The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 307, 28 December 1877, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1877.

The San Francisco mail is due at Auckland to-day. Messrs N. Edwards and Co. hare received a telegram from the Government stating that the Nelson portion will arrive here on Tuesday, coming, we presume, by way of the East Coast.

The offertory at the afternoon service held at Christ Church yesterday amounted to £8 7s 2d. By a printer's error the number of Masons attending the service was stated in our yesterday's issue to have been " about thirty." Instead of " thirty "it should have been " fifty."

Mr. J. H. Harkness, formerly of Nelson College, scholar of the University of New Zealand, has been appointed second master at the Bishop's School, Nelson.

We would recommend our friends in the Waimea to be on the alert with regard to the Wairoa Bridge, for which the sum of £5000 was placed on the supplementary estimates. There is pretty sure to be a rush for the sums voted for public works of this description, and it would be as well that the Waimea lload Board as representing the settlers in the district should put in their claim without delay. The present structure is in such a shaky condition that its translation to a salter sphere may be looked for on the occasion of the first high flood. On its way to the sea, however, the heavy timbers of which it is composed could not possibly pass the railway bridge, a short distance lower down the river, without inflicting considerable injury upon it. This is an argument that might very fairly be used, and is calculated to have considerable weight with the Government, who would feel compelled to take tae matter in hand at once if it was clearly shown to them that by unnecessary delay the safety of a costly colonial work such as the bridge on which the railway crosses the river is likely to be imperilled. No time should be lost in representing the matter to the Minister for Public Works.

An inquest was held at M'Gee's Hotel this afternoon before Dr {Squires, the Coroner, on the Jate fire in Mr James' store in Bridgestreet. The jury having been sworn in proceeded to the scene of the fire, where they stared for a time at the charred timbers, and then returned to the Hotel, when the eridonce was taken. Mrs Kees, who lives about fifty yards from James' store, said that she smelt fire "on Monday after noon, and about a quarter of an hour later she was iwalking down Alma-street, when she saw smoke proceeding from the store, and immediately after saw flames burst out from the roof.— Arthur William Tatton stated that on opening the back door of his father's house he saw a dense mass of smoke. He went into James' front store and saw a customer there who did not seetn aware o£ anything being wrong. Opening the door leading to the back premises he saw flames, and then sent the man out to ring the bell.— George Martin had been at work in the back store up to 5-20. He was on his way homo, and had reached Hingstou's store on the Waimea Road when he heard the firebell. Had no idea how the fire originated. — John Leitch, a shopman at James's, left the store at 5 p.m., having a few minutes previously passed the spot where Tatton first saw the fire, but neither saw nor smelt fire. There had been a fire in Leech's yard at the back. — The enquiry was still proceeding when we went to press. t Thb recent trip of tae Aurora to Motueka was not altogether barren of incidents. Among the passengers were four gentlemeu of the black gown avuo arrived by the Taranaki on Christmas morning, and went across to Motueka for the purpose of looking at the On the passage the Blue Jackets iuduit "^ * n 81U S* B £ sou g s as i 3 their wont wiipn ™ *r"' ns °* tuis sort » bufc having been " "wU UU till, "-• ■ ,i /» rpnmnofrnf^Y ■ " b V the passengers for remonstrated witn r\ -, r , . singing them on ChiistmT D^£°% Saukey's hymns soon gave x more offensive songs. On nearing _ OC 4 eK * one of the boat hooks fell overboard, and a* there was some probability of its being lost, one of the crow (a Maori) immediately jumped after it, and succeeded in getting jt after a uttie trouble, It beiag nearly low water when the Aurora arrived there she got stuck on a sandbank some distance trom the shore, and remained fast. The gentlemen of the black gown coolly divested themselves of their inexpressibles and waded to tue shore with the utmost sang froid, and much to the amusement of the crew. So pleased were they with the manner in which, the cre w sung the

hymns that they promised to forward a copy to one of the members so that the whole of the Brigade could learn them. Gordon Forlong is advertised to conduct meetings to-night and Sunday morning at the Congregational Church, to-morrow afternoon at Mr Short's, College Hill, and on Suuday evening at eight o'clock in the Provincial Hall. '

Our readers are reminded of the dramatic entertainment to be given to-night by Mr and Mrs Morton Tavares at the Masonic Hall. A moat delightful programme is published, and the ability of the performers to carry it out most successfully being beyond question, a couple of hours' real enjoyment is in store for all who choose to avail themselves of so rare an opportunity. The enquiry into the charge against Mrs Berry of stealing two shawls from Mrs Hunter was proceeded with afc the gaol this morning. The defence was that the shawls had been purchased about six weeks ago for thirty shillings, a receipt, written in pencil, being given for the amount by Mrs Hunter, This, however, had unfortunately been since lost. Mrs Hunter denied ever having sold the shawls, but her memory, so far as the events that had occurred during the three or four weeks immediately preceeding her own committal to gaol were concerned, was so muddled that she was totally unable to gire aiiy distinct account o £ what ka<l o r Lad not taken place. The Magistrates, therefore, on the ground that there was not sufficient evidence upon which to commit her, .discharged the prisoner, at the same time taking the opportunity of giving her a word of warning with regard to her future conduct. Mr Atkinson, who appeared for tha defence, wished to state that his client, together with her husband, had begun to recognise the truth of the old saying that " evil communications corrupt good manners," and were determined for the future not to consort with such people as the woman from whom the shawls had been stolen, but to exercise greater discretion in the choice of their associates.

The Regatta Committee will meet at the Custom House Hotel this evening at six o'clock, and the prizes will be paid at halfpast seven.

The Tablet falls foul of several of the members of the House of Representatives on account of their votes on the Educational Bill. Among those attacked is Mr Travera, who is charged with giving the Catholics and their rights « six and eightpence worth of a sympathetic speech in the House, but not his vote."

Among the prizes offered for competition at the Boxing Day sports at the Thames was one of five shillings tor " boys eating strawberries and cream." Upon the announcement being made, " A Parent," under the heading " A prize for gluttony," writes an indignant letter to the Advertiser, in which he says :— « Ig it possible that the youth of the Thames are to be publicly invited to debase themselves by exhibiting fcheir proficiency in the sin of gluttony, for the amuseirent of the " Christian " public ? If such a thing is attempted I trust the public will not fail to manifest their disgust in an unmistakeable manner." We know two or three boys in Nelson who would prove dangerous competitors to any the Thames could produce in the contest for this particular prize. In the reports in the Christchurch papers of the annual meeting of the City Council, at which, the new Mayor waa installed, we notice an item that did not find a place in the account of a similar proceeding in Nelson. It was as follows:—" The Mayor having sigued the usual declaration, formally asked if any Councillor had any business to bring forward, and receiving no reply declared the meeting adjourned. Champagne and biscuits were then brought in, and the Mayor's health was proposed," &c. Messrs M'liae and Nicholson (says the Patea Mail of December 22nd) are shaping for a splendid show of meat at Carlyle on Monday morning. Two bullocks are ready which will turn the scale each at l,OOolbs, besides which there will be fat calf, sheep pigs, lambs, sucking pigs, &c. ' Avoro excitement, dissipation and late hours. If you are not naturally nervous they will be apt to make you so, unless you have a constitution of iron. If you are nervous, there is still greater reason to shun them. The best remedy for weakness of the nerves, as well as for its almost invariable concomitant — a deficiency of constitutional vigor — is Udolpho Wolfe's Schieuam Aromatic Schnapps which multiplies the physical energies, promotes assimilation of the food, and tranquilizes the brain.— Ad vfc.