Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 530, 12 January 1878, Page 2

Mrs. Newsham, whose departure from the district some little while ago was greatly regretted by all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance, has written tnanking her friends for a testimonial which was forwarded to her at Henley, where she is now residing, The gentleman who was instrumental in getting up the testimonial received the acknowledgment from the recipient, from whose letter we take the liberty of extracting the following portions : —"I cannot thank yon and all the kind friends enough who have so generously subscribed towards the present so unexpectedly received. Should time permit I will write to each subscriber to thank them ; but failing this, I must ask the Mail and the Times to convey an expression of my thanks to them. The kind letter bearing so many valuable signatures I shall always keep and value—not in remembrance of my own virtues so greatly praised, but for the thorough kindness expressed so warmly towards me. I cannot yet quite determine what use to make of your kind gift ; I think I shall expend a half of it in purchasing something in prate or silver to be engrossed as a gift from Oamaru something especially nice—and with the other half purchase something especially u-eful. . . . AVith kind re-m-mb-.-anee to all inquiring friend--, believe Tile; dear Nir. faiiliMilly your-;, Jamie Xewsiiam. The iii.nh-v i-'.-ialo, West Taiori.' We are sm-.i tha'- )ir;. X'."i--h-vm's numerous friends in what that i -y appropriately calls •• beautiful '■■ -ai!i:i!U : ' v.-iJ: be gratified to read r'lese lines from he" ami to reciprocate the good feeling so nioely expressed. In all probability there will bo a large number of candidates for the seat in the County Council for Kakaimi rendered vacant through the death <>£ Mr. Wheatley. .Scve-a 1 gentlemen have already been mentioned as probable cm did: to*, in addition to Mr. Shrimski, amongst th'in being Mr. Alun Thomson who, we have every reason to believe, will c-'iitest the election. The nomination will take pi ice on Saturday next at the Kakanui Atheiueum, at noon, and the poll will be taken on the following Saturday,

Wc were this afternoon visited by a hailstorm the severity of which has been seldom equalled in Oamaru, which usually enjoys an immunity to a miraculous extent from the storms that occasionally rage around us. It is exceedingly fortunate that the crops around Oamaru are scarcely ripe, otherwise the ell'ect of being peppered by hailstones the size of small marbles would have been decidedly injurious. With the exception of intruding through the crevices of sundry shaky roofs in the town, no other damage, that we are aware of, has been done, and, what was very desirable, the atmosphere and drains have been purified.

The volunteer inspection parade held last evening was miserably attended, a circumstance which drew forth some severe comments from the inspecting officer. Miserable as the show was from paucity of numbers, the few whose breasts are fired with a zeal to serve their country, should necessity require it, paraded with the band. The prizes were awarded by Major Steward as follows :—Leiut Morris' gift of a tea and coffee service was presented to Volunteer Harding ; Cadet Glass was the recipient of Mr. M'Corkiudale's prize of a gold and silver medal.

There were no cases down for hearing at the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day. The man William Price, sentenced to six months' imprisonment at the 11 sident Magistrate's Court -yesterday, for larceny, was forwarded to the Dunedin Gaol to-day by the Waitaki, under the care of Constable Smith. The usual monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee will be held at Mr. Church's olice, on Tuesday evening, at 8 o'clock. The following is the result of the election for the Board of Governors fur the High School :—Appointed by the University Council The Rev. P'r. Smart and Professor Siiaud ; by the Education Board—Professor, Macgrcsor r.nd Mr. Stout; and by the Government— Messrs. K. Oliver and G. M. Reed. His Worship the Mayor of Dunedin is, ex officio, a member of the Board.

The Otacjo Daily Times has been reappointed a Gazette for the publication of Government notifications, which, in order to comply with certain Acts, must be inserted in a paper appointed as a Gazette by the Government to take the place of the defunct Provincial Government Gazette.

The following startling item of news was ■wired to us yesterday from Dunedin : "James Green received Olive." We are rather curious to know—Firstly, who James Green is; secondly, whether "Olive" is a lady or a vegetable ; and thirdly, what there was particularly remarkable about her or it that called for special notice at the hands of the Press Agency.— Timaru Herald. "A friend of mine," says a writer in the Whitehall Review, " was recently up country in New Zealand, on a trip round the globe. He stopped for a night at a squatter's hut, and cut in for a rubber at whist. Taking his seat:, he casually asked "What points?" Said his partner, in surprise, not knowing but that he was addressing some neighbouring squatter newly established, "Why the , usual game of course —sheep points and a i bullock on the rubber !"

This is how Dr. Wallis, whoso power for wit and repartee is now proverbial, d'shes up a political speech so as to rivet the attention of his hearers :—" When Sir George Grey first came before the people of Auckland he (the speaker) had said he would become Premier, and had added—a little irreverently he admitted—' if that should be so, Heaven help the Governor. I —(Laughter and cheers) Ho (the speaker) was now in the attitude of confessing his sins, and therefore he would say he was sorry for his irreverence as to the Miiji-ter 3 , They had striven to fine him for some remarks he had made the other day, and he would therefore i say nothing upon that occasion about rogues or about trimmers either. But, as illustrating how he might express his views without committing he would tell them a story. A certain young man of Edinburgh, very fond of punning, while walking one day with his father—a grave and austere gentleman —came upon a poor fellow with his legs in the stocks The desire to crack a joke at the prisoner's expense was strong within him, but he greatly feared that by doing so he would offend his father, So, as a last resort, he whistled the air of a popular song, entitled "Through the Woods, Laddie." So as he (the doctor) would not utter his sentiments he would whistle them. He felt assured the ladies guessed what he was whistlir/g. It was a familiar Scotch tune, "Oh, wasna he a Pioguey —the piper o' Dundee." (Laughter and applause.) He would now give his opinion from a medical point of view. The House of licpresentatives was a patient, and supposing he wa= a doctor called in to see it, he would feel its wrist, and express the convie ion that it was rathtr feverish. Then he would say, " Open your mouth, JNIr. House —you can do that"—andneyt, "Show your tongus" when lie would remark, •' What a very foul tongue you have got—(laughtiT)—but if I and my friends return, we will give you a drastic purgative."— (LaughU-r.)

A second Ti-vhbornc has appeared upon t!io scene up north. Mr. MeLiver, of the l'liiiincs, son of Mr*. Gillan, formerly of the Scotia Hotel, Auckland,- has gone to England intending to assert h;s claim as heir of the late Lord Clyde. It is said that his case is a very good one. The following plan has (says a contemporary) proved successful in curing i dog of worrying sheep. Take the dog to a,butcher's. set him on to a sheep just killed and quite warm ; let him attack and pull about his prey, and at the same time s ip into his mouth a handful of wool well steeped in tr.iin oil: the wool sticks about the dog's mouth, a:.il he cannot clear it away ; and the oil runs into his throat and makes him so sick that lie will not touch wool again. This plan is more certain than any cruel punishment from man's hand.