NOTES FROM LYTTELTON.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 754, 18 November 1876, Page 3

NOTES FROM LYTTELTON.

' Lyttelton, November 17. Thursday was indeed dreary and wet, and I suppose that within a' few days we shall see the sou’-wester hauled up before Dr Donald for attempting to destroy one of our Municipal institutions—l mean the town clock. This clock in our limited circle has furnished abundant food for conversation. Before its arrival it was the custom of some of the Councillors to ask the Mayor at the weekly meetings, if he knew anything about the clock, and messages were continually being sent to Wellington, to enquire when it would be erected. Then a dreadful whisper arose that the clever architect who designed the tower had forgotten to leave any outlet for the sound, and that the sonorous notes of the great bell which were to be heard for a mile round would never be able to get through the brickwork. Well, rumour was true enough in this case, but the defect was speedily remedied, as it was determined, since no provision had been made for the bell inside, to put it up outside; so a funny little belfry -was stuck up on the top of the tower, and “Great Tom of Lyttelton” swung thereon. But then there arose another difficulty—the architect, besides forgetting the public of Lyttelton wanted to hear their clock strike, had also forgotten to leave room for the weights to swing ; so there was another job for the carpenters, for holes had to be made through the ceilings of three rooms. But this was also successfully accomplished, and the Lyttelton town clock was an established fact, thanks to the wisdom and foresight of the architect who designed the tower. But another difficulty arose, the dial plates were so covered with ornamentation and the importer’s name, that at 100 yards distance they looked something like a spiders’ web with a lot of flies in it, but as to distinguishing the time, that was out of the question. fSo the Lytteltonians made a disturbance, one wicked man wrote a letter to the Press , and several of the civic fathers spoke strongly on the matter at the Council chambers. Well our leaders listened to the voice of the people, the stucco rim round the dials were painted black, throwing the figures on the clock out in bolder relief. The name of the importer was taken off the glass of the disc and painted on the black circle and after a final touch up on Wednesday evening last the scaffolding was removed from around the tower, and for one happy night Lytteltonians slept with the glad consciousness that they possessed a respectable resonant and renovated town clock. It was true that it was not yet illuminated, but that was merely a question of time, as the lighting committee of the Council had the matter in their hands, and were to try experiments with the india-rubber tubing and report next sitting ; but alas, “ The best laid schemes o’ mice and men,

“ Gang aft agley.” It appears that in removing the importer’s name from the dial facing the sou’-west, the glass was slightly cracked, and in the souwest breeze yesterday, as Captain Gibson was walking towards the Government Buildings, he saw a small piece of the glass blown out. He rushed to the rescue, but only arrived at the tower to see the whole of the inner disc blown in with a crash, and so ends the first chapter in the history of the Lyttelton Town Clock.

To quote a shipping local from the Otago Daily Times there were “High Jinks” aboard the Waitangi on Friday last; the attendance was large, and Mrs Smith who was invited, tells me was peculiarly select, but I am rather confused, as Mrs Jones who was not asked, says that she bears it was a very mixed thing indeed, and that she is so thankful she did not go. What fascination there appears to be for some people in bearing cases at the Resident Magistrate’s Court. Day after day one sees the same faces standing hour after hour listening with earnest attention to breaches of the Cattle Trespass Act, or Dog Nuisance Ordinance, and appearing to derive the most intense pleasure. But their real delirium of delight is a breach of the Public-house Ordinance. How they gloat over it. They settle themselves into the most comfortable attitude possible, and listen with almost uncontrollable ecstasy to Bill when he swears that he did not serve liquor to Jim on a certain Sunday, or to Jim, who swears that Bill did. By the bye I notice that at 12 o’clock a number of the Borough School boys have got into the habit of coming into Court and listening to the cases. I don’t think it is a good thing for them at all, as very rough language lias frequently to be repeated verbatim, and should like to see the police put a stop to their coming in, if they have the power. We have a Cricket Club in Lyttelton, and mean to keep the ball rolling. We have fifty members, and arc undecided at present as to whether we shall play eighteen or twenty-two of them against the English eleven; but apart from all joking I tbiuk the Club will be a great success. Some

amusement of the sort is sadly needed in Lyttelton. The harbour is not a good place for rowing ; inside the breakwater it is cumbered up, and outside it is too rough, very often, and after officehours it is almost too late for going yachting. Besides one gets bored with aquatics sometimes, and though it is rather a pity we have no level land in Lyttelton, stillr it is not far to the valley, and it’s real good fun when you get there. Though we have not enough level land for a cricket ground in Lyttelton, we have enough for quoits, and it has been resolved to procure some and have a game, when not able to play cricket. It is capital exercise, and was once very popular in Lyttelton. More next week, from

PORTON I AN.