OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4462, 8 July 1875, Page 2

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

(from odr own correspondent.) Dunedin, July 5. Since last writing, nothing of any special interest has occurred to re-disturb the calm serenity of our atmosphere, if I except the movement of the elements, which have for the last few days been somewhat erratic, though the predominating feature has been cold, intense cold. As yet no snow has fallen in town, but in the country there has been plenty of it, much to the discomfort and inconvenience of the settlers. We have had a little wet here, but on the whole the weather has been agreeable to those who can stand “ Jack Prost.” The “ Peripatetics” gave their first “cour,. try show” at Port Chalmers on Saturday evening. This rising and great maritime seaport had been previously “billed” for a whole week, and as the object of the performance was in aid of the funds of the accident ward at the port, it was quite expected that there would be a crowded house. At about six o’clock the “Peripatetics” might have been seen wending their way from the club rooms, Dunedin, to the station, each one being encumbered with “properties” in the shape of hatboxes, bundles, carpet-bags, Sairey Gamp umbrellas, and those little etceteras which the members of the sock and buskin generally consider necessary to take with them upon such excursions. As they passed along Princesstreet, they (numbering about fourteen) caused quite a commotion, and it was observed by one of the “supers" of the party, that “hf they’d only dressed themselves at the club and proceeded to the station in costume, they’d have drawn an immense crowd to the port.” And so they would. The hall was by no means so well filled as it ought to have been, considering the world-wide reputation of the “ troupe,” and the very deserving object for which they played. The programme consisted of songs, reading, a scene from “Othello,” and the celebrated trial from “ Pickwick.” Somehow or other the people of the port, dullards as they are, did not seem to thoroughly appreciate the performance until the “ Pickwick” scene, and then they cried with laughter. I am not going to mention anyone in particular; but I may say that the representative of the immortal “Pickwick” (Mr. Dungan) made, perhaps, the best “ Pickwick ” ever seen upon the Hew Zealand stage. After the performance, the “ peripatetics ” refreshed themselves with supper, and returned to town about midnight. And so ended the first chapter —or the first of these series of “Penny Headings,” or ‘ popular country performances.” Hi my opinion, it will be the last.

And while on the subject of Saturday night concerts, I may take the opportunity of saying that the chairman of the Dunedin Saturday night concert on Saturday night last made a few preparatory remarks on the attacks which bad been made on these concerts by the Guardian. He said that had the editor of that journal been present on the occasion to which he had referred, lie -would have been ashamed to have penned such a footnote as he had done. At the same time he admitted that the promoters of the concerts had no idea that the two songs which were introduced were about to be sung. Indeed, if they had, they would not have permitted it.

On Saturday night there was a very large fire a few miles from town, which totally destroyed the fellmongery belonging to Mr, Flexman, at the Kaikorai. The building .and stock were insured, and some of the offices are heavy losers. The Standard, fortunately for itself, had reinsured the whole amount of £2500 —which risk it accepted—in another office, so that it loses nothing. There have been several small fires and alarms of fire lately, but nothing of any consequence. A new weekly paper is about to be started, under the title of the Saturday Adrerliser, Weekly Time Table, and New Zealand Literary Miscellany. The price will be threepence, and I believe the first issue is expected to be ready about the 18th inst. It is intended for circulation throughout the various provinces, and will contain a great deal of useful information to travellers and others, besides being, as its name indicates, a literary miscellany. One of the proprietors is Mr. Thomas Bracken, late of the Guardian office, and ifanymgn can make such a paper pay by means of a good show of advertisements, he is the man. There is also some talk about a new paper being started at Palmerston, but although the money is all down (on paper), it is net just now forthcoming. I believe, however, that the new journal will start. It is really extraordinary liow so many country papers pay in this province, and it will be i till more extraordinary when the various lines of railway are open, and when in most of the townships of Otago the Dunedin journals will be able to be delivered on the morning of publication. With regard to the new evening paper for Dunedin, now talked about for some months, although the project is apparently quiescent, I believe the arrangements are being quietly perfected, and that a second evening paper will soon be an accomplished fact in Dunedin. Dr. Bakewell, the irrepressible, is again in print. Some little time ago, on the occasion of the Governor’s levee, I made some remarks about this gentleman’s uniform remarks which the Governor was reported to have made about it himself. Well, the worthy doctor, seeing these in the Guardian (where they were quoted), replied to them, and denied that the Governor ever made such statements as those imputed to him. So far so good. But the doctor was not satisfied with this, for this morning a second letter appears in the Guardian, also signed by the doctor, in which he states that he has received a letter from the aide-de-camp of the Governor, who has requested him (the aide-de-camp) to say that he never made use of the words put into his mouth. And then the doctor again goes on to refer to his uniform, and reiterates the fact that it-is the uniform of a volunteer regiment in England, of which he wasjassistaut surgeon, “and,” adds the doctor, “of which I am still assistant surgeon.” Dear me, is he ? What a useful member of the corps this Trinidad doctor must be. At the end of the letter is an editorial footnote, in which the editor regrets that the paragraph in question should have obtained admittance to the columns of that journal. Now, seeing that' the very person who gave me the information upon which I founded this portion of my letter was the reputed editor of the Guardian himself, I think it would have been much better if the so-called editorial footnote had been omitted. However, some people do not always speak correctly by the card. A nine hours’ talk at the beginning of the week was caused through the somewhat sudden disappearance of a young and not particularly good-looking barrister with a young lady, who shall be nameless, but upon whom the features of the gentleman had evidently stamped a strong impression. The twain took their departure for Melbourne in the s.s. Otago, unknown to their parents and guardians, who, had they been aware of their intention, would most certainly have brought them back and duly chastised them for their_ folly. But no.

they got clean the gentleman to do in Melbourne what he never did in Dunedin, viz., make a favorable impression upon a court or jury, and secure a practice. Mr. Haworth, the artist, who, for the last five months has been in the Wakatip district, has brought down about fifty rough sketches of lake, mountain, and moorland scenery. From these he will paint the same number of larger and more perfect pictures for a . London firm Many of them are perfect gems, rough sketches though they are, ihey are now on view at the TJniversity Hall. Where are the police ? This is a cry which has lately been heart! on more than one occasion. It is reported that another- burglary has been committed at the office of Messrs. Webb and Fulton, and that the Savings Bank lias also been tried. But, as in the case of the robbery at the Magistrate’s Court, nobody has been brought to book, and the presumption is that nobody will be.