We need scarcely remind our readers of the soiree to-night in connection with the Presbyterian Congregation here, -and v/hich will be holdin Barr's Hall,

We hear that sonic good bags were made by sportsmen in this district, on Friday last. The ducks are said to be much more plentiful than they have ever been known before.

Mr Charles Porter, from the establishment of Messrs Charles Begg and Co., Dunedin,* is now in Balclutha for the purpose -of repairing and tuning pianos. Those who require his sendees — and they are many — will find his whereabouts by enquiry at Mr Hutchins.

Referring to our remarks elsewhere* regar'diug the Selling Race "sell," atTokomairiro on Tuesday, v/e' learn that both Clyde and his jockey have been disqualified during the pleasure of the Club, and' Leamington's jockey has been censured for collusion— Served them right.

The Balclutha races come off on Wednesday and Thursday -next. From the nominations which will be found in another - column it wrlj be seen that-some good horses will contest the -honors. This, , together with the facilities for 'travelling which" the railway affords, no boubt will induce a large number of visitors on the occasion. The usual privileges will be sold ' on Saturday first, aud* Should this year bring a good round- sum to the Club.

The ballasting of the Kaitangata railway was finished' on Friday night, so that the line is now ready for traffic, but wo understand it will not be formally opened till Ist May. It is hoped by that time that the coal mine will bo fully opened out, and the work of supplying Dunedin with coal suitable to its requirements will then be commenced. The inhabitants of the Metropolis may thus be fairly congratulated upon the prospect of shortly having— for the first time— a full supply of first-rate fuel at a price which will bring it within the reach of *all.

On Friday last, Mr Deans, manager of the Acclimatisation Society, arrived at Kaitangata- with 500 trout, a portion of which he safely liberated in the Kaitangata creek. The remainder was taken to Wangaloa and liberated in the Falls "and Boundary Creeks. All of these creeks are admirably adapted for trout, and we halve no doubt they will soon afford excellent sport. "Pheasants, partridges, and other game ai*e now plentiful in' the whole district, and we believe the Clutha will soon be as celebrated for game as it already is for the quantity and quality of ' its stock and produce; *

Some most impudent thefts of apples, cabbages have been made by evening prowlers in Balclutha lately. If is. .a pity these dastardly scoundrels could not be detected. They may try it on once too often.

A typographical error occurred in last issue in an article upon the subject of the proposed Tapanui .Railway. The probable cost of construction should have been stated -as £40,000 instead cf '£4000.

ME3SUS Deans and Bills of the Acclimatisation Society, have been successful" in* securing a number of Californian Quail, on Inch , Clutha, withiu'the past "few days. They were wanted for disitributiyu elsewhere.

Wjs call attention to an advertisement of a '" Harvest Home," to be held at Puerua, on the evening of Friday, the 21st inst. An influential Committee has the matter in hand, and we' dai-e say there will'be a crowd present.

The Star of Inch Olutha Lodge of Good Templars, seems to be making very rapid progress. A number of the officers of the Balclutha lodge 'paid them a visit at their meeting, on. Tuesday 'evening, v hen seven new members were initiated> ' and other -signs of progress and energy were apparent. A'TELEanAM from Christchurch says:— E. J. Wakefield, late M.H.E.. for Ghrisfcchuvcli East, after a considerable period of abstinence from drink, has again broken out. He was brought up at the Magistrate's Court in a- sorry plight. He was found lying helplessly drunk in the street at 1 a.m. on Sunday. He was fined 's3. It will be observed from our advertising columns that Mi- Arnold's farm, Inch Clutha, isforsale by private treaby. Mr Arnold's sole reason for disposing of his property is that he intends leaving the Province in the course of a few weeks. Wo daresay he will have little difficulty in finding a purchaser, as a more desirable little property is but rarely 'found' in tlie market. "We regret to have toroport a serious accident which occurred at the Bail way bridge, here,, yesterday afternoon. It appears that some part of the machinery used for moving "the cylinders had given way, and through, the accident John Cairns, a carpenter,' had his ancle dislocated, his leg fractured, and Ms collar bone broke. Dr Smith was at once sent for and attended to ' the sufferer who' was sent on to the Dunedin Hospital by the evening train. <

A meeting of the Balclutha School Committeo, was held last evening. There were present Messrs Hope, Robertson, Mason, Paterson, and Fleming. The business was chiefly routine and unimportant. Several accounts were passed and Mrs Stephenson was appointed to clean the Schoolrooms— ss r a week— so that the children will no longer have to do so, but pay 6d a quarter each. "Various small articles of furniture were ordered to'be got" by the teacher. '

"We take the following items from the ' Star's ' report of the meeting of the "Waste Lands Board yesterday :— William Brown's, application on behalf of Joseph Potter and Robert Doull, for a mill lease of 320 acres, Rankleburn "district, was granted for three years from" Ist Jan aary . Surrey to be submitted in four months. — Messrs & Grigor, Maitland, and Co.'s letter, respecting their intention to take adyice as to charging commission on the sale of land at Coast District, was read.

The three Commissioners who halve been appointed by the Colonial Government to investigate the state of. the Provincial Departmental services — Messrs Gisborne, Seed, and Knowles— are now in Christchurch, but His Honor the Superintendent received a letter from them on Monday stating thgfe it Was their intention "to visit Otago very shortly,* and expressing -the* hope that they would be met by the Provincial authorities in a befitting spirit. — Daily Times.

A Soiree and ball* in connection with the Owake School, will be held on Friday evening, next week. Should the weather prove fine, the drive or ride will bea very pleasant oiie,. ancl we* trust a large number from this district will endeavor to go down, and not only enjoy them-: selves, but at the same time encourage the laudable efforts being -made by the.iuhabitants of the Owake district to provide not only a sound, education for the young, but also good books for winter reading by the elders.

Our Tapanui correspondent writes :— The inhabitants have just completed their election of Mayor, and Town Councillors for the various Wards. Tho Mayor elect, 1 (Mr John M'Kellar)," had a—to use a racing expression—" walkover," although a requisition was numerously signed, •asking Mr A. Allan to stand, which he did, but •as soon as he heard that Mr M'Kellar was in the ■field, he withdrew, fearing his formidable opponent. As a matter of course, ' there was but" little excitement, but the general opinion seems to be that we have put the right man in the right place. With regard -to the election of Councillors, there. is little to be- said. 'For West Ward there were three candidates, but as two •will be sufficient, a contest-will take place some'■time this week between them, viz., Messrs Allan, Kier, and Colquhoun. The first-named gentleman will be sure of a seat, but the other twr will l have a neck-an'd-neck struggle. If allowed to give my " tip,"' l should place them, Allan, Ist, Colquhoun, 2nd. For Middle Ward there was a walk-over for Messrs M'Du'ff and M'Gregor, they being- the only two Councillors nominated. The election for East Ward -was informal, the two gentlemen nominated not being present to sign the nomination papers— l refer to ifessrs Patterson and Hewitt. Throughout the proceedings, Mr Herbert subjected the -various candidates to a severe questioning, and which were answered satisfactorily by them. And now we may look upon being taxed to our hearts' content. — Saturday was Court-diy here, and Warden Woods gotthrough a number of clebt cases in a very short time. None ofthe cases require any special comment, as they wore of an ordinary •character. — Amongst ' the improvements of this town, I might mention that Mr Andrew Allan has commenced a brick and tile manufactory, and which he intends to continue in real earnest. I had the -satisf action of examining the bricks and: tiles, and really the latter are first-class, and it. is to be hoped the settlers will give their attention to drainage, when we can produce tiles of a very superior quality in . our midst. Mr Allan employs four hands in this way ** "he will be able by-and-bye, tp employ still more* \vhen we get the-railway in oixr midst.— There -ia organised a strong. and influential Committee to carry on the railway.. Mr Murray, tire engineer, has nearly finished siirvey of tho line,- and we will soon have an idea. what*. it will, cost. I am confident that if the Government will. n^t. go ou with it, there will be capital enough raised in the district to make the line. —The deferred payment. land, sold at Lawrencelast week, realised /from'*£2 10s to £3 13s*, showing' the demand ' for land '.iho settle! upon, ' ' ' '"• ■' :;- i:-,-.-

The Annual soiree in connection with the Inch Clutha Congregation, will be held in tlio Drill Shed, on Tuosday evening. We have no doubt it will be a great success.

The crops in the Tokomairiro Gorge District are all in the stack somo time ago. Mr James Joe has thrashed. to several farmers in the district, and he informs us that .the returns of grain from what he has thrashed are fair. The general opinion is, however, that the average return of grain this season will not be a large one. The crops, when ou the ground, did certainly look well, but owing to the excessive heat, and the wrtnt of sufficient rain, they ripened too fast. From the same-cause, we fear the crop of turnips, especially the early ones, v/ill not be-an abundant one.

A SETTLER in this neighborhood had occasion to cross the bridge with a dray the other day. H"e had two liorses, but in order to evade the toll he unhooked the leader and fastened it to the fence at the north end of the bridge. r lhe animal got tired of waiting and besides did not seem to like the morality of the dodge. He struggled to get after his mate, and in doing so got one of his feet*eiitangled by tho wire. Had not some men been passing and spent an hour in releasing. him, ihe loss to the owner would have been more than a dozen years' tolls. The men were not renumerated for their trouble.

&We are requested to "inform the person who thought fit to open the shooting season by the destruction of hares in the Hillend district, that the dullness of the morning 'did not prevent his being seen, aud that if he persist, he may probably find himself out of pocket by such exploits. In places where the hares are doing mischief to tho crops, we have no doubt that, if compkint be made in the proper quarter, the Acclimatisation Society will take steps to relieve tho burden by having a number of them captured for distribution to other parts of the Province, where the settlers would be glad to see them introduced.

A miller from near Dunedin, happened to b e in a certain store somewhere in tho Tokomairiro District lately, and when there, a young 'lad brought in a quantity of bread and placed it on the counter. The miller, taking up the loaf aud examining it, asked who the baker was, saying that he was a judge of bread. He was told tho baker was Mr Goodall, in Milton. He was so highly pleased with it that he bought a loaf and carried it along with' liim to show it to the Dunedin bakers. Mr Goodall does make good bread, and we trust the action of our friend, the miller, will tend to impi'ove the quality of the staff of life in Dunedin, where this is often much wanted

At the criminal -sittings of the Supreme Court, Dunedin, on Tuesday, Samuel Carswell was indicted for -having, on "the 2nd * February, 1876, while in tho service of Robert Scobio and others, feloniously stolen, taken, and carried away twelve Crimean shirts, the property of his then masters. There was another couut charging ordinary larceny. The prisoner pleaded " Not Guilty." Mr Haggitt, with him Mr Taylor, appeared to conduct the prosecution, and Mr Stout, with him Mr Donald Reid. for the defence. The evidence was similar to that fully reported by us when the case was hoard before the Resident Magistrate's Court here. The, jury, without retiring, brought in a verdict 6f "Not Guilty," and tho prisoner was discharged.

Me M'Gregor, gardener' here, has an excellent well-stocked nursery, but we regret he seems to receive but very little encouragement in this line of business. There would appear to be but little taste for horticulture in Balclutha. Mr M'Gregor showed us the other day, a sample of a very pr<* - lific pea, of which he got seven from Canterbury last spring. - From one pea -we observed .there had grown thirteen branches, -containing one hundred pods, with an average of six peas each. They are of good -size, but we cannot speak as to tho. flavor. The stalksSsreep on tho ground and do not require sticking. Mr M'Gregor has also a largo supply of vegetable marrow, and many other excellent products of his garden, which should be more appreciated amongst us.

Mliaohn Macfnrlane, ofthe Glenkennich Sawmills, Tapanui, has recently substituted a -most compact '2o-horse-power double engine for hisf> old working power. Tho boiler is on top, ani has boiler room for 30-horse power. The engines drive, with -'their double gear, the moulding machine, the boring machine, the planing machine, turning lathes, &c. ; together with ihe breaking-down trim saws ■on one side, and the breast bench on the other. Mr Macfarlane has introduced " Emerson's patent -flange and clipper tooth saw, the teeth of which are shifted every three days or so, and aro -found -to be a verygreat saving on the ordinary tooth saw. We would recommend 'all saw-millers to use them.

A telegram from Grahamstown says : — A fire broke out on Tuesday morning which destroyed the buildings at the corners of Pollen and Marystreets, Shortlaud, including the Congregational Church, -Wilson's drapery store 'and privato house, French's grocery, S teens, bootmaker. Miss Gray (late Bishop) photographic gallery, Gribbles, tobacconist, Ashman,- tailor, Jefferson, bookseller. The fire is supposed* to have originated in the . photographic gallery. The private dwellings in Mary -street were saved by dint of strenuous exertions, although some of them wore damaged. The losses to some are very serious, Gribbles, Steens/and Ashman having lost everything and being uninsured. Insurance, as far as known-: Wilson, -EIOOO-in the Standard on Btook (mostly saved),. £500 on stock in the National ; Congregation Church, £200 in the National; Jefferson, £500 in the Victoria. It is the most destructive fire that has ever visited the Thamer. All were new buildings.