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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 117, 31 August 1877, Page 2

The "Sundowner's" communication, our report of the Mutual Improvement Association, and other items of interest, are unfortunately crowded out of this issue, but will appear in our next. We beg to acknowledge tho receipt from Mr Mongomery, of his speech on Finance, delivered in the House, on August 17th, during the debate on the Land Fund. We regret to state that Mr S. Watkins was taken suddenly and seriously ill on the 27th instant, and is still suffering from great weakness and general prostration. Mr Waeckerle. in presenting , the Road Board with a corner of his ground in Lavaud-street at the entrance of the town, has conferred a great benefit on the public in general, and the thanks of the inhabitants of Akaroa especially, are due to him for this gift, which will go far towards remedying a defect hitherto felt co much by those who are in the habit of driving or riding to and from this place. The awkward right angle hitherto existing at this point of the road, besides being most inconvenient for turning, was also in some degree dangerous. Mr Waeckcrle's gift, however, will now enable the Board to form an entrance to the town with an easy curve, which will add safety to the road, and improve the look of the main street in Akaroa. We have received a complaint relative to a dangerous hole near Mr Citron's shop, and are informed that a lady narrowly escaped severe injury through falling into it a few evenings since. We beg to draw the attention of the Borough Council to the urgent necessity for rendering this corner of Balguerie road safe for pedestrans. or otherwise some serious accident may ocemvthere. The usual fortnightly meeting of i.ho Akaroa Borough Council took place at their ofiice on Wednesday eveiiin,";, the 29th instant. Mr J. L. Manning's tender of £38 for suppling kerosene, wicks, glasseF, lighting and cleaning , , for the street lamps, was accepted. The highest tender received for this work was £110. On the motion of (Jr. WagstatT, seconded by Cγ. Penlington, it was carried, that'the Councillor:* resign in accordance with the 67th section of the Municipal Corporations Act 187G, Cr. Watkins being the only dissentient. Subsequently Cr. Watkins' objection was withdrawn by permiston of the Council. A full report will appear in our next. The Amateur Ethiopians give their third entertainment; this evening , ,, as will be seen by advertisement. An attractive programme is submitted. There are several now performers, who, as amateurs, are very good in their different lines. There is also a local stump speech, with several other novelties. We hope to see a large attendance, as the company are not cut of debt yet. We understand that the next entertainment is to be given in aid of the Regatta Fund, an object which should meet with strong support from the public. In another column will be found an advertisement notifying a change in the proprietary of the Somerset Hotel. The new proprietor, Mr Brooks, is no novice in business, he having been for some years actively engaged in business pursuits in other parts of the province. From our knowledge of Mr and Mrs Brooks, we can safely predict that, under their management, the Somerset Hotel will lose none of its former prestige, and we confidently affirm that the travelling public, as well as the residents of the Head of the Bay, will find their wants attended to, their comfort studied, and a first-class tabla kept by mine host and hostess of the Somerset.

Last night for the first time since Akaroa has been Akaroa, the streets were lit up. Mr Manning, the contractor, had a strong wind and heavy rain to contend against, causing his illuminating duties to be extremely difficult. The consumption of Bell and Black's, which "onlyignite on the bos," was so ruinous that an ancient lan. thorn of the good old " G-cido Faux" pattern had to be fossicked out to do duty for the nonce. Armed with this relic, a kerosine tin, and the orthodox ladder, the first Akaroa lamplighter did not " lightly skip from polo to pole." We observe in yesterday's issue of the Press, that Mr Hempelman, of German Bay, met with a somewhat peculiar accident in Christchurch, on the 28th inst. It seems that Mr Ilempelrnan was sitting on the parapet of Victoria Bridge, when he was observed to lose his balance and fall over into the river, from which he was promptly rescued and conveyed to the hospital. Beyond the ducking and sudden shock to the system no' further damage was done. An entertainment in aid of (he Okain's Bay harmonium fund will take place in the school-room of that bay on the 4th pros. Considering the object in view, the promoters of the entertainment should receive the patronage and support of the whole oi the residents in the district A lecture on " Time," by the Rev, D. 0 Hampton, will be given at Little Akaloa on the 6th prox. From the well-known ability of the lecturer, we feel assured that those who attend will enjoy a literary treat of no mean order. Wo wish that Mr Hampton could be induced to give one of his lectures in Akaroa. The ground around Little Akaloa Churchy being in a very unsightly state, a working B has been formed by many willing hands there to level and put it in order. On Saturday last eight of these hands turned out and, after a hard day's work, kindly and gratuitously given, they must have been pleased with the improvement that one day made. At least two mor3 such days'work is required, which is also promised,..to fully level the ground, after which, by a little fencing and planting, it will assume quite a neat appearance. Wa clip the following from yesterday's Lyttelton Times—Of the Akaroa lighthouse the Marine Engineer reports :—" The work of forming the landing place and the road will be undertaken in the spring; the lantern and apparatus have been ordered from England." We trust this " report" will not end only in smoke, but that the work as stated.will be actually taken in hand without further delay. We are given to understand that a application has been made by Messrs Seaton and Davidson for an exclusive lease for the dredging and cultivation of oysters within the boundaries of Akaloa Bay. "It's a circus!" As the banana appropriating vagabond youth yclept " Lemons, , ' informed a principal character in one of Bret Harte's humorous sketches. And " a circus" it is, under the proprietorship of Mr Barlow, which visits, and whose biped and quadruped performers will doubtless astonish the residents of this district. By referring to our advertising columns, it will be seen that Mr Barlow's company perform in Akaroa two days next week, and in addition to that, the company will play at TaiTapu on the Ist, Little Kiver on the 3rd and at the Head of the Bay on the 4tli prox. As tins is the first occasion of a show of this nature visiting the Peniiisnla, there is no doubt it will be extensively patronised, more especially as many among us have never seen a circus exhibition. We hope that Mr Barlow and his company, whose talents have been highly spoken of, will leave the district perfectly satisfied —financially and otherwise—with their trip. The Press of yesterday announces the death at his residence, Kaiapoi, of Inspector A. G. Barsham of the Canterbury police force, from an attack of apoplexy and paralysis. Mr Barsham has been a member of the force for sixteen years, during a portion of which he was stationed at Akaroa, where he was much respected a nd made many fsiends, who will be sorry*to hear of his sudden decease. We are sorry to record that the Rev. Mr Coope» - met with an accident on the 29th instant, which, although of a painful, was not of a serious nature. On the day named, the Rev. gentleman was leaving the church, and. on coming to the steps leading to Balguerie-atreet, his foot slipped, and he fell heavily. We hope that this accident will not interfere wifß. Mr Cooper's clerical duties. j The meeting , advertised to bo held for the purpose, of electing officers and receiving nominations of members for the proposed Hook and Ladder Brigade, took place in the Akaroa Town Hall, on the evening of the 27ih instant. The attendance, considering the object for which J the meeting was convened, was but small. | Mr E. W. Morey was called io the chair, and spoke forcibly as to the duties and requirements of the proposed company, giving his experiences of organizations of a like nature with which he had been formerly connected. Above twenty gentlemen signified their willingness to become members of the proposed company afterwards electing Mr 11. Noonan as superindent, and the chairman as their captain who briefly addressed those present, and the meeting came to a close.