OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 36, 20 July 1870, Page 5

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

(From our om Oorrttspomkul.) July I t, 1870. Tho weather in Dunedin is nothing short of execrable. Wo cannot possibly conn 5 on a continuance of more than twenty-four hours without rain. Tho roads are in a most deplorable condition, and tho inexor l able weather will give them no chance of permanent improvement. In tho meaiitirae, tho townspeople an* “ as well as can be expected under the circumstances.” Business is a matter alto l gather out of tho question : such a thing does not at the present time exist in Dunedin, and tho only balm that wo can lay to our uneasy minds is that to which we have so frequently resorted to of lute, namely, “that things cannot grow worse." I believe there is un unparalleled aiuodfti' of distress, want, and sickness at present., prevalent in the city. Tho stagnation which affects the better classes works wit!? more disastrous consequences on tho poorer" members of the community. In the pfe sent state of affairs, the only possible mean; • of salvation for the province appears to> be in the prosecution either of railways or " other public works. For lack of something better, "the* mayoralty continues to absorb most of the atteu ■ tion of the Dunedinites. I think M. Griffen stands the best chance of' election. • Mr Fish has sadly fallen in popular estima tion since the last election, and-1 do not anticipate that he will this year poll anything like the same number of votes that he thou did. I hear that Mr Millar, F.S.A.jis likely to come forward as.a candidate.Mr Vogel’s financial scheme is not giving ; universal satisfaction. There was a’public ■ meeting held in the now Post-Office Buildings for discussing its-, advantages' and ■' drawbacks. As is usual on such occasions, , no definite conclusion was arrived . at, and • the meeting was by many merely made a 1 medium for an ostentatious difepbayv asf their chaffing powers;-. Mi?. Shepherd!made some very telling and- ‘.sensible -remarks on the appropriation*. ofteliQ" loan, of course standing up stoutly .for; the rights of Otago to a, large share of .the cuke. The number of .letters received by theSuez mail this time fell far short of‘the - usual average.. By," both Marseilles and 1 Southampton routes. the number did not reach 900, iruthe .place of about 7000 on former occasions.. Last San Francisco mail! brought, I believe, a ridiculously smalll amount of cowsipondence, but I suppose we may expect a large budget to be brought by the next., In mining matters I hear that the-. Canada > Quartz-reef. Company have leased their plant and iclaim... to tributors, who. are to pay the Gdmpany 10 per cent on gross.. proceed^,-. The-case of trance at Mauaga-tua is creating aigood deal of interest in scientific: circles,;,but none of our Dunedin medical men-have yet thought it worth!',their while to visit the girl for the purpose of investigating the remarkable phenomena attendant . onithe caser The parents of the child arc poor,-and, if we do not wish; to have an incident like the “Welsh fasting girl's*’ case in Otago, 1 think it is high time for the Otago Bsnevolent Institute, or sonicsimilar body, to take the matter unhand. The Maoris at present in confinement ■here seem to *bo rapidly dying off. One died tho other day of “ chronic asthma.”"’ Ho was a young man, only 25 years.. ofC age.-. This is the seventh that has died, since thoir residence in Dunedin. Otago people seem to have a peculiar.penchant for the marvellous.. . From- the* Taieri a/ remarkable story reaches ns .of an alligator having been.seen and shot at in. the-river. In the Times of yesterday, X read of the capture and murder of a “ sea. lion” om the sandspit below Port Chalmers. The monster was-brought to town to-day, and turns out to bo nothing but a very splendid seal about nine feet in length. It. has lieen purchased for our museum. But by far the most glorious sensation, of the day is- “ Spiritualism go where wowill, -we- are constantly running against new converts to this ridiculous faith. Seances are held nightly in several' of the leading hotels in town, and half the-town, has< gone stark mad concerning the “ newand’ beautiful faith. ” In Dunedin,, a special organ has been under the name of tho Day Star, for the purpose of" propagating tho pernicious, doctrines, and it seems to be meeting with a large amount of support from- the public,.