NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2521, 20 April 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

In our report of the Temperance entertainment in the Theatre on Monday night, we ommitted inadvertently to refer to one of the principal items in the programme—a song by Mr P. Foster. The somewhat difficult air from Maritana “Let Me Like a Soldier Fall” was rendered by that gentleman with great expression, the singer being in capital voice, and it elicited one of the most enthusiastic encores of the evening. Long Brothers, Builders of Picton, have been arrested at Napier for absconding from their creditors.

In spite of the many counter attractions, a cold bleak day, and other discouraging influences all calculated to produce a failure, the Good Templars’ Fete on Faster Monday has been so well managed by the Committee, that all expenses have been met and a few shillings to the good remain in hand.

We have been shown a new penny coin issued for circulation in New Zealand, “ The little stranger” is of bronze, a trifle larger, perhaps, than the pennies now in use. It is a rather striking coin. On one side appears the head and breast of a Maori warrior, splendidly tatooed, and armed with spear and shield &c. On the reverse side of the coin is imprinted a bit of New Zealand, scenery, consisting of a lake with distant hills partially covered with scrub, and in the foreground beneath an umbrageous fern there is another Maori, also of a war-like turn. He is standing: near his war canoe and a kiwi, with a bill as long as a Brighton boarding-house keeper’s in the season, is pecking around in search of food. The new coin will probably not be long in finding its way Home, where it will doubtless be prized as a memento of the colony.

Cruel! — The North Otago Times is responsible for the following ; Mr Clover was in the act of referring to his laving been interrupted in his speecli at the Congregational tea meeting, when he again found himself unable to proceed in ■consequence of a fit of coughing, which seized the whole audience simultaneously. On investigation, this was proved to have been caused by the ignition of some cayenne pepper in the hail, and it was found necessary to make an adjournment to the Wesleyan Church. Mr C. inclines rather to a pallid-complexion, and following the above, a wag said to a fellow congregationalist : “Why is the gentleman who has just sat down like Trifoline ?” This being given, up, the reply of: “ Because he’s a red clover !” was followed by the collapse of his hearer.

Mrs Raynham, wife of a Waikato settler, has had her jawbone fractured by a railway accident. How many benedicts would consider suctua calamity fortuitous 1

Proooffy. who escaped the hangman at Auckland, has taken wing in the Ringarooma to Hew South Wales. He is supposed to bo ca route for the Mount Brown diggings.

Special Announcement. —New Winter Drapery—Wood and Smith beg to announce that they have opened a splendid assortment of Autumn and Winter Drapery, comprising an immense lot of Maids’, Ladies’, and Children’s Jackets and Ulsters, at exceptionally low prices. New Millinery. —Shepherd’s Buildings, Main South Road, Timaru.— [Anvr.]