The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1874

Evening Star, Issue 3454, 18 March 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1874

, -^ IIS morning we were shown what is said to be a salmon trout, caught in the harbor by a fisherman named Morrison. It is about a foot in length, and was caught in a seine with other hsh. At a meeting of the Board of Health this morning, it was resolved to admit the ship beimitar and those of her passengers on Quarantine Mand to pratique to-day. The single men on Goat Island will bo released to-morrow if no fresh case occurs in the meantime. ’ The census, just taken, shows the population °/ ORmaru to lie 2,829, an increase of 1,172 smee the 27th February, 1871, when it stood at 1,607. Ihe population of the Waitaki district is about 8,000, an increase of 3,000 since 1871 when according to the census return it was #,2ls.

. °ur January mail was nearly three clays late in getting Horae. It will be remembered that to tk non-arrival of the Mikado, the City of Melbourne took up the mails, leaving Sydney late on January 17. A cablegram informs us that they were delivered in London on March 10; they were due there on March 7. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Port Chalmers, this morning, Mary Ann Lloyd, for being drunk last night in George street was fined 5s or twenty-four hours’. She was also charged _ ivith being a habitual drunkard and threatening to break the windows and burn down the house of Charles Woolsey, for which she was sentenced to three months’ hard labor Dr Drysdale, J.P., presided.

T.he visit of Mr James Mills to England will not necessitate his resignation of his seat as member for Waikouaiti in the Provincial Council, On Saturday night he met his coustituents, and explained to them the cause of his temporary absence from the Colony. At the close of Mr Mills’s remarks, Mr J Duncan proposed, and H. Francis seconded the following resolution, which was carried unani™u T sl y- ‘ That a vote of thanks be awarded to Mr Mills for his address, and that he be requested to retain his seat.” Mr Mills in thanking the meeting, said he. was sorry to resign, but he took the resolution of the meeting as an expression of the wish of the district and would retain Ms seat. ’

The return boat race between the employes of Messrs Burke’s Brewery in the Challenge, and Messrs Sfcra chan's in the Return, for LlO aside, was pulled yesterday afternoon. The course chosen was from a flag off the new jettr to round Grassy Point,.passing a boat moored near Vauxhall, and round the Naval Brigade pinnace, to the starting point. As in the first match, Burke’s crew proved victorious, beating their opponents, who pulled gamely, by nearly a quarter of a mile. The time was 46min. The Government have acceded to the Corpoapplication for a site at the end of the training wall for City Baths. The site given is on the left hand or northern side of the braining wall, and the Government stipulate that the necessary buildings shall be clear of the fairway, and must not in any way interfere with the approaches to the ship channel. Councillor Walter will add to the citizens’ indebtedness to him in this matter if he can induce the Council to erect a structure that will not discredit the place. An interesting fish was captured on our coast, near Port Chalmers, the other day. It was a fine specimen of the fox shark or thresher (Alopecia Vv'tpes of Gonelin). The tail is on exhibition at the present time, at the shop of Mr Melville, fishmonger. The upper lobe is remarkably long as contrasted with the dwarfed lower lobe. This shark is found principally in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Oceans. Ocradonally a specimen is got on our coast, one having been captured in Blind Bay some time back. It is noted for attacking whales. We may mention that the Museum has a fine specimen of this shark.

The buildiugs being erected on the site of the late, George street fire are fast approaching completion. This morning Mr Duric, who occupied the corner section, took possession of his new grocery shop, ami it is expected that the other partus will be able to go into their places in the course of a week or so. As an instance of the extension of building operations we may mention that both sides of St* Andrew’s street,, which has for years past been a perfect swamp,' have, during the past couple of months, undergone quite a transformation—some fifteen or twenty substantial two, three, four, five, and six-roomed cottages having been erected on the ground.

It is not often that we ha ve the sight of a boat aground in the middle of Princes street, but such an occurrence took place at about ten o’clock this morning. A surf-boat, on its way from Messrs Wilson and Co.’s foundry to the Rattray-street jetty for transmission to Timaru, had been safely conveyed as far as opposite the Bank of New Zealand, when the blocks of wood which supported the bow slipped, letting the boat fail on the carriage and causing an immediate stop. The horses were taken out, screwjacks and more blocks of wood sent for, and strenuous efforts made to raise it to its proper position again, but this tedious labor had not been successful when we went to press. Fortunately the accident happened in the centre of the road, so that the traffic could pass on each side,.

“Aline, the Rose of Killarncy” was produced at the Queen’s Theatre last evening, to a good attendance. Miss Stephenson appeared as the heroine, and acted admirably throughout, while her introduced song “ Aline Aroon’’ had to be repeated. Mr O’Brien, as Davy O’Leary, the lover of AUnp, lent valuable assistance, and the success of the piece was in a great measure due to him. With Miss Stephenson, he was called before the curtain at the close of the first and second acts. Mr S.earle, as Aline’a father, and Mr Glover, as the roue of the piece, again showed great improvement in their acting. Miss Worth, who appeared as Mary Lovel, played well for a novice, but would have been more effective had she gained a more complete mastery of the letter “ hj.” The other characters were well filled. The same progrrmtne will be presented this evening. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court this moping, Mr Bathgate, at the conclusion of an notion brought by a commission agent against a client for certain work done, part of which was the drawing up a proof of a debt, spoke very strongly, against business man employing agents or clerks, instead of professional men, to draw up ; documents of a legal nature, A proof of debt was sometimes a very important affair, and required great experience and skill to be exercised in drawing it up correctly. Documents of all kinds are sometimes drawn up by unprofessional men, and such proceedings, his Worship intimated, _ were very dangerous and unsafe, as difficulties very easily crop up in cases where the papers are not of a strictly legal form. Besides, he asked, what occasion can there be to go to an outsider, when Dunedin possesses a Bar of such keenness and skill as now ornaments it ?

The vexed Normal School site question will be reopened at the City Council meeting this evening, ami this time, we hope, to be finally settled. The following letter has been addressed to the Council by the Superintendent“ Referring to. the conversation whin]} took place at our interview yesterday, fropi which I am led to hope that the Corporation may be induced to reconsider its. division as to the terms on which it will agree to the granting of a site in the Octagon for a school,buiid;ng, ; l have now the honor to request that you will be good enough once more to submit the matter tq the Corporation, with . a view to ' its agreeing to a fair exchange,, and to reiterate the willingness of the Provincial Government to convey to the Corporation either the leasehold or the freehold of the Fire Brigade site, in exchange for a similar title to the site in the Octagon. If we can mutually agree upon this matter, the Government will be prepared forthwith to proceed with the erection of a building which will a great improvement to the City, and which will provide for the education of a large number of children who srg crowded out of the existing schools.” The Maerewhenua correspondent qf t] ie ‘North Otago Times’ writes as follows We have had a flying visit by a real live member of the Otago Executive, accompanied by Mr Simpson, Government Engineer. Mr Bastings as Secretary for the Goldfields, wanted to know onr most necessary requirements, and a deputation which had waited upon him willingly enough supplied the desired information. The first matter urged was that the road between Harris’s and Ramsay should be made passable for wheeled traffic; and as Mr Bastings Lad had to handle the ribbons with some dexterity on the way up in order to prevent a capsize, he saw the lOfoa of the argument, and has promised to have w grievances in this direction rectified at an early data. The bridge across the, river is also to seceive the immediate attention of the Government. Mr Bastiijgs seemed very much surprised that so large a number of childvan, as ther© now are in and about Ramsay, were allowed to grow up in ignorance for want of school facilities, and promised that this matter also should be set right. Should he fulfil his promise, the rising generation will nave causo to remember the hon. gentleman’s visit to Ramsay with gratitude through life. He has likewise promised us that the township shall be sold at an early date-this will be a great boon for all concerned—also a bi-weekly mail service, and last, though not least, as it is much wanted in the absence of a bank, a Money-order Office. We have, however, had so many promises that Im inclined to think M.P.C.’s, Secretaries, and Executives generally make good use of Solomon’s proverb, ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath.’ Let ns hppe that Mr Bastings will prove an exception to the rjile, though, for one, I am not a believer in those who are quick to promise, as I have usually found them slow to perform. However, up here we are thankful for the smallest mercies.—Water is getting very scarce with us. Ido not remember to have seen the Maerewhenua River with less water in it than at the present time for a number of years.” The Naval Company will muster for adjutant’s inspection to-morrow evening, at 7.30. The sixth general meeting of the Journeymen Painters’ Society will be held in Milton Hall to-morrow evening, at 8 o’clock.