Local and General.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 461, 21 December 1880, Page 2

Local and General.

Teie distribution of the prizes gained at the late Industrial Exhibition took place on Friday evening at the schoolroom. At about half-past seven the Rev H. Stocker announced to those assembled that Mr W. Montgomery would then proceed with the distention. Those to whom prizes had been awarded were then called forward and the articled placed in their hands. It was interesting to note the pleased expression of the youngsters as they retired with the rewards earned by their industry and skill. Some of them went back struggling with an armful of various articles. Some incongruities between the prizes and the recipients were apparent and no doubt unavoidable ; as, for instance, when a small boy under ten received a plated butterdish ; but perhaps the most noticeable instance of the irony of fate was the fact of the " Sundowner's " prize finding its way into the bosom of a family noted for total abstinence principles of the most rigid nature. After the awarded prizes had all been distributed, Mr Montgomery said he had been requested by the Secretary to present a special prize to the Rev H. Stocker as a mark of appreciation of the zeal and interest he had shown in the exhibition. (Cheers.) Mr Stocker replied, thanking the secretary, but regretted that he had been singled out from among the others, all of whom had worked well. Mr J. D. Garwood, Mayor of Akaroa, then moved a vote of thanks to Mr Montgomery for the kindness he had shown in remaining, at considerable personal inconvenience, till the prize distribution. Mr S. Watkins seconded the resolution, and in doing so expressed the gratitude the committee felt to Mr Montgomery for his pecuniary assistance, an example which had doubtless had considerable weight with other donors. (Cheers.) In returning thanks, Mr Montgomery said it was very little he had been able to do. He lived too far away. His heart was, however, in the work. The success of the affair was owing to the exertions of the committee. He hoped they would receive a still larger measure of support in the future. These exhibitions would tend to bring the locality into notice, and must be of advantage to it. He once more thanked the committee for the honor they had done him, and hoped on a future occasion to be there again. (Applause.)

A correspondent reminds us that in our report of tlio prizetakers at the exhibition we omitted to mention that Aubrey Spurr (of the Robinson's Bay school) took the prize for large hand-writing ; class boys under 14. The same young gentleman obtained a prize for mapping, and owing to a printer's enor his name appeared in our list as " Spun." Wk have been in communication with our eccentric correspondent the Sundowner, who is still located in the Southern village of Waikouaiti. We hope, bar accidents, to be able to present our readers in. our next issue with a communication from him appropriate to the approaching festive suason. In an English paper we find the name of the Rev. W. 11. Cooper, late of Akaroa. The rev. gentleman is stated to have preached at Leamington, Warwickshire, in October last on behalf of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. On the following day he took part in two meet ings in connection with the same society. He is described as the " Rev. W. 11. Cooper, M.A., of Grafton and Armidale, Australia." His trip to the Old Country is therefore probably only for a visit. Among the articles shown at the late Exhibition was one which certainly deserves a notice, though , as it was outside any of the scheduled-classes it escaped being chronicled in our report. We refer to a parcel of shingles shown by Mr Armstrong. They were cut at his new mill, and are remarkable for their finish and uniformity. Each one is accurately bevelled, and the appearance of the surface makes them almost look as if they had been planed. The price affixed to the sample (20s per 1000) appears also very reasonable.

The Christchurch correspondent of a contemporary says : — We have been treated to our share of horrors lately, the last being a melancholy case ot suicide, with a touch of grim humour about it. An unfortunate man at Papanui, in the " struggling walk " of life—about which particular walk, by the way, most of us in the colonies know a little hero and there— cut his throat with a razor, and one of the reasons assigned for his doing the deed appeared to be that he had a few days previously received a land tax notice, the horrid complications and mysteries of which drove him mad, and caused him to seek refuge in death from the haunting spectacle of that impossible problem. It is too sad an affair to treat lightly, but it is scarcely possible to help fancying what a handle this might seem for some upcountry Opposition Thunderer to "go for" the Government. i

In Chambers application lias been made to his Honor Mr Justice Johnston to change the venue of the trial of Michael Murphy and Watt for perjury. His Honor intimated that the affidavits in support of the application were exceedingly strong and the only question was whether the trial should bo held at Duncdin or Wellington.

From Christchurch a correspondent writes :—The anniversary of the founding of this province was celebrated j'esterday in the usual manner, a strict holiday being observed in Christchurch. During the day the annual sports were held in Hagley Park ; a great many people attended the meeting, and over £85 was collected at the gates. Lyttelton also followed tho example of Christchurch, and presented a holiday appearance, a profuse display of bunting being observable among the shipping. The s.s. Wanaka started from the wharf about. 9 o'clock with a fair complement of passengers en route for Akaroa. The Akaroa had its share of excursionists, and deposited them at Port Levy, and yet another steamer, the Titan, started for Little Akaloa ; but the weather being very rough the latter vessel had to run into Pigeon Bay. The passengers by both the Akaroa and Titan had a good share of salt water, and many began to «' cast up their accounts " before the Heads were reached. Rounding the Heads was a tickler, and those who had struggled to hold on, gave in at this point. Notwithstanding the heavy sen, a pleasant day was spent by a great many, and the only drawback to the comfort of tho excursionists to Pigeon Bay was the lack of a hotel ; many expecting to be well provided for at the Little Akaloa Hotel, had to return with an empty stomach, as they neglected to take any provisions with them.

The hangman who executed Ah Lee at Dunedin for the murder of Mrs Young at Kyeburn is at present in Oamaru, and has already sent in a written application to Government to be appointed hangman to Tuhi, the Maori who has confessed the murder of Miss Dobie at Opunake. The iSTew Zealand Marwood, the Oamaru Mail thinks, is somewhat precipitate in his demands. He recently applied to the authorities on the West Coast to bo executioner to a man who was then being tried for wife murder, but against whom no verdict has been returned.

The custodian of the local hospital reports, that institution as being entirely untenanted. This state of affairs lias not occurred since October 1877, or nearly twelve months before the present building was erected. On Friday night last, for the first time for that period, the hospital was empty, and up to last night no patients had been received in it. It has been suggested in memory of the event to present Mr Dixon with a pair of white kid gloves, but a friend of his (who wil] insist in calling him J. 8.) asserts that a pair of boxing gloves would be far more appropriate. The Bruce Herald publishes the following in its local columns :—'• Persons who patronise papers should pay promptly for the pecuniary prospects of the Press which has a peculiar power in pushing forward public prosperity. If the printer is paid promptly and his pocketbook kept plethoric by prompt paying patrons, he puts his pen to his paper in peace ; his paragraphs are more pointed, he paints hiH pictures of passing events in more pleasing colours, and the perusal of his paper is a pleasure to the people. Paste this piece of proverbial philosophy where all enn perceive it."

Of all vices, ingratitude, generally speaking, inflicts most disgrace on the culprit. Seneca places this vice immediately after theft, manslaughter) sacrilege, and treachery. There are four descriptions of ungrateful persons. The first denies that he has received a favour, the second subpresses and conceals the benefit, the third retains no remembrance of the kindness, the fourth—who is the worst of all—conceives a hatred for his benefactor, because he is conscious that he is under an obligation to him.

Wk have received from the publisher, Mr Joseph Braithwnite, Dunedin, a copy of a new Christmas publication entitled "Whito Hood and Blue Cap, a Christinas bough with two branches." The little volume consists of two stones by Vincent Pykc and Thorpe Talbot respectively. We are sorry that space does not permit us to review these productions at length in our present issue, but can decidedly recommend the work to our readers. Whatever faults may be in either composition, they are certainly not of the sugar-plum, namby-pamby order of literature which is too often considered good enough for publications of this nature. On the contrary the latter story especially betrays in its author the possession of dramatic powers of a very high order. We shall have some further remarks to make on this little work, and meantime recommend it heartily to our readers.