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Southland Times, Issue 1154, 7 May 1869, Page 2

B.IVEETON. — Our Riverton correspondent writes as follows : — The friends of Mr James Surman, Auctioneer, at Riverton, entertained that gentleman at dinner there, on the evening of Monday, the 4th inst., on the occasion of his removing from Riverton to Invercargill. Between 30 and 40 gentlemen, including all the leading merchants and residents of the town, sat down to table, the chair being ably occupied by D. S. Lawlor, Esq. After " The Queen" and other loyal toasts had been disposed of, the Chairman, in a neat speech, in which he paid a merited tribute to the guest's good qualities as a citizen and friend — proposed the toast of the evening — " The Health of Mr Barman." As a matter of course, the toast was an enthusiastic bumber, evidencing that Mr Surman was regarded by all present with feelings warmer than mere acquaintanceship. After the musical demonstrations had subsided, Mr Surman rose and replied in suitable terms, assuring his friends, that although a change in business 'necessitated his removal to the chief town of the Province, he ] should ever cherish a warm regard for Riverton and its people, and would rejoice in its and their prosperity. The various interests :— " Mercantile," " Banking," " Squatting," " Agricultural," and " Mining," were afterwards given and responded to ill due order. Our 4< Host and Hostess" was the last proposed, but by no means the least heartily received. The dinner in itself was everything that could have been desired, and ' sustained the well earned reputation of Mr and Mrs Dyke as caterers for our great national institution, a good dinner. Songs and general conversation, leas formal but quite as friendly as the regular business followed, and continued until about 2 o'clock, when the company broke up, and " each, took off his homeward way," satisfied that he had thoroughly enjoyed himself, and contributed in some way to the general harmony and goodfellowship which had characterised a very pleasant social evening. Ladies' Benevolent Society. — Owing to the continuance of the present inclement weather, the annual meeting of the above association has been postponed until further notice. The meeting, previously posponed from Wednes- j day, was to have taken place this evening, but for the reason stated will not now be held until there is a greater probability of its being well attended. Extea.obdina.ut Accident. — A very extraordinary accident which happened recently to a miner named Richard Callaghan, is thus related by the ' West Coast Times' : — On his way from Old Waimea to Fox's, while walking along the sideling of a terrace, above the Leviathan water race, he slipped and fell into the creek beneath, a height of 150 feet. The first ton feet of the fall was broken by his catching hold of Bupplejacks. He was rendered insensible, and on recovering found himself sitting -in the water of the creek, disabled and suffering from dislocation of the left hip-joint. He remained, there for twelve hours, cooeying for help — except for a short time during which he slept, beinj overcome Dy exhaustion.! He then crawled about fifty yards along the bed; of the creek, and, by means of supplejacks, got about half-way up the terrace, sleeping on the way when exhausted by pain and exertion. There he remained until about four o'clock on Sunday afternoon, when he was found by his mates. He was conveyed to the Hospital on a Btretoher where he arrived on Monday forenoon. Dr Ryley failed to reduce the dislocation by chloroform and the use of the pulleys, the muscle* having contracted so much owing to the . delay in the treatment. He succeeded, however, by manipulation. Strange to say, there are no other injuries of any moment, at*d the patient . will be discharged, probably in a few weeks, quite recovered . SrDfGTTLAB Occurrence. — A singular occurrence is mentioned by the ' Hawke's Bay Herald.' While Mr Q-arry was en- 1 gaged in driving piping for an artesian well on the farm of Mr H. R. Russell, South Meanee, he ' discovered that a continuous stream of gas was emanating through the pipe coming to the ' surface. The discovery was made through one of the men throwing a lighted mutch down for the purpose of seeing whether there were signs of water — and the gas immediately igniting. The top was then closed, leaving on'y a small J orifice, and through this a stream came which on being lighted, formed a brilliant jet, which burned for a ; length of time. Mr G-arry's theory is that immense quantities of gas generated in thiß and similar localities from the deposits of decayed vegetable matter are everywhere to ba found.

The Conspiracy Case.— A telegram arrived from Dunedin, yesterday, intimating that the application made by defendant, M'Kenzie, to have the venue jh this caße changed, had been refused. Acclimatisation. — The following extract frdm a letter by a gentleman in Tasmania on the subject of salmon ova, will be read with interest :— " The artificial fish hatching ponds are on my brother's estate, about 25 miles from Hobart Town, on a tributary of the Derwent about the same volume as the Waitahuna. The brown trout (some of which weigh as heavy as lOlbs) have thriven well, and young fish are being distributed in the different rivers. The. salmon trout are doing well, though still confined to the porida. The salmon presented themselves last week in the Derwent opposite the cradle of their nativity, precisely the time when Mr Ramsbottom (who died last spring) had often assured me he anticipated their return. This gentleman, I may explain, stripped the ova from the fish in the old country, packed them, accompanied them to the colony, placed them in the ponds, watched, and fed them, and liberated them for the sea; but, poor fellow, did not live to witness the complete success which resulted from his intelligence and assiduity." # Building Society. — This Society fairly commenced operations at a meeting of the shareholders, held at the Court House on Wednesday evening. The following gentlemen were duly elected office-bearers and committee men respectively :— President, Mr J. W. Bam; Auditor, Mr T. Perkins ; Solicitor, Mr T. M. Macdonald; Secretary, Mr F. Nutter; Com. mittee, Messrs Rose, Crouch, Hay, Trew, Tapper, Stock, Matheson, Matthews, and Mair. The books are to remain open for the enrolment of new members. Nearly 600 shares have already been taken up. . PRESENTATION TO HIS KOYAL HIGHNESS.—The ' Otago Daily Times,' of the Ist mat., says:—" After the race for the Tradesmen 8 Plate, on Thursday, a very handsome goldmounted stockwhip was presented to H.R.8.. the Duke of Edinburgh by Mr R. Wingfield, representing the stockmen ef Dunedin. The presentation took place in the marquee, Mr Wingfleid . being presented to his Roy»l Highness on the occasion by F. Wentworth, Esq. His Royal .Highness expressed his gratification a*™" 9 reception of the present, and shook Mr Wmgneld heartily by the band. The whip was furnißhsd by Mr GL Dowse, and the gold-mounting manufactured by Mr Telfer, both of Rattray-street. The following inscription was engraved on the mounting :— "Presented to H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh by the Stockmen of Dunedin, Otago, April, 1869. CoLoinsiiro Association. — Ibe 'Otaso Daily Times' says: — "We have received the 'Draft Prospectus of the Proposed First Enterprise of the British Antipodean Colonising Association,' appended to which is a brief treatise on " Colonisation, Systematic and General for Australia, Tasmania, and New Zsr.land," addressed to "holders of Australasian property and colonial men of business. An outline of this project, for promoting emigration to the colonies by means of a monthly line of steam vessels, via the Cape of Good Hope, has already been laid before our readers. In con. nection with that subject, the following paragraph from a recent ' Australasian ' is of some interest -.—When the project for establishing a line of ocean steamers via the Cape of Good Hope was prominently before the public a few weeks ago, it met, apparently, with widespread^ support. The members of the Chamber of" Commerce spoke well of it, Parliament seemed to be favourably disposed towards it, and the press was almost unanimous in its praise. This ie no way surprising, as it is evident that, if not at once, these important settlements must ere long be connected with the centres of civilisation by direct steam lines. The latest mail news to hand, however, renders it questionable whether these lines will neceesarily travel round the Cape. It appears likely that the shorter cut, now termed the overland route, will still be maintained, and that the steamers which convey passengers from England to Australia without transhipment will steam through the old pillars of Hercules, and pass out from the classic Mediterranean through the Isthmus of Suez. The great work of cutting Africa adrift from Asia is said to be almost completed, and it has been officially announced that M. De Lessep's canal will be opened to the navigation of all countries on the Ist October next. If this be so it will be well for these colonies to wait a while before entering upon any fresh ocean contracts. Whatever they may now do, it is certain that if the Suez Ship Canal proves a success, all the Anglo-Indian, Chinese, and Australian trafiic will pass through it, and all pre-existening arrangements will have to be recast. The canal, it is stated, will be 328 ft broad at the water-line, and 74ft at the bottom, while its depth will be 26ft. This will permit of the passage through it of anj vessel which now enters Hobson's Bay, and we may be sure that few passenger ships will take the longer voyage and bear the cold and storms of either Cape, when this comparatively safe short cut is opened up to chem." The Native 'Was.. -— The present relations between New Zealand and Great Britain are bitterly discussed in some sections of the Northern press. An article on the subject iv a late issue of the 'Auckland Herald,' aftor pointing out the difficulties of the colony as regards the Native race, concludes by saying : — This is a state of things which cannot be suffered to continue, and one which must be brought to an issue by the Assembly. If Great Britain will not help us out of the difficulty into which the action oi Imperial officers has landed us in our connection with a foreign foe, then with her last regiment let her remove her Representatives also, and leave the colony to fight its battles in its own way, as untrammelled by British law and British interference — aye, and as Jamaica experience would indicate, by British persecution — as it is unassisted by British aid or sympathy. The colony can only grapple with the native difficulty by setting aside the ordinary law and ordinary methods of civilised warfare, and substituting in their stead more prompt and ready means. BaCHELDER'b DIOABAMA OF PABADIBE Lost. — The Diorama of the " Paradise Lost," exhibited for the first time in Invercargill, at the Theatre Royal last evening, is a work of art of considerable merit. The Diorama consists of a moving display in succession of some fifty magnificent soenic representations taken from one of the greatest and grandest poems extant — the " Paradise Lost," of Milton. The artist. has faithfully and unaffectedly endeavored to portray and place on canvass the bold conceptions and inimitable word paintings of the immortal poat ; and no description, to those who have not seen it, oan convey the thrilling and deep religious feel- , ing produced on the beholder. To add to tiie effect, the conductor, as each new scene cornea forth, very appropriately reads from the poem itself, extracts from which the j artist has taken lm inspirations, and to intensify tho imagination of the enthralled spectator, the band introduces each new scene in this mighty drama with judicious selections from the Oratorio of the Creation. In his treatment of the different subjects the artist has largely, and we think wisely, borrowed from the renowned and celebrated conceptions of Martia and Gustavo Dore, on the same and kindred subjects ; and although to the material ideas and material conceptions of a human, and coruaquently material representation, critical objections may be made, and that on the score that the subjects themselves are immaterial, and consequently cannot properly be represented as such ; yet ' we think that the effect of tho whole, assisted by a proper and sensible appeal to the imagination, must be productive of intense eutertainuiont and benefit to the beholder. We recommend oir readers, and especially children to go and see this diorama. We have heard it objected to, on the score of its being an improper or irreligious exhibition, but a visit will soon dispel this illusion. This diorama in out opinion, far surpassesa that of the American Waft * _.-

Forest Tbees.— The £laiiting.of fotSfjt trees is occupying Borne attention in Canterbury at present where public opinion seems very rally agreed that some step of this -kind iapaecessary to supply the waste of the natural forests of the country. A correspondent of the 'Lyttelton Times,' after advocating the planting; of .bluegums for purposes of Bhelter, concludes by saying : — "Whilst in Christansand , in Norway, eighteen months ago, I observed that many of the street and all the approaches were planted with thriving young linden tree 9, arid ' was informed that all this had been done within the last few years by an amateur local improvement society, subscribing one dollar each annually, never extending their operations beyond the SUffi in hand, and gradually creeping on with the planting till a wonderful change in the appear"* ance of the town had been effected, besides the benefit of Bhade and shelter." : * Flax Culture. — The 'South Australian Advertiser,' of March 27th, saysj— " Mr Maslin, of the Hindmarsh Tiers, in the Encounter Bay District, has left at our office a fine sample of flax grown on his farm. He has been growing flax for the seed, which was used in feeding cattle for several years, shifti'ig the crop from one locality to another, and, singularly enough, though ho has suffered from takeall like his neighbors, this pest has never appeared on land on which flax has been grown. This fact suggests a question which ia ■well worth con* sidering by our farmers. If the cultivation of flax will destroy takeall, it will be of im« mense advantage to"! the colony. During the last year Mr Maslin sowed three acres with flax, and the yield has been from 16 to 20 bushels of seed, and 7 tons of flax straw. The seed was allowed to ripen, and was then gathered, after which the straw was pulled front the fibre. A portion of this straw h«8 been steeped by Mr Maslin, who brought it into town last week and had it • heckled * by Mr Macdonald, and a sample of the result is now at Ouf office, which we shall be glad to show to anyone who may wish to examine it. The fibre is long and strong, and persons able to judge express a high opinion of its quality. We have also a sample of the seed ga*hered from the same crop. We are* with the assistance of gentlemen interested in the subject, collecting further information on the subject of flax culture and preparation for the market, which we hope soon to lay before our readers." Reduction in the Pbice of Sheep. — Sheep in the Timaru district are selling at very low figures. The 'Herald' states that 1000 ewes in the Orari district were sold at Is per head ; 4500 ewes at the Otaio were told for 6d per head ; 180 rams, sold by auction, fetched 1* per head ; and 1000 old ewes were sold for £10, or about 2sd each.