TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1876.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 595, 14 March 1876, Page 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1876.

Mr Carpknteb has just laid out tho two last bridge* on the hnc of railway between No 1 bridge and tho Hamilton station, which corns pletes the bridges between ' Ngaruairfthia andHamilton. The bridge over No 1 gully is upwards of 200 feet in length and 60 feet abore the water lino. The last bridge in to be erected on the skew principle, the bridge being sot to suit the natural feature of tho ground, instead of cutting the ground to mit the bridge or diverting tho creek a* is dove in many instances. The wharf branch line at Taupiri is now comploted »nd the •ngine running. The engine shod and other buildings, tanks, &c, are nearly completed, preparatory to the Government calling for tender! for the ballasting of the line from Taupin to Mercer, and from Taupiri |to Hamilton. A large quantity of rail* and sleepers are stacked at Taupiri ready to bo moved either way along the lino when it is ready for their reception. The bridge at Ngaruawahia is boing rapidly completed. The hardwood supentruoturo is bow being fixed in place ; tho oarthworks being carried on simultaneously. If tho weather continue favourable, and no accident occurs, the work will be completed in from three to four months. Tho Goverumonl will then call for tonders for the erection oi stations along tho lines W'th the fino weather tliu earth \voiks at thi.

end of the Auckland and Puniu railway aio also going rapidly a-hcad. A contract has been let for forming the giound at the Ohaupo station, and the work will be commenced at once. Diains are now run through the swamp from ond to end and With the moat successful result, end thoiijjli in places it is foaud to bo still a little soft, the lina will staud well, owing to the excellent system of drainage adopted. This will show our reacleis, if any proof were neoded °f it, the groundlessness of the report that haa been going the round of Borac of the Waikfcto settlements, that it was not intended, for years to come, to carry the railway beyond Ngaruawahia.

Ih.kkss 01 Lt. Cou. St John — The news of this officers 111-hoalth will be generally recoiyed with regret. We learn from a Soathorn paper that he has been sick for seme time past 'sufferuig from chest disease, contracted during tha guerilla bush campaigns in which he has iv past yours taken a large share.

His Excellency's movements — Tho '• Cross" alluding to the visit of the (3-OYernor to tho Hot Lake country says that His Excellency will bo accompanied by Captain Mahng, P S, and Lieut Le Patourol, ADC. aud Lord Harvey Phipps. It is expected that the party will make Napier about the 7th of next month, returning to Auckland by tho ' Luna.

Hamilton New Ohurcit. — The time for opening the new church and holding tho confirmation service, which was to have taken place on the 26th instant, has beon postponed for u ; weak in consequence of the inability of the Bishop to be preient by the time first fisod upon. His Lordihip, who has already commenced Ins pastoral visit to the Waikato district, and paases though Hamilton to-morrow, en his return, and will open the church in the norning and hold his confirmation sorvice on the afternoon of tho 2nd April.

J.O.G.T.— A great gun will shortly be fired off in Waikato. Mr Speight, with a followin ' of half the alphabet at the end of his name, i« on bis way up oountry. He was at Pnpakura last week, and assisted in the resuscitation of a defunct loigs in that district. Mr Speight may be immediately expected in Waikato, where hi will visit tht different settlements and ascertain the progress and manner of worlnngof the scvo ral lodges. Since writing the above an advertisement has been forwarded to us, which appears elsewhere, giving the datos on which Mr Speigh will visit the various settlements. I

Auckland Autumn Rack Mjsetinp. — The Auckland Racing Club hnro compromised the matttr in disputo and decided on- holding the Autumn Itaoc Meeting on Easter Monday (17th April), and on Her Maj^ty's Birthday (24th May). On Easter Monday the prices will consist of Trial Stakes, of 30 sots ; Tradesmen's Handiaap, of 40 ik»ts : Hurdle Ruce, of 40 boys ; Easter Handicap, of GOsova ; and a selling race of 30 sots. On the 2nd <luy (< t »ueen\j "Birthday), the following erents will bo run :--Leg<>r, of 100 eovB ; Champagne Htakoi, of T)(J soys ; Handicap Hurdle Race, of 10 nov» ; B.rlbday Hmiii^up, of 100 soys Sellin!! Rauo of SU son ; aud Consolation- Staked, oi 20 sov3.

Amateur Si.noinu. — Tlie pntirt&innwni, at j Hamilton Ea«t on Fnchy fn^ht showed to , mnny unacquainted with the fact before, that we have Hicong'it us a gentleman who possesses j both a knowledge of music and a good barytone voice; and 'such being the case we trust that I in fntinc tntu'tainaients of this. Association the in inagemant vll rest rathar en. glee and p.irt Hinging tlian on solos, as the chief vocvl portion of the performance. Few amatours, except of course comic singers, can sing outsido an t>rdmary icom a solo worth seriously hstoniug to, but a well-ti'atnod company of part singers, if tliey possesi individually only moderate voices may afford the .audience a real musical gratification. Mr Culpan, wo feel suio, would bo able to take m hand tl c conti ol mid training of such a company, and if he can be vi availed upon to do so, and its memhcid me confined to those x;niy who pos^nss not Bieielv sweet voicc3 but a knowledge of ■ music also, the Hamilton Entertainment Association will owo to be an acknowledged and highly appreciated institution amongst us.

Our rVrnNG.— The public undertaking in Hamilton West, known as "Tho Folly" or " Neule's cutting," was complete \ at the end of lait week, and though the work h.n boon rer" well executed by Mr George Noale, wo can scarcely congratulate i/uc public upon its being a matter of reproductive outlay. The raid has been straightopod, but so lutve been the ratepayers means for ongaging in other works, a sum of £200 having been expended iv a% purely ornamental afiair, while many a p-cce ( ( iojd n> tho district needs rcpmuig, lrunj a culveit is wanted, and gwur.illy speakmg thero is lojm for tho proGUble outl \j of twice tue amoiiut of rates collectable. '{ f'tlio money - li*(i even been spent in orn-iiniMitul trees js in Nyirudwulm, the public woulo Ihi.e-fwr^m n the-c^pundituii'. Tho road has beun neatly formed through th> cutting, but we musta't suppose we have heard the last of it. 1 There is a popular belief among Engineers that earth l>?iiki, e»pecially of olay, will only stand at tho angle of rest. Doubtless, however, engineers are uroug in this metanco and ratepayers will not be called upon to expend money in oloariu^' away laud ilips <Lc. Let us hope so.

No.vauAWAHiA District Boaki>, Aftkntion. — Whcir NcarunwnJ'ia has gnfc overdue oxcitement of the rice-iegal, .ttpiseopal, und tontorial irruption with which' it in threatened nt the presont time, the members of its Highway District Board May find -A lively subject for thmr contemplation in tlio bnugp over the Ohirtc Creek, near Mr Roth well's farm, oil the Ngoruawaina and Whata 'Wbatd read. The planking of this bridge is as rotten ai the Now Zealand Constitution, and lias boen hko the latter tinkered at by •nuteurs until it reqmroi renewing altogether. On ThurtcUy last Mr JRothwell was 'the last fea^ci* that broke the camel's baok. (Joining over it in a trap the planking gave way and i( tlio conveyance and its inmatos had been precipabit'-'d into v the creet belovr the result uii^hthnTe been more serious thautb was. It is really time that bomething vraa done to this and other bridges, or from the complaints we are receiving in every "direction, we shall be having a cause celehrt agam»t aome Highway Board in the Supreme instead of the District Court next time, and not for damages to property, but for mamlaughtor.

Boys' Crickbt Match, Hamilton.-^-A m*teh betwoen eleven of tho>Eer Mr Dana school and, presumodly, euteen of tho Hamilton Weet To\rn School wai played on Saturday afternoon on the grouad of the Zmgari Olub, and resulted in an easy victory to tho latter team, tho score» being as follows : — Mr Dans' school— let innings, 29 ; second innings, 62: total, 91. Ham Utoir District School— lst innings, M ; second iumngß, 91 : total, 354. Mrs Gwynue, of the Hamilton Hotel, with her usual liberality and kindnoss, sent to the ground a substantial lunch and a barrel of gmgor beor, for tho use of the boys and their companions ; and after the game was concluded, Mr Davis icholars having collected together gave three hearty cheers for Mrs Gwynne. Th« victors then drow off in ti group and gave throe cheers for thoinselves, and ono cheer more for the "lioking" they had given their opponents. This is tho second match and with the same result, and wo hoar that a third triul of skill is being contemplutod by the * boya for Saturday tnest, the losing team not considering thorasolves to have been fairly beaten on either oeoasion. In the firat match Mr Danvor* played with his boys and scored 4A m his first iunings. On Saturday the match might fairly bo said to have-boeu between eleven of Mr Davis 1 sohool, all young boys under fourteen yearg of age, against all Hamilton -- for young men of twenty, not scholars of Mr Danvers' Bchool at all, played against them. We cannot but admire tho pluck of tho " gallant eleven" in challenging a team of sixtoen, but even then the odds are heavy enough against them without their being unfairly overmatched in ngc aud weight. Mr Danvers will no doubt see to this iv the event of a third match beiDg pliiycd.

PoMTiOiL Ondiis. — The " Crois," which u uq authority on sach matters, says : — '• It is thought that Mr Kejnolds will bo the Speaker of the net? House of Representatirea, with Mr O'Rorbe in his old position of Chairman of Committees ; but thu can only be conjecture, possessing more or lesa of probability according a3 the feehups of the House arc estimated. These are, however, perfectly possible, and it may not be improbable, results. We thould not be surprised to see Mr Whitaker by-and-byo a member of the Government ; and no doubt, by the time Parliament meets, fbere will be one or two othor changes in tha personnel of tbe Ministry."

UNKEWARDM) SELT-DKNtAL. — Writing of meanness in individuals, yEgles in the " Austfalasian" lays .: — Ono of the richest and, at the same time, one of the moat ignorant aud grasping of all those who have amased vast fortunes out of sheop had ocoasion to go to Sydney, lie fully prepared himself for the voyage with a large paper of sandwiches. When the dinner-bell rang he regaled himself on theso, and the water of the caraffe. The voyage was long — tho sandwiches were getting dry (sandwiches three times a day are under any circum■tancrs monotonous), and the economical passenger was getting desperately hungry. Looking down the cabin hatch, a handsome dinner smoked upon the board, and the traToller felt tempted to regale himself. Calling tho steward, ho enquired thus : — " I gay, steward, the soup's gone ; if I went down now how much would I have to pay ?" _ " Nothing at all, sir ; meals are all included in the passage money." How that forboanng squatter then expressed himself it would I be unparliamentary to repeat.

A Judok os Sheep. — Judge Ward if making a name for himself in Otago by the eccentric and humorous theories which he from time to time- propounds from the Bench. His lattct relates to the influence of Leicester sheep, or fat meat, on crime. the course of the examination of Mr Ohristie, one of the plaintiffs in the case of Fielding and others v Tapper, heard before Judge Ward in the District Court at Invercargill recently, the witness observed that all the skins referred to in the action were those of merino iheep. His Honor, on hearing this, pubtht question : " Do you kill only merinos at Switzers 5 "" Witness: "Only merino 9; we never kill Lsicestera." ' Judge Ward: "Very fortunato for the inhabitants of Switzers. As a machine for the pro Juotion of -wool and tallow I believe the Leicester sheep to be unrivalled ; but the creature is utterly unfit for hvunaa food. The human stomach was not intended to be turned into a tallow vat, except in the Polar regions. I attribute & large proportion of the crime in the colony to that abominable animal, tho Leicester sheep. In its best form it is simply an animated mass of tallow. Iti consumption leads inevitably te dyspepsia, and dyspepsim to drink. Drink takes * man direct to the asiizes ; and the assizes lead him to lower depths still."

St Patrick's Day in thb Morning. — Is St Patrick's Day going to-be allowed to pass ovor with funereal solemnity, ns St Patrick kinnelf did from Scotland to Iroland/with its he*,d under its arm, that no one has yet moved in the matter of getting up some sports or amusement ia honor of thu patron Saint of ould Ireland, 1 wlncli fills our ■armies with' soldiers, gives tailors I to oui shi is of war, and provide! more orators | and statesmen,-- especially in the colonies, than , nil thp rest of the Britiih Umpire put together? ' When'ver dancing and fighting, love making and other devilment, fun and good drinking and mating arc going on, Irishmen are always to the foro, and the same voice that can^rhisper "cushla ma croc " with the most winning persuasion can j just as defiantly demand to know if " any man among yer's, be gorra, will just thread •on the tail uv m« co.it?" Now when love of diversion in its various phases — far there is as muoh diversion | in gevMng a' cracked crown as in kissing a pretty colleen, only the sensation's somewhat different — is, as in this cues, a national characteristic, it seems & thousand pities that such an occasion as Friday uext should be allowed to pass over without enjoyment, and for the sake of ould Ireland, Into as it is iv the day, we hope to see the matter fairly taken in htnd whilo thoro i* yet time to do to.