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Southland Times, Issue 1689, 14 January 1873, Page 2

At a meeting of the residents at Appleby, held on Saturday night, Mr Dalrymple reported that he had telegraphed to Sir Commissioner Weldon, requesting him to appoint somu» person to act in accordance with the provisions of the Thistle Ordinance, and that Mr Weldon had replied that he could not comply with the request. The meeting then decided to appoint some one to' serve the necessary notice on owners and occupiers of land to eradicate all thistles on their property. A list was submitted containing the subscriptions of several landowners towards the expense connected with the movement. From the Upper Waiau we learn that the, larger stations have all nearly completed shearing, the weather baring bsen unusually fine throughout, and it is anticipated that the smaller sheds will also be finished during the current week — an earlier close than has ever been previously attained. Our Riverton correspondent, writing on the 23rd December, stated that two .lads had informed the police constable stationed in that town of their discovery of a human skeleton on the beach. The constable went with one of the boys on the 24th to the place. indicated, but they could not find the skeleton, and supposed that it might have been covered by the sand, which was drifting before an unusually high wind. These facts were accurately stated by us as they occurred. The Southland News, in its issue of Siturday last, desoi'ies the story as a hoax, invented by ourselves, by which the police had been put to a good deal of trouble. The writer of the paragraph of course knew that he was concocting and publishing a deliberate falsehood, to serve a purpose* We make no further comment than to say that this practice is by no means uncommonly followed by the paper in question, when an object, however paltry, appears likely to be gained by adopting it. * Ifc has been decided that the Invereargill .autumn race meeting shall beheld at Wallacetown on the 27 th and 28th of Febrmry next. We are pleased to observe thit Mr J. Ti Martin, of the Black Eagle Brewery, Invereargill, has obtaine t the second prize for a hog£head of ale exhibited by hitn at the interpro\incial exhibition hell ia Ohridtohuwh. Mr Thomas Low, jun., residing at Fernhill station, Wakatipu, has been appointed an honorary inspector of sheep for the province of Otago. At the meeting of the Land Board on Friday, the application of Malcolm Robertson for 70 acres in the Forest Hill Hundred, was granted. The News on Saturday last, appears to have been laboring under some abnormal mental conditions, the meeting of the Old Wakatipu Company being announced in its local columns for Sunday evening last ! As stated in our issue of the 7th inst., the new Waste Land Board for Otago is composed of the following members : — Messrs John L. Butterworth, Henry Clark, A. W. Morris, A. C, Strode, and W. A. Tolmie. It is said that Mr Waterhouse will take the portfolio of Colonial Secretary on Mr Hall's resignation. Mr Waterhouse denies that he hasany intention of seeking a seat in the House of Representatives. The suburbs of Melbourne must be rapidly increasing in importance. The last mail from Victoria brought us a copy of the North Mcl bourne Advertiser, a weekly sheet of respectable dimensions, got up in a very creditable manner, and of which our old friend, Mr C. H. Reynolds, formerly of Invereargill, is the proprietor. Tha Wakatip Mail of the Bth inst. says that harvest operations had commenced in the Lake district. The wheat harvest (9ays the Timaru Herald) is unusually early this season, being some three weeks in advance of that in ordinary years. A*; the Company's station, at the Pareora, the reaping of some 490 acres was commenced on the 3rd init. The annual meeting of the Presbyterian Synod of Otago and Southland will be opened in Dunedin to-day. The Evangeli&t anticipates important results from the deliberations of this meeting, which, it hopes, will greatly increase the efficiancy of the Church. Tn addition to the interesting matters arising out of the reports of tlie standing committees on the state of religion, tempera cc, missions, sustentation fund, sanctioning of new charges, _ &0., special interest attaches to the reports which will be brought up respecting Si bath schools, the employment of lay agents, the adoption of a hymn book, and the adoption of forms of procedure. Several very important overtures will also be brought under consideration relating to the provision which is to be made for the teaching of students of theology, the administration of the ordinance of baptism, and the establishment of a fund for assisting aged and infirm ministers.

These and many other matters which will demand consideration will necessitate economy in time anl speech, in order to avoid unusual length of session. The lanl required for the Invereargill and Mataura Railway was purchased by the Grovernment for a sum slightly over £500. Eight seamen and one marine desertel from H.M.S. Bido during her stay at Port Chalmers. Previncial institutions in Auckland, according to the New Zealand Herald, " are fairly starved out." The yield of gold in the province of Otago during the year 1872 was .161,024 ozs 14 dwts. In 1871 the yield was 158,115 ozs 17 dwts. The secret of the successful smelting of the iron sand at Onehunga is said to be in the peculiar construction of the furnace The price of gas in Adelaida hae lately been reduced to 8s 6d per 1 000 cubio feet. It is said that the Rev. Dr Begg, of Edinburgh, has been compelled to delay bis intended visit to ' Otago for another year. Another serious reaping machine accident is reported from Canterbury. A man at work on the Pareora station had one of hia legs so mangled by a machine of the kind, that it had to be amputated below the knee. Ihe other leg was also much cut. A family at Greytown, Wairarapa, have had "a narrow escape from poisoning from eating preserved rhubarb. Severe symptoms for a time existed, but ultimately they recovered under the care of Dr Welch. It is remarkable, the Wellington Independent observes, how people will persist in eating imported preserves of any kind, when, by a trifling expenditure of money and labor, they can produce a much superior article. Extreme care should always be taken that the part next the tin be not eaten. The acid of preserves dissolves the tin, producing iv some cases a deadly poison. "An Old Teacher," writing to the Southern Cross on educational matters, says : — " By all means let us have a strong central authority to protect a teacher from the too-oft repeated tyranny of committees, or of individuals who rule committees. ~ There was, and there is now, a good deal of sacerdotal slave- driving. By many, a teacher is looked as no better than a servant, who should clean boots and shake carpets for his superiors." With respect to the Fiji labor traffic, the Levuka correspondent of the Warrnambool Examiner writes : — " In spite of recent events , more labor chan ever is comin » to Fiji- This is, I think, owing to the fact of a large number having returned to their homes who have been well treated and well paid, and they giving a good account of the place to their frion Is, have caused a large nurabsr to come and try their fortunes in Fiji. If the labor tra ie was always conducted on the square, there would be no difficulty whatever in getting any quantity of laborers. But some people prefer killing the goose for the golden egg." The Melbourne Telegraph says : — A mystery hangs over the fate of that famous mariner, Captain John Gray. The additional telegram published to- day tells us that no human eye witnessed the catastrophe, whatever it wa9. Captain Gray retired to his cabin ill, and in the morning he was missing, and one of the stern 'windows of the cabin was open. Foul play, wo presume, is out of tho question, no- mention being made of the faintest suspicion of crime, and it 's difficult to conceive o^ any creature having a grudge against the good-hearted sailor. Whether for some unknown purpose he was gazing out on the waters and over-balanced himsel*, or dropped in a fit, or whether under the influence of mania he jumped into the dejp, we shall never positively ascertain. IS or is there much to be gained by endeavoring to penetrate the mystery. The thing we do know about Captain Gray is Lis life, and that wou him everyone's respect and affection. Mr Mussen, photographer, has return d from his up-country tuur, and haa resumed business iv his studio, Dou-street.