The Evening Echo. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1878.

Y.M.C.A.— Lecture.— We beg to re mind our readers of Mr. J. H. Twenty man’s lecture to-night in the Town Hall, on “ Some Featuie3 of Modern Civilisa tion.” The lecturer and subject merit a large attendance. New Fish Store. —Mr. Darcy, late of the police force in Ashburton, has opened a store in East Street, and now advertises his ability to supply fresh fish daily. This is a line of business that ought to be suc cessful in Ashburton, where, from our inland position, fish is generally a scarce article of food.

Fatal Accident.— What is presumed to have been an accident occurred last evening, entailing the death of William Giles, a drayman in the employ of Mr. W. C. Morgan, of the Alford Forest Hotel. A few chains this side of the Spread Eagle Hotel, Mr. Phillip Tisch, the Spread Eagle landlord, found the dead body of Giles. It was lying beside the dray the man had been driving, but whether he had met his death by a fall or otherwise, or received fatal injuries while in a fit, is not yet known. An inquest was to have been held to-day at two o’clock, Dr. Stewart proceeding to the Spread Eagle Hotel to make the post mortem examination.

The Post Otfice. —Tenders are to-day invited for alterations and additions to the building now doing duty in Ashburton as a Post Office and Telegraph Station. Those tenders are not called for a day too soon, and the more expedition used in the erection of the additions the better. It is intended to increase the accommodation by an addition to the south end of the Post Office, measuring 25ft. 4in. by 25ft. 9in. The old letter boxes will be replaced by a new set, increased in number to over 100, and the whole establishment will be re-arranged. The old “knock” window is to be abolished, and its place to be sup plied by a public lobby, entered through folding doors, in which all the public business will in future.be transacted. The Weather. —The weather is now a question in every one’s mouth, and the close and dawn of every day is watched with interest in the hope of finding indica tions of a shower, but still there is no change from the high wind and the hot sky. ° It was hoped that the moon’s change would bring an alteration of affairs, but as yet the change hoped for has not been realised. In the Christchurch Press this morning, a writer suggests the advisa bility of arming a railway carriage with half-a-dozen 6-pounder guns, and dis charging a cannonade of 200 rounds at places along the line where rain was wanted, thinking that as a shower almost invariably follows a heavy discharge of cannon this plan would not be without good results. It is tentaiismg to leain that while our district is parched with drought Nelson enjoyed_ for nine hours last night a heavy and incessant down pour. Blasting Accident. —Another accident has occurred from tamping a shot at the Blue Spur (says the “ Tuapeka Times. ” On Saturday last a man named Harris, while tamping a shot in the Extended Company’s claim it ignited, and blue in the poor fellow’s face. Fears were enter tained that his sight was injured, but be yond a slight disfigurement of the face, he has escaped without any serious injury.

A Clever Optical Illusion, now on view in Dunedin, is thus described :—“ In the middle of a square, formed of chintz drrperies, is placed a table, or rather a circular slab of wood, about one inch thick, resting on four skeleton legs, under which is seen the draperies on the walls. On top of the table, six inches from it, is a smaller table or tripod, and apparently resting on this tripod is the living bust of a young woman. Below the waist is a perfectly blank space, with merely the edges of the table and tripod intersecting the line of sight. The young lady who thus consents to be partly cut off from the world appears to be in a perfectly easy position, and reads, fans herself, or gazes upon visitors in a manner which denotes the utmost comfort. The spec tator only stands about* eight feet from the table, but short as the distance is, the illusion is complete, and, so far as the eye is concerned, the decit is perfect. The Melbourne Cup. —Over 43,000 persons travelled from Melbourne to Flemington by rail on the day of the Melbourne Cup, the cash received by the pilway department amounting to £636?*

Supreme Court Libraries. —The con dition of the Libraries attached to the Supreme Court in the various districts ought to receive some attention (says the Jurist). In Christchurch, for instance, the Library does not even possess the Law Times Reports, the Weekly Reporter, or the English Jurist. Native Industry. —The Victorian Min ister of Railways has been so well satis fied with the result of his action in calling for tenders for the construction of railway carriage wheels in the colony, that he has decided on taking a similar course with respect to engine wheels, which hitherto have always been imported. A Coy Bride. —The “ Thames Adver tiser” says “A capital groundwork for a sensation novel was laid in Shortland the other day. It appears that a young man from the country was smitten with the charms of one of Eve’s daughters resi dent at a Grahamstown hotel, and after a short courtship it was resolved that they should be united in Hymen’s bond’s to day. Presents were given to the fickle minded inamorata, the wedding dress provided, and the confiding swain returned to business, when, alas! the ficlde-minded damsel, without any apparent reason, returned the presents, stating that she had no intention of marrying the young man. Some intimation of the change reached him, so without delay he saddled his horse, and, at the risk of his neck, rode post haste to Shortland, where he immediately sought an interview with the fickle fair one, and once more prevailed upon her to unite her lot with his. Bear ing in mind the adage ‘ strike the iron while it is hot,’ he at once took out a license, and, accompanied by his intended wife, bridesmaid, and best man, proceeded to chucrch, had the hymeneal knot tied, and proceeded to their temporary home ; but, unexpected denouement! at about dusk the newly-wedded wife quietly stole away from the house, and left the bride groom lamenting. The young man is still looking out for his wife. ” The Education Craze. —ln an article on what is aptly calls “The Education Craze” the “ Pall Mall Gazette” says:— “ The cleverest children —those *in whom mother wit has not been entirely extinguish ed beneath heaps of disjointed historical and scientific facts —seems to be those who. instead of answering the examiners accord ing to their folly, dodge them humorously and reply as though they were dealing with mere expounders of corundrums. A clock maker’s daughter called upon to explain the meaning of ‘ the devil and all his works,’ said his ‘ works ’ meant his inside. A boy of genius, asked what he meant by ‘ poor in spirit,’ replied, ‘ them as have little gin left in the bottle. ’ Conscience having been described as ‘ a hinward monitor,’ the in spector called upon an intelligent pupil to say what a monitor was, when the youth' replied, ‘ A hironclad. ’ Such answers as ‘ Turkey is the capital of Norfolk,’ ‘Tureen is the capital of Chiner ’ —due to lads who had completed a three years’ course at a metropolitan board school—would pass in a Strand burlesque as jokes. The boy, however, also a certificated three years’ student—who gave ‘ Devonshire, Exeter, Littikus, Numbers, Stronomy, Jupiter, Judges, Ruth, &c.,’ as the names of the books of the Old Testament was apparently in earnest. So also was that other lad who, full of what Strauss would have called ‘ the stern common sense of ordin ary mankind,’ said he did not know what a miracle was ; that if he saw the sun shining overhead at midnight he should call it the moon ; that if he were told it were the sun he should say it was a lie ; and that if the school examiner in person declared positively it was the sun he should say that the school examiner was ‘ werry drunk. ’” The Wetherstones GoldMines. —The “Tuapeka Times” of the 13th says:— “ The Wetherstones Cement Gold Mining Company fired a very successful blast of 4 cwt. of powder in their claim on Friday. It had the desired effect of breaking up a large quantity of ground. Since the open ing of the battery on Wednesday the machine has been working every day, but arrangements have now been made to keep it going night and day. At present e v ery thing i 3 being, put through, and in the course of a few clays the men will have a good face to work at, instead of being cramped for room as they are at present. The plate 3 present unmistakeable signs of a good yield, and the expectations of the shareholders are very buoyant. The machine has worked splendidly ever since the water was turned on, and the side deliveries, which are an improvement on the spur batteries, are suiting their pur pose admirably.” Not Wellington Only.— The “Mana watu Herald” is severely critical at the expense of Wellington playgoers in the following extract: —“Madame Tasca, the eminent pianist, has recently been per forming in Wellington to very thin houses. Mademoiselle Charbonnet also gave a series of piano selections at Wellington a week or two ago, but played each night to a poor house. The fact appears to be that ip. Wellington musical taste is not suffi ciently cultivated to enjoy such exquisite music as Mozart’s and Beethoven’s. ‘ Tommy make room for your uncle’ and f Real jam’ are nearer the gauge of a Wel lington audience. ” 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 & Go. offer special advantages to the public that can be met with nowhere 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 being bought entirely upon cash terms, they are enabled to ofler goods of suffi sterling value as cannot be equalled by any other house in the trade. Every article in stock is marked at the lowest price, from which no abatement is made go jffiat tj»e most inexperienced buy their goods at the same pices as the best J

TO-DAY’S CABLEGRAMS.

London, Nov. 26. The San Francisco mail has been deli vered.

The Marquis of Lome landed at Halifax and received an enthusiastic reception. The British have entered Boka, south of Molan, and are marching on Jellalabad, which is stated to have been evacuated. The population are friendly to the British, and are refusing succour to the defeated troops. The continental press is rejoicing at the British successes. Liberal leaders deny that former Go vernment is responsible for the Afghan war. Bucharest, Nov. 25. Roumania has occupied Dobrudseha. The Russian Government are waiving their demands for a permanent right of way through territory.

TO-DAY’S TELEGRAMS.

Wellington, Wednesday. The Athenaeum Committee has resolved to remit the question of opening the read ing room 3 of the Athenaeum on Sunday to a general meeting to be called in a week or two.

An unusual storm of thunder and light ning passed over the city last night. It has been decided to fun cars in single stages, from one end of the city to the other, doing away with the present short stages. The police yesterday served a summons on George Wood, of Waniniomata, calling upon him to answer, on Friday next, for having committed a breach of “ The Lunatics Act, 1868.” Several fatal cases of diphtheria are reported from Wairarapa. The election for the Mayoralty is culmi nating in the keenest election contest ever known. There being only one poll ing place, with an ordinary door as entrance, and large crowds collected out side all the morning, each voter has to wait his turn, which takes some consider able time in consequence of a block at the door. Nelson, Wednesday. One of the heaviest rainfalls known for some time occurred last night. It com menced about 8.30, lasting till 5 this morning. It was accompanied with heavy thunder and very vivid lightning, but with comparatively little wind.

COUNTY COUNCIL.

TO-DAY.

The first meeting of the newly elected Council was held in the Council Office. There were present Messrs. W. C. Walker, J. C. Wason, A. Saunders, E. G. Wright, C. Reed, John Grigg, Duncan Cameron and E. S. Coster.

Mr. Wason, in moving the re-election of Mr. W. C. Walker, as Chairman, paid a high compliment to Mr. Walker for the manner in which he had conducted the business. He referred also to the division of funds Mr. Walker had made, by which larger sums had been given to certain Road Boards than to others, and defended the Chairman’s action, pointing out that those Boards being badly situated as re gards rivers, the apportionment had been made with a view to putting those Boards in a position to build bridges at their own expense. Mr. Cameron seconded the motion, approving of Mr. Walker’s conduct and the apportionment of the funds made by him.

Mr. Grigg did not rise with any idea of finding fault with Mr. Walker’s appoint ment, but to take exception to the im prudent arrangement under which the money was divided. Mr. Grigg allowed that there were awkward rivers in the dis tricts referred to, but the principle on which public money should be distributed ought to be the greatest good for the greatest number. This principle had not been followed in the Chairman’s appor tionment. Tho largest sum of money had been given to a district where there ivas the least area of settlement and the least rates collected, simply because there was a river to bridge. The Act divided the County into ridings, so that one riding should not have an undue advantage over the other—this arrangement being exactly parallel to the division of municipalities into wards. Mr. Grigg would only be too delighted if Mr. Walker could remove from his (Mr. G. ’s) mind that an unfair thing had been done in the division of the money. Mr. Reed pointed out that the bridges over the river would be for the benefit, not of the upper, but of the lower districts. It was from the latter and not the former that the traffic came.

Mr. Wright was sorry that Mr. Grigg should have felt aggrieved over the distri bution. He overlooked a fact in refer ence to municipality funds that these are annually recurring funds. The money distributed by Mr. Walker had been revenue from land fund which could ordy recur once. The Ashburton district had received a large subsidy from the Provin cial Council —not more than it was enti tled to, but certainly far more than any other district, and the Mount Somers district had received nil. The Rakaia had not been neglected either, and at the present moment the materials were in the colony for a bridge over their river at a cost of £SOOO, voted by the Council. Considering these matters he felt the division was perfectly fair. Mr. Saunders had no opposition to offer to Mr. Walker’s election, although he had already expressed himself unfavor ably to it. If the argument of Mr. Wright, that the Rakaia had received £SOOO for a bridge, should be taken into consideration, then the £IO,OOO for a railway to Mount Somers should not be overlooked. The distribution had been done on ho principle whatever,[and the money had hew handed

over to the Boards without any condition, so that there, was no possibility of the .Council having any control over the devo tion of that money. Mr. Walker replied that, in reference to Mr. Grigg’s desire to be converted, he was sorry that he despaired. He had always observed that those districts that had the money grudged it to those which had not. He had allocated the money with the view to helping especially those districts which had no arterial communication, to supply themselves. He could obtain no pledge, but he had left upon those Road Boards who had received the lion’s share a moral obliga tion to spend the money in that direction, and he was happy to say that these were already acting out the. object he had in view. The establishment of communica tion in those districts was the most weighty reason he could advance for giving them the larger share of the money. Mr. Walker was elected Chairman. Mr. Walker returned his thanks for re-election, stating that nothing would be wanting on his part to fulfil its duties properly. . He then reviewed his conduct during the month, and the business to come before the meeting that day. [Left sitting.]

TELEGRAPHIC.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

[By Submarine Cable.]

[Special to Globe.] London, undated. The Liberals are organising an opposi tion to voting supplies. The advance into Afghanistan continues without further conflicts. It will probably terminate in Candahar and Jellalabad until spring. The German Legation at Copenhagen has been withdrawn. The Duke of Cum berland has left. War is feared.

AUSTRALIAN.

Sydney,- Nov. 20. Particulars of the strike amongst the Sydney seamen show that when the steamer Victoria was about to leave the wharf for Cooktown, the men deserted in a body, apparently according to some pre arranged plan, but left two or three Euro peans below to prevent accident. Chinese crews were then put on the Victoria and the Boomerang. The wharf laborers also struck. The men all belong to the Sea men’s Union, and ascribe the strike to the reduction of pay from £7 to £6. Chinese were put on board steamers'trading be tween Sydney, Fiji, and New Caledonia, which the Union considers part of the Intercolonial trade. A. deputation from the Seamen’s Union to the directors of the company lasted for three hours, but had no result. The Chinese receive four pounds less per month than Europeans, and cost less for food. The company employ 160 Chinamen. The seamen held a meeting in the Protestant Hall, and resolved not to work the steamers where Chinamen were employed. At Newcastle the crew of the steamer Coonanbarra deserted in a body. The Union has issued notices to firemen, trimmers, sailors, stewards, cooks, and others. During the year 1878, 2388 Chinamen arrived in New South Wales.

Seaman, firemen, stewards and cooks on the A. S. N, Company’s vessels struck ow ing to the employment of Chinamen aboard the vessels. The company explained to the Seamen’s Union that the employment of Chinamen was to be limited to vessels trading in tropical waters, and probably on this understanding an amicable settle ment -will be arrived at. In the meantime all the A. S. N. Company’s vessels are left without crews. The Company have’ tele graphed to China for labor, and the vessels have to be laid up. ' Adelaide, Nov. 20. The ostriches recently brought here for sale are to be taken to New Zealand.

WAR IN CALEDONIA,

Sydney, Nov. 20.

Rebels still infest the Boulapari district, and notwithstanding that they are only armed with spears, clubs, slings, and a few guns, they have night after night attacked their well armed white enemies, burning dwellings under the very noses of the sol diers. The settlers keep horses saddled ready for attack at any moment, but the savages disappear before they can catch even a glimpse of them. The soldiers with a large body of friendlies however are wearing them out and reducing their num bers. A hopeless, horrible case of ferocity has just come to light. One of the rebels burned out the eyes of a woman because she refused to go with him. Fifteen sol diers and two friendlies attacked the rebels in a rocky fastness, but found the passage barred by timber barricades im possible to penetrate. The friendlies be haved well. The various stations visited by the troops were found devastated, and a number of corpses from the massacre in September were strewn around. On a march lately the Colonel found the leg of a European freshly cooked. Expeditions are being sent out constantly from Bourail and Boulapari, generally with the result of the capture of a number of prisoners, and leaving a number killed. The troops intent to employ dynamite to drive the rebels out of their rocky fastnesses.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Per Press Agency and Exchanges.]

Auckland, Tuesday.

The death is announced of Mother Mary Cecilia, Superioress of the Sisters of Mercy. She founded the convent thirty years ago. A private letter, describing the wreck of the Tubal Cain, states that she found ered off a reef at the south-east point of Ono Island at night. The vessel has been stripped, and the wreckage sold. The grocers’ assistants have resolved to canvass the employers on the question cf granting a half-holiday on Wednesdays or Saturdays. Hew Plymouth, Tuesday. In reply to a deputation which waited on Mr. Sheehan respecting immigration, he said that men for harvesting should be obtained in the same way as they were by the Canterbury and Otago people, who got them by sending to Victoria for them.

ALong Act.— An exchange says -.-—The longest Act passed in the recent session of the British Parliament was to consolidate and amend the law relating to the public health in Ireland. There are 294 clauses in the statute and several schedules, exten ing to thirty-four sheets. The Act is divided into several parts, and treats on sanitary matters and infectious deseases. Among the penalties is one of £lO for any person having a “ wake ” over a person of an infectious disorder.

AN OBTUSE MAN.

She was a stylish young lady, about 18 years old, and to accommodate a friend she took the baby out for an airing. ; She was wheeling it up. and down the .walk, when an oldish man, very deaf, came along and inquired for a certain person supposed to live on that street. She nearly yelled her head off trying to answer him, and he looked around, caught sight of the baby, and said “ Nice ehild, that; I suppose you feel proud of him ?” , \ “ It isn’t mine !” she' yelled at him. “Boy, eh! Well, lie looks just like you.” v :. “ It isn’t mine !” she yelled again, but he nodded his head and continued : “ Twins, eh ! Where’s the ,other one ?” Despairing of making him understand by word of mouth, she pointed to the baby, at herself, and then shook her. head. “ Yes—yes, I see ; t’other twin .in the house. Their father is fond of them, of course ?” She turned the cab and hurried the other way, but he followed and asked : “ Do they kick round much at nights ?” “I tell you ’tain’t mine !” she 'shouted, looking very red in the face. “I think you’re wrong there,” he an swered. “Children brought up on the bottle are apt to pine and die. ” She started on a run for the gate, but before she had opened it he came up, and asked :

“Have to spank ’em once in awhile, I suppose ?” . She made about twenty gestures in a half a minute, and he helped the cab through the gate and said : “ Our children were all twins, and I’ll send my wife down to give you some advice. You see—”

But she picked up a flower-pot and flung it at him. He jumped back, and, as she entered the house, he called out:

“ Hope insanity won’t break out on the twins !”

The Mineral Wealth op China.—The vast coal-fields of China and its alleged gold and silver mines have as yet but little scientific development. The Chinese have neglected the mineral resources of their country themselves, and have been too jealous of foreigners to allow any close investigation to be made of their under ground wealth. Recently, however, Li- Hung-Chang, Viceroy of the province of Chihli, authorised the United States Con sul at Tientsin to engage and- despatch a mining engineer and expert from America to examine and report upon the mineral resources of Northern China, Mr. Arnold Hague, of San Francisco, who has been lately employed on a similar mission to Guatemala, has been selected for this ser vice, and has taken his departure for Asia. As his explorations will be con ducted under the patronage of a powerful Viceroy and one of the most influential pf the Imperial councillors, the result will probably be important if not satisfactory. In the meantime, some of the Californians are sanguine enough to hope that the dis covery of gold and silver mines at home may attract the Chinese from the Pacific coast back to China, and thus prevent the necessity of adopting the course recom mended by Mr. Kearney, the working, man’s champion, of “kicking the China man across the Pacific.” New Machines.— At the recent Show' / held by the National Agricultural Associa tion of Victoria, Mr. sheep shearing machine, which was driven by a hot-air engine, not by steam, performed the work of shearing the wool off the sheep in a completely satisfactory manner, surmounting obstacles and cutting clean in corners without wo undirig the skin. It is evident, however (says the “ Argus,”), that a reliable method of driving the cutters is as much a desideratum as" ever. An efficient flexible driving shaft has yet to be discovered, for the ropes employed by-My- Wolseley broke. The steam tree feller is a crosscut saw, working horizon tally, and driven direct from the cylinder of a horizontal engine. It cut through an 18in. log of dry hardwood in three mm utes, There is no question about its abil ity to do the work quickly, but it is adapted for such purposes as sawing off the tops of piles employed in forming piers and wharves rather than in 1 levelling our native forests. Whilst the apparatus was being shifted in rangy country, a couple • : of good axemen could h&v© done wo

Wednesday, November 27, 1878.]

THE EVENING ECHO.



General Stores. COAL AND FIREWOOD, OATS AND CHAFF, IN LARGE OR SMALL QUANTITIES. F. DOHERTY, BEGS to remind his Customers and Friends that he is Selling Every Article in Stock at the LOWEST Possible PRICE for CASH. SPRING & SUMMERD RAPERY AND READY-MAEE CLOTHING, Just Arrived, OF THE LATEST STALES ONLY. WASHING MACHINES Just Imported, of the Latest Improvements for Saving Labor. AMERICAN TUBS, all Sizes, Iron & Wood. CAMBRIDGE ROLLERS in Stock. FARMERS’ “REQUISITES GARDEN TOOLS, And Seeds of every description. In Stock and to Arrive. F. DOHERTY, GENERAL STOREKEEPER, IMPORTER WINE AND SPIRIT MERCHANT. Peter Street, Ashburton.



ANDO AND s 0 L S E N, FAMILY GROCERS, TENT, TARPAULIN, AND HORSE CLOTH MAKERS, AND GENERAL STOREKEEPERS, EAST STREET, ASHBURTON. Orders Delivered to all'Parts of the Town. FLAGS of ALL NATIONS Sup plied to Order and Let out on Hire. Note the address — SANDO & OLSEN, EAST S7REET, ASHBURTOPT. NOTICE ! NOTICE !! NOTICE IV REMOVAL, JpiIRTH, jpASS AND QO., Beg to inform the Inhabitants of Ashburton and surrounding’districts that they have REMOVED TO THEIR NEW PREMISES, Next the Union Bank of Australia EAST STREET. piRTH, PASS, & CO. take this oppor unity of thanking their nomeious cust®mers irho have so liberally supported them hitherto, nd to solicit a continuance of their patronage t the NE W PREMISES,



TO BE CALLED THE OLD BANK STORES (late union bank). Orders entrusted to our care will re ceive prompt attention. Families waited on for ordets weekly. FIRTH, PASS, AND CO., Grocers, Drapers, Ironmongers, WIN® AND SPIRIT Ac. HAf? mm



FENCING WIRE. 2Q TONS Just Received, and on Sale at LOWEST PRICES. A. O. AITKEN & CO., Havelock Street. Fish. Fish. Fish. MICHAEL DARCY begs to announce the opening of his new FISH STORE, Adjoining the Echo Office, East Street. Fresh Fish Daily. Crayfish, Cockles, Moki, Groper, &c. Dried Fish always on Hand. by post or otherwise punc tually attended to, and familes waited on.