TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1235, 12 May 1864, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

East Heatiicoie District Road Board.—Pursuant to notice the Board met at their office. Ferry Road, on Friday, the 6th instant. Present —the Chairman (Mr. Montgomery), Mr. Kennaway, and Mr. Fisher. The minute's of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, the Chairman laid before the Board a letter which had been received from the Secretary of Public Works in answer to a communication, stating that in reference to clearing the River Heathcote the matter would be reported upon by the Assistant Provincial Engineer. A letter was also read which had been received from Mr. John Kerr, stating that he would, if the Board wished, refer the making a road through his property to arbitration. It was then resolved that the Surveyor be instructed to see Mr. Kerr in reference to making the road and obtain a written ofter of the price of the land from him. The following tenders were then opened and considered:—For preparing a Ratepayers' R<Jll, Haskins, £95, accepted; for forming and metalling about 88 chains Hayter's Road, Brown. £220, accepted; for forming and metalling 40 chains of Gowin's Road, Brown, £120, accepted; forming about 46 chains of the River Road, near the Steam Wharf, Jebson, £88, accepted. The Surveyor's report was read; hereported that the works in hand for the Board were going on satisfactorily. The labour gang had been employed in clearing drains, preparatory to the wet season commencing. He laid paid into the Bank moneys which he had received for tolls on the Heathcote Swing Bridge. Some accounts were ordered to be paid, and the Board adjourned.

Tin: Tukathb.—Truly wo live in a utilitarian age! We have already drawn attention to the improvements and renovations now being effected in the Cliristchurch Theatre. To-day wo have another addition to chronicle. A poster announces that au advertising drop-scene is in preparation. It will be rather a shock to the imagination of the audience, after thoy have bren listening with pleasure to some beautiful poetical conception, to have their mind suddenly recalled to tlio common place events of life. Fancy, after hearing Polonius' advice to his son on a correct choice of dress, to sec a startling advertisement of thq goods supplied at a monster clothing mart, or after listening to Macbeth's exclamation-—" Throw

physic to the dogs," to bo greeted with an announce Lent of Hollow,ly's pill«. Or again, when Gasa.o has just delivered his invective against the evils of mtcmpernnce, to be politely informed that Mr. So and So has just opened "an establishment where wines ami spirits ot the best quality, and at the lowest possible remunerative prices, can beobtained." Or, turning towhat justnowmoro nearly concerns us, imagine Timon's vehement denunciation of gold to be succeeded at the fall of the curtain, by an announcement in flaring capitals of the nearest, and cbeapost route to the Pelorus. From the sublime to the ridiculous, says the proverb, there is but a step, and this advertising drop-scene seems to bo a vivid and practical realization of the idea. The scheme is not a novel one, being borrowed from the Adelphi Theatre, where it was carried out for some time until it was brought to an untimely end through the following occurrence An advertiser who had contracted with the lessee for the notice of his wares, refused to pay the bill, on the ground that the announcement was placed too high in the fly near the ceiling, and was removed in order to allow the clown to make his perilous flight. The case was judicially investigated, and judgment given with costs for the plaintiff, who was, however, informed that he was entitled to damages, although he had degraded the legitimate purposes of the stage, and that although ho had in this instance gained what he sought to recover, he had somewhat tarnished his reputation. It is to be hoped that our lessee will not find himself in the same predicament.

PnoxoGBAPHS.—We have been favoured by Mr. Elsbee with an inspection of some views of Lyttelton, and of Sumner and its vicinity, They are beautifully executed, and convey to the mind of the spectator the clearest possible idea of the localities represented. The view of the Cave Eock at Sumner deserves particular mention, as the point of view is well chosen and the detail excellently brought out. The perspective effect of the Shag Eock in distance, an object difficult to be obtained in photographic views and one rarely attained, has been most successfully accomplished. The manipulation of the negatives from which this view, and that of the stranded vessel in the bay are taken, is very superior. We believe that the pictures of which we are speaking are first proofs. No doubt impressions subsequently taken will prove even more effective, as, judging from those before us, the negatives will evidently bear a greater depth of printing.

Cheistchubch Orphanage.—A letter having reference to this institution appeared in our last issue. The writer makes several inquiries with regard to the working, management, &c., of the Orphanage, and asks for information relative to the disposal of the money received as the product of the bazaar recently held for its benefit. Since the publication of the letter in question, the printed rules, report of proceedings,tables of receipts and expenditure, and a list of the subscribers to the asylum have been forwarded to our office. As these papers have been printed for public circulation, we have no doubt that our correspondent can easily have the opportunity of inspecting them. Street - Pillar Letter Boxes.—Two iron things, represented by the long compound word just written, have been erected in Christchurch, one at the Mechanics' Institute, the other at the Railway Station. They will no doubt be useful: but for our part, in writing of them we shall call them what they are in all senses of the word —' posts.' The longer phrase is used by the same instinct of our vocabulary which employs the word ' five-shilling piece,' rejecting contrivances to shorten speech, instead of 'crown.' The two meanings of 'post' illustrate the wide departure of words from their original signification—a departure which in the present case is so wide as to have singularly worked round to the point from which it started. 'Post' is from the participle 'positum' of the Latin verb

ponere, to place, and means something put down or stuck in. Hence the first direct meaning. Then we get to the fact that posts were used of old for marking out the roads* and dividing the distances. Those who travelled went from post to post, or ' posted' in stages. And as letters were carried by conveyances along these stages, they were carried 'by post.' The name was then applied to the mail carried, and then to the office which controlled the carriage of the post. Putting a letter into the office for carriage came to be called ' posting' it, and the place it was put into took the name itself. Now that tha-plaee4r*' street pillar,' the name of ' post' has returned to its original meaning, and is no doubt ready to start off on another roundabout journey.

Co-operative Society.—Pursuant to advertisement, a public meeting was held at the Odd-Fellows' Hall at half-past seven o'clock on Tuesday evening last, for the purpose of taking such steps as seemed advisable for the formation of a Co-operative Society in this city. Mr. J. Turner was called to the chair, and after making a few remarks in reference to the course that had been adopted by the provisional Committee, he called on Mr. Cuttler to propose the first resolution, which was to the effect that, in the opinion of the meeting, it was desirable that a Co-operative Society should be formed, its objects being to raise, by the subscriptions of its members, a fund sufficient for the purchasing of food, fuel, clothing, and other necessaries. Mr. Scott seconded the resolution,

remarking at some length upon the necessity of having a society of this kind established. A few of the proposed resolutions were then read, and the Chairman having called upon those present to come forward and enrol themselves as members, the result was that fifty-four shares were taken. It was proposed and carried unanimously that a meeting be called for next Tuesday night, for the purpose of enrolling additional members, receiving subscriptions, and electing officers. A vote of thanks was then given to the Odd-Fellows' Society for their liberality in granting the use of the hall gratuitously for the holding of the meetings of the Provisional Committee, after which the meeting separated. Acclimatization.—A meeting of the committee of this society was held yesterday at Deßourbel's Buildings, Cathedral-square. The following gentlemen were present: —The Yen. the Archdeacon of Akaroa, Messrs. McFarlane, Stoddart, G. L. Lee, G. Miles, D. Hislop, Thomson, Brooke, T. C. Wilson, Armstrong, and Hill. Messrs. Hill and Miles were appointed to act as a deputation to wait upon the Government with a view of carrying out the preliminary arrangements for converting a portion of Hagley Park into botanical gardens, and to prepare suitable places for the purposes of acclimatization. Mr. McFarlane was appointed honorary secretary pro tern. Mr. J. C. Wilson announced that he had received two brace of pheasants by the Otago. A set of rules was drawn up and adopted, and the Bank of New Zealand was selected as the bank of the society. By the Queen which arrived yesterday, we have received, via Melbourne, the following additional intelligence with regard to the incubation of the salmon ova:— The Hobant Town Mercury of the 28th ult., has the following most satisfactory report as to the progress of the salmon ova experiment:—" We have been put in porsession of some interesting and most gratifying information as to the state of affairs at the salmon breeding ponds beside the river Plenty. The information extends down to as late a period as yesterday morning, up to which

time everything was progressing most favourably, and Mr. Ramsbottom was, as might be anticipated under such circumstances, in the highest spirits, and sanguine ns to the prospects of ultimate success. According to that gentleman's estimate, not more tlmn 100 of the ova living at the moment of their being deposited in the hatching boxes had died, and the remainder were perceptibly augmenting in bulk, and assuming the aspect of increasing

healthful maturity. The majority of the dead ova had been removed, and the rest were in course of being taken out of the water. In place of the tent, which we mentioned in our report of the first days proceedings as having been pitehod over} the hatchingboxes, a more suitable shelter has now been substituted; and owing to this alteration, a protty equal temperature can now be maintained at all times, a circuinstanco which Mr Ramsbottom regards as of considerable importance. At present, the temperature of the water is kept at about forty-seven degrees, and this is considered by tho conductor of the operations to bo tho correct medium. The water supply has also been adjusted in a suitable manner.

Mr Ramsbottom believes that if matters should continue to progress as favourably as they are at present doing, some fully developed fishes may be expected to emerge from the eggs within ten days of the present time. He also adheres to his estimate of 30,000 as being a fair though of course a mere rough approximation to the number of healthy Bpawn now being incubated in the waters of the Plenty."

A Serious Accident occurred to Mr. Bristol, of Timaru, on Friday last, near to the Commercial Hotel.

It appears ho had been to his run, a few miles from Timaru, to see some iinprovorneuts going on there; and on coining home rather late his hoise got his feet i rj u tether-rope, and came down with him. In the f a l] }Jr. Bristol unfortunately broke his collar-bone, and otherwise seriou/ily injured himself. He was taken to the R 0 y a l Hotel, and I)r. McLean was in immediate attendance We are happy to say that the injured gentleman j s going on most favourably. It has since been ascertained that the occasion of the accident was owing to a horse belong, ing to Mr. John Simpson having strayed across the road it being tethered within lire or six yards from the public thoroughfare. Fata I, Accidbnt. —A man named Daniels, who had recently left the service of Mr. Cinnos, of the Mackenzie country, while attempting to ford the Takapu river on the sth instant, was unfortunately washed down by the current and drowned. Constable .Scole was searching fo r the body when the intelligence left. Timaeu has been quite gay this last week, races and a variety of amusements being the order of the flay. (j Q Tuesday last, being tlxe licensing day, Mr. Williams 0 f the l'imaru Hotel had a public dinner at his house • the entertainment was provided in his usual capital style After dinner the tables were cleared, and dancing wag kept up with much spirit. A very pleasant evening was spent by those present. Thursday, being the daj o f t ]j e great match between Mr. Noble's Nourmahai and Mr Thompson's Merrylegs, brought a large quantity of visitors into the place. The match, which excited a great deal of interest, was easily won by the mare; and in the evening a ball was held at the Mechanics' Institute Booms, and was attended by the elite of the neighbourhood. The arrangements of the ball were entrusted to Mr. Green, of the Boyal Hotel, and it mojt certainly reflected the highest credit on him for the manner which he conducted it. The evening following Mr. Green himself had a public ball at the same building which was most numerously attended, and gave the greatest satisfaction.