Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 411, 25 November 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

A MEETING of the Athenaeum Committee was h«ld in tho Library on the 21st, November. Present: Messrs. Abel (in the chair), Squires, Halley, and M'Kinlay. The minutea of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A letter was received from Mr. J. C. Brown, stating that he bad forwarded the Crown gr.iut and deed for the Athenaeum reserves iv Ross Place, It was resolved to deposit the documents in this B.ink of New Zealand. A letter was received fiom the Secretary of the Education Board, stating that he would order a copy of vol. V. of Kinglake's Crimea for the institution. The London agent, Mr, Parsons, acknowledged the leceipfc of £10. On the motion of Mr. Squires, seconded by Dr. Halley, the following motion was adopted, '" That after perusal of the first copy of the " Maryborough and Danolly Advertiser,' rece/ved from Mr. Logan, the Committee deem it their duty to decline the receipt of the paper in

future, considering it unfit for general perusal and circulation. Tho Committee beg. at the same time, to thank Mr. Logan for his courtesy iv offoring the paper, and regret they have to express such an unfavorable opinion of ita merits." An account from Mr. J. C. Brown of £2 Is. 6d., expenses of uplifting Crown gra,nt and registration fee, was ordered to be paid. A letter was receivmi, and the Secretary was instructed to acknowledge it with thanks, from the " Guardian " Company, stating that they would confirm tho arrangement made with the late editor, by supplying the Athenamm with a copy of the " Guardian " free of charge. This closed the business of the meeting, Pkessuke on our space compels us to hold ever till Saturday's issue our report of the ordinary meeting of the Lawrence Town Council, held on Monday evening. The tenders for the extension of tho Water Mains were opened at the meeting, and the tender of Mr. W. D, Morrison for the sum of £312 193 4d, was accepted. There weie othet two tenders, one from Messrs. Meais and Whittet, and one from Mr. Thomas Barnett ; the latter, however, was withdrawn by consent; of the Council, and tho former was at £32 per chain, or £416 for the work, Theke was a narrow escape from a fire in Colonsay-street yesterd.iy at mid-day. Mr. Fraer, who lives in the street mentioned, being at home, observed a volume of smoke issuing from the lean-to of Mr. Robert Fowler's house, and speedily made his way to it, when he found the kitchen in flames. By adopting a display of energy worthy a member of the Fire Brigade, he succeeded in extinguishing the fames, but not before all the available water supply had been exhausted, The origin of the fire is not known, but it is supposed, it had been caused by the children. The kitchen is very small, and a couch stuffed with flax or some other inQainmable material was nearthe chimney, and is supposed to have first caught fire, when the flames would soon be communicated to the walls and ceiling. To Mr. Fraer's prompt action must be attributed the salvation of the building. A few minutes delay, and the house would doubtless have been a heap of ashes, such as was instanced in the case of Mr. Pearson's house a few days -ago. Several of the sections of the first block of land on deferred payments, situated on Mr. Smith's mn, which was thrown open some months siuce, have been fenced, and several are now being fenced. A substantial house and stables hsive been erected on one of the sections, and huts have been built on some of the others. Th:: following applications to depasture cattle on the AVnijiori cojiiuiounge have been planted by-fche Board of 'W.-ii den's ;— Joseph jMoore, 23 j H. Cahleand Co., 25 ; A, M'lntyre, 5), Ocu attention ba-s been drawn to anotlier freak of Nature in the form of a kitten with eight legs and {wo tails. This lusus natures was one of a litter which came to light in Tuapeka Mouth. It has beou preserved in spirifs, and may be seen at Mrs. Taylor's Tuapeka Mouth Hotel. An adjourned meeting of the Tuapeka Schoolmasters' Association was held in the Grammar School on Satuidnj. There were prosent : Messis. Clarke, Hemot, Srenhouse, Dalziel, Johnston, and Dutiiie. The regulations lately issued by the Education Board for the examination of the District Schools v/ere discussed at considerable length. The next meeting will take place on the fiisfc Saturday of February, when Mr. Stenhouse will read a paper on " Tiie Teaching of Music in Schools." Mr. M. Hat's contract for tho Wethers tone's Creek Embankment, so long delayed by the Derwent street bridge is) now completed. Ths Waipori Quarlz Mir.ing Company's race was completed at tho end of last week. Considerable speculation exists as to tha eauso of the delay in the removal s?nd re-erection of the machinery. With such excellent prospects as were shown, by the reef, people naturally ask, Is there any hitch with tho company ? Thehe is a probablity that the Beaumont bridge will be form.illy opened on Monday next. The wood work 13 all but completed, and the painting is now being gone on with. The following applications to depasture stock on the Waitahuna commonage have been granted by the Board of Wardens :— Duncan Taylor, 6 ; C. Ward, 5 ; F. Oudaille, 30; William May, 4 and 1 horse ; B. M'Whiney.S ; V. Gianini, 2 , J. Bosastow. 16 ; P. Cook, 20 and 3 horses ; J. Pettigrew. 12. O>J Saturday next Messra Oapf tick, Dufchie and Co, will offer for sale 180 building allotments in the township of Brooklands, Tokomairo district. This property is situated within five minutes walk of the Milton Post office, and the terms upon which it is oifered for saleare remarkably easy. We have a lithographed map of the allotments in our office for inspection. The members of the Lawrence Quadrille Club brought their fifth season to a close in the Athenaeum Hall on Monday evening, and a good evening's dancing was enjoyed by the members and their friends. We hear that Mr. G, Coornbe's horse, Right Bower, engaged the Dunedin Spring meeting, was tried with his stable companion, Flying Dutchman, a few mornings ago, and acquitted himself well. - A mekting for the purpose of drawing up the programme of the Waitahuna races will be held at Havelock this evening, the particulars of which will most likely be published in our next issue. A COAOH painter haa started business in Peelstreet. Parties wanting their buggies decorated can now get them done iv a tradesman-like manner, without the iuconveuieuce of sending to town, Messbs. Meaks and Whittet, the oontractors for the Town Hall, are now getting on fast with that buildifiji. The roofing ia nearly finished, and rapiPprogress will now be made with the interior work. We are informed that the Hail would have been finished by this time had the necessary material been obtainable, Fbom advertisement, it will be seen, that Val Vose will appear in tho Assembly Rooms, on Alonday and Tuesday, the 7th and Bth of DecemVer. This celebrated ventriloquist has earned for himself a wide celebrity. In Dunedin, and luring his tour through the country he has drawn ciowded houses. The entertainment ptovided.is ot the|uiosb'amusiiigrlisoription. and we have no doubt but he will secure bumper houses in Lawrence. The Australian nnd New Zealand Pi ess spe.vk very highly of Mr. Vosp. The Melbourne " Argua " says he is very clever, and his performance was well studied and amusing. Ws huve scon nothing like it in these colonies." And the "New Zealand Times" wiites thus of the same gentleman. ''He is a great novelty, aud a.n artist of a peculiar kind. The oity lias seen nothing like him before, and will not do so again for many years to come." Messrs Capstick. Duthie and Co. will hold a sale of cattle at Coghill's yards, Havelock, this day at 1 o'clock. Dr. Leahy late surgeon of the ship M ataura, has taken up his residence at Roxburgh, where he intends to practice. WE are informed that some of the Stable keepers in Lawrence foive raised ihe price of livery from six to seven shillings per night, owiug to the high price of horse feed. A MEETING of the members of the Tuapeka Jockey Club was held in the Victoria Hotel on Monday evening, when owing to the paucity of the attendance the business was adjourued until this evening at 8 o'clock.

People taking up land in tho Benger district, complain loudly olo l the cost of survey. As there is not a resident surveyor in that district, any work is done from the Clyde Survey office, and the large sum of 4s per acre is charged for mileage, in addition to the ordinary fees. On the face of it, there seems to be something wrong in such an enormous charge. A gentleman who lives at Coal Creek, informs us that the survey of a small block of land cost him £1 an acre. The Government, in giving its sauction to such an enormity, instead of doing its best to facilitate settlement, is adopting the most poweful measures to retard it in the Benger distiict. A meeting of householders was held at Tqapeka Flat, last week to decide upon a site for a side school in that locality. The meeting was but poorly attended, and those present did not fix upon a site as a larger meeting was considered desirable. If the inhabitants interested do not bestir themselves a little more than they seem to be doing we fear it will be a long time before they succeed in getting a school established. There are now upworda of thirty children in the locality who have attained the school age, and the distance to Lawrence is much too far for them to travol "We hope to hear of some more energetic action being taken by the residents of the Flat. The Education Board have made them an excellent offer, which they should take advantage of before it is too late. The Natural History Department of the Tuappka Museum has had some further additions made to it comprising the head of an albatross stuffed and mounted on a frame, and the skins of a beautiful piebaldgull, and spotted fan tail pigeon. A concert and ball in aid of the funds of the Tuapeka Hospital was held in the Athenceum Hall, Waitahuna, last evening. The attendance was not so numerous as anticipated, owing, no doubt, in a great measure to the cold stormy weather. The audience consisted almost solely of Waitahuna people, although considering the object for which the proceeds of the- concert were to be devoted^ it is to he wondered that some members of the Hospital Com. mittee did not endeavor to be present. The concert commenced by the Waitahuna Quadrille Band playing an overture in excellent style, after which Mr. Chalmers, who was asked to take the chair, briefly addressed the audience. The vocal portion of the concert then commenced hy Mr. Hamilton singing " Hard Times." Mrs. Hughes then favoured the company. This lady wa3 in good voice, and sang several pretty ballads during the evening. Hessi-3. Dunn and Coolie were the only other vocalists engaged in the fir3t part of the entertainment. They both acquitted themselves well. We must here remark that the accompaniments played by Messrs. Groome and Bayliss were excellent throughout. Mr. Chalmers in quitting the chair prior to the second portion of the entertainment, thanked the audience for their attendance. An interval of fifteen minutes was occupied ;by the minstrels in preparing their toilets. Their appeixr-ance on the platform waa the signal for great applause, which the.y thoroughly earned. Messrs. Bayliss, Gilehrist, A. Miller, Turner, Groome, Tanton, and Pennell, comprised the troupe, and the manner in which they acquitted themselves would have been a credit to professionals. Their songs were selected with great judgment, and their puns and local hits sparkled with wit and clever repartee. The conundrum of " Why is Mr. M. Hay like the Tiuipeka Hospital?" "Because you can't benefit the one without benefiting the other," fairly brought down the house. During this portion of the entertainment "Bonea," Mr. llayliss, acted an amusing parody on Dr. Carr's phrenological entertainment, < taking for hi 3 subject Tony, on whom he operated. At tho conclusion of the concert the hall was cleared for dancing, the Quadrille Band providing the music in good style, several new airs being introduced At the - time of our leaving the lovers of the Terpaichorean art were thoroughly enjoying, themselves. This entertainment will bear repeating, and we hope that at no distant date tho Company will honour Lawrence with a visit, as we are sure they would draw a bumper house. To Mesdames Cook and Dewes the thanks of the Hospital Committee are due. These ladies have always worked hard for the institution, and the success of this entertainment was in a great measure due to them.