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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 271, 21 February 1879, Page 2

The men in the employ of Mr W. Kenny, contractor, have challenged the Okain's Bay Cricket Club to a game at cricket. 'The game will be played at Okain'a Bay on Monday next. We are reliably informed that the navviea are not going to bat with long-handled ehovels though they plead guilty to having practised with pick-handles.

The Peninaula Jockey Club races came off to-day at Little River. The weather promises to be all that can be desired, and we anticipate a good day's sport. There are seven events on the programme, and over £90 has besn provided to be run for. The first race will start at noon sharp, so* that visitors from Akaroa and neighborhood must start betimes. We hope the stewards' duties may not prove disagreeably onerous, and at any rate that, they will not be subject to the annoyance which they met with at the Head of the Bay. Verb. sat.

Mr H. E. Alport held a sale of furniture, &c, yesterday, being stock in the bankrupt estate of J. D. Davis. The attendance was good and the competition keen, the result being that very fair prices were realized. As it was impossible to conclude the sale in one day, it will be continued to-day, when the crockery, glass, china, hollow-ware, and a host of sundries will be offered. Particulars will be found

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At a meeting of the Little River Library Committee, held in the Library on Tuesday evening, the 18th inst., Mr R. P. Ealfe was elected a member to serve on the Committee in the place of Mr G. Sefton, who has left the district.

We publish this morning our usual weekly supplement. In the present number a new tale is commenced, entitled, "The Squire's new Keeper."

Our peripatetic reporter saw a covey of partridges at Flea Bay Heads the other day. We believe the Peninsula will soon be excellently stocked with game, and there is no part of the country bfetter suited for it* . Not only is there plenty of cover, but the game cannot become the nuisance which it is apt to degenerate into in an agricultural district. ■ The new books for the Akaroa Library have arrived, and are now being subjected to the processes of branding, &c, prior to being placed on the shelves for the use of subscribers. They appear to be a very judicious assortment, comprising works of a most- varied nature. The shipment consists of about 127 volumes, and all are neatly half-bound., Some are duplicates of works already m the library, but these latter are very much dilapidated. This addition ought certainly to bring in a considerable number of new subscribers to an institution which is not supported half so well as it deserves. .

The business transacted at the Resident Magistrate's Court since our last issue has been unimportant. On Tuesday a man was sent to goal for fourteen days for the attempted larcency of two bottles of , beer from Bruce's Hotel. Two cattle trespassers got off! by paying the usual fee, and in a civil case set down, Ash win v. Kirk, claim for fencing, there was no appearance of either party.

On the date fixed for the election of school committees for the ensuing year, two districts on the Peninsula failed to elect committees, viz., Barry's Bay and Little Akaloa. Another meeting is therefore called for the same purpose, in each of these localities, to take place on Monday next, at eight o'clock in the evening. It is to to be hoped that on this occasion householders will manifest sufficient interest is such a trifle as the education of their children as to muster in force,

Owing to the exertions of Detective Benjamin (says the Press), two men, named Feron and Jansen, were apprehended at Leeston on the somewhat unusual charge of wrecking. A number of petty robberies were committed from the schooner Clyde after she was beached on theNinety-rnile Beech, and the offence was sheeted home to the two men of stealing tobacco and clothing. They were each sentenced on Tuesday to fourteen days' imprisonment.

We regret to learn that Mr 11. G Watkins is seriously indisposed. He was taken ill on Wednesday morning, anil up to a late hour last night no improvement in the symptoms had taken place.

The lighthouse works are making satisfactory progress. The road ia now completed. This has been a rery heavy piece of work, nearly every inch requiring to be blasted out of the solid rock. We believe the cost of making,a decent road round from Akaroa would have very little, if at all, exceeded what has been spent on this road, which after all will be of no general use. We understand that the site of the lighthouse has been shifted further seaward than that originally fixed upon. As bearing on the frequent visits of the Stella during the progress of the work, there was a work of art in the late Industrial Exhibition which we are afraid suffered from that neglect so often experienced by genius. The scene was the Akaroa wharf with the Stella in the offing. On the end of the wharf stands a. man holding in hia hand two or three pannikins. Hailing the Stella, he calls out—"Did you bring anything with you beside these pannikins ?" The answer is—" No, is there anything else you want?" Lighthouse man—" Well, I want some matches, but I can get them here at 4d a box." Stella— "Oh, I can get them in Wellington at 3s 6d a dozen. I'll bring some down."