Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 321, 14 January 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

< A HEETINO of the Committee of the Lawrence Athensaum w«s held iv the library on Monday afternoon. There were present Messrs.. Brown, Abel, Ferguson, and Dr. Halley* Mr. 'Abel occupied, the chair. A letter from Court Star of Tuapeka\ A>O.F., suggesting tlie reasonableness of the Committee paying the, sum of £2 a-year for the use of the Court furniture, was read. The Secretary was instructed to reply to the letter to the effect that the Committee had no desire whatever to use the furniture : that in facb they would be as well pleased if it were removed. A letter to Mr. J. C. Brown from the Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, with reference to a map which he had applied for, wa s read . His letter having been misunderstood, Mr. Brown stated that he would again write for the map he wished, vie., the geological map of Viotoria. A letter from Mr. Parsons, of London, referring to his magazine account, and requesting a remittance of £20 to meet the Committee's engagements up to June next, was received, and the Secretary instructed to send the amount named and £10 half-yearly, as Mr. Parsons desired. A letter was received from Mr. Willis, Provincial Uuder-Secretary, with a copy of the report of the South Australian Institute. The Secretary was requested to acknowledge the receipt of the same with thanks. The following accounts were passed for payment :— J. C. Love, £20 4s. 3d. ; G. Jeffery, £1 175.; Herbert and Co., £2 2s. 6d.; F. Meyer and Co., £3 3s. 3d. ; Thomas Barnett, £2 os. 9d. The Committee decided upon holding the annual meeting on Friday evening, 23rd instant. There being no other business, tbe meeting adjourned. A MATCH was run on the Balclutha racecourse on Thursday morning last, between Color Sargeant and Atalanta. The. former horse was defeated by Atalanta in the Clutha Handicap on New Year's Day, Both competitors found plenty of backers on the morning of the match; bat it proved a very hollow affair. Color Sargeant reversed the Handicap running, winuing in a canter, hard held. The iron cylinders for the railway bridge across the Taieri, are on the ground. The contractor, Mr. Watson, of Tokoraairiro, is proceeding rapidly with the work, Thb grain crops on the Tokoraairiro Plain are not looking first-class this season. The heavy gales and dry weather of the last two months have greatly damaged the prospect of a good harvest. The Town Council of Ealclutba have at last made their main street and footpaths in a passable condition. Previously the pathways were merely mantraps, offering every opportunity for pedestrians breaking their limbs on a dark night, The TuapeTca railway works in the neighborhood of Manuka Cieek are proceeding rapidly. A large number of Chinese laborers are employed in that locality. A canvas town of considerable dimensions has been built within the last few weeks close to the flmning, conjointly occupied by Europeans and Chinamen. We have not heard of any conflict between the two races, but, on the contraiy, they appear to work amicably together. The New Zealand navvy must be more civilised than the Clunes miner. In a former issue, it will bo remembered we referred to the f.iiluie of the 9 inch piping laid at the Blue Spur to carry move than 400 inches of water. This piping, we ase glad to say, has been repl-tced by 13 inch pipes, which wero i.ested yesterday and found to carry over 1000 inches. We must therefore congratulate Messrs. Kincaid, M 'Queen, ami Co. on their complete success on this occasion in overcoming the flaming difficulty. This happens very timely, as the boxes which these pipes are meant to supplantare supporter! by a ridge which must soon give way to the inroads of weather and workings. On Monday and yesterday evenings, Bachelder's Collosean Pantascope of a tour through America by the Graud Pacilic Bail way was exhibited in the Lawrence Athenaeum to crowded houses. This panorama excels any thing of the description which bas ever been exhibited in Tuapeka, and the description of the scenes given by Mr. W. H. Bent, who is not a strangei to Tuapeka, was in every respect a treat. Mr. Bent is very humorous, and his comic songs in character were deservedly received with immense applause. The automaton slack.rope dancer's performances excited the wonder and at the same time the merriment of the audience. We must reinined those who have not been present at this really excellent entertainment that they will have an opportunty this evening. MB. CLAPCOTT has kindly agreed to give selections from his Popular Readings on behalf of the funds of the Tuapeka Hospital, in tbe Commercial Assembly Rooms, ou Tuesday next, at 8 o'clock. A case of more than ordinary interest'to the charitable will, we believe, be shortly brought before the public in the shape of a subscription list in aid of Air. Charles Cartier and His family, late of Posb-office Creek, but now obtaining shelter from any good Samaritan disposed to afford it. The facts of the case are as follows : — Cartier and his wife and family had been living in the neighborhood' of Waipori for some tiuio past, and Mis. Cartier had on several occasions given signs of mental weakness, and was ou that account a short time since an in--mate of the Tuapeka Hospital. She, however, returned to- her home partly convalescent, but had not been there many days when, iv a fit of derangement, she set fire to the place the family wasliviugin, and shortly the whole of it was burnt to the ground destroying every article, including her own clothing and that of Mr. Cartier and their children. In addition to these misfortunes, one of tin* children about two months since had his leg broken, and is now in the Tuapeka Hobpital. Mrs. Cartier has been removed to Dunedin. We recommend the case of Mr. -Cartier to the sympathy of the charitable public, as he is left with three children and utterly without mear.s. His object is, we believe, to raise a few pounds to place his chilin safety, while he seeks for work himself. On Saturday last one of Mr. Meyer's boys fell from a horse he. was riding in Ross place and dislocated his elbow joint. The horse had a halter on but neither saddle nor bridle, and iiaving received a fright ran off, and the little fellow having no command over it fell off. Dr. Stewart happening to be in the street at the time attended to the little sufferer whose arm we are glad to say now is rapidly getting better. The prospectors of the O.P.Q. reef, Waipori, have followed it another fifty feet and report the prospects equally good. The Waipori Progress Committee are calling for ten<krs for the repair of th^tracks radiating from Waipori, ttntl also' the bridges which are i» a dilapidated condition to make them available for the winter traffic. The " Guardian " says :—": — " When tltf s.sLadybird arrived on Saturday, 1 the Port'Chal Imers police were on the watch for some one whom they wanted, and believed to bt in this vessel •• they were determiued not to bo sold if possible, and they did well. It was not to be expected that they would meet with, much help in their work* Nevertheless, against all the obstacles which presented themselves, they succeeded in getting their man, and walked him off to safe keeping, very much to the |>oor fellow's dismay"

Db. Stirling lately addressed a letter to the committee of management of the Dunstan Hospital, offering himself as a candidate for the position of Resident Surgeon in that institution, which he lately resiened. ' He writes j—lj — I am of opinion that very possibly it may be for my advantage to remain in this district ; in fact, on this point lam now better satisfied than I was some time ago, i. c. before I forwarded my resignation. , I am, however, of the same opinion as regards the salary you offer — that if is altogethor inadequate ; and, if elected, I shall look forward to this matter being thoroughly and impartially considered, both by the Committee and Subscribers throughout the district." The salary now offered is £300 a year with liberty of private practice. The election, we are informed, resulted in a tie between Drs. Stirling and. Thompson — the number polled being 74 each. There will therefore be a fresh electon. "Timon" in the "Southern Mercury" writes as follows : — I don't think men should dress in petticoats, unless their legs will bear the teat of inspection. I saw Borne Gaels on New Year's Day whose attenuated upßtandings were suggestive of atrophy, At any rate, these calveless beings might consult the taste of society so far as to pad, if they are insufficiently suppliedj by Nature. Jeames Yellowplush does it, or my lady would quickly send him to the right-about ; and I have heard a fearful and mysterious echo which averß that the ladies — bless 'em ; — are in the habit of robustiously enhancing their charms by similar devices. At the meeting of the Waste Lands Board, held on Thursday last, Mr. Connell, of Messrs Connell and Moodie, applied, on behalf of Mr. James Rogers, to have the plan of section 1. block VIII., G-lenkenich, approved, and to be allowed to purchase — suggesting that there should be a sale under the 36th clause. — Decision : To be sold as land of special value, having been approved, by auction. Upset price, £1 Is. per acre ; valuations of Mr. Adams added, and cost of survey. Competition amongst auctioneers for the Government Land Sales runs pretty high in the Dunstan District. We notice from the " Dunstan Times " that the successful tenderer within the district of Clyde, including Clyde, Alexandra, Cromwell, and Black's, and for the Mount Ida District, including Naseby, Hill's Creek, and St. Bathan's, is Mr. Thomas Stanbrook, of Cromwell, the respective commissions being two per cent, for the former and two and a half for the latter, without travelling expenses. But for the Tuapeka sales our auctioneers can lick those of the Dunstan into a cocked hat ; something under one per cent, without travelling expenses was the lowest and accepted tender. A TUNNY little misunderstanding, which elicited an expression of extreme banliommie on the part of his Excellency the Governor, occurred on board the steamer Golden Age on Saturday. The steamer (says the " Daily Times ") had been engaged to convey the Governor and those who were with him, including tnc lion. tne~Fremler aud Mrs. Yogel, and bis Honor the Superintendent, on board the Mikado, and the Custom House boat was ordered to attend the steamer to take the party from the one vessel to the other. Now the - name of one of the crew or the Golden Age happened to be James Fergusson, and when the Custom House boat ranged alongside, the coxswain sung out, " Hi, Jimmy Fergusson, catch hold of this painter." Much to the confusion of the coxswain, the response to his call came from an unexpected quarter ; the Governor heard the cerry r coupled with his own familiar cognomen, and casting ceremony to the winds rushed to the^steamer and seized the proffered rope, and then recovering him-, self without an effort, he quietly handed it to his abashed namesnko who was standing at his elbow. That his Excellency can help himself as well as help others at a pinch, was demonstrated in the afternoon, when his yacht Blanche returned from her cruise. The wind being light she made but slow progress up the harbor, and would certainly have been too late to catch, the six o'clock train. To meet the difficulty, her boat was lowered and pulled in hot haste for the pier, and it was observed from the shore that Sir James could handle an oar as well as either of the crew. He pulled " like a Briton," as an onlooker remarked, and reached the pier only just in time to save the train — for the approach of the boat was not observed until it was close to the steps, and time being up and something over, the train had just commenced to move. It was, however, immediately stopped and one compartment of a second-class carriage being vacant, the Governor and his Aide took possession of it, and were soon on their way to town. As would be observed from telegrams in our last issue, the Chinese population of Otago received an accession of over 500 to its numbers by the arrival of the Mikado. They came up to Duneclin early on Saturday morning, and the greater part of them took up their quarters in the old Immigration Barracks, which were placed at their disposal by the Government, Advices have been received by the New Zealand Shipping Company, which show that the steamer Mongol, advertised to leave London for Duuedin on December 24, to take her place on the new San Francisco mail service, is bringing out a large number of immigrants, under the auspices of the New Zealand Shipping Company. The Knox Churoh Committee have made the necessary arrangements for proceeding with the erection of the new church. The work will therefore be commenced without any further material delay. The Nokomai correspondent of the " Wakatip Mail " thus writes :—": — " Mr. Warden Wood held a court here lately, when a few European and Chinese cases were gone through. Great annoyance is expressed here that the Government do not provide a more suitable place in which to conduct Court b\isiness than at present used — namely, in the drinking room of a, public house, and that only divided by a thin wooden partition from the bar, where men are continually drinking and in an uproar — quarrelling or shaking " Yankee Grab," to the great inconvenience of the Warden and those doing business, t have many times seen those in the bar called to order, so that the cases might be heard. There are buildings here unconnected with public houses, one of which might be appropriated for the purpose of a Court-house, and thereby give greater satisfaction to the people of this district. John Piummed, the London special correspondent of the " Sydney Morning Herald," thus refers to au important subject. He says " that recent Parliamentary discussions on the solvency of friendly pocietios have not been without effect. Th* Foresters have certainly taken a step in tb« right direction by adopting a rule discouraging the investment of lodge funds in loan or building societies* The great dispute between the late Mi*. Tidd Pratt and the va.rioi*» friendly associations arose on the subject of lodge funds. Mr. Pratt very property jtiaintained that moneys subscribed for cert^n purposes — say assistance during sickne9 jjl_should not be devoted to any other. Be was not against members of friendly societies investing in loan or building associations, of purchasing banners or regalia, but he would not permit the money required to be taken out of funds formei for other purpose*. Experience is teaching the Foresters and Oddfellows that Mr. Tidd Pratt wa? right. At the same time it is curious to note the establishment of the Post Office Savings Bank has had a very depressing influence on the smaller class of friendly societies. Should it ever be made possible for workmen to invest their savings in Government securities, a great impulse will be given to popular thrift. Working-class extravagance and recklessness are often leas tie results of natural improvidence than tie deficiency of secure and easy modes. ofjOTestment."