The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 183, 21 November 1876, Page 2

The Evening Mail.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

" Wertftt are Chins*, and a drop of infe falling upon a thought rtuvy prodaca that whioh make} thou^tida think."

Mr. Fred. Earlc and Mr. Trevor Evans, two jarera summoned to the District Court tliis morning, did not answer when their names were colled, and the Bench inflicted a penalty of 40s. in each ca.e.

As an evidence of the march of civilisatio and the progress Oamaru is making in that direction, it may he stated that a veritable Knight of the Blacking Brush might have been seen plying his avocation this morning opposite the Star and Garter. Tne Secretary of the late Show requests that prizewinners of medals would intimate in writing, on or before the ISth prox., whether they will elect to be paid in cash or medals.

Mr. and Mrs. Hart took their benefit last night, and although the attendance was but sparse, what was lacking in numbers was fully atoned for by the demonstrative applause of those present. A capital programme was presented, and nothing damped by the

meagre attendance, each one of the Company went through his, or her, part with spirit. At the conclusion, Mr. Hart, for himself and wife, thanked the public for the kindly support which had been accorded them. The Company appear to-night for the last time. It appears the last Melbourne race 3 have been the most lucrative for the ring for many years past. The astonishing victories of Briseis, a marc that was almost unheard of for the Cup until she pulled off the Derby, has brought a golden shoal into the bookmakers' nets, and it is currently stated that they have cleared £70,000 to £IOO,OOO by the meeting. The amount of stakes paid over has amounted to close upon £II,OOO, of which the Cup winner brings her owner £3,700, having won besides that event the Derby and Oaks. The Governor of New .South "\Vale3, Sir Hercules .Robinson, gets a little over half that amount—£l,Bßs —as his share of the prize money. The scribe of the Aharon. Mail has struck out a special line in the art of paragraphing. In its last issue a sentence commences : " We regret to announce that it is our painful duty to report another accident," &o. As if, however, to compensate for the double dose of sorrow expressed, the next paragraph, being one of jubilation, is also double shotted in this fashion —" We are pleased to note, and feel gratified to chronicle, the establishment of a new industry." We had thought that the days of penny-a-lining were at an end, but after reading the foregoing we have our doubts on the matter.

The newly-elected directory of the Caledonian Socicts' held their first weekly meeting at Proctor's Hotel last evening, there being present—The President (Mr. William M'lntnsh), Vice-President (Mr. C. Galbraith), the Secretary (Mr. W. Aitkcn), the Treasurer (Mr. -Jas. Martin), and Messrs. Smilie, \V. Bee, Baillie, Munro, >\ Fleming, Lawson, J. Dooley, Morton, K. L. Rule, Taylor, Rtid, Pratt, Keiiuedy, and Miller. It was proposed and carried that a ball and supper be held on New Year's Sight, the following gentlemen to act as a committee for its efficient arrangement : Messrs. Fleming, M'lntosh, Martin, Taylor, Rule, Kennedy, Lawson, Lindsay, Sinclair, Hay-Mackenzie, Rowland, and the Secretary. The directors of the Society were further increased by the addition of Messrs. Mathew Morton, Borrie, A. 'lhompson, G. M'Lean, A. Chrystal, and D. Sutherland, always prodding that they accepted the position. On the motion of Mr. Neil Fleming, the following gentlemen were appointed to act as a Ground Committee : Me3sr3. Galbraith, Munro, Fairley, Smillie. Dooley, Miller, Baillie, Rowland, Mainland, 11. Aitken, L. Morton, Pratt, and the mover; five to form a quorum, and the Secretary to act as convener.

Under the heading of "How it Strike 3 a Stranger," the Invercargill Times has the following :—" One of the passengers by the Arawata, on her last trip from Melbourne, was a young gentleman, who brought thirtysis ferrets in the St. Cteyth from England to Melbourne, and thence to thi3 place, for rabbit killing purposes. He has proceeded to Mr. C. Cowan's station, but this is by the way. In convoying his ferrets from Glasgow to London by rail, a distance of about 400 miles, the charge made for the journey on account of the ferrets was 14s. ; but on arriving at the Bluff and having them conveyed by rail thence to Invercargill, a distance of twenty miles, the charge he had to pay for their carriage was £1 os. 9d. ! This struck the stranger " all of a heap. 1 ' A match has been arranged between the champions of the French and English style of billiards. In answer to Roberts' challenge, M. C'arme addressed the following letter to the A uttralasian, setting forth the conditions under which he would play :—" Sir, —May I beg the insertion of the following in your next issue? —As I have never played the English billiard game, I accept the 600 points out of 1,000 proposed by Mr. John Roberts, jun., ex-shatnpion of England, on condition that the match shall be played on a champion table ; and furthermore, a3 Mr. Roberts ha 3 played my game from the first day he played at billiards, I will play him a match on a French table, each cannon to count two points, giving him 400 out of 1,000. The respective matches to be each for £2OO a-side, aud £IOO to the one who makes the largest break in either one of the two games. The entrance money to be appropriated as follows :—l. Should we each win a game, the money to be equally divided af:er tlie whol-j of the expenses are paid. 2. .Should either of U3 win both matches, the winner to taka the whole of the door money after all the expenses shall have been paid.— I am, &a, P. Carsie."