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Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3887, 14 June 1881, Page 2

A' CHIMNEY in the Pacific Hotel conflagrated this morning. A number of firemen were speedily in attendance, and in a few minutes all danger was removed. We would remind our readers of the anniversary soiree this evening in connection with the (Jongregationnl Sabbath School. Addresses will be delivered by the Rev. J. Robertson, M.A., T. Hodgson, and several local clergyman, while selections of sacred music will be given by the choir. The Rev. S. J. Neill preached at Paeroa last Sunday morning aad at Owharoa in the afternoon. Mr Norrie Buoplied the local pulpit. ' The Post and Telegraph offices at Timaru have been amalgamated. Mr E. Cook (late of the Thames) will have charge of the united department, while Mr J. Bull, formerly officer in charge of the Grahanntown Telegraph Office, will be his chief clerk. A pobtion of the Thames High School endowment reserve at Te Aroha, containing 781 a. lr. 4p., haß been exempted from occupation under the Goldmining Districts Act, 1873. A special meeting of the County Council will be held to-morrow afternoon for the purpose of striking a rate for the ensuing year and to take into consideration the notice of motion of Cr Carpenter re the claims of sawmill proprietors to the lands held under timber leases.

The unsightly piece of footpath on the Grahamstown tide of the Karaka Creek, Pollen street west, has been filled up to the permanent level and covered with gravel. The colt imported by Mr W. Bt>bbett from Australia is a fine looking animal. He is at present running on Mr Avery's paddock at Shortland. Let us hope that its plucky owner will have better luck on the turf with him than with previous member* of his racing stud. It is probablfl that another race will take place between the horses Misfortune and Atlanta, the owner of the latter not being satisfied with the result of the race of yester day afternoon. The Thames Scottish Battalion Band are about striking out a new course for themselves and intend giving a promenade concert in the Academy of Music on Thursday evening next. There will not be any charge for admission, and we understand that the proprietor of the Ac 'demy, Mr Curtis, has given the use of the hall free of charge.- This is a very laudable uudei'taking on the part of the Band, and cannot but be duly appreciated by the citizenSj who we are sure will attend in numbers. The teachers of the Waio-Karaka School, upou the occasion of Miss McNiece being transferred to the Kauaeranga Girls' School, presented her wifch a very handsome pair of earrings and - a brooch. Miss MoNiece has been in the WaioUhi district for a number of years, and under the head-master, Mr G N. Phillip*, since he took charge of the Waio-Karaka school. This young lady was a great favorite with her fellow teachers and her pupils, and regret was expressed that the Board of Education had thought fit to remove her to another school. By the Roloinahina this morning Miss Lilian Souter left for her parents' home at the Waikato. Mies Souter has for some time been on the teaching staff of the Kauaerangu Girls' School, and a' large number of her former associates and pupils aaw her off. Mr D. A. Tole notifies in another column the sale of suburban and rural lands in the To Aroha district, and lands open for selection under the Homestead Act near Tapu. W. Beiiis, junr., master pro tern of the Patiki, writes to Us as follows: —"In this morning's Adrertiser an effusion appears signed 'Passenger,' stating that 'there was nothing to prevent the p.s. Patiki from calling at the Qrauamatown wlurf on Saturday,' also a lot of other bunkum.' Now if 'Passenger' will sign his name the public may perhaps be ablajto judge if he,is capable of .expressing an opinion on maritime affairs. ' The petition praying for an alteration in the constitution of the Auckland College and Grammar Soaool was despatched by mail on Saturday to Sir G-eorge Grey for presentation. It had attached to it, 943 names, all of them obtained within a weak without special effort, indeed, we believe tlie majority of those signing came to attach their names. Very few petitions which have left Auckland have been so innueatially signed.—Herald.

Me CoLaouN re entered upon his duties as head teacher at the Waiotahi Creek School morning. It will he remembered that Mr Colhoun bad been allowed a holiday by the School Committee in consideration of his taking upon himself the duties and responsibilities of the married state, and, having fulfilled his share of that contract and spent his holiday and boneyraoDn, he returned to take up his usual duties as teacher in charge of the Waiotahi Creek School. However, his fellow teachers and scholars, besides attending to school duties, found time in his absence to prepare a little surprise for him, and a pretty present for his young wife ; and so this morning, while Mr Grrigg was giving hia lust singing lesson, and while their teacher was absent a moment, the children quietly placed up >n his table a very pretty eleutro-platod cake basket, large salver, and a toast rack. The look of surprise and wqnder on the face of Mr Colhoun when he returned to thp class room was a study, and the joy of the children in witnessing the surprise of their teacher was iuoh that they could scarcely control LhemselTes from breaking out in cheers aid laughter. Mrs Osbaldstoiie then, in a very neat speech, presented the pjate to Mr (Mhoup, after which the children cheered and testified their joy in a mott enthusiastic manner. Mr Colhoun replied, returning thanks for the present and expressing his appreciation of the rhoughtfulness and kindness of his fellow teachers uud liib scholars.

The manager of the Luck's All Company call an extraordinary meeting for the sth of July next to consider the question of amalgamation, end winding up of the company.

Tottchstonb in the Saturday Advertiser says : —ln the .(Governor's speech last session, the Ministry sketched out their programme thus:—"Bills will be presented to you for consolidating and amending the licensing laws of the Colony ; for placing the administration of hospitals aid, on a,found footing ; for com* plating the changes in the electoral law which were commenced in the last session of Parliament ; for readjusting the representation of the people ; and lor amending the laws affecting the dealing with Native Lands, and the constitution of the Native Land Court." Not one oi these pledges was fulfilled. The promidos were only waste paper. The mas» sacre of the innocents was terrible. So many Bills were stubbed and destroyed that the wags in the lobby said the Ministers were only a set of bill stickers. And yet the hon. the Premier, in addressing his constituents, had-the'cheek to say the session was not a barren one. After going o?er mush ground in attempting to answer some Opposition chaff, the Premier indicated the measure for consideration next session, which are a bald repetition of the Bills withdrawn la/t year; but after the manipulation of the bill-stickers in past days, I have no confidence in their seriousness No bill will be passed but such as they cannot avoid. The last session of an expiring Parliament affords too ready an excuso tor relegating as much as possible to the new Parliament. Teg remains of Edward Cole, who had been mi cuing from Gn-ymouth, were found at Brunnerton in a rather singular manner. The Argus states thai George Crawford went to clear cut a culvert that was choked with sludge and sai-jd.. The hole was between sft and 6ft deep, and the culvert one foot square. When working with his shovel he oame across a piece of cloth, and immediately after found that the culvert had been partly choked by the body of a man. The feet were iußide the culvert, which was quite htopped up by deceased's legs. It is supposed deceased fell into the hole accidentally, and that before he could extricate himself he was smothered with water and sludge. The Daily Times in a leader, blindly laudatory of Mr Hall's speech becomes gushing with gratitude. It says, "It is indeed well for the Colony that we at laet have a Government firm enough to resist local pressure for (he expenditure of money." This in the face of last yeur's Estimates with an expendion and about Taranuki ol a quarter of a million, at the expense ot the rest of the Colony, wus too mnch for me, and I laughed outright, until my mother-in-law asked what I was grinning about—that I should waken the baby.—Touchstone.

We have before us the prospectus of the Wynaad Gold Mining Company, of India, in which the following paragraph appears:— Owing to the f yorable conformation of the surface, the reefs on one fide of the mountain can easily be worked from the surface by selfdraining adits, und elsewhere it is intended to work by. tunnelling on the principle adopted by the experienced manager of the Indian Gold Mining Company iof Gluagow), Mr H. A. Severn, 1< V.B.G\S. It is expected that at a moderate depth the quartz will yield several ounces of gold to the ton.