Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1874. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 340, 21 March 1874, Page 2

Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1874. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

A meeting of the Committee of the Sunday school union pic-nic was held last night at Mr, Squires' office, Ross Place, to wind up the accounts, &c, in connection with the pio-nic. There were present Meeers. John Stenhouse (in the chair), J. Ciow, T. Johnston, R, H. Fisher, and H. L. Squires (Secretary). The Secretary's balance sheet showed a total expenditure in cash of £18 95.; and piovisions valued at £3 10s. had also been contributed. The funds in -tUo-liftntU—of-'fcUe collectors proved ample to meet all liabilities. A. generalTUScussion ensued, and many suggestions based on the experience gained at the two past pic-nics were made and recorded for the guidance of future committees. The Secretary was lequested to write to all teachers, requesting them, as fir as possible, to use their influence to have the various sepajate school treats merged into the annual union pic-nic, and suggesting that the pic-nic next be held between Christmas and New Year. The various modes in use for providing the means necessary for purchase of rewards, hymn books, &c, and system of rewards adopted were then discussed. A vote of thanks to the Secretary and to the chair concluded the business of the meeting, A MAN named Andrew Schauks was thrown off his dray at Tuapeka Flat, tho other day, and sustained a fracture ef his collar hone. He went to the Hospital where, under the care of Dr. Stewart, he is getting on veiy well. The Variety Troupe gave their excellent entainments on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, to moderately filled houses. AMONG the list of shipping casualties in the "European Mail." of the 23nl January, we observe the following :—": — " Advices from New Bedford, dated 27th December, state that the ship Splendid, nearly loaded for New Zealand, had spiung a leak and was hove out ; the leak had been discovered on the boot, on the port side, and stopped, Thompson and partt, the prospectors of the south end of the O.P.Q. reef, purpose sending a quantity of stone to be crashed at the Gabriels Gully Co. 's battery. The excavations preparatory to commencing the erection of the new Court-house will be finished to-day, and Mr. Humphrey will commence the contract without delay. A BIFLE match will take place at an early date between 6 men of the " Daily Times " and 6' of the " Guardian " printing staff. The ranges will be 200, 400, and 500 yards. The last two or three mornings have been remarkably busy ones with both coaches. Large numbers of Lawrence and Blue Spur people are repairing to Dunedin in order to vtdtnpss the races, which take place there on Mouday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next. We hear that upwards of thirty persons have been refused accommodation, and the required number of passengers are obliged to book themselves a week previous to starting. The scarcity of labor in the district is becoming more and more apparent every day. This fact is, without doubt, more readily observed owing to the increase of public works 3 contiacts in hand, throughout the province generally, compared to that of previous years. Seldom a week passes but we perceive that laborers for all kinds of employment are required. On the Tuapeka Railway works, we learn that several portions of the line have, of necessity, been abandoned, as numbers of workmen are at present engaged at harvesting. At Waipori recently, 200 pick and shovel men were advertised for in connection with the Drainage Channel, and ou the morning decided upon by contractor for meeting those desirous of being employed, only one solitary miner appeared on the ground. , AT the close of the Sunday School Union Picnic Committee meeting, held last evening, the subject of a Union Prayer Meeting was considered, and a unanimous desire expressed that, if practicable, such a meeting should be held once a month. Mr. Squires was desired to communicate with the various ministers in the district and others, with a view to ascertaining their feeling in the matter ; and at his discretion to convene the first meeting by public advertisement. By the Suez mail dispatched on "Wednesday, there' were forwarded nominations from the Labor Office, Dunedin, for 110 souls, equal to 96.^ statute adults. These nominations were made from the 10th inst. to the day mentioned. A correspondent writes, to the "Daily Times" from Lawrence as follows:— "In the course of last week an accident with Pope's coach was fortunately avoided. It seems that he had started some short distance, but stopped the vehicle, as he noticed one of the bolts was apparently loose. An examination" was then made, and it was found that the greacer number of the nuts had been removed from the bolts, and they were afterwards found packed in a heap in the stable."' From the above, it would appear that the dastardly act related had been committed in Lawrence, whereas we are informed it was perpetrated in Dunedin. Ybend & Pors's first coach from the Dunstan, arrived in Lawrence last evening, at 6 o'clook, with a full load , amongst the passengers, we noticed Messrs. Malaghan and Beresford, Mayors of Queenstown and Alexandra, respectively.

Fbom the " Daily Times " we observe that rock boring apparatus for the contractors for the Lawrence Railway Tunnel is being manufactured at Miv Wilson's Otago Foundry. The apparatus will be the first of its sort made in the Colony. The apparatus is to comprise a steamengine and air-pumps, air-receiver and other necessaries. From the air-receiver, the compressed air will be led to the workings in the tunnel through pipes. Two drills are to be driven by the compressed air. The drills are expected to cut through twelve inches per minute, the diameter of the hole being one and a half inch. A trial of the apparatus is to be made in the course of a few weeks. The annual meeting of shareholders of the Beaumont and Tuapeka Water Race Company called for Wednesday last, lapsed for want of a quorum. The Blue Spur Lodge of Oddfellows will celebrate their seventh anniversary by a soiree and ball in Hinde's Assembly Room, on Friday, 10 ;h April. A FISH about 12 inches long, believed to be a young salmon, was captured in Deborath Bay on Wednesday last. It was sent to the Superintendent's office, and inspected by several persons, amongst whom whs Captain Hutton, who declared it beyond doubt to be a salmon trout. Mr. Parker, who has been mining in the Tuapeka district for some years past, has commenced the manufacture of brooms from the leaves of the oabbage tree. We have oue of them in daily use in our office ; and, if the opinion of our " devil " is to be relied upon, it is a superior article, and likely to prove durable. Monday, the 23rd instant, being the anniversary of the provinue, the banks aiid Post-office will be closed, awl Sunday houis will be observed in the telegraph-office. The first bramlle bushes we have seen in the distiict are ac 'Wardenstliorpe. in Mr. J. C. Brown's garden. (They are covered with beautiful ripe blackberries. We are informed that Mr. Pressly has a considerable number for sale, and we should imatme that, combined with the broom, they wouldmake an excellent hedge. The contributions towards the puichase of the new mission jessel Day Spring amount to £984 14s. Ba. up to'date. "Blue Gown's" straight tip for the Dunedin Cup, is as follows t — Culumny, J ; Lurline, 3 ; Templeton, 3, Should Culumny and Parawhenua start, then he places them—Parawhenua, 1 ; Culumny, 2 ; Templeton, 3. The charcoal blast furnace in course of erection for the Titanfcic Iron cind Steel Company, near New Plymouth, is to be finished, according to the coitract, by the 2nd of April next. It will le the first furnace of the kind in these colcnies. The fire stones, bricks, and machincrj are expected to arrive from England in aboit three months.