POST OFFICE NOTICES.

Mails at the Ashburton Post Office clos as follows :

For Christchurch and North at 10.20 a.m., 4 p.m., and 7.30 p.m., daily. For Rakaia at 10.20 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Chertsey at 10.20 a.m. daily.

For Ashburton South, Winslow, Hinds, Col Istream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine at 10.30 a.m. daily.

UN C L AIM ED L ETT E RS,

The following letters are advertised at the Post Office, as having been received from places beyond the Colony, during the month of February, and remaining unclaimed on the Ist May, IS7B : Gooch, George C. Gray, George Ilayward, Wm. Inkster, Wm. Judkins, Lucas

Letters originating in New Zealand are not now advertised, but are sent to the Dead Letter Office, after having lain for two clear months.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. ASHPURTON RETAIL PRICES. PROVISION, &c, LIST.

The Evening Echo. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1878.

The Alhambra arrived at the Bluff to-day. Her Australian news of any interest has been anticipated by cable. The Hooper Company gave their final entertainment last night. Rev. Mr. Westbrooke last night gave a very instructive Bible reading in the Primitive Methodist Chapel. The cavalry have finished their six days’ training, and to-day the main body of the men left in the 11.30 train, boxes being coupled on for the accommoda tion of the horses.

At its meeting last night the School Committee resolved to enforce the com pulsory clauses of the Education Act, 1877. These are clauses 89 to 96 inclusive, and provide that parents or guardians of children, between the ages cf seven and thirteen, living within two miles of a public school, must send such children to school for at least one half of the period in each year during which such school is open. The exemp tions are —children receiving sufficient instruction at home or elsewhere ; sick ness, danger of infecton, temporary or permanent infirmity, or other unavoida ble cause ; the road impassable; the child certified by the inspector or master of any public school as having reached the required standard of educa tion. Refusal or neglect to send a child to school after notification lays the offending parent or guardian open to a summons before two Justices of the Peace, and neglect of their order will entail a penalty of not more than forty shillings, and the penalties may he repeated from week to week in the case of persistent failure.

A new invention in the way of a washing solution was tested one day recently at Kitzroy, with very satisfactory results. It possesses (according to the Telegraph) qualities of a most useful character, and has the advantage of doing away with the laborious work connected with a laundry, and at the same time dispenses with the necessity for that rubbing which proves so de structive to clothes. The solution is a colorless liquid, and is said to be totally free from any ruinous agents. It has been named “ Mrs. Clauseur’s Magical Solution,” and is a colonial invention. In the test made a quantity of soiled linen was first soaked in cold water, anil afterwards placed to boil for the space of half an hour in water into which a small quantity of the solution had been poured. After that time the clothes were taken out, soaked in the blue water, and, after rinsing, came out as clean as it would be possible to make them with all the rubbing imaginable.

The Turakini correspondent of the Wanganui Cluonicle instances a fire by which the whole of the stacks of wheat on a farm in that district were destroyed, and attributes the origin, not to incendiarism, as generally supposed, but to the carelessness of drunken swagsmen, who are in the habit of com ing about farms at nightfall when it is not judicious to refuse them quarters. Men thus travelling often put up in a rick, and if under the influence of liquor, the danger of fire is great. It is often found by farmers more safe to comfort ably house such waifs than to send them away, as they are by this means kept from sleeping amongst the sacks, and lighting matches to the peril of the corn-yards. Some important inferences may be derived from the experiments of Dr. Nichols, of Malvern, England, in refer ence to the quantity of food per diem which will best sustain health. Starting with an excellent constitution and a freedom from any excesses, he subjected himself to the influence of definite quantities and qualities of food for several weeks in succession, carefully noting the indications and symptoms at the end of each week. The first week he consumed an average of eight and three-quarter ounces per day of rye meal, milk, fruit, and vegetables. The second week he took an average of nine and five-seventh ounces per day, and by omitting the milk he found his health to be perfect, and his general condition satisfactory. During the third week he brought down his allow ance to seven and one-seventh ounces of food per day, and in the fourth week to eight ounces. As a generalization he concluded that, so far as his condi tion was concerned, eight ounces was the proper minimum and twelve ounces the maximum of food per day, and that any considerable addition to this amount threw so much labor upon the digestive and other apparatus as to materially tend to produce disease. Having continued the experiment on this basis to date, he found his health to be absolutely perfect, and his strength and power to work increasing in a decided ratio, his weight remaining at about 170 pounds.

ASHBURTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The usual monthly meeting of the School Committee was held in the schoolroom last night. Present : Dr. Stewart (in the chair), and Messrs. Par kin, Williamson, Kidd, and Shury. A letter was read from Mr. W. J. Habens, Secretary to the Board of Education, stating that the retiring al lowance for Mr. Ward, teacher of the Ashburton school, had been applied for to the Government, and that the tender for' erecting the new schoolroom had been accepted. Letter from Mr. Cane, Christchurch, communicating the acceptance of Mr. J. Baker’s building tender for the new schoolroom, and requesting the Com mittee to report on the names of the sureties to be given by Mr. Baker in lieu of ten per cent deposit. The report of the schoolmaster gave the number of scholars on the roll as 31 1 ; present that day, 23S ; average daily attendance since last Committee meeting, 21S; average absentees, 80. The report also stated that there were in the district at least 50 children of school age not attending school; and added that three boys and one girl had sent in their names as intending com petitors for scholarships in the forth coming examinations at Christchurch in June next. The names of these are :—H. E. Felton, J. Henderson, R. Clarkson, and Annie Permain. The report was adopted. To overcome laxity in the attendance of children of school age, the Commit tee unanimously resolved to enforce the compulsory clauses of the Education Act, and to notify such resolution in the Ashburton papers. The Secretary was instructed to write to the Board of Education asking if any steps had been taken re the appoint ment of a teacher for the Ashburton school vice Mr. Ward, who wrote stating that he would resign his office on the 31st of July.

TIMARU.

[from our own correspondent.] May 14.

The event which ranks first amongst those which have transpired since my last to you is the annual meeting of the South Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday last, and must be classed as one of the most successful yet held by this Club. Of course, the principal prize was the Champion Cup valued at and which the highest scorer during the meeting became the posses sor of. This fell to Mr. T. S. Baker, of French Farm, Akaroa, as did also the Ladies’ Cup, and several minor prizes. The next trophy—Mr. T. Bar ker’s Challenge Cup—was secured by Mr. Johnston, of Christchurch, who is deserving of great praise for the plucky manner in which he contested for the Champion Cup with Mr. Baker, and which he only lost by one point. The Champion Cup, by the bye, does not become the property of the winner un less held by him against all comers for the term of three years. The annual dinner followed the meeting, and was no less successful than the meeting, and last, but certainly not least, came the Bachelors’ Ball, which was very well attended by the fair sex. After the above, I cannot pass by a little event which took place on Mon day night in a billiard saloon in town, and in which two gentlemen, one of the legal profession and the other lately holding a high commercial position in our town, played a not insignificant part. These gentlemen, it appears, fell out over some question of veracity, and finding their expressions either not hard enough or not sufficiently cutting, re sorted to the manly art for the vindi cation of their statements, and so successful were they that they marked each other in a very pretty and artistic manner, the prevailing color being of a bluish black appearance. The wind-up, however, was to come, and no pantomine can be said to have ever concluded so appropriately. The police got scent of the matter and waited for his prey ; but as luck would have it a certain magisterial “ old man ” was the first to leave the place, and thus assumed un wittingly the part of pantaloon. Oil arriving in the street what was his sur prise to find that the constable was waiting for him, and to save being ar rested he cleared upstairs again, and remained there till the coast got clear. Now, the moral of this is—but never mind morals, for I hear that a little liti gation will probably ensue from the above.,

The police intend to put it rather hard upon our publicans, as I learn that a number of them, indeed, nearly all, have been sued for keeping open their billiard rooms after 11 o’clock.

We have lately been visited by the “ Miner’s Dream,” and I must confess that the mechanism of this “ little won der ” is deserving of a visit. Mr. John Hayhurst, whom I men tioned in my last as having lately been elected a member of the Temuka Road Board, has displayed so very erratic a character, as to resign his seat at the first sitting of the Board. The “ why or wherefore ” is not, however, to hand.

A telegram was received last evening by the secretary of the Harbor Board to the effect that his Excellency the Gover nor had approved of the plans and specifications for the Timaru break water. This may be regarded as good news.

Scene, not 50 miles from Edinburgh. Maid, taking the children out for a drive in basket phrclon drawn by a donkey, which refuses to go another step. Heavy swell, observing the girl in good spirits under the circumstances, and on for a flirtation, remarks, “You are in good spirits this morning; surely your sweetheart kissed you last night.” Maid : “Dae ye think sae? Then I wish you wad kiss ma cuddy, and put it in guid speerits.” The following test for the purity of milk is given in a German publication : A well polished knitting-needle is dipped into a deep vessel of milk, and immediately withdrawn in an upright position. If the sample is pure, some of the fluid will hang to the needle ; but if water has been added to the milk, even in small proportions, the fluid will not adhere to the needle.

A NEW BRIDGE OF SIGHS.

+

One more polygamous, Short in the breath, Frightfully bigamous, Gone to his death. Turn not away from him, Scorning to touch; Go nearer—pray for him— Married so much. Think of his fathers-in-law. Two hundred brothers-in-law, Three hundred sisters-in-law, Fifty odd mothers-in-law, All in one family Stuck polygamily; Think of their daily life Full of domestic strife. Catfights and squealings 5 Think of the tears and cries, Then try to Ann Elize Some of their feelings. Turn not away from him, Scorning to touch; Go nearer—pray for him—■ Married so much. Oh 1 tins is pitiful ! Sad house, with widows full, 1 uxom and fair? Bai helors, think of it! Go near the brink of it Now if youtdare ! Still with his bigamy, Nicknamed polygamy, Leave him at rest; Cross his hands humbly, As praying dumbly, Over his breast. Owning his weakness, The poor, erring crea.ure ; And leaving with meekness His mantle to .* * This vacancy has not yet been filled.

DASHING EXPLOIT of ENGLISH CAVALRY.

The most dashing feat performed during the campaign in Flanders in 1794 was the action of Villiers-en- Couche. The French had intercepted the Emperor of Germany on his way from Brussels to join the army. A force of cavalry, of which the van was composed of 186 officers and men of the 15th, and 120 of the Leopold Hus sars (Austrian), was sent out to drive off the French. The latter were found in force near Villiers-en-Couche. The supports missed their way, and General Otto, notwithstanding that he had only 306 men to oppose 10,000 of the enemy, determined to attack at all hazards in order to save the Emperor. The 15th were ordered to attack in front, and the Leopold Hussars to turn the left flank. A strong body of skir mishers attempted in vain to check the advance. Onward swept our men. The French cavalry now wheeled outward and broke, unmasking a line of infantry and guns. Unappalled, the 15th dashed at the line and rode through it. They then sprang at a large square, composed of six battalions, and dis persed it. The French cavalry, who had tried to rally in the rear of their infantry, saw the 15th swooping down on them, and fled in wild confusion. The Leopold Hussars also nobly per formed their part, and the foe was pur sued till the guns from Bouchain and the appearance of a force from that city caused the victors first to halt and then retire. On their return they were intercepted by some French infantry, but these were again ridden through, notwithstanding a heavy fire of musketry and cannon; and the supports having arrived, the audacious band got clear off. The result of the fight was 1200 of the enemy killed and wounded, and three guns raptured, and the safety of the Emperor. The islh lost, out of 186 men engaged, 17 men and 19 horses . killed, one officer bayoneted through the body, 12 men and 18 horses wounded. Of the eight officers present, one was wounded and five had horses wounded under them. For this exploit all the eight officers, among whom was Sir Robert Wilson, received from the Emperor a gol ’ medal, and afterwards were created Kmghts of the Order of Marie Theresa. The words “ 'Villiers-en-Couche” are on the ap pointments of this regiment.

111 U xli V JiJN HNvj LLrtU, YVLUJNLSDAY, MAY 15, 1878.



s. d. s. d. Butter, inferior to best, fc? lb o 8 to 1 0 Eggs, dozen - - 2 6 to 0 0 Bacon, pi ime smoked, $ lb 0 10 to 0 0 Hams in cloth, (j? lb - 1 0 to 0 0 Cheese, prime quality, K? ft) 0 8 to 0 0 Flour in bags, jj? ioolb 15 0 to 0 0 Oatmeal, iff ioo'.b - 26 0 to 0 0



-piVE SHILLING PACKETS of COP- X PELS to be had at the “ Echo ” office.