Untitled

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 237, 24 January 1879, Page 5

It will be observed that the Rev. Jas. Chishohn, of Tokomairiro, will preach at Wai ruua, Waiwera, and Clinton, on fir-sl-. Our report of the annual meeting of th.-> m embers of St. Mark's church We, is unavoidably held over aurl vvill appear next wpek. Wo have to call attention to the fact, that the mail for Tapanui will in future close at. the office here on Tuesdays, Thuralays, and Saturdays at 'lO a.m. We have now very tine filling and riponing weather. The crops everywhere are making rapid progress, and are looking well. An abundant harvest is Fully anfcieip>i ted. Householders in the various School districts will observe that the annual meetings for the election of Committees for the ensuing year will take place on Monday evening. It is to be hoped these meetings will be numerously attended. We understand a petition, signed by merchants and others in Duneclin, Balclutha, and elsewhere, has been presented to the Minister of Works, praying that assistance may be given to the settlers of Inch Clutha in their present unfortunate position. Builders and others will observe that Mr M'Farlane, Tapanui, intends clearing out his whole stock by auction on 7th February. A large portion of the stock is manufactured material. This will be a capital chance for our local builders getting in supplies, as we are assured the stock is well seasoned, and of the best quality. The annual Fe'te of the Friendly Societies will take place at Inch Clutha on Thursday first. We understand a very large gathering is expected from Lawrence, Milton, ko. In response to a numerously signed requisition His Warship the Mayor has recommended that the afternoon be held as a half holiday in Balclutha. W« trust, therefore, our friends from a distance will have a hearty welcome to the Clufha. A special meeting of the Committee of the Balclutha Athenfeum, was held in the "Library, on Monday evening. There were [ present-: Messrs Turnbull (in the chair), Gngor Hogg, and Fleming. The minutes of previous meeting were read and -confirmed. The Secretary reported the negotiations with the. Government with the view to the Athenaaum building beiug taken over for a Courthouse. ' The result was that the Government had offerer! L6BO for the building, and the offer had been accepted. The report Was approved of. A. consultation ensued as to further proceedings necessary- to complete the transaction. The Secretary was instructed to communicate 'with the Government to ascertain whpn they would be prepared to take over the building;, and to get the necessary transfer carried out. A few accounts vrere- : passed for payment, and after some formnl husiuo3s the meeting adjourned. . ' „ ,■' ■ i

We have to remind our readers that the Valuation Roll now lies open for inspection at tho Town Clerk's office, and any objection to the valuation must be lodged at the Resident Magistrate's Court, before the 15th February, und a copy of the objection left at the Town Clerk's office. We call attention to the fact that on and after Friday, the 24th inst., a mail will be mado up at the office here for Stony Creek, and Bishop's, Hillend, every Tuesday and Friday, closing at 11.30 a.m. A return mail will be marie up at Bishop's and Stony Creek on the evenings of the same days. The new hotel adjoining the RailwayStation is now approaching completion, and notwithstanding the damage it has sustained by the floo Is, presents a very comfortable appearance. The painting and decorating are in the hands of IVIr William Stewart, which of itaelf is .sufficient guarantee for the work h'eiug done in n superior manner. We believe the hotel will shortly be opened by Mr Townsend, and from the position of the house there is not the slightest doiVbt it will prove a success. On Tuesday evening last Mr Stoddart and several gentlemen, while standing ! y the river bank observed a fish playing about, the edge of the river at Kaitangata. The fish appeared to lie ahout fourteen pounds weight, and by the red spots, led them f o believe it to be a salmon, but as they had only a very short sight of it. they are unable to say positively whether salmon or common trout. Other parties have also observed trout about the same locality lately. So the fict that trout exist in the Molyneux is now beyond a doubt. Mr Gray's nsw hotel at Kaitangata, is rapidly approaching completion, and when finished will be a magnificent building. . It is built much after the plan of the more famous Lake Hotel at Waihola, so favourably known to the travelling public. On the ground floor are the following rooms — Commercial room and parlour, divided by a movable partition, 27ft x 6ft; dining room. 24ft x lGft ; kitchen, ladies' parlour, bar, and bar parlours, bed-rooms, &o, Up-stairs there are 12 nice airy bed-rooms. The building is to be finished by the end of this month. The coaching to and from Clinton now being a thing of the past, we cannot allow the matter to pass and be forgotton without saying a word in praise of the proprietor, Mr ft. B. Williams, who for years past has been amongst us and who by his admirable management, his quiet and gentlemanly manners, and obliging disposition, has in no small measure served to make the coaches popular alike with the people of Balclutha and the travelling public, and we heartily wish him success in whatever place of business he may choose for the future. The following cases were heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Balclutha, on Wednesday last :— Tobiu v. Thos. Reid— Claim £22 18s 6d on a dishonoured px-omissory notf. Mr Henderson for plaintiff. Judgment by default for amount claimed ; costs of Court, 2Rs; and professional fee, 21s. — Roberts v. Hayes — Claim £30 lls. Mr Reid for plaintiff, and MiTaylor for defendant. Adjourned for 14 days. Plaintiff to pay £4 costs and expenses. — Cotton v. Dunn — Olairn £5 17s lOd for paper. Mr Reid for plaintiff, and Mr Henderson for defendant. Plaintiff was non-suited without costs. The Kaitangata Cricket Club, with a membership of 32 members, is in a very flourishin? condition. The members, under the careful coachine of Captain Owens, the local postmaster, are steadily improving 5n their play, On Saturday, Ist February, they intend to try conclusions with t,be Dunedin University First Eldven, at Kaitangata. The Kaita.Tigata team will be chosen ftorn the the following players .— Owens, Steven, Sb^irfi, O-. Aitchison. V. Driver, J. AitcHson. F-fo'ne, Ci. Shand, Thos. FTislop, CJpo. F'fislop, A. His'op, A. />i*.chison, Cotton, Warren, Raines, Bi^sett-, and Olliver. The nm^ch is f*si using; much interest. The <<ev. Mr Inch's delivered one of his j 1 ist.lv : o-inl-ir lecture* in L'oyd'a hall, on Friday pv-'i-ig Tho 'loiiH'i w.'is well filled, indeed we <!•• not iviri:>Di(ie!' se^iiis< such an hii li^nce in the old hull for a lo:ig time past, the fair sex especially heing consHerably over the usual average on liko occ-issions, we also noticed n great number of our country friends present, and we are confident they did not regret the journey after hearing the lecture. Mr Inglis' lectures have been so often and so favourably spoken of by the. Press in the various places he has visited since he came 'to Ota go, that anything like a resume of that given by him oa Friday evening is quite unnecessary on our part, at the same time we cannot refrain from adding our mibe of praise like the others, to one whom, all who have heard and Who appreciate lectures of the description given by Mr Inglis, must acknowledge him to be no ordinary platform speaker or reader, and that " Pictures of the Past " are produced by him in such a varied and life-like colouring as to convince the most matter of fact individual present, that the man who can thus read, and brimj forth the beauties of other writers, must have something of the poet in hia own composition, even if it has lain dormant and unsuspected even by the possessor. But it is not alone in the leading •of poetry that Mr Tnglis delights his audience. His anecdotes, (and he brightens and enlivens his lecture with a good many) are told in such a racy manner as to convince us that it is not alone the audience but the rev. gentlenian himself also appreciates in the fullest degree the dry Scotch humour, which, when told with the true Scottish accent, often mean more than the words actually convey were they told in any other tongue. Seldom or never have we heard one who could send 'his hearers in roars of laughter over such pieces as " Mansie Waugh's first and last visit to a Play," and immediately turn the page to such grave and heart-rending scenes as the poor neglected crossing sweeper's death bed, and be successful in both. Yet Mr Inglis, in our opinion, is equally good in his reading of the humorous and pathetic, and we venture to say it is this re re gift that places him apart from the majority 'of leetui-ers, and in otir opinion adds much to the charm of his evenings, entertainment. During the evening Mr luglis gave selections from the works of Shakspere, Burns, M'Auley, Dickens, and others, also a poem by iVtr Bracken, entitled " Guallin 'a Chiel," which he stated he had been requested by the Caledonian Society to read in Dunedin the following evening. His Worship the Mayor occupied the ] chair while a vote of thanks to the lecturer was moved by Mr Waddell. We will only add that seldom or never have two hours passed more swiftly or pleasantly with us than ia listening to Mr Tnglis' " Pictures of the Past " on Friday ! evening ' ■ .