PRAIRIE FIRES IN AMERICA.

HORRIBLE DEATHS. The Sioux City Journal has startling r eports of the ravages of destructive prairie fires up Big Sioux Valley, and throughout Southern Dakota. The fires are described as of fearful force, and destructive beyond precedent. The poles of the telegraph line on the Sioux City arid Gembina Railroad were burnt, so that the line has been down. A merchant, who was in Sioux City, tells harrowing tales of losses in that quarter. On Saturday, from his store in town occupying an elevated position, he counted 14 farm-houses in flames. He says that more than 40 people in that vicinity lost everything. It was a terrible blow, and completely dazed the people. A Norwegian church near Eden was burned, and a child killed. Its father was terribly scorched. trying to save it. Some other casualties are reported, three of which resulted in death by the flames. Altogether immense damage was done. The hard ships to the settlers are particularly severe. The grass grew very rank last year, and a protracted spell of dry weather has made it easy food _ for the flames. A terrible scene was witnessed at Claremont when the hotel caught fire. It was a wooden building, and old, so that the flames had plenty of material to feed them, and but a few moments were left for escape. Terror stricken men, women, and children rushed frantically through the smoke, half asleep, and completely bewildered bv the sudden alarm and the frightful scene which met them as they emerged from their rooms. There was no time to spare, however. The instinct of self preservation was at work promptly to suggest means of escape. There was only one stairway, and that was narrow, and full of smoke and flame in five minutes, so that it was useless as an avenue of escape. Windows were thrown up, only to increase the flames which were now furiously hissing through the structure. Men and women jumped into the yard in a nude or partly-dressed condition. Others ap peared at the upper windows uttering the most piercing shrieks for aid in their extremity- It was an awuful spec tacle. The two lower floors were soon cleared of occupants, but the upper stairs still contained human beings whose chances of escape from a fiery death were decreasing rapidly. The town had now become alarmed, arid, front; all quarters men poured in to render what assistance they could, or to gaze on the terrible scene which was being enacted. Ladders were promptly put up agairist the walls for the purpose of extricating the poor people. One man," whose room, was on the upper storey, crawled out through a window seized the lightning rod and coolly let himself down to the ground, escaping with no other injury than blistered hands and bruised limbs. He was loudly cheered as he slowly let himself down, while men and women held their breath lest the rod should give way and throw him heavily to the ground, when his death would have been as certain as if he had remained in the burning building. Mr. Gibson, one of the pro prietors of the house, with his wife and child, escaped from a window in the second storey. The woman pluckily held the child, and clung to the blind while her husband obtained a board, upon which the mother and child slid to the ground in perfect safety. They were followed by Gibson, who promptly re-entered the building to render what assistance he could in rescuing others. Owing to some repairs to the house, Mrs. Gibson, mother of the proprietor, had been placed temporarily in a spare room, and her son rushed frantically in search of her, but was unable to reach her in time, and she perished in the flames. Anna Johnson, a chamber maid, whose room was on the third floor, tried to escape from the hall by means of the stairs, but found, a solid wall of fire obstructing her 'passage. She ran back to her room, raised her window, hung out as far as she could, and screamed frantically for assistance. She was soon enveloped in a cloud of smoke, which was occasionally lit up by flashes of flames as the fire worked its way upwards. Half-a-dozen hands im mediately seized a ladder and ran it up against the wall, a man climbed up to the poor girl’s aid, and he came down again blinded with smoke, and almost insensible. Another volunteer toiled up the ladder, but he, too, had to come down without the unfortunate girl. Another man stepped from the crowd, and amidst the cheers of the assemblage, ran up step after step, until he was lost in the clouds of smoke y/hich rolled out in dense masses from the doomed building, He reached the poor helpless girl but could not pull her out as she had fainted, and must have been caught by something on the inside from which he was unable to deliver her. He came out without accomplish ing his mission, and no one else would venture. There she remained until the wall fell in, arid she became a charred mass amid the burning rnins. About the same time Mrs. Chase, a pastrycook in the establishment, Lydia Mervill, a table girl, and Charles Morgan, a guest at the house, went down with the tumbling walls mingling their shrieks with the horrible din and crash which prevailed within and without.

" Guthrie and Larnach. —The Welling ton branch, of Messrs. Guthrie and Lar nach’s business is to be closed, and the plant, &c. transferred to Dunedin.

THE ASHBURTON HERALD,

[Thursday,



New Advertisements. BOROUGH OF ASHBURTON” THE Burgesses are requested to ob serve MONDAY, the 26th instant, as a HOLIDAY, in honor of the Queen’s Birthday, instead of Saturday, the 24th instant, that being the wish of a large number of the inhabitants. THOMAS BULLOCK, Mayor. Ashburton, May 21, 1879. 890 NOTICE. WE, the undersigned, agree to CLOSE our respective places of business on MONDAY, 26th instant, insteae of Satur day, the Queen’s Birthday. ORR & CO. FRIEDLANDER BROS. J. H. PASS & CO. N. Z. CLOTHING FACTORY, Per Wm. Sparrow. WILLIAM GAVIN. WM. MONTGOMERY & CO. BULLOCK & CO. JOHN FOWLER. T. R. HODDER & COMPANY. 891 MOUNT SOMERS ROAD BOARD. TENDERS are invited by this Board for the following works : No. 19. Forming and Shingling about two miles of the road from Shep herd’s Bush to the boundary of the district. No. 20. Forming and Shingling road near Graham’s, Alford Forest. Tenders to be sent in, addressed to the Chairman, on or before noon of FRIDAY, 6th June. Specifications, &c., will be seen at the Road Board Office, on applying to JAMES FRASER, Clerk, &c., to the Board. Mount Somers Road Board Office, 17th May, 1879. 892 UPPER ASHBURTON ROAD BOARD. TENDERS are invited for the under mentioned works : 27. Forming, Metalling, and Bridging Corbett’s Road. 28. Forming a portion of the old Timaru Track past Harris’s. Tenders to be addressed to the Chair man on or before noon on TUESDAY, June 3. R. D PULLAR, 893 Clerk to the Board.



NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS. QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY, 24tli MAY,1879. RETURN Tickets at Single Fares will be issued from all stations to all stations on the Amberly-BlufF Railway, and branches, on 23rd and 24th inst., available for return up to and including Monday, 26th inst. WM. CONYERS, Commissioner of Railways. Commissioner of Railway’s Office, Christchurch, Bth May, 1879. 894



Public Notices. LICENSING ACT, 1873. LICENSING ACT, 1873, AMENDMENT ACT, 1874. PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that a Quarterly Meeting of the Licen sing Commissioners for the Licensing District of Ashburton and Mount Somers, will be held at the Court House, Ashbur ton, on TUESDAY, the 3rd day of JUNE next, at noon, for the purpose of con sidering all Applications under the provi sions of the aforesaid Acts. C. CAVENDISH HURRELL, Clerk of the Court. Resident Magistrate’s Court, Ashburton, Ist May, 1879. 813 JUST PUBLISHED Price 2s 6d. THE PROGRESSIVE POLICY OF THE MUTUAL PROVIDENT SOCIETY REVIEWED, Together with a comparative abstract of the expenses of English, American, and Australian Life Assurance Institutions, by MORRICE A. BLACK, F.1.A., (Actuary to the Society.) GEORGE ROBERTSON, 815 Sydney. Tenders. ASHBURTON ROAD BOARD. TENDERS are invited for the following works : 161. Shingling Chertsey Road, 670 chains. 162. Shingling Gardiner’s Road, 145 chains. 163. Shingling Milton Road, 56 chains. 164. Shingling Mill Road, 40 chains. 165. Shingling Leadley’s Road, 180 chains. 166, Formation Corbett’s Road, 140 chains. 167. Formation Seaside Road, 160 i chains. 168. Formation Leatham’s Road, 50 chains. 169. Formation Le Breton’s Road, 560 chains . 170. Formation and Shingling Grove Farm Road, 55 chains. 171. Drains near Waterton, 95 chains. 172. Widening Surveyor’s Road, 220 chains. 173. Widening Boundary Road, 247 chains. Tenders addressed to the Chairman, and endorsed with the number of the work tendered for, will be received till 10 a.m. on MONDAY, June 2nd. All tenders to be accompanied with a deposit equal to 5 per cent, on the value of the work tendered for. By order of the Board, 843 JAMES WILKIE, Surveyor.



Auction Sales. PRELIMINARY NOTICE!!! MR. ALFRED HARRISON has re ceived instructions from Mr. Robert Macfarlane —who has decided to dispose of the bulk of his furniture and effects pre vious to his departure for Lyttelton—to offer the same for sale by public auction. Of the following special mention is necessary— A POWERFUL, FULL-TONED, TRI-CHORD PIANO, By the Celebrated AUCHER AND SONS, PARIS. To be on view one day before the sale. Full particulars of the sale will be adver tised in a day or two. ALFRED HARRISON, 895 Auctioneer. Public Notices. ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL. TENDERS are invited for FENCING about 15 chains at the Pound, Ash burton. Specifications and conditions are on view at the Council Offices, up to 1 o’clock p.m. on Monday, 26th May. Tenders endorsed 44 Fencing at Pound, Ashburton,” and addressed to the Chair man, will be received at this office up to 4 p.m. on Monday, 26th May. The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. By order, F. MAINWARING, Clerk. Ashburton, May 21st, 1879 896 ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL. ~VTOTICE is hereby given that PUBLIC _[Nj MEETINGS of ratepayers are called at the following places, to consider the scheme proposed to be adopted by the Council for watering the Rakaia Plains, and the district liable to be rated : Chertsey, Monday, May 26th, at 2 p.m. Ashburton, Monday, May 26tb, at 8 p.m.—At Town Hall. By order, F. MAINWARING, Ashburton, Clerk. May 14th, 1879. 857 ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL. ELECTION OF AUDITORS. IN pursuance of 4 4 The Municipal Corpo rations Act, 1876,” and “ The Regu lation of Local Elections Act, 1876,”/T hereby give notice that an ELECTION OF TWO PERSONS to serve as AUDITORS for the ensuing year, will be held at the Town Hall on MONDAY, the 2nd day of June next. Nominations will take place at 12 o’clock noon, on SATURDAY, 24th May. Nomination papers, in the form pre scribed in the Second Schedule of the last-mentioned Act, signed by the candi date and two electors, will be received at the Town Clerk’s Office, till 12 o’clock noon, on the day of nomination. CHAS. BRADDELL, Returning Officer. Ashburton, 15th May, 1879. Nomination papers and necessary infor mation can be obtained at the Town Clerk’s Office. 886



V. R. IN THE ESTATE OF F. P. Leß RETON COAL MERCHANT, A BANKRUPT. ALL Accounts due to this estate must be paid forthwith at Messrs. Hooper, Aitken, & Co.’s Office, otherwise they will be sued for without further notice. A. O. AITKEN, Trustee* Ashburton, May 19th, 1876. 885 CHEAP TIMBER. AT HAYES’ TIMBER YARDS. BALANCE of Timber unsold at the auction sale. Also, 200,000 feet to arrive, now lying at the Waimate Station, will be disposed of at reduced prices at HAYES’ TIMBER YARDS, East Street, Ashburton. 73C NOTICE. ALL ACCOUNTS due to the Estate of Thomas Hicks, Ashburton, must be Paid at Once to the undersigned, at Messrs Pass and Co’s, or at the Road Board Office, Ashburton. Accounts re maining unpaid will be sued for withoui further notice. J. H. PASS, > 454 C. B. BRANSON, ] TrusWe3 ‘ WANTED KNOWN—That the cheap est and neatest CARDS may bs> had at the ASHBURTON HERALD OFFICE East Street North. DIARIES. —A Few Commercial and Scribbling Diaries on Sale, Cheap, at the “ Herald ” Stationery Depot, East Street North, near Railway Station. Educational. MUSIC TUITION, VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL. Terms, per Quarter or per Lesson, on appli cation to the Principal. SUPERIOR LADIES’ BOARDING AND DAY SCHOOL, Oxford Villa, Burnett St., Ashburton, Conducted by Miss Steane. Private Lessons in French, German, and Latin, twice weekly ; Music, and Drawing in Various Styles. Preparatory School for Boys. Inclusive Terms,



Auction Sales. ASHBURTON. FRIDAY, May, 23RD, 1879. TO NEWSVENDORS, BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS, FANCY GOODS DEALERS. HAIRCUTTING BUSINESS ATTACHED ONE OF THE BEST SITUATED AND MOST ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES IN ASHBURTON. Messrs, bullock & co. have received instructions from the Trustees in the estate of Alfred Weston Worthington, commonly known as Alfred Weston, to sell on the premises, East street, Ashburton, on FRIDAY, May 23, THE LEASE of THREE YEARS TO RUN AND GOODWILL OF THOSE FIRST-CLASS PREMISES ; lately in the occupation of Mr. A. Weston as bookseller, etc., to which is added a BRANCH FOR HAIR CUTTING. —Also, at the same time The shop fittings, and large and well selected stock 1,000 volumes of books, some in cloth Office stationery, account books, envelopes Large quantity of miscellaneous stationery Fancy goods of all descriptions, newspapers Photos, soaps, cigars and tobacco Also, large quantity of American Notions. To a really energetic man undertaking the above business unusual facilities are presented—an unequalled position, trade already formed, and with a first-class assortment of goods a certain competence is assured. Sale at 11 a.m. BULLOCK & CO., 881 Auctioneers. IMPORTANT SALE. Messrs, acland, Campbell & CO., have received instructions from the Trustee in the estate of the late Thomas Lemon to sell by public auction on FRIDAY, May 23, Section No. 1, corner North Town Belt, Ashburton, |-acre ; and following valuable live & dead stock : g GOOD DRAUGHT HORSES g 2 Samuelson’s reapers 1 Self-binder 1 Dray 3 Double-furrow ploughs, Duncan 1 Single „ „ „ 4 Foals, by Pretender 1 Set new iron harrows 1 Chaffcutter 1 Moveable hut 30 Sacks oats 7 Sets harness Farm implements, etc., etc. Sale to commence At Twelve o’clock, on the Section. ACLAND, CAMPBELL & CO., 845 Auctioneers. Business Notices.



A USEFUL NOVELTY, Most Favorable OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE MONEY. m\ DISCOUNT of SEVEN AND A HALF Per Cent, will be allowed to all CASH CUSTOMERS BY Friedlander Bros,, EAST STREET. 828 GEORGE LADBROOK, (Near the Station, Winslow), HAS' in Stock a Good Supply of Gene ral Stores, which he can supply Wholesale and Retail at the lowest current rates,



Auction Sales. BULLOCK AND CO., AGENTS FOR THE SOUTH BRITISH FIRE AND MARINEJINSURANCE COMPANY i OF NEW ZEALAND. CAPITAL £1,000,000. Insurances effected at the lowest current rates on all kinds of Buildings, Threshing Machines, Crops Growing and in Stack. J. DRUMMOND McPHERSON, Manager, Christchurch. BULLOCK AND CO.’S ABSTRACT of SALES. FRIDAY, MAY 23. At Weston’s, East-street, the whole of hi®. Stock, consisting of 1,000 volumes of Books, Fancy Goods, Tobacco, Cigars, Yankee Goods, etc., etc., etc. SATURDAY, MAY -.4, Being the Queen’s Birthday, our stores will be 1 closed. TUESDAY, MAY 27. At Ashburton Salt Yards, Live Stock, etc. THURSDAY, MAY 29. At our Rooms in East-street, 40 quarter- 1 acre allotments adjoining Saunders’ Mill. BULLOCK AND CO., Auctioneers.



Booksellers, &c. NEW BUSINESS. J. Y. WARD, BOOKSELLER, COMMERCIAL AND FANCY STATIONER, HAS much pleasure in announcing to the inhabitants of the Borough of Ashbur ton and County, that he COMMENCED BUSINESS ON SATURDAY MARCH i, 1879, in Messrs. Saunders Bros.’ Buildings, EAST STREET, NORTH, With A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF Professional Stationery, Commmercial Stationery, Household Stationery, Fancy Stationery, &c., &c., &c. LITERATURE— (In Assorted Bindings) COMPRISING ALL THE MOST POPULAR AUTHORS Also, — PRESENTATION BOOKS. SCHOOL REQUISITES IN STOCK. Colonial, English, and Foreign Papers and Magazines supplied to order. WORK-BOXES, WRITING-DESKS, and OTHER FANCY GOODS, AT REASONABLE PRICES. Hamilton’s Library Books on Deferred Payment. ®3k,Note the address— J. Y. WARD, East Street North (Saunders Bros.’ New Buildings), ASHBURTON. 440 Public Notice. FREDERICK PAVITT, COMMISSION AGENT, Etc., East Street, Ashburton, BEGS to notify to the Public that he has received the following appointment : I HEREBY appoint FREDERICK PAYITT, of Ashburton, a Certifi cated Accountant in Bankruptcy. C. Dr R. WARD, April 25, 1879. District Judge. 766 SCHOOL Requisites and Artist Mate rials. H. M. JONES, Stationer, Baring Square. 473 a



Drapery. ORR AND CO.’S



BARGAINS!! BARGAINS!! 150 Pairs Ladies’ Sewn Kid Boots, at 6s. 6d.; former price 12s. 6d. 230 Pairs Children’s Boots, at 2s. 6d. per pair ; former price 6s. 6d. THE ABOVE ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED Through bad Packing. Sale at GBR AM) CO.’S



7G3 ORR AND CO., IMPORTERS.



.Business Notices. C. PERCY COX, AND AND ESTATE AGENT AND - VALUATOR, ASHBURTON. TO LET OR SELL -680 Acres first-class land (limestone) with good house, large stables, woolshed, sheep-yards, granaries, etc., etc., com plete ; very convenient. 320 Acres reserve, first-class land, part siib-let, sufficient to cover the whole of Government rent, etc., leaving upwards of 200 acres rent free for 2 years. Low price wanted for goodwill of lease, or would be let to a suitable tenant. 2,500 Acres ring-fenced, to be let in one block for grazing, or in blocks to suit purchasers for cropping, with or with out purchasing clause. Town and Suburban Sections lo sell or let in Ashburton and Hindhope. MONEY TO LEND OK ' . . APPROVED FREEHOLD SECURITY, Agent for Union Insurance COMPANY OF NEW ZEALAND. • 717 Tailors. TAILORING, AT MOST REASONABLE RATES, TO MEET THE TIMES. W. LEE (Formerly Tailor to G. Fletcher, of Christ church), , BEGS to announce to the Gentlemen of the County of Ashburton thatJhe has commenced the business of Tailoring and Habit Maker, in all its branches, and can guarantee a Good Fit and Superior Workmanship in all orders entrusted to him. Gentlemen’s materials supplied made up in the best style, on the shortest fiotice. Clothes cleaned and repaired, and made to look equal to new. ALL ORDERS EXECUTED AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE RATES FOR CASH. Address— W. LEE, TAILOR, &c. , Havelock Street, Ashburton. at Hooper, Aitken & Co.’s. 887 NOTICE OF REMOVAL. S. STOKES, TAILOR AND CLOTHIER. BEGS to remind his friends and the public that he has removed his busi ness to new shop near Baldwin’s Central Hotel, Wakanui Road, and would take this opportunity of acknowledging the very liberal support accorded to him here tofore, and solicits a continuance of patronage at his new shop—Wakanui Road, near Baldwin’s Central Hotel. S. STOKES, TAILOR AND CLOTHIER. 794



Bootmakers. PUBLIC NOTICE. BOOTS! BOOTS! T. CHAMBERS WHILE THANKING the public of Ashburton and surrourding dis tricts for past favors, begs to mb rn them that he has received, and to' arrive, at his place of business, East-street, a WELL-ASSORTED STOCK LADIES’, GENTLEMEN’S, AND CHIL DREN’S BOOTS AND SHOES Of all descriptions. T. C. also calls special attenth 1 to the Measure Department, and invites the gentlemen of Ashburton to inspect the superior class of Sewn Boots and Shoes he is now making. . Riding Boots, Shooting Boots, Walking Boots and Shoes, Cricketing Boots and Shoes, and Running Shoes. WORKMANSHIP UNSURPASSED. A PERFECT FIT GUARANTEED. T. CHAMBERS, PROSPECT BUILDINGS, Next to Montgomery’s, East-street. M. NEALAS, BOOT AND SHOEMAKER, AND IMPORTER, AS now on sale a Splendid Assortment of BOOTS and SHOES for Winter, which are of the Best Quality, and will be Sold at very reasonable prices. Note the rddress— M. N E ALAS, NEXT TO MESSRS. ORR & CO.’S, EAST STREET, ASHBURTON.,