LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 197, 7 December 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On inquiring at the Hospital this morning we were pleased to learn that the unfortunate man John Wildish was bearing up bravely. He had enjoyed a good night's rest, and he is now beyond all danger. We have to acknowledgs the receipt of an office calendar for the coming year, printed at the North Olwjo Times. The size is a most judicious one for office purposes, and the design exceedingly neat and appropriate. The calendar is placed inside of a banner which has pole, tassels, and fringe, the whole having a decidedly neat appearance, and as a specimen of typography is most creditable to the publishers. The fourth annual supper of the bakers and millers came off last night at the Commercial Hotel, Host Ztlaitland being the caterer. The spread provided was the theme of general commendation, and was by far and away the best that has been served on like occasions in this town. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair, and Mr. Pratt, master miller, the vice-chair. Fully thirty sat down to table, aud after adequate justice had been done to the edibles, aud the usual loyal and other toasts had been proposed and duly responded to, the party partook more of the nature of a convival gathering, the harmonious strains of which did not

cease until midnight. Wc are informed that aa elementary singin" class is about to be established in Oamaru under the conductorship of Mrs. M. Newsham. This will supply a much-needed want, and will be an excellent opportunity for those who desire to improve their voi.es and musical knowledge. We believe that full particulars may be obtained fi-om Mr. W. Camcross, Thames-street.

The only business at the Police Court this morning was two charges preferred by the Inspector of Xuisances for breaches of the Town Ordinances. The first was against Thomas Burling, for tethering a horse in Trent-street, for which the Bench inflicted a fine of 10s. David Heron, the jjroprietor of two cows with wandering propensities, was ordered to contribute twice that amount for the animals's indulgence thereof within the town boundary.

.Regarding the tendering for the Government advertisements, the Dunedin correspondent of the Bruce Herald writes as follows : —'• The competition for the Government advertising has been, for the past f_w weeks, a subject of great interest among the people connected with newspapers. The result has now been made known, the tender of the Daily Times and Witness Company for advertising in the Otayo Daily Times having been accepted. Therefore, all the notifications that have appeared in the district Provincial Government Gazette will appear in the Otayo Daily Times, which will be the Gazette for the Provincial district of Otago. So great was the keenness displayed in the tendering that one firm that tendered

(not the successful one) actually despatched a canvasser of noted persuasive powers to Wellington. But when that talented and bland individual arrived there he found that the members of the Ministry, with one exception, were absent on short trips to different parts of the Colony, and then there was no chance of seeing the Minister who was there, not even by sticking him up in the passage of the buildings. Therefore, the plausible one—l will call him Robinsonhad none upon whom to smile, and utter sweet words, or to button-hole. However, he returned as serene as usual; but such was the trust reposed in his powers that before the result was made public, it was confidently said that he had carried his point. This little circumstance will show you the competition for the privilege in question; but, on the other hand, and providing of course that its tender was reasonable, which it was, it would be absurd to suppose that among the various city publications the advertising contended for would be given to any journal other than the old established Daily Times. The tender is for a term of twelve months." The Christchurch Press says :—" The following information as the weight of the fleeces of some of Mr. Marcroft's prize stock may be of interest to some of our readers. The average weight of fleeces taken from thirty-eight ewe hoggets (by the old Panton ram) averaged 151b. of first class wool, one fleece brought down 17ilb. and another 201b. Three ram hogget 3, exhibited at Lincoln and Timru, yielded up fleeces which weighed 22£1b., 201b., and 19Ub. The four-tooth ram Lord ISTelson, son of Hawke's Bay Champion, shorn late last January, produced a ten months' fleece weighing 21ilb.

The things that men will do sometimes for pastime are extraordinary (says the West Coast Times). Mr. Gladstone, the leader of the Liberal party of England, gets an axe, and cuts down a huge oak or elm tree when he desires relaxation, and Sir Charles Gavan Duffy spouts under his verandah, at Hawthorn, when he seeks recreation from the world's cares. It is not often, however, that we hear of gentlemen following the occupation of mining as an amusement, hut such instance has occurred at Kumara, where a party of well-to-do Englishmen are now workin" in a claim of their own, under the superintendence of an experienced digger, and working hard, too, and for long hours each day. At the meeting of the Central Board of Education on Saturday, these gentleman miners were referred to as enjoying the pleasures of mining without having taken care to perform the obvious duties of the occupation, such as paying the Board of Education for the privilege of recreating themselves with pick and shovel down a hole on the Education Tteserve. The Secretary, indeed, suggested that it would be a good example to the rest of the diggers to summon the aristocratic miners for the amounts due for the necessary licence, and Mr. Kenrick quite agreed with this, as the summons would prove an interesting document to their friends at Home, and would be an unquestionable certificate of the fact that they really had been digging on the West Coast of iNew Zealand. Only—said Mr. Kenrick—let the thing be done respectfully, you know, for as they came all the way from England to mine for pleasure, they deserve to be treated as gentlemen, as no doubt they are.