CLYDE AND ITS AMUSEMENTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 228, 13 June 1872, Page 7

CLYDE AND ITS AMUSEMENTS.

(To the Editor.)

Str, — For several months past tho .aspect of aonoral business in the Clyde district lias boon very sickly; but I am quite sure if old river Molly would <yo down a little, so that our established fleet of dredges could be set to work in right good earnest, find tho new twenty-five ton punt put on tho river, Clyde would both feel and look a little more cheerful than it does at the present time. Mr. Sciderberg has commenced this morning the experimental trial of his now dredge, just below M'Pherson's punt, spooning up the dirt with his ' little horizontal steam engine. It is tiie first enterprise of the kind upon the river Molyneux, and I sincerely hope it, will .answer the end for which it is intended. The 21th of last month, being Her'

Majesty's birthday, was kept up in loyal style by the Clydeonians. Early in the forenoon. Mr. Robertson, a gentleman who had the honour to b< piper to His Royal Highness the Duk< of Edinburgh when he was last iDunedin, made his appearance i Clyde, and after a few preliminarie by way of filling up the drone anu screwing the chanter to concert pitch — ] during which time the children and members of the Band of Hope were drawn up, with their little flags aud rosettes, in marching form — a start was made to the beautiful and wellperformed marching air, " The Bonnie House o' Airlie " — the procession marching down Sunderland - street, thence wiudiug its way towards the new schoolhouse in course of erection, where the ceremony of laying the foundation stone was to be performed by tho Mayor of Clyde. After the stone was duly laid, aud the Queen's anthem sung by the children, the assemblage of people, young aud old, adjourned to the ground adjacent to i he school reserve, where all kinds of Caledonian sports were contested for, and I am proud to say a capital afternoon's sport there was. It is a great improvement in these Scotch games to have a full-fledged piper on the ground. If my ear comes anything near C sharp, I think nothing can be more cheering to competitors struggling for first honours at these games than the pwoetand melodious notes of the pipes. I never observed this more forcibly than at our last games, when, perchance, Mr. Robertson would give the drone an extra squeeze, producing a peculiarly discordant — oh ! pardon me; I mean harmonious —note. Some of the colonial youths when they heard it pricked" up thi'ir ears, and put on such a spurt that Ilavris or Hewitt would have had all their work to catch them — in short, you would have thought the young imps would have jumped cut of their skin. If a piper is standing at the starting post, and playing while a match of one'hundred vardsis to be contended for, you can bet that it will be done in eleven seconds. In the evening the day's celebration was wound up with a concert and ball, and I believe all the profits from the various sources, which were considerable, were handed over to the school fund.

Mr. Editor, at this point I had fully made up my miud to cry a go, for this week ; however, there are several gentlamen passing the buck in the adjoining room, and if I did turn in I 'don't think I could go to sleep ; so I will endeavour to dig you up a few more lines.

At the commencement of this epistle I was grumbling about dull times in Clyde, and I assure you not without rfca^on, because almost everj- issue of our local paper announces the startling intelligence of some one in or around the place that has been flyiug his kite ; still, there are always a fewbusiness men about the place with whom prosperity appears to be a daily companion. Johnny Cox, of the Port Phillip Hotel, has just about completed the expensive and substantial alterations by which he has made his house one of the most comfortable and commodious of any to be found in the townships of the northern goldfields. I am pleased to see some of the suburban landlords following his example, and improving their places for the comfort and convenience of travellers. A few days ago, while I was on my way to Cromwell, I called in at the No. 2 Tavern, which is situated on the east bank of the river Molyneux, and about four miles from Clyde. The landlord is an old Victorian friend of mine. We both did active service in the Ballarat company, and I clo assure you in the good old times many a bottle of champagne we have cracked together. He is one of the right sort, and deserves to get on iv tbf> world — a very steady, sociftlle. industrious, and intelligent man. " How is Mrs. A? " I asked. " Oh, f;be devil a better, I thank you kindly. Hhe has just gone up to the fowlhouse to kill a couple of ducks." I remarked, " You have made fine alterations in your house since I was here before." " Faith and it would need to look fine," he responded. " I have had little Paul wid me for the past fortnight sticking on that ould paper, and he .charged me a fine lump of money for doing it. These papers would ruin a man. I was right gLid when I got him out of the house." t( It is a \ery great improvement, though," said I; "I scarce would bave known it to have been the same place." " I did not intend to have had it done at all just now; but t'other day a received a very long telochgorm from Mr. Rickettv, in Dunedin. He says that he will be wid me about tbe eighth of the raont'i. I expect him to-night, and I want to have the place comfortable. He is a line eolidge-brid gintleman. Lh! year, when he came back from the Council, he lived wid me about a fortnight, Mr. Stiubrook bronchi him up to me on a fine racehorso ; but I have sent down a horse to Nod's, fit the Bendigo, for him this time, so that he cau come up quick. JI.: is ;i cousin of the wife's. 1 hey were roared almost next door to each ot!ier." •The arrangements you have mulo,'.' ,1 replied, " are all first-rate. Y»a au.l M,r, Ricketty will have jolly time < of it for a, week or two. You" will have ft fine opportunity of getting a true ftaCQUnt pi bis Btewa.rd.ship during the

lapfc session." " Oh," responded my friend, " if you knew the gintleman at .Ul you would not be after spaking that way about him. The devil a .stewart he wants to do his work. If old Dan or any of the other men that work upon the road were coming to "-hit. house and insulting Mr. Ricketty h\ that way, asking him for the job of stewardship, I would turn round and oive them a welt under the lug ! " "Well," said I, "I must be going, William." "All right; what time will you be back down ? " " About six o'clock," I replied. " I have only to go to Cromwell." " Perhaps Mr. Ricketty will have arrived by that time ; if not, call iv any how, and have a feed of the ducks aud praties." — I am, &c, Flower o' Wheat.