SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

PORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVED. May 12 —Wanaka, s.s., from South. Sailed. May 13 —Wanaka, s.s., for North. May 13 —Southern Cross, s.s., for North. May 13 —Pleiades, ship, for London.

POST OFFICE NOTICES.

Mails at the Ashburton Post Office close as follows :

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

UNCLAIMED LETTERS,

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, 1878 : Gooch, George C. Gray, George Hayward, Win. 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.

The Evening Echo. MONDAY, MAY 13, 1878.

All holders of subscription lists for the forth coming Steeplechases are requested to hand the same into Committee at their meeting on Friday next. Mr. J. A Hooper’s company give their first entertainment to-night in the Library I fall. Their appearances have been well spoken of by the press, and doubtless their fame will bring a large patronage to them to-night and to-mor row, which evenings will compose their Ash burton season.

The following entries were made with the Hon. Secretary on Saturday night for the Ash burton County Steeplechase Handicap. The weights will appear about Saturday next: — P. Husband’s b.g. Raven. C. E. Fooks’ g.g. billy Buttons. J. J. Dawson’s b.g. Ivanhoe. ~ b.g. Lone Hand. W. Compton’s c.g. Faugh-a-Ballagh. A. Devery’s c.g. Te Kooti. E. Saunders’ b.g. The Rake.

On Thursday last Miss Saunders experienced an adventure which might have been attended by more serious results. Having ridden the well-known cross-country horse Barry Lyndon down to the beach, in company with one of her brothers, the animal became restive, and in the lady’s efforts to restrain him, the stirrup broke and the horse immediately bolted in a direct line for his stables, a distance of some nine miles. Thhoise reached home safely, having been excellently handled by Miss Saunders througln u this impn mptu steeplechase. A meeting of the Ashburton Steeplechase Committee was held at the Somerset Hotel on Saturday evening; all the members present. Several matters of detail were discussed and left with the Secretary to carry out. A letter was read from the proprietor of the Evening Post, offering to advertise the race programme at a specially low rate, but it was determined to decline the offer, the Committee generally being of opinion that sufficient publicity had already been given to the events. The Com mittee resolved that the privileges for publican’s and refreshment booth, fruit stall, race cards, and right of sports, be sold on Saturday next ; ami that offers would be received for the right to erect a temporary grand stand. After the appointment of a ground committee, consisting of Messrs Crisp, Wilkie, and Saunders, the meeting adjourned until Friday next at S p.m. The gale of yesterday was one of consider able force, evidence of which is given by the damage done. The back walls of Mr Mont gomery’s fine new buildings in East-street were blown out, and otherwise damaged. Several shop windows will require the glazier ; and in one case the shutters had to be nailed on to prevent a store being blown up. During the day planks of wood were travelling about at the wind’s will like sheets of paper, and pedes trians found it a toilsome and unpleasant task to make progress against the dust-laden gn!e. About mid-day some rain fell, but not nearly enough to penetrate the ground to the satisfac tion of the farmer. The morning service in the Primitive Methodist Chapel was brought to a somewhat abrupt conclusion, owing to the threatening oscillation of the building.

A football match was played on Saturday afternoon between representatives of the Can terbury Yeomanry Cavalry and the Ashburton Football Club in a paddock kindly lent by Mr. Hay T. Smith. Lieut. Slater captained the cavalry, and Mr. S. Saunders the civilians. Ashburton winning the toss, selected the goal slightly favored by the wind, and although their opponents possessed a great superiority in weight, and played with considerable determi nation, they had the best of the game through out. We cannot compliment our visitors on any extraordinary display of science, but they can give and take rough usage with an evident indifference which augurs well for their hearing in actual warfa.e. The game was a succession of mauls and scrimmages, many of the soldiers, without possessing any very definite idea of what course was conducive towards victory, esteeming solitary possession of the ball a point to be gained at any sacrifice, and an advamage they struggled for with equal rigour against friend and foe. The play was rather severe, and we regret to say that Mr. Chamberlain, who threw aside all discretion in his plausible anxiety to render distinguished service to his colleagues, sustained a nasty shaking by a fall consequent on an unceremonious visit to his waist by Trooper Buchanan’s head. The non combatants, however, soon contre temps, Trooper Hopper’s lower limbs being dismantled, and several brothers-in-arms re ceiving impressive attentions from civilians which sensibly affected them. Towards the close of the game the Ashburton captain, a little assisted by the retiring disposition of a very popular officer who should have been opposing him, secured a tone’ll down for the local team, and time being shortly afterwards called without any other score, victory rested with the club. Trooper Buchanan played for the militaiy in fine form, while Messrs. Den shire, Risely, and Westenra desire special mention for services rendered the victors.

The following conversation is reported to have taken place between a gamekeeper and a patient looking through the iron gate of a Canadian lunatic asylum :—Patient : That’s a line horse ; what is it worth ? Keeper : Five hundred dollars. Patient : And what did that gun cost ? Keeper : One hundred dollars. Patient: And those dogs? Keeper: Eighty dollars, I believe. Patient : What have you got in that game hag? Keeper : A woodcock. Patient : Well, now, you had better hurry on, for if our governor catches a man who has spent 680 dollars to get a woodcock worth thirty cents, lie’ll have him under lock and key in no time I tell you. —Canada Globe.

The colonists of Queensland are complaining of the depredations caused by large Hocks of kangaroos which are overrunning the settled districts in the interior and destroying the crops and vegetation of all kinds. The ravages of these marsupials, combined with the havoc wrought by the rabbits, which have increased to so alarming an extent in nearly all the Aus tralian colonies, are causing serious losses to the farmers and cattle raisers. The inroads of the kangaroos are partly attributed to the drought, which has prevailed in the interior of Australia, and which has driven these animals to seek food in the settled districts. Large expeditions ate organised with the object of destroying and driving off these undesirable visitors, and as many as a thousand kangaroos have been killed in a single day. The skins arc sold and made into leather of an excellent quality.

DURATION OF LIFE.

In ancient Rome, if the imperfect statistics of those times may be trusted, the average duration of human life, even among people who were in the most comfortable circumstances was not more than thirty years. During the present century, the average for per sons in a similar situation has already increased to fifty years. The average duration of life in Geneva, during the sixteenth century, was 2T.21 years, it was 40.68 from 1814 to 1836, and the number of persons who live to reach the age of 70, in that city at the present day, is as great as that of those who three centuries ago reached the age of forty-three years. In 1693 the English Government borrowed money and agreed to repay by life annuities calcu lated upon what had been ascertained to be the average duration of life at the time. Upon trial it was found that the adjustment was satisfactory for both parties. A similar experiment in life annuities was tried by Pitt ninety-seven years later, upon the same basis, and the result was this time highly advan tageous for the government. The average duration of life in England, during that period of ninety-seven years had changed to such an extent that the operation proved disastrous for the !or the Government. Upon the cal culations of 16 r 9 ten thousand human beings of both sexes died under the age of twenty-eight; at the time of Pitt’s operation the number was only 6. r 16. The difference, of course, affected the result very materially. The point to which we wish to call attention is that the great improvements which have been introduced in modern times into the conditions of life must be followed by a still further increase in longevity.

A BUNCH OF VIOLETS.

“Don’t tease me. lads,” she said ; “Wait till old Winter goes. How can a lassie think of love When cold the north wind blows, And the grass hides ’neath the snows ? “ What time the violets In clusters blue I see, A bunch I’ll gather dewy sweet For somebody —and he My own sweetheart shall be.” Green grew the earth below, And bright the sky above, And the birds sang clear loud songs of joy, And soft sweet songs of love, From ev’ry wood and grove. The pink-white apple buds Hung on the orchard tree, And the violets she gathered were The fairest that could be, For—she gave them all to me !

SINGULAR STORY.

The bellringer in the cathedral of Wurtzburg has perished under very sin gular circumstances. The church pos sesses a splendid clock, with ponderous and complicated works, while a pendu lum of proportionate length vibrates to and fro with a dull and monotonous thud. Recently the clock needed clean ing, and the ringer was deputed to superintend the work, though he rue fully endeavored to be excused from the task. It seems that he never willingly approached the belfry from certain unpleasant associations. About twenty years ago he killed his predecessor in office, accusing him of carrying on a criminal intrigue with his wife. When brought to trial, he escaped the gallows owing to a deficiency of legal proof. The patronage of one of the canons then procured him the appointment then vacant through the death of his victim. Hence, it is said, arose his superstitious dread in connection with the belfry, which was supposed to be haunted by the ghost of the murdered ringer. On the morning when the clock was to be cleaned it suddenly stopped, and the bellringer was no where to be found. A workman from the town was sent for, and ascended the tower, when he was horrified to find the pendulum and lower works dripping with blood. 'Upon searching further, the body of the bellringer was found entangled in the work, and frightfully mangled and crushed. One supposition is that he committed suicide by climbing up the pendulum and then pitching himself into the middle of the machinery of the clock. But the wonder-loving gossips of the place, with a thoroughly German propensity for the horrible, declare that the guilty man, upon reach ing the gloomy chamber wherein the works revolved, was horror-stricken by the apparition of his predecessor sitting astride the great balance wheel of the clock, and had then been drawn into the works in a species of horrible fascina tion similar to that which the rattlesnake is said to exercise over its prey. There sat the spectre, rubbing its gory hands with hideous glee as the victim was slowly drawn in among the cogwheels and ratchets of the machinery. An agonising- yell, a crushing of bones, and all was still ! Such, according to the Italic , is the newest legend of the belfry of Wurtzburg.

Marriage begins with courting, some times ends in courting, the first kind being proceedings in courtship, and the second being proceedings in the court house—such, for example, as suits for maintenance, separation, and divorce. The international pedestrian contest in London ended in Daniel O’Leary, of Chicago, winning the first prize. He performed the unparalleled feat of walk ing 520 miles and 440 yards in 5 days 19 hours. There were originally twenty nine entries for the contest ; but some were rejected and others withdrawn, so that only fourteen actually competed. Among these were the best pedestrians of England. Undoubtedly, O’Leary ranks first among pedestrians; and although the world does not specially need a man who can walk 520 miles in six days—unless he can do something else also—yet it is well to know what [. luck and endurance can accomplish.

EGGS

The work of examining and packing eggs for the market has become quite an industry in New York, and the trade in eggs has now many large establish ments in that city devoted to it. The firm of Long and Brother, one of the largest, receives consignments of eggs from every part of the country, but chiefly from the Western States. The eggs arrive in barrels, each containing about seventy dozen, eggs packed in straw. On. arrival, the barrels are re moved to darkened rooms, where they are carefully inspected by men who are technically termed “ candlers - ” Two men take a barrel, remove the head, and dump the contents very carefully on the floor. They then sit down with a lighted sperm candle between them, close to the heap of eggs, and rapidly examine each one by passing it between the candle flame and the eye. If good, it is placed in a basket on the sideoppositetheheap; if bad or cracked, laid on the floor. A day’s work for one man is from ten to fifteen barrels. One year’s apprentice ship at least is required to make a man a rapid and skillful candler, and some take a much longer time to become pro ficient. The indications of badness are sometimes so slight that spoiled eggs may fail to be detected by an unskillful candler.

The candlers keep an accurate ac count of the “ loss ” of each barrel, and make their returns every night when the day’s work is over. What the average of loss is would be difficult to ascertain. It varies with the season, and may be increased by careless packing or rough handling or delay on the railroads. Although the packing material com monly used is cut straw, oats have been tried in hot weather with advantage. At this season of the year eggs are not cand led, and are sold by the package just as they arrive ; but in warm weather every egg is handled and examined as above described.

An idea of the extent of the business may be formed from the fact that the firm receive annually from 80,000 to 100,000 barrels, containing nearly 100,000,000 eggs, representing a money value of from 850,000 to 900,000 dollars. 1 hese figures, from one out of the many houses engaged in this line of business, indicate the extent of the trade in eggs throughout the country. — Harper's Weekly.

TELEGRAPHIC.

The Eastern Situation.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

[By Submarine Cable.]

St. Petersburg, May 3,

It is semi-officially stated here that the principle of direct negotiations be tween London and St. Peteisburg have been adopted. It is expected that Russia will issue letters of marque to the United States in the event of war.

May 7. The desire for peace is increasing. General Todleben shortly retires. He will live at Tchamaldwa. Constantinople, May 6. Servia is increasing her armament. The President of the Ottoman Coun cil of State has declared that Turkey will observe neutrality. The Russians have occupied Travady, and have cut off all communication between Tarna and Shumla, which, to gether with Batoum, they are urging the Turkish Government to surrender. May 7. The Russians offer to retire in a straight line from Adrianople if the British ironclad squadron is withdrawn. Insurrectionary movements in Rou melia are increasing. May 8. The Russians have removed their depots to Tchalldji. Washington, May 3. Fenian agents are active in the United States. Athens, May 7. Clannish insurrectionary movements in Thessaly and Macedonia have ceased, through British mediation.

THE EVENING ECHO, MONDAY, MAY 13, 1878,



ASHBURTON RETAIL PRICKS. PROVISION, &c., .r. LIST. d. s. d. Butter, inferior to best, l? lb o 8 to I 0 lif&js, (jf dozen 2 6 to 0 0 Bacon, prime smoked, li? lb 0 10 to 0 0 Hams in cloth, li? lb - 1 0 to 0 0 Cheese, prime quality, b? lb 0 8 to 0 0 Klour in bags, i)>' ioolb 15 Oatmeal, U ioolb - 26 0 to . 0 0 0 to 0 0



FIVE SHILLING PACKETS of COP PERS to he had at the “ Echo ” office.