The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY. JUNE 22. 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 147, 22 June 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY. JUNE 22. 1874.

We understand that Captain Rough has been appointed to act as Deputy Superintendent in the absence of Mr Curtis. Siamese and Asiatic Circus. — This Company arrived by the Wellington this morning, aud will perform tbis evening in a pavilion erected for the occasion in a paddock near the Institute. The company comprises a large number of artists whose performances are said to be remarkably good. After appearing in Nelson for three nights they will visit the country districts. Smith's Grand Combination Company, whose illustrated placards cover the walls of the town, is expected to arrive by the Phoebe to-morrow night, and will perform in the Maaonie Hall on the following evening. Ventriloquism and acrobatic feats appear to be the chief attractions, and of the manner in which they are performed the press in other parts of the colony speaks in the highest terms. Subscriptions are being raised in Nelson and the Waimeas in aid of the widow and family of Arthur Fiven, and on Saturday night neatly £50 had been collected. Bishop's School, Nelson. —On Saturday tbis school separated for the midwinter holidays. Punctually at eleven o'clock the Bishop, accompanied by Mrs SSuter and a large number of visitors, entered the room, which had been tastefully decorated with garlands of flowers and evergreen plants festooned throughout its whole length. After prayers and roll-call, the Head Master, Mr Shaw, proceeded to read the lists of the orders of the different forms, made up so as to include the term and examination marks. The Bishop, after a short and seasonable speech, handed the prizes to the successful boys, complimenting each on his success, and adding a word or two of encouragement. The Rev. Mr Leighton having given a few excellent parting pieceß of advice, the proceedings terminated by the usual cheers for the Head Maßter, the Bishop, the visitors, and the holidays. In another column we find the school reassembles on Monday, Gth prox. A Good Templar Hall, 35ft by 70ft, is about to be erected in Christchurch at a cost of £1500. A site in Manchester-street has been purchased for £360. In response to an advertisement which appeared in the Melbourne Argus a day or two ago for a clerk, salary £2 per week, 120 applications were made for the situation.

A little child named Ethe Needham, four years of age, strayed from her home at tbe Upper Hutt last week, and after four days absence, was found in the bush about a mile from the house, in such a state of exhaustion that she died the;.next..day-. "' ~ ■> It does not speak badly for the employment of axemen on the Coa6t, when we see contractors advertising for large numbers at a wage of_ 14s per day. This is the price offered by Messrs Griffen and Morgan, who are the successful tenderers for clearing the track for the telegraph line on the Christchurch road. — Lyell Argus. The Wanganui Herald says : — Mr O'Conor, the new head of the Nelson Executive, has inaugurated his official career by proposing "Retrenchment," which is a remarkable programme for " Sleepyhollow." A more intelligible policy would have been an increased reproductive expenditure. Retrenchment for Nelson reads like " Sarkasm." The Wellington Times says: — Some favorable accounts have been received in Wellington as to the progress being made in the working of the reefs at the Lyell, in Nelson province. Astonishing returns bave been obtained from the claim known as the Littie Wonder, and it is said that, in a contiguous claim, the Lyell Creek, the same leader baa been struck. From ihe Inangahua, also, during the past two weeks, satisfactory accounts have come, and there opppars to be every prospect of the reefs of Nolson Province fulfilling all the expectations which have been entertained regarding tbem. It was the misfortune of some of the first companies who brought quartz "to grass" to be disappointed in their hopes, but since then there has been a succession of satisfactory crushings, and it seems certain that for some time more attention will be given to this field than it has hitherto received. An acute acquaintance of mine (writes "_Egleß" in the Australasian) was this week roused to resentment by heariog that a person indebted to him for some time bad been boasting of his cleverness in having been one too many for so shrewd a fellow as his creditor. He further mentioned tbat he was about to leave for another colony. So , my friend took steps to detain the rumored absconder, and plumed himself considerably on having checkmated his boastful debtor. Later in tbe day be saw things in a very different light. The gentleman arrested sent for him, and aeked him what he would give rather than have an action brought against him for false imprisonment. " For, you see," he added, "I filed my schedule some time ago at Quartzborough, and I don't owe you anything now." Struck with the soundness of this view, and the impregnability of the debtor's position, my friend proposed a friendly bottle of champagne in compromise of the debt, and of the action for illegal arrest, and as the injured innocent agreed, all differences were thus amicably adjusted. The Times correspondent writing from Cape Coast, says: — The African has a theology, but no religion. He believes in certain gods who have power over him; he attributes to them a human disposition ; he regards them precisely as tyrannical chieftains or kings. He will tell you that some of them are good, but not all good, for they can be offended ; and some of them are bad, but not all bad, for their malignant temper can be propitiated. Pure devil worship exists only in the plains of Babylon; but the Africans so far worship the principle of evil that they offer up more prayers and sacrifices to the bad gods than to the good ones, just as they would pay more tribute to a tyrant than to a benevolent King. As a subject, the African savage has no loyalty; he pays taxes simply from 1 fear; and so it is with his religion. Wiliiam Clayton, one of the principal Mormons (says an American 1 paper), cannot be said to be the happiest man in the world, although his cup of joy is not yet emptied. He has lost a wife by elopement every four weeks during the past four months. As may be expected, Billy is getting Bad and lonely, and if this thing continues 13 or 14 years, Bill Clayton will be a single man again. At Modoc City, United States, on March 17, an oil tank struck by lightning burst, throwing the burning oil in all directions, setting fire and destroying several houses and tanks. Loss, 32,000 dollars. " He handled his gun carelessly, and put his angel plumage on,/' is. an obituary which appears in an American paper. A Frenchman, named Louis de Beuisson, has been committed for trial in Dunedin on a charge of attempting to murder his wife, an Englishwoman. He had been for some time keeping company with a disreputable countrywoman of his own, and one night he went home and gave his wife a drug in a glass of porter, and then during her sleep endeavoured to suffocate her by putting his fingures in her mouth and pressing on the root of her tongue. The Victorian Superintendent of Police has transmitted to the Provincial Government the £75 reward offered by the Police Department of that Colony for the capture of Drummond, the absconding bank manager. This amount will be paid over to the members of the force concerned in tbe capture, but it has yet to be supplemented by a per centage on the £400. found in Drummond's possession at tbe time of tbe arrest. |