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Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 90, 30 March 1876, Page 5

The report of the Church of England meeting on Monday night k held* over until next issue. The Kaitangata Railway Company ' (Limited), are going to erect engine and goods sheds at once. It is reported there is a likelihood of the Mil-' ton Pottery Works again commencing work, the motive powerlseing Dunedin capital. THE next English mail via San Francisco leaves Dunedin on Wednesday first. Letters must be po&ted here at 10 o'clock on Tuesday evening. We hare to-call attention- to Mr Kerr's cheap sale of ready-made Clothing, which will continue: • for one week. -Butter and eggs are extremely scarce in the township just now. . Indeed, we are told that an "evening or two ago there were none to be had, either for love or money. Perhaps out country "friends will be good enough to take the'hint. OWNETIS of dogs will please bear in mind that '.their licenses expire to-morrow. Those in Baiclutha had better there'fore-see Alexander Davidson at once, and have th© licenses renewed. We observe-that Mr Alex. Bain has been appointed agent 'for Messrs Wheeler and Wilson's sewing machines, an article no household should be without. We would recommend the ladies to pay Mr Bain a visit, and inspect'theselaborsaving machines. Mr M'Dougai.l;, baker, hasjust'had a shop and dwelling-house built, in Clyde-street, (next to Dr Smith's housed which he will occupy ©lis week. The Bite is central, 'the premises very neat and commodious, and we trust Mr M'Dougall will have much comfoi't and prosperity iu his new abode in this quarter. Referring to our -remarks in last issue with reference to the necessity for those qualified for lodging applications to have their names placed on the 'Electoral Rolls, we would now simply remind all such that to-morrow is the last day for attending to the matter in the meantime. As some ignorance seems to prevail upon the subject, we may add that all. such applications have to be lodged with the Returning Officer for the district. We oregre't to learn that Mr and Mrs Bates will 'be uriaftle to accomplish their proposed visit to Baiclutha in the meantime. This .has been 'Occasioned through the indisposition of Mrs Bates, who has been advised to take a short sea voyage with a view to recovery. They have therefore sailed for Auckland. They, however, hope to be able to visit the Clutha at some future and not far distant time.

Twbnty-THKBE bales of wool were sent away from Catlin's district this season, via the new r^ad to the Big Mill. The Tapanui wheat lands have iu some instances produced this year the fine yield of fifty bushels to the acre. Thb General Government have forwarded three waggon loads offtelegraph posts aud wire to Kaitangata to connect that township with Baiclutha. Messrs Stoddart Bros., of Eaitangata, received a consignment of green hornets on Monday,. the 20th March, trbm the Acclimatisation Society iu safety, and let them go in the bush on the same day. Messbs J. and T. Templeton have opened a general store at Otaria, and are actively engaged in completing an addition to it. Mr Robert'Stewart, late of Waiwera, has put up a very comfortable dwelling-house on his new farm on the west side of Popotunoa Gorge. Messrs Smith Brothers, of Inch Clutha, removed a very superior draft of fat cattle during ' the month, arid Mr Mosley crossed a good draft of stores for autumn feeding. Thb Lower "Waikaka (deferred payment district?) ia without a school. We are informed that there are not less than from forty to fifty children without tuition. Mr Hislop has been applied to, but nothing has been done as yet. Mr Reid, the contractor of the Upper Pomahaka bridge, 'is pushing forward the work as speedily as possible. The bridge is on the truss principle, with timber piles. Part of the timber comes from Gore, the rest from the Tapanui bush. Mr Smailli's thragher is the orily one at work as yet on Inch Clutha, although there iB au unusually large quantity of stuff to thrash out this season on the Island. In the lower Hillend district also, the yield compares favorably with that of frrraer -years ; indeed it is far in advance, both as regards quantity and quality. We notice many new houses and patches of cultivation in the Otaria district— evidences of the wisdom of the deferred payment legislation. But for the adoption of this system, the district would as yet have been comparatively a wilderness, whereas now there is every indication that it will shortly be productive of herbs and plants aud fruitful trees, and that the desert will rejoice and blossom as the rose. Pheasants are numerous at tthe Rankleburn and Wdikaka. Partridges have been seen at Mainholm, the property of Mr John Dickinson. Trout have been Been in the Pomahaka during i the summer. G-rey Teal, Grebe, and Blue Mountain ducks are exceedingly plentiful on the Pomahaka below Rankleburn, where any sportsman could make a good bag in a short time. We are informed by a member of the Acclimatisation Society, that a box of yellow-hammers, containing some forty birds, arrived at Stirling on the lObh March to be forwarded to Tapanui. As there was no responsible person there to take care of them, eleven of the 'Unfortunate .creatures were crushed to death. Mb Andrew Alt,ak, of Tapauui, has commenced business iu the brick and drain tile line. He employs water-power to work his pugmill, and has a tile machine (Page's patent) which will turn out, with a man and a boy, 2000 tiles per day. He has first-rate clay for the manufacture of saltglazed pipes on the premises. A CRY3TAITSED quartz reef has recently ,J bfien discovered on the Benger ranges, about two miles from the "Old Man." The prospector, Mr Morau. a Swiss, well- known on the Molyneux, informs us that the reef is iourteen inches "broad, aud underlies to the westward. He found gold in the ca'smg'of both sides. Morau and party have obtained 'from 'Cr-oVemment a prospecting claim of 800 feet long by BOO'feefc broad. Ordinary claims have been taken up by other miners along the reef. ; This season the equinox camewith unprecedented vehemence. 3? or a few da,ys the wind aud rain put a stop to stacking operations, and the thrashing machines had to make a partial cesaa- ' •<tion. This week seems to have cleared up the storm, and everywhere leading and thrashing are , progressing'rapialy.' A few days will probably see all crops secured. Thrashing will be con- _ sfcantly pursued for some months, as a large ■ amount of grain has been produced this season. Mr Wilson is removing timber rapidly from his sawmills in Mr Mosley's bush to his timber vara close to the bridge across the Matau. The mill goes night und day, and by the strength of the teams driving, Mr Wilson seems determined to have 'the whole cleared out by the expiry of his lease, The tempo-e-y bridge is just about completed, and all will be in readiness to commence pile-driving so soon as the timber arrives from Melbourne— about a month hence. A Tu-Biiic meeting was recently called -at Tapanui to enable the Tapanui Railway Committee to give in their report. Great 'satisfaction* was shewn fit the- close of lihe reading. The Committee then resigned, but were're-electe'd again by acclamation, with two additional members. It was then agreed to raise money for the preliminary expenses, and a number of gentlemen came forward on the spur of the moment and put down their names towards the object. The Government survey'party make the distance 12^ miles, and' report' that no great difficulties in engineering are to be met with. Great credit is due to the Committee, who have workedjunceasingly to promote the success of the undertaking. The Tapanui mail service is in a most lamentable state at present, the mail being carried, twice a week on horseback to arid from Clinton. This has resulted, we Understand, "from retrenchment on the v part of the General Government, who, for the paltry sum of *£40, the difference between the tenders of Messrs Williams and Co., coach proprietors, and the present packer, 'have con signed the postal interests of the district to their presentfate. The result is, that fully one-third of the letters which before went by post, 'now go by private hands to Clinton, Gore, and Lawrence. This inconvenience is experienced by all classes of the community. THE ' Weekly Mercury,' Hawkes Ray, has an article upon Sir Julius "Vogel's speech at the Wellington banquet, and refers to his statement that a -large saving had been effected by the Clutha railway having been constructed by the Gieneral instead, bf the Provincial Government. Our contemporary asks what are the facts of the case, and quotes our recent article upon the sub- : ject as a reply. Re concludes as follows;— The . Clutha line of railway is not a solitaryexajnple of how the first estimated cost has been swelled. We have only to look at the Napier- Waipukurau line to-see'how deviations and new surveys have had to be made, cuttings to' be done that the persons who prepared thelirst specifications had no knowledge of. The bill for extras raust'be no ' small one. Have we nxjt'a'lso'-a ss-mplle of General Government folly in performing work and •sinking monies on the railway line for which there is at present ntit 'the slightest necessity, but for which we have been charged aud our capitation money«topped to repay ? • Sir Julius made a great mistake in referring as he did to the ' railway management of the General Government, as it'has orily -called up most vividly the blundering stupidity . and gross mismanagement which has characterised the Public Works Department. " The Other Side," writes:— "Seeing that' you are publishing the lecture recently delivered , by Mr 'lsitt in Baiclutha upon " Eiji and Fijian Celebrities," and seeing that he expatiated so largely upon the virtues, grand deeds, and success of the Wesleyan Missionaries in these Islands, 1 have to ask that you will be impartial . enough to publish the enclosed paragraph from a Northern paper which places the actions and aims of these Missionaries in -a somewhat diffe- , rent light Whan that presented by Mr Isitt. The following is the paragraph referred to :-— The annexation ef Frji by Britain has brought .into pro-' mineme a fact previously only known to a few, viz. s— <that the larger part of -Levuka is claimed arid occupied by the Wesleyan Mission, who acquired tlie land long prior to any prospect of annexation. The consequence is, that when the Government or anybody else wants to get a bit ! of laad to build on,' the Missionaries, some of whoni are said to be keen men of business, make purchasers " pay through the nose " for it. In the town of Leyuka 'they will not «veu lease allotments €or a longer period than ten years, at the-end -of which time tenants soon discover they mu£t pay a greatly inereased rent or remove else- ' where. Under these circumstances,' it is' tho tight the seat of Government and virtually the capital . will have to be removed to one of the adjacent islands over which the Church has not acquired . proprietary rights." <

Mr Chas. Humphries, of the Mataura Bridge, is a successful cultivator of vegetable marrows and squashs. The seed thus obtained will produce these vegetables under the necessary conditions of cultivation, anywhere in Ofcago. The annual soiree of the Presbyterian Church here, will be hold in Barr's Hall, on Thursday evening, next week. We h«H»ve gr^at prepara* tions are iu progress, and the sneak-.. • s will numerous. The musical department is also bcin^ attended to, and altogether the soiree is expso-ed to ,be a very successful one. So much has recently been said of the prospective state of the road between Btirliug aud the railway terminus, that we are almost sick of it. We may mention, however, that the recent showers have had a marked effect upon it. A teamster got bogged the other day, and it took the combined strength of three good horses to extricate an empty dray. The whole of the goods per railway to or from the south have to be hauled over thi6 bit of road, and we mention the bogging incident simply that parties may calculate what strength they will require to take a load of grain to the station. They will please bear in mind that the heavier the load the deeper it will sink, as the swamp has never yet been bottomed. Gkeat dissatisfaction ia expressed by the community generally at Kaitangata, at the proposed site of the Government telegraph office. It apSears that the Government have a section on the illsiue, near the church, on which they design to place the office. The road to this place is in a bad state, especially in winter, and it is very inconvenient for the inhabitants of the west end •of the town, who are at a considerable distance from it. One would imagine that the Government would carry out the exceedingly ne.it and convenient plan adopted at Gore, viataura, where the railway station and post and telegraph offices are in one. The convenience of being able to flfcep out of the train and telegraph at once, or receive communication, will be easily understood by the travelling commercial public. The Government can get the land required for a small -sum of money. A SERIOUS fire took place in Milton oh Friday evening, when the whole of the stable? and other buildings behind Grindley and Sons' butcher's shop and the Commercial Hotel were consumed. The fire, the origin of which is unknown, was discovered a little before 8 o'clock, when the ! bells of the English and the Presbyterian Church wero rung, and the Fire Brigade turned out. There waa o. strong wind, and water was awaiting, but-the Brigade did good service by pulling down the building which connected those on fire with the hotel, etc. But for this, a large number of business premises, including the Commercial Hotel, Soutter and Gray's store, Stewart's drapery establishment, Grindley's butcher}', Philps, Henderson, and Co.'#roome, and others, must have gone. As it was, the fire was confined to Mr M'Lareri's buildings. They were insured for £400. Considerable loss was sustained by Messrs Stewart, Grindley. Soutter and Gray, and others, by the removal of their goods. The fire was got under -by 11 -o'clock. THE following are the latest items of English news per telegraph :— London, March 25.— The Royal Title Bill, after a long and animated debate, was read a third time by 209 to 144. Mr Disraeli pointed out that all political reasoning was in favor of the bill, and especially as the advance of Russia towards the Indian frontier, and the intended conquest of Tartary by Russia, were well known throughout India, the assumption by the Queen of the title of '* Empress of India" would be regarded as an unmistakeable sign of the resolution of the British Government to maintain the Empire intact. Mr Lowe and Mr Fawcett strongly censured the ''renner for Iris allusion to the probable design of Russia as incautious and unwise.— The members of the Colonial Institute have presented a memorial to the Government, requesting to have the Colonies recognised inthe Queen's new title. — The Government refused to publish. Mr Cave's report, which has caused a panic iu Egyptian bonds. — Wheat lias increased in firmness. New Zealand, 50s to 525. — Sailed : Northumberland, steamer, for Melbourne. Harvest thanksgiving services wore held at St. Mark's Church, Baiclutha, on Sunday last. The church was tastefully decorated by membera of the choir and others, with f p.rns and other evergreens, i»>e-toe, scarlet berries, and corn. Three small sheaves of corn were placed on the communion table, over which were inscribed the appropriate legend, "Jesus said, I am the bread of life." The reading-desk and chancel-rails were ornamented with special care. The special prayers and thanksgivings, issued under the au thority of convocation, and adopted by the General Synod of New Zealand, were used'. Ttie singing was more than usually spirited and excellent. At morning prayer the psalms were lxv, ciii, and civ, and the lessons, Dcut: xxvi, 1-I L. nnd St. John, vi, 26-35. At evening service, which was numerously attended, Psalms ckliv, cxlv, aud , cvlvii, were said, and the lessons were Deut , xxviii, 1-14, and TI C»r;, ix, from verse 6. A selection from the "" Hymns for Harvest," in ! Hymns Ancient and Modern, were iung during the services. The Rev. Mr "Knowles preached in the morning from Jeremiah, v. 24. and in the evening from Psalms, exxvi, 5, 6. We are requested to state that harvest thanksgiving services wilTbe offered at St. Mary's Church, Inch Clutha, on Sunday next at 11 a.m., and at the School room, Kaitangata, on tlie same day at 3 p.m. We Tia-ve ihe following notes from Macrae's Flat t—Harvesting operations are now nearly completed, and I have to report a heavy crop all over the district, esppcially so on thelind secured by'the owners of the Deep Dell Station, as a '" pre-emptive right," a very prolific crop of fifty, acres of oats being calculated to yield at least seventy bushels per acre. I might also mention that 450 acres of turnips have been grown on the same station for the purpose of fattenirg stock during the coming winter.— The monthly sitting of the R. M. Court was held on the 16tk instivnt The business was of an unimportant nature. The Resident Magistrate, who also acts in the capacity of District Land Officer, -decided to allow several sections in block 11, Uigklay District, to be sub-divided, as on each section there are several parties reeiding and by this means they each may get the lot upon which he lives.— The annual examination of tlie district school, whicb is conducted by Mr Neill, was held on the 17 th insft. A large majority of the residents were present, and appeared to be well satisfied with the manner in which the youth of the district were progressing under Mr NeilTs tuition: A dance in the evening, and a general pic-nic next day, wound up the proceedings, at both of which old and young thoroughly enjoyed theriiselves. A •sum of £10 lis GS. was expended in providing prizes for the most dilligent pupils, and also in furnishing a suitable supply of eatables, &c, for the pic-nic. —The weather is very unsettled at present; cold winds, with occasional showers being prevalent, thus retarding the in-gathering of the remaining crops. The Government mavu. road from Mataura Bridge to Gore is a specimen of the results of an empty public chest. It cannot even boast of formation, unless the uneven arid crabholly bridle track can be denominated such. ." The creeks alone are bridged with culverts, and the approaches formed. We understand that a Road Board once existed, but the present work is being carried on by Government. A very necessary formation is being made over a rush swamp about half a mile from Gore, which no doubt will be metalled. Levelling is being done by ohipping off burnt tussock Bfcumps and filling the crab holes with the debris. Gore bas improved very much of late. Green's railway hotel, a very commodious aria comfortable house, has been put up nearly opposite the station house. The railway livery stables, leased by Mr Green, from Mr Neil Bain, possesses every requisite for the comfort of the horse. A blacksmith's shop and farriery is being finished in connection therewith. Mr James Turnbull, late, of Dowse, Dunedin, has started as saddler and harnessmaker. Two bakers, two shoemakers, another , blacksmith, and Mr Moore, butcher, have started business. The stores are "Bree's," a fine ;new wooden building in the same street as Green's hotel. Poison and son, general merchants. The station house contains the post . office, and tele-, graphic department (which ia economy with a yengance), all crowded together j the goods jshed is a sizable building with exhort and ;import departments. The elbow of the Oreti river is only 23 miles from Gore, and a railway" entensioh would enable Dunedin merchants to .send, goods » direct te. the Lake districts without going the : round of Invercargill. '.:"'.