TIMARU.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 6 November 1880, Page 2

TIMARU.

(FKOM OUR OWN COIUtESI'ONDKNT.) November 1The week ended last Saturday characterised throughout by business and general excitement, °"' in ?' of course, to the show and the ohjif c bazaars. Judging by this year's exhibi s, as compared with those of the pnst>>' ' manifest that a very decided improveincn has been attained in all kinds of at" o . • As is usual on' the show days, the c mercantile emporiums and other ex sive business places were closed at n0 to allow employers and enipl"y # e( j ® opportunity of joining in the fcstivi. i • > while the humbler sort of retailers wise y kept open doors, thereby committing little unindictable and very cxcua '' theft of custom by keeping a sl j look out for the stray coppers tha variably burn in the pockets of men and maidens from the country, email shops must have done a good ness throughout the week, for the s r < were thronged the whole time by numbers of strange, but welcome, n " many instances, exceedingly nan s fucqs and figures. Many who rarely _ their way within the precincts of too , j turned up to celebrate with ua t.lip . event of the year, barring 9 'fuwed which must throughout all age 3 be a Qhristian l:\nds. Fro J

in his elegant turnh the ' merry shepherd and comely o ß 'r „:j cf out in their very best, contented and happy ; and it V too mncn to say that the * h C , v' t ' ir^~ui y Show 1880 lias far lt3 i* sr*'" - t0 tno " aKiars ' I may say j far .13 proving an effectual means tii!- wind is concerned, they ° £ " c "uipt''te success. The Primitive * er t '?i<t lottery was held in the central Jkj. ni;ir t, while that set afloat by St. 311 > congregation took place in the an tdifice which was, and i 3 Q" ecD^ (it j| f 3 j r3 succeeded in relieving *■'?' in town to a large extent, p'^V niao'palians netting LOGO, aud the only knows how P r;r ? 'j'T,;/ not bad for a small com- ® UC "tf many of whom, until recently, elred in the'list of unemployed. i)f course an electric current conveyed vonr sanctum on Saturday morning '? -nfel!i"enco of the destruction by fire f'the "Mechanics' Institute. The °ll,)diuU3 soinid of the cracked fire-bell -'mated about ten o clock on Friday that a conflagration had begun, and !r iilnmination overhead soon showed ft.nce the rt;imes proceeded. Being a *r inflammable sort of structure, erected r 'the time of Old Timarn, it required "V two hours for reduction to total At midnight the old »• Mechanics " was no more. Nothing , . maa3 of smouldering cinders remained of oar public hall and library. Tn adjacent cottage was saved chiefly ty the untiring efforts of Mr. Thomas Turn- . « ff f!" stood enshrouded in a wet fchnket, with the flames almost singeing Bis luir! He played on the cottage with tiny V'Se, while by-standers deluged jjn, with buckets, and by this means, the being favorably the cottage was ved. The whole fire brigade worked genetically, so did the police, and these two'bodies have the unfeigned thanks of t ]' w community, despite the strictures ™ssed upon them by the South Canterbur? Times. There wa3 immense difficulty in keeping the crowd within bounds, a nii in this no body of men could have seen 3" crowned with success as were Inspector Pender and bis subordinates. In the bustle, an excited individual demanded a prompt reply to hi 3 qnery. "Sure is the ' Archdaken* inside i" but on his being assured that hi 3 reverence , severed his temporary connection with thi hail on the preceding night, hi 3 fears subsided. Thu3 the existence of the Timaru Mechanics' Institute, another of our rickecty wooden shanties, has been ] brouiihc to a suitable end, and not a word of reiiret i 3 heard in our streets.