The Evening Star. TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3763, 16 March 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1875.

We would direct general attention to the Post Office announcement of the sailing of Suez Mail, which, by mistake, had been announced to close oa Thursday, instead of to-morrow, its proper day. There was no business transacted at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this mornings there being no cases oa the list. t -Artillery Band will play some choice IHsh selections to-night, in the Friendly societies Hall, in commemoration of St lr a trick s Day, commencing at IQ o’clock. At the end of this month 'Mr Duncan. Sa F R?i an i e V^ ho ’i or the P ast twelve years, has filled the offices of mess enger to the Superintendent and keeper of ’ the Provincial SV® ires [ rom tho ser tfice because he finds the quarters allowed him much too small for his ■ amdy. Hia inv? liable courtesy . has secured for bun many.f r i en dß, who, if they rally round him, will ens ure him success / m thejhusmess pursuits in which he is about to engage.

Litho-fraoteur is used by the Sons of Fortune Company, at the Arrow, most successfully, making a large reduction in the cost of tunnelling, and being considered safer tlun blasting powder. Renewed attention is being paid to prospecting for quariz reefs, and fresh discoveries are probable. There was a good attendance at the Princess Theatre last night, and the performance passed off successfully. The Du-va-.lis came in for the largest share of applause, their dancing constituting the most attractive part of the entertainment. The arae programme will be given to-night. The Licensing Court sat this morning to dispose of an application for transfer of b cense from Henry Fairbank to James Braid, Mr Bathgate, R.M., presiding. His Worship stated that the application had been received only that morning, and the Licensing Court would therefore be adjourned from day to day till Tuesday next; the police in the meantime would inquire into Braid’s character, and if they reported favorably on that day the transfer would probably be granted. We made brief mention yesterday of the fact that Mr Wilson Gray was about to retire from the judgeship of the Otago goldfields. The present sitting of that Court at Queenstown will be Mr Gray’s last; and the ‘ Mail’ informs us that it was intended to have matked in a suitable manner his Honor’s long connect ; on with the goldfields of this Province, but Mr Gray declined in most kind and feeling language to accept any public recognition of his services. The smallest of the two locomotives now at work on the CUitha line is intended to be sent next week to assist work at the Green Island end of the Chain Hills tunnel, as by that time ballasting operations will be finished on the Clutha line’from Tokomairiro to the Clutha river. The ‘ Bruce Herald,’ speaking of a ride by rail from Milton Railway Station to the Clutha river, states that “ this portion of the line throughout promises to be more comfortable to travel over than any portion of the railways in the Colony that we have traversed.”

The official meteorological return for the month of February, 1875, shows that the highest temperature of the air in the shade was 78,5 degrees on the 6th, a very moderate degree of summer heat compared with that experienced in nearly every other part of New Zealand. The solar radiation gave a maximum reading of 151 degrees in the sunshine, an unusually high point for Wellington, although low in comparison with the Middle Island, where that instrument has indicated 185 degrees at Nelson, 180 at Dunedin, 170 at Christchurch, and 168 in Southland, all the instruments in use being of the same pattern and corrected by standard. In the shade also 97 degrees has been recorded at the Christchurch observatory, 94 degrees in ■Southland, 90 degrees in Nelson, and 87 in Dunedin.

Mr Denovan’s entertainment at the Temperance Hall last evening, notwithstanding the fact of both theatres being Qpctij was largely attended. The Scotch songs given by Mr Denovan were, in every instance, encored ; the part songs were nicely and evenly rendered ; Miss Hesford sang several ballads, especially “The Dear Little Shamrock,” in extremely good style; and Mr Bracken’s readings and Master Murray’s Scotch dances were well received. Mr Sykes presided at the piano, and besides acting as accompanyist, favored the audience with the “ Last Lose of Summer.” with variations, and in response to a vociferous encore gave the ever welcome Sunshine and Tempest,” Owing to some misunderstanding the Artillery String Band did not put in an appearance ; however, the programme was sufficiently diversified to please the most exacting.

The Intel-provincial cricket match, Zingaris or South Canterbury v. Dunedin, is to be played on the oval on Friday and Saturday next. The Dunedin team ij now reduced to twelve names—Allen, Collinson, Clarke, Glen, Kettle, Macfarlan, Paramor, Morrison, H. Rhodes, Reade, Tait, and >amson—from which the eleven will probably he chosen on Thursday evening. The names of the Zingari’s have not yet come to hand, but they will include several men who played in the late interprovincial match, viz., Baker, Lee, Stevens, and B. Fowler. We are pleased to learn that the committee of the D. C.C. intend to provide better arrangemements for the convenience of those whose presence on the ground is compulsory, and for the accommodation of visitors. Separate tents will be provided for the scorers and reporters, and a reserve is to be set apart for the ladies. A band of music on the ground on either day would attract a good many visitors.

A curious cricket match was played at the Wairarapa a week since, when a team from Maaterton was put through in two innings for the gigantic total of 26 runs. The Mastertons, in their first innings, succeeded in performing this remarkable feat Five men made one single run each j their opponents presented them with four byes, and thus the gigantic total of 9 was put together I This being just 128 runs short of the Featherston first innings, the Masterton men proceeded with their second effort. This time one of these redoubtable players made the imposing score of “2, not out.” Three others made a run a-piece, but, alas ! the remaining seven only produced that number of “duck-eggs.” The total score off the bat was therefore the same as in the former innings—s, but on this second occasion the Featherston men, with a generosity which cannot be too highly praised, presented them with just a dozen extras, which being rather more than twice the number made by the bat, raised the total of the innings to 17. The Featherston men were thus victorious in one innings, with 111 runs to spare.

The claim to the bonus for having first commenced the manufacture of pottery for household or domestic purposes in Otago, set up on behalf of Mr Judge, of Makerewa (Southland) is ridiculed by the ‘ Bruce Herald,’ which says that he expended, at the utmost, L 290 in plant and buildings and it leaves the public to judge with what success articles of earthenware to compete with Home manufacture could be turned out under such circumstance—while on the other hand at Tokomairiro there is invested and represented in|Mr White’s works, rather better than twenty times three hundred pounds, and having fulfilled the necessary conditions he has been, very properly, made the recipient of the Government bonus. What was intended by the bonus was to reward the successful establishment of a pot tery in the business meaning of the term, not to pay a premium to the first man who, with a few paltry appliances, could turn out flower pots or some simple articles of domestic use. Apropos of the Milton works, two beautiful specimens of the potter’s art have recently been turned out there. They consist of two medallions, executed in clay, the larger one, a nature-like group of flowers, comprising the rose, china aster (double), lily of the valley, forget-me-not, fuschia, cowslip, moss rose, crab blossoms, and the flower of a new Zealand climbing plant; and the smaller one comprising similar flowers with slight alterations, To-morrow being St. Patrick’s Day the Provincial Government offices and all the Banks will be closed. The January number of the ‘Family Herald, and t the February number of the ‘Young Ladies’ Journal’ have reached us from Mr Braithwaite.

The Colonial Building Society, with a capital or L 250,000, has a list of names as provisional directors which should commend it to the public. It is to possess the advantages of a building society, without its drawbacks, and being registered under the Joint Stock Companies Act will be able to alter its rules as required by variations in the rate of interest. It also proposes to allow borrowers a rebate when their advances are repaid before the due term, and to build houses on deferred payments. The Horticultural Society’s Flower Show takes place to-morrow, and extends over two days. The Temperance Hall, Moray place, has been^ chosen by the Committee wherein to hold their exhibition. This show is always the best of the season, comprising as it does such a variety of pot plant and cut flowers, together with fruit and vegetables. The latter classes ought to he well represented, as the fruit season has been very generally a good one. The question has been mooted of holding an auction sale of sosae of the exhibits towards the close of the second evening. We think the idea a good one, and it will give persons.desirous of possessing some of the specimens, both of flowers and fruit, a chance to purchase. Mr Sykes will preside on both days at Messrs Begg and Co.’s grand pianoforte, and this should offer an additional attraction to the public to visit the Hall.