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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2402, 27 November 1880, Page 3

The Timaru watercart rather astonished some of the natives while baptising the dust to-day. It wore aloft a huge canopy of canvas resembling a helmet hat, and this was a subject of much speculation. Some believed it to be a refrigerator, while others assumed it to be a portion of the sprinkling apparatus. We understand that it is intended for an advertising frame, and it will be seen in full work revolving on a pivot in a day or two. The Loyal Arowhenua Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U„ have purchased an A-acre section adjoining the Star Hotel,Tcmuka, on which it is intended to erect a halt for holding their meetings in. This Lodge is now coming to the fore and ere long it is anticipated that it will rank as one of the foremost Lodges in South Canterbury. . At the inquest on Hartley, who was killed through diving on his head at the Wellington swimming bath, the jury returned the following rider, “ The jury arc of opinion that not sufficient ..are is exercised in warning bathers not to jump from the spring-board at low water, but that guage.s should be used showing the depth of the various tides.” A most unnecessarily bitter feeling appears to have been excited over the question of the future site of the Timaru Mechanics’ Institute. The acrimonious nature of the discussion which took place at the general meeting of subscribers last evening will probably not be lost upon sucb of our citizens as wish to see the matter fairly but calmly settled. It is a bad cause that requires to be assisted by personal abuse, and the ill-will that has been imported into the proceedings of the institute will hardly advance the aims of the two or three individuals who at last night's meeting succeeded in making an unmannerly, uncouth, and disorderly exhibition of themselves. A special general meeting of subscribers for the purpose of resolving upon the site of the new building is to be held at the Oddfellow's Hall, Barnard street, on December 7, and wc trust that on that occasion no indecent effort will be made to interrupt a free, fair, and dispassionate discussion of tire whole matter. The police have been busily engaged during yesterday and to-day in s arching for Hadden's grandson, who has not been seen since he left Upibi with Baddon. The Opihi Hivcr has been dragged to-day but without any trace of the missing boy resulting.

Large quantities of grain continue to travel from Timaru by rail for Lyttelton. The branch lines—especially the Albury extension—are fully occupied with the wool trade, and a keen competition is kept up with the road trallic- Owing to the low price of feed the teamsters are able this season to cut prices exceedingly fine, and it takes the locomotives ali their time to contend against oats at Is per bushel. At Bannockburn, Otago, a few days ago, a boy named George. Manson, was amusing himself with some playmates digging among line sand underlying a bank of clay some three or four feet thick. They had worked a considerable distance in, and on their being signs of the overhanging mass giving way, the poor little fellow was unable to get clear, and it fell on him. breaking bis leg in two places, and causing serious internal injuries, from the effects of which lie died a Few hours afterwards. A Wellington telegram intimates that the Government have received the Jirst orders for Mr Vcsey Stewart’s third party of special settlers For ic Puke consisting of twenty-four orders, ranging from live to 200 acres in favor ot families of live to seventeen persons, the average being nine. By these land orders the colonial treasury receives A‘2oSo. as £1 Gs 3d per acre has been paid to the Agent-General in London prior to the issue of the laud orders, and in addition to £3OOO deposited by Mr Stewart in London according to the terms of the agreement. A valuable seam of plumbago or black lead has been discovered near the White Cliffs railway station, by Messrs Smart, Pync,l and Hassell, who are holders of Government land for mining purposes. The seam is horizontal with a slight easterly dip, ami has increased from 2iu at the outcrop to nearly ID. The analysis is as follows: —-Water, JJ»; iron, alumina, and lime, S.D ; graphite, Sl).r». The above is a very fair specimen of graphite, and might be used for domestic purposes with very little preparation. Fur superior purposes it would require cleansing, which is not a diflicnlt or expensive process. —(Signed) J. B. Sta.nski.o, Assaycr. The prospectors arc anxious to utilise ibis valuable discovery, and invite communica' tion from anyone conversant with the manufacture of black-lead. The Timaru Contingent C.Y.C., will hold a mounted parade on Monday afternoon — see Advt. A general meeting of the Timaru and Tcmuka contingents of the C.Y.C, will be held at Tcmuka on Tuesday re the election of olhccrs and other business. St Andrew’s day (Tuesday next) will be celebrated at St Andrew’s by a tea, concert and dance. The programme will be found in our advertising columns.