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Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 99, 27 November 1878, Page 2

G-ebaldine County Couxcm. —The members of this Council have been summoned to meet at the Road Board Office, Temuka, at 10 a.m. on the 10th December next for the transaction of preliminary business. St. Saviour's Church. —A special choral service will be held in this church to-morrow evening. A collection will be made, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the establishment of a choir fund. Hitherto the members of the choir have had to obtain music in an irregular manner from the vestry. A choir fund would place them in a less dependent position. It will be nothing more than justice if the congregation subscribe liberally to the fund, for the choir has worked hard and successfully to provide good music for their fellow worshippers. MiLromi ScnooL Committee. —A special meeting of the above Committee was held in the school-room on Monday evening, November 25th. Members present —W. Christmas (chairman), Messrs John May, T. "White, and 2V. Colville. A letter was read from the Board of Education, authorising the expenditure of £26 for repainting the school buildings and repairing chimney, &c. It was resolved that the services of the Board's architect be declined with thanks, the Committee undertaking to superintend the work, and that tenders be called for at once. A Sao Marriage.—A marriage took place in Temuka last Sunday under circumstances such as seldom surround that important ceremony. Marriages are usually occasions of merriment and feasting ; this one, on the contrary, was consummated amidst pain and tearfulness. The bride has been for several months confined to her bed by a terrible disease from which she is scarcely expected to recover, and for which she lately underwent a dangerous surgical operation. During those months her affianced has been most assiduous in his endeavors to alleviate her sufferings. His devotion chafed at the restrictions whioh his position placed upon his attentions, and his affectionate impulses drove him to remove them by the only efficient course open to him. As the husband of the afflicted lady he will have, in the eyes of society, a better right to minister to her needs than lie had before. It is useless to hold up such devotion as an example to be followed in similar oases. It cannot be emulated ; but it can be honored and reverenced even by those who doubt whether they could bo so unselfish and devoted. May his faithfulness bo rewarded by her spoedy recovery. Burton's Circus. —-This cirous appeared in Temuka on Monday evening, and was very well attended. The advance agent by some mistake advertised higher prices for admission than those usually charged, or were intended to be charged. This mistake caused the absence of a good many who, having beard and read high enoomums on the performances of Burton's company, desired to witness them for themselves. Two or three shil'ings spent on the family, are of themselves ' ; neither here nor there," but when ordinary charges are increased by those few shillings, paterfamilias will inevitably jib at the extra strain. It was a pity that any were disappointed, for the performance was very enjoyable, and had some features of especial merit. The performance commenced with lofty somersaults by the company over cloths, and over one, two, three, four, five, and six horses. Many of the audience must have been pleased to see again the peculiar sidewise somersaulting and tumbling of Loyal, who passed through New Zealand with Cooper and Bareys's company. The tumbling of the whole company was very clever, and ener-£-ii:-:illT p ■:formed, M ■-«> Walballn.

Maflit, and Lazelie, deserved, and obtained, loud applause for their graceful and daring acrobat-ism.. They "piled themselves into a three-storey figure, and with the top one I'psi'le down, apparently with the greatest ease and safety, and the comic hat trick of the two first, pleased as well as when seen a short time ago on the same ground. The horsemanship wh oxtremolv _c-ond. Young Australia rides very prettily and fearlessly. He will become, Li: accident, a famous rider as he gains His representation of the English foxhunter was much applauded, as its neatness dese.ved. The trick horses are very interesting, being trained to do many clever things. Two of them walked on their hind legs quite as easily as trained dogs do. One pleasing point about the horses was their good condition. The animals used in 'the ring—-most of them cream-coloured—looked pictures of health. Taking into consideration the amount of ' knocking about thei.t travels imply, this fact tells much in Mr Burton's favour. A monkey rider, whose steed was a dog, created great amusement by his evident attempts to imitate the leaping on and off the back of his dog while going at full speed. Mr Wilson's balancing on a slack wire appeared to be a difficult feat easily performed. The weakest part of the company, judging by their doings on Monday night, are the clowns. Their sayings and doings were very second-rate, the very best buffooneries would be spoiled if delivered in the harsh, loud tones we heard the other night. Perhaps our Canterbury climate has spoiled the clowns' voices. Having lately had to speak so as to make themselves heard throughout a large tent while winds wore roaring outside, they have acquired the habit of almost shouting, and forget to lay it aside on calm evenings. Accident at Wainci.—An accident of a very serious nature happened to Mrs Hay, sen., of Pigeon Pay, on Friday evening. Mrs Hay was on her way to visit some friends at Wainui in a dog cart, which her son Mr Thomas Hay was driving. While passing the Native reserve at Wainui, the wheels of the vehicle came violently into contact with a stone on the road, breaking one of the springs, and throwing the occupants of the dog-cart from their seats. After being conveyed to Mr A. C. Knight's house, Mrs Hay was seen by'Dr Guthrie, of Akaroa, who found that her thigh bone was broken. Dr Guthrie considered the injuries so serious that he at once sent- to Christ-church for additional medical assistance. Later intelligence states that Mrs Hay is not expected to live.—' Press.'

Drowned ix Lytteltox Hakbor.—A very melancholy accident occurred on Saturday at Lyttelton. The caretaker of the Quarantine Station at i.'uail Island, whose name is Thomas Handoock, came oyer to Lyttelton on Saturday morning to dispose of vegetables, of which lie grows a large number, and to do other business. About halfpast two in the afternoon lie started to return, having previously reefed the sail in his boat, as the wind was strong and squa'ly from ?he S. W. There was a high sea running, but he managed the boat all right going across, and got safely round the Point and within a few hundred yards of his home. His wife, who was sitting in his cottage in a room facing the sea, with her children round her, saw him coming. When she looked round again, however, the boat had capsized, and her husband was astride upon it. He must have felt it gradually sinking under him, for he cared out to her twice, but of course itwas impossible for her to render him any aid, and in a few minutes both boat and man had sunk. The poor woman, who hud only her children with her on the island, endeavored to attract the attention of those on the mainland by lighting fires. Some ballast-men saw her, reported tlie occurrence at Lyttelton, and a boat went over and brought Mrs Handcock and her children to Lyttelton. Intelligence was sent to Mr March, and yesterday morning he came down and went over to the island in the steam launch Lyttelton. The boat was found in about eight feet of water, some 300 yards from the shore. It was raised, and found to contain a bushel of wheat and to be well ballasted, so that it was certain to sink after a short interval if it was capsized. No trace of the body of deceased was found. Handcock was about 30 years of age. He was quite sober when he left Lyttelton on Saturday. It is supposed the boat capsized in a puff, as the sheet was found fast when the boat was found yesterday, —- ' Press.'

Fatiiek llenxeijeruy.—This successsful apostle of temperance opened a mission in Auckland on Sunday last. His marquee, specially constructed for the occasion, and capable of holding -1000 persons, was crowded. His mission is to last three weeks, and during that time throe services will be held every day.

Strange Accident.—A valuable mare, the property of Mr G-uild, of Ohoka, met her death on Wednesday last under somewhat singular circumstances. The mare, ■which was Tory high spirited, was standing near a post and rail fence, when, being irritated by another animal, she suddenly reared and moved forward, falling with her whole weight upon one of the posts, which literally impaled her. On being lifted off the fence she died in a very few moments. The National Agricultural Association. —The delegates appointed by the various Agricultural Associations of the Southern provinces met at Oamaru on Saturday last, and gave a definite start and shape to the project for forming an agricultural society of wide aims and extensive usefulness. For the present, owing to the physical diffieuly presented by Cook Strait, the labours of the Association will be confined to the Middle Island. That difficulty will be lessened by and by, and the whole of New Zealand will be able to share in the benefits of the proposed society, Tho chairman of the meeting of delegates (the Hon. M. Holmes) sum. marised the grounds for founding such a society thus : —The natural advantages of the colony —such as climate and fertility—place us in a position to oompeto with all other countries in the markets of the world ; but to do so permanently, and with any tiling like an adequate return for the capital devoted to the purpose, it is necessary that we should have everything of the best and do everything in the best possible way. I have already pointod out how in Britain similar societies tend to seouro this result, and analogy would lead to the best anticipations for our own, and justly so, for such societies mean placing the knowledge and results of the best at the disposal of all. It was proposed to make Christchurch the headquarters, and the ' New Zealand County Journal' the organ, of the Association. As soon as 400 members are enrolled, steps will be taken for the election of officers and the decision as to the holding of the first show. Tho annual subscription was fixed at one guinea, a subscription of ten guineas giving a life membership. A committee of fifteen, representing most or all of the Southern societies, was chosen to give effect to the resolutions passed and to draft a constitution and rulos for the Association.

Sale ov Waijiate Plains.—A large vnd influential deputation waited on the Native Minister last Monday morning, with reference to the holding of the sale of the Waimato Plains at New Plymouth. Mr Sheehan said he would communicate the wishes of tho deputation to the Department, but thought that the sale be hold in Wellington. Tho deputation nUo f-liat 1000 irnmi-

grants might be sent to Taranaki, as well as 250 single girls as servants, as there was a great scarcity of all kinds of labor, in Taranaki. This Mr Sheehan said he would-attend to, and as it was feared there would apt be labor enough to get in the harvest,'' he promised that some men should be sent there from Otago and the West Coast.