NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2317, 20 August 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The members of the Timaru Artillery brass band have decided upon giving a series of promenade concerts at the Queen’s Hall, on Saturday evenings, commencing to-monow. This is a capital idea, seeing that summer is approaching. The opportunity of dropping in at the Queen’s Hall for an hour to hear a selection of instrumental music can hardly fail to meet witli the appreciation of so music-loving a community as that of Timaru.

It is rumored that a valuable scam of coal has been discovered close to Gisborne.

The Christchurch Gas Company have declared a dividend of seven per cent for the last half year.

His Excellency and Lady Robinson and suite leave for Sydney cn route for England on the 3rd prox.

A road roller in Christchurch, yesterday frightened a horse which ran oil with a buggy and the vehicle being upset a little boy had his leg broken and several persons were badly injured. Madame Lottie Wilmot, who recently obtained a verdict for £l5O damages against the Sydney “ Evening News” for libel, conducted her own case.

The Gatlin’s River railway committee have resolved to circularize the Otago members of the Assembly with the view of getting an additional 11 miles ot the Balclutha and Gatlin’s River railway constructed.

At the District Court, Hawke’s Bay, an application by Mr L. Rees, solicitor, to overthrow the deed of arrangement made by Robert Cooper with his creditors, giving him twelve months to manage his own estate, and pay off his liabilities, lias been dismissed.

Dr Wallis has not a very high opinion of tbc press in tbc Empire City. In the course of a recent debate, bo said; If Hansard were abolished it would bo absolutely necessary to remove tbc scat of Government from Wellington. The ’Wellington papers were utterly unfit to report the debates. The “Chronicle” was about tbc worst paper bo ever saw; tbc “Post” was remarkable for its stupidity ; and as for tbc “ Times ” it was both ignorant and stupid.

It is reported that a considerable number of men have gone to Okarito without a shilling. It is probable rberc will be great distress, as the settlers produce hardly anything beyond what they require for themselves, and the claimbolders have not the capital to cnqiioy paid labour. A store has been erected at the diggings and there arc about ;-JOO men on the ground.

It is refreshing in times like the present to bear of a sum of £lO banded over by tbc Standard Insurance Company for distribution among certain individuals who saved a fellmongery at Burnside near Dunedin from lire, being generously transferred to a Mr Orr, whose bouse was burnt, and who lost bis all by the fire in question.

An up-country correspondent of a North Island paper writes: —-“A gentleman, or rather a man possessed of a large share of worldy goods, passed through a toll-gate, where a lady waited to take the toll. He, feeling indisposed to bend bis haughty person, threw tbc coin on tbc ground and rode on. On bis return be banded the fair tollkcepcr a pound note, and waited while she went in for change. Lire came to tbc door and threw tbc change on tbc ground. He had no alternative but to dismount and gather it from tire mud, which be did with very bad grace. Let us hope that tire lesson was understood and appreciated.”

The total number of workmen killed in making tire St Gothard tunnel is given, tire “ Morning Post” states, as 1.50, and tbc number of men injured as about 100. The late Mr Ireland was an Irishman by birth and a member of the Wesleyan denomination. The “ Tuapcka Times” states that the deceased very rarely spoke about his relatives, but has been known to say that be bad a daughter in tire Home Country and it is believed that he has a brother in business in Sydney. Tire name “ Ireland” was a name be himself irad adopted; bis real name was Renwick.

Elder George Batt, of Mormon notoriety, after a brief residence in Dunedin, has returned to Tinraru, disgusted. In a few days be proceeds to Auckland, having, it is stated, received a message from fourfamilies there, who paid iris passage-money, and arc anxious to receive Mormon baptism at his hands. The “North Otago Times” says that some of Mr Batt’s converts in South Oanraru have begun to wax cold in the faith, and have decided not to set out tor Utah. An American lady, who lias recently visited Utah, gives it as the result of her observation that the female portion of the community there seemed cowed and degraded, and maintains that the elders arc obliged to go far a-fiold for converts because the eyes of the United States people have been opened to realise the illogical humbug of Latter-Day Samlisnr.

Arrangements have been made for the appearance in Melbourne during the Exhibition of the military band led by Strauss, the famous Austrian maestro. They comprise GO first-class performers, and it is said by the “Age” that the cost of bringing them over will be close on £IO,OOO. "Victoria possesses 1-11 newspapers ; New South Wales, lid ; South Australia, 36 ; Queensland, 19 ; New Zealand, lid ; British North America, sd; Ontario, 226; Newfoundland, 2 ; and Eiji, 1* In England 1831 papers are published, and of that number 36d are issued in Loudon.

Thomas Dale, alias Jordan, ex-captain of the Canadian cricketers, owes his trouble to too much matrimony. He left a wife in England when he went to America, but soon after he married a woman of Natchez Miss. The English wife followed him across the ocean, and had him arrested for bigamy; but she consented, for pay, to his Retting a divorce from her, and marrying he Natchez wife over again. She assured him also that she had obtained a promise from Sir Garnet Wolscley that he could visit England without danger of punishment for desertion. This representation seems to have been false.

The “ North Otago Times” tolls a painfull story of a debtor residing in a distant neighborhood who was served with a fraud summons by an Oamaru creditor, and presented with the money necessary to defray his travelli ng expenses in attending the court, but who instead of presenting an appearance pocketed the cash, and wrote a polite note intimating that circumstances had compelled him to avail himself of the comforts afforded by the Dankruptcy Court, and that he had decided not to visit Oamaru. Our contemporary calls this “ villainous smartness.”

We understand that there is likely to be a dispute over the nine feet seal which was captured on the shingle near Timaru the other day. The seal was watched by a couple of ladies for some time fighting with the breakers. Presently the male capturer, aftar vainly trying to rope his sealship alive, asked them to keep an eye on its movements while he went for an axe. The ladies did so, the result being that the seal was despatched, and they now consider themselves entitled to a fair share of the viz., the skin, we presume.