NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 724, 14 October 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Heathcotb Road Board. —The revising court tor hearing appeals to the assessment of 1877 will be held at the Road Board office on Wednesday next, at 11 a.m. Large Block op Turnips.— Mr G. H. Moore, Glenmark, has this season ploughed up a block of 3000 acres of his Waikari country, which will be put into turnips before being sown down in grass next y< ar. This will be probably one of the largest crops of turnips ever put in in this colony. Lincoln Show,— The entries for the Lincoln show, to be held on Friday, 3rd November, will close with the hon secretary, at Lincoln, on Saturday, 28th inst. In addition to the private prizes already offered, Mr W. C. Webb will give a prize of three guineas for the best yearling shown, by Admiral. Eangiora Drum and Fife Band.—A drum and fife band has been established here under the leadership of Mr Sides, which, in connection with the stringed band referred to on a former occasion, may be expected soon to appear in public; Sumner.— The new church was formally opened on Sunday morning last, at eleven o’clock, when full choral service was held, the Rey G. Merton, curate, acting as precentor ; the Very Bey the Dean of Christchurch delivering a very eloquent sermon. The choir numbered over twenty good voices, and the service rendered was very hearty and general. The attendance was large, and the offertory made in aid of the church building fund amounted to £lO 8s 6d. The dedication of the church will be made on Wednesday, November Ist, being All-Saints’ Day. On that day, after the ceremony of dedication js performed, and after luncheon, a morning concert of sacred music will be held in the schoolroom, when it is intended to produce many getps from the best oratorios and other compositions, On Thursday evening last there was a crowded audience in the schoolroom to witness the performance in legerdemain of a well-known wizard, whose proceedings created much amusement, These performances were enlivened by some good vocal and instrumental music by local ladies, There were over 12) persons present, The proceeds, amounting to £6, will be given to the incumbent, with which to purchase a library for use of the Sundaysehoclchildren. A hearty vote of thanks to those assisting in the entertainment closed the proceedings, When the housewife is satisfied with the quality of soap the husband need not comolain. But when he finds that one bar of the Star Brand Soap goes as far as one and a half of other kinds, he has reason to be doubly satisfied,—[Advx.]

Concert. —The committee of the Catholic schools purpose giving a grand concert on Thursday evening next, in which Madame, Miss, and Mr Melchor Winter, assisted by well-known amateurs, will take part. The concert will be followed by Sullivan’s operetta of “ Cox and Box,” which has been in rehearsal for some time, and will be placed upon the stage on a scale not before attempted here. The concert will commence at eight o’clock punctually, and the performance will finish in time for the late trains. The Kumara, —A gentleman who has just returned from the West Coast gives us the following information regarding these diggings:—He left Christchurch on Friday week, and, arriving at Hokitika, found that there was no difficulty in getting to the diggings, which are about eighteen miles from that town, situated near the road to the Gray, called the Greenstone road. Coaches run there regularly, the return fare from Hokitika being only 15s. The new township at the Kumara is very large, the buildings being principally of wood and galvanised iron, and the population in and around it must be quite 6000. The prices of everything are very moderate, a good dinner, consisting of four courses, being placed before our traveller for 2s; in fact, nearly all things can be procured as cheaply as in Christchurch or Lyttelton. The coat of carriage from Hokitika is only £3 a ton, a good team being able to draw four tons, the road being very good. The whole field is on terrace land and heavily timbered, the claims being from 40ft to 150 ft deep. The miners are putting in tunnels and working them with tramways. At present little or no gold is being got, but claims have been pegged out for seven miles, prospects of five or six grains to the load having been got in many places with 40ft of wash-dirt. At present the prospectors are the only people who have any water, but many of the diggers have constructed timbered paddocks to catch water when it rains. There seem to nearly as many places of business as there are claims, and as one side of the road is an educational reserve, the Board are reaping a rich harvest of about £4OO a week. To show the value set on the land, a gentleman who rented 165 ft frontage on the Greenstone road 32ft deep, which he was renting at £26 per annum from the educational authorities, refused £BOO, £4OO in cash, and the rest in bills, for the lease, saying he would not take a halfpenny less than £BOO in cash. The people generally seemed very orderly, there being little or no drunkenness. The only chance of doing well seems to be going there and investing money in a claim. A man with £5 or £lO in his pocket had better keep away, for he could do no good there at all, the expense of working the claims being so great.