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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1058, 10 September 1879, Page 2

We are glad to learn that one at least of the proprietors of large hotels has determined to provide a certain means of escape for the inmates of his establishment in the event of a fire occurring in the building. Mr. Gillespie has, we believe, given an order to Mr. E. Grave for a supply of rope-ladders for t e Star and Garter Hotel. This thoughtfulnes3 on the part of Mr. Gillespie is worthy of commendation, and we hope that other proprietors will follow his example.

The name of Kathleen must be added to the list of horses entered for the Trotting Race to take place at the Waitaki Jockey Club's forthcoming meeting.

There can now be no doubt as the success of the bazaar to be held on New Year's eve in aid of the Oamaru Atlienmum. A meeting of ladies was held yesterday afternoon to take necessary preliminary steps in connection with the affair, and a large amount of support has already been promised. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, this morning, Peter Mathieson was charged with being drunk and disorderly. As accused had been before the Court several times lately for a similar offence, the Bench inflicted a penalty of L 5, with the usual alternative. A man named Horrigan was sentenced to 2i hours' imprisonment for drunkenness. A meeting of the Tradesmen's Cricket Club will be held at 8 o'clock this evening, at the Imperial Hotel. All interested are requested to attend. At a meeting of the Waitaki Jockey Club held at the Empire Hotel last night for the purpose of receiving entries for the forthcoming meeting there were present—Messrs. D. Sutherland (in the chair), J. A. Sutton, E. C. Smith, T. H. Brown, and W. Gardiner (hon. sec). The secretary read the list of entries (which has been published by us in a previous issue), lie the nomination of Dundee, Mr. Brown proposed, and Mr. Smith seconded, " That Mr. Webb be informed that the Club is willing to receive the nomination on condition that he remits the qualification and nomination fees for Mr. Hawdon's Victim, which was entered for one of the Club's races two years ago. The secretary intimated that Mr. D. Sutherland had bsen elected to fill the vacancy on the committee caused by Mr. Chapman declining to act. It was resolved to wait on the Railway Manager, and request that the Department issue return tickets at single fares, from Oamaru to Duntroon, available from the Ist to the 4tli proximo. The meeting then adjourned.

The Timaru Herald, of which Mr. Wakefield is editor, says:—"Great satisfaction is felt at Mr. Wakefield's return, not only in the Geraldine district, but throughout the length and breadth of Canterbury." According to the Herald's own admission, Mr. Wakefield polled a majority of only S7 out of a total of 470 votes. There are, therefore, IGO electors in his own district that would prefer * comparative stranger to him.

Steps' are being taken, says the New Zealand Church News, for the erection in our Cathedral of a very interesting memorial, and that by no less a person than the Dean of Westminster. Mr. Gerald Harper, the Primate's youngest son. has written to his father by the last mail, to say that Dean Stanley has communicated with him on the subject. The memorial is intended to be erected by the Dean and his friends to the memory of liia brother, Owen Stanley, R.N. Captain Stanley lioitted the British flag at Akaroa in June, 1840, and thus secured the sovereignty of this island for Great Britain. He was only just in time, the French settlers arriving only jour days after.. It has not yet been determined what form the memorial is to take.

We have received from the intending publisher—the well-known Mr. George Robertson, of Melbourne—a specimen copy of a work to be shortly issued from the press, entitled "Victoria in ISSO." The prospectus says:—"Victoria in 1880" is intended as a worthy memorial of the rise, progress, and present prosperity of the Colony, and will form not only a valuable addition to libraries in general, but a most appropriate souvenir for visitors to Melbourne during the Exhibition year. "Victoria in 18S0" w ill embrace features constituting it a veritable livre de luxe; but while vying in this respect with the best publications of the Old World, will still be thoroughly and distinctly Australian. The literary portion of the work has been entrusted to Mr. Garnet Walch, and the numerous illustrations will bo executed in the highest style of art from original drawings made expressly for the book by Mr. Charles Turner. Judging from the specimen before us, which is necessarily a small thing of IS pages, intended merely to give people an idea of what the work is to be, we believe every word that we have quoted from the prospectus. There is a full-sized lithograph in the specimen which gives promise that the numerous scenes of interest in Victoria will be pourtrayed in a manner worthy of the subject of the work and the object for which it is to produced. The descriptive letter-press is to be in pica—print that one may run and read—and will, if up to the standard of the avani courier now before us, be in the very best style of the printing art. Each page of matter, too, is to be elaborately initialled by a woodcut view of some favorite scene in the Colony, the subject of the work. With regard to the character and quality of the matter, we i:ccd say no more than that it will be from the pen of Mr. Garnet Walsh, who has become not only a Victorian,! but an Australasian favorite, having been introduced to all colonists by means of his witty plays and his humorous magazine writings. " Victoria in 28SO " is designed as a souvenir of the Exhibiton which is to follow that of New South Wales. The work will be eminently productive of good

to the Colony. Many of the visitors to Melbourne during the Exhibition season may not, from some cause or other, travel beyond the city—to such the work will be both useful and interesting personally, and will certainly be something to interest their-friends of the Old World. We commend the publisher for his enterprise, and hope that the task he lias undertaken will be as profitable to him as it will be beneficial to the Colony of Victoria.