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Lake County Press, Issue 52, 31 May 1872, Page 2

The usual monthly meeting: of the Hospital Committee takes place to-morrow in the Hospital building. The English Mail, via San Francisco, closes at Arrowtown Post-office at half past nine.this evening, instead of on Monday night, as previously notified at the Post office.

We believe that an Hospital sub-com-mittee Lave been appointed for the Cardrona. We have not yet learned the names of the members.

The following sums have been placed on the in connection with the Arrow district:—Arrow to Hayes Lake and Morven Ferry, £2OO ; Queenstown to Arrow, via Arthur's Point, £l5O ; Arrow to Macetown, £100; Arrow to Cardrona, £SO; Arrowtown roads, £IOO ; Macetown to Shotover Branches, £3O; Arrowtown to Arthur's Point (payment in land), The following telegram was received by us ( Wakatip Mail) this—Wednesday—afternoon at five o'clock, from Mr B. Halleustein, relative to his recent action while in Dunedir :—" Since my return I have, along with Mr Innes, conferred with the Government who, in addition to votes already on the Estimates, have promised to undertake during the present year the following works:—Formation of track from Lawton and Gardiner's to Uppr-r Moonlight; track from M'Hardy's, Skippers, to Shotover Branches; Maori Point track to Miller's Flat; track from Arrow to Brackens ; and dray road from Big Hill Bush to Macetown. Have arranged for the Arrow to get a sub-Warden. As the following character will be remembered by many Southland residentsin this district, we clip the annexed from the Weekly Time* of last Saturday : A local celebrity, familiarly known as -the " Black Doctor," died at the Hospital on Sunday last. Deceased, who had been a resident of Invercargill for over twelve yerrs, was most eccentric in his habits, although of a perfectly harmless disposition He had the credit of being a splendid axeman, and, when he chose to work, earned his livelihood as a woodcutter. His "Robinson Crusoe" hut, which used to stand in the hush, near the site of the Melbourne Hotel, will be remembered by many of our early settlers.

Tmb Southland timet says:—-W« are pleased to learn that the Rev.C S. Ross has received a unanimous call from the Presbyterians in liiverton and surroundiug <<istiicts aud thftt tin re is every probability of the call being accepted Th k Taranati Herald lii us indignantly writes:—We really wish the owners of those useful but stubborn nnimila the donkeys would not bring them so near our office. We were unwittingly insulted yesterday, by ' our devil* through one. An ass was left at a blacksmith's shop close by to be shod, and whilst waiting, let forth one of its unearthly brays. Immediately afterwards there was a knock at the sanctum door, and«our imp, putting in his head said • Did you call, sir.' The ink bottle is smashed, and the office door, near where the boy's head appeared, is disfigured. Says the Daily Times of last Monday : —The Provincial Council session bids fair to be prolonged to a much later date than was at first expected, as an Opposition to the Government has been formed under the leadership ot Mr T L. Shepherd. Mr Shepherd convened a meeting of the members of the new Opposition at the Provincial Council Library, at 11 o'clock on Saturday forenoon, those present being:—Messrs Shepherd, Hickey, Mervyn, Inn-s, Armstrong, J. C. Brown, G. F. C Browne, Bastings, and Daniel. Mr Shepherd was called to the chair. The meeting discussed the political situation at some length, and resolved to endeavour to turn out the Government, or, failing in that, to aim at its reconstruction. A SubCommittee was appointed to prevail upon some member not present at the meeting to move a vote of want of confidence in the present Government. It is believed that the lion. Mr Holmes, or Mr Thomson will be asked to undertake this part of the programme. Notice of the m tion will, it is understood, be given ut to-day's sitting of the Couicil.

It would appear that the wages of birmaids alter. A correspondent of the Southern Cross writes : —I huve just seen something new in the matter of barmaids One of our h"ti l-keepers advertised for one of these pieces of bar furnituiv, when he received a reply from a young lady at Christchurch The communication en cl sed thm photogruphs. These were all of the same ksiid of get.up. They were numbered one, twi.and three respectively. the lady wrote a- follows :—•« My terinfor style No I ate thirty shillings a wet k ; for No 2 thirty five shillings a week; and for No 3 two p..otitis. Nos. 2 and 3 me very expensive to keep up, and I woui . as leave co:ue down as No 1 unless you prefer to the contrary. My washing must be paid for, and I decline to clean glasses. 1 must refuse to enter the bar before 11 o'clock in the morning. I have always doubled the bar trade of any hotel I have been in." A very nice young lady this, I rather tiiiuk. The hotel-keeper referred to is inclined to accept the young lady's services, but he i.sdoub ful as to the st>le of get-up he should give the order for. It has been questioned whether the much-talked-of Australian butnip is a myth or a reality. Here is a di.-cripiiou of one given by an eye-witness whose veracity cannot be disputed. So says the Wagga Wagga Advertiser :

I went down early next morning between 6 and 7 o'clock, accompanied by two other persons, and had not waited long before I heard the sound as of a body rushing rapidly through the water making a noise as loud as t'>at caused by a North Shore steamer. Looking in the direction of the sound I saw a creature coming through the water with tremendous rapidity, and directing its courts iu.ni diately towards us. We stood still, deep y interested, and watched the approach of the animal, which having as we presumed lately risen to the surface, was evidently not aw;ire of our presenee. It came on with great swiftness until it was scarcely thirty yards from the edge of the lagoon, when it appeared suddenly to catch sight if lis, and stopped instantly. It lay on the water then perfectly still, and 1 had a splendid view of ;x creature that surprised me rmr- than anything I hid ever see:i hefor in my life The animal was ab»ur li.<if as long again as an ordinary r<tiiever dog. u\i- hair a I over its h..d> tvasj-.-t black nnd its coat was very io i; g the h..ir .-prt.diii" out on the surface of ihe water for ab< ut 5 inches, and floited lo .sely as the creature rose and fell by its own motion. 1 could not detect any tail, and ;he hail about its head was too long aud glossy to Kiinit of mv seeing its ey<s; the ears were weil marked It made no n.i-e, hul k< it its position for half an hour bUrveiing u * no doubt, Ui'ureiy, although :ts vistin organs were hidden f'nin u«. •• t lingti, it turned qu:tely rutin i and swam <,f}' ; .i.-i'y, without any manifestation of alarm, aim we watched it moving leisuien along U.e surface of the lake until it was hiddeu by the distance.