NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2358, 7 October 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Another large shoal of codfish has visited the breakwater. For the past two evenings the roadstead, as far as the eye could reach, seemed to be absolutely alive with fish, so much so, that the surface of the water had a dark, discolored appearance. Last evening the concrete was lined with between 200 and 300 anglers, and the great majority made capital hauls. The monolith on top of the breakwater was at one time almost covered with fish of various kinds —cod mostly, but varied with ling measuring as much as four and live feet in length. Porpoises could be seen spouting and jumping about in the deep water, and it is supposed that the smaller fish were thus being rounded up in the shallow water. Of course it was a case of out of the frying pan into the fire with many of them for in escaping from their natural enemies—the big fish—they fell an easy prey to the hookists. Some of the anglers remained at their vocation all night, the result being that they had larger loads in the morning than could easily be got away with. Akaroa has developed a lively Jack Shcppard in the shape of a Spaniard named Peter Hagland. A few days ago he was arrested for horse stealing, but on Friday evening last he escaped from the Akaroa lock-up by squeezing himself through the bars of the passage. He was missed about ten o’clock, when Sergeant Willis and Constable Scott at once proceeded in pursuit, and succeeded in capturing him at his own house in Holmes’ Bay about 3 a.m., not without however showing fight, and it was only after Sergeant Willis knocking him on the head with his revolver that he was secured. The prisoner was safely lodged again in the lock-up on Saturday morning, and was last visited at ten o’clock on Sunday evening. When Sergeant Willis visited the cell at 6 a.m. on Monday morning it was found that Hagland had cut a hole through the floor of the cell, and broken the bars that secure the bottom. The police have again started in pursuit.

A slight imperfection in the costly and otherwise creditable structure recently erected by the Government was made evident at the meeting of the Education Board yesterday. The Board’s apartments are directly over the Customs offices, and the room occupied by the members has the questionable advantage of an exceedingly lofty coiling, so lofty that in shape it resembles a sardine box on end. The result is an unpleasant echo, like the echo of an old barn. The eloquence of the speakers ascends into the terrible space overhead so rapidly that it can hardly bo caught by the surrounding listeners. The result was that the reporters had their task surrounded with difficulty and the elegant diatribe of Mr Wakefield against the Government generally and the Hon Mr Rolleston particularly,was partially lost. If, by some triumph of art, the upper rooms of this fine new building could be turned on their sides, their accoustic properties would be greatly improved. If this cannot be done, the lowering of the ceiling and creation of a garrett should be insisted upon. In consequence of the non-arrival of Mr Stratford, the newly appointed R.M., the Temuka Court was yesterday adjourned for a week. The Baroness Burdett-Coutts was married to Mr Ashmead Bartlett at the Royal Savoy Chapel, on August 17. Nearly £2,000 worth of nuggets were found iji two claims at the Temora during the week ended Sept 26. Ambcrley has been shocked out of its propriety by a man named Henry Ulf perambulating the township in a state of nudity. Ulf has been locked up. One of the passengers tolls “ Atticus” that on the night when the Sorata struck, all was confusion, women fainting, men running hither , and thither, and seamen swearing with true British energy. At this critical moment, when the cry on all sides was for the boats, and when trunks were being eagerly opened by owners anxious to save something of their valuables, the under-stewards went the rounds and presented the wine bills for settlement.

Eeefton has furnished many enviable instances of astonishing acquisition of wealth, but we (“ Inanghua Times”) doubt very much if any previously cited instances of the kind approach to that of a knight of the long robe, resident in Nelson. The holder of 6,000 shares in the United Alpine Company, and 4,000 shares in the Golden Fleece Company, his interests in these two mines have risen in the short space of about three months, from a nominal value of almost nothing to the princely sum of £16,000. Talk about ; being rich beyond the dream of avarice.

lie went to law. On the the afternoon of the day of trial he met a friend, and said in mournful accents, “I’ve lost my case. By the way, are you a religious man?” “Not much,” was the discouraging response, “Well now, I am, and I prayed this morning that if my claim was unjust I might lose my case. I have lost it. But for all that my claim was just. I think Providence must make mistakes sometimes.” “ Perhaps,” said his friend, “ Providence might see differently if you applied for a new trial and retained Browbeat!” He did, and won, with costs, and his trust in Providence is now, he says, “Stronger than ever!”— rEgles in the “ Australasian.”

We have much pleasure in recording the fact that since his arrival in Timaru only the other day, Dr Wilkins has performed several highly successful operations on persons suffering from long standing and apparently chronic affections of the eye and car. The brother of a gentleman who is well known in Timaru, who was nearly blind from cataract, has had his sight completely restored by one operation. A well known jeweller in this town has had a tumour of the eyelid removed, and a leading settler who suffered from partial deafness has recovered his hearing. Dr Wilkins has given much attention to the treatment of squint, and in two cases in this town he has proved to a demonstration that this deformity can be removed by a simple and painless process. We are aware that there is a good deal of reluctance on the part of sufferers to place themselves under skilled surgical treatment, on account of the way in which they have been duped by travelling quacks, but in the case of Dr Wilkins, they have a skilled, experienced, and reputable practitioner to deal with, instead of a fugitive member of the “ professor ” family. Dr Wilkins can be consulted at the Grosvenor Hotel for a few days only, prior to his returning to Christchurch, where he has determined permanently to settle