The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 79, 2 April 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1874.

To-morrow being Good Friday, there will be no publication of the Evening Mail. Presbyterian Tea Meeting* — A largely attended meeting in connection with the Presbyterian Church was held :at the Temperance Hall last night. We are unable to give full particulars to-day, but shall endeavor to do so on Saturday. Masonic Hall. — Mr. Chapman, will give hia first entertainment at the

Masonic Hall this evening. Not having yet witnessed his performances we are unable to speak of them from per/tonal observation, but may say that he brings a number of. favorable critiques from various parts of the Australian colonies Wesley an Sunday School. — The anniversary of the Motueka Wesleyan Sunday School will be celebrated by a tea and public meeting. Dinner to Mr Lowe. — The dinner to be given by the members of the Caledonian Society (o Mr Lowe prior to his departure for England, will take place at M'Gee's Hotel this evening. Excursion to Motueka.— An excursion trip to Motueka by the Lady Burkly is advertised for to-morrow to leave Neleon at 8 a.m., and Motueka, on the return trip, at 7 p.m. Spking Grote Wesleyan Church. —The auniversary of this church will be celebrated by a tea and public meeting to-morrow. Good Templars. — A Good Templar demonstration will take place at Spring Grove to-morrow, and a public meeting, which will be addressed by members of the Order, will be held in Mr Newmans paddock at 1 o'clock. Conveyances will leave town at nine in the morning. Good Friday. — The usual Chnrch services will be held to-morrow both in the morning and evening. On Saturday,.Easter Even, there will also be Divine service at Christ Church at 10 a.m. Easter Monday.;— Most, of \ the principal Business men in townt***nQjJify that their warehouses will be closed on Easter Monday. No doubt a number of townsfolk will find their way out to Richmond, where tbe volunteer review is to be held. Yesterday's Fire. — We are sorry to learn that BOine exception has been taken to our report of the fire in Bridge-street, on the ground that no reference was made to the assistance rendered by the Auxiliary Brigade at the Port, who were quickly on the spot and exerted themselves most strenuously. It is true that no special mention was made of that particular body, but our remarks upon the praiseworthy conduct of "the brigade" were intended to apply not only to the parent brigade but to its very . promising offspring at the Port. Volunteer Encampment. — The City Companies of volunteers will leave town this evening at half-past seven for Richmond, where they will camp until Monday evening. On Monday there will be a general review of the whole of Lh&volunteerV when attendance will be compulsory. Sorao terrific squalls of wind and rain passed over the town yesterday between two and six o'clock a.m. In one of these tbe framework of tbe new Mataura railway goods shed — a massive wooden structure of some 200 feet in length, with a roof span of over 50 feet — collapsed almost as completely as a bouse built of cards, smashing massive timbers and costly Oregon tie-beams like matchwood. The labor of a number of men for several weeks, to say nothing of the value of the material destroyed, was thus in a few minutes lost to Messrs Gunn and Co., the contractors, who had, in fact, got through with tbe heaviest portion of the work, and were looking forward to 'its speedy completion. — Southland News, Sharks, both large and small, appear to be very numerous in the harbor at present. One day this week the fishermen made a cast or two of the net off Pipitea Point at low water. They had a fair haul of snapper and other kinds, though but few flat fish, and not less than fourteen or fifteen young sharks, some of them three or four feet long. We may add that a shark, about four or five long, was caught a few days ago by an angler at the wharf, who had some difficulty in hauling him in. When opened — and sharks are usually subjected to that process — a child's bib was found in its stomach. — Independent. We hear of a robbery of a peculiar kind at Invercargill. As the atory is told us, it seems a contractor went into a Chinese store in that town with the object of securing the employment of Celestial laborers. While there be was generously invited to smoke the "calumet of peace" in the shape of opium, which had the effect of rendering the unwary employer of " John " insensible. "When he came to himself, he was minus a cluster-diamond ring, which had been taken from his finger. Receipt for Family Peace. — An emperor of China in one of his journeys discovered a family in which the wives, children, grandchildren, daughtera-in-law, and servants, all lived in peace and harmony. The emporer inquired of tbe the old man what means he employed to preserve quiet among such a number of persons. The old man, taking out a pencil, wrote only theso three words:- — Patience, Patience, Patience! Railway Rates at Tasmania.— A late paper says : — The sale of goods seized for unpaid railway rates at Launceston still continues. It is necessary to have armed police with fixed bayonets in attendance. Most of the goods have to be passed in. It is as- ! Berted that arsenic was placed in several sacks of flour which were left to be seized — a diabolical action. Judgments have already been given against 1093 persons for £2885 for non-payment of railway rates. Numbers are being summoned daily, but no attempt has yet been made to levy in the Deloraine and Weßtbury districts, where the opposition to the rate is almost universal.