Echoes from Ellesmere.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4880, 21 December 1883, Page 4

Echoes from Ellesmere.

[FBOM OTTB DOYLBSTON OOBBESPOHDBHT.] Deo. 20. The Ellesmere Begatta, to be held on New Year's Day at the Fishermen's Point on Lake Elleemere, engrosses general interest. Xhe lako, in every way, far surpasses Lyttelton Harbour frr the purposes of an aquatio meeting, and there is no doubfc but that at next year's meeting the open prizes will be of suoh a naturo aB to draw competitors from a greater distanoe even than Lyttelton. The programme will inolude four sailing raoes, three (if not four) rowing races, a monkey raoe, a swimming race, walking a greasy boom, a tilting matoh, and other events of a like entertaining description. There ia a very dangerous point on the main road to Leeston from Doyieston, where the railway line crosses the road, and it is a great wonder that more accidents do not oocur on tbis branch line. The other day a storekeeper's van was in the sot of crossing the line ,at this point when the afternoon train hove in sight, and, but for the promptitude of the engine-driver and guard in putting down the breaks, a fatal aooident must have occurred, lhe young man who waa driving the van got a scare which will last him his life time. " Killed by a fish " would make a good "Yellow-baok" title, for truth is often stranger than fiction. A gentleman who lately died very suddenly in the Ellesmere distriot owed his death to hiß love of *' Izaak's " gentle art. He had purohased, a day or two before, a perfeot fishing outfit in Christchuroh, and went down to the Selwyn on the first opportunity. M'William's flies were so attractive that a large fish rose at the first cast, and, after some time, broke away from the lino, to the great chagrin of our late friend, whose exoitement was bo intense that the sudden oollapse of his tackle oauaed his death — heart disease, of course, being the primary cause, aggravated by the unexpected lost of the fish. Tbe Southbridge Ohoral Society have at last fixed upon a night for their seoond ooncert; at the Town Hall, Southbridge. Boxing Night, or the night after Christmas, is the evening seleoted. The proceeds of the enter* tainment, the hon Secretary, Mr B. Park, announces, will be devoted to tho aid of the Cox family. Xo be appropriate, the evening's entertainment ought to wind up with " Bex and Oox."

The Board of Conservators for the North Bakaia Distriot, if they do not mind their stops, are in a fair way to beoome engaged in an unenviable law suit, owing to tho wording of a roport published at the laet meeting of tho Board of Conservators for the distriot above-mentioned. The Secretary to the Board happens to be a member of a Southbridge firm, who olaim some interest in or against one of the Board's tenants, and the Secretary, as Seoretary to the Bakaia Conservators' Board, had in bis possession one of these tenants' leases. The lessor gets into some pecuniary diflloulty, and the Seoretary to the Board, bo the other side say, lays claim to any interest pertaining to this lease on behalf of hia firm, and io total oblivion of the Board's right to the deed in question 5 henoe the tangled skein whioh wili have to be disentangled by his Worship the 8.M., unless cause is sho wn to the contrary. Oome months ago a publio entertainment was given in the Town Hall, Doyieston, to speed the parting guest, in the shape of Mr Job Osborne, who waa leaving for a trip to the Old Oountry. He returned by the Tongariro, better in health and spirit?, and echoing tlie sentiments of a Latin poet, that travelling emollit mores, ko.