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Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3066, 12 December 1878, Page 2

Yeotebday a large number of competitors for the. Committee's prizes to the scholars attending the common schools of the distrist assembled at the Tararu School for examination in arithmetic, which was the last of the subject* the competitors were, examined in. The Erizes will be awarded at the Kauaeranga oys' School on the occasion of its annual breaking up.. ■ ■■' • -

Mb James Cbaig sold the Black Angel Company's ground by auction to-day, the purchaser being Mr J. E. Smith (manager of the Waiotahij on behalf, it is stated, of the Alburnia G.M.Cq. The price was £2CD, so that the directors will be able to pay a dividend of about Is per share after clearing off all liabilities.

These occurred at the meeling of the Borough Council last evening an incident well worthy of chronicling should the annals of the town ever be written. We refer to the handsome gift ot land to the town, fora site for the Home for Des'itote Children, made by Mr Murdoch, a wealthy settler of the Kauaeranga Valley, and it is worthy of remark that this is the first donation of land ever made to the town by a private individual. The piece of land Mr Murdoch could easily have turned into money, so that his generous donation is all the more .creditable to him. It is to be hoped the gift will have the effect of inducing others " to go and do likewise."

We hear that the Taranaki Cricketers may be expected to play here about the 9th January, by which time it is to be hoped the local team will be in form to redeem their laurels.

It is intended, we learn, to have an organ recital in S. George's Church on 20th inst. In addition to the instrumental performances, there will be given a selection of anthems, solos and other sacred music by members of the choir, assisted by Mrs Stannier and others from Auckland. A great treat is in store for the lovers of sacred harmony.

There will be no lack of amusement for some time to come judging by the announcements in the papers, and the attractive posters on the walls. The International Circus will be the first attraction. They will erect their tent on the vacant ground near the Thames School, and open oh Saturday. Circuses have a pre-enriient attraction for juveniles, and the Iniejpational, with its " stud of highly-irfined horses" and "20 star artistes" xhould prove irresistible. Mr Balph Levoi, the advance agent, is here making arrangements for the appearance 'of the company.

The man Paul, who ran away from his wife some month* ago, returned yesterday, and was arrested on a charge of wife desertion, and was brought up to the Court this morning to answer the charge. He was reiranded. His unfortunate wife appeared in Court in a fearfoppemaciated condition. „,-.".-,'.

Mb Swanson, M.H.R., sent the following characteristic letter to Mr Woods, composer of the\N .Z. Anthem :—"'l think it would have been an improvement, not in the words or mu'ric, but in the dedication, had the youth of New Zealand appeared in place of the very worthy nojleman whose name figures so conspicuously on the title page. ■ It may be my stupidity, but I never heard of an act he did that I would care to imitate, nor of a word he said which was worthy of being remembered. There may be plenty cf both, but they are at present to be set down among a rather ldnjf list of things not generally known. My belief-is the Anthem will do for him what the authorised version of the Bible did for the memory of James I.: kept his name before tens of thousands who never would have heard of or cared about him, had he not had something to do with the translation of a book which is all but intevery house in Great Britain." . ;.

" J2gh.es " in the Australasian writes : —" My Gundabooka correspondent (by the way, whub. of the daily journals has a correspondent the-e p) says that a genial squatter sent up a pet. cask of prime old wine of the country to his station. He considered that the warmth- of the climate .would give it the finishing touch as the West Indies voyage used to improve the south-side Madiera. When the squatter with a discriminating palate visited his station a twelvemonth later he tapped the cask, and found that his first and ssveral lower gimblet-holes drew blank. There were about t'aree gallons remaining. Inquiring of his manager (who had never enjoyed the privilege of an introduction to Mr Buir-. nett) bow this result had been achieved, that canny person remarked that he had had imagined that the cask contained vinegar, and he supposed " the cook had used it." " 'Pon my soul," said Logfence, " your salads and cold meat must have tasted uncommonly well! What you and the cook have been kind enough to leave is the best Burgundy it hag ever been my privilege to drink. 11 The proprietor's; sarcasm was quite lost upon Bricknbse, who said with a chuckle, "I'd sooner drink Glenlivat." ' '