The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 33, 30 May 1876, Page 2

The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

UV are ijlwl t-> l;ar« from tifjKiries made at the to-day. that, the man Nf-ali xvfv*> >»« svf&'U.-'ly "tiijitit «l yesterday at tin: Watareka. is progressing very favourably. ft is notified by advertisement that should satfktcttt inrtitecKti'iit otter. n coach will I>e ran to the Waimate II aces by Messrs. Swansoct and W arburton, leaving the Stai and barter Hotel. on Thursday next, about one p.m.. returning on Saturday forenoon. The English mat!, via Southampton and Bcitutisi,.will close at the Post Oihce, Oamant, on Saturday, the 3rd of June, at 4 a.m. : cuonex* orders and registered letters the picviotts day, at p.m.

The organ recital announced to take place last night at St. Luke* Church, was given before a crowded congregation. The J lev. the Incumbent made a lew introductory remarks, after which llyutn (Ancient and Modem) was sung, and the programme then gone through. It id not our intention, ad a rule, t'» criticise amateur performances, but the: recital given last evening x\e may say that, as a whole, it was highly creditable to those ladies and gentlemen who so kindly took part therein. Of course, there were one or two shortcomings noticeable, but it xvould be ungracious on our ]»art to particularise them. The lady who sang, "Jiejotee greatly " (Messiah), is entitled to high praise tor her successful rendering of this difficult solo; and the same remark is applicable to the gentleman who gave " Thus saith the Lord " (Messiah), who was in excellent voice, and sang with good effect. Several choruses were rendered during the evening, the yem. without a doubt, being the glorious •• Hallelujah " (Messiah). which was given in excellent style. We need scarcely say that Mr. A. J. Toxvsey's playing on the organ was a rich, musical treat, and it is to be hoped the tiitvattcial result of the recent offertories will be satisfactory. \\ e have been requested to thank those ladies and gentlemen who assisted the choir in the opening services and recital : also to tender the thanks of the Organ Committee to the Union Steam Shipping and Carting Companies, and Harbour Board, tor generously presenting the freightage as a donation. In conclusion, we might mention that especial credit is due to Messrs. p.yoth and Fine!* for their efibrts in connection with the opening services, both gentlemen having spired neither tune nor exgense

to bring them to a successful issue. We are informed that our remarks yesterday on the position in which the organ has been placed has caused pain in certain quarters. We are pleased to hear that as soon as the church is enlarged, the organ will be placed in such a position that its beautiful tone -will be distinctly audible, and its external appearance properly seen. It is fervently to be hoped that the gentleman who plays the new organ at St. Luke's will not be placed in the same awkward position as was his brother in music at ellington the other day. The "Post ' of the loth inst. says:—"During the morning service yesterday at a certain church in this city, the gravity of the congregation was slightly disturbed by one of those little incidents wliich so instantaneously bridge the chasm between the sublime and ridiculous. At one part of the service, where the pealing strains of the o/gan should have burst forth in floods of rolling harmony, the officiating clergyman paused as usual, but only an eloquent silence answered his mute appeal. There was general consternation in the ap-

prehension that the respected organist might have been seized witlx paralysis, or some other disabling visitation. But no, it could be heard plainly that both the manuals and pedals were rattling away with more than ordinary vigor, while a chorus of loud whispers which sounded like ' Blow ! blow-!! blow:!!' was distinctly audible in the direction of the choir. .Suddenly a smothered shriek was heard in the rear of the organ, which directly afterwards pealed with remarkable energy. The blower had gone to .-deep."

A stranger presented at a Lank in Dallas, Tex., a cheque for *IO,OOO, and also letters purporting to indorse him as a wealthy Xew Yorker. The bunk officers hesitated about paying it, and he said, " Telegraph to your bankers in New York, and I will stand the expense. I came here to buy cotton, and I mit.-t have the money. ' A message was sent, and soon an answer eame back, saying that the cheque and the man were good. The cash was thereupon paid. \et the operation was a clever swindle. Two telegraphers had taken possession of a shanty a few miles from Dallas, on the line of the wires, attached a I lattery, taken oft' the message intended for New York, and answered it. A poor man travelling 011 the Auckland railway the other day, took a return ticket, but on" the return trip found that he had lost the return hall of the ticket. The railway authorities then prosecuted him for travelling without a ticket, as he declined to pay ful'l fare over again. It was proved that the man had bought the return ticket, but still a tine of .Is. was imposed. This would

rca.iilv have been paid, but the Crown Prosecutor, wln» appeared lor the Government, | demanded a ice of three guineas in addition to the L'oiirt fees, and as the defendant was unable to pay the large sum total, he was ,-ent to gaol "lor fourteen days. This is a monstrous case, and should he looked into by the Government. A very neat device for preventing buridarv has just been brought out iuthe Ijnited State-;. All doors in a bank are so arranged that they can only be ojiened when two knobs ur'handles are turned simultaneously. these knobs are placed ill connection with powerful batteries. A thift&?&K(Ses one and no ellect follitws. lie then uses hands, taking a knob in each. Immediately his howls follow ; he is unable to let tite knobs go because of the violent muscular contractions set up. The torture is fearful, and the would-be robber constitutes in consequence—if he be a niau of strong lungs —a most admirable alarm. It may interest our readers just now to learn that the Gla.-gow Corporation has invested £l,Ol (J, 000 in gas works. They have 40;) miles of pipes, 51T,500 meters, and 1,309 workmen ; and I,0'")0 millions of cubic feet of gas were registered at the work during last veur.

It is a libel on Scotland to say that there is not a man in North Britain who can make ;i joku or understand one. Here are two. One of them is a judge, and the other day he had before him an application on be-half of some body of some form of Scotch Christianity, who announced themselves as Seceders. " Seceder.s from whatashed his lordship. " Is it from the Established Church "So, my lord."' " Then arc you seceders from the ?" (United Presbyterians). " Xo, my lord, we split oft' long ago from the U.P.'s." "(),* then." said his lordship, "you are split peas I Now I understand ; go on." The other Scotch humorist saw the fun of this within three minutes of its being repeated to him. It is no uncommon occurrence in tropical climates to hear of a dog being devoured by a shark, but it is a novelty when the proceeding is reversed in a latitude so far south as- Hobart Town ; yet those who were passing the Waterman's Dock at eleven o'clock thif other day (says the Tasmanian "Tribune ") witnessed the latter feat being perfonned by a half-bred Newfoundland and retriever dog, belonging to Mr. Charles Dillon, the well-known waterman. The first seen of the shark was his tail, which was above water, midway between the two stairs, and in an instant the dog was seen swimming towards it. Carlo then dived and presently re-appeared with a shark four feet long between his jaws, having a hold round the bellv. The tough hide of the dog's antagonist"prevented his getting a firm grip, and he ! had to let it go for a moment, which opportunity the shark availed himself of, to make ■ an attempt to bite the dog, but he was not ! quick enough, for Carlo caught him by the j head and presently dragged him ashore. The | dog was not injured in the least, but the | shark was found to have one of his eyes eom- ! pletely torn out. The waterman quickly disj embowelled him, and threw the carcase back f into the water, when Carlo once more brought | it on shore. The pluck shewn by Carlo was ; generally admired, and it is the first instance ■ we have heard of a dog so courageously at- | tacking a shark in its own element. Sullivan has been placed under the " microscope " to some purpose by the \ ictorians. The " Ballarat Post " supplies the following item in reference to the unfortunate man : " This (Friday) morning Mr. J. Xiccol, the

produce, merchant, being early astir, found the knife, pipe,' and match-box of the murderer, which had accidentally fallen out of his pocket, and which are now on view at the inspector's office. The knife is formed of the blade of a razor, the handle being made up of old rags wrapped round and bound up firmly so as to give a good grip, which is unpleasantly suggestive of the early deeds of its owner-, and the match-box has the murderer's initials cut in the lid.'' This piece of absurdity is 011 a par with the act of an Auckland publican who, finding that Sullivan had honoured him by drinking out of a half-pint pewter, had the line engraved thereupon—"This pot was used by Sullivan the murderer 011 " so and so date, and it thenceforth became a curiosity. The London correspondence of the "Thames Gazette " recalls a characteristic anecdote of Dickens and Forster. One night Dickens was conveyed from the play by a cabman, who addressed him by name. It turned out that he knew Douglas Jerrold, Jlaeready, and others of the guild of literature set. He was asked if he knew Forster. Xot by name. His personal appearance was described. " Oh, yes ; I know.'s the gent; a werry arbitrary cove ! " This is not, we believe, to be found in Forster's "Life of Dickens." The "Xew Zealand Herald" says: — " Aniongstthe passengers who passed through by the mail steamer was a certain person passing by the name of Travcrs, with a sargeant in the Hull police-force named Trafford, on their way from Fiji to Hull, Yorkshire, 'leavers, it will be remembered, was, some time time ago, traced from England to Fiji, and there arrested 011 a charge of a series of forgeries perpetrated some time back, He is now in custody of the Hull detective en route for Yorkshire, where he will be arraigned upon the charge set forth. It is said that others are implicated with him in the alleged crime."