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Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1516, 22 January 1886, Page 2

The next outward Home mail via San Francisco will close at the Queenstown Post Office on Thursday morning next. Our readers are reminded of a lecture which Prof. Black has kindly promised to deliver in the Schoolroom to-morrow evening on Agricultural Chemistry. This subject is one of absorbing interest to farmers, and should prove of great value to that class of settlers.

Mr E. Aldridge, Beach-street, has now fixed up an air blast for one of his forces, and will shortly have a second one laid on for another fire. The arrangement, although simple, is very efficacious and saves much labour.

We are glad to hear that Mr Andrew Reiil, whose hand was so much mangled a short time since l>y a chaff-cutting machine, is rapidly recovering, and is able to move about in the wards of the Arrow Hospital, where he is staying. A well-known miner named Matt Arnay, and working at the Phoenix mine, was brought down to Wakatipu Hospital on Sunday evening, sufferine from difficult breathing—the result of severe cold ami exhaustion. On Monday Dr Douglas performed the difficult operation of tapping the chest, and drew from it nearly four quarts of matter, when the patient derived instant relief (no wonder), and has been rapidly improving ever since. Mr D. M. Ross, tailor, Queenstown, who was suffering in the hospital from dropsy, was tapped on Tuesday morning by Dr Donaldson, and is convalescent. The influence of the apostles of temperance would appear to be very small in the Upper Shotover district at present, judging from the excessive amount of intoxiia'ing liquors which is icported to have been consumed on the premises and off the premises of mine host at Skippers Point, during the Christmas and New Year holidays, at which, time, by the way, the diversions were enlivened by sports of vai ions kinds. We hear, on trood authority, that during the early part of the week, four devotee* with well-rilled skins took their departure from the "pub," and before the week ended had consumed in their hut four dozeu bottles of brandy, by way of " tapering off! "

A law n tennis match bi twceu the Arrow and Clubs, is fixed for to-morrow afternoon, on the pound of the latter—play to commence at three o'clock. The Arrow Club having |»een recently formed, and this lieing the first match of the kind, much interest will probably be taken in it.

The protest against Mr Kirk's horse Snowdrift (on the grounds of Tibs overweight not being declared when he ran in the hurdle race at the late meeting), has been disallowed by the stewards of Lake County Jockey Club. The game little grey also carried off the prize at the Wanaka races on Saturday last. As a consequence of these victories, however, he is rather heavily hamlicaped for the hurdle race at Invercargill to-day.

A correspondent throws out what should prove, upon trial, a very valuable suggestion, namely, that "miners or others in this district, and other inland places, should collect just now the ripening and falling cocoons of the blue gum tree. That they would thus be able to obtain a hardier seed, which could Ik? sown in and throughout various localities." He also suggests that " water-race owners might, with advantage, collect the seed of broom plants (any variety) and sou it along the loose ground of water channels, or in other places required to be bound together." Abundance of seed for either purpose is obtainable if a little trouble is taken in procuring and sowing it. The latter is a simple matter enough. The trouble of collection is more. Why do not some of our youthful population gather up these seeds and try and establish a small forest nursery of their own ? Here is a hint to them. A contemporary states that, in Mrs Barber's Perseverance clain, Hamilton, a rich seam of washdirt has been struck. The discovery is 3ft in thickness, and a prospect of from one to t tree ounces of gold to the dish can be washed from it. Lucky woman.

A couple of poachers were caught red-handed last Sunday on the Waipahi by Ranger Burt, of the Otaj;o Acclimatisation Society. The Minister of Mines \\;is on Monday interviewed by a deputation from the University Council re the discontinuance of the Government subsidy of £SOO to the School of Mines. The Hon. Mr Lunach defended, to some extent, tie course adopted in Parliament, anil suggested hat a more useful rhair for the University to endow thun that of Mental Philosophy would l>e a chair devoted to mining construction and tt clinical education. In reply to remarks made by Mr Macandrew, M.H.R., and the Rev. Dr Stuart, the Minister stated that if Professor Ulrich was stationed at Lawrence, or any important mining centre, he might have as many students as he could attend to.

Mr Nelson, an English expert, recently arrived, takes charge of smelting operations at the Endeavour Inlet antimony mine. A high opinion of property states the ore is of best quality and free from impurities. Sometime ago, Mr M'Kerrow, Suevey-General, reported upon w hat may lie called a somewhat dummy application for agricultural lands between (Jibbston and Victim Bridge, Kawarau river. He recommended the Waste Lands Board not to accept the offer, the land being the only available area in that block available for settlement. There are, we understand, other honafittt applicants for the land so applied. The land should be thrown open under the perpetual lease system, and with a small and easily defined back hue of hill country for grazing. It is situate upon the the line of main road to Dunedin, and is also situate amid )>oth a goldfields carboniferous country, capable of further future development

j Some eorres|>ondence has l*en published in the I Southland papers over the flogging/raca* on the J second day's racing on the Plankton course, when ; Walter Duncan, who rode Solitude in the Flying | Handicap, was whipped l.y MrR. H. Gault (who j had charge of him), for not riding the horse properly. i Whatever faults there may have been on either { side, we do not think Mr Gault (who seems to !>oßsess a hasty temper), was justified in acting m le did, and the stewards of the local Jockey Club j would have been doing their duty by demanding an * explanation. Stone's Diretory for 1886 is a great improvement j on its predecessor, both in bulk and the additional I amount of information, useful alike to the business | man and to settlers generally. It also contains j correct and well executed maps of Dunediu, Inveri cargiil, and of Otago, and, taken altogether, should | prove a- valuable hook of reference in the counting house of every house of busiuess. Mr L. Hotop, of this town, is the local agent. | We hear that one of the hottest days on record | in the colony, was at Cromwell last week, when a I commercial gentleman registered 140deg. in a ' sample room in that town, the building was of iron. ! This must be, so far as we have learnt, the j champion hot day of the colony. It is reported that some very rich stone has been recently struck in the Tipperary mine, Mace town, but the very great scarcity of water power in the ' whole district, renders the prospect of much crushj ing liefore winter sets in, very poor. The Federal Council of Australasia is convened to j meet at Hobait on Monday next. Mr Vincent Pyke, the versatile member for the ! Dunstan, has recently made another valuable I addition to the law literature of the Colony, in the ! form of "A Guide to the Land Laws of New Zealand," and a handy hook to all who are in need of useful information referring to the complex and j prolix provisions of the laud laws of this law-ridden j Colony. ; Mr J. R. Danson, of Dnnedin, has informed the ] Daily Times that in consequein-u of there being a | liklihood of a scarcity of good w heat, he contemi plates importing some from India. At last Wednesday's meeting of the Otago Waste ' Lands Board, it was resolved, on the motion of j Messrs Brown and M'Kenzie, t<> submit to Govern- ! meut for favourable consideration, the desirability in all future surveys of Crown Lands, of publishing a description of each section as to its suitability or i otherwise, altitude and general features of the land, | an 1 whether accessible or not b) roads.

11 our report last week of proceedings in connection with the installation of Worshipful Master, etc , at the Lake Lodge of Opliir, we omitted to mention one pleasiug feature, namely the presentation—by Bro. G. M. Ross, P.M., on behalf of the Lodge—of a very handsome jewel to Bro. Past* master J. Mehaffey, in recognition of his services during his recent term of office. We have been requested to state, in replj to enqui ies made, that the re-opeuiug of the Convent and St Joseph's Schools has been uuavoidaMy postponed. The date of opening will be given next issue.

The Otago Education Board maintains 17/ schools, and for the quarter ending ,31st December had 243 male and 234 female teachers in its employ, besides 13 teachers of sewing. The number of children on the rolls is 21,655 ; of these, however, there is on an average attendance of 18,460. These figures meau that in Otago alone for the last three months there has been, on an average, more than, 3,000 children absent each day from school. At the capitation rate which the Government pays the Boards per scholar, this amounts to a loss to the Otaao Board at the rate of about £12,000 per annum.

Tiie rainfall returns for 1885, just completed by Dr Hector, show an extraordinary deficiency throughout the Colony. For the mouth of December the rainfall was 80 per cent, below the average of the last 30 years at Auckland, 72 at Wellington, and 71 at Dunedin. One of thi pleasantest picuics of this season was, without douht, that held at Mr John Butel's place ou Saturday last, in connection with the Arrow Church of England Sunday School. The day was glorious, Jie place was happily chosen, and the supply of good things abundant, while Mr Butel and family had spared neither pains nor trouble to add every convenience to the charms of the locality, so that nothing mi-ht be wanting to mar the happiness of the day. The children reached the ground abt ut II o'clock, and persons of all ages and creeds and professions and trades kept gradual'y swelling the number, until it must have reached fully 250 in all. There were sports of various kinds for the aii!U-em<nt of old and young, while liberal money prizes rewarded the untiring efforts of the Arrow youth who vied with one another to excel in running, leaping, vaulting, etc. Those preferring the enjoyment of quiet rot had the comfort of perfect willow shade, fanned by a cooling air, while cl< s > by ran a limpid stream so persuasively inviting that more than one fell a prey tr its charms, and took refuge in it as tin y stood from the heat of the day. A spirit of such j ert'tct harmony prevailed as we have seldom experienced. The habit's did not seem to cry, and the oldest there, over 80 years of years, did not seem to weary ; while youth and mid life were hounding with joy. On two specially rested the heavy duties of the day. M«sdames Healey and Travis; but the enj >vincut which abounded around through their ministrations, together with their own good conscience, amply repaid them for the heavy part they bare. Before tea the Rev. D. 0. Hampton, after a few remarks, called for three hearty cheers for the Iriends who had taken such trouble in providing for the day's enjoyments, for Mr Butel aud familv, who had a ded so many conveniences to the charms of the place, and for Mrs Butel. who so hearti y concurred in everything done to make the picnic and day one to be remembered till another such swallows up their remembrance and buries them under the occurrences of another year.

Our neighbors at Reeft'm (West Coast) seem to be very seriously experiencing the drought. It ia not an agricultural district, l»ut there is some good grazing land on the hill sides. This is turn liurut up, and, in many instances, the watercouisen in the numerous valleys or gullies are dried up, and cattle are dying.

The VVanaka Jockey Chili races—which until the last occasion has been held during spring—cnme off last Friday and Saturday on the Albertown course, bint the attendance of sightseers and entiies for events, were not quite so good as hitherto. With these exceptions the meeting passed off satisfactory. Mine hostess, Mrs Russell, of Pembroke, did a good business at the refreshment booth, owing to the boiling hot weather, and Messrs Solomou and Murrell, who worked the totalisator, put through nearly £IOOO. The following are the results of the principal events : —Fikst Day.—Maiden Plate— M'Hardy's, Mount Iron, 1; Flynu's Weka, 2; Urquliart's Harold, 3. Hack Sidling Race, won by Wando. Albertown Handicap, of 30 sow—Mortimer's Violin, 1 ; Mackay's Moose, Tristan, second and third. Time Handicap Trot, of lOsovs.—Old's Jack (scratch), I ; Mabel (40 sees), 2; and M 'Kenua's Vixen (50 sees), 3. Flying Handicap, of 20 Bovß.—Mortimer's Violin, 1 ; M'Kay's Warrior, 2. Skcond Pay.—Handicap Hurdle—Kirk's Snowdrift, 1; M Kay's Warrior and Tristan, second and third respectively. Wanaka J.C. Handicap of fiO sovs—M 'Kay's Knickerbocker Sam, 1 ; and Htricot (same owner), 2; Aitkeubead's Demlace, 3. Consolation Handicap— M 'Bride's Little Paddy, 1 ; M'Kav'* Moose and Haricot, second and third respectively. Rej>eate»t complaints have been made of late of the inferior quality of the gum used on the various revenue stamps sold by the Government. Mount Ida Chrouidt states that a Naseby business map, becoming very sore on the subject, wrote to the Commissioner of Stamps recently in very forcible language. In due time he received a reply from the Secretary for Stumps, in which the following sentence occurs: —"I have to express my regret that you shoul i have lieeu put to any inconvenience in consequence of the stamps used by you not beimf sufficiently adhesive, and »eg to inform yon that have instructed the stamp printer to use a stronger and thicker gum than heretofore, in the hope that this will meet the difficulty." If this don't remedy the grievance, the stamp printer will stand a good show of being pole-axed by some long-suffering man of buairot