DUNEDIN GOSSIP.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XI, Issue 574, 9 November 1880, Page 6

DUNEDIN GOSSIP.

(FROM OtJE OWN CORRESPONDENT.) November 4. To-morrow morning at breakfast time Ah Lee,is to be hanged. Bishop Nevill has been interposing on the unfortunate's behalf, but without avail. The public for the most part have looked upon the interposition with disfavor, for the evidence was strong against Ah Lee, and besides a notion has sprung up thai,his contention of innocence has not been altogether uninfluenced by the Chinese, who ' imagine their repute will be affected if one of their number is hanged. There have been a considerable number of tenderers for the hanging, one individual I hear of having offered to do the job for £6. It is said the billet has been given to a stranger—a new chum. ■:,.','/ , The Melbourne Cup caused great interest here'.; principally for the reason that Mata ' was. recognised to have a better show than ' any New Zealand horse ever had in the big eyeht. The result proved a staggerer to believers in him. I should think the bookmakers.here must have made money over the race, for Grand Flaneur was scarcely thought of." In thei. totalisator at one o'clock on the (/Up'day there were 170 investments, of which only two were oh Grand Flaneur. Eventually it;, was filled up to 800 or eo, 1 believe, but ! he was in very little request. All the sweeps went'off swimmingly, in spite of dull times ' and all'that., - , ..' ..'.' A' good number of Dunedin people have gone over to the Exhibition, and also to see ' the Cup of course.- .From those who have already been and come across we hear big things about the Exhibition. It is said to beat the Sydney one altogether. Mx Proctor must have taken a deal of . money out of the Dunedin. Although the newspapers that talked about 2,000 a night being present were stretching the bow a little. The Garrison Hall, if every available portion was seated, would not hold more than

1,500. At the Catholic Cathedral concert there; were about 1,500 present, and the hall was alloyed never to. have.been so crowded. T should says l f 250 was 7 tiie average attendance at the Proctor' lectures. At the children's lecture,' 'however, there may have been 2,000, for. the. youngsters pack: into small space. This Jecture was a failure.. The subject was too big, and the children failed tp\ attend to 1 We are nearly sick unto death in Dunedjn of ones. Theiy are a [fearful'infliction. The same old singers and the, same old; songs, and the same piano players time after time. Lately we have had a variation in the shape of. organ, recitals. These are drearier far than amateur concerts. - The' ladies of' a ; congregation chiefly attend them, and' in a polite and religious way give a shilling to the collection instead of paying forj admittance in; the ordinary style, Of ail pretences this is one of. the most ridiculous. '' , * '.'" , ;., "• , •'•-' ' '•' ■ '<■ ' ■'■ Captain Barry is here just now. He is terribly disgusted (find with some reason")'athis treatment in Timaru 1 and l Chsistchurch. He iwill likely lecture here again, and then intends travelling through to Auckland. Speaking of lectures reminds me that, Madame Lotti Wilmot has filed her schedule. She has been in great trouble peciiniarity. She gave a lecture On "Dunedin by Day and Dunedin by Night" which was chiefly marked by ill-natured statements about the Press and'reporters (who have not been too kind to Lotti) and about a certain insurance agent. She is about played out in Dunedin. We have had a great treat at the theatre in "Stolen Kisses," a semi-drama semicomedy, by the Lingards. It has run for about a week. A I big burlesque company under Lydia Howarde open to-night also, and presently we shall have Ketten—more wonderful on the piano than Camillo Urso on;the violin; also an English Opera Company ; and also a big Yankee circus, said to be the biggest ever in New Zealand. So we promise to amuse ourselves during the holidays. •■ - v . •■■■'. ■■'.■■