Local News and Notes.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 55, 7 November 1863, Page 4

Local News and Notes.

The attention of the public is called to the first sale of Mr. S. A. Wood this day, at the new auction mart, next the Masonic HalL Particulars in the advertisemsnt columns.

We have been requested by Mr. Bees to state that he will feel obliged to anyone who can inform him of the present whereabouts of Maori Jack. Should any of our readers be in possession of the required information, they will greatly oblige by communicating with Mr Rees, or with the publisher of this paper.

An impudent case of impersonation occurred at the Hospital elections on Thursday J Public feeling ran almost beyond bounds ou the occasion, and each side strained every nerve to return their respective friends. A man named Dooley presented himself to record his vote, with a card bearing the name of M'Neil. The suspicions of the-scrutineers being excited,'the man was questioned, and he twice gave a different name. Two or three gentlemen present recognized him, and stilted -his iwal name* which the map 4i<L not then deny, but said he had had the ticket given trim with instructions to vote for a

particular person, and he did not know he was doing anything wrong. The same person had applied for the situation of wardsman, but when the attention of the committee was drawn to the fact, they indignantly refused to consider the application, and the card was destroyed. It is almost a pity the man was not punished as he deserved, but the party who incited him to lend himself to such an act of knavery is the more worthy of public contempt and disgust. On Wednesday evening a large and highly respectable audience assembled in the Masonic Hall on the occasion of Captain Bu Id's narrative of his captivity among the Maoris. We regret we are unable in the present issue to publish in tull the graphic and interesting lecture of Captain Budd, which thoroughly engrossed the attention of those present for about an hour and a half, and which constituted perhaps the best evening's entertainment that has yet been offered in Queenstown. A hearty round of applause greeted the lecturers successful efforts, to whom a vote of thanks was unanimously passed, at the conclusion. We understand this is the first of a series to be delivered in aid of Masonic charities, and we heartily hope that the subsequent lectures may be as successful as the first.

We have received a communication from the Kawarau respecting that disagreeable stream, the " Roaring Meg," which was so nearly proving the destruction of the English mail, and has jeopardised so* many lives. Oui\eorrespondent, after inferring to particular instances, says : ,l Numerous are the hair-breadth escapes which have been at this creek, and it is to be hoped these are the last, as the Government* have sent their newly-imported engineer to inspect this line of road. He being a gentleman of undoubted professional experience, is likely td differ in opinion with his predecessors, that a passable and subsiantial bridge could not be made at this crossing. I cannot conceive any engineering difficulty to prevent the accomplishment of such an object, more to be desired just now, as the Government have taken a step in the right direction by purchasing Hill's, title to the 1 bridge it the Kawarau, andtnrowih'g it open free to the puMjc. This arrangement must be advantageous' to the Lake district, fefttcninrf'the - expenses of the packers, *an3 reducing the prices 6t provisions. There is a- new featurj.bere in connection with road making, which is well worthy mature consideration. Between the Kawarau gorge and Queenstown, in many places miners have sluice heads of water running on the sides of the ranges, a portion of which the Government might, from their commanding position over the road, conveniently, and with great advantage hire for the purpose of sluicing away the sidclings. This process would be preferable to the pick and shovel, as regards speed, economy and the superior execution of the work, as the water would run off the soil, leaving nothing behind but gravel—at once forming a lasting macadamised road."

A correspondent writes—" It is with regret I have to inform you the Lindis has not proved so rich as was expected, the miners not receiving anything like a fair remuneration for their labor. A great many diggers left the neighbourhood of the Kawarau for this rush, but have again to a man returned."

Amusements are multiplying in Queenstown' Scarcely is one event over, when another is announced, and the public seem to have " stomach for them all," for they are generally well patronised. A concert is now announced to take place this evening, "by request," at Bracken's Commercial Hall, for the benefit of Mr. Thos. Stewart, the originator of the new theatre scheme. From the programme, a good evening's amusement may be expected. At Powell's Eureka Hotel, we lately hed the pleasure of noticing what hitherto has been an unheard-of luxury on the Lake, and which we consider well worthy of a congratulatory "crow"—viz., radishes, cress, &c, fresh from their native beds, not withered and rotten by a three months' journey from Dunedin on a dray. Apart from the enjoyment of fresh vegetables after so long and involuntary an abstinence, it is satisfactory to notice the marked progress made in a district which but a twelvemonth back was a terra incogniti. These, the first vegetables grown on the Lake, were from the garden of M'Conochie & Co., on the terrace at the back of Beach-street.

We have received a letter from Skipper's, complaining of the difficulty the miners there find of obtaining fresh meat. Our correspondent says—"We can scarcely get mutton, and beef is out of the question. What is Mr. ltees doing ? Why not send us some beef." We publish this in the hope that that gentleman may take the hint, and do what he can to satisfy the hungry miners. Wo beg to draw the attention of our readers to the announcement of the publication of the Monthly Summary in our next issue. A lottery for the benefit of the Hospital is announced to take place on Monday, tire lsth inst., for a rather novel prize—viz., a cake, ! value £lO, presented by Mac and Co., of the Nonpareil Dining Kooms, Beach street. If onlv for the sake of our noble institution, we hope the shares will be at once taken up.