Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1897.

TUB I)IVL\L\G IIOI).

The huzel twu, or, as it is more generally dobcribod, the "divining rod," has again been successfully uiaui pu'a'ed in dif covering water in Kseex. It; ap peara (says <i correspon dent of the London Telegraph) that the district arour.d Toll* hhu.it. tvnight has ln,s; had 'o d< pend for its water up^n rainfall, but, having heard of its sue ess in othrtp parts of the c mnty, the District Couroil decided to give a trial to the divining rod. An export with the hazel twig, Mr H. Bacon, a carpenter, living at Newport, Essex, was accordingly asked to raak-! experiments with a view to dis covering the locile of a water supply. The plan adopted v for the expert to hold a Swig over the ground, and should the stick bend in an upward direction it is regarded as an indisputable sign that there is water below Mr Bacon tried various spots without success, bufc on reaching a large field neir Tolleshunt D'Arcy he brought the party to a stand s ill, and the twigs turned np in an astonishing manner. The wriets, hands and fingers of the operator were held by those present during the test. Successful indications were observed at other places, and it was eventually decided to obtain a supply from a spot near the Tolleshunt Rectory House.

Local and General.

Sporting news on fourth page. It, is not generally known that theMethven S.M. Court sits on the first Friday in every month.

It is stated, on what appears to be reliable authority (says the Post), that the Hon. Mr Carroll will accompany the Premier on his visit to London.

The costs in the Wellington City election petition are variously estimated at sums ranging from £500 to £700.

Miss Helen Spence, the well-known lec turer on politico-social subjects, is one of the South Australian candidates for election to the Federal Convention.

Mr Todhunter was so pleased with the work of the Massey-Harris double furrow plough at its trial on his farm yesterday that he kept the plough.

At the Rakaia Police Court this morning Messrs Hardy and Oxley sentenced the man, charged with stealing maat from Mr Petrle's slaughter yard, to fourteen days in gaol.

In the six days cycle race in New York, au Irishman rode 1910 miles in 142 hours. During the race some of the competitors lost their reason, and are thought to be incur ably insane.

It is understood (says the Wellington Post) that the moneys lately raised throughout the colony in aid of Mr Thomas Bracken are to be devoted to sending Mr Bracken and his family to the Old Country, where they have relatives.

Moa Flat estate put up a record this sea son, shearinjr over 1000 bales of wool. The quality of the staple was first-olass. This estate is now out of the hands of the Clarke family, and is owned by the Union Bank of Australasia. — Tapanuh Cornier.

A correspondent of the North Otigo 'limes says that at Maheuo, at one time a strong hold of prohibition, so little interest is now taken in the subject that at a lecture announced to be delivered the other evening at the public hull by the Rev, Mr Walker, there was an audience ot one person only.

Ft the fite in the Domain to-morrow, organised by the Islington and Timaru freezing works employees, ali that is wanted is fine weather >o give the excursionists a thoroughly enjoyable day's outing. The Engineers' Bind will accompany the Isling ton contingent, and b >th trains will arrive at about ten ojelouk iu_thfi morning.

A return published in the Gazette gives the total votes at the licensing poil, from which it appears that of 339,230 prisons on the roll, 259,898 voted. Of these, 139,580 voted for continuance of licenses, and 120,318 voted for reduction or prohibition. There were between five and six thousand informal votes.

Some nf the lad;ea of Ashburton are experts with the rod and line. We saw a couple of very fine fi-.h yesterday caught by Mrs Rees Jones in the Rnkaia ; one turned the scile at 7f bs and the other at 7^ibs Mr Rees Jones succeeded in landing some fine fish on the same occasion, one being over lOlbs in weight.

A Swiss professor claims to have solved th« problem of nnkiug wine without alcohol. Fiesh juice of grapes is placed in air-tight bottles, which are deposited in a vessel containing water heated up to 158deg. Fahr. The heat kills the particles necessary for the development of alcohol. This pure juice of the grape can, it is said, be kept for years. The members of the Wesleyan Church held their monthly social in the Domain on Thursday afternoon, a large number being present. The oval was made u?e of during the day for cricket and other garnea. Tea was partaken of at 6 o'clock after which games were continued until eight when all dispersed after having spent a very pleasant afternoon.

The attendance was small at the meeting at Methven on Thursday to deal with the Baleyards question, bufc the Committee's report was adopted, in which a, site was recommended, offered to the Company for

saleyards purpose at £19 an acre. The capital of the company was fixed at £400, aad the estimated cost of yards, etc., would be somewlvit under that figure. Me-srs Orr, Andrew McFarlane, B;iker, Batty, Hibbs, and Morgan ware appointed provisional directors, and Mr Aiington secretary.

At the quarterly Leaders' meeting of the ABhburton Wealeyan Church held last nightie was unanimously resolved to send an invitation to Rev. Mr O'Donnell to con duct a mission here. The rev, gentleman, who is an Australian minister of the Wes leyan body, is at present holding a series of services in Dunedin with marked success. Mr F- H. Sttel was appointed secretary of the contemplated mission in Ashburtou.

A harvest thanksgiving service was held in St. James's Church, Chertsey, on Wed nesday evening. The church had been prettily decorated with many fine specimens of fruit and flowers by the Misses String fellow, Donald, Rtowart, Downie, and Mesdames Firman, Horsnell, and Page. The Rev. J. Holland preached to a full church. Besides several alterations to the church, members are congratulating themselves that more than enough has now been subscribed for the new organ, ao that it may be expected to arrive shortly. Ranjitsiohii, the Indian prince, who made ten centuries in Grst-class cricket during

I the last English season, was recently the recipient of a very handsome pre-.ent from the Susses County Cricket Club which took tho form of a silver gilt dessert service, con sisting of sis plates, four dishes, and an epurgne and an elegantly-designed silver shield of large dimensions, upon which is inscribed all his scores for Sussex.

The concert committee of the Ashburton Amateur Cycling ami Athletic Gluh are now hard at work drafting a programme for their aimual concert to be held on Easter

Monday. The committee are sparing no expense to make the concert a success, and arc making arrangements to secure tho best tidcut available in New Zealand, so that the entertiiiiniiout promises to eclipse last year's, which was to be one of the highest merit.

Mr S. W. Taylor, the now Clerk of the Court, entered on his duties in Aahburton ca Thursday. Mr Taylor has had a lengthened experience of Court work, having been for aorr.e ypars in the Clutha district, and also in Auckland, but he comes more immediately from Whangarej, where he waß gold receiver, etc. He had an excellent send off on feaying the latter place to come to Ashburtoa, and will doubtless become as popular here aa he evidently has been in the places fcfea.ii have enjoyed hjs s^yms,

KASPAR' S WALLET.

The spuming of cuffeis or, if th*t term be preferred, the manufacture of taradiddles may almost be classified as a tine art, the true teat of the finished artist being proficiency in the ars eel are artem. Some j story-tellers are, however, sad bunglers in I this respect, the commonest of their b uudere being the touch too many which overdues the whole business and aliogether spoils the effect. For example, the following yarn about a dog, told by Mr G. R. .>ims in the ileferee. Mr Sims writes:—" My Billy Greet has been allowed to go out to the midnight post with me, and I have trained him to carry the letters, reach up to the pillar-box, push the slot flapper back, and drop the letters in. Lately I have sent him to the pillar-box alone, riot wishing to turn out myself in the bitter ease wind. The ' other night I gave hin, six lettess and let him out. In a few minutes he returned 1 with one letter still in his mouth and laid it i down at my ieet. I had forgotten to put a I stamp on it." The last paragraph gives the ! whole thing away. The next thing Mr Sims will want us to believe is that his phenomenal dog will read the superscription on the envelopes and decline to post a misdirected letter. • Talking of intelligence among the lower animals reminds me that, numerous learned pigs notwithstanding, the educational standard which they are capable of reaching is a distinctly low one, at anyrate in the department of arithmetic. For example the porcine limit in the way of counting is said to be the number 2. In proof of this Youatt adduces the following example :—" A sow had access to a wood at some little distauce from her home, and there she and her young ones used to spend the greater part of their time, the mother, followed by her litter, ! returning to be fed# Three pigs, on different evenings, were kidnapped whilst the sow was eating her supper, and were killed and duly served up as roast pig, After the third had been taken, the mother next evening came home alone. Subsequently she was watched, and when supper-time came she was seen and heard remonstrating with her pigs at the end of the wood, driving them back with earnest grunts, until they obeyed and waited for her return." It may be argued that the instance goes to prove that the sow could count as far as 3, but no farther, and if this be so then it tallies precisely with the counting faculty of rooks. This last has, I have read, been demonstrated by repeated experiments. As thus :—Some years ago a gentleman wrote to one of the English papers (I think the Field) upon this point, stating that, wishing to shoot some rooks which had been doing mischief in a certain field, he went out with a gun, but found that the sentinel rooks posted on trees overlooking the field, as is their manner, warned their confreres so that he could not get a shot at them. He built a little place of concealment in the centre of the field and shut himself in, but the birds still would not come within range. He then took a friend in with him and sent him out again with the same result. He took two friends. Still unsuccessful. The wary birds would not come near when the two had Gome out —they knew there was one left in the shelter. He took three friend s They counted them out and at once alighted in the field and were slaughtered. And so it happened over and over again, which appears to demonstrate that they could count 3 and no more.

It is well known that in the rural districts of England the Sixth Commandment is held to have special application to foxes, and that vulpicide is regarded as murder in the first degree. Next to the sacredness of foxes c nnes that of pheasants and partridges, as witness the stiff sentences imposed by benches of country magistrates on unlicensed slaughterers of game caught flagrante ddicto. A good story, which illustrates the disc rfced sense of proportion which obtains in regard to game as compared with human beings is told in the Spectator by Mr Bosworth Smith, who writes;—"l w-is staying at the house of Sir William Smith Marriott, in Dorset, some years ago, when the butler came into his master's room one morning with a very long face. ' There's very bad news, he said, ' this morning. Poor Mr —^(mentioning the name of a clergyman, in an adjoining village) has been and gone and hung himself. Ajid thafi^ot tile ttw.tt of it. Sir William ; that there fox lias broken into your pre serves again, and killed twenty-five of your young pheasants.'"

Those who take an interest in matters of costume, and more particularly fancy dress, should read the following description given in the London Daily Telegraph of the costumes intended to be worn at a forth coming children's fancy dress bal). "One little maideu is to present herself attired in a manner intended to represent Anno Domini ißg6. Her frock will be of white satin, and her cap is to be a tiny model of a motor car —warranted to be on its beat behaviour. On one sleeve will be a bicycle in silver, on the other a tricycle in gold, these siguifyiug the new modes of progression. On the front of the i-kirt is a little wedding scene, hand painted, surmounted by the English and Danish Roy.il arms, emblazoned partly on red, partly on white, signifying one of the chief social events of the yexr. On the bodice are the figures 1896 in frosted work, fading away in the last, and at the back of the skirt another hand-painted scene, plainly dealing with the Prince's Derby. The sash is an Hngluh Union Jack, and there are little electric lights at intervals tucked into it. Another little girl is getting herself a dress as a Noah's ark. It is to be of skirt after skirt of white tulle, each one shorter than the other, each fringed with little wooden animals and birds, auch as are in these ever-delightful toys. A dove ia to soar, supported on wire, near one shoulder ; Noah and Mrs Noah, with their family and family-in-law, are all arranged in identations of a snowy satin cap, and on the other shoulder, to point the moral and adorn the tale, there is a Noah's ark tied on with bright scarlet ribbon. A Bicycle Baby is to be the dress of a little maiden of six summers. A small wheel will be painted in silver, on each side of a snow-wlute satin skirt, while an excellent simulation of a pneumatic tyre is to border the hem. A liny silver saddle is to form an epaulet on either shoulder, and the head-dresa is to be a tiny silver bicycle lamp. The beri.he of the little low bodice of gathered-in white chiffon will be bordered by silver handle bars, well bent up, so that the handles themselves do not reach quite to ".the little wearer's shoulders. Pedals hang like chate laines from a belt of black ribbon ribbed, and bearing a transfer like a mud gunrd."

A very funny story of a wedding, which took place ia & New Zealand town not long ago is told by the Temuka paper. It appears that the young couple came in from the country to get spliced, but had omitted to arrange for either bridesmaid or best man. The young gentleman, however, was resourceful. He saw a young lady gazing admiringly it a display of hats in a draper's window, and judging correctly that she was in no harry, went up to her, told her his trouble, and asked her to officiate as brides maid. The novelty of the situation eeem d to suit her humor, and she consented. He had still to secure the assistance of a best man, and seeing a young gentleman lounging about, asked him to kindly consent to lend a hand. The young gentleman willingly acquiesced, and the three made their way to the church in which the ceremony was to fcfiko place, but here a fresh difficulty arose. The bride had not yet put in an appearance, although it was due time. The newly-found best mm and bridesmaid began to grow impatient at the delay ? and were on the point of going out on strike when the bride groom exclaimed " There she is," and around the corner came the young lady who was so anxioasly waited for. Tho bridegroom in vited the best man to escort her into church and give her away, and he complied w'th the request, The ceremony was gone through and the four left together The best man suggested that the bridegroom should 1 shout,' and he consented to do so, but the two ladies declined the invitation. The bridesmaid went on her way home, and the bridegroom told his bride to walk up the street and that he would soon overtake her. This she did, while he;? n&wly-made lord and master entered a publichouse to celebrate his honeymoon. He aced much on the principle of the man who got married and wanted to have a honeymoon, but found he had not sufficient money to take his wife with him, so went on hit* honeymoon trip alone. Ia the pubHchouse driak followed dciakj, and fcjie bride was) forgot'top tiU faff

patience was worn oat, and sha fallowed them imo the hotel, where she found her husband gloriously merry. Notwiths'and nej all which, says the chronicler " they lived happily ever after." Everybody is familiar with /Eaop'n fable , about the man, the boy, and the asa, rhe lesson sought to be inculcated by the story being that it is useless trying to please everybody. It now seems us if the parable or something like it might be used to teach the impossibility of pleasing the authorities in New Zealand in connection witatheinvtter : of recording one's vote at a General Assembly election. Not only are there instances of people's names being struck off on the ground of,not having voted, notwith standing the fact that they undoubtedly did I vo' c, but the most peculiar ciae of all is that of a woman who wa3 summoned to an inquiry on the charge of having voted twice at the election for Wellington City and has been notified by the Registrar that her name haa been struck off the roll for not voting at all. —It's a queer world my masters—especially out in this Colony. Kaspar.

Clarence Primmer.

The Arithmetical Puzzle.

[Quite so ; but our correspondent uses a nought, and does nob use the 2 and 6 iv the one case, or the 1, 2 and 5 in the other.— Ed.]

TO THE EDITOR.

CABLE NEWS.

Home and Foreign

P°ss Association—By Electric Telegraph- Copyright.

The Colonial Premiers. London, February 24. Mr Chambarlain, in reply to a ques tion in the Ho,use of Commons, t-aid it was not intended to hold an Imp rial Conference when the C loni \\ Premiers were in London, but, the Government would take the opportunity to discus matters of conrunon interes'. Up to the present he had received replies from five P-emiers, and wa-. 1 awaiting the bixih before tstklng further action. Appointment, Mr G-aorge Herbert Murray, Clerk to the Treasury^ has been appointed to succeed Sir Alfred Milner as Chairman to the Board of Inland Revenue, the latrer having accepted the Governorship of the Cape. The Colonial Office. Mr Edward Wingfield, one ot the Assistant Undersecretaries, succeeds Sir Robert Mead as Permanent Under secretary to the Colonial Office. Fatal Dynamite Explosion. An explosion at Nobel's dynamite works at Stevenson, Ayrshire, killed six persons The Railway Strike. February 25 The Newcastle engineers held a nueb g and decided to call a general strike. Thn North-Kasu-rn Railway Company h s issued a no:ificition tha*; the goods traffic at the chief centres bai been temporarily ttoppeJ. The Plague. Calcutta, February 24 In the paab ffuek the mortality from the bubonic p'ajjue at Bombay haa largoly diminished. The Orotava. Cairo, February 24 The Oro fava is being lightened. S> far as can be ascertained the vesstl h«s sua~ained no damiga. Tin British cruiser Cossack has gone to her assistance.

Australian.

Embezzlement by a City Official. Sydney, February 25 Speer, late Oily Treasurer, was sen tenced to six years f.ir embezzling nearly £8700 The Court also ordered payment of £500 out of his property, In which event it recommended a reduction of hln sentence hy one year. Great Mercury Company. The Great Mercury Gold Mining Company, Thames, has decided to go into liquidation, with the view of re-forming wiih a larger capita), Mr Seddon. i Melbourne, February 25 Mr Seddon visited Ballnrat, and was suitably entertained by citizens and blip Amalgamated MinarV Association, Massacres by Savages. Cooktown, February 25. Terrible npws is juat to hand from New Guinea. A party of swages attacked the miners on the Mombare goldfield on January 14 Mr Green, the Government agent, tax miners, five native police, and twenty-eight native carriers were butchered. There are no details at present. Postal Conference. ■0 The Postal Conference meets on Satur day to discuss the subj »at matter for reference to the Universal Postal Con ference at Washington. Mr Seddon will attend.

COMMERCIAL.

LONDON MARKETS.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following London Cable message, dated February 24th t—

" Tallow—There is a rather better demand. Muton and beef tallow have declined respectively 6d and 3d per cwt, since l^st report. (Last quotations were 20a 6d and 17s 9d respectively). •8 Frozen Meat — Mutton Market weak. Canterbury and Wellington are worth respectively 3^d and 2|d per Ib. (Last quotations were 3§d and 2|d respectively). " Butter—Market lifeless. Fine qualities New Zealand range in value from 92s to 96a per cwt, (Last quotations were 963 to 100s)."

DUNEDIN WOOL SALES.

(PEK PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

Dunedin, February 27. The fourth wool sale of the season was | held to-day. There was a-fairly large attendance of buyers present. The cata logues offered were made up principally of a few late show clips and odds and ends. The competition was brisk for fleece wool and prices ruled about the same as last sale. Bellies and pieces, however, were not so keenly competed for, and prices for them were quite {d to J,d per 1b below those of previous sale.

The Mission to King Menelik.

Preao Association —T?y Eieotric Telegraph™ Copyright. London, February 24. Mr .Times R. im^li R>,L:, on •> >i the m creia iea to Lord Crorn^r, at Cairo, has bj-n uppoin'ed the Qieeh'ts spejial envoy to King Men-'.ik. February 25. Mr R'.dd m\h for ISgypt on March 11 en route »o Aby-sinia

WATERTON.

Harvest Thanksgiving-

From Oar O n Correspondent

The harvest thanksgiving service in con nection with the Anglican Church at Waterion was held in the church on Thursday evening, February 25. The church was very pret'ily decorated with flowers, fruit, grain, and vegetables, and presented a very pleasing appearance. The congregation was fairly large, and hymns suitable to the occasion were sung in a very hearty manner. The Rev. T. A. Hamilton preached an appropriate sermon from the text "... but gather the wheat into my burn," the discourse being much appre ciated by those present. Special prayers were offered for the sufferers in the Indian famine, and the offertory was devoted to the Indian relief fund.

SPORTING.

DUNEDIN J,C. AUTUMN MEETING.

SECOND DAY.

PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.

Following are the results of the remainder of yesterday's events :—

Railway Plate, oi 100 soys; four fur longs—Blazer 1, Goldieaf 2, Vanilla 3. Five ran Time—49aeo. Dividends—£3 2s and £4 11s. '

Suburban Welter, of 100 soys; one mile. —Vandyke 1, Marlin 2, Misafire 3. Nine ran. Time—l.4S|. Dividends—£2 Vis and £2 2a.

Post Stakes, of 20 soys ; six furlongs.— Stockfish 1, Lady Teddington 2, Dunluce 3. Seven ran. Time—l.lß. Dividends—£l 17s and £1 143.

ITEMS FROM PARIS.

From Our Own Correspondent

BARONESS HIRSCH'S PRINCELY PRESENT. Fortunately for this world there are a few people who are never tired of doing good, and amongst these mast rank the members of the well • known Hirsch family. The Patsteur Institute is the laUsr, organisation which haa cause to thank the generosity of Bwoness Hirsch, who has jaat made to it a donation of no less than cwo mi'lions of francs, A FEMALE FIREMAN. A. curious discovery was made a few days ago at Paries - lea - Tertres, near Troyes. A workman, as was thought, named Qustave Ling, was being butied whan the body was discovered to be that of a woman. For twenty y<;ars p?.st Lang, ' whose i-irthplace arid proper nimc were equally unknown, has passed for a man. She was a fireman in the municipal brigade, and for mx years ha! lived as her husb?nd with a girl named Miiller. A BAKERS' STRIKE. A dispute, which may have had very serious results, arose between the autho rities and the bakers of Ls de?e. Certain taxes enforced by the municipality were the cau-e of the unpUasmtnesp, and the mayor having refine I to ah lish the sara?, the bakers met sn>! unanimously resolved to cl< so their is abli; hments and put cut the fires of their ovens This resolution was carried o-tt to the letter, and the population were without bread during a couple of days. SPANISH BULLFIGHTERS, A Parisian morning paper (the Gaulois) has given some statistic* in regard to Spanish toreadors, and r-khough kg re searches do not exactly concern a Parisian ta-ire, th«y are 100 interesting to be left unm^niioned. In nply to the question as to the amount of the bullfighters' earnings, the journal Siys that during 1896 Gruerrita nppsared 168 times, and ii'-cketed 306,000fr. Reverte has made 38 appaarai cea, and na'ted 143,6C0fr, ; whilst Mizz-mrini, with 29 battles to his credit, took 131,000 >B.)mbual29,ooof*M and Algabigno 115,000ft-. Taking into account the value o' the balk aud the cost of transport, it is eatiniiced thab Spain tach yenr spends more than five millions on this so called sp >rt. Over a thousand bulls were killed by the chosen few of the public, who only number twenty three throughout the whole country. THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE, Apropos of balloons, tha invt stigation of the conditions in the highest attainable altitudes of the atmosphere by means of hydrogen billocns hns yielded some in teresting result;-:. Balloons were sent up simultaneously from Paris, Berlin, Vienna, and other peaces, with self recording ap paratus. The French balloon brought back the best results, it having reached an altitude of nine and a half miles. It came down in Belgium. The diagrams show that the balloon rose rapidly, and I when a.*-, a certain altitude remained for a 'pig time stationary. It reached fifteen thousand metres in about forty minutes, remained thirty five minutes, and then commenced to f^i very slowly. The temperature diagrans show 63deg. below zivo. The ascent proved that there is hardly any appreciable difference between diurnal and nocturnal temperatures in the higher regions of the atmosphere. A CUKIOUS WAGER. A young pharmaceutical student, M. Duf i<y, has had his hour of celebrity here the day before yesterday. That gentle man has imcta a bat of 2000fr with a comrade that ha will walk round the world without a penny in his pocket, The former 'a^k woujd have bo i suffi ciently- gigantic for most people, and while the penniless condition of the walker may peilups add an otherwise abot n charm to his d-iily peregrinations, one fails to realise the utility of the remainder of his bet, which enforced him to pass the twenty-four h ur.s prior to his departure in a paper co-tame. This twenty four hours was du'y c< mmanccd yesterday, M. Dufoy in the course of the afternoon proceeding to the Journal office where ifc was uncle* tiken to clothe him in the necessary journalistic costume. Needless to add the event caused no little excitement, »nd a huge crowd gathered round the Journal office to salute M. j Dufoy. Id due course that gentleman appeared at one of the windows. He was most; correc ly dressed : bagey trou sers, a double-breasted waistcoit, and a piper hat. The boots, however, had caused some trouble, and a good deal of p*per had to be consumed in their manu facture. With the aid of the tailor the garments were duly donned, and success having been drunk to the enterprise, M Dufoy descended into the street and pro ceeded in his airy costume for a walk round the town. Four or five stalwart p.'lcamon were rasees-ary to keep the u-owd at a distance, bat the w*lk ended , without any serious mishap to the cos tume. In the afternoon M. Dufoy atarted on his long fcramp, One wonders how far he wiil gpfc. Paris, January^!*, 1897.

FAEEWELL SOCIAL.

A v«ry plesuant social gathering took place in the Baptist Church last evening. The purpose of the meeting was to say fare well to Mr J. R, Colyer, Clerk of Court at Uhburton, who is leaving Ashburton to ake up similar duties at InveiCirgill. Mr Oulyer has been a hard and earnest worker id the Baptist cause in Ashburton, and much of its success here has bnen owing to lie work he himself did, and to the en couragement he gave to those who were co .vorkera with him. The Taber iaole was well filled, and Rev. Mr Ager presided.

The chairmm in a short introductory address apologised for the absence ao the opening of the meeting of Mr and Mrs Oolyer, but said they would be present at a later period in the evening. Meanwhile, an excellent musical programme had been prepared, and this would be proceeded with. riacred songs were then given by Misses Birratb, Steele, Ga'es, Edith Barratt, and Thompkins and Mr Kersel. At a later hour Mv Colyer also sang.

In the course of the evening, Mr E. Williams epoke in regretful strain at losing he assistance of Mr Colyer, whose place in ihe church they would find it difficult to fill. He recognised God's hand in this, however, and trusted that when so strong and able a worker was taken away, God would aend another to take hie place. Mr Williams felt the deepest sorrow at losing Mr Colyer, who had been to him more than a friend, but he had every faith in him working and speaking for the Master wherever he found the Master's work to be done.

The Rev. Mr Ager, after the arrival of Mr and Mrs Colyer, who were heartily received, presented Mr Colyer with a handsome copy of the Holy Scriptures, in which the follow ing address was engrossed :— '•To Mr J. R. Colyer.-Dear Brother,— We learn with regret of your departure from our midst to a new field of labour, but ere you depart, your many friends in the Biptisfc Church and congregation desire to assure you of their confidence, and present; to you this copy of God's holy word in loving remembrance of faithful service rendered by you in many ways during a term of twelve years as church member, Sunday school teacher, superintendent, deacon, treasurer, and oftentimes preacher, We shall always remember your whole-hearied service for Christ in the early difficult days of our history as a church here, aud now pray that God's richest blessings may accompany you and Mrs Coyer and family always. Very heartily I subscribe, as directed by and on behalf of the church and congregation. — Yours, in the love of Christ, Albert Ager, Pastor, Ashburton, N.Z., February 25fch, 1897."

Mr Ager's address in making the presen tation was also tinged with the regret that all seemed to feel at Mr Colyer's departure, but there breathed through it a flue spirit) of trust in God both for the future of the church and of Mr Colyer and his family, who would have their best wishes and ear neat prayers in their new home.

Mr Colyer feelingly replied, stating that he would value that bible all the daya of his life, as a memento of the happy time he had spent in Ashburton with his brethren of the church, and of the great pleasure he had derived in the work he had been per mitted to do in connection with it.

Supper having been partaken of, music was resumed, and Miss Ager recited most touchingly a piece specially (prepared as a fareweH to Mr Colyer.

Mr W. H, Collins, in % well delivered address, spoke of Mr Colyer as a business man. He congratulated the Baptists on their handsome church; and on allowing themselves to be advised by Mr Colyer to give Mr Ager a free hand in regard to its erection. Had they not done so, but bam* pered their pastor-architect in the buildiDg they would not have had the excellent) place of worship they now possessed. (Applause.) Mr W. J. Silcock spoke of Mr ColyerV excellent social qualities. He had known him perhaps as long as any of them, and could speak of him as one whom the whole district wou'd regret to lose.

At the close of an enjoyable, though a farewell meeting, the friends of Mr and Mrs Colyer, said good-bye to their guests. It was intimated that on Sunday the ordinance of believers' baptism would be celebrated in the Tabernacle.

LAWN TENNIS.

Melrose v. Hinds.

The Melrose Lawn Tennis Club left in Mr J. Lloyd's drag shortly before two o'clock on Thursday afternoon to try conclusions with the Hinds Tennis Club, The gameß were very closely contested and caused con siderable excitement, the Hinds Club eventually being victorious by 55 to 51 games. The following are the scores :— MtLROSK. Hinds. ladies' singles. Games Miss E. Gates v. Mrs Sheldon ..., 6—2 ladies' double. Miss E. Gates & v. Mrs Miller & Miss Collisoo Mra Young ... 4—6 COMBINED DOUBLES. Miss Lambie & v. Mrs Sheldon & Mr Potter Mr Miller ... 6—5 Miss E. Gates & v. Mra Miller & MrG. Fowke Mr Ford ... 6—3 Miss Lambie & v. Mis 3 Prattley & Me Owen Mr Sheldon ... 6—2 gentlemen's singles. Owen , v. Bean ..,, 3—9 Potter v. Sheldon „, 5—9 gentlemen's doubles. , Owen & Potter v. Miller & Bean , m 4—9 Owen & Potter v. Sheldon & Bean 2—9 Perm &G. Carson v. Young & Ford .„ 9—l Totals ... 51 55 A most enjoyable day was concluded by cheers being given to each of the Clubs and to the ladies who had provided an excellent afternoon tea.

BOROUGH ELECTION.

i The polling in the election to supply the vacancy at the Borough table closed «■ Thursday as usual at six o'clock, and bo promptly did Mr H. H. Fooks, the returning officer, get through the work of counting the votes, that, by twenty minutes past six be was ready to declare the poll, which ho did to a small knot of the public as follows :— E. W. Hanmer 223 J. H. PauUng ... ,„, 58 H. M. Jonea , ..„ 34 There were two informal votes. The returning officer having declared Mr HaDmei" elected, that gentleman shortly addr> ssed those present. He returned thanks ior his election, and though he would make no foolish promises as to what he would do for his constituents, he could assure them that they would have the best service he could give, and every vote he oast would !.e given in the interests of fairness to all. Mr Pauliug was surprised at his place on the poll. He was hardly prepared to win against a gentleman of Mr Hanmer's position and an old councillor like Mr Jonea, but he certainly did not expect to be left so far behind in the race as the figures just declared showed him to have been, Mr Hanmer had ( been chosen by a large majority, and he congratulated him on hia success. He had no doubt Mr Hanmer would make a councillor of whom they would be proud. Mr Pauling assured the electors that though beaten this time he would again stand for the Council, as he had made up his mind that there should be no more walks-over for any seat, if he could hek) it.

A vote of thanks to the returning officer cl >sed the proceedings. •

THE ABHBUBTON GtJABDIAN : FBIDAY, FEBBUABY 26, 189t.



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G. J. NEILL IS SELLING WASHING PUINTS at 3£d per yd ; WHITE MUSLINS 3a lid per doz G. J. NEILL IS BELLING DOUBLE-WIUTH SERGES in Navy, Brown and Maroon, at la per yd G. J. NEILL 18 SELLING MEN'S ALL-WOOL SUITS at 23s 6d ; Men's Tweed Troussrs 5s lid O. J. NEILL IS SELLING BOYS 1 SUITS at 4s lid each G. J. NEILL 18 BELUNG-Men's Bluchers at) J }Jj Men's Nail Shooters ... ... 7s Ha Men'e Shoea f lid Women's Shoes .... ... 4s ,? Women's Strap Shoes... .., 4a lid G. J. NEILL DEFIES COMPETITION IN BOOTS Every Pair Guaranteed to Wear and give SATISFACTION FRIEDLANDER'S CORNER, EAST STREET. TBEMENDOUS CLEARING SALE OF BOOTS AND SHOES. OUR PRICES OUR PRICES NOW IN FULL SWING. The Greatest SALE of the Year. Being the only Manufacturers in Aehburton our position for Sell ng the BUjSI OLAbb Uii GOODS at First Cost is UNRIVALLED. Per Pair P<* ?*« sd a d Ladies' and Genta' Tennis Shoea Bluchers, heel and tocplate (Renshaw make) 29& 211 and nails, our own make— Children's School Boots (our beats everything in the mar own make)-7 to 9 .... 4 3 ket at the price ... .- only 411 10 to 13 ... 4 9 Ladies' Tan Leather Lace Shoes Ladies' Real Glae Kid Shoes —a g eat bargain ... ... 4 9 —a perfect gem (own make) only 611 Special Bargains— Ladies' Evening Sh^es, with Girla'2-Strap Shoes (black or neat bow, glaco kid ... only 211 tau leather)-7 to 9 ■ ... Gents' Canvas yhoes (black or 10tol 0 ,. "• 6 brown), reduced from 6s to 4 6 Women's Leather Slippers Ladies' Canvas Shoes (black, (own make), only a 6 blue, or brown), own make only 4 3 First-class Pegged Water- Gents' Tan Leather Shoes tights (our own make) ... only 11 y (sewn)— Usual price ... 9s Worth ... ... lb U Sale Price .only ... 6 11 Children's S;rong Lace boots Men's Pegged Watertight —4s to 6's-a bargain ... 19 Bluchers (own make), splen- Former Price ... 4 0 did value, only 9 b Women's Leather Balmorals Men'a Watertight Balmorals (our own make) only 6 6 (own make), splendid value only 8 9 Ladies' Leather Shoes, neat Ladies'Laee Canvas Shoes ... "39 design (own make) ... ... only o 6 Usual Price 4 9 Youths' Watertight Balmorals Neat 2-Strap Evening Shoes... 311 —l's and 2's only 6 9 Hundreds of oM pair 3of Boots at ridiculously low prices. Come Early aud make your Family Purchases. All Lines of Evening Shoos at Clearing Sale prices. Variety of our Stock best in Ashburton. IS" QUALITY—Second to None in New Zealand. McDonald & mcdiarmtd, BOOT AND SHOE MANUFACTURERS AND IMPORTERS, East Street, Ashburton.] [Bkanoues at Oamaru and Waimatk. MEL L"oil S 'ZEALANDIA' BOOT STORE IS now making a Special Christmas Display of Summer Boota and Shoes. Already the Ashburton Public have pronounced it to be the CHEAPEST AND BEST ASSORTED STOCK EVER SHOWN IN ASHBURTON. —Please Note a Few Quotations- Ladies* pretty two-strap shoes, tan and black, 7s 6d Ladies' strap shoes, 4s 9d l Ladies' and Gentlemen's waterproof Canvas Shoes-—Splendid value Ladies' Crotnelette Shoes from 8s 9d-~Very cheap Ladies' Shoes, 6s 6d —Great bargains. THOUSANDS OF OTHER LINES, THAT DEFY COMPETITION. Look afj windows and you will admit that it is the Best display ever made in Ashburtor A trial will at once convince you of the difference in price and quality from other boot-shops. Note — JAMES TAN CRED STREET, ASHBURTON.



MEN'S AND BOYS' HATS. HATS. HATS. j~r\ DOZEN FELT HATS ALMOST GIVEN AWAY. A GRAND SUCCESS. MITCHELL & BRODRIBB'S T7ABRTO AND PRINT SALE being such a Grand Success, we have decided to ho 1 FOR TWO WEEKS, A GREAT HAT SALE. kaDOZEN MEN'S. f"(\ DOZEN BOYS'. Men's Soffc Felt Hats 2s Od, worth 5s Boys' Soft Felt Hats Is 6d, worth 3s Od Men's Soft Felt Hats 3s Gd, worth C^fid Boy*' Soft "Felt Hats 2s 6d, n^jflflflß')d Men's Soffc Felt Hats ds Gel, wortf^ra Gd Men's Soft Felt Ik's 5s 6'd, worth 8j 9d Men's Soft Felt Huts 6a (3d, worth lOs Gd Hen's Soft Felt Huts 8s Gd, worth 12s Gd EVERY ARTICLE in the Olothiug and Mercery Departments equally Cheap, so as to clear the shelves for the JSEW GOODS expected by the end of the month ; while the balance of general Drapery will be still further reduced, so as to make a clean sweep before tho New Season's Goods arrive. Prints. Brilliants, Cambrics from 3s lid per dozen, worth double Flannelettes for Dressing Gowns and Homo Blouses >U lid dozen, half price Trimmed and untrimmed Hats, Aprons, Blouses, Veilings, Ribbons, etc., at Imlf cost BOOTS AND SHOES—the Bosfc value in the trade '"'' *O * "' ' * " DON'T JFORGET THE GREAT HAT BALE AT. MITCHELL & BRODIIIBB'S, THE CENTRAL CASH DRAPERY MART, NEXT TO J. ORR % CO., EAST STRBKT, ABHBURTON.



1 Business Notices. ; i READ THIS. WE ARE SELLING OFF FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER. NEW ZEALAND Cloth in g Factory, OWING to our special facilities for buy ing in large quantities—as we have to supply 32 branches—the Public can depend cm getting the VERY BEST VALUE IN THE TRADE. A few Lines will convince :— Men's Mosgiel Tweed Suits 27/5 Boys'Ashburton Tweed Suits ... 7/6 Men's Mosgiel Tweed Trousers ... 8/9 Boys' Sailor Suits 5/6 Men's Trousers to Measure ... ... 15/- Mosgiel Tweed (per yard) ... ... 1/11 Men's Suits to Order ... ... ... 55/- HALLENSTEIN BROS. ALEX. HENDRY, i Manager. m ' .hi.a ft O°§ 'tt p PoS3 S -v." H l^ SI «S HH s UH p^ *" CT ■ Church Services, tT~S T EPHEN'S CHURCH, Ashburton. FRIDAY—Short Service, 7.30 p.m. Choir practice 8 p.m. SUNDAY SERVICES. 8 30—Holy Communion. 11 a.m.—Morning Prayer. 3 p.m.—SKAFIELD. 3 p.m.—DROMORE(Mr W. Bowman*ox) | 6 30 p.m.—Evening Prayer. ] REV. T. A. HAMILTON, j iMMiwm ■■ ■ iiimiin"""" ■ i";"™ii' i'"'~Tr~*~' ! /^ROCKERY, Crockery. Still we lead: \^j and defy anyone to get better value in Crockety, etc., and as cheap us we are selling now. Please read our new advertise- j ment and judge for yourselves.—Fletcher : Bros., Cash Supply Stores. ■ IF you are in want of a good strong work ing boot be sure you call at Mellors , Zealandift Boot Store. i



One Box of Clarke's B 41 Pills warran .6 id to cure all discharges from the Urinaiy Organs, in either sex (acquired or cons i utional), Gravel and Pains in the Back Guaranteed free from Mercury. Sold in Boxes 4s 6d each, by all Chemists and Patent medicine Vendors throughout the Worl'i Proprietors : The Lincoln and Midland Qotjnopies T)mra OoMPAnv, T )bc >ln. England Wholtsome and Refteshins-~-N*w Vm*t



V 3% try tht New F«»w Tobacco



Hollovvay's Ointment.—Go where you may in every country and in all climes per song will be found who have a ready word of praise for this ointment. For chaps, chafes, scalds, bruises, and sprains, ifc is an iuvalnable remedy ; for bad legs, bad breasts and piles, it may be confidently relied upon for effecting a sound and per mauent cure. In cases of puffed ankles, erysipelas, and rheumatism, Holloway's Ointment gives the greatest comfort by reducing the inflammation, cooling the blood, soothing the nerves, adjusting circul ation, and expelling the impurities. This ointment should have a place in every nursery. It will cure all those manifold skin affections which, originating in child* hood, gaia strength with the chilq'i gcowtfy