Our Dunedin Letter

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3102, 26 September 1899, Page 3

Our Dunedin Letter

■.-...■■;,■ . ■. ;K V'y -.., ■--.'■ x (Pkom Our 6wn OoBaisPOKDENT.) x x .-■ X- ;^9?^7'vM9?? in Si The fine spring weather ,haßj changed, and ; "though it is still 'good growing weather, it - is : very, nhoer tain. . Saturday. yv\-a3-.hptj a,nd sultry, bub on Sunday the,. ;heavie*t rain we :hav<e?hadVibr : some ■•; timey fell. V The growth ■all aboWDiinedin has been marvellous" And, r $he&ta^is'u6w of value. ;i yC.; r. [, ;J MrC. Simonsens, the advance agent for. Mr; Bland Holt, has been in- Dunedin-all- ; ;Week»' rimaking;ai*r»ngements for the : reapp!earah6e 'hefre of 'Mir Hblfc' and* his coin. ' ' ; pany;— The : seasoh "- wiU-'^egrn. on Tfiursdayv 28th inst., when " S^drfcin^ Life " will be stage-Ji. . This, will Vbe followed .by .either. : i,; White :Sea.ther,' , : ,, How London Lives/ oi " Womien and Wine." The .order of production will hot be settled until Mr Holt Varrives; he .and a very large oompany »re: •expected jiyi Monday V steamer. , yV:; yy. Mr B. Curtis's Afro- American "Minstrel Company has .been drawing good, houses -to. the Princess' Theatre all week. There iV not a particle of vulgarity in the entertainment from first to last, and there' are seVOr&l artists who are very clever in their different' roles. ,;The singing is somewhat disappoint? ing, but the blaok Dante is a conjurer of the, first water. In a short " turn" fie sue-, ceeded in producing coffee, milk, and sugar from the most unpromising materials, and from a common bottle extracting a guinea pig, as well as recovering from the inner recesses of a sealed casket finger rings, which he had shortly before borrowed from some of the audience. When returning these to their rightful owners, a charming . bunch of violets accompanied each trinket. The whole entertainment was brought to a close with a quaint cake walk, which illustrates a form of recreation which has been very popular in the Southern States of America. Someone has suggested a cake walk as a novelty for afternoon tea parties. We have had novel teas, song teas, and play teas, why not a cake-walk tea ? But there are insuperable difficulties in the way, for men are a scarce commodity at afternoon entertainments generally, and it is necessary the pairs who perform in a cake walk should be of assorted sexes. Besides the average society woman is uot so inclined to let herself " go " aa her dusky sisters. During this last week considerable interest has been taken in town over Mr Justice William's decision re the ' Larnach case. Doubtless the judge had decided rightly according te law, but great sympathy is felt with the widow of the late Hon. W. J. M. Larnach and Mr Douglas Larnach, wbo by the judges ruling are left totally unprovided for, the Camp property, &c, all going to the other members of the family. It is expected that a large shipment of oats will be made from Dunedin for Melbourne en route for the Cape, during the nexb few weeks, in anticipation of the threatened war. A special meeting of the committee of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society hold last week, was attended by all the members but Mr H. M. Driver of your district, who sent a note of apology for his unavoidable absence. The programme committee reported that they had carefully revised the regulations and schedule for the Summer Show. I could not give all the recommendations here, but noticed one change in a comparatively new class, which, 1 think, will certainly be for the better. In place of £50 offered last year in the competition in the fat stock section at the Winter Show, the committee have decided to offer £20 as a champion prize for best pen of pure bred hoggets, and £20 for the best pen of crossbred hoggets. Messrs John M'Nairn and Co. again offer to present a cup ior competition for cheese most suit Able for export. Already the thought of the general election is causing a good deal of interest, and Mr Chapman, and Mr D. Haynes and Mr Arnold have resolved to stand as well as our present members. I see the Bruce seat has already also " three Richmonds in the field." ______