The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JULY 8.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 310, 8 July 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JULY 8.

1 a ; „;/rhe annual meeting of" ihe members' of, ;tjik Okain's Public Library* orf ""my sth July, it having of the weather, iln I tlie absence ' pi the Presideut, Mr J. voted, to the chair. The minutes of the N lasV»""annual meeting were read and confirmed. The balance-sheet, as tabled and adopted' " byr subscriptions, - 9rantsykG(.4oshave UenSU iOs 9d ; the expenditure, £23 ; leaving a balance of «7^4^0 8 over 1000 volumes had been circulated through the year. The following officers and.committee ,were elected j—Librarian* Mr E. W. Harris ; secretary and treasurer, Mr C. Moore.;, 'committee, Messrs Mason, Robinson, Priest,, and J. James, President.

! The Maori prisoner'now [undergoing sentence in Wanganui,Gaol, for"'stealing at Hawera, refused to eat, and stated,that he wanted to die. As he was sinking from weakness, food was pumped into him. After about a cupful of beef tea had been administered he signified his intention of having had 'enough: He :the'n -took his food properly. He expected to be raised by Te Whiti in three days, but the PakehUs" want to get six months'; hard -labor.out of him first. :•-, -

The following tenders were received for the Ellesmere.contract.of the Little River and Akaroa railway: — Accepted — P M'Grath, Christchurch, £14,704. Declined —T. F. Leatham, Christchurch,. £16,168 ; Downes and Proctor, Dunedin, >£16,249 ; Henderson and FergfiSj Dunedin o £l7,6s7; W. White, junr., Christchurch, £17,839 ; Lake and Beard, Christchurch,' £17,839; F. Denham, £27,861. The successful tenderer has signed the-necessary contract, and on Saturday last despatched a gang of men with teams to .the scene of labor to commence the work.

' : Says the " Loafer ":—" It's a risky sort of game is cattle dealing. The great thing is to know how to buy. You can easily sell. Also you can be sold, as young Fattstock was the other day. It was his first buy, and a three-cow- purchase. He placed the animals amongst some of his own in his paddocks. The fences of this enclosure were not too secure, and he was a good bit troubled with trespassing cattle belonging to his neighbors. A week or two went by, and . riding through the cattle he spotted three strangers. Presuming they belonged to Squiggins, [ a hardened trespasser, who lived near; he interviewed Squiggins, and said : if the cattle were not removed in an hour lie would pound them. Squiggins, as usual, denying all knowledge of them, F,attstoexpounded the cows, and was rather surprised two days later to learn from.a friend that he had pounded :his own animals. I understand Fattstock is occasionally/ reminded at the yards of this little incident- even unto this day. j

On Wednesday, a train on the Oxford line was stopped by a valuable dog belonging to Mr Chapman getting between the on jhe engine, and the metals. After some delay, the dog was pulled out very little hurt, : and tried haijd to bite the fireman who had rescued him.j^' The Hon Mr Gisborne has been offered, and has accepted, a seat in the Cabinet-, His portfolio will be Lands, Immigration, and Customs. Another good guess by Zadkiel. In the astrological almanac, printed last autumn, he predicted that at'l.3o p.m. on January22nd, 1879 (the day and hour of the Isandula disaster), '' difficulties would come on the English Government at the' Cape through hostile acts perpetrated by discontented tribes." ■ ■ ;i

The Rev. F. Trivett, for some time pastor of the Independent Church, \ Courtenay street, Wellington, has made,application to be admitted to the Ministry of the Presbyterian Church. At a meeting of the members of the" Church of England held in Robinson's Bay on Wednesday last, the Rev. H. Stocker in the chair, the following gentlemea were appointed a Church Committee for that district: —Messrs S. Curry, [Whitfield, Victor, Tizzard, and S. Johnson.

At the meeting of the Loyal Good Intent Lodge, 1.0-0.F.,M., held on Saturday last, at the.lodge room, the following officers were installed for the ensuing term:— N.G., Bro J. Staples ; V;G.; Bro Gutberlet; Secretary, Bro Wiggins; R.S. to N.G., Bro Burke; L.S. to N.G., Bro Scott j; R.S, to V.G., Bro Austin; L.S. to V.G|.. Bro Orchard ; Warden, Bro G. Staples ; \ Guar* dian, Bro Ward; Lecture Master, Bro Berland; Sick Visitors, Bros Whitfield and Gutberlet.'" '

The Little River Road Board haye taken steps to let out the lake, and the jconsequence was that on Sunday the road was quite free from water. The Christchurch coach Started yesterday, swd may, be pre-. sumed to have got through, as there would then be nothing to hinder its) progress. ,

An entertainment under. the auspices of the Akaroa Hope Lodge of Good Templars will be given at''the Oddfellows' Hall on Thursday evening next. The amusement to be provided promises to be excellent, and should attract a good house. A programme appears elsewhere.

The Akaroa and Wainui Road Board did a large amount of useful work during the nine hours sitting of Saturday last, as will be seen from the report in another place, but it strikes us that by a little previous arrangement between the.Chairman and' plerk ■ the : business ihight.be in some way j Condensed and put in order before' the fdttmg of this Board.' Another matter is the Board's indulging in details that might ■■be lei'f to their officers.' Instance last: meet; Jurgj'lt was-hardly decent t td 'all concerned that three-quarters of an hour should be occupied in discussing the proper stylo of stanip for the shovels and barrows given to laborers. Might we ask the members to rise to the height of the argument and condense their matter. We understand that the Chairman of the County Council has been able to grant, all the applications for forest trees which have been made to that body in 'response to the invitation lately given.