LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 105, 12 February 1870, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The English Mail arrived in Dunedin on Sunday last. A skylark is reported to have been heard in the vicinity of Oamaru. The Oamaru races will take place on the 17th instead of the 23rd of March, as previously notified. The balance-sheet showing the state of the accounts of the Church of England here will be advertised in this journal next week. On the 2nd of March, section 1 of 23, block 11, AVaitahuna West district, will be sold by public auction at the Land Office, Dunedin. The Rev. Mr, Menzies will deliver a lecture in the Tuapeka Athenaeum, on the evening of Tuesday next, at 8 o'clock, on " Proverbs in General." "We observe the Clutha Ferry races are advertised for the 3rd and 4th of March. This will clash with Switzers races, which come off on the 4th and sth, and as the stakes are tempting, we fear the Clutha may lose some good racers. We are informed by the secretary of the Tuapeka Cricket Club that the return match with the Waitahuna Club will take place on the Tuapeka cricket ground on Thursday next, wickets to be pitched at 10 a.m. Should the weather prove fine, we anticipate a large number of spectators, as the content is likely to be a very keen one. By advertisement in another column, it will be perceived that the Rev. E. G. Edwards, M.A., of Dunedin, will perform divine service in the Schoolhouse, Blue Spur, to-morrow morning at 11 o'clock, and at Lawrence at half-past 7 in the evening. We are glad to hear that our Church of England friends have every prospect of a clergyman being shortly settled amongst them. Dog -poisoning is not confined to Tuapeka, as the following paragraph from the " Otago Daily Times " will show :--" Mr. Wheatley, of the Kakanui Wool- Works, advertises that he will give £20 for such information as shall lead to the conviction of the person or persons concerned in the poisoning of two valuable dogs, belonging to him. One of these was a purebred greyhound bitch, a cup-winner, for which long prices have been refused by the owner." The "Argus" reports the heaviest flood which has been in the Cromwell district for some years past. It took place on Thursday and Friday, the 27th and 28th ult. All outdoor work was completely suspended. The Clutha and Kawaru rivei'S rose many fret above their usual summer level. A large quantity of drift wood was brought down from Lake Wakatip, and on Saturday a considerable number of juveniles were busily engaged fishing out the fragments of timber for firewood— a very scarce commodity in Cromwell. Travellers, who have not been up the Teviot road for some time, will notice the number of houses that are springing up along the roadside, both public and private. Amongst the former they will observe that neat little structure designated the Blue Mountain Hotel, situated at the corner of the Tapanui short track, kept by Mr. Geo. Rogers, whose long residence in the distiict ought to gain him a fair share of patronage. This house will prove a comfortable resting place for both man and beast, who have had a day's travelling over the Blue Mountains. From the Government Advertisement Sheet we notice that auction sales of unsold sections in the following townships will take place on the days noted below :— Roxburgh, at noon, March 2nd, on the ground ; Alexandra, at noon, March 4th, at the Court House ; Clyde, at noon, March oth, at the Court House ; Wakaia (Switzers), at noon, March 2nd, on the ground; Tapanui, at noon, Jlfarch 4th, on the ground • Lawrence, at noon, March 7th, at the Court House : Wetherstones, at noon, March Bth, on the ground ; Beaumont, a noon, March 9th, on the ground ; Havelock, at noon, March 11, on the ground ; Dalhousie, at noon, March 12th on the ground ; Waipori, at noon, March 16th, on the ground. A list of sections will appear in future Advertisement Sheet. It is with regret that we have to add another to the many deaths from drowning which have formed too large a proportion of the mortality list of the colony during the past year. On Sunday last, a son of Mr. Brunton, of Lawrence was drowned while bathing in Blundell's dam. The circumstances under which this fatal accident occurred, and which will be found detailed m another column, were painful in the extreme. The poor lad was drowned with his schoolmates looking on, and powerless to render "any assistance. The boy was serving an apprenticeship to one of our local tradesmen, who gives him the highest possible character for obedience and industry. He was much liked by his playfellows, and will be missed by them as well as by his bereaved parents. Although Mr. Blundell m his evidence said the dam was not dangerous to those acquainted with it, still the facts elicited at the inquest showed that it has a very treacherous bottom, caused by the ingress and egress of the water having scooped out a channel a few feet wide into which the unfortunate lad had slipped, and could not recover himself. This accident will doubtless be a caution to parents in allowing their children to bathe in these mud holes, for at the best they are nothing else.

Thefollowir.g are the nominations and weights for the handicaps in the Dunstan racea :—

DISTEICT HANDICAP.

St. lb. Mr. Hazlett's g g Musician, aged ... 8 10 Delamainc's c m Atalanta, aged ... 8 8 „ Hutchison's b m Miss King, 5 yrs... J^7 De vine's b h Captain Scott, 5 yrs../)M|5 „ Delamaine's Wild Boy, 5 yrs ...\^ 4 „ Goodman's b m Little Nell, aged ... 8 2 „ Keenan's c m Topsy, 5 yrs 8 0 „ Dawkins' g m Nelly Grey, 8 yrs ... ?\ 0 „ Barnard's c c Foretop, 4 yrs ... 7 7 „ Mellor's bg Merrythought, 4 yrs ... 7 5 „ M'Morran's c g Spec, 4 yrs ... 7 0 „ Smitham's b g Cromwell, 5 yrs ... 6 - 12 Harrison's b g Maori Chief, 4 yrs ... 6 0 Hewitt's b m Dutchess, 3 yrs ... 5 7