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Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 230, 6 December 1878, Page 5

We have to call attention to Mr Mackenzie's circular circulated with this issue.

A farm of 105 acres on. the Taieri Plain was sold the other day for £3100,

I^We' 1 understand Mr Barty is the successful tenderer for the re-erection of Mr Bain's shop for the Victoria Insurance Company.

The Milton School Committee are considering the advisability of removing the rector's residence from its present site to one near the local immigration barracks. It will be observed that Messrs Kilgour and Son have opened the shop lately occupied , by Mr Cowio, Saddler, where in future they will carry on business as Bakers and Confectioners. With reference to Mr Jowitt's advertisement for a ploughman, we would point out that any one wishing to see him at Balclutha will have an opportunity this clay week, in the afternoon. The Secretary of the Board of Conservators for Inch Clubha, has ieceived intimation from the Minister of Works that the Island Act of last session was brought into operation on the 2nd instant. Mr G-. W. Hutchins, Secretaiy fco the Clutha Game Protection Society, informs us that ho has received no less than 71 hawks heads withm the last week or two. Tins should be very cheering to sportsmen. At the Dunedin show Mr Robert Robson, Whitelea, secured second prize for Lincoln ewe with lamb at foot, 4-tooth' or over, lv the Duuediu papers the prize was inadvertently given to Mr Kitching. There is nothing fresh from Sydney regarding the bushrangers. A number of the police are still out in pursuit, but with the exception that the horses of the murdered constables have been discovered near the scene of the murder, nothing has been discovered. A disgraceful scene was witnessed at Stirling on Sunday evening, when two labourers stripped and for a time exhibited their pugilistic science and abilities. A correspondent suggests that such occurences might be prevented . by an occasional visit from the police. The steamer lona still continues to ply upon the river, and as yet has met with no serious obstacle. Or course during the flood new channels and new sand spits were formed, but it is not supposed that any change has occurred that will obstruct the navigation, even at low watt.r. We have to thank Mr David Bower, Hillend, for a dish of magnificent strawberries, fully ripe, and of very fine flavour. Mr Bower had them quite ripe a fortnight ago, which testifies to the salubrity of the climate in his district and the success of his system of . management. Mr Munro, Warepa, has also handed us a sample of strawberries grown in his garden. He had some quite ripe more than a* week ago. The season for this delicious fruit is now, therefore, quite at hand.

Messrs Hogg., Mason, and Dunne as a deputation from 'iM Borough Council waited upon Mr Macandrew in Dunedin yesterday, with whom they had. a. long consultationVas-.to . the necessary repairs t? the streets, the erection of the bridge, and the protection of the river banks. The latter work will be commenced on Monday or Tuesday first, and at present we can only say very satisfactory arrangements have been made with reference to the other works named.

Ml" M'Millan is making very satisfactory progress with the work of replacing the railway embankments and viaducts through, the flat here. Should the weather continue at all favourable, he will have it all ready for the trains running as far as the commencement of Messrs -Proudfoot and M 'Kay's contract before the end of this month. We do hope that the latter .gentlemen will now make an honest effort to have their contract finished in time for the. "missing link" being opened by the New Year. That gives them six months beyond their contract tiir.e, which should be ample indulgence, in all conscience. •

Captain Hay ward, Harbor Master, Catline JEliver, reports ; — The number of vessels eriieral here.duriug the past month were 14, equal to 500 tons register, and 19 sailed, equal to 660 tons register. Twelve were sent to Dunedin, 2 to Oamaru, 4 to Timaru, and 1 to' Lyttelton. Nine loaded at the Big Mill, 9 at the Owake I Mill, and 1 with produce. The Anna arid! Palmerston are loading at the Owake Mill-; the, Jane Hannah and Owake Belle at the ;Big Mill. The weather during the pasfe month has been fine* i on the .whole, although we have had sdmejyery< strong westerly winds;- : ■ : ; |/' J ; : '';>'^

At the Licensing Court ,Christchurch on Wednesday; plans were shown for a new hotel in the -centre of Christchurch with ninety bedrooms, to cost from L 12,000 to LI 5,000. The hotelkeepers in • the vicinity objectsd, but the Court said it. would grant the license if the plans were carried out. We understand Mr Paterson, County Engineer, has lost no time in ordering the erection of a footbridge across the gap in the river ■ bank, at the site of the old schoolhouse. Inch . Clutha. Mr James M'Kinlay has the matteT in hand, and will have the bridge erected without delay. In this issue will be found a continuation of the journal of Messrs Darling and Blackie of their rambles round the world. It will be seen that our next budget may be expected from Egypt, when no doubt we shall have some racy first impressions of yowng Colonials regarding that, interesting cpuntry. Trout have of late been seen disporting themselves in the Puerua, Stream, and one was lately caught by a hook set for eels over night. "We know of no better stream for trout than the Puerua, and as it has now been proved beyond a doubt that the fish are there, we believe there will shortly be excellent sport to be had in that quarter. Referring to the discussion at the last meeting of the Clutha County Council regarding the contract previously taken by the Matives for woiks on Catlins road, near Glenomaru, we undarstand that it has now been arranged- that the contract will be carried by Mr Valentine, contractor. It will therefore at once be proceeded NYVfch. The late fresh and rain up-country has kept the river pretty high during the past week. The extent of water upon Inch Clutha has therefore been considerably increased, but no material extra damage has been done. The proposed visit of the Minister of Public "Works to the Island is very anxiously and impatiently looked forward to. We have not heard that the day of the visit has yet been fixed. In o.ur notice, in last issue, of the Otago Agricultural and 'Pastoral Society's Show, we omitted to mention the prizes taken by Mr J. Robertsou, the Gask. In the. Ayrshires, class 2, bull calved since Ist August, 1876, he obtained third prize. Class 5, Ayrshire cow in milk, any age, he was awarded second prize, and in class 7, Ayrshire heifer, /jalved since Ist August, 1877, he carried off first honours. Until yesterday we were unaware that new potatoes grown in this district were already fit for use. Such, however, is the case as Mr William Hope has of late been using several kinds. Ho has sent us samples of two varieties dug promiscuously. They are of ordinary size and apparently fully ripe. They are quite dry when cooked, and in every respect seem to be as advanced as we have been accustomed to find potatoes in January.

A very sad accident, says the Morning' Herald, happened on "Wednesday n,ormn<r, by which the infant daughter of Mr and Mrs Almao, of Princes street, lost her life. The child fell out of.a chair, and on being taken up was found to be unconscious. A doctor was at once sent for, but before he arrived the child died. .The whole of the ch'cumstances were explained to the Coroner and Police, and as the occurrence was a pure accident no official inquiry has been deemed necessary. • . " ' . ' We have to call attention to the Magic Lantern Entertainment to" be given.- in . Barr's Hall, on Tuesday evening,' in aid of the funds of the Balclutha Sunday . Schools- -or, more particularly, to assist with the expense of the auuual pic-nic. The magic lantern comes from Dunediu, and the,jvie'ws. are Palestine, New Zealand, natural-phenomena, seasons, animals, moving figures, r c Yesuvius in eruption, comics, &c. We have no doubt: it will be both interesting and funny. ..In onr commercial columns will be .found a report of the sale of the Pareora Estate, which lias for some time been advertised in the Leader, and attracted considerable attention here. The sale was held by Messrs J. G-. Ford and Co., at Timaru, on Wednesday. As we anticipated, the sale-room was crowded on the occasion, and very high prices were obtained. The amount realised was £41,155 17s 6d, or an average of £13 7s per acre. The township sections averaged £30 9s per section, realising £1217. The result of this important sale miiat be regarded as highly satisfactory, and should induce owners of large estates to open them up for settlement by small capitalists. We regret that from our last issue was omitted a notice of Mr Waddell's lecture on Burns 'on the previous Friday evening. Barr's Hall was well filled on tlie occasion, the attendance being the best we have seen at a lecture in •Balclutha. Rev. J. M'Ara presided. -The lecture was an excellent one, and was delivered virtually without the manuscript, with great readiness and effect. . The lecturer was frequently interrupted with bursts of hearty applause. At intervals during the delivery, Mrs Nicol and Miss Begg sang some very good songs, and Messrs Turnbull and Dallas gave readings illustrative of Burns' Works. Altogether a most interesting and pleasurable evening was spent. We have heard numerous parties express a strong desire that Mr Waddell should be asked to re-deliver the lecture here. Were he to do so, we have no doubt the attendance would be still greater than on last occasion.

At the meeting of the Land Board on Wednesday Messrs Conttell and Moodie, on behalf of Mr Robert Andrews, requested the Board to re-consider its decision with reference to offering section 19, block VI., Gtlenomaru district (applied for by Mr Madigan) for sale , at £1 per acre.— lt was resolved that- the land in question be surveyed in two portions of about 200 acres each, and be sold in that way. —A letter was read from Mr Aurlrew Watt, suggesting' that a road line be taken through sections 5, 2, 4, 9, and 8, block 11., ChattoD district. — It was resolved that the writer be referred to the Cotmtv Council.— Messrs Conuell and Moodie, on behalf of Mr James Baird, applied for a transfer of his deferred payment section 17, block"; XII., Chattoh district. —It was resolved that, the Chief Commissioner be requested to obtain a. legal opinion upon the question whether such "atransfer could be given.— A memorandum was read from the Under Secretary for Crown Lands, enclosing a copy of report, by Commissioners- to ■his Excellency, which suggested that the pastoral leases of small portions of runs 52b . and 52d -arid v72' be granted- for terms ranging from seven to • ten years.— Consideration was adjourned^ —It iwas resolved to intimate that "sections l9 to 19 inTSlusive,' blockYlLj'Toe-fcoes district, were open ipr application. ' '. ' -- '-.•■"' ;\ .-