceland," cried Grims son, in great wrath. But the captain's blood was boiling by this time. . Like a true, illogical, pig headed, right-hearted British tar, he said— " The law of Iceland be ! The womajn is under the British flag now, and she shajl stick to her child ; and just you get off my ship, the lot of you or, ~ me ! I'll throw you into the sea !" It is needless to add that the visitors cleared out accordingly, and that, thanks to the British flag and the British captain, Helda kept her child.

TELEGRAPHIC.

HOME AND FOREIGN.

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London, April 14 and 15. The Qrand Duke Constantine, cousin of the Gz^r, has arrived, He is writ ing a revolutionary poem. Mdlle. Sarah Bernhardt has con tracted with an impresario for a tour qf the \yorld ? visiting - .America and Australia : The Colonising Committee of the House of Commons will examine Sir T. Cookburn Campbell, of Western Australia and Mr Parker on Wednes day. In the House of Commons, Mr Par-1 nell will move that the Irish Land Purchase Bill be read this day . six months. The Opposition support Mr: Parnell's amendment. j Replying to a question in the Ho,use of Commons, Mr H. Matthews, Home Secretary, stated that the Judge w-ho tried the Davjeses p v ,pprove4 the hang ing of the elder brother as the insti gator of the murder. The Parliamentary Committee en quiring into the granting of constitu tional Government to Western Aus tralia, is considered certain to recom mend that the colony receive full local control oyer all lands if thp cla/use requiring'members of Parliament to possess £500 freehold is'omitted. . Calcutta, April 14. - Influenza has spread all over India. The bull? of the troops, a,r.e prostrated j with it. Cabul, April. 14. The Ameer has given permission to caravans to visit Afghan towns, in cluding Herat. | 4tjee;ns, April 14. | It is asserted that "a'(jrrecq : Bu]'garian alliance is being formed witt the ap proval Qf Turkey. Vienna, April 14. It is expected a procession of 200,000 workmen will march through the streets on the occasion of the labor demonstration. Berlin, April 14. It is now denied that the Kaiser is forming an Imperial Ministry. He has orded the police not to meddle i with the labor celebrations ia May

The Floods in Australia.

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Sydney, April 15. ' In consequence of the embankments , which have been thrown up around Bourketown it resembles a- fortified place. Electric lighting plant has been set up on the earthworks to enable labor^ to be. carried on night and day. . Bodies of Navvies are being hastily despatched to the assist ance of the residents. An im mense body of water is reported to be coming down. The Culgoa a few miles above Bourke is washing away all the homesteads on its banks. It is feared that when the flood reaches the town it will be doomed; water sur rounds Bourke for twenty miles in every direction. Lord Carrington has started for Bourke, the town threatened by the flood.

South Rakaia Road Board.

At the usual monthly meeting of the above Board, there were present—Messrs Coster (Chairman), Stringfellow, and- McLean, Apologies were received from Messrs Pycroft and Lyttelton for unavoidable absence. I It was resolved that the annual meeting of ratepayers should be held' on' Monday sth May, at noon. The Board took the ballot for retiring members, the result being that Messrs Lyttelton and Pycroft go out. The returning officer was in structed to take the necessary steps for an election of 2 members to fill the vacancies, nominations to be in by noon on April 28th, and that a poll, if neces sary be taken at Bakaia and Kyle on Tuesday, 6th May. The receiver of land revenue wrote in forming the Board that the sum of £31 18s Id, being one third of cash received from deferred payment purchasers and perpetual leaseholders, had been placed to its credit. The Commissioner of Crown Lands in timated that the sum of £44 7s lOd had accrued from deferred payments oi village settlement lands, and asked the Board to delineate on the plans supplied the roads, etc., to be improved in the settlement. The Chairman was requested to ascertain from the'settlers what their requirements were. . l.

Permission was given to the agent of the Bank of New Zealand toi run a one inch pipe from the Boards tanks to the Bank, on the►usual conditions. ' The Mayor of Akaroa wrote asking for the Board's co-operation in erecting an obelisk on the site where the British flag was hoisted on August 10th—Letter ordered to lieon the table. Complaints were made of sand holes, etc., near the properties of Messrs Dolan I and Beattie, arid the Clerk ; was instructed to have the same attended to at once.: ' '. Mr M. Sheehan wrote stating that he would start work on his contract at once. Contractor Cronin received a week's ex tension of time on his contract. ' The Board intimated that there was no objection to a water race being constructed on the side of the road from Osborne's reserve to Mr McLean's land. It was decided that about. 10 chains of Railway Ten-ace west, through the town ship, should be metalled and blinded. It was resolved to form and sow down with grasses the road running from the cemetery to Thompson's track. Accounts for £51 l?s 7d- were passed for payment and the members sat as a CEJJETERY BOARD. ; ' The matter of , appointing a caretaker was left in the hands of the Chairman.. It was resolved, as Mr Brimicombe had received no notice of the termination of his duties as caretaker in December 1388, to pay him the sum £2 lQs for work done after that time, The meeting then adjourned.

South Rakaia School Committee.

The usual montlily meeting was held on Monday. Present—Messrs Hardy (Chairman) Oxley, C. Dixon, Hardy, Shannon and Liddy. The master reported the average attendance for the month, 157 j past quarter, 153 ; highest atten dance, 172 ; and number on roll 199. The Chairman reported that the result of Professor de Loree's entertainment was £2. Mr Oxley proposed that this Com mittee vote for Major Steward as a member for the Board of Education, seconded by Mr C. Dixon, and carried unanimously. The Board' of Education forwarded a circular stating that owing to being poverty stricken, no further gymnastic apparatus could be provided by the Board. The Chairman and Mr -Dixon were requested to draw up a report for the annual meeting. The routine business being concluded, the meeting adjourned. - - . ,

St Marks's Church South Rakaia.

The annual meeing of parishoners was held (fa Thursday evening in the Library. The Rev H. Collins presiding, Only eight, parishoners were' present. The Treasurer's statement showed the total receipts as £141,- and the- expenditure £141 15s 7d, Hearty votes of thanks were accorded to the lay readers, Miss Cox, the organist, the members of the choir, the Sunday school teachers, and to those who kindly decorated the church at Christmas and Easter, It might be mentioned that the Easter decorations were specially pretty. The Chairman nominated Mr J. M, Broadbent clergy man's churchwarden, and Mr W. B. Dixph was for the Bishop's appointment of parish churchwarden for the ensuing year. The follow ing were elected vestryman — Messrs, B. Qorringe, E ; Bryant, Gee, and Dr Cordner. On the motion of Mr Hardy, seconded by Mr Gorringe, a hearty yote of thanks was. accorded to those ladies and gentlemen who recently gave a dramatic entertainment to raise funds for painting and repairing the church. A meeting of the newly elected Vestry wa,s, then li§Jd, when it wss decided, in*er alia, to dis^ oontinue the morning lay services, with a view to infusing new life and vigour into the management of the Sunday School. A vote of thanks to the Chair terminated the meeting.

A Cargo of Cats.

There has just arrived from. Alexandra* a,t Liverpool, by the steainey Bharos, '$ consignment or' ne.ar}y twenty tons 'of cats, numbering 18Q,Q00 of the fe^ne speciesj taken out of an ancient subfer-. ranean cats' cemetery discovered about one hundred im'les, from Cairo by a.ji Egyptian fellah, who accidentally fell into this cats' cemetery,, which he found com: pletely filled with cats, every one of which had been separately embalmed and dressed in cloth after tbe manner of Egyptian mummies, and .all laid out in rows. Specimens, of these have been taken by Mr "Moo^e," curator gf the Liver pool Mtfse]uW' Iwj:ier.e thgy can fee seen. In ancient times the Egyptian cat was buried with ajl honors, but those con signed to Messrs Levington and Co., of Liverpool, after being purchased in Egypt at £3 13s Od per ton, will be used in this country as manure. The curator of the Liverpool Museum fixes the date of their interment 2000 years before Christ. ...

Specialists have made the curious obser ration that acute rheumatism is more pre vulcut in dry than in rainy weather

La Grippe of 1562.

Chalmers' in his life of Mary Queen of Scots, relates that this famous lady was laid up for a week with an epidemic in fluenza. A letter from one of her Court to Mr Secretary Cecil, dated 30th November, 1502, says :— " May it please your H., immediately upon the Quccnc's arrival here she fell acquaynted with a new disease that is '' common in this towne, called here the new ncqiuuintance, .which passed also through*"* the whole Courte, neither sparing lorde, ladie, or damoysell, nor so much as either; Frenche or Englishe. It is a payne^iOjj-, the heads that have it, and a s'6ren«Mm their stomackes;with a great caughe ; it remayneth with some;" longer, 1 with other shorter time, fiyndeth as it apte .bodies 4 for the natureof the disease... .;I'-"*V :^ "The Queene kepte 'her'bedde six dayes. There was no appearance of, ; danger, nor manriie; that die; of/the", disease, excepte foure olde folkes." '':* .Jt^ "My L. of Murraye is now presently in it, the L. of Lcddington hathe had it; 1 and I am ashamed to saye that I have bene free of it, seeingeit Beeke.th*, acquaintance, at all handes. By rooon \ oi these occasions, I have not seen her G*: ; since she came to town." "' '■'' &*. p!?w' jijfi

The Markets.

[per press association.] -

London, April 12. A cargo of Australian wheat hag been sold at 34s 9d. The English wheat market is firmer, Continental steady, and American advanc* ing. Adelaide wheat, ex warehouse, , is quoted at 38s 6d, and Victorian ditto at 38s nominal; New Zealand long-berried , wheat, ex store, 37s fed, business in this line being reported an steady. London, April 14. ' The wool-market is steady, and prices remain unchanged. Sydney, April 14. . Wheat, chick feed Is 9d, milling 3s 7d to 3s 8d ; oats, Is lOd to 2s 2d ; barley, r Cape 2s 6d to 2s 8d ; potatoes, New'ZesV. land £3 15s to £4 ;, onions, £4 to £4 5s ; butter, dairy, made. 6d to lOd, factory made, steady from Is "to Is Id ; cheese! ., loaf size 4id to ojd ; bacon, New Zealand " cured 9£d; hams, New Zealand cured lljdtols. Melbourne, April 14. Wheat, 3s 8d ; oatc, Californian ,1s lid, Danish 2s 7d, New Zealand 3s 2d ; barley, malting 3s 6d. ' '.'-'■•''} , Adelaide, April. 14. Wheat, shipping parcels 3s 6sd to 3s 7d ; oats, New Zealand 2s lOd. . .

■ The New Zealand Farmers' Co-opera tive Association are in receipt.of, the fol lowing cable from their London office, dated April 12th:— Mutton is selling at 4|d. The market is affected by large supplies. ■r -: ; • Wool—The market is a shade easier.

KYLE SCHOOL.

* A meeting of the above School Com mittee was held *in the schoolroom on Friday night last;, 11th _inst; * Present— Messrs Mulligan (chairman), Beatty, Hardwick and Kain. The minutes of the previous meeting being read and con firmed, the Chairman reported that since the last meeting he had procured a new rope for the school well, and had had the gates and gymnasiums painted, also a new gate had been erected at the entrance! to the garden ; the whole at a cost of £3. 14s l 2d. The ■ Chairman's action was* approved. Correspondence - was ; read f rom the Board of Education re certain. articles applied for by the teacher,' stating that with one exception they had been duly forwarded.—From the same r* election of a member for the Board of Education vice Mr'Cunningham resigned.' It was unanimously agreed to vote for- MrW. J. Steward, M.H.R. for Wajmate. —From the Master complaining of the water in the well having become tainted, also applying for some new fire bricks for the kitchen range. It was resolved that Messrs Kain and Hardwick be appointed a Committee to investigate the former,' and report at next meeting, while the latter was allowed to stand over'until; the election of a new Committee.'" ,;? '"*• The Inspector's examination report being read, was considered highly satisfactory. Mr R. Mulligan being about to pay a visit to the Old Country, tendered his resignation as Chairman, > and -Mr B. Beatty was appointed to fill the office until the end of the year, Mr Hardwick being appointed to countersign, all cheques.. -'. ";. t '[•" \:\ , A small account having been passed for payment the meeting adjourned.

Coal in New South Wales.

IMPORTANT DISCOVERY;

(per press association.)

Sydney, April 15. A seam of coal six feet thick has been discovered at Liverpool, twenty two miles South-of Sydney* This seam is two thousand five hundred feet down, and the discovery proves beyond doubt that the coal seams are not thinning out toward^ Sydney to such an extent as was commonly believed; in fact it is a matter for consideration whether coal will not in future txvwofked under the city of Sydney, at a not much greater depth than the Liverpool find. Mr T. W. E. David, a geological sur- : veyor and one of the highest -iauthorir ties on coal measures in this colony, has determined that the western and southern coal seams, hitherto thought to be distinct, are one and the same,/ and only interrupted by intrusive' rocks. '- : — - -

A Plucky Rescue.

The <*Pbst;" recqr|ssa r yety»■■'plucky action, by which a !few daysfag6 a boy saved another boy's life. It appears that, a party of five boys, three of them sons of Mr A, Grimstone ,;- were out '-"/-far, a picnio at Wadestowri.* During' tiio; aitexnoon, Lionel Grimstone, Ms Grim-^ atone'B youngest" son, - a ; boy f of a f ß^> years old, was standing oh a log which! wae lying close to the bank of the stream when the piece; of timber turned ojer, and the boy fell over the bank into the stream, which at that point was very deep. His companions, were all unable[to>iwimv3 were paralysed with fear, and could render no aid^ and the youngster ;wou}(| infallibly hay.c be,eh drowne/J bflG'fojr the t prompt 1 aaaistaice 'render^' by la^ framea WilHam T^bin, who was sitting pii the grass sonic distance from the scei\e • pf'th,e accident.'. Thjs''|ad;-unme#ately ;^; to fid^e 6| the stream, arid, jump- ; f jng into the water without hesitation,^ soon dragged young Grimstone to' terra \ fi>ma. It was arranged;among;the boys that nothing -should be said about the affair, but, it soon leaked _out.;-Too great : praise cannot be given tolittleTobin, who is only 13 years of age. Singularly enough both rescued and rescuer attend the Manst Brothers' School. , ' " ""■ ?* *:

Witberforce in India.

The Rev Canon Wilberforce is now about closing a mission in India. The; Hampshire "Independent " publishes an interesting letter which tells of the prose cution of work under conditions "and. circumstances <that few men wo^d com: but. "Rising from his." sick couch to speak At a meeting in CalcuttA* the Cation found himself all to weak to do what ho wished, yet he must have mad© an ex traordinary impression upon hjjs ftttttieuw

i HE ASHBTTRTOM GtTARPIAK, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1890.



PHOGRAPHERS, 218, High Street, Christchurch TOWNBND S Bilious and Liver Pills CURE Nervousness, Headache, Acidity, Heart burn, Pains between the Shoulders, Pal pitation of the Heart, Interrupted Sleep, Harassing Dreams, Tendency to start, to be Frightened, Spasms, Flatulence, Cos tivenesa, Skin Eruptions, Impure Blood, »nd Bilious Disorders. price—ls and 2s 6d. By post free for 30 stamps. W. P. TOWNEND, Pharmaceutical Chemist, 183 Colombo Street, Christchurch. MAIM & FIELD' PIPES * LARGE supply of various SIZES alw»ya In STOCK, for SALE la large of ■mill quantities. SPECIAL qao^t'.om given for large qa»ailt!et. GEO. JAMESON, ASBBUBTON & BAKAIA. 3+172 , (By Sjecial PirmW'oit of the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.) GRANDNUMISMATIC AL ABTUNION fpHS Underacted having decided, I through epecial icfluential request, (o diecbso of h!s splendid and unequAlkd COLLECTION OF COINS on view in ?ho Exhibition, bega fo inform tbe Public that Tickets are now ready for 4000 MSMBERS AT 10s F.AOE. First Prize : The Collection of 2000 Coins a-* now exhibited in Dnnedln. Peohd Pbizbs: A Duplicate Collection of tba above, or Bistlng of about 700Ooin« For j »rtictv:rs see ha- dbille. Tho 1 rawing will be under tbe Super viuon of aa Influential Committee of Gontleraen. for ftutfcer puficu'arg appy to iIENRY ZANDER, asaburtoa mm -^^ _ I I- ■ M*WM 'I « I "HI 111 ■ ——^^^^^"^^— C JLEhTBEY SHEEP DIP. FIItMEES OF THE OfIBBISEY DJSTBIO 11.I 1. IHive noßch pleaaare In stitlog that my tender for tbe OUERT3EY DIP hit; betn icoentad, &nJ hat I will us- MCUTOS & SUITES'PREMIER DIP thtoogfjoQi. iho eeiaon. My r-isn will be -t 'he '"hei-iaey hale jarda cv ty MONDAY, VYEI'N n-.DAT, and PKIDAV. ''i<>. cm nss' c::« MaPvOEL 19 h, fro.a 8 o'cWi Uil ficr. P.locb fif Dipt) ns 1-' per head till 14 h AP-UU I|l to I^7:. ftl\Y. I wcu'd Htrorg'y adv'ao F-rmca v Dip Kif v. I 1 B'ruJtionj can bs lift w.th Id? McD wall Ct ertoey. D. TIIOMAB, y 84 &chbnrto!s



Quod facimus valde facimus. (" What we do we do well.") rpHE CHRISTCHURCH DENTAL .JL SURGERY Cashel Street, Christchurch, next Robin son's Boot Store and at the Octagon, ~ Dunedin. All operations at strictly uniform and moderate charges Consultation free. S. MYEBS"at»d CO., SURGEON DENTISTS. NITROUS OXLDE GAS administered. This Anesthetic leaves no unpleasant effects, and by its use the extraction of Bftd Stumps and Teeth is rendered per fectly Painless and effective. Adminis tered daily. Fee for administration of Gas, ss. Extraction, 2s 6d a tooth. Hours of attendance, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Private residence, 93 East Belt. The acknowledged superiory of AMERICAN DENTISTRY in the con struction of Artificial Teeth, the mo3t finished workmanship, and replacing the most teeth TEMPORARILY ALMOST IMMEDIATELY after extraction, have established our reputation, A single Artificial Tooth, 10s, complete set, Upper and Lower, Temporary and Permanent £10 10s ; Artificial Teeth and Dentures made by other dentists re modelled at small cost, Stepping, Scal ing Perfect and Painless STEPHENS BROS. NOW having'opened their Establishment IN BURNETT STREET Beg to intimate that they have been so fortunate as to have secured a regular supply of EUTTEE & CHEESE FROM the well-known Dairies of Messrs Small, Wilson, and Horsey, so customers can rely upon getting their choice from any of those Dairies which we consider are equal to any in Canter bury. We also Avish to draw attention to our ■TEAS, which are now just Blended, and we would like anyone who loves a real good cup of tea to call for a sample. We have too in addition to the above a very nice assortment of CROCKERY ■ H AND GLASSWARE BRUSHWARE ETC., ETC. And any goods not kept in Stock will if required ba procured promptly. Parcels will be delivered and Customers waited upon if desired. STEPHENS T3ROS TEPH EN S J3 EOS, Burnett Stieefc. j



Wanted. s Cash Advertisements under this keadinj, no exceeding 16 words, ONE SHILLING. Addresses may lelejt at this Office* ' LONG Evening Gloves can be had at Melford House.—H. o.' Segers. | \ ITANTED KNOWN.—A lot of VV Packing Cases for sale, Cheap.— W. H. Collier, "The Corner." WANTED KNOWN—The " Strong Wear " Boot is the best for Men, Ladies, and Children.—W. H. Collier, *'The Corner." ANTED every man in the Count to have a suit of the Ashburtov Tweeds.—Robert Alcorn, Ashburto 11, Clothing Mart, Saver's Buildings. n ANTED Known—For first class Drapery; if you want good value for your money, go to H. C. Segebs, Melford House. STOP" THAT~COUGH! By using Flower's Cough Drops. Guaranteed efficacious. Can only be obtained at H. G. Flower's, Confectioner, East Street. *■ 3 191 WANTED Known —One hundred and fifty Ladies' and Children's Ulsters bought a great bargain (good qualities), now selling very cheap —H. C. Segers. Melford House. TV/TRS KENNEDY and Miss Cameron, • IVI. Moore Street — Teachers of Scientific Dress-cutting. Bodices cut and fitted. Dressmaking in all its branches. Riding habits a speciality. 12J69 WITH one of my Tweed overcoats or a Sewn seam Waterproof and a pair of my double-soled shooters on, you can smile at la Grippe and Influenza as they pass. —Robert Alcorn, Ashburton Clothing Mprt, Saunders' Buildings. WANTED Known—The Cheapest Shop to buy Tinware and Gal vanised Iron goods in Ashburton, is at W. F. Hannaford's, Burnett Street. A large stock kept on hand. Tin and Iron "ware goods made and repaired with des patch. }7 EATING'S COUGH LOZENGES X\_ cure Coughs, Asthma, Bronchitis. Medical testimony states that no other medicine is so effectual in the cure of these dangerous maladies. One Lozenge alone gives ease, one or two at bedtime ensures rest. For relieving difficulty of breathing they are invaluable. They contain no opium nor any violent drug. Sold by all Chemists, in Tins, Is l|d and 2s 9d each. i WANTED KNOWN rpHAT Mr Charles Ryel, of Ashbur- I ton, has taken a shop next to Han rahan, Baker, Triangle, for convenience of Town and Country people, to supply Fish, Oysters, and Codliver Oil. Orders promptly attended. I 106- C RYEL. - £20 REWARD. IN consequence of the amount of Punch ing going on in the Creeks on the Lagmhor Estiite, the above reward will belaid to anyone giving information that will lead to a conviction. From this date No One will be per mitted to FISH in the Creeks on the Laghmhor Estate. DONALD McLEAN Laghmor, Ist April, 1889. SELLING OFF PREVIOUS TO STOCK-TAKING, BOOKS, Stationery, Fancy Goods, Music, etc., at Greatly Reduced Prices, for Cash. N.Z. Jubilee Chronicle. L. F. ANDREWES & CO. UPPER ASHBURTON ROAD BOARD. "VTOTICE is hereby given that the JIS South Road near Saunders' Mil will be stopped during repairs to the Bridge. The .attention of travellers is called to the fact that there is another road on the other side the railway line, which will answer all purposes meanwhile. By Order, ' J. DAVISON, Clerk. April 12th, 1830. 4 98



DANCING. MR T TX "OftOOKS, R J . XX. JjfLOOKS, Assisted by first class Local Talent, is S open for engagements. Balls, Socials, 1 Evening Parties, and Entertainments of all descriptions supplied with music, from 1 to 5 performers, at lowest possible prices. Terms on application. WINTER iSpo. NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND CLOTHING FACTOEY. CLOTHIERS OUTFITTERS TAILORS, " MERCERS AND GENTLEMEN'S HATTERS. lI7ATERPROOFS made to Measure > V A splendid variety of patterns to select from. Blankets, Rugs, Eider Down Quilts at prices to suit everybody. Inspection Invited. NEW ZEALAND ClotWng Factor/, W H WEBBER, j Manager. -"ashburton high school. Established 1881. PUPIL of both sexes are taught the elements of a liberal educttion. Special subjects of study may be pur sued where circumstances require a de parture from the ordinary school Head Master : Mr J. E. Buchanan. Ist 8.A., (London), per year Fee for pupils over 12 years of age ... ... ... £3 3 0 ! Fee for pupils under 12 years l of age 2 9 0 Music (extra) 1 10 I The School year is divided into three' terms. All fees are payable in advance. j>