ALEXANDRA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 293, 11 September 1873, Page 6

ALEXANDRA.

(From d Correspondent.) September sth. 1873. Since my last letter the Molyneux has risen oonsiderablv, putting a stop to paddocking on the banks, and as the spring appears to be setting in parly there is not much chance of work being resumed this season. The miners engaged in sluicing are plodding along in their usual style and; there is nothing particular to chronicle respecting them. On the 4th inst. an amateur concert in aid of the school funds took place in the hall of the Public Library, and was without doubt the most successful affair of the kind that has occurred in Alexandra sno on,© doubted that the concert would be a success, but the moat sanguine were surprised at the ' tn'ent displayed on the occasion. Thanks are especial! v due to the ladies who kindly gave their services on the occasion, and whose efforts aided so materially in rendering the concert a success. Miss, Bruntoa sana some ballads. i$ first rsa s,tj te, $w^

apparently rather nervous on facing the .audience, well deserved the hearty applause with which her sone;s were greeted-. Misses Finlay and Speed also sang some charming duets, their voices blending together with much sweetness, and evincing the careful study they had given to the music. Of the gentleman— Mr. J. Austin possesses a baritone voice of excellent quality, and the manner in which he Bang some of his songs, particularly " The Maid of Athens " would not have disgraced professionals of a good deal more pretensions. Messrs Kiunaird, Finlay and several other gentlemen also favoured the company with some excellent songs. The comic element wur strongly represented, a Mr. Tattersfield convulsing the audience by the irresistibly droll manner in which he sang several songs. Mr. J. Simmonds as a veritable " Ethiopian Serenader" with banjo accompanyment was a decided success, and Mr. Robertson was as sfood as ever in the Irish comic line. The accompaniment of Mr. J G-rindly on the harmonium and Mr. W. Vanse on the violin also conduced greatly to the success of the evening, the latter gentleman especially as he is always ready to fill up a gap in an entertainment, either by singing a comic song, playing a selection of airs from an Italian opera, or on a pinch giving a few steps from the college hornpipe. A dance took place after the termination of the concert, and the company did not separate till the small hours, and there was but once source of regret expressed, that such pleasant reunions did not take place more frequently. I understand that the school funds will benefit to the amount of about £25 by the proceeds of the concert. While on this subject I may express a hope that steps will be taken to erect a large.r hall, as the present one is far too small for an entertainment of any desm'ption ;on this last occasion the building was inconveniently crowded, and only for the circumstance that numbers of people who had bought tickets did not attend, a good deal of annoyance would have been caused. I was just about to close my letter when I received intelligence of a fatal accident which occurred atthe Brewery of Messrs Theyers and Beck situated about a mile from Alexandra. It appears that three men named Edward Thompson J. Simmonds and J Hessan were working in an excavation along the foundation of the end of the building when the wall gave way and buried the three men under the debris. They were extricated as quieklv as possible when it wa3 found that Thompson was dead having apparently been killed instantaneously. Simmonds was severely bruised and had one of his legs broke. Hessan" did not sustain much injury.