Peninsula News.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 681, 23 January 1883, Page 2

Peninsula News.

: 'Frisco Mail.—The 'Frisco mail closes i at 6.45 a.m. on Saturday next. Piano Tuning.—Herr Illing is only going to remain in Akaroa for another day or two, so he begs those who require their pianos and harmoniums tuned to let him know at once. Horticultural and Industrial Association.—Committeemen are reminded that the meeting to pass accounts and finally wind up matters in connection yvhh the lateEghibitibn will -be held in the Borough .ScJioolro.ora-.tb.is evening at 7.30 pirn. Farmers' Club. —We again remind members of the Farmers' Club, of the meeting at the Head of the Bay on Saturday next, and urge them to remember that 20 must be present to form a quorum on that occasion, as it is the annua I meeting. Port Victoria Races.—Attention is called to the fact that nominations for these races will close at the Head of the Buy, Lyttelton, on Tuesday, January 30th. It is to be hoped that; this.part of the County will be well represented, as the programme is a liberal one, and several races are confined to Akaroa. County. A; . More. Overflowings.— f Will you walk |hto my- parlor, 1 saith the spider to the fly," we are;-coming,.SisterM-i'rj", tor the grass seed cheques *go high/ Dear Friends!--" You. know there are always two side* to a question, and one tale is very good rill another's told. We are apt to be carried away by the first, especially if there is plenty of blue about it. There is no getting over* the fact that Bankrupt Stocks are always the best, from the one fact alone that they must be the refuse and rejected stock of those who go "up the spout." And there is no getting away from another, fact, that if a thing is worth a shilling it cannot be sold for sixpence, especially when freight, rent, advertising, and wages have to come out of it. Still another fact. If Akaroa tradespeople,are charging £14 for £10'"worth of goods, f then. they are a lot of rogues, and'tho conclusion of the matter is, that there is only;'one honest man left in the town. Don't make a mistake.; You have'known the storekeepers here for a long timer,?and'jottknow you can get as good, value for your-money from them as from any strangers. How often I have heard d«ar Sairey say as how she would never be taken in again by them bankrup men, and heard her cry over the rags they have sold her-1 : No doubt the grass seed cheques'are very sweet and pretty, and we all love them ; but as they are not to be had every week, don't be in a hurry to part with them, at auy rate not for a month, at,the least.....Stick.„to.the old stagers,"as" they are able. to get .'goods ,&a f cheap as any one else (not slum milk bankrupt stocks)'.' Patronise the men who" have a stake in the place, ahd who spend their money in it. Excudge me for troubling you, but it is only the overflowings of—Yours exceedingly, Betsy Prig. —Advt.

Outside Supreme Court sittings at Christchurch concluded on Friday. The case against John Meiklejohn occupied the whole day. He was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for sheep -stealing. —Mr Federli is sending Home specimens of Canterbury grown'silk. Ho will send some silkworm gram in March in the refrigerating chamber of the s.s. British King, for distribution in France and Italy. — Gladstone's health is improving.—lntelligence is to hand from the Soudan that an eng igement has been fought between a battalion.of the Egyptian troops and the rebels-under El Mahdi, the false prophet. The rebels were Victorious, and inflicted a severe defeat-on the troops. The whole battalion was virtually destroyed, fully one half being killed, and the rest plavod hors de-combat. —A Sunday's telegram says:—"The polling :lbr the Peninsula election takes place to-mor-row. Mr Wells having resigned last night in favor of Donnelly, the contest is between Bishop Moran, Messrs Larnach and Donnelly. Great interest is taken in the election. The general belief is that Mr Larnach will win, and that the Bishop will be at the foot of the poll. At Donnelly's meeting last night, Messrs Fish and Barron, M.H R.s, proposed and seconded a vote of confidence. The Catholics and denominationalists will support Bishop Moran, the Orangemen have _decided for. Mr Larnach, and the Trades" and Labor Council espouse the cause of Mr Donnelly." —An attempt has been made to burii down, a house ia Riverton, occupied by a Chinaman and- his wife. The fire was discovered in time and extinguished. Kerosene had been poured oyer the walls on the outside.

Educational Elections.—For general" inf sanation we append a few details relative to the forthcoming Educational Elections :—The election of School Committees takes place on Monday n -it. On or before Jan. 31 the existing Committees, or the newly elected' ones, have to send in nominations for the Education Board ; each Committee having power to nominate two members. When the nominations have been received, it devolves upon the Education Board to forthwith publish them. The' School Committees subsequently record their votes upon proper forms, and these have to be sent in to the Education Board before the last day of February ,-r-Times. . Borough Improvements.-* Mr Citron's building is now very rapidly approaching completion, and promises to be a very handsome addition to our town architecture. The earns may be - said of; Mr Bay ley's Hotel, which looks a most imposing structure now the exterior is approaching completion. It will probably be opened on or about March Ist, and will certainly give visitor** from town a favorable idea of Akaroa, being almost the first building of any importance they pass coming into the town! By the by, there are some very ragged looking old, sheds outside the Borough-'between Mr WaecKerle's private-house and the road up the hill, that would be all the better for rem0va1........ A "Barracoota Dinner.—We all know that a •" Pilgrim " is one of those lucky individuals who came out in the historical first four ships, and most of us are aware that a " Shaggaroon " is the yet more thoroughly colonised individual who was here before the settlement at all, but it is given to few, and these old Peninsula residents, to-be aware of what a' "* Barracouta" is. There are a good many of 'theh> alQ.ut, however, and a very jolly lot they are. It appears that some twenty years ago last Christmas Mr Hughes, who was then' cutting timber, in. Robinsons Bay, wanted a road made there, and labor being very scarce on the Peninsula, he ' went to Otago, and at Dunedin ad vert is d that he would give 8s a day, and guarantee three months work, to any inclined to come. About 45 or. 50 men responded to the advertisement. They were from all sorts of places—some from Australia and other's only jiist out—but they Were a very merry lot, and went aboard the Isabella Jackson, a schooner of 40 or 50 tons, commanded by Captain Simmonds, which was to take them to the PeftinsoJla, in very high spirits. The" schooner got to Port Chalmers, knocked about a day or two outside, and then returned to Dunedin wharf, the wind not servjng. .When they made a second start they were again becalmed outside Port Chalmers, and it was there they earned their name. There were lots of potatoes aboard, and they were so successful in catchingbarraeouta that they lived.on them and the tubers) Fine fun they had amongst themselves, and■. when they did get a start they had a fine run into Akaroa Harbor. When they-..got there they all turned to at the job, but some of thera, finding wages were, higher here than Southland that Government was .giving two guineas a Week, wet* 6r' dry*, resolved to leave..the contract. T(W majority, however, remained, and a great .many of them, now hold land in the rtefgji-; bbrhood of » They have alivays been friends and patrons of Mr Waeekerle" and they intend to celebrate the opening of Bayley's hew hotel by having a .-*• Barraeouta ",dinner, at ' which a number of amusing reminiscences of the past are to be evoked. Of course other old residents besides Barracoutas will undoubtedly be present, but they .will be the rulers of the feast. No doubt Mr Bayley will make some special concessions, as it is his opening day, and probably there will be high jinks in Akaroa on or about March the Ist,-when the social gathering takes place. As Mr Potts said in the Eatanswill Gazette, .-«! We will be there."-.