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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 12 July 1880, Page 2

The south line is again open for traffic throughout, the heavy slip south of the Otepopo tunnel having, by unremlt ing exertions on the part of the railway authorities, been cleared sufficiently to allow trains to pas 3 over the line at that point at a slow rate of speed. Observant passengera in the early train from the North to-day, which was delayed on the lagoon bridge for a time to permit the South train to discharge at the station, had an opportunity of see a mirage of a strikingly remarkable character. In the eastern sky, nearly over the end pf the Breakwater, appeared an exact representa? tion of the south side of Itchen-street, and portions of Tyne-street and the Harbor Block, Every feature from Hood and Shennan's Corner to Spence and Bee's was reproduced with exactitude, the names of those firms, and of other storekeepers in the same line, being as easily readable as they may be on the real bnildings by a person }n the same street. The picture was not reversed, as in the telescope of a theodolite, but seemed to stand as does the view it represented; it was an aerial view of the reality on an enlarged scale. The illusion only vanished, from the eyes of the astonished and delighted spectators when the train at length moved on. These phenomena would appear to be becoming quite common in the Colony. A few days since the Lyttelton Times reported that a magnificent mirage astonished the passengers from the South on Saturday morning. The phenomenon was visible shortly after the train left Temuka, when the Peninsula hills, with the houses npon them, were plainly reflected in the sky. Tha scene was s'o real that a stranger to the district might readily have been deceived Ly the illusion.

Althongh nominations for the position of Mayor must be lodged with the Town Clerk on or before noon of Friday pejct, there is no appearance of the election causing any particular stir. As yet no names of probable candidates are mentioned, and it appears likely that Mr. Gibbs, the present Mayor, will have a walk-over. It must be remembered that should the Municipal Corporations Act, IS7G, be brought into operation here, as proposed, there will be another election in November. A meeting of teachers in public schools was held on Saturday afternoon at the High School, for the purpose of considering the Teachers' Pension Bill. There was a very fair attendance, and Mr. Pirie oc;iipied the ' chair. After discussion, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Peattie, seconded by Mr. Anderson, "That this meeting is entirely opposed to the Teachers' Pensions Bill." It was decided to forward copies of this resolution to Messrs. Shrimski and Jones, M.11.K.5. The Secretaiy submitted a number of alterations suggested by the General Committee of Management of the Otago Educational Educational Institute as advisable in the subjects of arithmetic and geography as tanght in the schools. On the motion of Mr. Wallace, seconded by Mr. Gillman, the meeting expressed its approval of the proposed alterations. A ; vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings. |

This is the season for football matches and accidents. So far the number of matches played slightly exceed the accidents resulting from the game. - ( '••• ' • v : : 1 > We would remind our readers that Raymond's lime light exhibition will be opened at the Volunteer Hail this evening. Judging from the comments of pur ut>> ••.bern-ejcatein-poraries, we are led to the belief that the entertainment is one well meriting public support. It is especially suited to children, to wliom it affords excellent importunities for acquiring a knowledge of and parents should certainly, not omit.. to give their children the benefit of a pleasant means of receiving instruction. The Band of No. 1 Company O.R.V. gave the first of a promised serie:; of promenade concerts in the Volunteer Hall on Saturday evening, and received very considerable encouragement in thin' efforts to provide cheap and rational amusement for the public. There was a very fair attendance, including a number of ladies, and it may safely be said that all present thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment provided. The programme consisted entirely of instrumental music by the band, who appeared to much greater advantage than they have previously done, and showed that they have within the past month or two made very great strides towards proficiency. The programme was opened with the "Ameer's Grand March," which was played with precision and firmness. The remaining items consisted entirely of 4 a fg e music, as follows Polka, " Liberty ;" quadrille, Promenade ; " waltz, " Irresistible lancors, "Whimsical;" schottische, "Pretty Blue Eyes;", waltz, " Remember and Forget; " quadrille ; polka, " Figaro; " galop, " Far and Near;" and the National Anthem. A large number of those -present freely availed themselves of the opportunity afford,e.4 for dnocing,' for which purpose the main portion of the hall was reserved. At the close of the proceedings cheers were given for the !«and. Anew programme is pvpmisefl fqr ne>;t Saturday evening. . It is to qpen with, an operatic seleection, and the balance of the items Will be made up of dance music.

A novelty ip tlje }vay of pool has been initiated at the Royal Hotel Jjilliai'd >alopu. The game requires to be seon to be understood, and, when understood, proves highly interesting —at least, so we are told by knights of the cue. ! Two of the New Zealand horses entered for the Melbourne Gup and Camballo) have left for the Metropolis of the Southern Hemisphere under the care of Mr. Vallance. JV.Qin this it would appear that Mata will try conclusions with the Australian cracks, while Camballo, whose entry for the Melbourne Cup was informal through a mistake being made in stating his pedigree, will proceed to Sydney. The horses will, we believe, be trained by Mr. R. Bay. Tjie usual monthly meeting of the Waitaki Road Bfjard )yill be held to-morrow forenoon, at 11.3 Q. The usual monthly meeting of the Oaitiaru Mutual Benefit Building Society will be held in the Secretary's office, Tyne-street, tomorrow evening, at 7 o'clock. Mr. M. Shenvin has resigned his position of a member of the "Wai-nate Borough Council in order to register his dissatisfaction with the action of the Council in the matter of employing day labqr on a work which the Engineer had recommended should be let by contract, A debtor was pleading at the Resident Magistrate's Court tills moraine (says the Wellington- Post) for time in which to pay his creditors. "I have no means, your Worship," urged he, "and work is very precarious with me. Besides that, I have a large wj? e and family—l mean a wife and large family to support." The tctpsus lingua naturally created an outburst of laughter in Court.

The Pall Mall Gazette, in an article discussing the financial position of New Zealand, says :—"lt is certain that, beyond all cavil, during three years the Colony must encounter great financial difficulties, Fortunate seasons may possibly carry it through the first, but candor compels the admission that, according to present facts and appearances, collapse is quite as probable as success. At all events, it is high time that there should be a cessation of the voluminous, persistent, and barefaced puffery of the ' Britain of the Antipodes,' not only here in London, but up and down the whole country, not • omitting the remotest corner of it. Tlje Government and people of New Zealand have had far more IJngliah money than is good for them or for us, and they must now prove by actual remittances that they can pay the interest and sinking fund on the old loans by other means than contracting new ones." For the last two or three days, (says the Sydney Morning Herald of a recent date) a strange, mysterious being has beer) observed at the windows of a house at present uninhabited by. mortal tenant, wrapped in a winding-sheet—white, ghastly, and ghoslty the apparition has presented itself in the broad daylight, to the terror of hosts of passing school children, and the wonderment or alarm of neighboring old women. Some of the more courageous assailed the house with sticks and stones, to the great detriment of the forthcoming sa eof the property. At length the boldest of the bold entered the house, and there, wrapped in her grave-like casements, discovered the daughter of a would-be purchaser of the "h.aunted"! house. !

The Oriental Exhibition will be opsned at Herbert this evening, and to-morrow afternoon it will be opened to the residents of Hampden. At the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day (before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M.), Henry Pearson and James Pratt, for being drunk and disorderly, were each fined os., with the option of 24 hojxrs' hard labour. "Mary Duggan was brought up on remand charged with the larceny as a bailee of the sum of L 9 15s, the property of one Frank Iveily. The evi.dence of the prosecutor and of Mr. Warnes, storekeeper, and of Constable Cleary, who arrested the prisoner, having been taken, Mr. O'Meagher made a long speech for the defence, and called several witnesses. His Worship dismissed the case, as there was' not sufficient evidence to warrant a conviction. "iEgles" is resjionsible for the following, which appears in the Australasian : A business man from Melbourne was the other day in the room behind the bar of the' Palace Hotel at Echuca. As he smoked his solitary cheroot he heard a couple of selectors stand-, | ing at the bar interchanging experiences. " Well," said one, with just as much accent as a man might bring with him from Aberdeen, "it's a grand tjiipgto help your banking is a bit o' land, even if it isn't pq,id for. Till I took up a selection no banker would trust me sixpence. Now, man, though I'm no richer, I have a cheque-book, and they'll discount a bill for me. Bother me, if I understand how it's done 1"

The wife of Edwin Hoyte, the murderer, hanged at Brideport recently, after taking a tearful and apparently affectionate leave of her husband m his cell, asked the to show her the preparations'for the execution, and on seeing them; remarked, "I am glad he is to be,hung. I would like?to see him hanged now., -~ \ " Instructions have been received from France in New Caledonia prohibiting the execution of any convict, for no matter what crime, until all documents in connection with h : s case have been sent to and reported upon by the home authorities. Flogging is also ordered to be abolished, but escaped prisoners may have five years added to their sentences for that offence. Some of these have now 200 years of sentences! The directors of the penal department in New Caledonia are said to carry their lives in tneir hands since the new humanitarian policy has been inaugurated. If the local paper is to be credited, a Palmerston bailiff took a mean advantage of a number of Maoris. During an adjournment of the ease Eroka Pareha v. Osborne, which was recently heard in the Palmerstoj} Court the official paid a, yisit to the hotel for the purpose of clining, when, to his disappointment, he found the table crowded with Maori witnesses and others concerned in the case alluded to. Judging by the earnestness with which they engaged in the work of taking in cargo, he did not think it likely there would be tRUQh left fox him, if he were tq allqw it t<* continue. : So, standing at the. .door, he called out " Eroka Pareha v. William Osborne," and two seconds afterwards the road to the Court was dotted with black specimens of humanity', with their mouths and hands full of portions of their rudely disturbed meal. It is needless to say that the case did not come on until the bailiff had fairly replenished t|je igser mai}. A curious incident occurred at the religious ceremony Qf the marriage of the Duchess Pauline Qf Wurtenburgh with Dr. Willim, a medical practitioner at Breslau. Pastor Suchner, who officiated, in his address exhorted the bridegroom, to devote himself for ever to his noble bride, because sh§ had abandoned much anc| renouncod much for his sake, When the bride had to say her "Yes," she added, in an emphatic tone, "I declare that I have abandoned nothing to which my heart was attached, and that I am enviably happy." . A contemporary says : —"Shamming Abrahati}" it* sflmetiirjes successful in Berrima Gaol. A yoiing mail who was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labor was released after five months' confinement in that dreaded penal establishment on the ground that further incarceration would cause his death. Three days after his release, he burglariously entered a jeweller's shop and stole LSO worth of goods. A despatch has been received by his Excellency the Governor from Sir Michael Hieks-Beaob, late Seoreta/y of State fo,r the Colonies, covering a letter from Sir F, D. Hooker, Director of the Royal Kew Gardens, announcing the intended visit to the colony of Miss Marianne North, a very accomplished artist, mainly with tte view of making at her own cost paintings of remarkable trees and plants for presentation to the Royal Gardens at Kew, where they will be placed in a gallery now in course of erection, towards; which Miss North has contributed a munificent suin, Both Sir M. Hicks-Beaoli and Sir F. D. Hooker bespeak the assistance of the Government in affording Miss North all facilities and aid in her undertaking. The latter points out that this affords a unique opportunity of securing faithful views of the New Zealand forests and their constituent trees, which are rapidly disappearing, and which, in respect of their pristine condition, will soon be matter of history or tradition only. It is asked that the Government Botanist may be permitted to accompany Miss North as a guide on her artistic expedition.—Wellington Post.