The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 439, 5 October 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5.

We have pleasure in recording the fact that tho Maori whaling party stationed at Ikeraki have so far been very successful. Last week they succeeded in bagging an exceptionally large specimen of the whale tribe. One good haul like tins is supposed to pay the expenses of a season, so that they may reasonable hope to make a decent profit on this one.

The man Peter HaglanJ,who was un ler remand for horse-stealing-, made his escape from the lock-up in Akaroa tinder extraordinary circumstances. It appears that he was left securely in bis cell on Sunday evening ; and in the morning was missing. He had cut his way through the planking in the cell by means of some sharp instrument supplied him by a confederate outside and passed through t c ventilators. The hole through which he made his escape is about t(U- inches wide, about 10 inches long and only about 10 inches from the ground. lie cut through a joist to reach the end of one of the iron bars with which the bottom of. the cell is covered and having done this succeeded in breaking it off short. The bars are inch iron. He must then have serpentined his way out in a miraculous manner. This is the second time he has effected his escape from the same place. On the first occasion ho,'by means of bis belt, wrenched the iron bars together and got through a space that would have puzzled a cat to have followed. In fact both his escapes remind us of those of the prisoners in the Bastille.

Our local larrikins have broken out afresh. Judging probably that (he whole energies Of the police force wo'nlcl be required to keep watch on the local representative of Jack Sheppard whom they had in charge, the festive youths referred to devoted themselves between Saturday night and Sunday morning to various little jokes. They erected a barricade of packing cases right across the road in front of Mr Black's shop. The Mail office was decorated in an artistic manner and a culvert was with infinite pains removed from under the road opposite Mr Penlingtou's and placed above it. We expect our friends the larrikins will yet find themselves the recipients of certain gentle attentions from the Police when the latter have recovered from the scare occasioned by the double disappearance of their horsey prisoner.

Last evening was quite an era in the dramatic annals of Akaroa, being the first appearance of Miss Clara Stephenson's complete dramatic company in our townami indeed of any company really competent for tho display of histrionics. Many established favorites whoso names have been already heralded by the trump of Fame are here, principally Miss Clara Stephenson, whose powerful delineation of Lady Audley took her audience completely by storm. It was subdued, crafty, intelligent, and so carefully concealed throughout was the •'cunning madness "of the heroine, that until the climax not one of her audience seemed to realise the fact when astonishment culminated in a perfect furore of applause. Miss Lucy A-diton's impersonation of Phoebe, the ex-lady's maid, was perfect ; whilst Miss Madge Uerrick's out-spoken Alicia was indeed a realistic picture. Messrs J. Wills, J. Howe, D'Khnainc, and J P. Ilydes add oil materially to thy success of ihe piece. A very sparkling comedy entitled Euchred concluded the evening's entertainment.and to all our friends—dyspeptic and otherwise—we say. go to the Oddfellows' Hall and see this game of euchre played, and if you do not heartily laugh at the vagaries of Miss Clara Stephenson as the assumed lady—a wonderful contrast to her Lady Audley—and tho eccentricities of her lover (Mr Ilydes), aided by the lady-like impersonation of Miss Madge Merrick, and the almost-used-up, gentlemanly bearing of Mr Horace D'Elmaine, who has been everywhere, and says there is nothing in it, down to Mr llowes, waiter, who refuses them admittance to the coffee-room—why. then, we are surprised, that's ail. One of the great font tires of the evening was tho musical portion given by Mr W. G. liydcs, the pianist, whose splendid execution of the most difficult passages elicited the approbation and applause of all present. The public of Akaroa should support Miss \ Stephenson in this her very spirited and ! expensive speculation in introducing to us \ the very greatest theatrical treat yet given ; here. This evening the emotional play of East Lynne will be produced, and judging from the Press extracts from Austndia Miss Stephenson's dual characters of Lady Isabel and Madame Vine have n-.-ali-d <'•> • most profound «dmii-i-.i!i»n m\ ■. i-p We aie promised a bm .■ >• week, and i-ai.ii-rt . biic/ notice ■■■■■'{'■'■! ■ ing one and all ;•■ • Oddfellows' J Lib.

We arc informed that a trout weighing 31b Ooz. was killed the other day in the upper part of Ay liner's creek by two children.

The usual monthly meeting of the Le Bon's Bay District School Committea took place on Saturday last. On account of the weather there had been no meeting last month. The members present wera Messrs Hall, Fairbrass, T. Oldiidge, Fredricksen, and Leonard. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A circular was read, from tho Board of Education stating that there would be a reduction in the salaries of. the teachers after the Ist of November at the following rates:—Salaries below £20, Nil; below £59, 5 per cent ; below £100, Ih pelcent ; over £100, 10 per cent. A further reduction of 7J- per cent On all provisionally and certificated and uncertificated teachers would be made. A letter from the Board was read stating that it had no funds at present to carry Tia the propose repairs to the school and school lions s The salaries of the teachers were paid, also the school cleaning and Clerk' salary for the past six months.

'• Frank Fudgk " in the Saturday Adcertiser thus slates the larrikins of Timaru: If Invercargill is distinguished for its learning, the great seaport of Timaru occupies quite as prominent a position anions the towns of New Zealand, though in quits a different line. The Southlanders are the Athenians of the Colony, but the Timariifliuis are the Spartans. The development of brave and warlike qualities is as much pursued in Tirn'aru in the present day as it was in Laconia under Lycurgus. It is true that the Timarnflians have not as }*et figured at a Thermopyho, hut they have distinguished themselves on different occasions after a most valiant fashion. The gallant bombardment of a cottage in Stuart street, Dunedin, is still fiesh in the memory of my readers, and the siege of Timaru is an affair that never can die. But the crowning glory of the Timaruffians was gained a few evenings ago, when a brave band of those gallant fellows attacked a pomold man of three score and ten with showers of rotten eggv. Such a noble deed deserves to be chronicled and treasured in the achives of the nation. The dauntless daring exhibited in the attackon that harmless old colonist "Captain Jackson Harry " deserves recognition, and the ,( Rotten Egg Brigade." of Timaru are deserving of new colours—on their backs with cat-o'-niue-railft.