Invercargill.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 984, 3 April 1877, Page 6

Invercargill.

» (From our own correspondent.) Good Friday in Invercargill, so far as relates to cessation from business, has been this day most religiously kept. The streets have, save in reference -- to the going to nnd returning from such places of worship as have been open for service, been deserted. The great point of attraction outside of the town for Good Friday and the Easter holidays has been Queenstown and the contemplated volunteer review. Every conceivable vehicle has been laid under requisition for the conveyance of the sightseers and participators from the railway terminus to Kingston, and the contributions in the shape of personal attendance by the volunteers themselves, are well nigh unanimous. Tbe day having been fine, all tbe other customary places o( holiday resort have been more or less patronised. Since my last, another incident almost assuming a tragical character has occurred, as. the result (as usual) of drink and its associations. A man carrying on business as a baker in a northern suburb of the town has been taken into custody for wilful injury to his wife by throwing a bottle at her, which appears to have struck her on the temple, and serious results appeared likely. The matter has not yet been investigated, and it seems at present probable that loss of life will not result. Cruickshank's illustration of the bottle calamity in its application to the wife of the druukard will hardly hold good in this case, the missile being said to have been an ink bottle, and both of the parties being more or less under the influence of drink. Under the heading of casualty, I may mention" that a portion of the fine ceiling in the reading* room of the Athenaeum has given way, and thd remainder is pronounced by the Architect to b§ unsafe, and needing to be at once taken down. As a matter of course the reading room has been closed for the present and^the library allotted to the readers. The building in progress was during the whole time under the supervision of the Architect, and also under that of a duly competent Clerk of Works. The accident gives rise to question as to whether it has arisen from causes beyond control, or from bad material, or defective workmanship, or from both causes jointly. Probably professional opinion will vary on • the matter, but whatever may be the conclusion the event is likely to cause a great deal of acrimonious remark at the Annual Meeting „_ to be held next week. As tbe present com raittee intended to hand over the Institution to their successors free of all liability excepting the secured, and for which provision has been duly made, the accident is much to be regretted apart from the necessary expense, trbicb, from the size and character of the building, will be considerable: . Mr Robert Tapper, about fourteen years resident ia Invercargill, hasbeen eutertained by his feUW-towsmen on the eve of his departure for the old country.- Nearly all the leading men of the towo 4 rep Renting all departments, were Y'esm^ Wc'ts^^cm-

templates a speedy return, aud an arrangemsnt was entered into to' have a . similar gathering to greet him on his arrival. The town is somewhat bare of incident, and strolling out yesterday I happened to get into one of the Government departments, where I found a gentleman bunly engaged taking a sort of inventory of G"yernm«nt furniture. The " stock taking" seemed to me to be somewhat minute, and. the gentleman himself in considerable perturbation of niind as to a certain saucepan, together with a small hammer, which 1 deemed from the persistent enquiries in respect thereto to hare gone astray. I would have liked to have Been that saucepan, as I cannot conceive of any culinary process in the department under investigation for which a saucepan would be essential, unless for " glue cooking." I was obliged to leave without the sight, but I observed with pain that in his ardor for protection of the public interest by the affixing, of the official broad arrow the Inventorist, who I learned was a military gentleman of some note, had seriously damaged a slight but useful article of office furniture, which cost at least three times as much as would purchase a fair sized saucepan. I mentally ! enquired how many • saucepans and small hammers would pay the screw and travelling ■ expenses of the inventorist, and I thought there was a possibility of these matters being carried a leetle too far. Of course, as a military man, I do not now wonder at his " wanting to know you know what had become of the saucepan." Before leaving I suggested that the old brooms of the department should be forthwith looked up for inspection, and trust my recommendation would not be overlooked. In the matter of amusement Professors Bruce and Jacobs are endeavoring to attract attention, but are not drawing very large audiences, the fact being that both lines have been somewhat overdone here of late. and without special novelty cannot be made to draw.' The building trade ot the town is excessively brisk now, and several large brick warehouses and stores are in course of erection. The weather during the last week haa been fine. The wool for direct shipment from the Bluff has come forward very siowly, and the VVaitara, which ought to have completed her cargo, is still waiting for a large portion of it.