Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 3230, 27 June 1873, Page 2

A private letter from Melbourne states that the nett proceeds of Madame Arabella Goddard’s concert in that city was a little over L3OO. By special Gazette , published to-day, the meeting of the Provincial Council is put off until noon of Tuesday, Ist July, in order to allow time for to reach Dunedin. A quartz reef has been dianoyeped in the ranges between Waipori and Waihola. The prospectors will not make known the precise locality, but are anxious to obtain funds to further prospect the lode. A meeting of the Tuapeka Railway Committee was held on the 24th inst., to determine as to what means should be taken to celebrate the turning of the first sod of tht Lawrence and Tokomairiro railway. It was resolved to communicate with the contractor on the subject. The celebration will take place about the first week in November. The Mutual Improvement Society are receiving very scant support in their efforts to provide a cheap aud intellectual evening’s enjoyment. For the past two evenings they have announced readings and singing—Miss Aitken being the principal attraction in the one department, and Mr Winter in the other; but tfae attendance either night has by no means been commensurate with the character of the entertainment. Last night there was a slight improvement; but we hope, to see better attendances during the remainder of the series. The Tuapeka paper, in urging the extension of the telegraph to Switzers and the Beaumont, mentions that during the late election a constable had to travel upwards of 100 miles to ascertain the whereabouts of a ballot bo*, all of which a telegraph to Switzers would have saved. Again, a deputy returning officer had to take a ballot box over a very dangerous road in a buggy, whereas he would otherwise have travelled on horseback, and that only to find that there was already a ballot box at his station. A telegraph to Switzers, and a horseback journey of a few miles would have saved this. “Hamlet” was repeated.at the Queen’s last evening. Mr Fairclough takes a benefit tonight, when “The Merchant of Venice” and “ Katherine and Petruchio” will be repeated; and in the interval between the pieces there will be a passage of arms between Mr Long aud a pupil. Not the least interesting portion of the entertainment will be a speech by Mr Fairclough, in which, if rumor speaks correctly, he will tell the Dunedin people what he thinks of them, their city, and matters theatrical. We should like to see a crowded house, merely as a recognition of the plucky way in which the hmefieme has, under most discouraging and adverse circumstances, carried out his engagement. The pase pf Jiacbel Jacobs, the Sandhurst heiress, came" before the local police court a few days ago, when sfie yag bought up as a deserted child. Some very strange features were brought out in connection with this affair. Mr Smart, one of the executors, deposed that he carried on the business left by the child’s father for fifteen months, and th.n sold it. tie could not recollect what the business realised during the fifteen months—not to within LI,000; it niiihji fiavs been L 3,000, It eventually; transpired iha’t the W&ffy? $ the 13,000 had been invested in l m'ihiiig shares, J?® w nothing remains for the orphan put scrip, i valueless of or else tfie bhild would i not want a home m tfae industrial schools. The case was adjourned for a week. At the Princess Theatre, last evening, “The Bird in the Hand” was the principal piece, and we regret to say that our limited gpaoe precludes a lengthy criticism of the

performance. We therefore content ourselves by saying, that the principal characters of the drama were excellently pourtrayed, and the audience evinced their satisfaction by frequent demonstrations of approbation. The drama was followed by a musical interlude, in which Mias Fanny dara and Mr Clifton went through the same programme as that of last night, and were enthusiastically encored. The whole concluded with the amusing force of “ Turn Him Out,” which afforded immense amusement. This evening Miss Sara and Mr Clifton will give a new selection of songs, and judging by what we have heard, we can safely recommend all those who can enjoy really good comic singing, combined with proper vocalisation, to patronise the Princess Theatre. To-morrow evening “Macbeth” will be played, introducing Locke’s musical arrangements. The solo parts will be taken by Miss Fanny -'•'ara. A new temperance movement has been inaugurated at the Cardrona, under the title of the “ Upper Clutha Temperance Society.” Its motto is, “ Use, and not abuse ;” and in a manifesto issued to the community at large, the promoters, while admitting the laudable efforts of abstinence societies, say they have unquestionably failed to effect much good. “The immense amount of drunkenness in our midst; the incalculable amount of injury it is working both on the bodies and minds of many of our fellow men ; the long list of fatal accidents, directly traceable to drunkenness, that have occurred in the district; and the very slight measure of success attending all previous efforts made, to suppress it, supply iirefragable arguments why the establishment of this society should at least receive the consideration of every thinking man. If its establishment is not an imperative necessity, it is at least a praiseworthy experiment. The whole object the initiators seek is to prevent as many as possible of the moderate drinkers, through the exercise of some measure of self-denial, from slipping over into the inebriate ranks.” The first rule of the new society allows its members to take two wineglassfuls of alcoholic liquors in a day, and a fourth imposes a fine of twenty shillings for every infraction of the first rule. j ■ i