SWITZERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 70, 12 June 1869, Page 3

SWITZERS.

(From our Own Correspondent.)

The entertainment on Friday night for the benefit of the School, was a complete success ; the fire balloon, a perfect master-piece of workmanship made by Mr. Cooper, whilorne of Tuapeka, went up splendidly, it was forty-five feet in circumference and sixteen feet high, it was long before it went out of sight. The acting was not quite up to the professional standard, bub every credit is due to the ladies and gentlemen, who so indefatigably devoted their time to so good an object. The prologue written for the occasion by a resident, was delivered by Mr. Bailey. The pieces performed were, " Bowled Out " and Model Lodgings." Mr/ Dean, the Schoolmaster, acquitted himself admirably on the piano, and contributed greatly to the success of the entertainment by one or two songs. Several of the School children also displayed their rapid advance in this accomplishment, by taking parts in glees, &c. much to to the admiration of the audience. Mrs. Moffat and Mrs. Vial also sang some very sweet songs. The net proceed will be over £20, but the exact amount is not known yet. An inquest has been commenced today, 7th June, on the body of a miner, named Bolton, who was crushed by a fall of earth, but lingered a day or two under the care of Dr. McCrystal, whose efforts, however, were unav iling to save htm. The inquest was held with closed doors ; but some queer revelations transpired, which induced the Jury to request an adjournment to allow of a post mortem, and some one will be sent to your district to-morrow to bring up a medical practitioner to conduct the examination. The adjournment is until Friday next, so you will hardly get the result in time for your next publication.

A young man, lately in the employment of Mr. J. Butterfield, butcheT, here, is in jail on a charge of embezzling 3s. from his employer. He has been locked up a week, owing to the absence of the E.M., but his ease comes on to-morrow. The lad's statement is that he received the money, and when he returned home had either lost it or spent it, he had money about him of his own at the time, and have spent that amount more than belonged to him ; but on rendering account for other monies the same day, he told his master to deduct the 3a. from his

wages, of which 30s. were due. A few days after he left the employment, and entered the service of another butcher. Butterfield sees him in the street and assaults him with a stockwhip, severely maltreating him; the boy then went to the police for a summons for assault, which his late master hearing of,, he has him arrested on the charge of embezzlement, and so quashes for the present the civil action. It seems that in the final settlement of the wages, both parties had forgotten to reckon the 3s. in question. Of course I onlf give you this as the boy's statement; and would not have stated it so minutely, but that there is much talk about it in the neighbourhood at present. The new road commmittee are doing their work well on Carnie's Hill • the sea of mud which divided one side of street from the other, last winter, will have no chance of developing itself this season. It is a pity that some similar improvement cannot be carried out on Frenchman's Hill. Our Popular Eeadings have been discontinued for a time — till the worst of the winter season has past. They were very successful, and were carried out with commendable spirit to the very last. The following memorial has been forwarded to the Superintendent. We expect the local papers will cordially support so reasonable a request : — To His Honour Jame Macandrew, Esq., Superintendent of the Province of Otago, New Zealand. The respectful Memorial of the undersigned Applicants for Agricultural Leases in the district of Waikaia, Switzers, Sheweth, That your Memorialists have some time since made applications and paid the required deposits for the survey of Agricultural Leases on the Waikaia Flat, for the purpose of settlement thereon. That a Surveyor in the G-overnment service, was instructed to survey our respective areas — that said survey was commenced, but the Surveyor being suddenly recalled, the work has been left unfinished, and the areas stil remain unsurveyed. That your Memorialists are suffering great inconvenience and loss through their leases not being surveyed, as they cannot tell where to run their fences ; several of them have erected homesteads on the ground, and look to the crops expected from the soil as a means of subsistence for their wives and families. That unless the Government cause the survey to be immediately made, the next season's crops will be lost to your Memorialists, as they cannot plough the land until they have their boundaries defined. Your Memoralists, therefore, pray that your Honour will be pleased to lay the matter at once before the Executive Council, or take such other steps as may cause the Agricultural Areas applied for in this district to be surveyed without any further loss of time. (Flere follows the signatures of all the Agriculturists in the district.)