LEAVES FROM A DIARY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 299, 23 October 1873, Page 6

LEAVES FROM A DIARY.

Colonel Gorton, the brander-in.-cb.ief of the Colony, recently published a report which was laid on the table of the Assembly. It may possibly be in connection with this . that the extract we now make from the Wellington Post found its way into print :— The following fragment, apparently from a- - diary, has been picked up and forwarded to us, in hopes that the lost leaves may find their way back to the rightful owner. As no clue appears in the MSS to guide us, we publish what we ha-re received in the trust that some one may be found whom the e&j> will fit : — Thursday. — Disappointment to-day. "Went to the servant girls' department. there (name illegible). Great nuisance. Told me ' he'd allow me to brandy and water him to any extent, but objected to any other branding. Obstructions as usuaL, Besides this, a man in his position should not resort to such buffoonery. Wonder at him. Mem.: Be quits with him some day, eh ? Tuesday, nui, (beginning of this word illegible) 2 p.m.— A great stroke to-day. Went toß.fil.'sroom. No one there. Horrified to see shelves of books no marks on them. Bushed to hotel, got brand and did them aIL Immense improvement. A chair, too', a nice chair, branded that. Back to luncheon, feeling perfectly satisfied I'd done my duty. 5 p^m.— Don't quite understand this. Two letters— one from R M., asking whether it was from a fellow-feeling that I branded his calfbound law books, and asking me to pay for damaging his private property. Other letter from irate volunteer officer, telling me I've spoilt furniture belonging to him, and asking me if J've mistaken his wooden arm chair for my own head. Instead of thanking me for the ornamental touch I have given— oh, dear! there's not a bit of artistic feeling in either, no, by jingo isn't. Thuraday, Waihi Stockade— Did pretty wellhere ; very little escaped me, I can tell you. Happy thought struck me just as I had stamped t|ic last rang of a ladder ; lot of armed constables walking about, all of them Government - property ; they should be entered in my book* ; j spoke to officer in charge ; he must be no good ; said that he didn't see it in that light— that the men would object ; said, too, if I tried the branding on with them, he'd let me know.' Some people are densely obtuse— that's a fact. ' * However, mem s -telegraph to the Commissioner -on the subject. Another bright idea. There's - a Commissioner iof Stamps; why the? deuce ' isn,'jt .there a- Commissioner of Brands? -Sup-, ? pose if they^made me one, there'd be extra s screw. Memo. — Speak about it in Wellington. Friday. — Fair day's' work, but more ' disappointment Marked 279 posts and 339 sleepers. Found some of the old posts put into the ground brand downwards. Insisted on contractor at ' once re versingthem. Man said he'd see me (word here illegible) first. Argued the point, but finally gave in, and branded them over again. Sug- * gestion came to me— shingles strewn on the line should be branded. Said so. Found no one to_ agree. A rude workman muttered „ something about a necessity for branding my own loose shingle first. Don't know what ha meant. Mem.: Make inquiries. Contractor a horrid man. Told me with a broad grin, as I was going away, that all the potts and sleepers I'd just nicely marked had been condemned the' ' day before. Stupid man not to have told me before ; .he saw me at work. That's the class of parsons which does not thoroughly appreciate my untiring efforts in, the service of the public. Home, very tired. I start for inspec- .. tion to-morrow.

An intelligent lu'd in Connecticut, twelre years old, has been hard at work on the alphav bet for ejjht years, and ha» n,ot learned bis. . letters jet. His jjarents intend ,hia» lor the ,' pro^pnofjett^, . ; -- , , ■ -;. ,

It will be seen by advertisement that Mr. James Adam, J.P., of Tokomairiro, who has been appointed by the Provincial Government as Emigration Agent in Britain for the. province, frillne in I^awrenoe to-morrow. The object of Mr. Adam's visit is to confer with parties anxious to bring out their friends to, Qtago, *nd for that purpose he will be in attendance at the * Commercial Hotel between the hours of II a.m, and 4 p.m. ■vp"e have received the prospectus of a weekly journal to he ptij^hpA i& Jjivex-tKpq, and tp. be entitled "The Western Star." The first issue js promised about the beginning of next month. RUMOBS are current that splendid gold has been struck by a, party prospecting the terraces pf the Waikaia, We shall endeavor to, have fun details in our next issue. We hear from a correspondent at Switssers that the services of a medical man are greatly needed there. It appears from the information received that at the very lowest estimate " ££00 a-year could easilj be earned by any steady surgeon of moderate''abilfty, and that he would receive such a continued welcome as to make his • life (when not actually at work) a reasonably pleasant one. Some, years ago, we N remem,ber that medical men were at, a considerable discount, bnt it appears now that they are at a premium. The S Witzers district is really a ijqocj ! field for a medical man. Tfiere is a capital little j hospital there, well supported, both by private ftnd Government funds , there is an. Oddfellows lodge of over forty members, a fine well-popu- ; lated district, several wealthy runholders, and the advantage ' of a resident druggist wish a good stock of th,e m,edical material. Dr. j M'Crystal, who died so.me months ago, has left a gap which we are astonished to, see unfilled, ' v " i ' The Manager of the Gabriels Qully Co. has asked us ta correct a. statement }n" our columns of last week' to the effect that th,e reef had been struck in the Walsh's Gully, tunnel. We had the information on so go,6d' authority that we considered we were justified in departing from oar usual rule of only "inserting news I;he correctness, of which is du,ly voviched far by the manager. In this case it seems that a body of soft rock with seams of mundic, and mixed up -with quartz and inu\lock, was passed through in the Waists Gully "tunnel at 545 feet from the* mouth ofpfche tunneL Messrs. Mark and Uren, • Doth shareholders in the Gabriels G.ully Quartz Mining Co., visited the tunnel, and after examination were of opinion that the soft formation was the quartz reef. They also took away and washed two small samples,' and obtained a lew "colors." The Manager informs us, however, that it is proßable the gold cawp frdia the shovels' the prospects were washed in, »ad that tbe position of the soft seam of stuff is quite contrary to that in ' which he expects to 'find _ >-4he quartz, reef. The tunnel is still in Roberts ~- & Co.'s ground, and about 200 feet from the boundary of the Gabrie'a. Qully Co.'s claim. The continuation of the line of the quartz reef as traced in the southernmost 120 feet worked oy the Gabriels Gully 00. would pass close to &>is point. Since writing the foregoing, we have been informed that the sof t formatiop crossed in fhe Walsh's' Gully tunnel has been prospected By Messrs. T. 'Mark and P. Uren, and found not to be auriferous. ' ' * • Mb. J. P. Armstrong has consented to. deliver his lecture entitled "Travels and Adventures of an Irishman in America, Australia, and New jjealand" on behalf of the funds oftJLf HpspjLtal, oil Friday, fcheSlsfc of khis month, '" \ve hope Mr. Ai-insrrong' l s lecture will be better attended than lectures generally have been in Lawrence. It bears an attractive title', and bjen, well spoken of-" nV'several goldfielda township? where it has been delivered, QgHK amateur concert and ball in aid of the fands of the Tuapeka r^ospital took place on Friday evening last, wheii the Athenreuin Hull was crowded to excess b,y an appreciative audience. The programme a^. advertised was carried through, with one exception— Mr. Foid beiufj the only absentee. His place in the second ifejt of the programme was ably filled by Miss Fowler. The chief yart of the evening's entertainment consisted of a repetition of the concert given by the same company a. short iime since for Jhe funds of the Atheuseum,, but a few new piecea were introduced. Among these was a song by Mf. Downes. entitled "Somebody Courting Somebody," which was rapturously encored. Mr. Ijpjnr^es t&en favored {he audience with anew comic iong, v - The Belle of the Ball." Ibis is quite v. recent production of the celebrated coairo vocalist George Leylpourne, and was excellently rendere/1. Mr. John Gi'Hnt, from Tokonairiro, sang two, sjangs Jq a masterly style. This gentleman, when in Lawrence, was always first and foretbost to lend a helping hand in amateur entertaiuments, and although he has been absent but a short time, the vast improvement in his style of singing was quite peiceptible— showipg great care and patiin his vocal efforts. Mrs. Needham, whose singing at the previous concert made her a favorite, was in goo.d voice, and had to respond to a recall The duet by. Messis. &ow.nea and Jas. Menzies, entitl^i " The ißold Gendarmes,"' was giyen'in a, manner thfti youjd not disgrace professionals, and was received with such a burst of applause as. is seldom^ elicited from a XA&rence audience. Both, gentlemen were dressed in character Thp remaining portion of Vie programme requires no special qpmment. I>r. Halley, President of the Hospital, in a neat speech, thanked the. ladies and gentlemen who had so well contributed- towards the, success of enteitainment. After the Anthem was sung, the hall was cleared for the ball. A"bout 150 people remained te en jpy the pleasures of a dance ; every moveable- article in the building had to te. removed to provide spa,qe. for the dancers 1 and even then the haH waa rather qlosely packed for a warm, night. It was 2 o'clock on Saturday Hiovniug ere the greater number of the dancers dispersed for their homes. Mrs,] Hansen provided- the music, during the evening,