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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 171, 11 July 1876, Page 2

We (Post) are credibl y informed that the City of San Francisco on her first trip round from San Francisco ana* back lost the sum of 47,000. dollars. At this rate the present mail contract cannot possibly last long. '■■< A lump sum of £10,000 is set down in the Estimates, to provide for Provincial officers temporarily employed, for payment of compensation to Provincial officials, and for contingent Provincial services." At Addison'a Flat, Westport, a party of miners have just finished a tunnel ! 3000 feet in length, and another party have nearly finished a tunnel which is ■ 5500 feet long. At the Caledonian, German Jack's, and Giles' Terraces, similar gigantic tunnels have been put in. Mr Broad says these tunnels " are monuments of the industry and peraeverance of the miner.'* Ceasing to be the head-quarters of the principal interprovincial steam company, of course entails a heavy commercial loss to Wellington ; but we are glad to learn that the Union Company intends to make this as light as possible, by giving a fair share of its expenditure to this city. Already a contract has been entered into with Capt. Williams for the supply of coals for the ensuing year to the whole of the company'a fleet. The steamers will all therefore coal here in future. This of itself means the circulation of a good deal of money. — Argus. Hardly ever has the Queen's Wharf presented such a forlorn and deserted aspect as to-day. At one time only two small schooners were visible alongside, in place of the - forest of masts which might have been seen there during the first four months of this year. We very much fear that the Corporation will find the year's revenue from the wharf fall very far short of the £10,000 at which they estimated it.-— Pos(. Public Opinion says : — Miss Alice May, the young English prima donna of Mr G-. B. Allen's Opera Company, i 3 about To~recurH to TJOHcronT-wnere she will shortly make her debut. The Grey Argus, speaking of the funeral of the late Mr H. M. Hayden, says: — A large number of friends of the deceased followed the remains, and as a mark of respect many shops and business places were closed as the funeral passed. On arrival at the Cobden cemetery, there was no religious service performed, owing to the circumstance that his relatives would not permit any other service than that of the Church of Rome, and as the deceased was a Freemason no member of the Catholic Church could perform the rites. A young lad, the nephew of the deceased, read short prayers, and the body was lowered to the grave. And thi3 was the last of poor Harry Hayden. We (Post) have received a specimen of brown paper manufactured from the common tussock grass at Mr M'Glashan's paper mills, Water of Leith, Dunedin. The paper seems to be of excellent quality, and very strong. It is explained that [some dark specks which which appear on the surface of this first manufacture are caused by the accidental presence of fern among the grass, which, it is stated, will be avoided in future. We wish all success to the new industry. A harrowing tale comes from Otago, says the Wellington Argus, The Harbor Board there has at last become aware that Port Chalmers is not the finest harbor in the world. The recent mishaps to the Colima and Australia, whicn will probably have the effect of \ preventing any more of the large mail steamers attempting to enter that port, has brought conviction to the unwilling minds of the Harbor Trustees, and now a steamer is to be harnessed on to a set of harrows, to be dragged backwards and forwards, and by thia process it is hoped the bar will be deepened. A private letter received in Melbourne from one of the Victorian riflemen on board the Bangalore, en route for Wimbledon and Philadelphia, says:—" Our fellows are all very well. We rigged up a kite to-day, with 200 yards of twine to it, to practise the No. 1 American match at. Being standing position, we are not very au fait at this shoulder position, so are going to practice it during the voyage at a fiyiug target. Other amusements on board we have instituted to keep the fellows in training, and they have plenty of walking exercise, three times a day, so that we trust we shall arrive fit to shoot for a kingdom. We shall go straight to practise on arrival in London, and shall telegraph Captain Mildmay, the Secretary of the N.E.A., from Aden, to have our rifles ready, and a range for practice, ggowed, prior Jo oth July,"

, The -Estimates contain an extra euni 6f\£j2,QoO fop .the purchase of &■ ;stearaer, in addition to the proceeds of, jfch'e sate of Jhe l|<una. p : f i Mr Eees (writes t^e. Argus) probably <finds %f? he Has not, Achieved | 'quite such a position in the ' House* as he expected. . It is not to be bounced or bullied like a bench of justices. Accordingly Mr Eeea finding he is at a discount, thinks change of air will have a revivifying/effect, so he js going back . to the "large and important constituency " he represents, to spend a month with them. The- determination is a wise one. "We do not think his constituents will lose anything by his absence. Indeed as an integral portion of the body politic they will gain indirectly, for the country will be saved the cost of the time which Mr Eees would certainly waste, were he here. We hope he will return a wiser man, and a.better one; and having found his .proper level, will, by. a prudent and. well regulated course of conduct, raise himself in the estimation of the House, from the very low position he now holds ; and thus render the abilities he undoubtedly possesses, serviceable to the colony. He has paired with Mr Bunny. The governor of Dunedin gaol, Mr Caldwell, has furnished his annual report. The return shows that the earnings from the Ist day of April, 1875, to the 31st day of March, 187G, amounted to £12,471 10s 4d, and the expenditure to £11,883 Is 10|d— showing the earnings to have amounted to £608 8s s£d in excess of expenditure. The estimated value of the labor done outside the gaol is £11,432 13s, and of that done inside the gaol £1652 3s. Mr Caldwell concludes his "report as follows:-—" It would be a matter of the grossest ingratitude were I to close this report without testifying to the excellent manner the officers and warders have discharged their very onerous and critical duties during the year; their services, both day and night, were unceasing, and performed with a zeal, temper, and ability that merit for them every consideration. I know how a ' prison life will wear down one's existence. In itself it appears nothing; life becomes, as it were, wrapped up in it ; one day's duties are no sooner done than on comes another." It is the stone of Sisyphus — an endless repetition of toil and constant weight upon the intellect and spirits, and demanding all the exertions of the faculties, at the same time being compelled to the severest drudgery."