Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 310, 6 December 1873, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

The European mail via San Francisco closes here on Monday next.

The Lawrence gaol, when completed, will afford accommodation for twenty-five prisoners. It is a very substantial building.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the St. Lawience Order op Good Templars takes place at the Athemeutn Hall, on Monday evening next, when ten new members have promised to join the Order. This addition will bring the roll of members up to 50, Mb. .Thomas Dartok has left at oar office a mushroom measuring 2ft. Bin. in circumference, and.weighing 140z3, It was grown in Mr Darton's garden, and looks very like the kind of umbrella that would be adopted by a vegetarian in Lilipui.

Some people may think thai every newspaper correspondent ia "a man with a grievance," one with prejudices, who writes foregone conclusions. On the subject ' of Blacks School, another correspondent writes :— " That letter in your last respecting Blacks School is correct, 'and I atn pleased 'to see it. I ha?V.beenf<Sa^he point of doing; the same thing several "ij^fejes." This passage l Aim a recently received letter 'is s pleasing confirmation' of the facts and opinions lately advanced by a correspondent who signed himself "Captain Clutterbuck," and who is one of the oldest residents of Blacky If a teacher did his duty as a teacher, we would never permit any correspondent to point out trivial defects. While on this subject, vra may add that we did not publish the whole of " Captain. Clutterbuck's" letter, not because we thought that the excised passages were •incorrect, but because we thought it best to. err on the side of mercy ; but we know well, from experience, that even mercy may D 8 grievously misapplied. We are informed that the gardens about Alexandra da not look as well as those about Clyde, owing to the fact that the Alexandra Council will not allow any one to take a drop of water for irrigation purposes , they having entered into an arrangement with the lessees of the race that persons shall be allowed to take water out of the town race— only with buckets. We have received with much pleasure the prospectus of a new weekly newspaper. Us will be published in Dutiedin, and will be conducted by Mr. Vincent Pyke. Its politics will be " original and independent," and every in* tereat will bo duly cared for in its columns. The first number will contain the first chapters of a new story by the author of " Will En» derby." We have a great dislike to failure* but we hope and anticipate that the time has come for au original weekly journal in Otago, and with the time, we believe, in Mr. Pyke the " Southern Mercury " has found the right man for the right place. The Secretary to the Bathing Committee in* forms us that complaints are made by the aur-< faceman to the Corporation ihat water intended for the use of the town is used for the bathing dam. This, we believe, is incorrect, and the real cause of the scarcity is owing to the continued waste of water in the town it. self. There is one place in particular at the rear of premises near Mr. Pressley's garden, where a continual stream may be seen running,^ being the escape from a damaged head pipe The same waste may be seen in many othe^ places. We have received part IV. of *' Wild Will Euderby '"-Mr. Pyke's nove' r It is better than part first, and is equal to parts two and three. This novel impresses us with th,e belief that Mr. Pyko would not mistake liis vocation if ha entered on the path of a professional novelist-. Mr. Pyke's novel comes to a close with book iv.-, which is entitled "' The Blue>eyed Maiden.*' We entertain a high opinion of this work. It, will not rank with novels of the first class, such as Middleuiarch, Adam Bede, Shirley, and Jane Eyre, but it is a literary bud which may yet blossom into a fully developed flower in the garden of fiction. Clara Stephesson and her dramatic com* Pany left for the Clufcha at ten o'clock in a four horae coach on Thursday morning. When next they come to Lawrence, they will probably be. enabled to perform in a town hall which has cost £;000 t at least. The programme of the Havelock sports will ho seen in our ml vet lisihg cohimsis ; it i«s % really good one, and promises two days excellent sport. Thk agent for the Kennedy family was in Lawience on Wednesday. The family arfi. vocalists and instrumentalists. Mr. Kennedy 13 a tenor-robusto, Mr. David Kennecry is an excellent baritone, and the Misses Kennedy are sopranos. The head of the f.unily is especially, unique and excellent in genuine Scottish gongs. L'ke Miss Aitken he is a master of Loth pa.tb.oa and comedy. And he is, we believe, the only professional story-teller in the Southern Hemisphere. His stories are racy of the soil. This literally familiar entertainment is called '"S^ica Hours at Hame." ' We venture to say that this family will create a quality and quantity of excitement of, the- most .pleasing character* amongst the Scottish, population *of Tuapeka. In Australia, and iv Canada, and even iv Mormon land, Mr. Kennedy and family have alwaja achieved » most unequivocal triumph. On Monday evening last, a meeting was held in the Schoo'house, Roxburgh, to mike arrangements for an entertainment in aid of the funds of the Tuapeka Hospital; to take place at Beigh ton's Assembly Room, same to consist of glees, trios, quartetts, burlesque and farce. Several ladies and gentlemen have kindly otfered their services for the occasion. The juvonile band will also give some choruses. Mrs. Nugent Wood, the authoress of the charming volume of poems entitled "Bash, Flowers," is preparing for the press another work of the same description, which will form a valuable addition to the political literature ©f the colonies. From the " Guardian," we learn that ons of the cases on the banco list, will be that of Clayton and others v. Morrison and others, summonses to review taxation (adjourned front Chambers.) His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman, intimated that, when the Court resumed, on Wednesday next, he would sit daily until the list was disposed 0f. % It was suggested that the Presbyterian Fast Day would fall on Thursday, the 11th insfc.; bufc aa it was not within the lecollection of tfeose present that any member of the bar was of the Presbyterian persuasion, the circumstance of Thursday next being the Fast Day was not regarded. aa an insuperable objection to the Court sitting. The banco busiuess, owing mainly to several of the learned counsel engaged being adseut from town, was adjourned until. Wednesday, th<» 10th imjt. There is a glass case in the Athenaeum library which contains many of the curiositiesusually found in a museum. We summarise a few articles in numerical order:-!. Tobacco, grown and manufactured, bj the King Natives ;- 2. flint from Whangarei, Auckland ; 3. a vegetable caterpiller, a link between the animal an* vegptable creation ; 4. calcareous tufa from the Teviot, presented by Mr. H. TV\ Coverlid, Lawrence ; 5. stick insect, slightly resembling a grasshopper - % 6. calc spar from Otago Gold Mining Co., Blue Spur, presented by Mr. Cousins ; 7. sulphur from Lake Taupo ; 8. kauri gum from Auckland ; 9. greenstona tomahawk from Moa Flat, presented by J. C. Brown, Esq., M.H.8.; 10. asbestos from Dun Moan* tains. Nelson -(this mineral is supposed to resist the action of fire $ 11. granite from Westland^. 12. lizards preserved in spirits of wine ; 13. a piece of sponge fouud at Cape Farewell ; 14. sea island Cotton from Fiji, in seed. In addition to the foregoing^there-ia. every variety of shells, coals, and Taranaki sand, and last, not lea»t, there is one lizard which is considered to be the largest-kind in New Zealand, ©ntsewhole, the people of Lawrence have cause to be-pleaaett with their little museum, which will attain, larger proportions as the district advances. ODE well-known and well-respected- tqwnsman Mr. J: C. Love, the Secretary of the Lawrence Athenißum, has been appointed Secretary to the Lawrence Mutual • /Benefit Buildingsociety. Tbe six mile radius mentioned In the Stfrs» lock sports does not exclude .Lawrence iggfli from connoetinjt

THE Provincial and Goldfields Secretaries will visit Lawrence on "Wednesday next. We lire informed .they purpose making a tour of the goldfields. ' This week's weather in IJawrence has been remarkably dry, sunshiny, and free from undue moisture. We are now, beginning to see the fruits- almost literally - of the showers which flel last week. Our exchanges report the beginning" of a moat favorable fruit, flower, and vegetable supply throughout the province and colony, andwe feel sure that Tuapeka will equal, perhaps surpass, many other districts. Mr. Pyke's garden is. we are informed, looking really splendid. THB Lawrence Qt>O& Templars tare engaged Ihe Athenaeum Hall for their fortuightly meetings, for a period of six months. They did not like to prolong the engagement^ because o' the proposal to erect a Town Hall, which might be a more suitable, meeting place. We perceive that the. " Grey River Argus," in a tone of surprise, notices tho fact that the people of Lawrence enjoy the luxury of both swimming and ordinary baths. A DtJNEDIN occasional correspondent (a lady), who gives four postscripts, writes on perfumed pink motto-paper, and crosses her letters, sends us a large epistle on Teunplarism, from which we extract the subjoined paragraph :—" The Dunedin Templars welcome an up-country visitor with vocal music, the words of which are * Welcome, Stranger.' In Dunedin Lodges, the the ladies and ge&fclemen si 6 on separate seats." Skvekal of our local horses are in training for coming events. The numerous prizes offered in this and surrounding districts, no doubt, will be an inducement for people to keep a superior class of hacks, The competitors to tun in the matohou the 18th inst., Sieelboy and Sunbeam; are in the hands of Mr. John Kelao aud Mr. - Jacob Davidson respectively, No doubt both will be done justice to. It is to be hoped the Sports Committee will get the racecourse in order, so as to give owners of horses a chance of exercising them. THIS paragraph ia no joke. A Chinese named Macphersou lately tendered for a contract. The parties empowered to accept or reject tenders {they reside at Tokoinairiro) expressed surprise that any Chinese should be a ftlacpheison, and in reply, the Celestial, in English, split up into very vulgar fractions, exclaimed " It's no (adjective) use for any one tq tender in this {adjective) country unless he ia a Scotchman." m Mb. M, Hay reports having sold yesterday f the booths for the Havelock sports. Air. 11, Coghill was the highest Wilder for No. 1 booth. £14, Mr. Walker gave £13 for No. 2. A MBETING of the Lawrence Sports Comaiittee ■was held in the Comuieioial Hotel yesteiday afternoon. Present : Messrs. H. Williams (in the chair), Armstrong, Meais, and Hills, A programme was arrauged, and £50 allotted for # competition on Boxing Day. On Friday, we saw a mare and filly blocking np the passage which leads by an inclined aud flteep plane from Ross Place to the adjoining street. A careless child might have frightened the mare (mares with fillies are rather nervous) ' ■and bad consequences might have ensaed. The two brutes referred to were in charge of a boy who was old enough to act wich moie practical good sense. "We regret to learn that a little boy, the son of Mrs. Lsdgerwoo 1, of Li wren :e, hro! c his arm this week while wrestling with another little fellow. We are told that a few other children were encouraging tho two boya to wrestle. At' the Survey Office, Lawrence, on .Monday the 19th January next, at noon, sections in Waikttia, Tapanui, Wetherstones, iiavelock, aud Pankeld will be ofFered for sale by public auction. FOB full particulars of the proposed stoppage of the fiaenkenicii survey discricc read., we refer our readers to the " Uta^o Provincial Gazette " ■of the 3rd inst. An election of a Board of Wardens for the Tuapeka depasturing district will be held at the Court-house, Lawrence, on Saturday, the 20th December next ; and nominations of can- £ didaten, in form prescribed by tlie Depasturing " Regulations, will be received by the Warden ou «r before Friday, the 19t.1i of that mouth. Block 2. Glenkenich district, previously advertised open for Application 011 the 14th January next, has been withdrawn. The booths for the Lawrence anniiil sports •will be sold on Tuesday next, at 2 p.m.., by Mr. M. Hay. We perceive that tho Hon. Major Richardson has resigned his seat as representative of the fjlutha district in the Provincial Council. The new writ has been issued returnable no the 10th January. Ti/eBE are two ca3es for trial at bh» criminal eittings of the Supreme Court, to be held at Lawrence, on Monday next, before his Honor Mr. Justice Chapman. The accused prisoners are— James Leslie, malicious injury to property; and Charles Monaghan, larceny. The "Cromwell Argus" complains of the basks reducing the price of gold to £3 15s. per ounce, and says that the reduction, if made on the first of the present year, would have robbed the district of £I,OiH) to swell the- piyfits of two rich corporations. We" lately suggested that our school children . should welcome his Excellency by unanimously singing the National Anthem should * the 'weather favor the carrying out of the suggestion.. We see, by our Greyniouth telegrams, thatßoochildten in that town sang ' God Save ihe Queen," on the occasion of the visit of Sir James and Lady Ferguson on the 4th inst. Mb. J. C. Arbdckle reports having sold daring the week, sections 12, 13, and 14, block XXII. with cottage thereon-, on aooounfc of \Y". Theodore Johnson for a fair price.