LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume IV, Issue 221, 25 April 1872, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The anniversary soiree of the Congregational Church, will be held in the Schoolhouse, Wetherstones, to-morrow evening. The winter evening readings will be re-com-menced to-night in the school, Wetberstones. The 1900 acres at Moa Flat, Mount Benger district, which were withdrawn from the block sold to Mr. Clarke, will be offered for sale, in sections, by public auction, at Roxburgh, on the 17th May next. The weekly half-holiday caused the streets of Lawrence to present a deserted appearance last Friday afternoon. Most of the business establishments were closed, and there was scarcely any traffic. Last week, Mr. Brogden came up-country as far as Manuka Creek, then turned back to Tokomairiro and proceeded to Invercargill. "We understand, he intends to go from Invercargill to Queenstown, and return to Dunedin by way of Tuapeka. Although there is every probability that Mr. Brogden will take the route indicated, no effort should be spared to render it certaiu that he .will visit Tuapeka. We recommend the leading men in the district I to at. once place themselves in communication with Mr. Brogden for that purpose. We understand that Mr. H, L. Squires intends to proceed with the construction of the Waipori River Race with all possible expedition . Mr. Adams will as soon as he can visit the ground, and make the working survey of the line of race. Mr. Squires, we believe, intends to apply for a subsidy from the General Government. The race proposed to be constructed, will be of great benefit to the Waipori district, as it wiU afford remunerative employment to a large number of men for a lengthened period of time. Mr. Squires deserves credit for his enterprise, and we hope it will prove a thorough success. We understand that a lady and gentleman, until recently resident in the Tuapeka dis'rict, will shortly figure in the Supreme Court, l)unedin, as plaintiff and defendant respectively, ia a 'breach of promise of marriage case. The defendant is a "gay and festive " stockrider, and the plaintiff is a " help." The former hail a legacy of a considerable amount; left him, and was about proceeding to Australia to take possession of it, when an embargo was laid on him by the fair one, and he was compelled to find sureties to the amount of £350 for hi* appearance at the trial. The Switzers Hospital relieves 3 patients annually, and the salary of its surgeon is £80 per annum. The surgeon evidently gets better paid for Hospital patients than any other class. Heron's Reef, at the Fourteenmile Beach, ia shaping exceedingly well. The work of breaking out stone is being vigorously proceeded with, and there will be a trial crushing in about three weeks. We understand that a petition is being extensively signed, praying the Provincial Government to erect a bridge across the Molyneux at the Beaumont. The petition sets forth that the present mode of crossing the river by punt is extremely inconvenient, and that the charges impose a tax of ten shillings per ton on carriers. At the Butcher's Reef, some splendid stono four feet thick was struck last week. Gold is visible through the quartz. About 40 tons of stove have have been brought to grass. The prospects have somewhat revived the drooping spirits of the shareholders" of the Company. The population of the Waikaka diggings at present is about 230—200 Chinamen and 50 Europeans. The Waikaka Race Co,, whose celebrated 90 chains of fluming have often been referred to, is in full operation. This race has not proved the success anticipated, as most of the claims are higher up the flat, near the commencement of the fluming. The gold on the Waikaka is exceedingly fine, and requires much care in washing. It is supposed that nearly as much gold is lost as is saved. Two letters posted at Nokomai by our correspondent there, and addressed to this journal, have not reached their destination.^ There must be great carelessness or neglect somewhere in the post-office department. Perhaps the Chief Postmaster might try to find the missing letters. The quarterly meeting of subscribers to the Tuapeka Hospital, called for Thursday last, lapsed for want of attendance, and the Committee meeting called for the same evening lapsed for a similar reason. The usual monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee is convened or Tuesday night next. The quarterly meeting of subscribers will take place to-night. The opening of Edge's Royal Oak Hotel, Waikaka, was celebrated on the 15th instant with a grand ball and supper. Mr. Hunter, of Waikaka, whose powers as a violinist are widely known, discoursed sweet music, and was occa* sionally relieved by Mr. Evans, who performed on the concertina. Nearly the whole of the European population of the Waikaka was pre? sent, and the affair may be unhesitatingly pronounced an unqualified success. The manner in which the ball and supper went off augurs favoß^bly for the success, of Mr, Edge* spirited enterprise.

carriers.

An Expensive Freak. — Some wags at Queenstown find amusement by turning quiet folk out of bed at unearthy hours by ringing the fire-bell. Notwithstanding that an example was before made of a delinquent, the offence has been repeated. The offender on this occasion was a coach-driver, named Henry, who was fined Llo— rather dear amusement. The Carrick Reefs.— ln reference to our correspondent's statistics in regard to the yields from the Heart of Oak claim, Carrick Range, we may mention that a crashing took place on the 13th inst., which will make the aggregate yield look much better. On that day a crushing of 175 tons of stuff was completed, the yield being 253 ozs. 4dwts. Edible Fungus. — The collection of edible fungus originated by a Chinese merchant in Wellington, has become a branch of industry in Otago ; also, Messrs Kum Goon Lee and Co. having shipped by the barque Seagull, for Hong Kong, 131 bales of that commodity, valued at LBOO. "John" is evidently of opinion that "mony a mickle makes a muckle," though probably he never heard the saying. Acclimatisation. — Mr R. Bills, who was so successful in his recent importation of British birds into Canterbury, is about to return to England in the Charlotte Gladstone. For the last few weeks he has been engaged in the neighborhood of Dunedin making a large collection of native birds — paroquets, tuis, *c., of which he will take home between 600 and 700. He is engaged to return by the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society with another shipment of birds. We understand the partridges which Mr Bills brought out by the Warrior Queen a year ago are doing remarkably well, several coveys having been seen in various parts of the Province. — Star. The Colonial Order. — The Order of St. Michael and St. George, of which the Won. Mr Yogel and th-? Hon. MrFitzherbert have been made companions, is thus . described : — The most distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George was instituted by letters patent, dated April 27, 1818. and by the revised statutes of the Order, dated in 1861, it consists of the Sovereign, Grand Master, twehtjr Knights Grand Cross, twenty Knights Commanders, and twentyfive Companions. The insignia are the star, inscribed with th« motto Anspidum Afelioris QSvi ; the collar and badge suspended from a watered Saxon blue riband, with a scarlet stripe. Funeral. — There was witnessed in town this morning the rare sight of a military funeral — the remains of one of the marines of the Rosario, John Culley by name, having been brought up for interment in the Southern Cemetery. The cortege was a very small one ; half-a-dozen marines, a similar number of the ship's crew, and one ef the junior officers, and a sprinkling of volunteers, represented by the Naval Brigade and Major Atkinson, StaffSergeants Stevens, Kerr, and M'Pherson. The Battalion Band played the "Dead March in Saul " at intervals on the way to the Cemetery. The Burial Service was read by the Rev. E. H. Grainger.— Star, April 19. The Inward Mail. — The last British mail received in Dunedin, via San Francisco, was contained in 107 bags, of which 16 were for Southland. The Post Office department, in order to forward Invercargill letters with the utmost possible dispatch, had a coach waiting, which started immediately on receiving the mail. The correspondence for Otago were about 11,000 letters and 40,000 newspapers, about one-third of which were for the country districts. The mail r ached Dunedin a few minutes past ten o'clock on Saturday evening, and letters for • private boxe3 were all placed in them that night. The next morning, Sunday, the Post Office was kept open from nine to eleven o'clock for delivery in private boxes. The whole of the country correspondence was sorted and ready for forwarding by the coaches leaving at seven o'clock on Monday morning. The promptitude with which the heavy mail was distributed is highly creditable to the department. The Representative Volunteers. — Acting under the instructions of his directors Captain Malcolm gave the southern representatives every opportunity of seeting the places worth visiting on the run down from Lytteltpn. A lengthened stay was made at Akaroa, and a few hours given to roaming on shore at Timaru, the Heads being made at a little before ten o'clock last evening. The Maori steamed straight up to town, arriving at the Rattray street j tty at eleven, or an hour earlier than expected; which prevented the demonstration which it was proposed to make in honor of our representative marksmen. Their success is, however, not to be allowed to pass by unnoticed. We hear that it is intended to call a special parade of the first battalion at an early date, when they will be formally welcomed ; and that they will be subsequently- entertained at a ball, and no doubt advantage will be taken of the last-men-tioned occasion to present Captain Wales with the prize from the ladies of Dunedin. —Star, April 18th. Drowned. — A fatal accident occurred at the mouth of the Hawea river, opposite Wanaka station, on the evening of the I3th inst. It appears that on the day mentioned a shepherd arrived from an out station with a pack horse, and that Joseph Edmondson — Mr Campbell's groom — who was on horseback, undertook to lead the animal across the Hawea ford. 'It was quite dark at the time. The two horses landed on the opposite side of the river in safety, but the rider had disappeared. It is surmised that the pack-horse, on entering the river, had pulled on the halter and dragged the unfortunate young man off the animal he was riding, and that, being unable to gain a looting in the rapid current, he was swept into the Clutha and drowned. The deepest part of the ford is not more than two fett, but the velocity of the current is very great. A search party was organised immediately after the sad occurrence, but no traces of the body could be discovered. The deceased was about five-and-twenty years of age, and, remarks the Cromioell Argus, was well known and generally esteemed throughout the disrict. Agent-General's Despatches. — Communications have been received by the Government from the. Agent-General, the only item of general interest being that he is satisfied that from about May or June next a steady stream of immigration on the scale contemplated by the Government wonld flow. He had issued a set of uniform regulations to supersede the contradictory provincial rules previously in existence; and from a perusal of them we (Independent) think they are likely to harmonise very well with those recentlyisßuedbytheGovernmenthere. Some slight modifications -will no doubt! be necessary to adjust them finally ; but apparently they need very trifling amendment. Dr Featherston was intending to visit Christiana for the purpose of arranging, if possible, for the shipment direct to this Colony of the Scandinavian emigrants, some difficulty having arisen through the conflicting conditions of the Norwegian and the British regulations on the subject, of immigration ships. The Agent-General jps expecting to be able to procure shipping to come direct from Scandinavian ports, l ' thus saving expense and being much more convenient for the ejmgnat* tfeMuel vei,