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Dunstan Times, Issue 914, 24 October 1879, Page 2

We arc requested liy the Secretary of the Dunstan Distiict Hospital to draw attento the fact that tlie m tubers of the Ophir Variety Company have volunteered their services, and will give two performances (on hehalf of the.Funds of the above Institution. One will h e given at Alexandra on the 11th November next, an 1 at Clyile on the following evening. Further particulars and programme will appear in our next issue. Mr Deputy Land Tax Commissioner Martin notilies by advertisement in another column that payment of Land Wax can be made by I’ost Office Order, less the cost of Order. We do not know whether this great piece of liberali v—this extra inducement to pay up, will have the desired effict.

A match for 1/20 a side, Qst up, one mile, between Mr Beresford’s Sir Vincent and Mr MK-nna’a Clyde, was run on the Dunstan course on Wednesday last, in the presence of a good few sporting men. The horses got a very even start, Sir Vincent having the advantage by about half a length. The race needs no description, for Sir Vincent had it all his own way throughout, and won very easily by six lengths. It was evident that old Clyde's racing days are about over. Woolgrowers who wish to exhibit fleeces at the Sydney Inhibition are reminded that unless they at once intimate to the Secretary of the Local Committee, Dunedin, the space they require, they will lose the opportunity of competing. From the Government printer we have to acknowledge the receipt of No. 3 Hansard ; also, a batch of parliamentary papers. Amongst the latter is the report of the Minister of Mines for the year, including the 31st March, IS7B. By it we leatn that the total decrease of gold exported from the preceding tear, amounted to C1,1990z, Ota -o’s share of this being Sll'.Coz. The average earnings of the miner being only 1-75 10s. for the year as against L 97 10.s, for the year preceding In the House of Representatives last wo'lt. the Hon. Major Atkinson said the Go ■ ernment were disposed to pay to loca' governing bodies in the Provincial Di trict of Otago, the L54,0(10 of land fund impounded by the late Gove'iiment, and which the Public Accounts Committee reported belonged to the Provincial District of Otago, and that it would be made on the negotiation of the loan.

The entries for the Dunedin J. C. Spring Meeting have been received a« follows : tor the St. Andrew’s Han Heap, 12 entries; Handicap Trotting Race, 10 ; Spring Handicap, 11 ; Handicap Hurdle Race, 9; President’s Handicap, 14 ; Grand Stand Handicap, 15.

We have to acknowledge receipt of Iho first number of The Colonial Printers* Register, with which is incorporated the New Z al/ud Press News. The contents (puielvKi the printing interests) are carefully Elected, and the printing and general appearance are certainly second to none in the Colony. By an advertisement in another column it will be seen that Mr James Bodkin, watchmaker and jeweller, Queenstown, h;*s appointed Mr George Fache, of Clyde, his agent. All orders left at the oflice of Mr Faehe will, we are informed, receive prompt attention.

The Pictorial Panorama of New Zealand was shown last evening in Iho Town Hall, and appeared to be well received by a large audience.

Through pressure on our space we b. ▼ been compelled to hold over the report < f proceedings before the Resident Magistr. to at Blacks on Tuesday last. We purpose doing so, however in our next issue. The English Church tea meeting on Tuesday evening next hills fair to he a great success. The following ladies have kindly Consented to take charge of the tables : Mesdames Ash, Auckland, Clark, Leahy, Macgeorge, Wilson, and Walker. Besides a musical programme, there will he a magic lantern, kindly lent by Mr Coop. The Revs. Ash, Chisholm, and Lothian are expected to enliven the evening by their presence. This endeavour on the part of the Rev. X. Id Ash to provide a pleasant even-

ing’s entertainment for the parents and children in the neighbourhood is a move in the right direction, and deserves all the support it merits. We draw attention to the announcement in nnother column of the intended visit of Mr Frank Hewitt and sister to Clyde, on Wednesday evening next, when they will give their very pleasing drawing-room entertainment. We have been given to understand that their entertainment is a very clever and pleasing one, and that whereever they have appeared they have given satisfaction.

We are given to understand that Messrs Hedditch and Russell, of Pembroke, Lake Wanaka, purpose floating timber of every description down the Clutha to Clyde and Alexandra, where they purpose forming depots. The want of assorted timber at both Clyde and Alexandra has been a serious drawback to settlement, and we feel assured that Messrs Hedditch ami Russell will be well supported when thev get their business under weigh. From the ever increasing quantity of land that is being taken up in the district, a large amount of timber is required for both fencing ami buildings. '•>

It is expected that Mr Alfred A. Cameron’s Consultation —LCOOO for the Me'bourne Cnp will close in Dunedin on Mon clay the 27th October. The race is advertized to take place on the Flemington Race Course, Melbourne, on the 4„b of November next.

In a recent issue of the Charleston Herald there was the following :—“ The overgrown hobbledehoys who amused them selves last night by throwing stones on the roof of this office, if they would furnish us with their respective names, we would endeavour to procure them more suitable employment for a week or two.” We extract the following from a letter which appeared in the Weekly Times of tht. IBth instant : —“• If poisoned wheat kills rabbits will it not also kill every animal and bird that happens to partake of it ? What will the Acclimatisation Society say to the destruction of pheasants, partridges, larks, starlings, &c.; and again, even of trout and other lish stored in our rivers at enormous expense to the country. Rabbits abound on the banks of streams, and there can be no doubt that hundreds of the poisoned ones will, in their death struggles, fall into the waters, and that as the}' become decompose 1, lish will feed on them, with what result lam not able to predict. I think, however, the matter deserves consider a ion. Give the land to farmers, and the rabbits will soon disappear by o’her and mole harmless means than po'soned wheat ” Creditors’ meetings have their comical as well as then serious aspects, says the Wellington Chronicle. A f a recent meeting held privately there were about thirty creditors present, and it was state 1 that the chief as-et was a small piece of lan 1. One of the creditors seriously propos’d that they should divile it between them. The Chairman characterised the t rop .sal as ridiculous, even if it were possible to carry out such au idea ; it would ->nly give each of them about six feet. “That is just what I calculated,” rejoined the me litor, “ for if I have to attend many more of these meetings it will not bo long before 1 shall want a grave.” “How is it done?’ is (he very pertinent question asked by a Timaru contemporary on the followingstatenent of facts “ One of the unfortunates,’ after tiling for his few paltry thousands, attended at the auction sde of his assets, and before he had received his discharge unblushingly made a sporting olTer of 1.500 for assets amounting to over Li!. 000. After competing up to L 1,400, a lit of modesty came over him, and he suddenly collapsed, exclaiming ‘l’m done ” ”

The Wakatip Mail says According to report some enthusiastic anglers have taken advantage with a vengeance of the present open lishing season, for it is state 1 that they hive been netting trout at Hayes I ake by the bucket-full. If true, it is not only a great shame bat, we believe is unlawful.”

A Benalla paper says, ’n referring to the Kelly gang, that there “ is no longer the marching and the counter-marching of armed men, which at one time gave the town the appearance of a garrison settlement in a war country, and matters have settled down into a very humdrum condition, the Kellys being all hut forgotten. Tito murders of the police took place on the 20th of October of last year, so that close upon 12 months have elapsed. During that time it is not pretended that the gang have ever been seen hy the police, and that pursuit has now slackened it do s not appear they ever will be. Many are of opinion that they have got out of the Colony altogether. One of the common beliefs of the public mind, a'sn, is that the Kellys have made away with Hart and Byrne, and have managed to getaway.” It is stated that the DteC. F. Angas, who died recently in South Australia, played an important part in the early histmy of New Zealand. Indeed, it is said that it was through him that the English Government was induced to take possession of these islands. In an account of his life, which extended over ninety years, the ‘ South Australian Register’ says In IS3S it came to tho knowledge of Mr An gas that tho French Government was arranging to send out an expedition to New Zealand to appropriate the islands in order to their colonisation. He at once made the matter known to Lord Glenelg (his personal friend) in a letter in which tho inquiry, what would be done to British interest# in tho Australian seas if a foreign Power were allowed to establish itself in New Zealand, was forcibly pointed out. lutei views with His Lordship followed, and as tho result Captain Hobson was sent out in H M.S. Druid to enter into a treaty With, tho Native chiefs for tho cession of the island to Great Britain. Ihi. werocon-

eluded, and in August, 1840, the raising of the Royal Standard at Akaroa completed the annexation of the group." At the sitting of the Waste Lands Board held on the 15th instant telegrams were received from residents at Roxburgh to the following effect: —“ That sections 2 and 3, block HI, Benger district, reserved for punt purposes, and no longer required for such, should be surveyed into township sections.” Consideration of the matter was deferred for one week, to enable the Board to ascertain the position in which the land stood. Hsgles in the Australasian has the following : “There were two distinguished flat racers due at Melbourne by the seaboard. Said Israels -who is horsey—to Smith, “ Are you going down to see Wandering Jew and Pawnbroker landed ? “Pon my word, I think I will,” said Smith, “ they’ve lauded me pretty often I” On Saturday afternoon, August captive balloon, wh ; ch was at the time confined to its moorings at the Tuileries, and not permitted to ascend in consequence of the stormy state of the weather, burst with a loud report and came tumbling to the ground. No accidents occurred to any of the spectators. The estimated d .mage is about L 5.000. The balloon was the property of its creator, M. GifFard, who according to the Temps, derived a proflt from it during the Exhibition of 840,000. The present losers are several aeronauts who were farming it.

The Bruce Herald has the following : Our esteemed fellow townsman Mr Thomas Stanbrook of the Royal Hotel, arrived by the Express from Invercargill on Tuesday afternoon and looks well after his trip to England. His numerous old friends have warmlv welcomed him since his return to quiet and peaceful town, and we have no doubt that Mr Stanbrook will be able to satisfy many inquiries about the state ■ f things in the old country He has been away for eight mouths and nine days, < i which time he has spent four months and a half in England. This compares rather favorably with the travelling of the old times, when the journey alone there and back would hive occupied the whole of the period of his absence from Milton.

The Hobart Town Mercury of September 2.lrd says ;—“ A few weeks ago much sit l - prise was expressed at the singular circumstance of a number of old police records having been placed in an auction mart here for sale. How these ever got out of the po - session of Gaverment is unknown, but the circumstance had such a suspicions and unpleasant appearance that it was due to the public that an inquiry should have been made. But nothing was done. Informa-

tion, however com is to us front Melbourne which calls fir prom .t action on the put of Government. A cirri soon dent writes asking if it is known in Tasmania tli t there are being published in M Ibomme records of Port Arthur, giving the mini n of people set o»‘ an I all particulars about them. Our correspondent very justly adds that it is a bitter cruel thing to do, ns

there an- mmy people in the Colonies whose lives have heen blameless, ak! against whom nothing can he said exc-pt that th -ir parents have oven sent out. To revive the old sal stories may do ninelr harm, and etui do no goo I. We believe it will be n- ws to the Gove nms lit, as to tt- - , that any sueh documents are being published in Melbourne ; and now that it is known, the Government should take prompt action. There must have been a gross breach of trust by some public Dilicer ’’