The Evening Star TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1876

Evening Star, Issue 3989, 7 December 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1876

The erection of a paper mill at Mataura bridge is being proceeded with. A section of tbe Winton Kingston Bail way, between Cowan’s Crossing and the Elbow, will be finished and ready tor traffic on or about the 20th of the present month. It is said that the prospects of the Sons of Fortune mine, Arrow, coat nue to improve, and that sufficient gold is now obtainalve to avoid the necessity of making any future culls. Some excellent prospects have been obtained, as high, we (‘Wakatip Mail’) learn, as l|oz, to the dish. Ihere are at present five prisoners hr trial-one of whom is on bail—at the ensuing sessions of the - v upreme Court, which commence at Dunedin on the 3rd January, before his Honor Mr Justic ■' illiams, and one for trial at the district court, Tokomiiriro, o.i the 20.h inst., before his Honor Mr Justice Ward.

The highest tender received for the University building was that of the Co’enial Bank for L 27.500. It being thought that the Council may be able to obtain privately the amount they require for the budding, the arrangement of the natter has been relegated to a committee, consisting of the Chancellor (Sir J. L. C. Richardson), Messrs E. B. Cargill, and J. H. Harris. u e are very pleased to learn that Miss Heard, the much-respected matron of the Gaol, has obtained from the Government two months leave of absence, on full pay, for the purpose of recruiting her health in Christchurch. We van safely say that no public official deserves the indulgence better, for she has served inside the walla of the Gaol upwards o twelve years without one single day’s leave. The meat-preserving works at Woodlands a few years ago gave employment to hundreds of workpeople, and tnada a busy p ace. Now a manager and fire watchman represent tho tuff. When a reporter of the ‘ Bhice Herald ’ visited toe works a day or two since be found no less than 100,001) tins pre pared in readiness for filling, and as mu hj material in store as would serve tor two years of busy trade, including fifty tons of solder, which, at its market value of say Is per 11b gives L 5,600 as the real value of this article alone.

The following good story is told bv the ‘Bruce Herald T—“The captain of an American whaler while at the Bluff had given offence to a Ruapuke iNative en a visit there. The Native, however, returned good for evil, inviting the Yankee skipper to pay him a visit at his island home. The offer was accepted, and every attention and kindness was pa d to the stranger while under the roof of the Maori. The time, however, came when the skipper desired to return to his ship, when the Maori hose demanded LlO for the return voyage to the Bluff, and would not .stir until he had the cash in hand.”

It was reported at the Rifle Association’s meeting last night that forty-five entries had been received from town companies for each of the first four matches. This number is sure to be largely added to, as country competitors can enter up to the time of firing. A valuable trophy having been presented by Mr W. H Haydon, it was r< solved that it be tompet -d for by the ten highest aggregate scorers at 20k, 300, 400, 500, and 600 yards; five shots at each rang -t ; 5s entry ; Colonial (■hooting regulations for 1876; the time to be arranged at the completion of the first five matches

The claimants at Westport, whose demands for compensation for land that will be required for railway purposes are now being invested and reported upon by a Royal Commission, display considerable ingenuity. In one case a publican based a claim for prospective damage upon the fact that business was rapidly falling-off in the town, and that as people left the place they had a “ doch-an-dorach ” at his house. He had derived considerable income from this house of late. It was mildly hinted that if his trade depended upon custom of this sort his ouaine-s must speedily ceme to an end. He cLima LI, 106 for bis section Dne effect of the recent bad weather on the •oast has been to delay the progress of the Waitaki Bridge. 3he vessel with the timber for docking the bridge arrived in the roadstead at Oamaru fully six weeks ago, but only half her cargo has been discharged. However, fully half a mile of decking is on the bridge, and it is anticipated that the contract will be finally completed about the middle of January Ordeis having been received by the contractors to make arrangements—which will be perfected .in a coupie of days—to convey mails and passengers acro-s the bridge seats have been placed in a truck which is to run on the rails and be pushed by men, so that passengers may cross the structure in perfect safety. It appears that there is some prospect of a Good Templar settlement b( ing formed in the interior of 'Taranaki, The pioject was originally propounded by a Captain Sheet, and a Select Committee of the Taranaki Provincial

ouucil have reported favorably upon it. Cipfcaiu .Sheet's proposal is to obtain from the Government the promise of a block of laud ot K'o,o. 0 acres at LI per aero, on fvrr.xi payments. pon the faith of this promise be proposes to eafcfvdish a company with 2,000 yija.es of LIOO eae . i-.ach di reboider will be entitled to a farm of 50 “ •<« ’ ■ np a'c I •do\ ■> ■.»- uoider to hola more tmuu four shares, and each to pay LIO a year tor tea years.

Some deubt appears to exist as to whether scarlet f ever has really made its appearance in Milton. The annual district school examinations were commenced to-day, when the junior classes attending the Middle and Albany Street Schools were examined by the School Committee and other gent'emen. The higher classes will be taken to-morrow, an i in the 'afternoon there will be the usual speech and prize day. At a banquet at Wellington, given to mark the close of his mayoralty , of that town, Mr Moorhouse, in alluding to the political campaign, is reported to have said : —“ There is an exceedingly interesting time coming, but the sera ches and scrimmages of to-day will be forgotten to-morrow. I have studied the character of most of the public men in New Zealand on one side or the other, and of all parties, and I think we have great reason to be proud of our public men altogether. I have been associated with most of them ; we have fallen out to-day and we have associated again to-mo row ; aad I believe that the men now who are taking up different positions in politics, an i ha statesmen from every corner of the (douse, will meet Together in perfect accord ”

At Moke Creek last week a child two and a-half years old, the son of a Maltese miner named Hodgers, and an old resident of the place, was drowned while crossing a stream in time of flood. The parents lived near the creek, and it was a common cu -tom for the child to cross over it on a p’auk ta meet his father when coming from the claim to his meals. On the day in question the stream was great'y swollen. The child was seen to cross over safely at dinner-time ; but not meeting his father at once he i« supnosed to have turned back and while recrosaiug to have become giddy, lost his balance, and fallen into the torrent. The body was found the following day at the Big Beach, Shotover, having been carried down some four or five miles.

Buckstone’s romantic drama, “ Flowers of tbe Forest,” was played at the Queen’s Theatre last evening to a capital dow stairs attend uce ML a Stephenson, who re appeared as Cynthia, was warmly greeted i be character is, however, not so well suited

o her as some of those in which we saw her when last here ; and though she evidenced coi.'s’derable tragic p ,-wers, she did not appear to as great advantage as in light parts or in burlesque. T-ken as a whole, Mits Stephenson’s representation was a very creditable one, manifesting as it «li very great improvement and careful study on her {.art mring her notheru sojourn. Mr Steele played very fairly as Isbmael the Wolf ; and M r Musgrave did not fail to make the most of the kinchin. “ A Capital Match,” which which brought the entertainment to a close, proved a first-class afterpiece. To-night the Adel phi drama, “The Green Bushes,” will ba played.

Several cabmen were summoned at the City Police Cou t to-day for plying for hire at other than the authorised stand The men had stood up in their cabs along the line of route and solicited passengers. One defendant, named Hughes, caused considerable amusement by his cross examinetion of the prosecutor. One observation which the constable made, however, proved too much for him, and he made a forcib’e and b.asphe i.eus ejaculation, for which he was reprimanded by the Bench, who warned him that if he made use of such language again he would be committed to gaol. Hughes muttered something by way of 'pology, and then that he could i.ob help giying vent to his feelings. The Bench, in his case, doubled the fine, and told him that if he a.win so misconducted himself in a Court he would fare worse.

At the Fire Brigade's meeting last night, a donation of > 5 was forwarded, through the editor of the ‘ Daily Tillies,’ by Mr M. Bardalcy, in recognition of the ervices of the Brigade at the a Ibion Soap Works on the 29ch ult. Mess's Thomas Wicks an 1 (.’harks Goi b were eh cting working members, and Messrs Job Wain, junr., James Marshall, Sanders, T. Do tson, F. Muir, I. Strachao, ane, I horason, S. Clayton, J. R. Jones, and J. Frazer honorary members. Captain Johnston was requested to apply to tlv City Council to have the fire limits of the City properly defined, so that the Briga «e may know how far from the centre of the City they may be required to attend fires ; also, that it has become necessary that a bell should be fixed at the south end of the town, several members living in that direction. Messrs J. Carrington, junr., and J. Long were proposed as working members. It is not often we hear of such a passage as the Adamant had to the Bluff It appears the late Captain Birch was much addicted to

drink, and was never a,day sober up to the time of his death. He kept the ship sailing about the coast of Brazil for about three weeks, and at last got sideways on to a sandbank within hail of the shore, and so close that some of the natives walked up to the ship and conversed with those on board. The passengers were at last driven to desperation by his conduct, and nearly all signed a petition for him to give up the command to the first mate. We are informed that on receipt of this, Captain Birch came on deck—his first appearance for a whole week—and said that “ before he was done whh them he would put them in a dark hole.” S ortly afterwards he died, and the first mate to >k charge and brought the ship safely into port —not a day too soon, for their provisions were nearly exhausted, and would not have lasted another fortnight. As it was, they had run out of flour and sundry other things. “Prompter” informs us that the well known cantatrice Madame Fanny Simonson is again on her way to the Colonies, and that during a recent rehearsal of “La Johe Parfeumeuse,” in Melbourne, Mr C. H. Templeton was presented by Mr Lyster with a very handsome scarf-ring, set with diamonds and rubies, in acknowledgment of

his ability to study new parts, which had enabled Mr Lyster s to produce a fresh opera every night during the race week in Melbourne, Dunedmites had an opportunity of judging of Mr Templeton’s capability m this respect when he was called upon at a very short notice indeed to fill Mr Hainford’a place. Our correspondent adds that he has the authority of a recent visitor to the old country for stating that an old acquaintance —Mr Charles Wilmot—flourishes in the public line, which, however, he ia likely to retire from.before long, as hs house is wanted for ether purposes, and for it he is offered a very handsome sum, over Ll2 000. Mr Vv ilmot’s friends in Dunedin will be glad to hear of his eil-doin;. From Wellington we learn that the Theatre koyal there was re-opened last nijit with Boucicauit’* play, the “Bbaughrann ” in which Mr Wheatleigh and Mr and Mrs Darrell to ik part. The company were received by a full house, and it is seldom a Wellington audience have the opportunity of seeing a piece mounted and so well placed on the stage as the rihaughraim ” was on ibis occasion.

The Lodge Pride >f Dunedin, 1.0. G.T. will celebiaJe its anniversary by a social gathering in the Temperance Hall, on Friday, December 10, o-mmonch.g -it S 50 p m, Messrs 11 arrop ami \’eill. of V* r inc-s street, have ou view in their window a watch specially made to the older of a gentleman in Dune liu interested in pedestrian matters. It is a keyhss silver v. atch fitted wit li all the latest iiii- ■ V •.lOiiti., •■•••> th. elite? novel 1 •; O'-aiais-i* • theindependent baud for timing races being so arranged that, la the event of a false start, by

touching % spring it flies back to the point at which it was first fixed. This is entirely a new principle, and one that will prove of good service as a moans of obtaining perfectly reliable time,