MOUNT SOMERS NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1542, 26 April 1887, Page 2

MOUNT SOMERS NOTES.

(FBOK OUR OWN CORBBSPONDBNT.) Quiet MountJ Somers has dot been very quiet of late. When the unemployed were paid their monthly wages, a number of them obtained free railway passes to see their friends m Ohristohurch or elsewhere. Some of them are blessed with dearer friends than their own families, so say my informants. At any rate, they are reported to have spent on this pleasure trip much more money on them than on their wives and children. These returning prodigalß met on their arrival m the City of the Plaios their dear old boon companions, and magnanimously distributed the ratepayers' money among them m. the shape of nips and ehouts. What they could not get rid of they handed generously to their helpmates, after their booze. One, indeed, could not resist the temptation of inspecting the lookup "for one night only." There are now slight symptoms of a return to sobriety, and work disoernible among these jovial unemployed. It is a pity that such men should be permitted, by their oonduot, to taint the names of their better-oonduoted companions. I am happy to say that there are many wellbehaved men among the unemployed. Last and saddest of all 1 There has been the breaking up of as nice a little home as one could dosire to see. From some cause or ; other a muoh respected and apparently well- ; to-do family has become dissevered. Where the mother's merry laugh, the father's cheerful voioe, and the little ones' innocent prattle . sounded but a few weeks ago, there are now only the empty house, the lonely farm yard, ' and the auctioneer's. notices of publio sale to > be seen. > The election of a new school committee ' takes place here on Monday. We all regret I much that the chairman of the present committee, Mr Dugald Maofarlane, is about to 1 leave the district. We shall miss. him; the children, with whom he is a great favourite, I will be sorry indeed. Under his superintendence the sohool has flourished well, the 1 committee and the teaoher working m > thorough harmony together. May the Mount Somers people have the good sense to elect as members of their new Sohool Committee J trustworthy men, who will imitate their pre--1 deoessors m their zoal for the welfare of tha • school. 3 Messrs Brown and Harvey are making good progress with their respective tramway contraots. Both of them have first-class men t at work. i The Bey. Mr Elmslie of St. Paul's m Cbristohuroh, paid Mount Somers a visit ou ' Sunday, and gave us a most eloquent sermon, Mount Somers, April 25th.