PASSING EVENTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 130, 4 August 1870, Page 5

PASSING EVENTS.

The " Old Soldier " took his departure from our midst on Friday last. Many inquiries were made as to his whereabouts. I heard nothing of him till Saturday evening, when a friend of mine, who had been at Waipori, told me that he had turned up there, but his little game had been, completely upset by a friend of the unfortunate shanty-keepers, who passed him on the road, and heralded his approach. The report spread like a flash of lightning, and horsemen were immediately despatched to the various sly-grog sellers for miles round. The old fellow, after spending an hour or two in the township, and imbibing a few nobblers of his favourite whisky, threw his swag on his back, and proceeded in the direction of Dunedin, for the purpose, I suppose, of getting his vouchers cashed by the paymaster. The poor "labouring man" will be in a position to retire on his laurels, and long may he live, says I, to gloat over his wretchedly won gain. Talking of Waipori, competition there is assuming an alarming state of excitement. The competition is not confined to the storekeepers, but is shown in a more prominent way by the hotelkeepers, who have adopted a system of barmaid birthday celebrations. The plan in vogue is this — a billet-doux, reading as follows, is forwarded to the diggers at their respective claims :—": — " Your company is invited on the evening of to celebrate the birthday of Jessie at the Hotel." This is, without doubt, the latest and best dodge out to drive a trade. It is quite legitimate, I allow, but the diggers complain of being the martyrs to too many birthday celebrations — in fact, some of the barmaids have birthdays twice a year, and the diggers begin to drop to it, and instead of complying with the invitations, make a public exhibition of them on some pro- , minent part of the town.

I had a stroll out by Evans Flat a week ago, and found a great change over that neighbourhood. .First on the road is Mr. Evans' coalpit, which he has commenced to work in a manner likely to make it pay. He has sunk a shaft eomo fifteen feet, and manages to keep it dry by an artfully-contrived pump of his own construction, which is worked by a water wheel. • Further along the flat Mr. Hopkins has built a handsome brick hotel, which is an ornament to the locality ; and on the banks of the creek is the new flour mill. If the farmers do not now take advantage of this opportunity by sowing wheat, they will have themselves to blamo. The mill will be started in a few days, and as I have been invited to the christening of that great achievement of science, the turbine wheel, I shall reserve any further remarks about the mill until that event comes off. Round the corner from the mill Mr. Brook has erected a massive stable and barn. His threshing machine and chaffcutter are * driven by a ponderous water wheel by the side of the barn. Improvements such as these prove, I think, that people have some hope of the district yet. Let them hope on a very little while longer, and they will not be disappointed, or my name is not

Rambler.