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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2547, 17 April 1871, Page 2

The Waitaki Bridge. Messrs Connor and M‘Kay have contracted fov the borings to be taken in preparation for throwing a bridge across the IVa l-aki River. They expect to commence work there in a few days.

A Draconian Lava —The laws of Western Australia appears to be of a somewhat Draconian character. A man has rn.cn sentenced at Perth to three years’ penal servitude for stealing a piece of braid ! The Wizard of the North. —Professor Anderson and his daughters were performing in Lancashire. Ho states his intention to leave England in the _ spring, and to settle down permanently in New Zealand.

Princess Theatre. —There was a fair attendance at the Theatre on Saturday, “ Milky White ” and “ A Wonderful Woman” being performed for the last time. To-night Mr and Mrs Gourlay will appear in “Rob Roy,” supported by the whole company; after which will be played “ A Winning Hazard.”

A Good Crop.— As a proof of the suitability of the climate of VVakatip, the local paper mentions that Messrs Brown and Turner, opcargrass Flat, have just thrashed out about 220 bushels of .almost as fine a sample of barley as could be exhibited. This is the yield of three acres, from about five bushels of seed.

PoliceCiianges.—The country press complain of the frequent changes in the locate of officers and men in the force, many of which arc said to be very unpopular. The Wabil'q) Mai threatens, if it should prove that the morale of the force is being injured by these frequent removals, to demand on behalf of the public interests an enquiry as to,their cause by tho Provincial Council. The Incoming Mails.—There was no appearance of the City of Melbourne at Auckland on the 13th ; hut the arrival of the branch mail steamer at Nelson may be telegraphed at any moment. Wc learn from our Australian files that the Suez mail was expected in Melbourne on the ISfcli, ou which day the Rangitoto was to leave there ; consequently we may expeet the mail at Hokitika to-morrow.

The Clio.—We learn that the Clio has been in dock in Sydney, but on examination the injuries she had received were found to be so much more extensive than was anti • cipated that Commodore Stirling hesitated about incurring the expense as well as the risk of placing her hon <‘e c mhat for a c' nsiderahle period under present circumstances, and has accordingly written to England for instructions, ponding the arrival of which the Clio will remain in Sydney harbor. Legislative Amenities.—The Taranaki News of the 25th ult. says that: — “Daring the sitting a member of Council made use of language of a grossly insulting kind towards another member, and was placed in charge of the Sorgeant-at-Arms. After some time an imperfect apology was made, which the Speaker with great leniency thought proper to accept, rather than subject an elderly man to public disgrace.” It was very considerate to withhold the name. Pout Chalmers Gas Works.—Unwarned by the bad example of i Hmcdin, the Corporation of Port Chalmers has stood still and left the task of lighting the municipality with gas to private enterprise. The plant is on the ground, the gasometer is rapidly approaching completion, and the foundation is laid lor the retorts. Wo arc glad to sec this spirited undertaking in progress, as it will supply a severely felt want at the Port, and we hope will fully realise the expectations of the promoters. Commercial Honor. —Mr T. B. Gillies, the Superintendent of Auckland, recently told the electors of that city that he thought it might do well to abolish the recovery for debts under L2O. If that were done, people would give small credit only to those whose character they knew. Debts would then be regarded as debts of honor, and debts of honor were the best paid debts. They could then do away with a great number of resident magistrates and resident magistrates’ clerks, That part of the cost of Government would he saved.

Opdfellowship. The elective officers of the Star of Otago Lodge A.1.0.0.F. were duly installed last week at their Lodgeroom, in the presence of a large number of brethren, by P.G. Master Bro. M'Gawand P.CL Bro. AJinilic, assisted by J.P G. Bro. Eraithwaite. The ollieers arc Bro. White, N O. ; Bro. Hobcrt Clifford, Y.G. ; Bro. Wilson, secretary ; Bro. John Coombcs, L.S. toN.G. ; Bros. Blair and Collins, War. and' Con. ; Bros. Fiudlater ami Coombes, supporters to V,G. ; Bros, Bkckie and

Carey, S.S. Bros, Miuifie and Braithwaitc consented to act respectively as J.P.G. and R.S. to N.C. The ceremony was conducted in an imprc'sivc manner.

Lucky Number. —The number 27 seems to be a fortunate one for the German armies. On the 27th of September Strasbourg capitulated. On the 27th of October Metz surrendered. On the 27tb of November the Prusaiansacbieved important victories over Army of (lie Loire ami the GaribaMiau forces in the Department of the Vosges. On the 27th of December commenced the bombardment of Fort Avrem the first of the Parisian forts assailed, atul which soon yielded to (he enemy. A, ml now comes the intelligence that on the 27th of January the terms of two capitulation of Paris were agreed upon.

Water Surrey to Port Chalmers. —Wc hear nothing of any decided steps having yet been taken to provide the Port with walor. The necessity for it must bo apparent when it is stated on good authority that filling the Cornish boiler for working the pumps at the graving dock wit.li fresh water cost Messrs Connor ami M'Kay the mat little sum of about twelve pounds ! Our own wafer rate is heavy enough, but what ships or private families can afford to pay at that rate for fresh water ? It is an mormons addition to Port > barges, and requires looking to by the Corporat’on. No wonder there is scarlet fever.

A Permissive Joke. —A capital tale was told by Mr J. B. Patterson, at a recent election meeting at Castlcmaine, illustrating that the principles of the Permissive Bill are not thoroughly understood. A ram taking his first pint of beer said, “ Don’t you think the Permissive Bill a good thing?” Meeting him again a r ter a second pint he said the Permissive Bill was a first-rate thing. (Great laughter.) Seeing him again in the evening, when beseemed to have had several pints, he declared that the Permissive Bill would be canicd against all opposition. (Renewed laughter.) It clearly appeared to mo that tiie man thought the Permissive Bill was a permission to drink.—The following advertisement appeal’s in the New Z aI in,l Hf mid In habitants of Onoliunga ! J. L. wishes to add one morn to the seven already c-tahlishcd Icgafied temptation shops to drunkenness. Be up and prevent the packing of the Bench.” Kaikorai. —The annual meeting of the Kaikorai Mutual Improvement Society was held in the Kaikorai church hut Friday evening. The following members were elected as office-bearers for the ensuing year : Mr Colin Allan, Pres dent; Mr John Mackenzie, Vice-President; Colin Taylor, Secretary ; Andrew Hepburn, Treasurer ; Messrs J. Taylor, M. Clel’and, S. Haig. L Marshall,’Rev. W. Alves, and G. Hepburn, were elected for the Committee. The Secretary and Treasurers’ reports were read, which showed the Society to he in a flourishing condition, thirty-four members being on the roll. Debates, essays, and readings, had been given by the Society alte uatcly. Several first-class Brilish magazines had been received ninthly, and distributed amongst the members ; and it is contemplated during the winter mouths to have lectures frequently by several of our most cc'cbratud provincial savaus if possible. The Society appears on the whole to have done much good in the Kaikorai and Half-way Bush districts, and has every prospect of being increasingly successful. Musical. — We hear it is fclxe intention of Mr C. E. Horsley to return to England in the course of a few weeks. During the term—something over nine years —that Mr Horsley has been amongst us, he has necessarily occupied a foremost position in all things’ locally connected with the art of mu -ic, and his approaching departure is, we believe, consequent upon the popularity which some of his earlier compositions are now achieving in the old country under the sympathetic interpretation of Mr Sims Reeves. This is a recognition of talent which it is not every man’s lot to receive while living, and of itself sufficient to induce Mr Horsley to return to that larger sphere which can appreciate and reward an artist in a manner that wc, in this country, cannot hope to do for many a year to come. As a past conductor of the Philharmonic Society, as a master of organ playing, and as the composer of the oratorios “David,” “Joseph,” and “ Gideon,” and the cantatas “Tho South Sea Sisters” and ‘'Euterpe,” Mr Horsley has claims upon the music-loving portion of the public which, wo are told, it is intended to recognise by means of a "rand concert, to be given about the middle of next month, on a scale befitting the dignity of the occasion—worthy of the friend of Sophr and Mosoheles, and the pupil of Hauptmann and Mendelssohn. —A yu--. The Dangers or Snuff-taking.— In one of our hospital reports will he found a startling instance of tho poisonous effects of lead being produced by tho use of contaminated snuff. The victim, who was a resident in India, was in the habit of talcing “host brown rappee,” exported by a we'lkuowu and phjmlar English firm in leaden cases. His medical advisers first attributed tho failing power of his upper cxtrcmetics, and other unpleasant symptoms, to the use of his favorite tobacco ; but, after lie had been to the trouble and expense of coming to England in search of further advice, his suffering was traced t-> the real sauce. To be quite certain, six separate packages were ordered from Calcutta, and a sample from each of them was found to contain an intimate union with a considei able quantity of lead. Rappee appears io bo a rather moist preparation of the refreshing weed, anil, whore it adhered to the sides of Ihe leaden cases, it was in these instances found to be dotted with spots of carbonic acid, liberated by the fermentation of tho damp snuff; it presented, in fact, a miniature example of the process by which white lead is manufactured for commercial purposes. A medical man, who has recently returned from Calcutta, states that he had lately met with three patients suffer A ; in the same way from the same cause They are probably not the only sruff-takers who are being poisoned with lead. Both manufacturers and consumers will do well to sec to it at once that damp provisions ase no longer stored in leaden cases — Lancet.

Saved.—On Saturday the steamer Golden Age landed a party of ladies ai:d gentlemen at the jetty adjacent to the property of bis Honor the Superintendent, and watching their debarkation was a lad of about ten years of age, son of the Hon. Captain Fraser, M.L. C. He was leaning against a paling, which suddenly gave way, and unable to recover himself, he fell into the water, at that place about ten feet deep. Not being a swimmer, and there being no means at hand to help him, there seemed every probability of his being drowned, but a

passenger by-the Golden Age, unnoticed by and unknown to anyone who bad landed, bail also gone ashore. This was a large brown deg, supposed to belong to some one en r nte for Mol bourne or the North, by the Alhambra or Gothenburg; several passengers for both vessels being on board the harbor steamer. No sooner did tlie animal sco the accident, than in a moment he jumped into the water, seized the drowning boy by the collar of bis coat, just behind the neck, and keening bis bead well above the water, lauded lihn safely on the shore. Most of our readers remember a splendid picture of the Newfoundland dog, “the distinguished member of the Royal Humane Society,'’ who saved so many from drowning. 'J he event we now record, so unlooked for, and apparently mysterious, would form an excellent subject for an original effort by some member of Mr Hutton’s class, from whom wo hope to see something more than mere copies of the works of others. ot is an event worth commemorating We are glad learn that Master Fraser is no worse for bis ducking, and wc need not add the dog found a hospitable homo with his Honor the Superintendent*

The Cromwell Reefs, —Tho Cromwell Company arc getting oat payable working stone from the old lease and crushing it. Their next crashing will bo from the Golden Link which sc ms remarkably rich sanguine temperaments speak of seven or eight ounces to the ton. Coleiough’s Company are hammering away with their small battery on fair stone. This company cannot he expected to m ike a fortune, as in consequence of tho thinness of the reef they are compelled to employ a largo number of bands to keep tho battery at work, but there is no doubt that the shareholders will be well paid by their enterprise. The Alta company had a crushing this week with very fair results, and are at work again. Tho average' yield I hear was about seventeen pennyweights to the (on. The stone they are at present crushing looks better than any yet brought to light, and has every appearance of going an ounce and a-half. 'ibis company are now working in a most sy tcmatic and economical manner, and a very low average yield can bo made to pay a dividend. The Aurora Company are yet undecided as to what course to pursue with re. ard to their claim and plant. A.u offer was made by one party to take it upon terms, but it was not accepted, and the company is still open to receive proposals. To a party ot good working men, this is a good opportm ity,- and they Would be but indifferent miners if they could not at least make good wages, having at their command a water race, a quartz reef, and a crushing machine. There is only one unregisteri d party on the Bendigo reef getting out stone, M‘Namara and Roy. I hey have at present about thirty tons of stone on grass, and are waiting an opportunity get it err shed. Mining and scrip appear to be at a discount, as there are any amonnt of Aurora’s, Colclongh’s, and Alta’s in the market up here. Speculation is not brisk, though a few shares change hands oceasioually.

Tini Graving Dock.—This beautiful structure has been finished some weeks ago, so far as the original contrast is concerned The pumping machinery is complete, and to Messrs Connor and M‘Kay every credit is due for the energy and skill displayed throughout the progress of the work. There is, however, something yet to he done before tho dock is available for receiving vessels. The dredge is constantly at work d< opening the channel to the necessary soundings, and the contractors have undertaken the additional wbi'k ’.of drawing the piles of the coffer dam and removing the backing of earth that supported them. This is now nearly done. It is to he regretted that from some cause, probably want of funds, a very important part of the work will be left unfinished. It was reported a few days .ago that the water made its way through the embankment, This was not exactly true, but it is true that, instead of a stone fencing to the end wall exposed to tho wash of the hay at tho entrance ox the lock, it lias been decided to leave a portion of the- piles of .the coffer dam, backed by well-puddled clav, as a protection to the works. This will, no doubt, answer the purpose at present, but tlie work will have to be done effectually at some future time at a greater expense. Since the pile-drawing process commenced water has been admitted in‘o the dock, which now ’presents the ap pearancc of a magnificent swimming bath. When the coffer dam was formed, tho contractors in the first instance drove a single row of piles grooved into each other, and packed with straw in the grooves to make them water-tight. The advantage of the plan is now apparent, as the straw has swollen, and is as free from any sign of decay as on the, day when it was inserted in the grooves. Some alterations arc visible in the buildings in the street line failing the dock. No doubt improvements in that respect will rapidly follow the demand for necessary aitizanship.

The first meeting for practice of the Dunedin Choral Society will take place this evening. We are glad to loam that the number of performing; members .already enrolled is about lift). The practice is announced to commence at 7. do, and we are requested to invite punctual attendance in order to save time. The committee also wish us to intimate that in the event of any member not having received a circular the omission has been accidental, and they trust it will not affect the attendance. His Honor Judge Chapman has intimated that he will be present to inaugurate the Society,,