POST OFFICE NOTICES.

Mails at the Ashburton Post Office close 15 follows : , For Christchurch and North at 10 a.m. 4. p.m., and 7.30 p.m., daily. For Chertsey at 10 a.m. daily. For Rakaia at 10 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine, at 10.15 a.m. daily. For Temuka, Timani, and South at 10.15 p.m. and 3 p.m daily. For Greenstreet, - Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10.30 a.m. W. St. G. Douglas, Postmaster.

The Evening Echo. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1878.

“ A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” These are the compliments of this season, and this is the first time in our history as a daily journal we have had the privilege of passing them with our readers. There are times even in a jour nalist’s life when he would rather leave his feelings unexpressed than give expres sion to all he feels, and Christmas time is, such an occasion. It is a time for the; interchange of good wishes, a time for bringing to the surface all the better;, feelings of our human nature, remember ing the event of which Christmas is the anniversary. It is a time, too, for calling to mind the burden of the angelic chorus on the plains of Bethlehem—“ On earth, peace; good will towards men,” and making it, as it should be, the motto of life—the end euery Christian man and woman should aim after, so as to leave the world better than they found it. That every reader of this journal, every colonist of New Zealand, every soul in the universe may realise to its fullest the blessings of the angels’ chorus is our earnest wish when we say to all —“A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ”

The mail via San Francisco brings u s the full state of affairs regarding the ill* starred City of Glasgow Bank. The report of Messrs. M'Grigor and Anderson,, the accountants appointed to investigate the Bank’s accounts, has been published,-and shows a deficit to be made up by the unfortunate shareholders of, in round numbers, £5,190,000 —the capital added to this represents the shareholders’ loss as six millions and a quarter. For a time, it seems, hope 3 were entertained by those who were not within the now no longer charmed circle, or rather “ ring,” of the Directorate, and had no means of knowing the true state of affairs, that matters might not turn out so bad as at first feared, and some even looked for the resuscitation of the concern. £2OO per share was looked upon as a likely figure to cover all demands upon the shareholders. But when the report was issued, showing defalcations to the large extent above given, the most sanguine hopes were buried at once beneath the magnitude of the figures. £520 per share will be required to meet the liabilities of the Bank, and the meet ing of these liabilities will carry ruin and disaster into many a warm home, into which now for the first time the chill of poverty will come, for though £520 per share is the proportion to be paid, there are many shareholders who can never pay the money. Home papers estimate that 75 per cent of the shareholders will be robbed of their last penny, and the remaining 25 per cent must be prepared to pay between £IOOO and £2OOO upon each of the shares they hold. How did the collapse come about, is a natural question 1 Simply by the blindest and most reckless speculation men could be guilty of, followed by deliberate falsi fication of the annual balance-sheets for a period of years to hide the Directors’ folly and culpability. In June last the liabilities to the public were stated at £10,300,497 —at the stoppage of the Bank these were shown to be £12,404,297, a difference of over £2,000,000. Messrs. M £ Grigor and Anderson state that’since] 1873 a system of “ cookery” had been! resorted to, and the balance-sheets gave] out that the Bank had lent on foreign and colonial credits £973,000 less than what it actually had done, and that fewer bills payable had been accepted by the Bant by that amount. £145,435 was the amount of bills left with the Bank for collection or retentioip—£64,s9s of these were pawned to the London Joint-stock Sank for adv&npes, B#d debts aummting

to £7,345,357 were treated as available assets, and of this amount four debtors under this head owe £5,792,391, against which the Bank holds securities valued by the Investigators at £1,522,433! The balance-sheet was made to show as assets £1,126,764 which had actually been lent on credits, £926,764 in securities which had no existence, and £200,000 in gold which had been filched from the reserve stock of cash, but which was represented as intact. The foregoing show something of how the bank’s business has been managed. Immediately after the publication of the Investigators’ Report the Board of ] Directors, Manager, and Secretary were apprehended on a charge of fraud founded on the falsifications above referred to. It will be three months yet before their trial comes on, owing to the mass of evi dence with which the authorities have to deal, and meanwhile the patriarchal swindlers occupy “chambers” in the common gaol. Some of the Directors are men over seventy years os age—one is eighty—and all are one way or other shining lights in the Kirk. Several of them are elders, and one was so strong a Sabbatarian as to refuse to take in a Mon day morning paper because of the printers’ Sunday evening labor in its production. The smash, we have said, will scatter ruin broadcast amongst well to-do Scotch families, and many who hoped to end their days in comfort, if not affluence, will sink to poverty, while the very wealthiest of the shareholders will find their fortunes fearfully drained to fill the financial void, caused by the felony of the men they blindly trusted. This is a terrible commentary on the high opinion entertained by Scotchmen of-the Scotch system of banking. The City of Glasgow Bank, is doubtless, an exceptional case, and its collapse the result of deliberate and systematic fraud ; but surely on the face of it, any audit that could have been made time after time, as it must have been, without the discovery of the Bank’s state must have been a grand farce ; and it is enough to shake faith in any banking system under which such gigantic and long continued undetected fraud could be carried on.

Winslow Sports. —Weeks and Dixon have obtained the right to print cards of these sports, and advertisements for them will be received at the Echo office.

* Excursion to Seafield. —Tickets for Mr. M £ B,ae’s excursion to Seafield and the beach, we are requested to point out, must be taken by seven o’clock to-night, and holders of tickets must be at the stand, Shearman’s corner, to-morrow morning at nine prompt, at which time ; the ’bus starts. Our Own Holidays. —To-morrow and Boxing Day will be observed by the Echo staff as holidays, consequently there will be no publication of this paper on those days. Owing to the present office of the Echo having become too small for the paper’s requirements the plant will ®be removed on the Ist of January to new premises in the magnificent buildings in East street now nearly completed by the Messrs. Saunders, and to effect the re moval there will be no publication of the Echo on the Ist and 2nd of January. The Harvester King. —Mr. Joseph Clark, Tinwald, has been appointed agent in this district for Marsh’s Harvester King (reaper and binder.) Pamphlets detailing the characteristics and working of these machines have been forwarded to us, and we are informed by Mr. Clark that in a short time a trial of machines will take place in the neighborhood of Ashburton, when the merits of the respec tive harvesters now claiming the favor of Ashburton farmers Avill be tested. Mr. Clark’s consignment of “ Kings” is not yet to hand, but its arrival will be duly announced.

Cheap Photography. —Mr E. Teague, photographer, will close his gallery on the 30th inst. After that date the opportunity will have passed to secure photos, at the prices advertised to-day.

A Chinese Strike. The Chinese of San Francisco (says the “New York Weekly Journal of Commerce ”) are showing the householders of that city what would happen if they were expelled. They have copied a Yankee idea, and “ struck ” for higher wages as servants. Great is the reported annoyance in the domestic circles of San Francisco, where the versatility and immense working value of the Chinaman are fully appre ciated. Bereft of those bright little Asiatics, San Francisco would he almost servantless, or given over to the tender mercies of a less industrious and manage able class. The identical persons who are hounding the Chinese out of Califor nia would never stoop to do the work, at any price, which comes so easy to their victims. The strike will do little harm if it impresses the people of San Francisco with a higher sense of the useful position occupied by the Chinese in the economy of daily life on the Pacific slope. In striking the balance for good and evil in the disposition of these much - abused foreigners, let us not forget that “ China town ” has raised 1200 dollars for the yellow fever sufferers.

A Cat Hatching Eggs. At a farm house, not far from Newton-Stewart, a rather uncommon circumstance occurred recently. A hen’s nest had been made in an out-of-the-way place, in which eggs to the number of seventeen had been laid. A cat took possession of the next, covered the eggs over with straw, and there brought forth kittens. Puss and her kittens remained there for a considerable time, and the result was that fifteen out of the seventeen eggs sent out birds. The cat was seen lying with its brood, but no one ever saw a hen near the nest or knew the eggs were there until the birds came out.—“ Galloway Advertiser. ”

TELEGRAPHIC.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

[By Submarine Cable.]

London, Dec. 20,

Belgium exhibits largely at Sydney. The exhibition arrangements for Italy and Germany are progressing favorably. December 21.

The money market is tight. Discount rates in the open market are stiffening. Large amounts of foreign gold have been received into the Bank. The reserve is half a million weaker. The increasing value of money is only produced by tem porary inactivity in the stock market. Consols, 94|-. The market for Australian securities continues depressed. The corn market is unchanged. New Zealand wheat is neglected at 425. to 455. Numerous meetings have been held throughout the country regarding the pre vailing distress, which is increasing rapidly, especially in the larger towns. It is alleged that in the North the distress is equal to that in the time of the cotton famine. • '

“The Golos” announces that a conven tion has been entered into between Russia and the Ameer of Afghanistan, and that Russia recognises the distressed condition of the Ameer, and her obligation to sup port the integrity and independence of his dominion

Jellalabad has been occupied. The Afghans are in precipitate retreat. The Ameer appointed Yakoob Khan as Regent, and fled to Turkestan. Persia rejected the proffered Afghan alliance.

AUSTRALIAN

Sydney, Dec. 23. The conditions of the strike are turning against the Company. ...

[Per Albion via Biuff.] Melbourne, Dec. 13.

The Governor does not leave till Feb ruary, when Lord Normanby arrives immediately after, so that it will not be necessary to appoint any acting Governor. A despatch has been received from the Secretary of State with reference to the embassy, but is not yet published. It is understood that the Minister says that all means of settlement must first be ex hausted in the colony, and when that is done, Great Britain, as the paramount power, can interfere. The doings of the Kelly gang have been the great topic of conversation, and the history of the sticking up at Euroa reads like a romance. It seems quite incredible that four men, outlawed and hunted by dozens of police, could in the light of day have made such a raid upon a township on a railway line, with a station, and have departed with a Bank manager, his wife, clerks, and servants, a distance of nearly four miles, without being observed. From the accounts received it is evident that the whole business was cleverly planned and well carried out. The telegraph wires were cut, and the line repairer, who came to see to repairs, was captured, and at one time the gang had no less than thirty seven persons imprisoned at Younghus band’s station. The gang had previously stuck up a hawker’s cart, rigged them selves out in new clothes from head to foot, and burnt their old ones They left one man to guard the prisoners at the station, while the other three took the hawker’s cart, drove into Euroa, there entered the National Bank by front and back simultaneously, and, having made prisoners of all the inmates, robbed the Bank of over a thousand pounds in notes and between three and four hundred in specie. They kept all their victims at the station until late in the evening, exacting from them a promise not to depart until a certain hour under a penalty of death. This extraordinary raid was made in full light of day, with the township full of people, and, on leaving the Bank, Kelly made the manager drive his own buggy, while he sat beside him. The reward for ; Ned Kelly has been raised to a thousand, and additional police have been sent off in all directions, while the garrison corps has been drafted to seven townships in order to protect the Banks. Rumors have been plentiful, but still there are no tidings of the gang since they disappeared after the Euroa affair. The police seem to be com pletely off' the scent. The whole available force, with the Chief Commissioner at their head, are now out in search among the ranges. A letter lias been received from Ned Kelly by a member of Parlia ment, but the contents are not yet made known. The papers are every day filled with columns of bushranging news, and every little scrap of information is eagerly sought for. Next to the bushrangers, cricket has occupied the most attention. The Aus tralian eleven has received a good wel come and been duly feted. Presentations have been made to them at each of the three theatres. A moonlight concert was given in their honor, and as much fuss as possible made. They have. played a match against fifteen of the colony and won a splendid victory. There was some heavy scoring on both sides. In their second innings the Fifteen scored 288, when the Eleven had to get 202 to win, and this they succeeded in making with the loss of only four wickets, a result brought about chiefly by the fine batting of Murdoch, ivlio made 153, and A. Bannerman, 52 not ont. Lord Harris’s team, having Avon their match in Adelaide by four Avickets, arrived here on Monday, and met Avith a cordial reception. They play Fifteen of the Col ony on Boxing and tAVO folloAving days, but the great match will be on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th January, against the Austra lian Eleven.

There is absolutely nothing in the Champion Race. The entries for the event of the meeting are not numerous. During the last few days the heat has been very intense, ranging as high as llOdeg, in the shade in some parts :o.f the country, and over 100 deg. in Melbourne. Rain is much Avanted. Rust and take-rail have appeared in the crops in some dis tricts. The retirement of Sir John Robertson from New South Wales politics has caused some surprise, but it will scarcely have the effect he desires in soothing matters. The seamen’s strike still continues, and the sympathy for the seamen and anti- Chinese feeling extends to all the colonies, and subscriptions have been raised in aid of the strikers.

General Robinson is likely to take a trip to one of the colonies before he proceeds to Neiv Zealand.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Per Press Agency and Exchanges.] Auckland, Monday.

Charles Burton, confectioner, Avas fined £1 for holding an Art Union of Christ mas cakes. Messrs. Faithful and Roberts Avere fined for landing sheep, infected with scab, at Onehunga. Taupo, Monday.

Poihipi Tukairangi, the local chief of Taupo, is about calling a meeting of the Taupo Natives for the purpose of pre venting them attending the meeting at Waitara in March next. The reasons he assigned for this are, that the Taupo Natives have long been loyal to the Queen and that it Avill be more prudent for them to remain apart from the present negotia tions of the Government Avith the Hauhaus, lest they should get committed to any Native movement adverse to the policy of the present Government' Poi hipi has communicated his vieAvs to the Native Minister.

Napier, Monday. The polling to-day for the £70,000 loan was 315 for, and 121 against. Majority for loan, 194. : The chief Karaitiana Takamoana has been ill lately, and his malady seems to have affected his head. Yesterday afternoon he Avas so violent that he had to be put into a straight Avaiscoat. The men of “Te Wananga,” neAvs paper, have been dismissed and the editor’s services dispensed with. Wellington, Monday. The Avorking classes are subscribing freely toAvards the anti - Chinese fund in aid of the seamen on strike in Sydney. There is great improvement in the health of the fever patients by the Her mione. The Governor and Lady Normanby have gone into mourning on account of the death of the Princess Alice.

The Chinese Ambassador’s Wipe.— The appearance not long ago of the Chi nese Minister’s wife as an entertainer in a London drawing room appeal’s to have startled the residents in the chief cities of the Celestial. Empire. More than one journal has commented upon the fact, and a recent number of the “ Hong Kong Daily Press” refers to this neAV departure as a novel and striking affair. “ The higher class of Chinese, like true Orien tals,” it says, “ keep their women strictly secluded from the vulgar gaze. Woman’s position in China is not an enviable one. She is looked doAvn upon as an inferior, is seldom educated, and is regarded more in the light of an appanage than as a help meet,counsellor, and friend. Mrs. Ilwoh, as Avell as her husband, is likely to 1 ecome indoctrinated Avith new and heretical notions. She will see that the position accorded to her sex in Europe is far higher than that which is allowed to ladies in China. She will be able to contrast the respe it and homage paid to ladies iu the West Avith the lack of courtesy prevailing toAvards them in the Celestial Kingdom. If of a very impressionable t nature and able to make a convert of her husband, she may return to China an ardent advo cate of Avoman’s rights. Her influence, however, unless she gained the ears of the Empress-DoAvager’s, Ai r ould scarcely go for much.” After the freedom of London, perhaps this Chinese lady would not care to return to the subjection of the East.

Spiritualistic Dentistry.— A miracu lous case of dentistry in the history of Dr. Slade is recorded in spiritualistic circles. Some time ago the worthy medium Avas tortured Avith that “ hell of all diseases,” toothache ; and one day, sitting close to a fire stove, he exclaimed, “I’ve got sharp pains through that tooth again. I feel Chvassoo. ” Whether Owassoo is the name of a spiritual practitioner in the art of dentistry, or iibetlier it is merely the name of the extracting instrument, is not recorded. But in less than a minute after feeling Owassoo the doctor spat out the tooth, and applying his tongue to his gum discovered such a cavity as might have been formed there after an operation in dentistry. A similar marvel has been long current in spiritualistic circles in NeAvcastle-on-Tyne, AA’here an old Avoman, suffering from excruciating toothache, had the offending member pulled out either by Owassoo or some other member of the spiritual faculty of dentists.—“ Echo.”

A Novel and Fatal Encounter. —A mortal combat betAveen a humming-bird and a bumble bee in a Springfield flowei’- garden Avas Avitnessed lately. The bird A\-as busily gathering its breakfast of honey from a bunch of lilies, when it dipped its long bill into a blossom Avliich avrs occu pied by a bumble bee, and the enraged insect immediately fleiv out to battle. Tavo or three slight collisions, hardly occu pying as many seconds, folloAved, and then the humming-bird, with the tiniest note of pain, darted off and dropped dead on the grass not five feet away. It had been stung to death.

BAD TRADE IN GERMANY.

(From the Glasgerw News.)

Bad as trade undoubtedly is in Great Britain, it is almost flourishing as com pared with the condition of things in Germany. A memorandum, prepared by the Secretary of the British Embassy at Berlin, for the information of the Foreign Office, gives a deplorable account of the utter stagnation Avhich marked last year’s commercial operations in Berlin. With but tAVO or three exceptions, every manu facture and industry told the same tale of inactivity. Many establishments were closed, others reduced their hands to an extent of one half, and even those Avho Avere still employed could get only half time or less, and the general stagnation affected branches of industry Avhich had been uniformly prosperous for the last 30 years. The silk factories are gradually disappearing, and those which continue to exist upon purely local business have been removed to smaller toAvns in the pro vinces. In the porcelian manufactory, manufacturers have never before knoAvn so bad a year. The operatives engaged i l iron-castings were reduced by one-third, all the raihvay carriage works in Beilin have been closed, the locomotive and machinery manufacturies have worked only hlaf-time, and although in several descriptions of production the Russo-Tur kish War caused some demand, the output Avas even then far beloAV the average of former years. One of the'few industries that did not suffer was paper, and the Avoolen and half woolen goods manufacturers had a fairly profitable year. Ladies’ costumes made in Berlin found such a sale, particularly in England that demand exceeded the supply., .The trade in ready-made clother likewise flourished. Of ladies’ cloaks England took more than any other country except Germany her self—indeed, so enormous was the’demand from England that in October some of the first houses in Berlin had to decline large orders. Both for ordinary middle-class stuffs and for ladies’ costumes of the finer and better qualities England is a first-rate customer. But Avith these very feAV exceptions, the commerce of the German capital appears to have been almost at. its worst point.

“ Will you name the bones of the head %” “ I’ve got ’em all in my head, Professor, but I can’t give them. ” Gad’s Hill. —lt is stated that Gad’s Hill, at Higliam, near Rochester, noAv occupied by Mr Charles Dickens, jun., Avhich is famous to all as the residence of the late Charles Dickens, is shortly to be sold, with many of the household effects, by public auction. Mint’s Meat —Gold and silver. Chinese Maxims. —Let everyone sAA r eep the snow from his oivn door, and not busy himself about the frost on his neighbour’s tiles. Great Avealth comes by destiny ; moderate Avealtli by industry. The ripest fruit Avill not fall into your mouth. The pleasure of doing good is the only one that does not Avear out. Monument to the Late George Paul Chalmers, R.S.A. —As the result of a movement set on foot among the friends of this lamented artist shortly after his death, there is now being executed by Mr. John Hutchison, R.S.A., a monument intended to be erected over his grave in the Dean Cemetery. The design is to be worked out in Sicilian marble.

Strangers coming to reside in Ashburton nee£ not be at any loss to find the .best estab lishment to vis ; t and purchase their drapery, clothing, and general stores. Leaving the Railway Station and turning down Havelock Street, they will see the establishment of A. O. Aitken & Co., AA’ho are now- offering special advantages, which exceed any before offered to the public. Keeping at ' all times a very large and exceedingly well assorted stock of all classes-of-goods, bought in the best mar kets and on the mpst favorable terms, enables them—to use trafle parlance—“to do the thing well ” ; in fact the goods offered by them are such as cannot be excelled either in e uality or price by any house in the trade and are marked at such prices that making any abatement is unnecessary, and the most inexperienced are enabled to buy their goods as favorably as the best judges. —Advt. Strangers coming to reside in Ashburton are often at a loss to know which is the best Establishment to visit for the purchase of Drapery, Clothing, and House-furnishing Iron mongery, and General Stores. Orr & Co. offer special advantages to the public that- can be met with noAvhere else in Ashburton. They keep at all times the largest and best-assorted Stock of every class of Goods, imported direct from the leading manufacturers at home, which beino bought entirely upon cash terms, they are enabled to offer goods of sudi sterling value as cannot be equalled by any other house in the trade. Every article in stock is marked at the loAvest price, from which no abatement is made so that the most inexperienced buy their goods at the same piices as the best judges.—Advt

TUESDAY, December 24, 1878.]

THE EVENING ECHO.



Ironmongery. OR R & CO. Would call Special attention to 'THEIR STOCK OF IRONMONGERY. A Fine assortment of Carpen ters’ Tools now landed. I RONMONGERY. Parties Furnishing should in spect our Stock of Plated Goods-- ? / TEA POTS, CRUET STANDS, BUTTER DISHES. TEA AND C OFFEE SETS, . TABLE CUTLERY, &C., &C., &c.



IRONMONGERY. STOVES, RANGES, GRATES, FENDERS, and FIREIRONS. These Goods are imported di rect by ourselves, and will be sold at prices below anything hitherto offered in Ashbur ton. IRONMONGE R Y. Harvesting Tools — Hay Forks, Rakes, Scythes, &c. McCORMACK’S Reapers and Binders. No farm should be without one. Can cut and tie even if the Straw is only 9 inches long. No necessity for wire. BUY A Me € O R M A C K, AND SAVE YOUR STRAW. 200 DOZEN HORNSBY’S PLOUGH SHARES,. Landing ex et Hurunui.” ♦ OR R & Co., EAST STREET, ASHBUETON,



Advertisements for the evening Echo must be sent in not later than 3 P> m * with the number of insertions written plainly on the copy, otherwise they will be inserted till countermanded, and charged accordingly. Special notices can be received up to 3.30 p.m. for insertion over the Leader, but wdl be charged double scale. . Subscriptions—Quarterlv in advance, 6s. ; posted, Bs. 6d. ; per annum, in advance, 225. 6d. ; posted, 355. d. ; weekly, paid to collector, 6d. Delivered to any part of the town, and at any of the Railway Stations Special Notices. FENCING WIRE. TONS Just Received and on Sale at LOWEST PRICES. A. O. AITKEN & CO., Havelock Street.



New Advertisements, A UNITED SABBATH SCHOOL mHANKSGIVING ci ERVICE X s Will be held in the WESLEYAN CHURCH, Cameron St., ON SUNDAY NEXT, Dec. 29. Addresses will be delivered by Ministers and friends. Service to commence at 3 o’clock. The parents and friends of the children attend ing the various schools are cordially invited. 191 RUBBER STAMPS. '■jpHESE Useful STAMPS, with Ink and Pads, are now being Manufactured at the ‘ ECHO ” OFFICE and can be supplied any :"- 1 • ■ : 'M shape or size from 7s, od.