The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER. 28, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 320, 28 September 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER. 28, 1874.

Reform League.— At the meeting of the League to be held this evening, a discussion will be commenced on the abolition of provincialism. Nelson Institute. — At a meeting of the Committee held on Saturday night, nineteen applications were-re-ceived for the post of librarian, which was conferred .on Mr, Gilbert,, late of Suburban North. Our telegrams inform as that the steamer Waipara, with Judge Richmond and several others on board, took the ground in attempting to enter the Grey River yesterday. Is is strange that we have received no further information with regard to the position of the steamer, or the attempt that was about to be made to tranship the passengers. Wakefield. — A concert was given at Upper Wakefield on Saturday eveningin aid of the library fund. There was a full attendance, some excellent singing, and very good reading. The principal feature of the evening, however, was the piano playing of a lady who kindly gave her assistance. After the concert, the room was cleared, and a very enjoyable evening was brought to a close by a dance. Artillery Entertainment. — We understand that, encouraged by their: late 'success, the amateur company of theatrical performers who recently performed on behalf of the Artillery Band, will give a third entertainment on Friday the 9th of October, when in addition to the drama of Black Eyed Susan, there will be a new farce. A Good Templab Funeral.— Yesterday afternoon the members of the Loyal Nelson Lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars assembled 1 at the Hospital to accompany the remains of their late brother, Henry Williams, to their last resting place. Proceeding from thence to the new cemetery, the brethren, to the number of seventy or eighty (besides some twenty riding), marched two deep in advance of the corpse, each wearing the distinguishing mourning badge of the Order—a band of black crape on the right arm — and marshalled by Brother J. Sherwood, i senior. Arriving at the grave, the S members of the Order formed a double circle round it, and the Rev. R. J. Thorpe, having read the Episcopalian barial service, delivered a short address, commendatory of the good the Order was accomplishing here, and of the brotherly feeling shown by the members in so numerously attending the funeral of their deceased brother, and wishing it God speed. Actiog W. Chaplain, Brother J. M. Campbell, then read the Good Tea%)!ar funeral service, the beautiful yet impressive passages of which were listened to with marked attention by both thfr brethren and strangers, of which last there were a considerable number present, : notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather. Waimea Volunteer Band.— This band, which is under the conduotdrship of Mr Claridge, and numbers about sixteen members, turned out on Sat-

orday evening last.for their first march. The W"ainaea VoltfQteefs moatered at Waimea West at about balf-pa^t seven, to the number of about forty, ami then headed |by; foe bafyl roarihed aljong the. dyer , the Wai-iti bridge intoiSpriDg Grove, >!ong White's road to the Spring Grove Tforel, where a bait was called, and after about fifteen minutes rest tbey yettaqed^theh\ steps, back to Waimea ■tfffe^tjjj l whete tliey were dismissed. The band, which has only been in existence about nine months, has made wonderful progress, some inarches and- other pieces being played in a most creditable manner. At a public dipner recently held at Westport, Mr Dobson, the Provincial Engineer of Nelson, spoke of bis own intimate knowledge of, ..the yas( coal d eposits of the "Buller district. From Mount Frederick he said he had seen a' face of coal extending' a 'mile and a half in length and 20ft in depth. The traffic returns of the Southland railwaya. show , that in the month of August there was an increase of a hundred per cent, as compared with t he corre f ßpdndingi period of last year. Temperance seems to have conquered John Barleycorn in Havelock. The Good ; Templars- there have just purchased the Old Commercial Hotel, which they are about to convert into a hall 1 for the special purposes of their body. Tne sway of King Nobbier appears likely to be Bhakeh in Westport, if the present energy of the Good Templar movement is to be enduring. Candidates willing to accept the pledge of life-long abstinence from intoxicating liquors are coming forward, not in ones and twos, but in tens and twenties, and the movement from a very small beginning has speedily gained in popularity. Among the present members there are many to whom abstinence from intoxicating liquor will bring moral reformation, selr-respect, and the respect of their neighbors; and in all caßes it is to be earnestly desired that the newly taken vows will be of long continuance. The Times gives an account of the straDge practice of "flogging Judas Iscftriot" which the Portuguese sailors went through recently in the London Bocks. This consists in belabouring a wooden image of Judas Iscariot, roughly carved, and clothed in an ordinary sailor's suit and a red worsted cap. This image is first hauled into the forerigging, alter which the sailors go to Macs ;on their return it is ducked three times in the water, hoisted on board, kicked round the deck, and lashed to the capstan, when the crew, in a high state of excitement, belabour it with knotted ropes till every vestige of clothing is ripped off the wooden back, when the effigy is burnt. Later news is to hand from the Southern parts of the Coast by Mr Collyer, who reached here yesterday, having travelled overland from the Okarito river. He reports that there are tweaty-tbree men in all at work south of the Haast river, and all are doing tolerably well. The prospecting party despatched by the Government, who landed at Jackson's Bay, with about six months provisions, have been actively engaged since their arrival. They landed on the 19th of April, and have had nearly five months work since, though the weather has been exceedingly unfavorable at times, and tbey have consequently been preyepted from penetrating inland at certain places where they met with fair prospects. Their atoreß of provisions are. holding out wnli, having had the same supplemented at various times to their hearts content, in the. shape of kakas and pigeons ad lib. They reckon on having sufficient to last them for at least eight mooths, from the date of their landing. Shortly after ; reaching Jackson.fc~.Bay, they made ' their way up the Waitoto river, where they continued prospecting tor eight or ten weeks, and eventually WBnfc, up, 45 miles, but were unsuccessful. In several places they met with email patches ..of gold, but nothing to warrant their j sebting in' for any -length"'' of time, or | sufficient to report to Hokitika. They then entered on a southern journey, still prospecting as they went along, and about a month ago they reached ; the Cascades,- at a point about fourteen miles south-west of Jackson's Bay. There they are reported to have met with better , prospects, , but tbey have determined to give the tract of couutry around them a fair trial before making any official report. What . amount of gold tbey actually had procured they did not divulge, but they signified their intention of forwarding a report of their doings to Hokitika at the end of the present month.— W. C. Times. The following story comes from Ireland : — Two men bad a quarrel in a liquor shop. They adjourned outside to settle the dispute. The first man being from Connaught, immediately seized a lump of stone and let fly at the bead of his opponent, who dipped his head and missed the stone, which went through an expensive plate of glass window, and did much damage. A magistrate was called upon next morning to determine which of the two should pay the cost. The evidence c)early showed that the aim was a good one, and that Jf the second man had not dipped hta head he would have been struck.' ? *' Therefore,'* said 4be magistrate, " he must pay the damages, as it is certain the first man didn't intend to injure the window, and the window would not have been injured if it had not been for the act of the second man.