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Evening Star, Issue 4252, 12 October 1876, Page 2

The Lingards have drawn crowded houses at Oaroaru hi "Our B>ys." •.! Quartz richly impregnated with gold is said to have been found, in Tavanaki. The ' Budget' says that on analysis it yielded at the rate of 29Soz. to the ton ; but we beg leave to doubt that statement.

At the Princess's Theatre last evening "Valjean, Saint or Sinner," was repeated, and it passed off exceetUiigjy well. As this dranm ha« bnen so well received it is to occupy the boarda again to-night. Taranaki seems, if we may judge from the newspapers, hignly excited over the successful smelting of the iron sand. One enthuaiastic individual has addressed an ode to Mr E. M, Smith, who was entertained at a public dinner by the townspeople, and sere, naded on his way to the feasting hall.

A petty case has been sent to the Supreme Court here from the Lakes. On«s Henry Burnett was ofcsrged at Queenstown with embr-zzlenient under tb§- following circumstance j He had been employed to, drive a theatrieai eonjpany down country, and on his departure w&* entrusted with the disposal of a quantity of oystees. On arrival at Ai?rowtown he sold the oysteis for Li, but failed to account for them to Lis employer, for which he u&W stands committed for fri»l ;

The Temperance Hall was fairly attended last eveniug, when the "Mirror of the World" was again exhibited, a ramble round London comprising the principal portion of tbe programme. This evening the second part of the ramble will be shewn.

Waihola is the chosen place for the proposed encampment on November 9. A verji pleasant spot, within easy distance of the railway station there, has been selected by Major Stavely, and we have no doubt the Executive will make satisfactory arrangements for the conveyance of Volunteers thither.

The Vogel Testimonial Committee have placed themselves in communication with the various public societies in the Coloay. At their first meeting subscriptions amounting to were announced, including Messrs Hunter, Krull, and Co., and Joseph Nathan of fifty guineas each, arid several sums of ten guineas each.

The septuagenarian lady at Milton, who danced a reel not many nights ago, has a powerful rival in a lady residing at Balclutha, who. notwithstanding that she is sixty-nine years of age, on Tuesday walked from Otaria (where she had missed the coach) to Balclutha, a distance of forty-six miles, under twelve hours. The following notifications affecting the Volunteers appear in the last number of the 'Gazette' -.—Ensign J. Douglas to be lieutenant, and George Wilson to be sub-lieu-tenant in the City Guards ; that the resignation of sub-lieutenant Wilson, Port Chalmers Naval, and the services of the Dunedin .Naval Cadets have beeu accepted. At the meeting of the Gardeners' Sooiety last night, the prizes offered for the twelve best border flowers were keenly contested, and Mr John Wilson, of the N. E. Valley, gained the first prize. In his stand were fine examples of deltytria spectabilia, gentiana azanta, tupils, auriculas, 4c, Ac. Mr A. Forsyth, of Woodhaugh, took a good second! Mr A. M'Kinley, of Law, Somner, and Co., has offered a prize at the next meeting for the best twelve pansie3.

Tne number of persons confined in the various gaols of the Colony during 1875 amounted to 4,722, or 1.29 percent of the mean population—the rate having been 1 18 in 1874, and 1.21 in 1873. Of the total number of prisoners, 575 males and 226 lemales were unable to read j 153 males and J. 58 females were able to read only; 3,191 males and §2O famaies -were able to read and write; and eighty-five males and one female had received a superior education.

The railway officials and employed have formed themselves into a club, the objects of whiah we "the rooraj and intellectual improvement of its members by means of a reading-room, circulating library, lectures, concerts, penny readings, and other such methods as may be deemed advisable." The Club now numbers eighty members, and last nigkji if, ejected the following office-bearers : ---Pweidsut, Mr Qonyers; vice-presidents, Messrs Urant and Armstrong] secretary, Mr Gorman; and treasurer, Mr Nicholson. The ' Mail' explains that the real cause of all tbe delay in the opining of the Moeraki line is traceable to a misunderstanding between the contractors and the Government oyer the question of maintenance. There are dertaia things to be done on the line at the present iimewhJoh the Government consider the contractors are called upon to do while Messrs Brogden and Sons, on the other hand, contend that these works could be done during the maintenance. An early settlement of the dispute is desired on all sides.

At Oamarn, on Monday, Mr Parker had to dismiss some small charge preferred against an Italian, because there were no means at hand of getting the offender to understand what it was all about. The «Mail' says the attempts made to that end were very amusing. The Sub-inspector was evidently under the impression that if he spoke loud to him there would not be the slightest difficulty in getting Zamboni to understand Saxon. A little Italim was tried, but "no comprehenzo " was the reply ; then one of the reporters attempted French, but with a like result; and Mr M'Cluskey made a final effort in a loud tone of voice in pigeon English, but all to no purpose. Vincenzo would not—or could not—understand.

Some devoted admirer of Sir George Grey and his party, having taken upon himself at a cost to the ' Tuapeka Times' of a guinea to telegraph to that paper an account' of the late political meeting at Balclutha, our Lawrence contemporary acknowledged his kindly attentions in this manner:—"lf our Balclutha and Kaitangata friends are desirous that their insane ravings about the General Assembly having no power to abolish Provincials Institution, should have full circulation in the Province, we would advise thom to institute a fund for the payment of their own Press telegrams. We are quite satisfied to bow to the will of the majority, and to accept the new form of Government whatever it may be, feeling confident that as a goldfields community we cannot possibly fare worse under the new than we have done under the old constitution, and the probabilities are that we will be better under the new,"

At the Supreme Court this morning, before Mr Justice Williams, the last of the common jury oases—M'Kae v. Campbell—was set down for hearing. Mr W. Taylor, with him Mr E. Cook, appeared for plaintiff; Mr W. D, Stewart for defendant. Counsel for defendant, however, rose and said he -was sorry at not being able to proceed with the case; the fact was that although he had endeavored to communicate with defendant during the past week, there was no means of knowing whether the telegrams forwardedhad rcaohed him or not. A message previously sent had not reached him, but it was known that defendant passed through Ophir two days ago en route for Dunedin. Mr Taylor said every opportunity had been given defendant to attend in time. Mr Stewart admitted that the other side was not to blame, and expressed regret at the inconvenience caused them. His Honor directed that the case stand adjourned till the 26th mst., to be then tried by a special jury; defendant to pay the costs of the day and the cost of the special jury. In adjourning the Court his Honor said he was sorry that he could not order the common jury to be paid for their attendance.

Some ewesidents of Oamaru are forwarding to that town strong cautions against others proceeding to the new rush. The 'Mali' is told by one upon whose word implicit reliance can be placed, for he is not only an old Victorian digger of a dozen yeai-s' experience, but is also backed up with capital to the extent of three or four hundred pounds, that "the place is completely over-rushed, and nothing at all like what it has been represented." And the 'North Otago Times' gives the following extract from a letter dated September 30 :—"The rush, by all accounts, is not much good. There are a great many * duffers' sunk, and the lead has been lost, There are numbers of men leaving who never turned a sod, and also some old diggers who have been trying hard, but unsuccessfully, to strike gold for the la-t three months, § — has been here for some time, and has not managed to strike gold. From all the information we can gather, it is evident the field will be a poor one. The ppospeptg are pretty fair, but there are so many large boulders, the removal of which occupies so n>«qh time, that it is. a serious drawback to making money. Besides there is no water of Any account," *

The mail steamer was signalled at the 1 ? be fore four and we understand that if her mails, which are to be tendered by the Iron Age reach DunedS before nine o'clock, they will bHwrted

There will be submitted to auction t» Messrs M'Laedress, Hepburn, and Co in *5 Friendly Hoefc ties' 'Hal£ tomon^» Ce and interesting co lection of Japanese curioS ties, cons.stm? of almost every variet? of fancy nwknacks, all of Sties here. We refer our readers to the advertise! ment for fuller particulars. wertise-