NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 567, 12 April 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Thk Northern Line. —The traffic on this line was resumed yesterday, the necessary repairs having been made with considerable promptitude. Rifle Association. —The annual meeting for prize firing will be held at Hillsborough on Easter Monday and Tuesday. Blondin. This renowned performer makes his first appearance tomorrow afternoon. The mammoth enclosure is rapidly approaching completion, and all the preliminary arrangements are nearly completed

Conversazione. —A very successful conversazione, in connection with the Hope of Christchurch Lodge, 1.0.G-.T;, took place last evening, at the Music Hall. The room was well filled, indeed the accommodation was hardly sufficient for the number of visitors. During the evening some brilliant experiments in chemistry and electricity were gone through, and also some very interesting ones in telegraphy, showing the working of the duplex cable. Several songs, &c, were sung during the evening, and generally the affair was a decided success.

Calcutta Sweeps. The following sweeps were drawn last evening, at Morton's Hotel:—Autumn Handicap, value £11: Templeton, £lO ; Ariel, £7 ; Cloth of Gold, £5 ; Pungawerewere, £5 ; Fishhook, £1; Right Bower, £1 ; Tattler, £3 ; Guy Fawkes, *3 ; Daniel O'Rorke, £2 ; Tadmor, £2 ; Elfin King, £2. Same Handicap, value of sweep, £42 :—Templeton, £8 ; Cloth of Gold, £•> ; Ariel, £5; Guy Fawkes, 65 ; Parawhenua, £1 ; Right Bower, £1; Elfin King, £3 ; Fishhook, £3 ; Tadmor, £3. Sweeps on the various events will be drawn to-night at the same place. Mr Bright on "Yankee Humour."— Last evening Mr Charles Bright delivered his second lecture at the Oddfellows' Hall, taking for his subject one that can never fail to amuse and interest when intelligently treated, viz—" Yankee Humour." We were sorry to see so small an attendance, and can only say it ppeaks very little for the good taste of the people of Christchurch when they allow a lecturer of Mr Bright's recognised ability to discourso to empty benches. Notwithstanding the paucity of the attendance, however, Mr Bright threw himself heartily into his subject, and gave a critical review of the lives and works of the modern American humourists, including Artemus Ward, Mark Twain, and Bret Harte ; dwelling particularly upon the incidents connected with the career and the writings of the first-named. Mr Bright himself possesses a fund of quiet humour, and the manner in which he read selections from the authors referred to was highly amusing, aud pro voked bursts of the heartiest laughter. Still this particular literature is so highly popular in this country, and indeed wherever the English language is spoken, that it is a Romowhat hazardous undertaking for an Englishman to essay a lecture upon it, interspersed with readings. But Mr Bright was eminently successful, not perhaps so much in the readings themselves, as in the relation of many anecdotes of the lives of the men of whom he was treating, many of which were entirely new to the audience, and consequently elicited the greatest possible interest. It is needless to go over the ground trodden by the lecturer, for it is known every step of the way by the reading community. But although Mr Bright did not present his hearers with any new photographs, he at least surrounded those which he did present with a frame of vigorous interest that was perfectly refreshing; and as one listened to his voice, as sketch succeeded sketch and picture followed p'cture, it could not be denied that the entertainment was a most enjoyable one. The only thing to be regretted was the very small audience assembled to listen to him. The chair was occupied by Mr Wilson, who, at the beginning and the close of the lecture spoke a few appropriate words on behalf of the lecturer.

Lecture.—Rev James L. Wilson will give an account of a journey made by him " from the City of the Plains to the City of the Grey," in St Paul's Presbyterian Church, at half-past seven o'clock this evening.

POSTAL.—"The public will learn with satis faction," says the Timaru Herald, " that in future there will be three mails closing at Timaru for Christchurch every day, and a similar number arriving here from Christchurch, as suggested in our article on Friday hist The mails will close here at 530 a.m. 10.30 a.m, and 3 p.m, the two first reaching Christchurch on the day that they are despatched as heretofore, and the last reaching there on the following morning early The extra mail from Christchurch will arri vre here at 10 a.m, having been despatched, a? far as the Ashburton on the evening previous. The alteration will confer considerable advantages on the business portion of the community, and prove of mutual benefit generally to both Christchurch and Timaru."

The Museum.—During the short time that the Museum was closed it was thoroughly well cleansed throughout, and a number of specimens added to the general attractions of the building, but the only thing calling for special mention is a Roman tripod in bronze, which has been placed upon a pedealal in the statuary room. This was excavated near Bologna, in Italy—rich in such historic associations—and is one of the most valuable relics that the Museum possesses. On each of its three faces it bears a human figure in bas relief, all of which, as well a 3 the tripod itself, are in a most perfect state of preservation—bold, clear, and well defined. One represents the figure as pliying with a kid, the second as offering up a sacrifice to the Deity, and the third bearing his offering in his hand. The tripod is surmounted at each of its three upper corners with a ram's head, the whole showing that a perfect knowledge of the art of casting was possessed by the manufacturers of the relic, It is impossible to tell exactly how old it may be, but it bears all the marks of having been cast during the best period of art during the Roman Empire. There are a large number of specimens of various kinds now packed away, but waiting only for the time when the additions to the buildiner shall be uorapleted, and they may be placed on exhibition. These additions are being rapidly proceeded with, and as the contract time for their completion is at the end of the present year, no doubt by this day twelvemonth the entire building will be open to the public. The main room of the addition is rapidly being finished, so far as its walls are concerned; indeed, in a few days the roof will be commenced. This room is exactly twice the area of the Oddfellows' Hall in Lichfield street, and will form a splendid apartment for the purposes of the Museum. It will contain an upstairs gallery, which will likewise have a very larg« area for exhibits. At present two of the rooms of the old Museum are closed, in order that they may be connected with the new portion of the building. In these rooms, one b&ing up-stairs and the other down, the present slits of windows are to be removed, and much larger ones inserted in their place. When finished, our Christchurch Museum will be by a very long way the finest in the colony.