Untitled

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2550, 20 April 1871, Page 2

The Agent-General.—Dr Featherston was to have proceeded home via Suez; but, having missed the Alhambra on Saturday, went North by the Lord Ashley yesterday. The doctor leaves Wellington by the Nevada on May 22.

Chess. —The second match between the Christchurch and Dunedin dubs commences to-night, at eight o’clock, in the telegnph office. As the Christchurch team is considerably stronger on this occasion this will doubtless be a much more closely contested match than the last.

A Whale Captured.—-Two whales were espied, well in shore, spouting in Waikouaiti Bay on Saturday, the 15th instant, when Mr Bradshaw and his party at once launched a couple of boats and gave chase. The crew succeeded in coming within harpooning distance, and cleverly implanted the instrument in the side of each. The one whale was a fin-back and the other a humpback. The former was eventually captured and brought ashore ; not so the latter, however, which fought fiercely, and got away. We hj ave not heard the dimensions of the capture I whale, but believe it was a young one The second whale is the one mentioned in last evening’s issue.

Fire. A fire, occasioning serious loss, occurred on Saturday last, on the property of Mr Albert Pillans, Inch Clutha. Mr Pillans, who is about to proceed to the Fijis, had the whole of his moveable property advertised for sale; and in order to classify the various lots, he had been busily engaged during the forenoon arranging them in a commodious barn. About 3 p.m. he locked the place up, apparently in all safety, and proceeded to the residence of Mr Darling, a neighbor. Shortly afterwards smoke was observed issuing from the barn, but before assistance could be rendered, the place was burnt to the ground. Among the contents destroyed were some valuable agricultural implements, and upwards of 1 50 worth of new bags, intended for the season’s crop of grain. The building itself was insured, but the contents were not, and they are valued a’ L4OO.

The Volunteers. The quarterly meeting of the Dunedin Volunteer Artillery was held last evening at Wain’s Hotel, Captain M'Farland in the chair. About thirty members of the company were present After the formal business of the meeting a sum of LlO5 was voted as a prize fund for the ensuing year, to be applied in the following manner:—Lso for the purchase of a challenge cup in London, to be shot for twice a year ; L 55 for a challenge belt to be shot for twice a year alternately with the cup; Lls as money prizes to be shot for on May 24th by those members of the company who have not won a prize ; and Lo for a challenge clip to be also competed for by those who have not won prizes previously. The resignation of Gunner Keam as treasurer was accepted, and Gunner Turton appointed in his stead. After a vote of thanks to the treasurer for his services and the chairman the meeting separated.

Princess Theatre. Brig” last night both Mr and Mrs Gourlay appeared to better advantage. Mr Gourlay thoroughly realised our idea of Jock Howieson—shrewd, quick, faithful, sturdy, and loyal; he delighted his audience, and well deserved the applause that demanded (unsuccessfully) his appearance at the fall of the curtain, Mrs Gourlay as Marion Howieson acted well, and was in such good voice that she had to repeat Burns’ charming ballad “Last May a braw Wooer.” “Twenty minutes with a Tiger” followed “ Cramond Brig, ” in which Messrs Lawrence and Musgrave kept the house in constant good humour by their capital acting. The performance was brought to a conclusion with “Gilderoy,” in which Mr Lawrence played that ilk, and Mr Gourlay Jock Muir ; it is sufficient to say that Mr Gourlay in this character was equally as successful as in that of the other Jock, the farmer of Braehead. The performance will be repeated this evening. Trotting Match. —• Tho trotting match between Mr Thomas Davis’s Tommy and Mr J. Johnston’s Shamrock, for LlO a side, came off at Palmerston on the 14th instant. The event, as was anticipated, created a good deal of interest amongst the sporting public. It had been previously decided that, as the match was against time, the first horse should have exactly five minutes’ start. It fell to the lot of the rider of Shamrock to start first, and, although Shamrock evidently has a good style of going and a very fair action, he seemed to be deficient in speed ; his great fault being that he lifts his feet too high, and if forced is apt to break, and will not trot in company. Tommy, on the other hand, is a very nice cob, and although we believe he has no pretensions to being classed amongst the fast trotters, he gets over the ground, and seldom breaks when pushed. Tommy's pace, howover, proved too much for Shamrock, who took seven minutes and fifty-two seconds to travel his two miles, while the former accomplished it in seven minutes, and consequently claimed the stakes. Accident. —A young child about four years of age, the daughter of Mr James Coupar, Waikouaiti, had a narrow escape on the 17th inst., from being burned to death. The cause of the accident appears to bare arisen from a fire which had been kindled in the neighborhood of the house to consume certain refuse, and that after the object for which the fire had been lighted was accomplished, aud was suppo.ed to have burnt

itself out, the children slily found their way to the place, and the eldest boy collected some flax and threw it on the embers. The wind blowing at the time ignited the flax, and the dress of his little sister, who was standing near, caught in the flames. Fortunately, Mrs Coupar hearing a cry, and looking out, saw the flames, and rushed to the rescue. To the presence of mind, however, of Miss Atkinson, sister of Mrs Coupar, may bo attributed the saving of the life of the child, who at once on seeing the sad slight of the poor little girl, seized a blanket and wrapped the child in it. The little sufferer is severely burnt, but under the usual remedies she is likely to progress favourably.

Mormons. — The Melbourne Leader remarks:— 1 * There are more Mormons among ns than people may imagine. A gentleman, living at Hawthorn, informs us that, while coming to town a week or two ago, in a cab, he noticed an empty wood dray, driven by a small elderly man, passing along the road near Jolimont. There were three or four little boys in the cart, and several others running behind, the ins and outs changing places now and again for the enjoyment of a scramble up the back of the dray. What attracted attention was the fact that the boys all appeared to be between live and twelve years of age, and they were attired exactly alike in brown smocks and trousers. Our informant thought at first that they were a lot of Industrial School pupils out for a holiday ; but, on inquiry, he learned thst the driver of the cart was a Mormon, and the youngsters were his progeny, by either two or three women, with whom he was living in the vicinity ■ f Camberwell. It is said that there is another Mormon, of wealthy substance, in our community, who drives about town in his buggy with a wife on each side of him. ”

The Clutha Railway.— Mr Blackett, engineer in chief, and Mr Blair, of the Clutha Railway, examined the proposed line at the Balclutha end last week, and propose iti divergence by the erection of a bridge above the division of the Clutha River into the Matau and Kaio branches, proceeding through the Town reserve to the rear of Clyde street, Balclutha, where it is proposed to erect the station, so as to answer the requirements of both the Dunedin and the Mataura lines. They also paid a visit of inspection to the river bend, where the steady encroachment threatens at no distant date to make a clean sweep of the township. It is their opinion that the threatened danger can be averted at an expense bearing a very small proportion to the mischief that will be occasioned through further neglect of precautionary measures. Mr Calcutt also went to the Clutha, and visited the holders of land along the line for the first five miles from Balclutha, and succeeded in effecting favoral le arrangements with them. He will return to the district to-morrow, for the purpose of arranging with landowners along the remainder of the line. The Bruce Herald says it is probable that, of the entire 52 miles, fully one-fourth or about 15 miles will be given free of charge by the proprietors A New Light.— Mr F. H. Evans and Mr Bare have secured a patent for a now description of lamp for burning what they denominate “ Diamond Oil. ’ It is one of the products of petroleum, and may be adapted to any kcro.-eae ’amp by a very ingenious and simple alterat on of the burner. Instead of the light being applied directly to the wick, one end of a tube about eight or nine inches long is inserted in the oil reservoir Within the tube a wick is placed as a conductor for the oil, which rises by its agency to within about two inches of the top At the top of the tube and round it for about half-an-inch or more downwards, are several small perforations as in gas burners, so that there is a space between the wick and the lowest hole of about an inch or an inch and ahalf. As the oil is converted into MS at a ter-peratnre of about luy leg. Fahr , the chamber between the top of the ■wick and the lowest perforation becom s a retort in which gas Is generated, and which, rising throiuh the holes, burns with a beautifully clear and steady light. The quantity formed depends upon the diameter of the tube, and the light produced is in proportion fo the number of jets. The light is brilliantly clear and white, fully equal it not superior to kerosine in purity, and as combustion is perfect, it is free from any unpleasant smell. It seems well a lapted for domestic purposes .and must be invaluable for lighthouses and public buildings, as it is cleaner than kerosene an 1 the lamps are not liable to get out of order nor to be subject to such occasional freaks in tlm way of flame and smoke as we sometimes witness m kerosine lamps. The lamps and burners are more easily kept clean, and wc arc informed that though the “ Diamond Oil '* is inflamable it is not explosive. Mr Bare states that according to a most careful estimate the cost of light from the “Diamond Oil ” is about half the price of gas : that is—as intense and long continued a light can be obtained for 10s as from 1000 cubic feet of gas, estimated roughly at 20s, When the patentees have completed their arrangements we expect there will be a general demand for their lamps, and from the simplicity of the machinery they will be able to meet it by an abundant supply.

A Town Hall. — We observe that there is an agitation in Christchurch just now in favor of the citizens erecting a Town Hall. The Lyttelton Tim * has a sensible article on the subject, which is fairly applicable to our own circumstances. Since the City Council was called into existence there has been spent in temporary offices a little over L2 000, which would have gone far towards building the kind of structure referred to by our contemporary. “The most obvious public want just now is a Town Hall, and it is one that ought not to be allowed to exist a moment longer than is necessary. We shall not waste time in pointing out the endless reasons why a growing city like this should have a public hall worthy of its people and position. The proposition is so true that it makes itself felt every day of the week. A little energy and determination on the part of our loading citizens would soon set the ball rolling, and raise public enthusiasm to a proper level. We can see no reason why, by the proper exercise of wise calculation, the capital required to build a Town Hall might not prove a very satisinvestment. The building should include not merely a spacious hall suitable for public meetings, but several suites of rooms suitable for the Town Council, the Magistrate’s Court, and other offices required by the Colonial Government. By adopting this plan a large and secure rent roll could be obtained from the commencement, which would of itself return a fair interest upon the outlay, Supposing, the preliminary details t q

be properly arranged and a Company formed which would include a sufficient number of men of capital and experience, we see no reason to fear any difficulty on the score of money. It would be the interest of all who own property in the City to support the undertaking to the fullest extent, and therefore they would be sure to do so, and as far as the public are concerned, there are very few people in this part of the province, who, if they were properly solicited, would refuse to invest from five to fifty pounds in the undertaking. We believe that tea thousand pounds might be raised without any great difficulty, a sum quite sufficient to build a noble hall and offices, and to furnish the former with a suitable organ. ”

Scarlatina. —The report circulated in several of our contemporaries that four deaths had occurred at Palmerston from scarlatina is altogether, we are happy to say, incorrect. From inquiries made we learn that in no portion of (Shag Valley have there been any cases of this disease. The mystery of how this malignant disease was introduced into this district appears to be solved in a manner which shows how little precaution must have been taken by the authorities to p'event this disea e t-preadiug itself all over the Province. It appears that two men, who had been passengers by the Robert Henderson, obtained employment at Mr Jeffrey’s farm, about four or five miles from this township, and which farm is one formerly, owned by Mr Ick. One of the men while employed by Mr Jeffrey became ill with the fever, and was sent down to the Dunedin Hospital, the other man leaving about the s une time. One or more of the inmates of Mr Jeffrey’s house were also attacked, but with no fatal result. This is the first place, we believe, where the fever made its appearance, and a young girl named Thompson, a half-caste—who was living there at the time, and soon afterwards left—carried the contagion to the house of Mr Johnson, Pleasant River, seme of whose Children were taken ill, but fortunately have recovered We are not aware why the girl Thompson left Mr Johnson’s, but she went to live with Mr Sutherland, at Goodwood, the result being that three of his children have became victims. It is a fact, which cannot be given too much publicity, that the fever has been taken to every dwelling in "which it has made its appearance in this neighborhood, through indiscriminate communication with infected persons or houses. It is, therefore, consolatory to think, however reprehensible the conduct of those may have been who have been the cause of the mischief that has happened, that the fever has only made its appearance where those who were in close connection with it have resided. In no other instance have we heard of a single case of fever, and a great deal of injustice appears to have been done this district in ref-rence to the breaking out of this fever, which is not attributable to any other cause than that of gross carelessness. Happily, the most favorable reports are to hand, and no fresh cases have occurred, but the most confident hopes are entertained that we have heard the last of the fever. —Waikouaiti Herald,

A soriee in connection with the District Sabbath School is announced to be held in the Schoolhouse, Momington, tomorrow (Friday) evening. The Rev. Alex. Reid will occupy the chair. Tea on the table at 6.30.

The anniversary supper of the A.L0.0.R, Loyal Leith Lodge, No. 4, in aid of the Widow and Orphan Fund, will be held in the lodge room, Caledonia Hotel, Great King street, to-morrow (Friday) evening, at eight o’clock.

A special entertainment 'is announced to be given in the Momington Schoolhouse this evening, when, among other things, a Band of Hope testimonial will be presented to Mrs Do Carle and family. The Rev. George Sutherland will occupy the chair,