BLUE SPUR.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 34, 3 October 1868, Page 3

BLUE SPUR.

(From our Own Correspondent. )

A meeting of the Committee of the Presbyterian Church was held in the school on the evening of Thursday last. There were present Messrs. French, Brydie, White, Curregh, Ealston, M'Lelland (Secretary) and Matthews (Tresurer). Mr. M'Lelland occupied the chair. The business of the meeting was opened with prayer. Minutes of former meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. John Taylor, of Grabriels, was elected a member of Committee, in the room of Mr. Fulton, resigned. The meeting was one of gratulation ; in the first place, the subscriptions to the Sustentation Fund had exceeded their expectation. "When the Committee were elected in May last, they considered that an effort should be made to raise at least £50 annually ; they had a reason to hope that there would be little difficulty in raising this sum, and it was hardly to be expected that more could be accomplished, as the different denominations were supplied with gospel privileges according to their several orders and forms. However, the result shows an annual contribution to that fund of £62. An extraordinary effort was made to wipe oft" £200 of the debt upon the church at Lawrence, and towards this amount the Blue Spur district has contributed the handsome sum of £95 3s. 6d., and the church door collections amount to upwards of £8. I may just be allowed to say here, that we are amply supplied with gospel ordinances. I believe it will be found, upon comparing this district with the most favored, that we "are paying more for the support of the gospel than any other district of the same population. It will no doubt be said that the people are highly favored because of their auriferous wealth ; granted, but they are also favored with a liberal disposition. You .will probably say this is a digression, and cannot have anything to do with the business o,f the meeting ; but it has all to do with it, as it is necessary to ,bring out the elements of cohesion and sympathy with institutions of the highest order. A few forms were wanted for the church, and the timber merchant gave the timber at cost price, and a" member of Committee gave the work. You are aware that it is not raj forte to chronicle the doings of the* miners ; suffice to say that I hear no complaints, so I must conclude they are all making their "pile." There is much sickness in and around the Spur at the present time, which takes the form of croup, and comes on very suddenly ; many children and adults also go to bed all right, and before morning can. scarce utfcer a word. Many .children are dangerously ill.