NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2319, 23 August 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

“ There arc queer folk in the Shaws ” says an old song, but there arc queerer people in Dunedin. The other day the Dunedin Corporation passed a resolution in favor of the Lotteries Act just after the Ministry had decided not to proceed with it. Now we have the Dunedin Brewers and Licensed Victuallers considering the New Licensing Act on Thursday last, a few hours after Mr Dick, one of the members for the city had that measure discharged. Our drowsy southern cousins ought to subscribe for a special telephone, to bring them into communication svith the Empire city. The inferences of Messrs Blackett, Lowe, and Co., as to the effect of the Breakwater, and the stoppage of the travelling shingle on the northern beach may be erroneous and unjustifiable, but that the sea is mailing terrible encroachments on the main land is no longer deniable. Within the last foitnight, some thousands of tons of soil have tumbled down from the cliffs near Whale’s Creek, and at the railway viaducts, the foundation piles are becoming dangerously exposed. A timber guard or breakwater, which was erected seven or eight months ago, has been partially washed away, but this is nothing singular, as the structure was too toy-like to be seriously intended to resist the action of the sea. Close to the railway crossing at this spot,a chasm has been cut nearly 100 feet in circumference and fully 20 feet deep, and yesterday the water at this spot was discolored for some distance out. On the principle of locking the stable when the steed is stolen, some heavy lumps of rock are now being pitched down on the beach to stop the inroads of the sea, but considerable expedition will have to be displayed, if Neptune is to be prevented from teaching our railway engineers a lesson.

A Chinaman, named Ah Song, who has a garden at Saltwater Creek, was driving a cart laden with vegetables for the Timaru market on Saturday, when some palings near the Sportsman’s Arms hotel were blown down by the nor’-wester. These frightened Ah Song’s horse, and caused it to shy and upset the cart, which fell down an embankment, striking the unfortunate Chinaman’s head and rendering him unconscious. He was removed to his camp, and Dr Hammond was summoned to attend him. The Dr seemed to consider his injuries very serious, but last evening the sufferer recovered consciousness, and seemed to be getting all right again. The chief injury is to his left eye, which is badly bruised. The first of the series of Saturday Promenade concerts by the Timaru Artillery Hand was given on Saturday evening. There was a fair attendance and a number of selections were creditably performed. The Hall having been cleared to form the promenade, a good many of the visitors availed themselves of the opportunity for a little impromptu dance, which was perhaps not exactly what the band contemplated when they organised the concerts. A rule requiring those who initiate the dance to introduce the refreshments would not be out of place.

A persistent tippler was lately sent to the Napier Gaol for a week, and when he came out he confided to a friend that if it was not for his character he would like to stop up there for good.

The annual entertainment in connection with the Pareora School was celebrated on Friday evening last. There was a good attendance and from a pecuniary point of view the concert was a success. The lady who presided assiduously at the piano had not mastered the art of knocking sweet sounds out of a tuneless instrument and in consequence the vocalists suffered from an accompaniment which was as damaging to the effect of their voices as a severe cold. The recitations varied, if they did not assist the programme, and after the concert dancing was kept up till day-light. Saturday was a most unfortunate day for the football match between our local team and that of Oamaru, the wind and the rain sadly interfering whh the play. The natty costumes of the men were soon bedraggled by the rain, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that the players could keep their footing on the slippery ground. The game lasted but 40 minutes, when each side having'secured a force-down, it was wisely determined to give the game best, and it was declared drawn. The Timaru men returned home on Saturday evening. The largest mirror in Australia is to be seen in an hotel in Sydney. It is a great sheet of thick plate glass, lift, in height by 7ft. Gin. in width, and the frame, a rich bordering of ruby velvet edged with gold stars, brings the size up to lift. Gin. in width. Tire plate was cast and silvered in Belgium, sent to the Sydney Exhibition and shown in the Belgian Court. The following unique notification appears in a Gisborne Newspaper;—Notice to my friends. For good and sufficient reasons best known to myself, I have changed my account from the Bank of New Zealand to the Union Bank of Australia, Gisborne. I also wish to intimate that my properties, advertised for sale under instructions from the former Bank, without my knowledge, and during my enforced absence at Napier, have not been sold, I having paid 0. D., with Mr Matthews in sovereigns! J. Dick, The balance sheet of the Wakatipu Steam Navagation Company, shows a loss of £I3BO during two years.

Mr Joseph Ivcss is undoubtedly the most energetic planter of newspapers. He has just sold out his latest venture the “Ellesmere Advertiser,” to Mr Sherlock, and he is now on his way to Cambridge in the Auckland District, where he is about to establish a new bi-weekly journal.

There is nothing like a startling advertisement. A firm of storekeepers in Charters Towers announce a selling off in the following terms; —“Selling off! Selling oil! in consequence of the absconding of the junior partner with the till and the wife of the head of the linn.” This is certainly a new method of making the best of our misfortunes.