CLYDE FRIDAY, JAN 2 1885

Dunstan Times, Issue 1192, 2 January 1885, Page 2

CLYDE FRIDAY, JAN 2 1885

In a former issue we commented on the increase in the number of rabbits throughout the county, believing at the time that they were as p'entiful on the hill tops as they are on the low lying ground and in many of the avarm rocky gullies. Having been lob', however, that such is not the case, we made fuither enquiries and have cone to no little pains to ascertain the facts of the case. The result of our enquiries is that we find, and it affords ns great pleasure to admit it that the iuorease is confined almost exclustvely to the warm low lying country (natural breeding grounds), and as the road hues most in use traverse the low lands and gullies, the presence of the pest is made more prominent to the eve of the travclling public, who are naturally apt to assume that the whole country is infested to a similar extent. It must be remembered that a month or two ago it was uni vers illy remarked how effectual had been the results of the last winter’s poisoning operations, and when we are inf umed, indeed, saw for ourselves, the wmuleriul ino ease on the low laud, we could not but think that they wore c unitigin trora the back hills instead of being the natural increase. Admitting that the season has been an excellent one for grass, yet no better evidence can be adduced of the great slaughter made amongst the pest this past year than the fact that stock of all kinds threuehuut tbo district is now in excellent condition, and our squatting neighbours gcuorady admit of having had bolter clips of wool this year than for many previously.

In consequence of our publishing in midday instead of in the evening during the Holidays, the reports of the Vincent Jockey Club meeting, Alexandra Caledouirn Society, and entertainment ut Alexandra will appear in our next.

In consequence of the weather, tho Service of Song entitled the Children’s Messiah, which was to bo given on Ist fablah evening at Alexandra will be given on Sunday first, the 4th January, at 7 p- m.

We have to acknowledge the receipt from tho Government Printer, of tho last number of Hansard for the past session of Parliament, also the address of His Excellency tho Governor Sir W. F. D. Jervois, on tho “Defences of the Colony,” mi met ously illustrated with maps and liibos, shewing the particular po.nta of defence and tiro system of same ; nlto lithos of various guns and torpedoes. As a whole, it is a valuable document, and should find a prominent place in oil our pubhe libraries and other educational institutions.

WoodyeaFs Circus Company performed to but a poor house at Alexandra on hi on* day evening last, which is much to bo regretted, os the entertainment is really good, and worth all the money demanded for admission. The two young trapezists are more than ordinarily good, and must possess more than ordinary nervo to go through their parts at such a giddy height from the ground ; the troupe of acrobats are wonderfully clever, many of their tumbling acts being entirely new, and fur and away better than wo remember ever to have seen, whilst the Japanese suspending pole. business is simply miraculous. One swallow does not make a summer, nor do we assume does one indifferent paying night mean ruin to Mr Woodger, but we should liked to have seen a house commensurate with the entertainment.

The phenomenal weather we have experienced of late appears to have been general throughout the country. For the past ten days it has rained more or less every day. and whilst we are wiitiug a very downpour is being experienced along the slope of the Old Man Range. The effect of the rain has been to render the roads in the southern portion of this county next to impassable by choking up or washing away the culverts, and tearing out deep gulches in the roads. On Friday and Saturday last the rain fell in perfect deluges for hours at a stretch, and as the ground was well toaked with previous downpours’, tho water rushed in torrcnls down every gully and hollow, doing an incalculable amount of damage. Frequently, the rain was accompanied by heavy thunder an I brilliant lightening, putting one more in mind of a wet season in the tropics, and striking terror into the hearts of the nervous. Just yet it is no good to attempt to repair damages to the roads, on account of their softness and the great bodies of water lying in the hollows, out with a few line days we should imagine there will be plenty of work for the unemployed. The most serious individual loss we have heard of is that of Mr John Allan, whose mining works in Brennan's Gully is completely buried up with the debris and rubbish that was rushed into it. We hear, but we hope such is not the case, that as the cost of repairing damages would be something enormous, Mr Allen has decided on abandoning the claim and workings iu which he has now been engaged iu for the past ten or twelve years. The neighbourhood of Blacks for five sue* cessivp. days has been the scene of heavy thunderstorms. On Christinas and Boxing days in particular, very heavy hailstorms accompanied with forked ligbtuiug and terrific pea's oi thunder idled the township of Ophir, causing hea y floods, tearing open culverts, and doing considerate damage to property. One per. on, Mr Peaeoek, had his house completely wreced; and M Jeiq kins’ forge and residence were flooded for a considerable time

The liistiiliution of prizes to the seholais attending the Clyde teh 'Ol took place on Monday morning last. A number of ladies and gentlemen, besides (he inns;, of the school committee were iu atie dance. .V)r Inspector Hickson, asdstid by Mr J. E. Stcvi-ns, the master, in me the distribution* and tb llev. .\!r Clinton, secretary of the c )miinttce,af erwardsa i dressed die scholars, impressing upon tlitm the necessity of eon tinned exertions iu lln-ir studies, and called f r three cheers foi the master and Distress. Cheers were also given t . the school committee for oh aining the prizes. We will not ntto opt to d. scribe the prizes or to whom they were distributed, suffice it is to say that every att- ndant at the school got one, ei her a hands mely bound book, or a hall, or doll, white s> me wore awarded a second for regular attendance. Wo Hove to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of Mills. D:ck an I Co.’s Alma rack mi l Directory for ISS3, which is getting quite a bulky volume with its mass of general and useful information. A pleasing feature in it is a trii ute of respect to the founder of Otag Captain Cargill, being a short biographical sketch of that worthy gejtlemn.

According to private te’egrams we learn that two more of our Clyde youngsters have sueeeeno I in carrying off junior hi oh school scholarships, namely—Miss Emma AUtichl and Herbert Wilson ; also that Master G . C. Fiehe has gained a senior. This makes now eight of Mr Stevens’ pupils who have gained the honour of jnnini scholar ships, of whom four again have won senior. Midi a return unt alone speaks well for the intelligence of the children, but volumes for their tutors, whoso system of imparting knowledge to their pupils must bo excellent indeed. We should fail in our duty if we omitted our congratulations to l oth teachers and pupils, and trust chat as time rolls on all and each may giitt fresh laurels.—Since the above was in typo we glean from the Dunedin papers that Miss Emma Attfield was 8 hj on the list for juniors, and as there are only C scholarships given for juniors, that young lady, to our chagrin and disap pointmenl, is n. c successful. From the same source we leant that Herbert Wilson, amongst tin So competitois for the junior occupied sth position, with marks out of a possible 7ot); and that Master G. C. Faehe, out of 5(1 competitors for senior, occupied Gth position. An unknown donor in Victoria has offered to give L 25.000 to the Baptist denomination of that Colony for certain specific purposes and understated conditions, oue of the, latter being that an equivalent sum should within the next live years be raised by the members of that denomination. Already steps are being taken to secure this munificent offer. The members of Godins street Baptist Chuich on one evening last week promised to furnish themselves within the next five years the sum of L 13.506, and (says the Argus) it is anticipated that fur,her donations will be received from those members of tho congregation who were m avoidably absent, so that there will only remain a balance of Lll.ooo to be gathered sa the other Baptist churches of Victoria;

In the great equity ewe of Bell v, C arko the defendant put in accounts by which it appeared that ha had not received any moneys for which he was bound to account. The plaintiff, however, claimed that, as regarded all the properties the defendant was bound to account for L 200,000 of debentures which defendant had surrendered to the Company without any authority from him (the plaintiff), and also f0rL302,000 for shares, the dividend on which had been ' permanently deferred, and the chief clerk agreed with the . plaintiff.- The defendant had asked that the plaintiff should be required to bring in accounts of the transactions between him and the plaintiff, but the chief clerk held that be was not bound to do .so. Against this decision the defendant appealed to Mr Justice Molesworth, who on the 28th ult. decided that the chief clerk was right in all the decisions he had given. The contract for the Deep Stream section of the Otago Central railway has been let to Messrs Miller and Stmllie, of Oamaru, for 1.32,874, and that for the inronwork of the Wingatui viaduct over Mullooky Gully has been secured by Me-ars Sparrow and C >., of this city, L 1.3,922. Both contracts are to be completed, as per specifications and conditions,- in August 1886. The enthorn section and the Hindon tunnels—five in number—are under the contract for completion about the same time. Specifications, for the unfinished portions of the Hindon 11 unen.ployed” section aie in course of preparation, ami tenders for these, and for the laying of the permanent way on the Wingatui section, will shortly be called for. The maao iwork of the piers for the Wingatui viaduct, and fora bridge over the iaieri, are also to be provided for, so that if ordinary diligence is practised the line should be completed to the foot of Stralhiaieri and open for traffic within two years from the present date.