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Evening Star, Issue 4014, 7 January 1876, Page 2

The first meeting of the newly-elected municipality of South Dunedin was held last night, the Mayor in the chair. It was decided to invite application from persons willing to fill the offices of Town Clerk and valuator. The other business was purely formal. At an inquest held lately in Wellington one of the jurors proved to be drunk and disorderly, persisting in interrupting the proceedings with idiotic remarks. The Coroner at last stopped this amusement by committing the tipsy juror (whose name is William Macguire) to prison for twenty-four hours.

The New Zealand end of the cable is to be laid in a small bay a few miles north of Nelson. A more favorable spot for landing the cable than the one selected could not be desired. The soundings are regular all down the coast, with a clean bottom, and the steamers with the cable can lie within a hundred yards of the shore whore it is to be landed.

A race for LlO a-side was recently run on Latimer square, Christchurch, between a man named Stafford, and a horse ridden by its owner, the distance being fifty yards out and in. Stafford gained five yards at the start, and still more in rounding the post forborne, but the horse gained rapidly in the last fifty yards, and Stafford only won by about three yards. In his candidature for Nelson Suburbs Mr Rout asserted that Mr H. A. Ingles—the lato member for the Cheviot—had received the reward of his support of the Government during the last session by being appointed Resident Magistrate at Picton; and that Mr Bowen not only drew salary as a Minister but received L6OO a year—his pension on retiring J from the Resident Magistracy of Christchurch. Both assertions nave since received official contradiction.

On Wednesday it was reported to the police at Oamaru that three men were lying asleep in a tent on the beach, about a hundred yards to the north of the creek lagoon, and that one of them was dead. It seems that the whole three had been in liquor, and went to lie down and have a sleep ; and the man who was lying between the other two— John Crowley, an old pensioner—died withthe slightest struggle; indeed, he did not even .make noise enough to arouse his companions. When a constable aroused them they could not believe that Crowley was dead, but said he was merely sleeping. Dr Wait was sent for, and, after examining the man, pronounced life extinct.

A story illustrative of the efficacy of dreams comes from Wanganui, where, as our telegrams a week or two ago informed us, three men were drowned by an accident at the railway bridge over the Wanganui River. The night before the accident the wife of. Reynolds, one of the men drowned, dreamt that she saw her husband drowning, and awoke him by her screams for assistance. The dream exercised a very depressing effect upon her all the next day, and she found it an impossibility to divest herself of the impression that the dream was a presentiment of approaching evil. When the person to whom was deputed the delicate task of breaking the news to her that she was a widow approached, Mrs Reynolds saw her coming, and bursting into tears, exclaimed, “You need not tell me, I know what has happened, my husband is drowned.” The adjourned summoned meeting of the Loyal Dunedin Lodge, M. D.1.0.0.F., was held last evening at the lodge-room, Hibernian Hotel, when the newly-elected officers took their seats—viz., Bro. Bowie, N.G. ; Bro. Ibbotson, V.C.; Bro. Williams, E.S.; Bro. Corley, Warder. The auditors (Bros. Sherwin’and Hall) read the half-yearly report and balance-sheet, from which we extract the following ; —hi umber of members, 140 ; total receipts from contributions, interest on loans, &c., L 360 17s 8d ; expenditure; doctor, chemist, district levies, &c., Ll6O 8s 8d; leaving a profit on the half-year of Ll4O 9b. The total value of the lodge funds at

present is L 2.425, equal to Ll6 17fl per member. In the coarse of the evening G.M. Stronach, on behalf of the lodge, presented P.G. Bro. W. Woodland with a beautifullyframed certificate of merit, for the able manner he has filled the various offices of the lodge during the last two years. Bro. Woodland suitably responded.

The pantomime at the Queen’s Theatre appears to show no signs of diminishing in popularity; and although it has now had a run of a fortnight, the house is nightiy well filled. There is to be an afternoon performance to-morrow, and no doubt many children will take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy their customary Christmas treat.

Smith’s Combination Troupe at ths Temperance Hall continue to draw good houses. Last evening an entirely new programme was presented to a large and appreciative audience. Mr Willard appeared in some new character sketches. Paul and Verona appeared for the first time in their double aerial act, and Miss Lane rendered some new ballads very pleasingly. There will be an afternoon performance to-morrow.

There was “much ado about nothing” in Rattray street shortly after nine o’clock last night. A coffee stall, while being wheeled across to its customary stand opposite the Empire Hotel, took fire and made sufficient blaze to set the fire-bell going, and the two detachments of the Brigade in motion, and to bring several hundred people into the streets. It is almost needless to say that the damage was not extensive, and that the services of the Brigade were not required. Yesterday, we made mention of the committal for trial at Tokomairiro of a wellknown offender, named Nankerviss, for assault, with intent to rob. The facts brought out at the magisterial inquiry were those :—The prosecutor, a lad named Dyer, when returning home at about half-past ten o’clock at night, was accosted by Nankerviss, who asked him the way to the nearest township. The boy passed on, and the prisoner followed him until they were opposite the recreation ground, when he knocked the boy down and lay upon him. The boy screamed out, and two of the town people came up just in time to see the prisoner make off. They afterwards found him concealed in a hedge, and banded him over to the police. Some months ago the country districts were visited by “a fair gentlemen and his better-half,” the representatives of a firm who had “gone broke” in Melbourne—who by offering tweeds, silks, &c., at very low prices, did a roaring business. We recollect reading in the ‘Observer’ a humorously written account of this couple’s visit to the' Arrow, and of the treatment they might expect to receive from the inhabitants of the district whom they “let in” should they return to it From what has come to our knowledge we heve reason to believe that this aimaale couple are honoring Dunedin with their presence just now, and endeavoring to put off their goods here. Before us lies a sample of tweed said to have been purchased from them ; and anything less likely to prove durable it is impossible to imagine. We can readily believe that anyone clothed in a suit of such material would soon become “a walking mass of seams.”

We take tiie following items from to day’s ‘Bruce Herald :—“lt is the intention of Messrs Chaplin and Co. to run a coach light through to Queenstown in a few days. —At the Teviot, the other day, a digger lost a considerable sum of money by parting -with four L2O notes, thinking they were ones.— The mid-day train from Dunedin yesterday was delayed for a considerable time between Clarendon and Milbum, through something going wrong with one of the pistons of the engine. Intelligence of the mishap was sent to Milton, and Messrs Brogden and Sons’ engine at once went down to render assistance. The train did not arrive at Milton until an hour or more after the usual time ; and there was a corresponding delay in the starting of the up-train from Balclutha.— The Kaitangata branch line is being pushed ahead rapidly, and the rails have been laid for a considerable distance.—The Clutha River has encroached 33ft during the last five months at Balclutha, at the bend behind the township.” The wail of the ‘ Daily Times’ re the Bankruptcy advertisements does not beget him sympathy from his contemporaries. The ‘ Bruce Herald,’ for instance, remarks : “The arguments of the ‘Times’ cut two ways, and although the ‘Bruce Herald’ is now appointed the medium for making public such announcements in the Tokomairiro district, when the last Act was passed this justice was denied us, and the ‘ Daily Times’ has since had the benefit of all bankruptcy notices in the southern district, to our loss. So long as the policy of the Government brought all the grist to their mill not a word was said, and it is only now when the shoe pinches them that such a mighty noise is made, to the hurt of no one but themselves. Granted that the newspapers having the largest circulation in Otago should be appointed by the Government as their means of publicity, as advocated by the ‘Times,’ we should be delighted at such an arrangement, as thus the Evening Star and ourselves would sharejthe coveted spoil between us.”

The Sydney papers protest against the continuance of the forked service in connettion with the Californian mail contract. The ‘Herald’ speaks out this wise:—“lt will be difficult even when the cable is at work, for the slightest hitch anywhere is apt to throw the whole service out of gear; but it is doubly difficult while we know nothing of what is going on at New Zealand ports. When we compare the complications that have attended the attempt to work this forked service with the ease and simplicity with which the continous line has been worked, It certainly does seem that our true policy for the present is to develop the route after what experience has shown to be the most reliable mode. If we were to continue the service from Sydney to San Francisco via Auckland, or, better still, via the Bay of Islands, and if we are content with a moderate speed we ought to be able to do it for a much lighter subsidy than what is now being asked for. The plan of sending big ships to do the coastal service of New Zealand is a waste of power and an unnecessary risk. It would be very convenient if Sir J. Vogel could take Sydney on his wav to New Zealand, and consult with this Government on the service generally.” The monthly meeting of the Dunedin Gun Club will be held on Monday evening at the Empire Motel. Gentlemen desirous of forming a Quoitmg Club are requested to meet at the Adandale Arms, Great King street, at 8 p.m. on Monday next. At the manufactory of Messrs Gibbs and Clayton we have been shown a carpet-broom niude of the dried leaves of the c ibbage-tree in imitation of the American broom, xhe native product seems well adapted for the purpose for which it is designed. The leaves made up in a workmanlike manner by a broommaker ftom Ohio, and already are taking well iu the market, the demand being in excess of the present means of supply. It is satisfactory to see our native products thus utilised and fresh fields of labor opened up to the rising generation. Messrs Gib' s and Clayton are deserving of great credit for their enterprise in devising and introducing new industries to this City.