Untitled

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 190, 1 March 1878, Page 5

..We call attention to an additional certificate in another column to the ability and skill, of Professor Stanich as an amist. At* a meeting of the Waiwera School. Committee, oo Friday, 22nd inst,, Messrs Bastiau and Thomson were nominated as candidates for the Education Board. , We regret to learn that on Saturday and Sunday a large fire raged in Mr Ayson 's Bush, "Warepa, and did great damage riot only to the timber, but also to the surround ing, pastures. At a meeting of the Clinton School Committee on . Thursday last, it was resolved that Messrs Fish atid A . C. Begg, of Dunedin, he nominated as members of the new Education Board. . ' , .Whil<j ;Mr. George Coombe's fine thorougbred horse, " Barwon," was running in his paddock on Friday last' he slipped arid smashed a" fetlock' joint, the bone of the leg protruding six inches through the skin. The horse was shot shortly after the accident. Thisis the third valuable animal Mr Coombe has lost within 1 three year_. * - *..•,-.- „ :. •-.-■• Tn corisequerice of the length of that portion of the report of the meeting of County t Council referring to the representation of' Brugh Riding", we are oblised'to hold over a' report of the general business till -. next issue. ; *We may! mention; however,, that the tender; of Messrs Falconer and ,00,, for contract No. 16, metalling at bridge ia centre of the bush on the ; road Glenomaru to Catlins, at the rate of 9s; per, cubic yard- was accepted . conditionally on the,,LlOoO voted; by *the,- Assembly! .for. the Catlins ...river road being paido ver to tho , County, account. .A number .of teriders for',- the other, contracts were received,^ but was left over till ; next meeting, which will be on the last Friday of '.-.March.. .' .. "A ■ A': ■' J r A .AX.

[ The' Clutha Branch of the- Educational Institute of ' Otago will meet in the schoolhouse here to-morrow. ,'■■•.:.;/ The Hon. W. J. M. Larnach was ex pected to leave Wellington per Rotorua, yesterday, on route for England. The date for the eleotion of the new Education Board by the School Committees of the Provincial District of ' Otago has been fixed for the 10th April nextr W-e noticed. the other day a very elegant and at the same time strong aud roomy 'buggy, turned out of the establishment of Messrs Dugald M'Niven and Peters here. It. was made to the j order of Mr Rae; Stirling. We believe a good few. of the settlers in the surrounding districts contemplate investing in some kind, of light and yet j strong and convenient trap, and we rather think Diigald's style of buggy is what is wanted. We may add that the -price is extremely reasonable. Our Southern readers will observe' with with satisfaction that Mr J. S. Shanks has commenced as stock, woolj grain, and general Commission Agent in; the Mataura district.. From the rapid' settlement going on iv that quarter, there cannot be a doubt that the necessity existed for such a business being started there. Mr Shanks is -so well known and so' highly respected by all that he will be amply supported in the very hopeful field he has selected for hid labours. The Warepa School Committee met on Monday evening last, MrD. Milligan in the chair, when the Rev. Wm. R.mnerman, South Clutha, and Mr Henry Clark, Tokomairiro, were unauiinously nominated as candidates for election to the Education Board.- The teacher having called the Commettee's attention to the blaok board as needing some repairs effected thereon, the same was authorised to be done, thb , teacher kindly undertaking to see the- same effected.. : Other affairs were left over till next meetiug* Harvest is now pretty general throughout the Ciutha district/and from all quarters we learn that the crop is a good average one. We notice that in many cases the fields have a patchy, appearance, some portions of the crop being fully ripe and other parts pretty green. The consequence is that harvesters are kept on the move between different fields and between different portions of the same field, cutting what is ripe aud returning as the adjacent crop gets into condition. Some settlers inform us of a considerable shake of grain bythe gale of Sabbath last, but we believe no very great damage has in this way occurred, as tbe great proportion of the crops were scarcely forward enough to shake. The Borough Council, at the meeting on Tuesday night appointed a Committee to prepare an address, and make other necessary arrangements for the reception of Sir George Grey, on the occasion of his expected visit here. The exact day he will pass is not yet known, but in all probability it will be in the beginning of next week. We believe it is not intended to make any great demonstration at Balolutha, simply an address from the Borough Council, and tbe Premier's reply which will probably tike placo at the verandah of the Crown Hotel. He will 'then be invited to refreshments in the shape of cake and wine. Although the arrangements may be simple we have no doubt a largo number bf the public will congregate to welcome Sir George Grey and Mr Macandrew witb cheers. At the meeting of the Acclimatisation Sooiety in Duuedin on Monday, it was agreed that the open season for shooting native game be fixed from April 1 to July 31, and June and July for Californian quail. Regarding pheasant shooting, ifc was agreed that two months would be sufficient for an open season, considering the . present number of birds, and It was resolved that June and July be the months fixed. Ifc was decided too early to declare an open season for partridges. A long discussion took place about the advisability of opening a shooting season for hares in addition to the coursing season. It was decided to open Jane and July. Ifc was further decided to open May, June, and July as the coursing season. The fee for shooting pheasants was fixed afc 30s (to include quail); the fee for shooting hares at 30s ; and the fee for coursing at 20s. The inhabitants of the Tokomairiro distriot were kept in a state of considerable excitement for a few days in the end of last week through tbe want of a knowledge of the whereabouts of a girl, Jano Parlane, 16 years of age, daughter, of Andrew Parlane, Fairfax. It apA pe..rs that on W ednesday night her father had occasion to reprimand her for some slight offence when she ran out of the house. The father followed but lost sight of her amongst the flax. Nothing more was heard or seen of tho;girl till 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon when she was found by a neighbour, concealed in a flax bush upon the road-Une about 300 yards from hor own house. She had remained therd the whole time, only I stealing out occasionally for water, and when found was so weak that she had to be assisted home. During heir, absence the inhabitants bad turned but atid dragged the river, while search and enquiries were made far arid near — but not quits near enouj.b to hor home. Many coujijcfcures were of course given rise to as to the extraordinary disappearance, but these need not now be referred to, as the whole mystery bas been c eared . up, and only a little freak of j humanity revealed. . ■ In this issue we commence, the publication,of another Scottish tale, entitled "The Abbot of Aberbrothock," by William A damson. We confess that for several months past, we have had uninterrupted promptings ; from all, quarters urgi ing the publication of another talo, ; andas we have been somewhat dilatory in giving effect to these, ifc may be necessary to ex-dam that; tlwdelay bas not arisen from any indifference to the desire of our read.™ so generally arid definitely expressed as it has been. * But the whole "of this district is afc present progressing so rapidly,, so many matters' are.ocoupying public attention and so many meetings are being everywhere held that our space has been and still is largely taken up with reports and items Aot ..news: of. local interest. We need only refer to the present issue to show tlie number of the reports of local meetings we have to find space for. Another cause of delay has been the, difficulty of finding a story in every respeot. suitable for periodical publication. It will be seen at once that many that are adapted for reading " right through, " would, altogether fail to sustain the interest if only published sin weekly chapters. We.^know -tne tales' hitherto publisbed in'tbe LßADEE'have been'mostfayou**- ' ably received by all ilasses of .'.Readers' j'and^we have every;' confidence 7 - that stbex comparatively short one now commenced, will prove-an acpep- ) table unit <rf the. aeriea.

; The, school at Mataura bridge has been closed for the last ten days, on account ! of the teacher being laid up with a severe attack of bronchitis, '.' : • ...

A fldur-hiilTis to be erected very soon at Mataura bridge, contiguous to the paper-mill; and also a large woollen factory on the opposite side of the river. Both will very much add, to the prosperity of tbe place. .We oall attention to the fact that the time agreed to be given by the Balclutha School Committee for payment of all arrears of school fees has now expired. After the indulgence the Committee has given in tbis matter it is to be hoped they will not be obliged in any case to have recourse to legal measures to enforce payment. Such a course, however, will certainly be definitely adopted at next meeting in the case of any arrears then outstanding, Thereis yet another, industry ihat might ■ be successfully established in Balclutha— via., a foundry and rnapbinest.. ., There are v now a very large number of reaping, machines, threshers,. and engines, etc., in the district which frequently require repairs. At present if but a small castsing is wanted it lias to be sent for to Dunedin, and often serious delays are iii this way occasioned. We believe a foundry, upon a small scale would be well supported here, aud trust to hear of it being shortly established. Our readers in the Catlins, Owake, and surrounding districts, will be glad to know that the Church Extension Committee of the Presbyterian Church bas again appointed Mr Morris to these districts. Mr Morris has been for about 12 months labouring at Nasehy with much acceptance, arid as will be' seen from a report in another column, lias'no'b 'lefb'ib without a substantial token of the esteerii of the inhabitants. We understand Mr Morris, will commence work in his new .sphere of labour on Sabbath first, when he will preach afc Ahuriri at 11a.m. and at Owake at 2.30 p.m. ' Cecil Jackson, late house-surgeon of the Invercargill Hospital, was arrested ou Monday morning ori the charge of attempting to' procure abortion in the case df Ellen Groen, a patient in the Hospital. He was examined before tbe Resident Magistrate, and the evidence of Mrs Williams, the matron, was taken. It was very damagiug, showing the frequent use of instruments., The case was adjourned until Monday next. Bail was allowed ia two suiities of LSOO each, and himself iv LSUO. The bail was forthcoming. Dr Jackson was practising in Balclutha for a short time, as assistant to Dr Smith. An inquest into the sudden death of Mrs Kelly, Fairfax, on Friday last was held by Mr Carew, District Coronea-, aud a jury, on Saturday in the Fairfax schoolhouse. ' From the evidence it app3ared that while drawing water from a well 43 feet deep near lo her own house, the covering of the well had given way, and she fell to the bottom. Her husband hud left home for the harvest field between two , and three o'clock, and returned at six o'clock," when missing his wife a search was made and the body was got at the bottom of the well. • Deceased had only been nine months married. The jury returned a verdict of " found drowned." We have pleasure in calling -the attention of settlers of the Clutha and neighbouring districts to the fact that Messrs Maolean Brothers, Agents for Otago for Osboume'-* reaper and binder, have arranged for a trial of one of these machines at the Crescent ou Thursday next. This being the harvest season when settlers generally have little time to spare, it has, been arranged that the machine will not be started. till 2 o'clock so that only the " afternoon's yoking " may be lost by the visitors. As these machihes are now ' attracting so much attention throughout the Colony, and indeed throughout the world, we have no doubt there will be a very large gathering to witness the trial at the Crescent on Thursday uexfc. A concert and ball took place in the schoolhouse at Waikaka, near Gore, on Friday 22nd iust., and the result was a decided success, upwards of a hundred persons being present. The chair was taken by Mr T. Dawson, who made a few remarks on tlie very flourishing con-, dition of the school in respect of everything bub funds, and observed . that in order to procure a littlo of the indispensable, ' that evening's entertainment hati been arranged. Mr Waddeli, iri a very humerou-* and complimentary, speech to the Chairman, thought that the Committee should appeal oftener to the liberality of the public, and expressed his couviction that if entertainments were given monthly they would be well supported. The first two or threb hours of tho evening were occupied with songs and recitations, all well delivered, but on account of the great length of the programme, it would be impossible to do, more than allude to a few of the mo-st meritorious performances. Mr Simpson's delivery of Byron's " Maid of Athens',' was in particular very effective, and RJr;W. Hay, who recited EJell's ".Queen of Scots," deserves gr.eafc credit both for his power of memory and the fluency of Utterance. Mr Fife and Mr Clieyne, who came before the audience again with songs and recitations, have acquired in oral delivery and gesticulation the correctness of professional comedian!-, arid songs by Messrs' Sheddim, Parker, aud Mitchell, produced ' thunders of applause and' vociferous encores. Duriug the evening one of the school pupils aged 8 yearscame forwaril to give a reading, Im. being terrified by the deafening applause which greeted him, aud the sight of a hundred pairs of strange eyes, gave vent to his enibtiuu iv a flood of tears, and forthwith retired; ' .The scene was very pretty and effecting, but the occurrence is to be regretted as the little boy is a remarkably fluent reader when not under the influence; of. mauyaiso. honte^ Roars of laughter •were evoked" by Mr. Latham's, song "The Hailway Guard," and Messrs W. y Aicken- and W.y Johnston, as vocalists and, instrumentalists, appeared, to .be as, inexhaustible as they wereac-, complished.' A hornpipe by W.-.-Corstello-was-most artistically performed, and Mr' Dawson's; song **New Zealand form e" completely brought down the : Kouse. ' About 11 o'clock - the 'dancing commenced, Mr W. Johnstone being master of cerembnitjs, arid', Mr ' M'Kiunon, arid Mr Aicken" instrumentalists. " The 'amusements were continued until between 4 and 5 o'clock in morning, and except; that 'the presence, of a. lev* more ladies would have, beeu desirable,, .nothing was wanting to make, the' entertainment thoroughly enjoyable. ,, Kef reshmentij in - the shape ?of , ,teft and eatables were -provided, -in-, the? u^ual .-liberal, style,? under 'the .superintendence of .-Mrs Syra|j and'JMrsySargiuson/? arid the.lamusenieri^srtterr; "min'ated/with'ivo.es*^ arid ladies.^ '• Tile £roOTMs ? of '^ have not yet been officially reprorfed but prolsb>fy ■ .Jaraowt^-.awra^i^-^'y ' '.aA AAAAAXXAAAy a --