SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

PORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVED. April 25 —Taiaroa, s.s., from South. SAII.HI). April 25 —Taiaroa, s.s., for North.

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. For Chertsey at 10.20 a. in. daily. For Rakaia at 10.20 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Ashburton South, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine at 10.30 a.m. daily. For Ashton, VVaterton, and Longbeach at 2.45 p.m. daily.

For Temuka, Tiinarn and South at 10.30 a.in. and 3 p.m. daily. For Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks. Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10,30 a. m.

The Evening Echo. THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1878.

Mails for the United Kingdom, etc., via San Francisco, close at Ashburton at 10 a.m. to morrow (Friday). Loud complaints continue to come from business men of the dilatory transmission of goods committed to the care of the Railway authorities. Sometimes as much loss is caused by these delays as would cover the cost of sending a dray to Christchurch to bring up the goods ; and not seldom would they make tin distance in a shorter time per dray than they do per train.

At the meeting last night of the Ashburton Mutual Improvement Society, the election of office-bearers was proceeded with, and resulted as follows:—President, Mr. A. O. Aitken ; Vice-President, Mr. G. W. Andrews; Secre tary (re-elected), Mr. D. Ross ; Treasurer (re-elected), Mr. G. W. Andrews. Mr. K. Sando, the retiring'Vice-President, in thank ing the members for the courtesy shown to him during the two quarters he had held the office he now vacated, set forth the advantages to be derived from the meetings of such a Society, instanced a similar one in Dunedin as a suit able illustration, and urged the newly-elected officers to enter into their work with heart if they would secure success. Owing to a lec ture in the hall next Wednesday, the meeting of the Society will be held on the Wednesday following, when essays will be read by Messrs A. O. Aitken and G. W. Andrews.

The first annual Dog Show was held in Christchurch yesterday, and proved a most decided success, the exhibits being numerous and of very high merit, and the attendance of the public at all times of the day very Inree. Space will not allow 11s to give a detailed notice of the various classes, but we may mention that Ashburton was not without representatives, Messrs Saunders Brothers securing first prize in Greyhound sluts with their black and white Ouida—by Streak-of-Light out of Lufra. There was keener competition for this prize than for any other in the show, and as candidates from the neighbouring provincial districts, Australia, and recent importations from England entered the lists, the winners may justly be proud of their favorite. The same gentlemen secured second prize for Beagle puppies with Welcome. The well-known fox-terrier Daisy, however, at ■ the hands of the judges.

It is definitely settled that Dr. Somerville will not address any meetings at Ashbmton the calls upon his time elsewhere the possibility of holding even one meeting in this town. Those, therefore, who desire to listen to this stirring preacher will have to make the journey to Christchurch if they would enjoy the treat. The last opportunity of heating lvipt after to-night will be on Friday (to-morrowf at noon and at 7.30 in the evening in St’ Paul’s Church, Cashel Street, Christchurch. Two men were yesterday tried at Christ church for playing unlawful games on the race course. One of them, Peter Pasche, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. His modus operand! was as follows : A wheel of fortune foi.ned out of two boards jointed in the centre by hinges. At the end nearest die ac cused (composed of timber of two thicknesses) were a number of small holes, and on a common pin being placed in either of these and slightly pushed, it forced out a spring, which pressed against the vertical revolving spindle, by means of which the horizontal arrows on the top of the board could be stopped at any desired point Several parties had been victimised, and accus ed had started with a capital of £$ ( ] )e morning, and when apprehended it had increased to Z 56 I os. The other prisoner played profit ably the well-known “ three-card trick.” H e got nine months with had labor.

The dead body found in the drain at Meadow- Farm, near Christchurch, has not been identi fied with any degree of certainty, but the probability is, from the evidence at the inquest yesterday, that his name was John Day Nothing is known of his antecedents The verdict was, “Found drowned.”

for kissing the hand of a married woman, and declaring that he loved her, John Curtis Bell, painter, Sheffield, has been ordered to find sureties to be of good behaviour for twelve months, and to pay costs. The lady said she objected to any one kissing her but her hus band.

Cleaning small waterpipes by the means of eels is the latest piece of Transatlantic ingenu ity. A hole being punched in the tail of a small eel, and a string inserted, the eel is put into the pipe, and speedily wriggles down to the other end, dragging after it the string, to which a bundle of rags is attached. Ihq Sydney Mail says :—A singular and fatal accident has just occurred by the use of dynamite in fishing. An American subject, who has been a resident here for many years, was lately killing fish with this “villainous compound, when from a stray spark or acci dental contact with the smouldering brand that he had in his hand, the fuse attached to the charge of dynamite in the other became ignited. A hile the unfortunate man was watching for a “ school ” of fish, the charge, which he had near his breast, exploded, of course blowing his hand to pieces. On being examined, four holes were found in his chest, for which no account could be given. He was brought into the hospital, but gradually sank and expired. Before his death he stated that he had not lit the fuse, and that lie thought some fragments of the brand had been driven into his chest. On making a post mortem examination of the body, it was found that he had been shot by his own lingers ! The first and more or less of the second joints of the four fingers had been driven into his chest with such force that they smashed some ribs, and injured him internally to such an extent that he succumbed.

Ihe Euabalong correspondent of the Hay Standard, writing under date of the 18th ult., reports the following shocking occurrences : 011 h riday, the 15th ultimo, alansinker, named Janies Johnson, who was camped about six miles I roin Condobolin, went loathe township, and left again for the camp during the severe thunderstorm raging at that place, and when within 300 yaids from the town his horse re fused to face the storm, whereupon he took shelter by a large yellow box tree. After the storm had abated, he and his horse were found dead, having been struck by lightning, which is supposed to have glanced off, striking the un fortunate man and his lioise dead.' On the 14th a mail named Ambrose Glover, who was in the employ of Mr. \V. Berry, with his dog were travelling up the Lachlan with sheep, and were struck dead at Kieacatoo by the electric fluid while taking shelter by a box tree. The poor fellow s clothes were tom to shreds, and scattered for a considerable distance around where his remains lay. M hile a boy named Thomas Hannah, aged 15, sonof a I arm servant, was amusing himself near Airdrie, lie accidentally dropped into a barrel of carbolic acid or sheep dip, which reached to his knees. He was poisoned to such an extent that he died three hours afterwards, the woman who washed him also complaining. An inquest was held in West Kent concerning the death, under peculiar circumstances, of Matthew William Beil, at West Wickham. De ceased was a butcher, ar.d a few days after having dressed the carcase of a bullock he was seized with symptoms pronounced by a doctor to indicate blood poisoning.

The Sydney Evening Nr.os says “We un do stand that Mr. W. ]l. I,ock arrived here from Melbourne within the past few weeks for the purpose of taking to England, with the per mission of the Government, William Creswick, in the Parramatta Lunatic Asylum, who is sup posed to be the veritable Arthur Orton. With a view of carrying out this object, Mr. Lock is possessed of a power of attorney from Chester Orton, brother of the lunatic Arthur, otherwise Cheswick, of whom lie caused portraits to be taken some months ago. and forwarded to Eng land. 1 his resulted in placing at his disposal the swo-ii testimony of 40 or 50 persons verify ing him as the Orton whose name obtained notoriety in connection with the celebrated lichborne case. It appears that Mrs. Jury, who was here, and visited the lunatic in com pany with Mr. Lock, identified Orton as being the person wanted.”

lleie is a hint that might be utilised by those engaged in clearing timber from their land:— Electricity has been applied to a novel use in the East Indies. A platinum wire connected with the poles of a battery is stretched around a tree, and, becoming red hot, is gently see sawed until it burns its way through. It is thought that a tree can be cut down without any waste of timber in about fifteen minutes that would require two hours to fell in the ordinary way.

At.the annual conference in connection with the Church of England Temperance Society, held at Manchester on Monday, November 26, Mi. IT. A. Colville, of Liverpool, read a paper on _ Liverpool Cocoa-houses and Manchester Coffee 1 averns. considered as Counter Attrac tions to the Pubhchouse.” He nanated the histol of the movement in Liverpool, anil said he hoped that ere the year closed the number of cocoa-houses in that town would be increased to thirty. Hie income derived from them now was Tqo.oco per .annum, and a dividend of ten per cent had been declared to the shareholders after a considerable amount had been written oft for depreciation, etc. In Manchester, the first collee tavern opened— that in Shudchill—was taking over/, 100 per week, while the incomes of the other four houses in the city were at the rate of loco per annum. Ile urged thrt such establishments should be started and maintained upon com mercial principles, and that the promoters should enter upon the work as they would upon any other business, as if their living depended upon it, and it would then assuredly be a suc cess. Evidence obtained from the Liverpool police authorities, the people, and the publicans themselves conclusively proved that the opening of the cocoa-rooms had largely decreased the drinking habits of the population.

TIMARU.

[from our own correspondent.]

The past week has been unusually quiet either taken from a business or other point of view. This perhaps may be attributed to the heavy nod-westers which we have been blessed with, and which for the time being imprisoned many who would have “walked abroad.”

Good Friday passed off very quietly, hut few visitors taking the advantage afforded them of visiting Timaru at single fare rates. However, during I* riday and Saturday a steady stream of residents might have been seen depart ing by the trains for “ fresh fields and pastures new” in which to spend their Easter holidays, many doubtless making a flying visit to the Christchurch Autumn Meeting, which has attracted some slight attention even in this distant township. The unfortunate young woman whom I mentioned some short time since as having been committed for trial at the Supreme Court for infanticide has, since her incarceration, become a raving luna tic, and was removed to Sunnyside on Friday.

Crime, I am sorry to say, appears to be on the ascendant amongst the juvenile portion of the Timaru community. On Wednesday last two small lads, aged between seven and nine years of age, were charged at the Resident Magis trate’s Court, one with the larceny of a ball and the other with stealing a rabbit. Both were ordered to be sent to the Industrial School.

An acquisition to our list of charges to he tried at the Supreme Court sittings in June next was made on Thursday by the committal of a man charged at the Waimate Court with larceny of from a dwelling. On Sunday some slight alarm was caused by the report that a man had been found dead, at first supposed to have been murdered. The evidence, however, adduced at the inquest proved that the deceased must have hung him self by a strap from the brace of a shed attached to Messrs. Allan and Stumble’s workshop. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased hung himself whilst in a state of temporary insanity.

AN UNFORTUNATE WASH.

The following amusing story from Bathurst comes to us through the Mt. A. Mail :— One of those thrifty females, of whom crusty bachelors say that the breed is fast dying out, resolved upon converting a scarlet article of her ap parel into a black one. The dye pro vided, amid which there was a quantity of nitrate of silver, and the article duly soaked therein by means of a washing basin, the good lady retired to her couch. Not being of the Mrs. Camp class, so fearfully known by some husbands as “ naggers,” this lady fell asleep. Her husband having returned after working very late, thought, in the excessive dusty and warm weather with which Bathurst has recently been favoured, that a good sluice would do him good. Accordingly, on going to the washing basin he ioand some water already there, and duly washed before turning in. The next morning was Sunday, on which day it is said that people do not rise so early as on other days. Turning in bed, as folks will do, the wife saw a face as black as a coal. With a scream and a spring she was soon out of bed, and the whole house alarmed. She thought some son of Afric’s soil had occupied her husband’s half of the bed, and thus continued to scream the louder as her husband ad ganced to pacify her. ] .ooking at the man as he approached her, this thrifty woman saw at a glance that though the face and hands were those of Esau, the legs were Jacob’s. An explanation fol lowed, and when Mr. G. beheld himself, as his wife held the mirror up to nature, his explanations may not have been loud, but they were deep.

Bret ITarte is said to be in debt to the tune of /, 12,c00. J le writes less than formerly, and bis income is said to be about S4OOO a year, while he lives at the rate of double that amount. He sold his “ Two Men of Sand) - Bar ” for s6co. His hair is turning grey, and he is seldom seen in society. lie is" a slow, pains taking, laborious writer.

WHAT OF THAT!

Tired ! Well, what of that ? Didst fancy life was spent on beds of ease, Fluttering the rose leaves scattered by the breeze ? Come, rouse thee ! woik while it is called to day, Coward, arise ! go forth upon thy way !

Lonely ! And what of that ? Some must be lonely ! ’Tis not given to all To feel a heart responsive rise and fall, To blend another life into its own ! Work may be done in loneliness. Work on.

Dark ! Well, what of that ? Didst fondly dream the sun would never set? Dost thou fear to lose thy way ? Take courage yet ! Learn thou to walk by faith, and not by sight ; 1 by steps will guided be, and guided right.

Hard ! Well, what of that ? Didst fancy life one summer holiday, With lessons none to learn, and naught but play ? Go get thee to thy task ! Conquer or die ; It must be learned ; learn it then patiently.

No help ! Nay, ’tis not so ! Though human help is far, thy God is nigh, Who feeds the ravens, hears His childrens’ cry, He’s near thee, whereso’r thy footsteps roam ; And He will guide thee, light thee, help thee home.

—Phrenological journal.

TELEGRAPHIC.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

[By Submarine Cable.]

The Eastern Situation.

[Per Press Agency.]

Fresh Complications.

London, April 23. The Reserves are mustering largely. An attempt was made to shoot Prince Thuro, equerry to the Emperor of Aus- The assassin was arrested. Ihe Daily Nms Stamboul corres pondent reports a plot of the partisans of Midhat to overthrow the Sultan. The Ministry is suspected of complicity. The Sultan is preparing to go to Broussa, fearing a Russian surprise. Presh troops continue to arrive at Stefano, a few miles from Constanti nople, under pretext of a grand review. Nihilist commotions in Russia alarm the Government.

AUSTRALIAN.

Sydney, April 24. Chester’s yearling brother, St. George, was sold yesterday to the Middle Park Stud Company, New Zealand, for thir teen hundred guineas. It is thought that efforts will be made to keep it in the coltin the colony.

INTERPROVINCIAL

Auckland, Wednesday.

The Graving Dock will be opened about the Queen’s birthday. It is pro posed to name it the Victoria Dock. The arbitrators in the case of Smith, contractor, and the Government, award ed to plaintiff, and costs. A telegram from Te Wheoro states that Rewi will attend the Hikurangi meeting between Sir G. Grey and Ta whiao. Rewi awaits the arrival of the Lower Waikato Natives. Four war canoes have gone up.

Wanganui, Wednesday. At the Supreme Court to-day, the grand jury threw out the bill against Lewis Lyons Levy for arson. A native, named Nutu, was found guilty of horse stealing ; sentence deferred. A boy named Patrick Lea was found “ Not guilty ” of indecent assault. Mr. Foulis, late of Edinburgh, has been appointed Inspector for Wanganui education district at a salary of per annum and travelling expenses. Wellington, Wednesday.

A circular was sent to-day to all heads of departments, instructing them to inform all officers that they can no longer depend upon the 40th section of the Civil Service Act, 1866, granting a gratuity to their wives and families after they die. The circular adds that it is now open to officers to provide for their wives and families by means of the Government Life Insurance.

It is announced by Order in Council that no cadetship in the Civil Service will count until the cadet receives over per annum.

THE EVENING ECHO, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1878,