The Arrow Observer AND LAKES DISTRICT CHRONICLE. Arrowtown, Thrusday, Feb, 10 1881. Local and General News.

Lake County Press, Volume X, Issue 508, 10 February 1881, Page 2

The Arrow Observer AND LAKES DISTRICT CHRONICLE. Arrowtown, Thrusday, Feb, 10 1881. Local and General News.

A welcome shower foil on Tuesday evening freshening up green crops—which were getting much in need of it—without interfering with harvest operations. We understand that the Rov. T. Spurgeon (son of the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon), who fs on a visit to the district, will preach at Arrowtown and Queenstown duriug his stay. On Saturday only one candidate (Air W. Butler) was nominated for the two vacancies, in the Municipal Council. Mr Butler was declared elected, and took his scat in the Council on Tuesday evening. The 19th inst. has been fixed as the nomination-day for candidates for the vacancy still existing. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Arrow District School Committee will bo held this evening. The Arrow District School will re-open on 1 uesday morning next. Mrs S. Cooper died in the Hospital on Monday morning, after a long and painful illness; and was buried on Tuesday afternoon, tlie funeral service being conducted in the Presbyterian church and at the grave by Mr Hutson in an impressive manner. At an extraordinary meeting of shareholders in the Mountaineer company last week the Directors were authorised to take the necessary steps for increasing the capital to £‘20,000, in Older to purchase the other boats running on Lake Wakatip. as the keen competition at present existing resulted in a continuous loss to the company. We hear that the Directors have made arrangements for the pm chase of the Jane JVillitnns, Antrim and Venus.

The following clause was omitted from the annual report of the Arrow District Hospital in our last issue :— *• The cost of the hospital for the year was £904 0s 3d, of which amount £lßl 5s 4d was for bedding, furnishing, and building, £43 16s for architect’s charges, £lO4 Is 2d for incidentals, printing rules' etc., and £3O for extra medicine and surgicai appliances, leaving the actual cost for maintenance of the institution at £544 17s 9d. A rather peculiar accident happened in the Tipperary mine on Friday last to a miner named Charles Clark. A* i rise ” was driven to meet the upper level, and a blast of dynamite was put in Clark stood over where he thought the shot was to feel how far there was to go, when the shot broke right through, the debris throwing him down bruising and cutting him severely and also giving another man who was standing by a nasty knock. We are glad to hear that Clark’s injuries are not likely to prove serious.

We understand that six gentlemen in the township have advanced the amount required for widening the Library Hall (£3O), which the Committee could not see its way clear to undertake at the meeting on Tuesday evenim** There is no doubt the widening will make a good hall of what we believe would have proved an exceedingly long and unsightly room.

The Digger’s Rest Hotel, Arthur’s Point, ■was totally destroyed by fire about one o’clock yesterday. The only way in which the lessee (Mr Burrows) can account for the fire is that n strong gust of wind blew the chimney down and scattered the fire in the fireplace about the floor. So rapid was the progress of the flames that, although Mr Burrows was on the premises at the time, he was unable to save an article. Had the wind been blowing in the opposite direction to what it was, nothing could have saved the residence of Mr Morrison, which is only a few feet in rear of the hotel. The hotel was the property of Mr Davis, brewer, Queenstown, and was insured, but we did not hear to what amount. A miner named Thomas Hughes met with a serious accident in the Homeward Bound mine yesterday. Hughes and a mate named Elliott were timbering a stops when some stone fell, cutting him badly on the back of the neck and otherwise injuring him, Elliott only just esoaping the fall. The injured man was carried down to the Arrow Hospital, where ho is now under the care of Dr Robertson. We believe there is no apprehension of his injuries terminating fatally. Telegrams from Mexico mention an attack made by Indians on a coach in that country. The vehicle was full of passengers at the time bound for various destinations in the interior. The attack was so sudden and unexpected that only a feeble resistance could be made by the passengers, five of whom wore killed and several wounded. The Indians got clear off. The ‘ Cromwell Argus ’ of Tuesday says : A man named J. W. Jenkins was brought before P. L. Dignan, Esq., J.P., and the Mayor on Saturday, charged with cruelty to a horse. Accused had come into town riding an animal with a dreadfully sore back. He was about to leave for Macetown on the horse when arrested by the police. The charge was fully proved as being of a most aggravated kind, and Jenkins was fined £5, which should prove a caution to him for the future. At a fire which occurred at a farm at Wilmington the flames caught the dress of Miss Nolan, aged sixty-two, who clambered up to an iron tank on a dray, got through a small opening, immersed herself, descended, and recommenced assisting in extinguishing the fire until some men arrived, though seriously burned.

The Taieri correspondent, of tho Dunedin * Star’ says Harvesting operations are now becoming general on the Taieri. Rust, I regret to say, has made its appearance among some of the crops.”

A Scotchman went to a lawyer for advice, and detailed the circumstances of the case. “Have you told me the facts precisely as they occurred ? ” asked the lawyer. “Oh, ay, sir,” replied ho; “I tho’t it best to tell ye plain truth. Ye can put the lees into it yersel.”

The members of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Invercargill, have decided that instrumental music should be introduced. One speaker opposed to the change moved that the cornet bo employed, which led to a suggestion that the bagpipes should be used. One advocate of music said that instruments such as the harp and trump were associated with heaven, but there was no mention of any in tho Bible as connected with the “ other place,” and only one instrument in profane writings, viz., the bagpipes.

The following is an anecdote of an eminent late Q.C. While a junior ho had to speak of some questionable proceedings, and said, “ CJcntlemon of the jury, the defendant has boon amusing himself by dying kites.” “ Doing what ?” said the judge. “Flying kites, my lord; putting his name to accom” modation bills.”—“Why are they called kites “ Why, my lord, there is a connection between the schoolboy’s kite and tho wind ; only in one instance, the wind raises the kite; in tho other, the kite raises tho wind.”

The ‘ Tuapeka Times’ says that green linnets are becoming very numerous in the neighborhood of Waitahuna. Several farmers complain loudly of the damage committed to growing crops by tho ravages of this pest. Haros, too, are rapidly on the increase, in the same neighborhood, and are proving very destructive particularly amongst the wheat crops. Many acres of oats have already been rendered of little value in consequence of the ravages of imported birds and other game. At the present time, the Acclimatisation Society, as a body, is not held in very high esteem amongst a number or the settlers of Waitahuna.

Ihe ‘Kuraara Times’ says the Library Committee of the Thames Borough Council recently appealed to Sir Julius Vogel. Messrs Collins, Sons, and other persons at homo for donations of books, &c., in aid of the iVlGsiiaiJics Institute and !Reading*-room. In reply, Sir Jalius Vogel wrote as follows by the last mail.-—7, Westminister Chambers, London, S.W., December Ist. Dear Sir, I ai l l j® receipt of your letter and enclosures. 1 will do the best I can in the way of inviting donations from persons likely to respond, but iam not sanguine of success. The distance and expense of carriage will, I fear, greatly stand in the way. For myself, I will look out some books, &0., I can spare, 'and beside purchase from £lO to £2O worth', and forward them to you as a donation.-—Yours sincerely, Julius Vogel. -A letter from Messrs Collins and Sous promises to forward at once some of their science series ofjvolumes through Messrs Ashby and Co., of London, as a token of their desire at least to help you m some small measure in the gathering together of a library.” It is quite likely Sir Julius Vogel and Messrs Collins will be --“ Pod S A"V lar a PP lica tions now from all paits of the Colony.